corvallisclimb Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 (edited) Dean Fry would simply have re-written the history of Oregon rock climbing, had he not crashed on HW 20 that October night in 1973 on his way back to Corvallis (The day he did Math Test). If you've ever climbed one of his routes you will understand. His career only spanned two years but the routes he added are some of the most serious in Oregon. Some are classics as well. If any one had climbed one of his routes I'd love to hear your stories. Off the top of my head here is a list of his routes and FFAs . I will make it more complete when I have some guide books in front of me. Smith Rock FFA Free Lunch via Unfinished Symphony (5.9 A3) - Picnic Linch Wall - Dean Fry, Larry Kemp - Mar 6 1972 FA Shipwreck (5.8 R) - East Ship - Dean Fry, Terri Rader - Jan 3 1973 FA No Doz (5.9 A4) - West Ship - Dean Fry, Russ Bunker - Feb 24 1973 FFA Zebra Zion (5.1a) - Morning Glory Wall - Dean Fry, Jeff Thomas - Jan 13 1973 FA Fridays Jinx (5.7 R) - The Four Horsmen - Dean Fry, Paul Fry March 10, 1973 FFA Math Test aka Karate Crack to Peapod Cave (5.10a) - The Diheadrals - Dean Fry, Steve Lyford - Oct 3 1973 FA Skag Variation (5.8 R) - The Diheadrals - Jeff Thomas, Dean Fry - Nov 4 1972 FFA Moonshine Diheadral (5.9) - The Diheadrals - Dean Fry, Jeff Thomas - Nov 4 19729 FA Methuselas Column (5.10a R) - The Diheadrals - Dean Fry, Paul Fry - Mar 10 1973 FA Lycopodophyta (5.8) - The Diheadrals - Dean Fry, Jeff Thomas - Dec 17 1973 FFA New Testiment (5.10a) - The Christian Brothers - Dean Fry, Larry Kemp - Feb 18 1973 FA Smith Summit East Wall (5.8 X) - Dean Fry, Wayne Arrington - May 27 1973 FA London Tower (5.10a R) - Dean Fry, Russ Bunker, Steve Mikesell - Apr 14 1973 FA Desert Solitair (5.10a R) - Kola Rock - Jeff Thomas, Keith Edwards, Dean Fry - Nov 25 1972 FA Catfight Cracks (5.10a X) - The Wombat - Dean Fry, Jeff Thomas - Sept 30 1972 FA CL Concerto (5.9 A4) - The Wombat - Dean Fry, Jack Barrar Sept 13-14 1972 FA Space Cowboy (5.9 R) - Wolf Rock - Dean Fry, Jack Barrar 1972 FA Gigantor (5.8 X) - Wolf Rock - Wayne Arrington, Dean Fry 1973 FA Butter Fingers (5.9 R) - Menagerie FA The Seal - (5.7) - Menagerie Dean was a bad ass. Edited March 1, 2010 by corvallisclimb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephH Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Sounds like someone I would like to have climbed with had he had stayed with us. Ditto with Vern Stiefel who was one of the best climbers I've met in recent years. And of course it goes without saying I would liked to have gotten in more climbs with Jim Anglin. Everyone has their time, sometimes we're lucky enough to get some of them while they're here, sometimes we're not. C'est la vie... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Nice tribute Tyler. His name was always next to the more aggressive guide book entries in the 1st guide. Cant believe only 2 years! Would be cool to hear more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgw Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Dean & Paul Fry climbed St. Petes in 1972 (18th party). Jeff Thomas & Don Baars have a couple paragraphs (story relayed to Jeff by Paul) on that climb in their article in Mazama Annual…long story short, Paul took a lead fall & nearly severed the lead rope. Dean refused to give up despite his brother's pleading and they continued to the summit on their ratty haul rope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvallisclimb Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 Hey Radek, Do you have a scanner? You should scan the Mazama article and post it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fgw Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Tyler, I don't have a scanner but I also don't want to piss off the authors or mazamas by posting up their stuff. I can mail you a photocopy of it - shoot me a pm with your info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACW Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 If you get a chance to chat with Jeff Thomas, he has many great stories to tell about Dean. He even wrote a wonderful personal tribute to Dean that he let me read a couple years back. Obviously, 5.11 would have arrived on Smith tuff much earlier, and probably higher grades as well if Dean hadn't died. I understand he was very focused, which makes sense given how much he accomplished in such a short time. He died 18 months before I first climbed at Smith. I've always thought that Methuselah's Column was one of the most visionary leads at Smith, done on lead with bad rock and 1/4" bolts. But I'm most curious about Cat Fight Cracks. I've never done it, nor have I talked to anyone who has. Jeff told me once that the second pitch Dean led was almost completely unprotected, with ground fall potential from 150 feet up! It's possible modern gear might make it far safer, but who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvallisclimb Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Well Alan I must say that A4 pitch on CL Concerto has to be one of the most impressive aid pitches anywhere in Oregon. Doing that in 1972 with RURPS and KBs is absolutly insane to think about. Tyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillA Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 I was very happy to clip the anchors on Methuselah's Column. I found the climbing to be bold and scary even with modern sticky rubber and 1/2" bolts. Very, very impressive considering Dean did the FA 37 years ago and on lead! And I was scared just belaying the A4 pitch on CL Concerto. Most impressive aid lead I've seen: loose, hollow mud nailing (yeah Tyler!). And again, Dean did it almost 40 years ago! He was the man!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvallisclimb Posted March 5, 2010 Author Share Posted March 5, 2010 Bump for Dean! No ones got a story from a Dean Fry route. He did some stuff at Beacon too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 really? whaaaat? don't have a guide near me n' my drunk n' tired (beacon rawwwwked 2night!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 5, 2010 Share Posted March 5, 2010 he did the first free ascent of right gull! uber-classic beacon route! strongly recomend it to you tyler if you ever come down here - you can finish to the top via my new hibernal hijinx (or riverside) he's listed w/ the first complete ascent of dod's, but the upper part of that route blows donkeys fa of free for all - the best 5.8 crack at beacon didn't see any other credits for him in the olson guide, but hell those are 3 stellar, super-classic beacon routes, so ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvallisclimb Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 A4 pitch on CL Concerto, 38 years later. last pitch on CL Concerto, A2. Damn Dean was a bad ass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillA Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 A couple more pictures from the Concerto and a few words can be found here if anyone is interested: http://postjock.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/dean-fry-and-smith-rock-grade-vii/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 aid climbers have the most fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Great report, Who's blog is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvallisclimb Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) Wayne, that blog would be by Mr. BillAmos him self, my partner in crime. woot finally a solid pin! Thanks to Kira for taking this picture while on Birds in a Rut. Edited March 8, 2010 by corvallisclimb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexbaker Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) Bump for Dean, Tyler and Bill on doing something unique and hard. Tyler lead the A4 pitch the day after his birthday, I can't imagine you felt that great hiking up there and starting the lead Tyler, but maybe your used to it? Alex Edited March 8, 2010 by alexbaker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Wayne, that blog would be by Mr. BillAmos him self, my partner in crime. woot finally a solid pin! Thanks to Kira for taking this picture while on Birds in a Rut. great shot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winter Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 rad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderhound Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 Tyler lead the A4 pitch the day after his birthday, I can't imagine you felt that great hiking up there and starting the lead Tyler, but maybe your used to it? Alex sounds like the tyler I know....badass tyler, can't wait to see you in the valley soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvallisclimb Posted March 17, 2010 Author Share Posted March 17, 2010 Wow thanks guys! Bump to get hood outta the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaconben Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 sheesh tyler, i must say i take you to be quite the badass at this point. dude, you have got to bag a classic el cap route while you have your aid head. i would love to read a tr from you about P.O., sea of dreams, zenyatta mondatta. i have talked to people who have done these routes, compared to what you are doing, you might not even find this selection scary enough. go do reticent, or worse. it is granite, after all. just freaky, expanding, loose, hollow sounding granite. oh, and whatever that black shit rock is called. shit may actually be the technical term for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevetimetravlr Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 diorite is what you are talking about I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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