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jgill
Nov 25, 2003, 3:24 AM
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On November 7th, Dr. John R. ('Jack') Durrance passed away in Denver at the age of 91. Many of you will not have heard of Jack Durrance, but to those of us who climbed in the Tetons in the 1950s his name was very well known, and his climbing accomplishments, both within the Park and without, were highly respected. Two of the first climbs I made in the Park were the Southwest Ridge and the Durrance Ridge on Symmetry Spire, the latter having, of course, been established by Jack and guided frequently by him while he worked as a climbing guide for Exum and Petzoldt. He started climbing there in 1936, and quickly made a reputation as a bold and skilled climber, putting up the first route on the north wall of the Grand, the lower half of the Exum Ridge, and the west face of the Grand – a 5.8 climb done in 1940.
Jack did the route bearing his name on Devil's Tower in order to rescue an errant parachutist – the first actual climbing ascent of the formation. However, the greatest controversy of his life came during a 1939 attempt on K2. Four expedition members died, and Fritz Wiessner, the team leader, blamed Durrance. It wasn't until 1994 that the book "K2: The 1939 Tragedy" exonerated Durrance and shifted blame back to Wiessner.
A Dartmouth graduate, Jack became a pulmonary physician, and later became Chief of Medicine at the Denver VA Hospital. He was an expert at hybridizing flowers, with more than thirty types of irises to his credit. He also loved fast cars and owned a stable of them, including a Mercedes 300SL Gull Wing. He would drive the family to the Green River in Wyoming to fish, making the eight hour trip in four.
(Some of this information comes from an obituary written by Mike Mcphee, in the Denver Post).
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stickclipper
Nov 25, 2003, 4:20 AM
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In reply to: Jack did the route bearing his name on Devil's Tower in order to rescue an errant parachutist – the first actual climbing ascent of the formation. However, the greatest controversy of his life came during a 1939 attempt on K2. Four expedition members died, and Fritz Wiessner, the team leader, blamed Durrance. It wasn't until 1994 that the book "K2: The 1939 Tragedy" exonerated Durrance and shifted blame back to Wiessner. (Some of this information comes from an obituary written by Mike Mcphee, in the Denver Post).
With great hesitation and reluctance, I have to correct Mr. Gill. Though perhaps it was the Denver Post writer who erred, not John.
Durrance did NOT do the first actual climbing ascent of Devil's Tower. Fritz Wiessner did the first free ascent (there was a ladder put up in 1893 that others had used to reach the summit) in 1937. Wiessner's route begins with a difficult (5.8) 100ft dihedral that is unprotected for the first 60 feet (Wiessner led it with his standard rack of two pitons). About a year later, Durrance attempted Wiessner's route, but deemed it too dangerous to climb unprotected to the first piton placement and backed off. THEN he put up his classic route. So, let us laud the achievements of Mr. Durrance, but please do not sleight Fritz Weissner, for he did the first ascent of Devil's Tower in bold and impeccable style.
(and, additionally, I don't think that "K2: The 1939 Tragedy" is a completely accurate account. But that is a much fuzzier debate)
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stickclipper
Nov 25, 2003, 4:23 AM
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http://www.nps.gov/deto/first_climb.htm
Here is a national park website which substantiates Wiessner's first ascent.
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alpinerockfiend
Nov 25, 2003, 5:22 AM
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Though I never met Jack or read much about him, many of my best days in the park have been spent on his routes. He will leave a legacy that will never be forgotten by many generations of climbers to come.
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thrasher
Nov 25, 2003, 5:30 AM
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In reply to: for he did the first ascent of Devil's Tower in bold and impeccable style.
stupid and ridiculous style. 60' to the first protection?
In reply to: (and, additionally, I don't think that "K2: The 1939 Tragedy" is a completely accurate account. But that is a much fuzzier debate)
On the contrary, it has been documented to be incredibly accurate.
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gyngve
Nov 25, 2003, 6:03 AM
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[quote="thrasher"]In reply to: for he did the first ascent of Devil's Tower in bold and impeccable style.
stupid and ridiculous style. 60' to the first protection?
You must really think that Peter Croft guy is a moron. :roll:
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jgill
Nov 25, 2003, 6:06 AM
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Whoops! I stand corrected about Devil's Tower. Thanks.
As to the K2 controversy, I never looked into it. So have no opinion. The Post obit goes on to quote Durrance "I knew I was not responsible for those men dying. But I never felt I could argue against Wiessner. I never felt anyone would listen to me".(1995)
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rockprodigy
Nov 25, 2003, 4:48 PM
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I have great respect for the author of this thread, the subject of the thread, and the hijacked subject, Weissner.
Why is it necessary to blame one over the other? When Weissner passed away, did they blame Durrance in his Obituary? These men have been pulled through the ringer over this so many times. I think it is particularly ridiculous that any blame is placed...it's so early 20th century! Haven't we, as climbers, evolved past the point of blaming surviving expedition members when their companions are killed? Every man who chooses to set foot in the mountains is solely responsible for his fate.
Historically speaking, there is an excellent account of the entire controversy in A Century of American Alpinism, the history of the AAC. The German, Weissner became an easy target during WWII and was obliged to resign from the AAC. He went about his climbing career, earning honors from virtually every other international climbing club except for the AAC until..."he came to loom embarassingly as a figure of greater importance in the world of alpinism than the [AAC] itself." They corrected there mistake in 1966, voting him into honorary membership in the AAC.
Let's remember what made these men great, not the petty fights that were probalby exaggerated anyway.
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petro
Nov 25, 2003, 5:17 PM
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In reply to: ...Every man who chooses to set foot in the mountains is solely responsible for his fate... ...Let's remember what made these men great, not the petty fights that were probalby exaggerated anyway.
Amen brother.
Let's point out exactly what did make this man great while we are at it.
He was an active member of society, with contributions not only to climbing, but also to the real world. This type of person seems to be growing exceedingly rare.
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brianinslc
Dec 1, 2003, 4:35 PM
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In reply to: Historically speaking, there is an excellent account of the entire controversy in A Century of American Alpinism, the history of the AAC. The German, Weissner became an easy target during WWII and was obliged to resign from the AAC. He went about his climbing career, earning honors from virtually every other international climbing club except for the AAC until..."he came to loom embarassingly as a figure of greater importance in the world of alpinism than the [AAC] itself." They corrected there mistake in 1966, voting him into honorary membership in the AAC. Let's remember what made these men great, not the petty fights that were probalby exaggerated anyway.
Hard to mourn the loss, as the contribution to climbing was so great...
Durrance Route on Symmetry Spire is one of my fav's in the Tetons...grade III, and seems twice as long as the SW ridge (bet the length has bit more than one party...we missed the boat...)...
West face of the Grand...wow...way ahead of his time...a true FA visionary...
As an aside, I'd argue that the fight over the 39 K2 expedition probably wasn't "petty"....and that book has to be biased...(note that the diary was only released after Wiessner died)...
Anyhoo, an interesting study into the politics of climbing clubs...etc....
Didn't Dudley pop up last season (or a hunk of him)? Eeek.
Brian in SLC
Spanish-Mexico K2 2002!
Update 7/12/2002: Our team had a diversion from climbing this week when we discovered the remains of American Dudley Wolfe who died here 63 years ago without a trace. Until now.
While the British were hot in the pursuit of conquering Everest during the first half of the 20th century, Americans focused on the world’s #2 mountain at 8611 meters (28,250 feet). Tucked high and deep into the Karakoram Range in northern Pakistan, K2 is known in the climbing world by the nickname, The Savage Mountain. It is a well-earned moniker. While over a thousand have stood on Mount Everest at the top of the world, less than 200 have climbed K2, and nearly 50 have died trying.
And Dudley Wolfe of Boston was the first.
An American playboy in the Gatsby mode, according to his nephew, Wolfe was apparently chosen for the 1939 American K2 expedition by leader Fritz Weissner on the strength of his bank account, rather than his climbing skills. Nonetheless, clumsy or not, Wolfe was reportedly dogged in his climbing, and reached nearly 8000 meters before high snows bogged him down and he returned to Camp VIII at 7800 meters to await Weissner. By the time Weissner returned, exhausted and unsuccessful in his summit bid, Wolfe had been in what we now refer to as the Death Zone, above 25,000 feet, for over a week. When he, Weissner and Sherpa Pasang Kikuli started their descent, Wolfe trod on the rope nearly killing them all. Weissner decided to leave him at Camp VII, saying he would send climbing Sherpas to bring him down. But by the time the Sherpas returned, Wolfe had now been above 7000 meters for nearly two weeks!, and emerged from his tent, ill and soiled, insisting he needed a day to collect himself before descending.
He and the Sherpas were never seen again. Until this week.
Jeff Rhoads and I, who are on K2 this summer producing our documentary “The Women of K2,” were walking on a remote stretch of the Godwin-Austin glacier at the base of K2, when we discovered what looked to be human bones. As we searched the area, we found it flooded with clues.
First, near the bones, we found pieces of an old canvas tent. Obviously our man (and it had to be a man since the only women to die on K2 who are still unaccounted for are British climbers Julie Tullis in 1986 and Alison Hargreaves in 1995, too recent for the age of these bones and tent) died in or near his tent, and long before the days of nylon and rip stop. Then we found a cook pot and lid engraved with a “Made in India” logo, indicating his expedition was before partition in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan.
When we returned the next day, after the sun had melted off the latest snow, we found the definitive links; large, double layer pants with a label from an old clothier in Cambridge, Massachusetts (our man was obviously an American), a canvas and leather leg gaitor (he and his clothes were pre-Goretex), and then, casually leaning against a rock as if waiting to be found, Jeff found a canvas and leather mitten with WOLFE written in clear block letters near the cuff.
When contacted from base camp, members of the Wolfe family expressed bewildered relief that Dudley had finally been found, and are presently making arrangements to travel to K2 to conduct a formal service at the base of the mountain.
Sixty-three years of glacial churning, and the mystery of Dudley Wolfe is finally over. All indications are that he died alone, in his tent, and that the brave Sherpas who tried one of the most daring mountain rescues in Himalayan history were nonetheless unsuccessful in their heroic attempts. While the remains of Sherpa Pasang Kikuli were found in 1993, the other two have not been found. Yet.
Stay tuned. Jennifer Jordan
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bobtheboulderer
Dec 7, 2003, 3:31 AM
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From what little I know about high altitude mountaineering, you are on your own past a certain point anyway. It seems to me that it would be rather hard to blame one or the other for the tragic events on K2.
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