I'm looking for books that specifically address the history of clean climbing. In other words, where did the philosophy of an "alpine style" come from.

Based on olderic's comments about the definitions of both, I'd say the two references above are even more worthwhile reading.

I don't mean to imply that both of these terms were first birthed in Yosemite. Indeed, there is mention of clean-climbing influences from europe.

Both books speak of non-siege-style first-ascents of big wall routes in Yosemite. I wouldn't call them alpine-light ascents, though. But being high on a wall without a string of ropes linking you to the ground on an FA (!) is a commitment I will likely never experience.

Bill L

I'm looking for books that specifically address the history of clean climbing. In other words, where did the philosophy of an "alpine style" come from.

After all, clean climbing vs siege and the gray areas in between are really just common sense vs practicality at the time - and these are universal.

Fair enough. Let's focus on clean climbing then. Specifically, I'm trying to fill in the gaps before the publication of the Tim Frost article in Chinoard Equipment's catalog. It seems that the ideas/ideals surrounding clean climbing came from England - yes? Any names? Any British documents (like Frost's) that explain the philosophy of clean climbing?

Tom (not "Tim") Frost - although the article "The Whole Natural Art of Protection" in the 73 catelogue was written by Doug Robinson. Oh and "Chouinard".

Certainly the idea of carrying and placing chalkstones to use as pro is usually credited to have originated with the Brits. I'm not aware of any seminal article over there but there certainly was a long standing tradition of not using pitons when climbing there. it is typically said that climbers like Brown and Williams in the 50's started using hex nuts (found by the tracks on the way to the crag) as a more advanced form for carrying chalks to place - they could even be pre slung.

Back in thse parts - John Stannard in the Gunks in the early/mid 70's deserves a lot of credit for popularizing the whole clean climbing craze.

Okay, so given the critique by olderic, where does the notion of "alpinist ethics" come from?

The School of Necessity.

DMT

You have to go back to the emergence of pitons, because before pins existed, it just wasn't an issue. Pitons started to appear in the South Tirol and Tirol in the late 19th c, but didn't become common until the early 20th c.

The so-called "Munich School" (associated with Hans Duelfer) promoted the use of pitons for expanding difficulty on rock and later, ice. Others, most famously Paul Preuss, denounced the use of "aritificial aids" like pitons, abseil descents, etc. The debate became known as the Mauerhakenstreit.

How's your Deutsch? The best accounts are all in German. Messner's anthology, Paul Preuss, collects some of the original writings and rehearses Preuss's career.

The British rejection (semi-rejection) of pitons, later, is better known here in the states.

In the US, the most under-appreciated figure is John Stannard, who, in my opinion, had as much, if not more, to do with the full-on conversion to clean climbing than anyone else.

Stannard was one of the first to understand and master the use of small wired nuts for protection at a time when most climbers still considered them to be aid pieces only. At considerable personal expense and effort, Stannard published and distributed for free The Eastern Trade, which became a vehicle for communicating about the possibilities of clean climbing.

While most of the country's climbers were celebrating all-nut repeats of 5.9 and 5.10 classics but were mostly still climbing with mixed racks of nuts and pitons, Stannard was climbing new 5.11 - 5.12 routes ground up with nuts only, on terrain requiring subtle and precise placements that could not be seen from the base of the pitch and had to be discovered and utilized as one climbed. Stannard almost single-handedly converted the East to nut protection, and profoundly influenced Steve Wunsch, John Bragg, and Henry Barber, who then carried the ability and discipline to dispense with the piton rack, even on the hardest routes of the day, back out West.