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abmelim
Aug 21, 2005, 12:51 AM
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Registered: Jun 28, 2005
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thought we could give our stories of how we first got into climbing. it was 1989 and i was a freshman in high school. I ran on the cross country team which ended up being my second family. two guys on the team, juniors at the time, decided to go down to the boston rock gym. so, we piled into this old bicolored station wagon and i remember doing my homework, the scarlet letter i think, in the back of the car. i had such a major crush on both of the guys, one shorter and very flexible while the other tall, lean, and quick, very quick. these trips to the rock gym opened my eyes to the world of climbing for the very first time. before these guys graduated they scaled the brick wall of our high school and bolted a red hold at the top. the two boys were dean potter and john sirois (who although did not become a professional climber was amazingly talented) p.s. dean also taught me how to drive a standard!!!
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telemarkist
Aug 21, 2005, 1:42 AM
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Registered: Jul 29, 2003
Posts: 182
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I was lucky enough to take a class in jr. high taught by a guy who on his summers off was a seasonal ranger at RMNP, he called it mountaineering but we went over all sorts of outdoor skills, that was back in 1974, I've always wanted to find him and let him know how much he changed the course of my life as well as many of the other students who had his class. I owe him a lot, thanks mr. huntington.
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oopps
Aug 21, 2005, 2:02 AM
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Registered: Aug 2, 2005
Posts: 150
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For me it was my father - he started taking me out camping when I was about two months old... camping progressed to trekking (backpacking), which in turn progressed to snow mountaineering, which eventually got me started on rock/ice climbing.
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blitzkrieg_climber13
Aug 21, 2005, 3:36 AM
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Registered: Mar 22, 2005
Posts: 288
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for me it was mostly my dad. but other than that it was dan osman. seeing his part in masters of stone 2 really got me inspired to go out and climb.
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saskclimber
Aug 21, 2005, 4:47 AM
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Registered: May 23, 2004
Posts: 548
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a girl I met on a university ski trip took me. I "fell" for her on the bus ride home, but didn't really have the nerve to ask for a number or something like that. The next year, she signed up for the x-country team, and she recognized me before I recognized her. I've been climbing with her since. I love her to death, but we still arent together. The first time I went climinging, Nels Rossaasen and Jay Holowach (two guys that I'm somewhat friends with now, and who are sponsored by various companies including metolius, teknik, madrock, la sportiva..) were climbing that first night, and just blew me away by what they were doing (and what I couldnt..)
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alpinerock
Aug 21, 2005, 10:09 PM
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Registered: May 17, 2003
Posts: 600
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I hiked Lone peak behind my house when i was 12, upon reaching the summit i looked over the edge and saw someone climbing the triple overhangs, i soon "borrowed" the scouts rappelling gear and taught myself how to lead, toprope, and solo; all outside in good old American Fork Canyon. I soon started climbing with a kid that goes to my school whos dad has been climbing for 30+ years and with him i learned how to lead trad. So yeah i'm prettymuch self-taught to the point of almost earning a darwin award on mulitple occasions. I guess i have grown up around climbers though so it just seemed like the natural thing to do, climbing that is i don't know...
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nightlion
Aug 21, 2005, 11:31 PM
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Registered: Jul 31, 2004
Posts: 229
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I started a nw job working at a camp for youth at risk and one of my first trainings was on a 60 ft. climbing wall. It didn't take long before I started bouldering on my breaks and eventually started getting my own gear and going out with people that I worked with.
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cadaverchris
Aug 21, 2005, 11:39 PM
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Registered: Feb 12, 2003
Posts: 323
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summer camp. monmouth county park system NJ Brian Dellet, Mark Russo, Brian Hermelee and Michael Miller. a very inspirational group. they got me focused on the outdoors, climbing and challenging myself in every aspect of life. thanks
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iclimbtoo
Aug 22, 2005, 12:23 AM
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Registered: Feb 10, 2002
Posts: 645
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I was in eighth grade and decided that I needed some clarification on some science terms (for whatever reason that may have been, I do not know! :lol: ) Anyways, I walk into the science lab and start walking up to my teacher, who still has yet to see that I'm there. Once I get to the desk I caught him looking at pictures on the internet...of Colorado. He jumped when I asked what it was that he was looking at. When he told me Colorado (Eldorado Canyon) and how that was the next big trip he was thinking of doing in a couple of years, he asked if I had ever climbed. When I told him no, we got a sign up list put up in the school and went on a number of climbing trips in the next few weeks. I was hooked. By my junior year of high school I was travelling to Eldo to hit up the Bastille, Rewritten, Wind Ridge, and other classics in the canyon. He taught me everything about trad...'cause that's all there was. although I boulder and sport here and there, I've stuck with my main roots of trad. I talked to him a couple of months ago. His family and job keeps him from climbing much anymore, but when he heard that I'm heavy into it and going to places like Thailand, CO, WA or whereever to climb, I could sense the ear-to-ear smile on his face through the phone.
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tattooed_climber
Aug 22, 2005, 3:52 AM
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Registered: Dec 13, 2003
Posts: 4838
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I'd say Batman Yup, Batman has had a HUUUUGGE! influence in my life
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watusi
Aug 22, 2005, 3:58 AM
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Registered: Jul 16, 2004
Posts: 26
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I was actually introduced to climbing in '71 with the scouts in SD. I met Roger Wilson (photo of him on waterchute in '70's orange Wolfe JT guide) and he inspired me further.
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andrewbanandrew
Aug 22, 2005, 4:53 AM
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Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 441
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Colin Haley, a friend of mine, took me toproping once or twice. I never did get into it until I found out my college had a gym. He is on Nanga Parbat right now.
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boondock_saint
Aug 22, 2005, 5:12 AM
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Registered: Aug 6, 2005
Posts: 2157
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Sometime in the late 80s Mother: "Has anyone seen Zavi?" Other kids point up, very top of a huge plum tree Mother: "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! What in God's name are you doing up ther? How did you even get up there? come down at once!" Me: "Hold on ma, I'm not done eating the plums yet!" I have been climbing things ever since I could. That of course passed when I hit my teens and regretfully I didn't get into rock climbing until a girl I met took me too a gym in St. Louis (this was only about half a year ago). Right away I knew it was love (not the girl, the sport).
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clintoris
Aug 22, 2005, 9:05 AM
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Registered: Oct 13, 2004
Posts: 93
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I read Anatoli Boukreev's book "Above the Clouds" and it really inspired me. I'd hiked a lot and camped and done a little rock and ice before that, but this got me into mountaineering. He's one of my idols.
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glarock
Aug 22, 2005, 11:24 AM
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Registered: Aug 22, 2005
Posts: 7
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Jim Beyer. Anyone out there have a postal or email address for him?
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numptyboy
Aug 22, 2005, 11:39 AM
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Registered: Jun 11, 2004
Posts: 125
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I met a beautiful exciting girl named Catherine through a mutual friend. We started seeing each other. She took me to the local indoor wall which I enjoyed, I was in awe that someone could be so graceful going up!! (paticularly after falling up my first route!! but then she took me on my first outdoor climbing in the Mournes, I think that's where I fell more in love with her(if that's possible) AND climbing. (even if I got 100+ midgey bites!). When she died, all I had left was climbing and it literally saved my life in the bad ol' days that came. Even though my life has moved on and even I've got my present girlfriend into climbing, when I fancy dropping in on Cat, I go climbing in the Mournes because thats where she is. Thanks Cat, see you soon.
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question
Aug 22, 2005, 12:43 PM
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Registered: Jul 20, 2005
Posts: 11
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I don't know whether it's polite to ask, but what happened to her? Anyway, my story... One year, I was supposed to be heading to the alpine national park but ended up going on my first climbing trip through the grampians. There I first layed eyes on the most gorgeous guy I'd ever seen. A short time went by and several serendipitous events later, we were camping and climbing together. He did turn out to be the most amazing person I've met to date. Unfortunately, he broke my heart (or I his, I'm not sure). But he's still alive and climbing heaps (hopefully) and I too. In hindsight, he was the most caring, considerate and intelligent climber I've had the fortune to climb with. Soppy story isn't it?
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numptyboy
Aug 22, 2005, 1:29 PM
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Registered: Jun 11, 2004
Posts: 125
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No worries, It's something I don't mind talking about: Catherine had a bad asthma attack which she didn't recover from. She was a stubborn young lady and could probably have taken a bit better care of herself; I personally think it would have miffed her to go that way as opposed to in some mountain epic but i suppose nobody gets to choose. Anyway enough about the miserable bit. She was an exceptional climber, she made it even more infectious due to her personality. There are quite a few people other than me who owe her for climbing today.
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thorne
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Aug 22, 2005, 2:00 PM
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Steve Longnecker - Camp Sequoyah '69 or '70.
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vivalargo
Aug 23, 2005, 4:17 PM
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Registered: Nov 26, 2002
Posts: 1512
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The late, great, Paul Gleason. JL
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dingus
Aug 23, 2005, 4:19 PM
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Registered: Dec 16, 2002
Posts: 17398
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Rudi got me started. Banners in the Sky, James Ramsey Ullman. DMT
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mjroche
Aug 23, 2005, 4:19 PM
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Registered: Aug 5, 2004
Posts: 333
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The article you did about Gleason some time ago was amazing. A great tribute to someone who sounded like a true mentor.
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mbg
Aug 23, 2005, 4:28 PM
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Registered: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 372
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In reply to: Rudi got me started. Banners in the Sky, James Ramsey Ullman. DMT I haven't thought about that book in a long time. It's pretty good juvenile lit and should get more attention. Kind of like My Side of the Mountain for alpinists.
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