sobo Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 My Climbing Jack Durrance for rushing to Devil's Tower from Dartmouth to rescue the stranded parachutist. Excellent find, Billy! Must go back and amend my list with Paul and Jack! :tup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 as a side note, isn't it vaguely ghey to have heroes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wfinley Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 sorry, one more that I can't forget, Bob Waldrop. Where are you these days? He lives in Anchorage. If you want his contact info PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccallboater Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 I find it interesting that the most inspiring climbers for the majority of you respondees are people you have not personally known or climbed with. I'm not sure what that means, if anything. I too am inspired by the famous names written above (Rubuffat, Terray, etc.) mostly through their skill with the written word. I'd like to add big Bill Tillman to that list. But those folks did not get me into the mountains and change the way I live my life. The people who actually dragged me out there and showed me what truly matters are the ones who I immediately think of as my heros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreetBoss Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Heroes......Note - no particular order Fred Becky Alex Lowe Dick Bass & Frank Wells Jim Hinkehouse, Scott Hall (climbing friend), Bobbi Bensmen Lynn Hill Steve Swenson Don Serl Tony Yaniro Seth Shaw Randy Leavitt Alan Watts Ian Caldwell Dan Cauthorn Ed Cooper Justin Sjong Warren Harding Reinhold Messner Dave Gunstone Muffy Muffy Muffy Climbers I've never liked Greg Child Scott Hall (Mountain Maddness) Jim Donini Gary Brill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 as a side note, isn't it vaguely ghey to have heroes? fer shers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StreetBoss Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 I find it interesting that the most inspiring climbers for the majority of you respondees are people you have not personally known or climbed with. I'm not sure what that means, if anything. Oh I beg your pardon...I've either climbed with or in the same party as most all on my list. If you climb long enough and travel and climb in remote places is where you meet these folks along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) Heroes......Note - no particular order Fred Becky Alex Lowe Dick Bass & Frank Wells Jim Hinkehouse, Scott Hall (climbing friend), Bobbi Bensmen Lynn Hill Steve Swenson Don Serl Tony Yaniro Seth Shaw Randy Leavitt Alan Watts Ian Caldwell Dan Cauthorn Ed Cooper Justin Sjong Warren Harding Reinhold Messner Dave Gunstone Muffy Muffy Muffy Climbers I've never liked Greg Child Scott Hall (Mountain Maddness) Jim Donini Gary Brill this made my whole day my climbing heroes tend to be local and personal well most of them... Jim Anglin Bill Sules(how ever you spell it) Peter and Chris Fralick Cody Peterson Mike South Karsten Duncen Reuben Bedingfield Moneky Boy---I can't remeber his real name Mikey Layton Terminal Gravity Minx Archy Sherri Lynn Hill John Long Steph Davis Katey and Ben Bill Co See I forgot Collin--- He is such an awsome kid!!! I am sure I have missed a bunch but those are the folks that came to the top of my brain. Edited May 20, 2008 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 (edited) my kids...they remind me what climbing is supposed to be about...hangin' in the dirt, hangin' with good buddies, enjoying being outside in the most bitchin' places, and just plain reveling in climbing...all others pale in comparison (to me, of course)... If i had to pick a "famous" climber, it would be Mr. Alan Watts...stupendous climbing skill, down home attitude, single handedly revolutionized american climbing and a great guy all around... Several other local climbers are living a variation of the theme my kids are about, but on an adult level...and i love hearin' the stories... They would be bigwallben...he's putting stuff down and livin' the dream locally and nationally JensHolsten for chasing the dream and living the climbing life in a Jack Kerouac (spelling?) style.... and TimL who somehow has managed to combine his two biggest passions...E and climbing... Dr. Evil has managed to climb at a stunning level and put himself through med school...the PNW won't be the same without that guy... Edited May 20, 2008 by RuMR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syudla Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Add George Lowe Chris Jones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raindawg Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 If i had to pick a "famous" climber, it would be Mr. Alan Watts...stupendous climbing skill, down home attitude, single handedly revolutionized american climbing and a great guy all around... Nice guy, but brought American climbing into a Dark Age in which it still wallows. Climbing was going through a clean/green revolution further enhanced by new technology (including cams) and a ground-up ethic still prevailed. Here comes rap-bolting Watts to Smith Rocks (and I was around there before, during and afterwards), bringing seductive, cheap and dirty Euro-tactics which continue to pollute climbing over 20 years later. I wonder if he had any idea how it would turn out.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuMR Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 funny...he went down to the valley and shredded standards there climbing ground up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 True dat . I spent hours belaying him on several 5.13s. That guy was not afraid to take huge whippers on RPs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 The people who actually dragged me out there and showed me what truly matters are the ones who I immediately think of as my heros. I've read a bunch of inspiring writing, but when you get down to it the climber who inspired me the most is my dad. When I was a little kid I'd stare at pictures of climbs he had done in the past. While I was still young he got me out in the mountains scrambling and on AT skis. He encouraged me to start climbing as a teen. He even let me lead the crux pitch on das tooth when I first started climbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Climbers that have inspired me and that I have met or climbed with: Lynn Hill Chris Sharma Sonny Trotter Tony Yaniro Tommy Caldwell Brad Jarrett Heather Jarrett Maggie Evansen John Stewart Kevin Rouch Mark D Andrew Liener Bill Coe Ben Priestly Arent Wortel Jim Opdyke Bob Graham David Daily Bryan Smith David Sowerby Anyone who climbs 5.11 cracks Anyone who goes for it Anyone who climbs at Beacon Anyone with little or no ego Anyone who knows how to get to the “land of the little people” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 wzEb5IzdcrU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
builder206 Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Franz Kafka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Two more who deserve an honorable mention are Bachar and Viesturs. These guys have made some extraordinary accomplishments and inspired many modern climbers. Both seem to be generally decent human beings as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairweather Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Ira Spring. He took the whole family, good pictures, and believed in access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pink Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 captain kirk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 OK. So if you had to choose ONE climber that inspired you the most…….who would it be? I would have to say Pink. I would not climb today if Andrew and I would not have been room mate’s years ago. He used to always try to get me to go climbing and I would always try to get him to go mt biking on that awesome bike he had that I rode more than him. One day I went climbing and I never mt biked again (not literally). Thanks Pink! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motomagik Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Lynn Hill. Hands down the most inspiring for anyone female, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 OK. So if you had to choose ONE climber that inspired you the most…….who would it be? Easy. Frank Gibson, hands down. Story is similar to yours. I used to do a shitload of cave exploration/surveying/mapping with Frank and "Mike the Psycho" when I was in school at VA Tech. One weekend, Frank and Psycho didn't want to cave, but were going climbing instead. I asked, "What's that like?" Frank and Psycho: "Wellllll, it's a lot like caving, except it's not wet. And it's not muddy. And it's not cold. And it's not dark. And it's not blah blah blah..." (you get the idea) I got to go along, and I think I went caving all of 3 more times in my life after that. Frank became my climbing mentor just as he had been my caving mentor. And he sandbagged me on my first leads just as he had sandbagged me into being the first human into some pretty tiny spaces underground. So clearly, it was Frank Gibson. RIP Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam13 Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Anatoli Boukreev, the only person who had their shit together on Everest in 96, he saved multiple lives and then got villified in the media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 that awesome bike he had that I rode more than him. Just how many times did you ride HIM? Sicko. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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