348 10 5318 https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/2e0d539f0d5d53d1be79dbc501ff8320.jpg 895509eb8c994f99ec7fd72dea27bba2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hawaii 1900 to 1930 Alternative Title An alternative name for the resource. The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific. Mountain Views - The American Alpine Club's first photo collection Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Subject The topic of the resource Kauai Hawaii Volcanoes Halekala Oahu Diamond Head Kilauea Koolan Range Haleakala volcanic eruptions lava Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.HI2.060 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 16, Folder 5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Halemaumau, Kilauea Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Hawaii, 1900 to 1930 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Card-mounted Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.HI2.060 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection Description An account of the resource Looking across volcanic crater with numerous glowing lava flows and steam. Subject The topic of the resource Halemaumau Hawaii Kilauea Volcanoes Crater Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii) halemaumau crater hawaii hawaii volcanoes national park kilauea lava volcanoes https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/a691dc41e73d7414bc148dcef8d0e830.jpg 3576c2bc7b07afbca5310700e2a0e5f4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA4.019 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA4.019 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California, 1900 to 1930 Title A name given to the resource Half Dome and Yosemite Valley. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Description An account of the resource Half Dome photographed from above. domes half dome yosemite national park https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/ffbc69f9452944f3912f03440dcde9fd.jpg 14e21b154e4d1ab7e28f5cdfb2c40d84 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA2.027 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 4 , Folder 3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA2.027 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California, 1900 to 1930 Title A name given to the resource Half Dome Cableway, Yosemite Valley. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Card-mounted Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Description An account of the resource Portrait view of 3 persons on the cableway, in the distance, center, facing outward . Pencilled description bottom of frame. Strong shadows. Overexposed. Subject The topic of the resource Yosemite National Park (Calif.) dome cableway cableway domes geological features half dome yosemite national park https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/782dc1ed81a7d98ccff01863d37a9c0d.jpg b7e6564a2bd2ee5be2a38d4e97a3eb8d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA2.012 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 4 , Folder 2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA2.012 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California Title A name given to the resource Half Dome cableway, Yosemite Valley. 45 degree incline Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Card-mounted Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Description An account of the resource Closeup of half dome cableway details. Subject The topic of the resource Half Dome (Calif.) cableway valley Yosemite National Park (Calif.) domes geological features half dome half dome cableway yosemite national park https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/d9ded4aa31be8b77b26725bd49b476e5.pdf 5760309d7919c5507b7d676d0928692b PDF Text Text Half Dome First Ascent of the North West Face Jerry Gallwas Royal Robbins Mike Sherrick 1955 Attempt 1957 1st Ascent 2007 50th Anniversary Reunion Selected Readings and Photos 1 �Table of Contents Acknowledgements 4 Introduction and Personal Recollections 5 Players 7 Inspiration 8 1955 Attempt 9 The Saturday Evening Post Publication, They Risk Their Lives for Fun 14 The Saturday Evening Post Photo Session 15 Harding, The Saturday Evening Post Photo & El Capitan San Francisco Chronicle Photo 17 Background of the 1957 1st Ascent 18 Equipment 20 The Adventure, Telegram, Post Cards , & We Made It 24 Robbins’ Mugelnoos Article, September 1957 27 Robbins’ SCB Article, December 1957 28 Guinness Book of World Records, pp. 128-9 and Van Aken Aerial View of Half Dome 29 Sherrick Photo Record of 1957 1st Ascent 30 2 �Dean Potter Free Solo Photos from Huber & Zak 38 Sherrick 1st Ascent Article, SCB, Vol. 43, No. 9, pp. 19-23, November, 1958, The Northwest Face of Half Dome 39 Half Dome Northwest Face 2nd Ascent Note, SCB, Vol. 46, No. 8, p. 60, October 1961, Fitschen 42 Half Dome Northwest Face 2nd & 3rd Ascents, MN, No. 331, July 14, 1960, pp. 4-5, Fitschen & Robbins 43 Royal & Liz Robbins’ 10th Anniversary Ascent Photos 44 50th Anniversary Reunion of 1st Ascent 45 Yosemite Climbing Association Exhibit, Granite Frontiers 53 Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Exhibit and Inspiration photo with 50th Anniversary Picture of Gallwas, Robbins, and Sherrick 56 Burton, They Risk Their Lives for Fun, The Saturday Evening Post, February 25, 1956, pp. 34, 35, 99, 101, & 102 57 Meyers, Yosemite Climbs, A Rock Climbing Guide to Yosemite Valley, p. 145 Rowell, Climbing Half Dome the Hard Way, National Geographic Magazine, pp. 782-791, June 1974 63 Ament, A History of Free Climbing in America, Wizards of Rock, pp. 73-75 69 Roper, Camp 4, Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber, pp. 59-60 Roper E-mail: Early ascents of the North West Face of Half Dome 71 Huber & Zak, Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing, p. 42 73 Sherrick Photo Sequence 74 Harding / Gallwas Letter of October 16, 1956 82 3 �Acknowledgements and References People Many people are to be thanked for assistance in the assembly of this document and include: Royal Robbins and Mike Sherrick for their friendship, participation, publications, and photos recording our Half Dome adventure. John Ripley for his assistance and access to the Mugelnoos archives. Mark Powell for his recollections of the discussions he and Warren Harding had in their preparation for the attempt on Half Dome that never materialized. Steve (Crusher) Bartlett for the inspiration to couple original articles and photos with my interpretive comments and his meticulous proofreading. Doug Robinson for his assistance in identifying and labeling of the Sherrick photo record. Sandy Krishnamurthy, my wife, for putting up with all this nonsense and proofreading with good humor. Publications The original publications recording the first ascent are generally obscure and limited in their availability. For that reason and to give the reader easy access, I have copied the articles into this document as well as selected reading and photos to give the reader additional perspective. Mugelnoos (MN), a monthly news bulletin published by and for the Ski Mountaineers and Rock Climbing Sections of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club. Sierra Club Bulletin (SCB), a publication of the Sierra Club, San Francisco, California. The Saturday Evening Post, Philadelphia, PA. Roper, Steve, Camp 4, Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber, The Mountaineers Books, Seattle, Washington, 1994. National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, Washington DC. Huber & Zak, Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing, Menasha Ridge Press, Birmingham, Alabama, 2002 & 2003. Meyers, George, Yosemite Climbs, A Rock Climbing Guide to Yosemite Valley, Chockstone Press, Denver Colorado, 1982. Guinness Book of World Records, 1987, A Bantam Book / published by arrangement with Sterling Publishing Company, New York. The American Alpine Journal (AAC Jr), an annual publication of the American Alpine Club, Golden, Colorado. 4 �The First Ascent of the Northwest Face of Half Dome Introduction and Personal Recollections Original and Selected Publications with Pictures from a Variety of Sources Jerry Gallwas Much has been written about the first ascent of the Northwest Face of Half Dome. With each writing, there seem to be erroneous or misleading embellishments. This document is an effort to bring the original publications, pictures, and my recollections together in one place; an effort to clarify the record. I had not thought much about rock climbing for 50 years until Royal Robbins and Pat Ament asked for pictures taken on the second ascent of the North Face of Sentinel Rock. That led to my searching for photos and recalling events during my brief climbing career in the 1950s. The photos accurately captured the moment but my memory was not as good! Further inquires from Joe Fitschen and more recently from Steve “Crusher” Bartlett led me to collect all of the original publications. They included Mugelnoos (MN), a monthly publication of the Sierra Club Los Angeles Rock Climbing Section (RCS), the Sierra Club Bulletin (SCB), and The Saturday Evening Post which provided both original source materials and an accurate chronology of events. Then one evening in May 2007, my wife Sandy and I were enjoying a glass of wine and it occur to me that it had been 50 years since the first ascent of the Northwest Face. That prompted phone calls to Royal Robbins and Mike Sherrick which led to a memorable reunion in Yosemite orchestrated by Jeannine Sherrick, Linda McMillan, and Liz Robbins. It was that weekend when I met Ken Yager, President of the Yosemite Climbing Association, and Dean Potter who at that time had reduced the “Regular Route” to less than three hours climbing it free solo. As we discussed the events of 50 years ago, I realized how fortunate we were to have Mike’s photos and his article in the 1958 issue of the SCB documenting the first ascent. That inspired me to contact John Ripley who maintains the MN archives to trace the chronology and accounts of those climbing days. Again, we were fortunate to have records contributed by Royal, Don Wilson, Chuck Wilts, and very particularly Bobbie Lilley who reported on many of the events of the San Diego RCS where I began my climbing adventures. I have added my own recollections to the original publications included in this document to both amplify the record and hopefully correct misinformation that has crept into the record. Photographs are from several sources: mine from the 1954 reconnaissance with Don Wilson and the 1955 attempt (Robbins, Harding, Wilson, Gallwas); The Saturday Evening Post photo session in Yosemite Valley during September, 1955; Mike Sherrick’s black and whites from the first ascent in 1957; Royal’s from his and Liz Robbins’ tenth anniversary ascent; Ray Van Aken’s aerial view of Half Dome from the west; and very importantly, photos of Dean Potter climbing free solo on the Zig Zags and Thank God Ledge from Huber and Zak’s book Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing. �On the 1957 ascent, Mike’s camera failed on the third day. That left us with no photo record of the last two days including the meeting with Warren Harding who greeted us with a canteen of water and ham sandwiches at the summit. I have added the Zak photos as they show the upper portion of the climb not recorded by Mike. These illustrate the advances in rock climbing technique exhibited by Dean Potter’s free solo ascent and provide views of the Zig Zags and Thank God Ledge. In addition, I led both the Zig Zags and the trip across Thank God Ledge. Like Potter, I had a rope but it was around my waist providing a belay. Since the 2007 reunion, the “Regular Route” story has been told with displays by Ken Yager in the Yosemite Museum (Granite Frontiers) and Nina Johnson at the Bradford Washburn Museum of American Mountaineering. Granite Frontiers opened in an expanded version on June 10, 2009 at the Autry Western Heritage Museum in Los Angeles with plans for a national tour. Background Royal Robbins, Don Wilson, and I began our climbing adventures in the early 1950’s. The benefit of nylon rope was well established but climbing gear in general was still rather primitive. Pitons were of soft steel and bent easily, climbing shoes were simply tennis shoes, and the techniques of free and aid climbing were still under development. Royal and Don started at Stoney Point in Chatsworth north of Los Angeles and I in Mission Gorge north of San Diego. The three of us met and climbed actively together at Tahquitz Rock near Idyllwild, California beginning in 1952. We went on to Yosemite Valley in 1953 where Royal and I did the second ascent of Yosemite Point Buttress and the three of us the second ascent of the North Face of Sentinel Rock. Those experiences led to discussions of what we might consider as the next step in our climbing aspirations and two ideas surfaced. The Northwest Face of Half Dome was obvious for Yosemite while the sandstone spires of the Four Corners area were intriguing. Don and I went onto explore Half Dome in the summer of 1954 and the desert spires during Easter week of 1955. Don and I had met Warren Harding, a fun loving guy from Sacramento, who obviously was accomplished and committed to rock climbing during our trips to Yosemite. We had watched as he worked his way up the North Buttress of Cathedral Rock and then the East Buttress. Since he had not climbed at Tahquitz Rock, we invited him to a scheduled LA RCS outing over the weekend of October 2/3, 1954, where he and Royal met for the first time. During the afternoon with many of us watching from Lunch Rock, they did their first short climb together on the west side of the buttress that forms the base of the White Maiden’s Walk Away. It was a time to remember with the two of them finding themselves hanging from one short, poorly placed piton. That meeting led the four of us to attempt the Northwest Face of Half Dome the following summer in 1955. 6 �The Players Royal, Lower Spire 1953 Bobbie Lilley photo Warren on a Louisiana bill board 1962 Gallwas photo Mike, Tahquitz Rock 1954 Sherrick collection Mark Powell 1957 Dolt photo Jerry, Tahquitz Rock 1954 Gallwas collection Bill (Dolt) Feuerer Totem Pole 1957 Gallwas collection Don, Tahquitz Rock 1955 Gallwas photo 7 �The Inspiration View from Le Conte Memorial Lodge, 1954 Gallwas photo Looking down the NW Face from the notch Gallwas photo 8 �Half Dome Northwest Face 1955 attempt During the third week in June, Royal, Warren, Don, and I hiked to the Northwest Face of Half Dome via Vernal Falls and bivouacked at the base of the face. The next morning, an unfortunate route selection for reasons I don’t remember led Royal to spend an exhausting five hours on the first two pitches. Our progress was slow and frustrating. We spent the night on a gravel covered ledge and struggled on the next day. Warren wanted to continue until our food and water ran out which would have been by the end of the third day. Don and I could see little benefit. We just didn’t have the combination for success! Simply stated, we were not at the top of our game! So on the morning of the third day, we rappelled to the base. The dynamics of the climb are revealed in the picture of the four of us in front of Government Center, page 12. Compare and contrast the body language differences between the four of us, particularly Warren and Don; Warren guarded and pugnacious, Don with the smug look of control. MN No. 271, p. 3, July 14, 1955, Don Wilson 9 �1955 Attempt Don, day 1, climbing up to Royal’s belay Gallwas photo Royal, day 2, with a view of the Visor Gallwas photo 10 �A Sobering Experience! Royal rappelling on the morning of the third day Gallwas photo Looking down through the chimney that should have been chosen as the route on the first day Jerry’s foot with Royal below Gallwas photo 11 �A Picture Worth a Thousand Words! Warren Harding, Jerry Gallwas, Royal Robbins, & Don Wilson in front of Government Center after the 1955 attempt Notice the body language difference between Warren and Don Gallwas collection Warren from The Saturday Evening Post photo session 12 �Comments on the 1955 Attempt Since the story of the attempt by the four of us in 1955 has only been briefly reported, three additional comments seem appropriate. First, we lost the first day due to poor route selection. On our 1957 climb, the chimney seen on page 11 just to the left of the 1955 route took only a matter of minutes to climb. Second, the discussion on the morning of the third day about whether to continue or not was philosophical in nature. Warren was a “slug it out” style person while Don was a “go light and fast” guy. I think Warren made the decision there and then that any second attempt for him on Half Dome would be without Don in the party. In his book, Downward Bound: A Mad Guide to Rock Climbing, Warren writes “This was my first experience of being the junior member of a climbing team…I began to correspond with Mark Powell about forming a team to go on Half Dome. Mark and Dolt were very agreeable, and we began planning the climb in earnest”. (In my recent discussions in 2009 with Mark Powell, he indicated that Warren only raised the Half Dome issue in the spring of 1957 when he was planning to return from Alaska.) After two long days on the 1955 attempt, the climate of consensus was gone. Warren and Don had very different perspectives as has been noted. Third, a humorous incident happened when we descended to the car parked at Mirror Lake. A crowd had gathered with a lady excitedly pointing out the climbers on the face. She was describing every move and exactly where the climbers were some 3000 feet above. We passed by with a good chuckle and packs overflowing with climbing gear. Warren on the morning of day 3 “A time when the great decision was made” Gallwas photo 13 �National Press Coverage Our attempt generated some press coverage. We were contacted by The Saturday Evening Post for interviews and a photo session scheduled for a weekend in September, 1955. It was a memorable time and we took pictures in the Valley, on the West Face of Sentinel Dome, and Glacier Point. The article, They Risk Their Lives for Fun by Hal Burton, appeared in the February 25, 1956 issue. A spectacular photo of Warren taking a posed fall was printed in the San Francisco Chronicle as part of a story on his attempts on the Nose of El Capitan, page 17. The Burton article can be found on pages 57 to 62. 14 �The Saturday Evening Post Photo Weekend Simulated sign out at Government Center with Royal, Don, Jerry, & Warren, ranger unknown Talking & thinking about Half Dome Don, Jerry, Warren, & Royal 15 �The Saturday Evening Post Photos Don, Warren, Jerry, & Royal at Glacier Point Royal & Don on the West Face of Sentinel Dome 16 �The Saturday Evening Post Photos Warren was a great showman! He used The Saturday Evening Post photo in a press release to the San Francisco Chronicle. 17 �1957 1st Ascent Background Don and I were both students in the mid 1950s while Royal was employed at Union Bank in Los Angeles. The three of us agreed on Half Dome as the most desirable first ascent opportunity in Yosemite but for some reason Royal’s interest was not drawn to the desert spires. Don and I had visited the Four Corners area to assess the possible ascents of Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly and the Totem Pole in Monument Valley over the Easter Holiday in1955. I had met Mark Powell during Easter week of 1954 when the two of us climbed the Lower Cathedral Spire in Yosemite. Mark became an avid climber and visited Tahquitz Rock where the three of us discussed the desert spires. So it was over the Easter Holiday, 1956, that Don and I drove with Mark in his wonderfully faded chartreuse Ford convertible to Canyon de Chelly. Later that week amidst high winds and cold temperatures, we climbed the higher of the two summits. The following Labor Day weekend, we did the first ascent of Cleopatra’s Needle in New Mexico, and in June, 1957, the three of us again teamed with Bill Feuerer joining us to climb the Totem Pole in even higher winds but warmer temperatures. At this juncture, the bonds of friendship and loyalties had begun to stretch. Warren living in Sacramento and Mark in Fresno, both had easy access to Yosemite and Mark’s talents as a climber had undergone a revolution as his experience and accomplishments grew. Warren had taken a surveying assignment in Alaska during 1956 and with school and jobs, Royal, Don, and I did not think much about the upcoming climbing season of 1957. Don was a graduate student in biology at USC and was committed to a summer curriculum at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachusetts so would not be able to climb much during the spring or summer. Royal and I had not climbed very much that spring but according to LA RCS records had attended one scheduled climb at Tahquitz in May where we did the first ascent of Step on the weekend of May 18-19. MN, No. 294, p. 3, June 13, 1957, the Step first ascent, Bobbie Lilley. 18 �The following week while I was studying for finals, the phone rang and quite to my surprise, it was Royal. His message was simple. Warren was returning from Alaska in a few weeks and intended to make an attempt on Half Dome with Mark. While we had not been planning a serious attempt at that time, it seemed clear that Warren and Mark were. We concluded that we had better plan and act swiftly. Certainly, if we included Warren and/or Mark but failed in the attempt, it would only be a matter of days or weeks at most before they would return for another attempt or series of attempts that we believed would ultimately be successful. Such an opportunity was not available to either of us. Royal had only one week of vacation and I was committed to work at Mammoth Lakes for the summer. Royal suggested Joe Fitschen as a possible third member of our team to replace Don (we were not ready for a two man attempt) and so we agreed to invite him. Further we agreed to meet the following weekend at our favorite breakfast spot in Idyllwild, the Koffee Kup Café, to finalize plans. At breakfast, Royal told me that he had talked to Joe and Joe could not get off work long enough for the climb. Royal suggested Mike Sherrick as a good third member of our team. I knew and had climbed with Mike at Tahquitz, so it was decided. We planned for a five day effort and each took assignments. Royal contacted Mike and I worked on the gear. That included hand forged, heat treated steel (4130 chromium molybdenum) horizontal and wafer pitons, wide angles, some Wilts’ knifeblades, and expansion bolts and drills all of which I had a supply. I bought two water bottles (plastic was expensive in those days with a gallon polyethylene bottle costing $16), the hauling bag was made from a Navy duffle bag which we named the “torpedo bag,” and with Mike’s acceptance, he volunteered to bring a camera to provide a photographic record. Many versions of events leading up to the first ascent of the Northwest Face of Half Dome have been written. They often explicitly state that detailed planning and training with specially made pitons were all elements of a grand, well thought out plan on our part. The truth is that it was very spontaneous based on Royal’s information that Warren and Mark were headed for Half Dome and his phone call to alert me. Had it been otherwise, we would have already selected a third partner knowing that Don was not available and planned our water ration and rope requirements more thoughtfully. The original published accounts of the first ascent of the Northwest Face included in this document are: MN, No. 295 July 11, 1957, p. 1, Chuck Wilts; MN, No. 297, September 12, 1957. pp. 4-5, Royal Robbins; SCB, Vol. 42, No. 10, pp. 12-13, December 1957, Royal Robbins; SCB, Vol. 43, No. 9, pp. 19-23, November, 1958, Mike Sherrick. 19 �Half Dome Equipment Gallwas collection 20 �The Equipment Publications that include some write up about the first ascents of the Northwest Face of Half Dome or the desert spires often comment about the pitons that were used. As an example, in the Bjørnstad publication Desert Rock, there is a comment about the “special aluminum channel pitons that worked in the often flaring wide cracks, made for Jerry Gallwas at the suggestion of John Salathé.” Layton Kor in Beyond the Vertical, credits the angle pitons used on the Totem Pole to Bill Feuerer. “The first ascent of the Totem Pole was by the Californians Mark Powell, Don Wilson, Bill Feuerer, and Jerry Gallwas. The climbing was almost exclusively artificial and wide aluminum channel pitons (the forerunner of the Bong-Bong), made by Feuerer, were used extensively.” More recently, Huber and Zak comment in Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing “They forged their own Lost Arrows as well as early Knife Blades.” To clarify the hardware issue, when I began climbing in 1951, the only commercial sources of pitons were those from Europe and Holubar in Colorado. Both were nicely designed, relatively expensive, and made of soft steel so were short lived as they bent easily. The benefits of hardened steel were clear from the Anton Nelson article, Five Days and Nights on the Lost Arrow that appeared in the March 1948 issue of the SCB. A picture of the Salathé design was included in the article, see page 22. A fortuitous event in the Spring of 1952 provided a solution to the soft steel piton problem. While on a backpacking trip to Carizzo Gorge with Omar Conger, we found a blacksmith’s anvil in a deserted mine. We discussed the possibility of forging our own alloy pitons in the style of Salathé and decided to carry the anvil five miles back to the car. A friend of Omar’s, Bud Bernhard, had a machine shop in Coronado so we found ourselves on non-climbing weekends learning to make pitons. We developed a Salathé-like design using aircraft steel, in this case 4130 chromium molybdenum, which I bought from a local metal supplier. Another climbing friend, Henry Mandolf, arranged to have the finished pitons heat treated to the hardness of Salathé’s. The angle pitons were made from soft steel, as were Salathé’s, and were in two configurations. One was a standard triangular cross section angle piton with a rather sharp taper for flaring cracks of the variety found at Joshua Tree National Monument. The second was from channel stock with a slightly rounded but nearly flat back and a more slight taper for cracks found at Tahquitz Rock and Yosemite. They ran up to 2.5 inches in width and could be placed back to back to span wider cracks. For very thin cracks in granite rock, we used knifeblade pitons fashioned after the design of Chuck Wilts and made at the direction of Henry Mandolf by one of his machinists. These were of 4130 chromium molybdenum steel and hardened as well. 21 �Salathé certainly influenced my design but unfortunately, I never met him or had direct contact. Lost Arrow brand pitons appeared in the 1960s and the name is a trademark of Chouinard, today, Black Diamond. However, characterizing the pitons we used on Half Dome as “Lost Arrows” communicates the design much more effectively today than the much more obscure Salathé reference. We used the standard “Dryvin” expansion bolts with a lead expansion shield and nail available at most hardware stores, 3/8” x 1.5”. Bolt hangers with holes for the bolt and carabiner were made from standard 1/8” aircraft aluminum sheet stock. The bong or bong-bong, originally of steel and later of aluminum, first found extensive use on El Capitan and was independently developed by Tom Frost, Dick Long, and later, Bill Feuerer. Salathé Gallwas Lost Arrow Salathé 1940s Gallwas 1950s Chouinard 1960s SCB, March 1948 Piton comparison 22 �Hardware Comparisons Salathé horizontals “Dryvin” expansion bolts 3/8 X1.5 in for granite 3/8 X 2 in for sandstone Salathé angles Notice the flat backs Gallwas horizontals Mandolf copy of Wilts knifeblade Gallwas angles sharp taper & flat back Wilts & Sherrick knifeblades Bolts designed for volcanic rock use by Omar Conger 23 �The Adventure The fourth week in June 1957, Royal, Mike, and I met in Camp 4 and quite to my surprise, learned that Mark Powell and Chuck Wilts were climbing the North Wall of Sentinel Rock. Wayne Merry was working as a climbing ranger in the Valley and agreed to help us pack our gear up to the point where we would descend to the base of the face. He then would go on to place a warning sign on the Half Dome cable route advising hikers of the climbers on the face and not to throw rocks and cans off the top. The story of the ascent is well recorded in Mike’s SCB article, Vol. 43, No. 9, pp. 19-23, November 1958, and Royal’s MN article, No. 297, p. 4, September 12, 1957. There is one error common to both articles, that being the date of the 1955 attempt with Warren and Don being erroneously stated as 1954 when it actually was 1955. Variations and embellishments from those original articles in more recent third party publications are many. A final point of note is a further quote from Warren’s book. “There was a dramatic meeting with Mark and Dolt in Yosemite Valley. But we were shocked to discover that a party (Robbins, Gallwas, and Sherrick) was already on Half Dome and appeared to be making it in good order! We grumbled around the Valley for a couple of days waiting to see what would happen, but there was little doubt that Robbins’ party would be successful.” When we reached the summit, Warren greeted us with a canteen of water and a bag of ham sandwiches which were most welcome. His greeting was something to the effect, “congratulations you lucky rotten bastards.” Warren, Mark, and Dolt went onto launch the first attempt on the Nose of El Capitan. National Park Service press release appeared in California newspapers The telegram Jerry sent to his mother 24 �Post Cards Mike and Jerry both sent post cards home, Mike to Natalie and his parents, Jerry to his mother (Auntie Pete) 25 �We Made It! After the last bivouac at the base of the face, we carried our gear down to Mirror Lake and headed for showers and lunch. I went to the Post Office and sent a brief telegram to my mother, page 23. The spelling errors are just as she received them. What still puzzles me is that we failed to take a photograph of the three of us when we returned to the Valley. Considering that Mike’s camera failed sometime on the third day and we were without any pictures taken high on the face or a summit photo, it is hard to imagine why we missed this last photo opportunity. My Argus C3 was in the duffel bag that I left locked in Royal’s car but somehow we just said goodbye and left the Valley without any further thought. I was two days late for work and Royal and Mike were under similar pressures. Warren, Mark, and Dolt remained in the Valley to begin their effort on the Nose of El Capitan. The first report after the National Park Service press release to the news media appeared in MN submitted by Chuck Wilts who was in the Valley climbing the North Face of Sentinel Rock with Mark Powell when we started the Half Dome climb. MN, No. 295, p. 1, July 11 1957, Chuck Wilts. 26 �Royal’s MN Article No. 297, Sept. 1957, p. 4 Sherrick photo TriM lrotfl'H'I.:J$tl ?.!ICE w i.II\!R 00<~ In tato Jw:w , 1951~ tl\0 t o\Jl'llQI'I_, ot DO'!\ \ltl.noe, •tan-en HAI'41nA, Jerr1 O.l"liiO so"- ito:l'nl Roli.>'-to:. H~~Q ot~ o~t.Clnpl; to ol1nb ~bl Hllr>~IDU!It lfaco or llalt Jlof,o. T~~n t'ISlJ. tu Y""w:.~c:- !'IU'\' l' 1tllll ~ f'.:!l '- , 00!) reet abovo l ta baoo Cit R:l ON~lo r.ot li>e!l tl!An 'l'lrt lo<a, 'rh., att,lla~t 'fa.t GbOi'ttve , Af ter tM'Il ~r.l' o l;t;H' ~1 :md Clll.i.)' 4So reet or pro~o;Nn , tbar turned boo~. pLn~~t~ 8 ruture a : tem?~- Tbte year, in thD lato a!~cr~oal et Sun~, Juno 2)t Rt.~ Sherrtok , Jerr'f Oul11au an1 Bot;~l noh\ 11.1'10 OTt'\.V:Id ~::..::....: -·~--- ot tlio 'baoo ot ttlt I'.. Gfl t:xr r. Je·.<0:~:4 or MO\ld.w.)' go(l WYO'..Ve<1 th~ \ISa ot l'tlrgO aGO\U:Itll or stxth ol11:1f<l teoll"&L~u.e . 'l'b.o nl.ftht .,.all ll!l'\!'1'\t QD ~ ::.~ At.cut SO rest allo•o tl!B 1tJ~ hif¥• ~o,i:rit, OJ' e'l>o"'t ,SGO toet abo>lo the prounc1. '.rl:\e ol1Mb1n~ 'fa• &OliC'Tha~ ea!Jtan 'l'uau- · . ::::::::::::::: ~ 0. ,., .,~~ ~ . ""•"1.j,f"- l'ro~$11 ~tP* fll~1 b'o~t 8t&t1<1l' on ·- •· • • • - • ,._,,.,~ I'UI'PO~ tllill llt t<;!;'!Qt 1\"jUj I t o prcbo t 'lo d!!t'an!laa <.1' tire- "J&J.:t a.- I dccplJ 38 l'CIIJI.Cllllbl«, am, t"a!l\Jlf!: to • reooh tbe top , to oxt.!l b1 l e-.;1 \lli( t h0 f qco On th-o la~ ' 1.,:>.{10 r~ ' 1..... Up . 'il'hoy clt.elmD J.JO fill?"; S\i.~ , an/1 l.ei~.,1n~ u raoll ·l:"ul(o ,~1vo.:;oo~d at tho 'baeo or tho rot.~~ . attaillr.t . ••• El::Uf.J~ ....._ )( t "' ,. e.rr ") l c lr•:• ~?'' ·. ' ·~ /1/ 'j j I 1!..) f ~- ·,~ rl1 1 / 1 / uy II!OM11n,g A'lld tho,- asaetu\ed aboUt. - 400 r.e~ ~eet by lsCo p .o. , at ~b~oh ... •. ~ y / ; ;· ~ - - ·, / ttme trwsr N<~o:!led "'':L"l-t b:~u leclalod !'l'OP - - - ·bel.DW to b e ibo orux o! the ol..~~to . It WliR 11 JOO-:I"oot d1&Dlnal tr•1verao .oorouo a hlr.llk onct\on ot t~-. rroU t-:» n o;.;:r~oa ot tl.a'koa wM.I)b tom o oonnootl»c netlfor:t or ::li'tlcku ror t ho next $00 fn~t. 'rho t 1r~ pttoh Of' thh trover010 lt!iiO cot l'lul'd. but tM ••coll:tl ~oolr tho ri!Bt: ~r tlle uy nnd. \n•rc:.t vi!D pl.ao11lg n1.C"bt Plt.:mc, W.&'ft!n rol.ta :tn4 t:M MJtktn11 ot a 6.trnoul.t, Q1.t1 tm!S. ep~t~:a.::uJ.:uo ar.1n,; trJO'Ir~:~n:tl. The -n'lj¢11: -rea 11pr.nt t.a:U otal/ Qoro-3S t' 1e tNo'YIIMO lltl\\.01\ 11"011 later o~od tho ·~at Trav~roo .• An:.l' :<:eplAt\11(: t!W trtneram 'fel!aaod.a1 nart~~.n« , t~y a:to.rte11 up tbe or:tolim oc t~ c~ ot tt. t'lill clll!l!)\ng tMtJ C:a~ lfAD coDtsn-.oualJ' d1f1"1Calt. aTt4 nr~W ond 1nvr.t ve<l n"lderata s1xth ~bu ~~ otreJ::WNi rl.rtt~<:laiUI 'lfork. ~,. .nieht·tnll t ooy bad ~acho4 o p~1nt obott t ISO t eet btll011 t.h.e top or th.o flake · ssate11--a'D®t 500 t o<>t l:l"'-o'~ ttwl ounn1.t . A daRc:>&nt troc t!lilr 9'Q1llt , tl\O'.Illb poes ~bl"l "nlll1A bo ,-nther <lit:r i cv.l.t, a von 1f1.tb tile rued l!.ne •lt\1::!1 lmd been ~.ett :~oron t.b1r t r ll 70"J' DC . 'l!hul>edtl:r , the t'~h My, W811 tlha !1C!l'Rtl. 1'tto~ Gpont t-'1.e o.ctbe day oL~b1~ leea then JOO fR~ •~ b1Yocno~ 50 ~uot bol~ thc1r ~1gb po1.nt. 1'he ollnb lnK, alllolt &mti.•·~ l.,y 4.1~.~~ IIIli!, rra~ I\()O!)Ho;,tttd b7 rut l~~~ (fl)d fll\vo:rvn l:lr.J'. an;:o raYII . :er-r:t dld ao:rt or the lll c"U~~>• Friday morning the pack conta1u~ ul1 goar no~ esser.t~al to olit.b ~g C:" S<:fe~y ViaS t~l!"O'I:n do•-m. It fell .a f~<~.l l, f!.OO f ,, et ~4it:?tt:.llt tmtohtq: the •·ta~l 3nCI. lan-:Jed UllQ.a:naged. .a:a ~:i ~.nctn:.;; t ·::1!'! dily ~~o.s dUfl.- calt si:r.th ola!ls. A}>Nl~~ 100 fee't. abc.ve -~;·lj.e l·i·;ct.iv spot ·;;;:ey rfm i~to a b-lank :·Isll. luc1ct2y, t:1GZ"3 trv:? . a 50-r·oo t Th!:ll:K tlod" le<1.ge w!;ioh "ras trave~sed hy :-ralk1ne; ar:d h1.L:d-"::rs"7el'<>~n::r.. 'l:~ 1S ~.OdJe saved a o.:.ry of oliooing. One of tna h~r<"tl1Sf. · ;.H<~hes ? :J tbe cli:-!1) ·~a3 encot1ntered shorT-ly aftE:r.-rards enc 1:-.vclve:l t~-~ I) 1.::":}'lng of s Ol!\e rat;her poor pitons and four exoaru11on 'bolts . Tt-.e .s~m.'"lit tvas re.a~hed at abnut 5~)G p.m. Fr1 ~ay. It ru. d t:aken ?he r>.t.!.:! dnyff to climb tn:\.R 2, 000-foot ge;..u1.nely perpen dio\i:!'ar f'ace. Tna ti:·C'U"f··:ri'::•l•-'tt.::lr:by I "!1':)3'1 b::f•:-"!7'iltm ~)0 s;;nd~ 300 p1. ~prts atid. us9d 20 ~pan.:Jiou b·0:!:t·s, o.l..x. 'Yf :1hi''lh 1·r::!~~-9 Itlr<><1>::~ i.:-1 flla:::<7 . :i\ little more than thr ee ~;;Jll:ms cf '!'ftt1ier w.;.:: ~.'lk~:r, a n<l p:r:-cpC•l•tiotlate amount ot' :fo·orl. In add1.t;tC'lt ·r;o a lF.re.e ~m!l!?l;t cf ;.•o!'& t•l!J;i ,O::i:r'~; ~·.{>d 45 ritona. rPt;lJ:.:.:Ie in s~~:e f ..:·on h'nife-:b).a:te " c.:hl ~IJit.'I!I·)Jyn,. to t•~~><r­ tnnl:l "tri!l.a a~les, snd -;:,;ry durabl:c.. <..'utst!;;~.d:!.ne; c"hal•ecto::iR·H"• ~ce of the cli:nb t-rere its c·cnt1nual ver&icality and its seldom -reoitt!ng oHI!Ib1.~ d1ff:l.oulties . ll.R. n 27 �SCB, Vol. 42, No. 10, pp. 12-13, December 1957 Royal Robbins the base. By this time the combination of fatigue, strong sun, and continuously difficult climbing had so slowed them down that they took two full days to climb the last 500 feet. They reached the summit late on the fifth day with only two hours of dnyHght lo spare. To expedite progress on tltatlnst day, the team had thrmvn off the pack containing all gear not essenaial to climbing or safety. Il fell the l ,SOO feet to lhe ground without touchii!f the wall (bu~ was later retrieved undamaged r). Even enthusiasts must admit a c~rt:iin amount of calculat.ed risk on a climb of this HALF DOME, sl.owi11g route a11d bivouacs A use/ Adams Half Dome -The Hard Way rot~. young climbers stood on placed a fixed then descended and biW top ofUuec Half Dome on a late J une after- vouacked on the ground- their lost conlact .f 1£N noon, it was the climax of a full five days of arduous climbing. Jerry Gallwas, Mike Sherrick, and Royal Robbins had just completed the first ascent of the northwest face of this stupendous monolith at the head of Yosemite Valley-a climb that bad until recently received little serious thought because of its length (a full 2,000 feet above the base), its steepness (genuinely vertital), and the apparent lack of a feasible route. The first serious attempt by any of this group of Sierra Club members from southern CaU fornia was made by Don Wi lson, Warren Harding, Gallwas, and Robbins in 1954. The attempt yielded experience and information: the upper and lower portions of the wall were probably climbable, but the JOO-foot diagonal traverse in between aj>peared disconcertingly smooth and fissureless. The second (and successful) attempt began whe11 Gallwas, Sherrick, and Robbins arrived at the base of the wall on Sund ay afternoon, J une 23, 195 i. They managed, that day, to climb 150 feet up the face. They with it until five n ights later I In t he next day and a half, moving as fast as possible, U1e party climbed 900 feet. T his brought them to what had appeared to be the crux of the climb, the Great Traverse. Getting halfway across it took the rest of tile second day (Tuesday), required many pitons and expansion bolts, and necessitated a difficult and spectacular swing tra,•erse. (A swing traverse is a maneuver resorted to when there is open or othenvise uocUmbable sp.,ee between where the climbers are and where they want to be-a climber becomes the bob on a sel f-propelled pendulum and tries to swing out far enough, on a rope suspended from a piton or ot her anchor , to reach the distant holds.) 'the trio completed the G reat Traverse Wednesday morning and le£t a ftxed rope to facili tate retreat, then spent the rest of the day climbing a network of conncctiog cracks that occasionally resolved into a chimney in which more normal progress was possible. At the end of this thi rd d ay the cUmbers had attained a point about I,SOO feet above kind. The party re(ogniz.ed that the difficulties of removing an injured climber from the face might be insurmountable. Therefore the emphasis was on climbing as sarely as possible, and the ascent proved a great and successful adventure. About 275 pitons were placed, and 20 expansion bol~. The bolts (which can be placed only after arduous hammer-and-drill preparation of holes to reccive them) were used only where they seemed es!>ential for progress or safely, and shou.ld be sufficient {or parties making the climb in the future. RoYAL RoBBINS SIERRA CLUB Bt:LL£TL.'J, DI-:Cil.~tni·:R, 1957 n 28 �Guinness Book of World Records pp. 128-9, 1987 Half Dome Aerial View from the West Ray Van Aken photo During the summer of 1980, Jerry’s daughter, Heather, called home from summer camp with the exciting news that her dad was famous. She had climbed the cable route on Half Dome with her friends and on returning to camp looked up Half Dome in the Guinness Book of World Records. Needless to say, it was Half Dome that was famous rather than her dad. 29 �Sherrick Photo Record See page 74 for photo sequence Jerry, day 1, first pitch, #2 06 Jerry, day 1, #3 07 #) �Sherrick Photo Record Looking down on Royal from Mike’s knee, day 1, #4 08 Royal, day 1, #5 09 31 �Sherrick Photo Record Royal, day 1, #6 10 Jerry, day 1, #7 11 . 32 �Sherrick Photo Record Jerry looking east from ledges below the bolt ladder leading to the Robbins’ Traverse, day 2, #9 13 & #26 30 (last photo taken before the camera failed. 33 �Sherrick Photo Record Left, view of the chimney system from the 1954 reconnaissance Gallwas photo Right, the chimney system, Royal belaying , #24 28 & leading below, #22 26 34 �Sherrick Photo Record The Visor from low on the bolt ladder leading to the Robbins’ Traverse, day 2, #19 23 Jerry placing the bolt ladder leading to the Robbins’ Traverse, day 2, #18 22 #* �Sherrick Photo Record Chimney System & Visor Jerry, day 3 at the end of pitch 10 after the pendulum, #21 25 see pp. 63 & 66 36 �Sherrick Photo Record With the loss of Mike’s camera, we are without photographs of the top portion of the climb. Thus, I have taken photos #18 22 & #19 23 and made a composite with a little blue sky and a dab of red on my hat. “The promise of the summit!” On pages 38 and 39, I have included pictures from Huber and Zak’s book showing Dean Potter on a free solo ascent. The Zig Zags and Thank God Ledge show the drama of the upper portion of the climb. 37 �Heinz Zak Photos Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing, pp. 120-121 Dean Potter’s free solo ascent: Zig Zags left, Thank God Ledge above & right Schneider, AAC J, Vol. 41, 73, p 217, 1999 38 �Heinz Zak Photo Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing, p. 119 Dean Potter climbing up toward Thank God Ledge The Northwest Face of Half Dome, SCB, Vol. 43, No. 9, pp. 19-23, Nov., 1958 Mike Sherrick 39 �Sl£/!RA CLUII IIUI.U!TIN TIIB NORTIIWI!S'T PACE OP II ALP DOI/II quaru o! water (alitUeless t.ba.D ooe quart per man per day). Food was kepl to a minimum- a few C.illlS of tuna, rnfslns, nuts, lemon juice, choco· tote, and some partleululy desirable packAges or dates. We carried 45 pitono, Including 18 horit,ontal pitons, t6 angles plus knife blades and wafers, and nbout ZS c>pansion bolt& We bad more than 1,200 feet o! nylon rope-two UO.Ioot '!4e·ineb climbing, one ISO.foot ~. climbing, two 30Q.Ioot ~. raw<!, ooe ISO.foot ~e hauling, aod one 90-loot ~l. bouling. Jerry Galhru h.:ad forged about balf or our borizontal pitons out of Cllron>Uioly sree: alloy. 1bete tough pitons survh·ed a beating on almost every~; $0n>emust bave beal uoed IS to 20 times each. Jerry also made mo6t angle pi:ons, which would fit cracks up to 2~ ioebes or wider; they too btld up, despite being used perhaps a dozen times each. Our geor w:u hauled :rp in a oo-callcd torpedo bag whieb was girdled lengthwnys by 6 to 8 so:parate ropes lor atablllty. Tbe bag was covered with a duflle bog to minimize wear on the main ports. To prevent foiling rockl ""much as possible (usually thrown by aomeone !rom tbe top) , Wayne Merry placed a sign ballway up the cables warning people against throwing Jtones because there ..-ere climbers below. " 1e carried a lirsl-aid kit aod a !lasblight. Tbe latter..-... wed to R&sb to the ground an elaborate system or prtarraoged Spis at the time of the 6refall. The time was ebostn wbeo people 1l1l1lld be watebing the firefall and we would attract 1<u att<ntion.. Thus we make kDown our plans, progress and condition. Tbat Saturday e•wq we made the !anal arrongements with the park rMgerS, to wbom we are indebted for their helpfulness. We pa<;~ed our equipment into rucksacks in prtp:~.rntion (or th~ next morning'~ r~dc in to the base o! the climb. Wayne Merry volunteered to help us carry pnrt of our equipment to the spot where we left the trail, alter which be would climb h~l!way up the cables to place the warning sign. On Sunday, June 23, after an untasy night in our sleeping bogs, the !ou.r o! us oboulde..OO o..- pads at Happy Isles and hiked up the Vernal and Nevada Falls trail where we toolr. the braneb whicllleads to the back tide of Hall~. Just before name to the rock massif itstlf, we parted company with Wayne and proa:eded down to the right along the base ol the tonring clilfs earryL-.g the extra ~. X..te in the afternoon, desiring to get a good start, Royal and Jerry climbed obout ISO feet up the cliff and tell a 6xed rope. On!y the llrst30 to 40 feet were 4th- and 5th<la.u; from there on it was mo;Uy 6th·cla.u climbing. We ate our supper cold, having brou.Rht no stove, and we bivouncked at lbe base o! the clill-our last oonlact with the ground lor 6ve days. Monday morning, June 24, we packtd the gear which was UnnKt!-o sa.ry lor climbing, into the torpedo bag and Oiled Olt canteens from a small lO streamlet issuing !rom the rock. When all was r.. dy, one or us started to prusik up the I so-root rope and when he reached t.hc top the second man would stori. When the first two would be at the top o! a pitch, they would baul up the torpedo bog, which at the beginning of the climb weighed 55 to 60 pounds. If the bag became stuck part my up the pitch the third man would free it on his way up the piteb. From the top o! thi.< rope we !oUowed the complicated route pioneered by the first atten>pt iD 1954. It 1r.IS all difficull, strenuous, 6tb·closa climbing; when we came to the first blank, slightly om-banging strt'tcb, the bolts were already in place. Abo,.. the O\...rbang we rtaclled a $mAll ledge with an e"P'!nsion bolt lor "" anchor. In 19S• Warren Barding bad climbed SO loot !rom this ledge and bad lelt anotber bolt Irom which to rappel at their high point, about 450 !eel !rom tbe ground. We managed to climb another pitch be lore dark illld reached a small sloping ledge about 500 feet above the ground where we spent our first uncom!onnblo night tied to the rock. The ledge was large enougb, bat it sloped down at an angle o! about 20 degrees; any movemeot coused a tendency to slide o!!. On Tuesday morning, June 25, the climbing bocnme somewhat easier. By one o'clock "" had uemded 400 feet o! mioed, moderate Sth- and 6tb-closo pitches, generally 1e>s oteep in angle, and arri'....t at the base or the "Robbins Tra,-,...,... obout 900 feet abo,.. the base o! the rock. From all past reconnoitering, this !)3rt looked to be the C1Ul or the climb. We had to traverse an exoepUonally blank wall lor a diogonal distance o! aOOul 300 feet1 wiUJ a verUCRI rise orabout 125 feet, to reach a prominent series of chimneys a.nd Onke.'J ascending the center section of the cliffs. Our problem was to cross this 1ra.ver5e wil,b a minintu1n o£ time. Royal started at obout one o'clock and found the first pitch not too difficult. A zlgt.-.g series ol cracks led diagonally to a small ledge about 80 to 90 feet away, !rom whieb a belay was made. From this ledge a small crack led up the blanlr. wall lor about 30 to 40 r..,t where it <nded in Oil'DOOth panite. Afttr d$hl vi~ cc. ~ of 511!'\'fll expansion bolts was plated with arduous banuner aod drill work by Royal and Jerry. n.brougbt Royal, late in the afternoon, to a meager aetwork o! cracks which led nowhere. After placing 3 pitons he descendtd about SO feet on the I SO-foot climbing rope and proceeded to attempt a long and difficult, not to mention urury," pendulum traverse in order to reach a serit5 of cracks about 40 feet to the right. Alter lour attempts ho flnally reached a hold and placed several pitons in time to return, leaving a fixed rope, just before dark. We spent our !teond night out on the ledges at the loot o! 40 �$1/!RRA CLUII IJUUZTIN TNI! NORTRWI!ST PACR 0/1 HALl' DOJIIJ. the Robbins Travax, our moot cocn.lonable biVOWIC because "" bad ample spau to sit. On the third day, June 26, we rtltt.Ced the previous a.lttmoon's climbing on fiaed ropes and proceeded up \be crult to a small ledge where we placed an expansion bolt lor an anchor. One more loog 6th-class lead brought U5 to the large ledge or the great chimney system which was so apparent !rom the side ol the rock. From the ledge a "fixed" rope was lclt tied securely to the highest expansion bolu to lt.cllltate a retreat baclt across the traverse if one proved n«les.sary. Let this serve as a warnillg to luture parties: il iJ not {uwl • ~ IM lot. At 10 o'clock we started up the beginning of a great chimney and flake system which was about 1,000 feet above tbo base ol the climb. Some ol these ftakes were huge in size and either leaned aplnst the rock leaving a crult, or ,....., sq>arated from the wall forming a chimney. The fi.rst large chimney enckd in an utmnely d.ifficult chocUtone about 80 feet abo,.., the base. Imtead of climbin& the chimney we took a sttaicbt.lorward 6th-class cru1t about ~ to 1 inch ~which ran several feet to the left ol the chimney. The flake was "'joined about 20 feet above the~ From this poiot, streuuous Slh<Ws and some 6th-class stnlches led to tbe top of the chimney system about '00 feet above us, 1,500 feet abovt the base of the climb. Olthe p!tcbos following the chocl<stone, one in particular deserves mention. Above the chockstone tbo chimney Is filled with very large blocks ol rock. One of them sticlu out ol the chimney about 8 to 10 !eel at a distance ol 6 Inches .!rom the wall. Royal led up about 40 feet, placing 4 or S pitons. At the bottom ol this block with a aecure piton in place, he gr•'f)(d up underneath the Inside edge ol the bottom or the block with his bands and "walked"out the vertical !ACe of the cliiJ, working his way up around the Up ol the block to a belay stance some 20 feel higher. Several pltcbca higher, wh.h darkness rapidly approaching, we bi\-ouaced behind the last large ftate ol the chimney system, about 1,500 feet above the base and 500 !eel below lheSUJJUDil The fo•.nh day, Thursday, June 27, was the worst day. By this time lack of suflicient water, food, and ~. plus the enervating hot sun rays bad fatigued us. With Jerry doing moot ol the leading, we climbed only 300 feet. but we bad to bh'OU&C SO feet belew our high point in a small ind<Dtatioo sloping downward behind a Bate. Although stralghtfonn.rd, this JOO feet was composed ol extremely ~uous and tedious 6th-class climbing. In the morning we had ltlt behind tbe part of the Oake system where the ftate was out away from the wall, giving a chimney elfeel The flakes were now 3 to 7 feet thick and were ftat against the waD leaving a crack ~. to 2.5-S iDches wide. As the cliff was ahtolutely vertic.al, the climbing ol the ftakes followed a peculiar patten~; they would tlpag from Jolt to right and bact agaiD across the face giving the eiJeet ol climbing one overhang of about JO degrees lor about 20 to 40 feet with angle pitons drh-en straight up, then up a 60 degree sloping ledge with pitons driven down lor about 20 to 40 feet, and so on. This 250 feel of lodlous work took almost a whole day. Before dark Jerry led an additional 50 leet, leaving his pitons for the nest morning. That night was estremely uncomfortable, but we were exhausted <Dough to doze a good part ol the time. On Friday morning, June 28, we packed into the torpedo bag all our cear that was not n«lUS&ry for climbing or safety and tbrewlt out about 30 feet. It fell the full 1,800 feet to the base of the dill without touching the rock I Although we we"' only 300 feet from the top, some of the moot difficult 6th-class climbing was sun ahead. Jerry roltt.Ced his steps and climbed to the end ol the Oake system about 100 feet abow. There, to our luck, was a SO-loot "Thank Gocl"ledge leading oiJ to our left, saving us !rom the prospect ol a bla.ok ....!1 leadiDg up to a tremendous I SO-loot overhang. This ledge was tra'-.rsed by walking and band tra•..,raing to a xries of 6th-class cracks, which led up to the left-hand aide ol the base oltbe overhang, ending ill a smaD ledge ba"'ly enough lor us to stand on. From this point, the obvious thing to do was to travtrse to the left out !rom under the overhang. This led to one of \be moot crucial pitches ol the entire climb. With a bolt lor a belay anchor, Royal led outward on several very poor 6t~lass pitons, and then placed 4 C>Jqlnnslon bolts which led to a small ledge where the angle lessened considerably. Je.rry then made a curving traverse along a shallow crack which led to sorne easy blocks just undtr tllesummiL We landed on topat6:30P.w. Warrtn Harding was on band to greet us at the top, whence we aU proceeded down the cables. Warren went down to the valley while the three ol us returned to the base of the climb to recover our equipment. Since It was too late to return to the valley before dart, we spent our sixth night out in our bh'OU&C suits. Saturday, June 29, we returned to the valley and checked In with the park rangers, fortunau to avoid publicity about an accomplishment which would only have been nwle Into a !~ft~Salion. Some bave said that we did the ''imposoi.ble," and it is unfortunate that lor deeades the word ;,.touibl~ has been such a common term in the mountaineers' vocabulary, being applied to that part ol a mountaln which presents"' extreme in difficulty usuaDy too demanding lor the equipment and technique ol the day. But improvements In technique and equipment just keep on happening. 11 41 �Half Dome NW Face 2nd Ascent SCB, Vol. 46, No. 8, p. 60, Oct., 1961 Joe Fitschen 42 �Half Dome Northwest Face 2nd & 3rd Ascents MN, No. 331, pp. 4-5, July 14, 1960 Joe Fitschen and Royal Robbins HAI:I' DCIIBl - liOBTH FACE by JF ~he lJth of June was pi~~ed by Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt and Joe Fitschen as an appropr-iate t i me t o commeuc:e the second ascer:~; of •;he No;,·th Face of lfalf Dcm~. The trio hLked to t he base of the 2000' vertical fa~e on t he afternoon of the 12r.h aud after a reasonably ~nc~fort~ble bivouac cha~sed t heir environment fr~m hori~or.~al to vertical. l~u.ch to their su'rp:rise they ::.c-0. t'-:omp1e.ted the trave::-ose hil.lf way " ll the face and ~one one pitch lip the chllmte;y Syll~t):n by ~ha e:'ld of the f!~~~~t liay. 'r11-:- ,,.J.-t day pro&ress was slowln" but still steady c.••·l :r:.: ._c;ilttal::. found t he e1•.:mp only 175 1 below the summi t. '.me bivouac was quite t·;•co~.:;-'(lrtable being 01. a~. o,J1.f!,!l.t een inch ledp bu.t on Wednesday morninc the remah\i:ig t:-:r ee pitc:tcs \~P.re o·•e:·come i n t wo houn. ~his enabled the climbers to r et·'..U"n to the valley floor. i n ·:·.;i.l'le to watch tourists watching them on the face. Vital statistics inClluO.e 25 pH·.:l;;es,lOO pitons and the opinion that this cl imb, oGnsideTing all aspects, i s the ce~t in the country. HAtr DOME - :NQUHWR§f FAOil Mildl y astonished by the terrific sho~~ng of the second ascent part~ on Half Dc-.e. Royal Robbi P.S conn.ed Dave Rearick into an atte~~~pt on a third ascent of the great face. A.ccoll'.pa.x:::.ed ·oy Kerb Sltedland aad. Uort Ke~~pel 1 they spent the Jlight o! June 29 at the baGf! oi ~he face 1 the .late a!tnnoon haviniJ: been spent in e:fforts to obtain. water fr- the tiJI7 trickle flll"'"&i11C :f':rOIII the start of the climb•• Results were finally c'!ltai ned by uSiJ!C a1\ &J!€l e piton as a sluice. That ni&ht a eampfire th~owing li~bt. gg~i~st t he ·wall elicit ed flashlight signals from the Valle~ and Glacier Po:i.~\t o !lhe ne:~:t il.a;r the pair sw~tnt: leads to a point tffo pXTehes above the Great !rra.verse. about 1.300 :teet 12p. fhe first pi.tch afte1' the Traverse was climbed. .Sth class, but thi'll is dancero\1.8 b (?C.'l."llSS of a loose chOckstone at the top which !Mist be uset. Much safe..- is to piton '-'P an easy crack outside the chi~mey. !!he Mxt dey the two reached the top at 6:1,5 pa. !'he descent to }ft.pw Isles reqaired 21 hours {a !ew days later ~ill Woodruff, & friend of Dave's, t7aveled~ the tra.n to tlw top. of the ])oae in 1 hom- and 47 llliml.tes!) Jm 43 �Robbins’ 10th Anniversary Ascent Robbins’ Collection Liz looking up at the Visor and Royal approaching Thank God Ledge Liz and Royal enjoying the summit. Liz was the first woman to climb a Yosemite grade VI Liz crossing Thank God Ledge 44 �The 50th Anniversary Reunion Late one afternoon in May 2007, Sandy and I were enjoying a glass of wine in the patio at home. It dawned on me that it had been 50 years since the first ascent of the NW Face. I called Royal and Mike and we discussed a 50th reunion. Mike’s daughter, Jeannine, took the initiative and between her, Liz Robbins, and Linda McMillan the reunion was arranged in Yosemite with Lodge reservations and dinner plans. It included an evening slide show at Yosemite Lodge recounting the climb. Jerry & Sandy outside Yosemite Lodge with Yosemite Falls in the background Gallwas collection 45 �Wine at the Ahwahnee Hotel Royal, Liz, Jerry, Sandy, Jeannine, Natalie, & Mike Gallwas collection 46 �Dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel Jerry, Royal, Liz, Jeannine, Natalie, Mike, & Sandy Gallwas collection 47 �50th Anniversary Presentation at Yosemite Lodge The three of us spent the morning recounting the climb and reviewing pictures. Basically, the 50 year tune-up needed to tell a coherent story. Royal opened by summarizing the history of climbing on Half Dome. Jerry followed with an account of the 1955 attempt and Mike concluded with a detailed description of the1957 climb. Gallwas collection 48 �Nick Clinch Added Perspective At the conclusion of the evening presentation by the three of us, Nick Clinch brought perspective to the ’57 ascent. Why did we take all that equipment and so little water? His answer, in short, we were scared of getting into trouble and not being able to get off the face if worst came to worst. There was no reasonable possibility of rescue. Our hardware was the best available, we had two 300-foot rappel ropes, a small first aid kit, enough food, and the Salathé “water standard” of a quart per man per day. Not enough water! Potentially a fatal flaw! The climb was every bit as big as we expected but it was longer than anything we had done before. With more experience and better planning, we would have traded rope for water. Nick, Jerry, Royal, and Mike Gallwas collection The story of the Hinterstoisser Traverse tragedy on the North Face of the Eiger was certainly on our minds as we packed our gear. That is why we left a rope across the Robbins’ Traverse and carried the excess rappel rope. Plain lack of experience on multiday climbs and the faith in the Salathé water standard of a quart per man day left us with blind faith that it was enough! 49 �American Alpine Club Award Presented to each of the three of us Special thanks to Linda McMillan & AAC 50 �Coffee at Camp 4 sponsored by the National Park Service Jesse McGahey (Climbing Ranger) Mike, Jerry, Royal Gallwas collection 51 �50th Anniversary Hosts Tom Evans & Linda McMillan Natalie & Mike Sherrick enjoying coffee at Camp 4 Two Super Rock Climbers Dean Potter & Royal Robbins with a guy in a red hat! Gallwas collection 52 �Yosemite Climbing Association’s Granite Frontiers Exhibit Created by Ken Yager Gallwas collection Jerry & Ken Yager Sandy & Jerry 53 �Granite Frontiers Exhibit Yosemite Museum, 2008 Gallwas Photos The pitons we used on Half Dome were not made especially for the climb as has often been stated. Rather, they were what we used on all the other climbs in which I was involved. The horizontals and wafers were made with the tools shown below from chromium molybdenum 4130 aircraft steel while the angles were of 1020 mild steel. Wilts Sherrick Above are examples of the pitons including knifeblades by Chuck Wilts and Mike Sherrick. Also pictured is one of the gallon water bottles which at that time cost $16 each at a chemical supply house. I still find it difficult to throw away a gallon plastic jug that is standard for orange juice or ice tea. Somehow, they just seem too valuable for that! 54 �A Final Glimpse The view as Sandy and Jerry left the Valley after the 50th Anniversary Celebration Gallwas photo 55 �BWAMM Display Gallwas photo The 1954 Inspiration Photo from Le Conte Lodge with Jerry, Royal, & Mike in 2007 Gallwas collection In 2008, the Half Dome Northwest Face story was told at the Bradford Washburn American Museum of Mountaineering. A companion display covering the life and climbs of John Salathé ran simultaneously in collaboration with Ken Yager of the Yosemite Climbing Association. 56 �The Saturday Evening Post Vol. 228, No. 35, February 25, 1956 pp. 34, 35, 99, 101, & 102 They Risk Their Lives for Fun, Burton 57 �There arc, huwcvc&·, ¥lubborn people in this wol'ld who t•cfuse to ndrnit that (lnything is im~ble, among them a few Allhouch he it CMr (t.fty )'Cb.r$ old, buAi~n Fribt Wje.mer finds " an escape from che pruPJra of W wur1d." in r1'ldc climbi.ns. Here, Wae&&nU atCO:lCk the formkl&ble Indian Face, in New Yort'"s Adirond.adc. Mount-aim. tho\W.nd Amer- Icans who purauc the delicate and exacting fogurc iJ neoeosarily •pon of rock diwuiug. ftexible, sine(: advttncing y~•-. and increasing prudenc.c CftU&e a certain number of rock climbt:rs w retire annually to less sU'enuous n.e punuh:a. Thc;rc alw"'ya An: rcplQ¢eJ))eats, who earry on the tradition that a cliff is 10 be esteemed mote highly thAn a mountain lNDl111it. Among lhil group, lhe norlhwcst face of Half Dome i& n:j!io.rdcd as OllC Of lhe most tantalizing climbins problems in the United Statts. demand;ng a ~J)«tful approach and a paiDstaking: rcc:onoaiaancc. Rock climbin{, a Brit· ish authority un the subject once obsttvtd, uis a ~arne pl=-.ycd 1lowly, which gocs not to the swift, but co the sldll(ul and levelh~.adcd." The m~n on Hall Dome, who had already 3Cf'amblcd up the wuldcr slopes now were crawling up the ahcer difi'j or the northwest face i\t the '"''" or only f(X) vertical feet per clay, or about one acventh the h.eirhtoC the t::mpirc State Building. To storm the cliff in one sublime Uurst or speed would have been Stlieidnl, j()r r.he rock w3& far too dUiicuh. A l'llOt'fl: sensible conclusion was rcuchcd -tO M:arch fur a pc.milJic.: way to the top and to mukt the u~~:~auh h'Hel', nfttt eareftt1 pJanning. At the end nr two ond one haiC da).., Royal Robbins, Warr<>n Harding, Jerry Calww and Don Wibuu hud fiUulngcd to rise exactly +tiO feet lhi"UUl(h a (C'.ondnucd :m Pa~ \1'1) Do11 Ct,:~tmch (right) bebys Pete Scbocn• ins at~ he c;.lollmbt.ffl up Croaked Tower, an !nho<pil•blc litdc peak on me oide of Catbcdral Mountain, in eutero Wasb.mgton. 58 �They Risk Their I ,iVPS <eon,;nued rrom l'•g• 34) ~ bolu and - ..,_,. 111a"""' , for .Fun maze of cracks and a long two ledges, each of which pmvided somewhat rudimcnta.y lodging for the night. Where holds were scant for hands or feet, they hammer·e d in thin pegs of steel, called pitons-pi'Onounccd "pec-tons" - to which the climb· ing rope could be attached for· safety. From time to time, to the annoyance or everyone, the cracks ran om and only a smooth wall bulged above. Rock climbers have a way of dealing with such problems. When pitons are useless, the re is always the expansion bolt, equipped with a ring on its outt:r end and a collar of lead on the inne r c11d. Six times, standing ill sli11gs of l'Opc, Robbir\s used a hammer a11d d rill to bore into the cliff; and then hammered in bolts. The lead collar, expanding as the bolt was tightl:n,-d, sealed .iv;clf solidly to the mck. The result was a 'v irtual laddet· of steel up walls so sheer and holdless that most mou11taincers would have g ivc11 up in disgust. The supply of food, the watc•· in the canteens and the time available all gave out simultaneously the third morning, but the party had found what it sought: A r·oute that would "go," as nearly as a pr-acticed eye could tell. A fine u·acery of c•·acJ.:s led up to rhe top. The climbers turned back. This ... .-,,WJ.. !;co - " ' r,.,.. lllnp btl41 •'14 ,.U<ml ololo. 5pring, whM tn. """"" """" mrltrd fmm the valley flo<>r ~nd the n igh r, 11"" ""'"" enO'.Ith JO t!uil a 111•o ~n tlcotp on • otlllf, RobbiN lntencb 10 tcad !he: llrs1 oomplccc diwb ul II~~: tlOtthM:St fa«. At bdt, tlloc will be six l;uvo u ac.a-ouw and. llae:JI \VIill lp8l"e otnoogl\ co sit down, but more olten ~tMd ln~ uprlr,hr I n I'Oj'll! llllnf!:.!!. The I'll· ward , II you wbh 10 ~.illllt dial , wlll be 1he «>r>q..etl g( th.c bnj)I)Sllbl¢. Son'lclhing ~ dOK 1.0 shctt mlxrt, 'lt'ith such an dtment ol cal<lulatcd riak ~ swru:ly tl'~ ,.,..,,.."1\,e uwn·~ dirJJ uf I!!L. ~~ rod ~imbcn ure " ~1irlrl:niy ten"rit,.... bKed, wtlo ~~ tl\1:11'1~1·~ lnrn rhe mo:o• bair-nisit\s am:dl~ts in Older tO u u L ut l&m tti.un¢wuly. 'll'oe Y<ltelllll< d iiT.-nootb, s~taculat and bandy 1.0 thr- hi&l•w.•ys - tm,.,. irlljlin..'<l • m rr. lltt..Ugiow climbing, billiC<l. on a laviah 111!oe ul' artifidl\l akb. l'\trl1ts, w i\CI refer to d~ "t YCliCI!Iite ~n u "roek cn;lncm," &Ht'H>wl~c pa.LtuCt~f\&1)' uJit: o! "mccha· niltd cliD\birlg," CCI\dueiCCl up aladdcrway of 1url Wltkltr.,?.r C..Ca.ltm ·- - Ull> tn..: gllll" pc'l . bo.th •.gm: thllt Y(JI!lemite ~ts an ~~rinJ 4Hl'J1(11.Q!\ f(W l'OI'Iit l"limbr"" lool.-...,.rd! \lo,r-r., '*'- lllu:l It •hot wor. \101} AM M101~ .,..,. • . . . -...... "'!• lw'tlr t• YII"JJIltr l"'l<k. Mu.,. ~ ...W. a ..t•«y ThU ~ best (~ ....l»l Q1l 1. . LOL} rr... 59 �P'tbr\1.,. 91. ·~ to-_ _ ,."' ~ ~ the. Ma'dOrial O..y ~ 'flo-beG huodmb:JC.rt ...... tt.:.w wp•ishrapa. ....s Nebo<bl« ~~><......, rod<-cli'"'"os oudlc t:l the: $terra Oub,. u Ol"pftia.tion oJ a~ IOJXX) OXIUCitainec:rt. h ill u ~ ~ cbat QIOIC nxk dimbm are \C'Cfl-. dom:deYik wilh t10 or lhe men """" ~. Robbins was a ~ tne&OJ oltuppon. AlCOI'lnoitcrtd twr bill'ller, Hatd~~ ao engin«r, W~bon and Otlfwltl cr-Ju.at.e tWdc111J. Au--. aede.o· .ary tporu, the bat cou.n~rporn Is-a rouslng of <bas. wbteb ealb for irn.en..e ctrt:oo ra.me btation and an Jlroo~t ptyeh1e ki'IO'ollkd&e t'lf whtu lka ahead. 'fbctc il orx a..W.w.tial dlffcn!nce. A wrOng nw~-e oo the ~ board b tddom more than hutniliating; a ~ movt Oft a clllf tn~~y ~ r.,al. nW: poi.nt oC divergcnoe was neYtt more t!karly iUuttated lba.u: tc Al.lc'»\o l~, whmject Amc*J, Aft.II()Q }li'd;toft &net Frlu: dimbod lh< ...... Am;w, • u ~oltod<oooof«th;p,""*"'c OUI fn:.m the c;ti!' midw:ay bet~ Y OleiD- ralb. (8co, w. eu.- .... - · · ....... by Flloz A. ~ Th<S.Iunlay £,.,. ~ " - ' and Upptt' YoteeaiK ""'C Poa,Junt Y8, t!K7.) Thil...ooch aNi ~ ~o~D&~ jpUt: had b«n at· llmlptcd devet: liata p.aiot.dly. AW:t 6¥C .,.,. .... - ~..Uy """'&'d .. ~ tbe ll.lmmit &om a J'W'UU 01'1 rhle v:alley \Qlla. Two o1 chc:m dek:tnded to a nooch tOO r~, dtt~ ..epal'lltil'l8 the 1.o&t Arrow l'tom the ml•in nxll u.a., aod then \lJ) lO the 4M• ,unc <'Ddt or the ro~ asec:odirc it 1o the top. M er the rope vr.u mlWfe faat, i.n tho manaer of the dtolt pttforl))l!r sca,gins. a ".tide ror life," Uppmann crossed 0\ott the 'oVid und juuted hi6 COO.lp1t~5ol'll atop the 1\m;yp~, l 1our ~""' Laru, itli Ju.ttt, 19$0, AWl 51Ccl< Mel John Snhube oompktcd what Stoek ealb ..an orde<aJ by pii.OI•,'' fClltndlns bar nichtt and Ji-.,e da:yt on the wAll o!Scndod Rcdt. This I .tOO luol modctt projed UMd up I~ pilleaOI mel nUIC ~ borJG. •nr:l ''I'm •till ,.., qui.IC tt.~.rc why l did It,.. Steck .old me recenlly. 1a ...... oltimc~pmtaad«SUUtt~ Smw.:l R.uc:L • • ~but Ha!l Domt ,_th .... ""' lh< ldll ...,qtll--1011. of '1lw \IIIOiurbe ol \Utic:a.l ~ ia YC*t&ili& P~k bccd the Na.donal hrlr ~ 10 ~ & n::IINC a= Cll (1m ft"CU't .U of wbom •~ t:rtiotd ia tbc - * cocnptica~d rode C«<\niqi.M:I. ''1lte upuicnt.cd dlnlbtrt ra.rdy caux us JMaCh trouble,.. ..i~ R.. :{. ~khtycc, adm.iJl"tl'llti'le U· .U.ant 10 li'IC park Npcrintcacknt. "'What gl~ '" • heMI.aehe is lhe bt chiktren and lJK pcopk wh9 \la;ide tq ~ a .t10tt cut off .he !roils. They're the OO<S who alwayo set chctnldva: studc on a diff-ean•t 10 dow-n; can'tSQ\Ip-atjun about dark. h's lucky lor uslha<this nllcy is., small.l\nyone who holktt lor help, once p<Oilk have gone 10 bed, can be heard for oil< mila around." h is poeslble \0 cwerdo a good 1hi", ~. as one rttcue established laM June. Mkhacl Simon, .aixtoal, was hik· ing alone the 101> of the cliffs with a group or rncnd.t when he dcdd.«<-what elte?- a ahott cut to the valley. He wound Ul> In n c;luatet ol 1•'«' Md sheer l«lget known at 11 thc Jungle;• in tl\.e middle of' tho Roy~ I Ar()ha1 one of the most diff''lCUh IQ tt~kc: cliOi in the park. so either up or down, Simon Uable to pn><ceded 10 .,....., lor hdp -"' long and a. badly thai the rangcr1 were unable: to break in on hit: monologue to let him know that tCKUe was at hand.. n.e caoopbony lulcd untilonldn;gh~ when he leU inoo an w.au.ICd alc<p on a broad and safe ~cdc<. but it tcancd arpin in the morning. A res- cue 1nm hcad<d by rancct John H<:nne> bersa, meanwhile, was cond~ a most delical< climb ol the Arth<s. "The rangers could hear Slmon, but they tt~uldn't bear cad\ other-a diffic:uh situation when a climb is being c:onducuxl in pitcb~artc:nest with occuional aid from a fbohligbt. "He Wall in lhC midst of his last and biggest 'Nclpl' "1..'\id Henneberger, " when l finally stepped out from behitKl a trte and tapped him on the ahoukl~r. Wt: got hill\ up to the lop ol the Arches and walked him d()Wn ~r • fool trail, but I'll bel that boy had a tore throat for a month after.'' Two other I'CICUC expeditions lase )-'Car \O'er< kat bu.,........ On April eighth, Ann Potti,.u, ninetcc:n, a arudent at Stanford University, Jet out wilh two boysc to climb the '--"' C.lhedral Spire. A ,_.,.,..., threatened and the r.onga'5 at park head· quancn had warned the party-which rqiltcTed In advance for the climb, .. ~ qwml by park rqu!ationo--10 tum bode il the weather wonen<d. At 10:!0 that night one ol the climben ·~ intO hudqu.arten again aod .said, ul'm afraid Ann is in uoublc. We had 10 ave her II the root c1 the Spl~ and come down ror help." &, midnichl, In a blindins mow· •term, a rc:ocvt IUm t<ad>ocl the girl. Sbe wu dead from expoourc-probably be· eauoe her doching oonsistcd ol ex>tton jeans, a COlton b l and a Licht poplin jacket. At the <ncl ol May, the........, crew faecd lu ~ teVfrt 1e11. Hdcne von Rycker..,....1, a sraduo<e tludent a1 the Univerahy cl California, ''"' leading a climb on 1he Royal Areheo. This wall, rising dir«l)y above the Ahwahnee Hote:J* is one vasl alab ol rock inclined at teventy 10 eighty dqrca, with few placet when: a climber can hold on. In auch a aituadon, an expet1 fla11tn1 his feet and hanclt on the rock and movca ahead 10 the ....,.... IOiid ledge. This i.s known u friction climbing. Tile pn::s:suR cl rubber aolct and ~ palms on the rock iJ JUI!icienc10 prevent a slip-in most cases. But Mill-. Rydc<n<>ntl ren oinecy lec1. She wat h<ld by the ........S man on the rope. "'bo had b<actd IWmdf on one cl the few available ouiO'Oppinp.. It toolc IUJ>C"' vilinc ~John Mahoney and !he r<S<Ue crew al fi"" m<n moot cl the night 10 miCb her. ... , have. never aeen Sl..llth. injudes, .. aid park naturalln C lenn CalliJon, a member O( the rac:uc e;rew. ''There \\'U a hole in the bad< of her head, and there were tO many bones fractured thai I'm surprised she didn't die right ~ oo the cliff." dragged • mesh·and-aluThe minum rc:ocvt Iiiier up 10 the scene ol the I<:Cident, dcd themtelva on 10 lhe roeb wbi~ !hoy admlnlttm:d lint aid, and in two and a hallhouro bnJucbt Mits R)'d<cr· vond cbo., 10 the valley. R......, though dramatic, intrigue doe rancm y_,.,;,e ra~ro .._ chan the eaJe cl the T"'O MJocinc Men. On July go, 1954, WaJ. ce< Cordon, a 11udent at the Univetlit)'•cl CaliJomU., bouaht .teub fo,r an outdoor picnic In one ol the c:amf!IP'OU.nda, told his compenioll-. " I 'll be b.ck bd'orc dinner?' and eec ~u on • hlkc from whkh he MYC:r ~tumt'd Th. rauh wu one ol lhc moM COft«nl,..,Wd -.rchft me park h.u known. "tbe nc:~~.t O.y. blood~tldt wuc: puc on Cordon'• ti'IIIJ. T'My kd tM ~tt up che J)llth 1t0 ClK~ Point whkb o•<• I k• the valley, • nd dowt\ the Four Mik trail co the hfehway. Ttw:rc th<e ~~ttru appan::ntly vanlthnl. At. many u th.ltty rans~n bhw:·,kc.ned thecun·, , tcMrchlnc fOI' OMdon'a body, and for d•y• a hdleoptcl' new u p and down the v11lley white Jfloucn ttal'(l(l thtOuah Rekl al att~t-. ~n,etutch w~' hope.lctt: Cordon I• ttlll mJMina. lhree n l.OIHhl lt•ter, on October 9, 19.51) C.Hrorni.a ..udent atiQtl\.et Unlvt-,..lty wu walkln1 alo"' a footpalh near the Ahwahnee Hotel with hit wife, fa~er-in" law •nd mother-ln•law. '"'nlat loob lntundna up then-."' u Jd Orv•r YOn La.u., lhlny, modonh'C 10 the uppo- pan ollbe Royal A~ clllr. " I 'JI tee: you a Uttlc t..tef'... lie w..Sked on huo tht u.nc:t.erbtuah and obi"""*'- WhMn th'nttn hour$ the bloodhoundt plckC!d up hll~~ttnt at the bMe clt.he Roya.IAI'Chetc:llmb, and ttkd !rand· uUyt.oac.~uptherodt, Raevct<tamt roptd t.IP and (lOW:~ the: who&t dUf. with nqatiYC f'nll,l ltt A hc.lkopu:r flew .Jona'· tide thee Atdw.. ~anecn ••rehcd for two tolid W«"b.. kttpln& an eye peekd for .a c:onCCitllrMtlon of C'»f'1''on birdl th<at might pinpoint the locatlon or • body. One cllmbl"f pt~rty dlKowrcd a be11r, which de:pt.r1ed whh a ttattled anort, but nobody found von l..tta~. "l'he PO I, c:aUed In ~C'Ili.ICl VOttJnhe It Jre<Jeral pmpc!tty, check«& cwry JX*Ible lehd whhout l't':tuh, In quie t hourt, which ~ ·oe lnl'req~nt, tl\o ran~:;~n are apt tO tpceulat~ about Cordon and von l..au. Pcrl\ap~, they think, the bodlet lie _,.newhc:re on the Yotemite dlffi. wedaed behind a rode whi.ch nobody '\Oo IU J)Mt 1M 100 fU"- 8\M:.h a time lapae lt no1 out of the quttdon. In &ep1Wllxr ol l " t M• ~ flarqutt.r, Juk"f &kihhom and R k hard l..c!Onard, of the Sl.erra Club., made the Rn1 attmllpt 10 clltnb \Vuhlnt'ton Oolutnn. " \Vay up~ Ott &he dUfa... .arl...eoonard, ··~'C b.tnd ,.n cl a human skulL Ou.r 1\lai wu \hl,1 It d.at«< !tom ptd\ii.&Ork dma. 8u1 wtw.n we lOOk It co the~ pantl'lltnt ol A.tuht'OpC)IQJy at the Uni·Yn'had •ity c1 0.11/or-n\a, thtv •kt ttw. bftn tMte about a hundred yc:a,.._jutt about th.cl dn\e the tift\ fur u•appen '\Oo"Cn: expll>t'lf\1: th-e tlt,h Sierra. 1 1\avc ollen wondered who the poor (dlow wu who lo&t hi• rood "land died, all 11.lone, up there aboYcYo.cmhc Valley." A fc:w yc:arslatc:ra cllmbcl' r~nc;l tome hunum bone~ in a lht~ or •w• 60 �101 lhc: d.if'U opposico WO>hmc..., Column. In II><...,. pool o( watt:t ·wrr·;ue. an inltWcd "ouc.h 4\.nd u old hat lmprinecd whh the name cl a ftCW'C: ift pt~ ~ \~th the hdp ol the 1-"81, l.bcownc:r wu~ Part heacl· q~·•~ t.._.l)cd his mothr:r- in PI~Qenix "'> extend condolcucu. "Tlt~~t-.ttrarcc;" She &1id. ··H.c j....c ldl ror I!Ghool. l~n he dkt come l»ek rrom Yottl"(;am tumbti..Qg down t~rrmu~ b.M )'ellrwitho!Jt hi$ hat.''The bones appMCnt.ly "-'<=~ thOIC ol a. IIWI who bad v~~;ni1t\ll'd twenty )'l"8111 ('JlrJjer. 'flO" nl(! or ror.k di.mbin& already Aourbhins In lht Ban, W'M irurodua:d to C.JICom1tt. in W:U by U.obtrt L.. M. Uo· dethlll, a pro(«l!!!r at H~rd Uoi~ly and a mountaineer or di.Jtin"lon. The Idea oltyin.s on 11 I'Qpt to $") up dit'fi( ,llt dif't'!l had not herelOlon: occurml to \he ~ bm of the: Sierra O ubt but or.ce it <;a\!Sht on, lhc. rupan-= war. i.mmcd~te...Tbt eli· ~ wm ~ wbc:n wt" propoetd that 1.he d ub establish a nx:k~ ICCdon,'" KCallJ Belcor ~ DOW rn;rc(l • • t.,..k clinila, who prxcico bw io Oalolor4, Calitomla. "l'h<y sUd ....d be axd into blnk'rupDCy in eue ~ Alii acQ.. dc:ru. and a6dcd lhat W cham:r didfl.'t SNke any ~ for iL But tlx uiOUtbt btcr we had a rock-di.a2blt11 kCtioo.., Robimon and f"-:tdi romped ju)·(ulty owr chr California mouOtaiN,studkd pon- dc:r'OU3 German texts explaining ~ ccd Wl)'l fA bcoldit\g 0010 A rod; Of' of \1-TigglJJ'IC \tl~ a tt11tk, orde:recl pnom rrom :a $f10rlinggnoda t hn-p in Munich1 and ~ed to tc:l \1() 1 lrulnlns llrtll on CragnuJin Rock,"' ··litf Ill tli"M' or lhe & .-ke1ey park&. This ltd 10 JOint compJicatioru. A Lady whmlc home Ill)' din·ct1y bdnw the rock <:alk...J. tlie park ckpartnwnt to Jay, " I d10n't waat any bodiC'f rnw•• in my btlek yard 1.. NoM enr dkl, but one dimbu cook :t mocknw:: ~ ln\'QM~ :.br"a.oUQn$ *nd tonll.l&iom. Since the aaicknt occurred on dry propMy, Rnbif'IP'. had 10 n:.port il 1D the polic:c. '*· The O'IILinn~tr; dUnla IJ,n:W ullllt: and tnOte aub cbbonw \I.Otil ~ s~ Idt compdkd w ~n up ~ •)~" ~ d;.m;if'~.-. bu.d 011 ~ (l.uo I w._, dl.mbt ~ simple h:ik(f; a. II 'l!o'tte - ~; a... Ill fO<Iuitod !he..,. eNION I ~;~te a' a rope; (.]a,. IV aUod for roptc and catdul cuppon Cro;n above'; 0•• V rc:quimJ pitom. aod Claw Vl- •n "'' HaU Dome-demaOOed pjtool or bolts ~r direct •Jd. Some hundm:b ofQilifomiot clirnh• 111we 1'1C1W 1x:ar meticuloUJiy d~~M.i• fled a.nd ~u.nd lll.lO a, ;uidebook. From me: vcpu. a ol die dub, it mar be xcuratcly Aid. 1bc United Staus ArDf dn..topcd much o(;:s~ . _ one! a ""'-"•doctriD< r.. o:acbiDc,_ .. c<t up. ditr, ; { - be. n.;, da!a ..-.. lin< ;,puud 10 !he IOih MGW1Wn o;-. wiUcb bogh1 trio tiaa<ly In haly ~World W or II. Jle. ~ lhc end ol ll1c war, oome 9.5,000 olhcr toldicn h•d lxoen ouctu how to di:mb in ouch pbcrs as Uncoln, :-<cw H>.alplldrc; Na1ural BridiJ". v.rg;n;a, a:od M.ou1h of Seneca.. \\rctt Virginia. Tbe old docuincJ still arc C*fried on in the- can) - of Cll<)'enn< Cr<d<, QUISlde Colorado Spriogo. Cok><U<Io, ,.m.: lhe Anny mamtit.lnll mOtmta.in·cnining area. One great contribution was the Q)'kwl rope for d..imJ>. itlc· l:ntil jutt bd:>ft: 1M war, no climber ,.."GUkk coN.ider ~ his life on an~'lhtrlg but a t ~oo~h~ ol ~1anib rope. ~"icm rope, which had jusc: c:ome on the mar'.kcc. was rqudcd wilh IUspicicln by Eastern - _.,eel dimbm, but ihc Siern Club decid.d 10 uyhout. 'The mclhod ol ...U.S was oomcwha1 uo....at. ~ Ltonanl and Dava R. ~'Ct. now the dub•t teereta:ty, fouod 1hemltJYCS a tuitable ~ about thlny hlsh. ;, • llcrkdcy parl<. One mao would &it down, bracing himtelf solidly, and poa rope around IUs body for a be- r... 1ne llty-meflnin; a J)08ition ft01n which he could 5101) the: (aJJ of Atsolhec cl1nbe.t. The teOOnd nun woukl de Jnto the rope and jump off ·l ht cdco of 1he rod<: AI he EeU, tho rope WJ" • llowed 10 $1idc, and th~n uradually tiehcened untO tM second DUn came w a. lltop not far •t>ove kvcl (J'Ound. AI t« twtl')ty tats, the Manila rope broke. with toMe ditcOM&on co the JCICOl.'ld man. "'llc nylon rope, however, WN Rill JO!nc 11"""1 ~ tOO ptactic< falls. 'Th< ..,. crew J~ to ptO(~t cNt at tbe end of itbt uptrlmmt lh< ....,..j man could leap dpi«< r... "'"' "'""' belo<c ...... hol\cd ;. fti$hl, and lhtn to.......S llowly 10 eanh. 'The nylaa rope adopccd .. •. . - by II>< Quam=wt..- Corpo, .. h. whidl both Rolli.... and l.oooin!ICNCCI » olfictra.. 'Tk prac1ioc ~ speetJodar \0 watch, ltlll popped the eyes of~ recruits the J.ut tiuie l -visit«l ~bt Moumain a nd ())kl WtAtht:r Command at Camp Ctr1<m, Colorado Sprlngs. 'The sliding, or dynamic,. belay h.u now virtueUy suppiMted 'the method originated IJY the Swill, which wu 1u hCIOk 1 ~ fOpe firmly around a proj<ct:ion of' rock.. Too ~en, th( rope bn>ke. The Army developed few new climbers (I( the 6tst rank, bu1 a good many )'QWlgsten with prior mow>Wn eoq>eric:oc<: emerged from lllc IOih Mountain Divilion as mature and keen rnountainee:rs. Tbe mea impn:lllvc veteran it a elimbc:r in his early thirUcs, named Fr<d Beckey, who has led more than iOO fint ucents ()(cliff's and rock opirca in the Pacific Northwe:sL By virtue of gelling there fintt Beckey ha:s been able to n:amc a number of peak$ hltherto identified only by altitude. Slnce lhowands were already christened, he had to use in· gcnuity. O ne range in the northern Cascade Mo"ntaino, named by llcckcy, reads like the wine llu of a de luxe hotc:l. Chianti, Pemod, Burgundy, Sauterne and Chablis are amorag the litla to captivate a thirsty climber, d>ough Beckcy is no winebibber himsdf. A man oC I""*I pbysicals~Rtlgth, Beckey dcQded laJt year to climb the wat 10"~ o( ML Coode, a opin: 8100 feet high, risU>g 3600 f«t from itS baoc ntar tho bead of Lake Olelan. With Doo Oauneb, another Seattle climber, be departed from Seattle at ooe r .N. or a Sarurday, arriving by car at the fool oC Cutade p,... at five P .>o. The two climbers then walked up over the pass, down the other side, and in to the bue of the peale., a distance o( sixteen miles, aniv· ing at 11 :$) P.W:. They slept until scvem A.w., Sunday, made the first ucent or the west tower, climbed back over !he pa.13 10 their car, and reached Seattle at two A..M. on Monday. lleckcy then went to work in the advertising depanment ()(the Seatlle Postlntelligeoccr at eight A.M. On a la~et weekend, bored wilb the walk over the pass, he loaded a cawnaran on a trailer, d.ro\.--e lO the foot l..alte Cl>clan, and blithely sailed up 10 Sld>ckin, the otaniDg point of IUs climb. The "-cekcnd fuUshed, he sailed down the lake again 10 .... bimxlf. Bedey'oi'C<lOt'd (I( lint _ .. is now oorag cb.allcngcd by Pete Schoening, another Seattle climber, who distingudhed hlmseJ( in an attempt on Ki, i.n the Himalayas, a few yean back. or aimbt:rl Paei6c llnlc: lauocntifoc than . in the Nonhwat are a in the Sicm1 Nevada.. The lnfonnal . _ ! > was cpi•ocnized in 19'S by l.iond O..U., who led lhe lir1l climb o( tbe North f'l<ak o( M L lnd<x-dcvation 5400 " " - - the mitt• es~ llwory thai a c:uh I'<WOid was ~­ volved. The rumor had ~ pcnillcd thai the Gttat Nonhcm Railway,~ wnncl under the mountain il one ol the longest in the oou.ntry, wu ~paruf to pay from S 1000 toS5000 for the fint climber 10 ruch 1he 1op o( the North Peak. Prcoumably, lh;. would be ptOfitabl<: advertisitJC~ Chute, ap-ply;ng roc- '"" n:word, round the railroad affable. but. not oreoarul w dio into the till. Now ll'll hl.t fUtiea, U h.u a nioe letter from the Creat Northem and the satiJf.aotioo> o( J>avms ecmplclcd on.e o( tbe moot diffi<ull dlmbl o( h;, era. In the Northwat-a country ollimidess stae~cn anc1 ..,..,. ot ,.._ clirnbod .,..-~~>= an .UU plcnl)' o( c:onquetU lor thole who ha...-e nen-e and lllill. 'The best Wuwalloo was povidcd, "......, h""' ......at ,...,. ..... by • Seatllc: named David thmh. In 1!15i, ,.iUJe climblns ML Ycn~paja, one ol dte ~>;ghat in PeN, li.aJT~·· feet wtre fro~tbinen. He 1M l1'IOIC of his ~a di.Julcr. h woukl teem, 10 a rock dimbt:r, wt.c. must depend eo lhorousbiY on delio.•c balance. Not long after, he led a cllmb up the 5000·Joot north·· wes1 fooe of ML Joh•nnlober.g, In 1he Cascades, apcndins one night or. the di.fl". Latt tunu:ncr I w&lked rrom the ~ of lhe road into Cucadc Pa.a and looked acro11 tllt valley at johanniJberg. The "t".uy" route lca.dt up an ~moc:t vuUcal sutJcy ot .._, with no sound ploce for a bday. Harr:ah't route z,icz;ag£Cd up a but-- .,.. 10 lht lei\, hlcJ> lniO the douds, 10 ahccr thai I had 10 crane my oodt. I hove rock-di.tDbcd in my t~ ~rt thisdiKwas 100 rich r.. my blood. Noc - rich r.. a man with abu.oAzn will po"Mott. ~-u. 'The l<'oacily d;,pia)'Cd by Harrah ;, 10 be found, 10 a puccr or tc. dqrec, ia ev· ay rod< dimbtr. Pabapolhia ~why adimbing dubin ta-·awilltpenditt....ukentb on My-r001 cliffJ along the M"...;mpp; Rivu or why tome: thouunclt of aapnen In ll1c Easl wUI wooit t.. ppUy on rod< raca ra.nging in heiaht from 100 ro 800 venical feet. 61 �Tbe mc»t notabk- and most populated area is a wall ol cliffs in the Shawangunk MountaiN. about 100 miles north of New Yodc City, on the v.est side of the HU<bon River. lien the New York 0\apter oi me Appalachian Mountain Cub b.asde\ldoped til\y teparate routes rising a maximum oi too feet, but ernbod)ring the most hairra.~ dikmmas to be encountend in tile Rodcies, the Sierra Nevada and the Dolomites o( I t~y. J( regulatioDJ did not {Qcbid it, New York mountai~ would do their climbing on the PaJiA.des, whicll rise ma· jcstically jldt ICl'()M the Hudaoon in New Jertey. Too many looee rocb, rolling down on m-oUen along the ri~ide, cawed the authorities of Palitades InterState Park to close the area to roclc climbc:nc yeanc ago. ~ Shawangunk climbs ~redeveloped by Fritz. H. Wlc:&1ner, now president of a chemical company in Stowe, Vermont. A short and balding man in his early fifties, Wiessner was-until he began to $low hi.t pace- the best rock climber this country ever bu known. As a young man in Getmany, he led-without pitons-sotrle of the cWsic rock climbs in the Alps. Rod: climbing in Europe and .Engt.and, as distinct from the uccnt great $00W-~-i~ mount:ains. began in the 1890's, but thespon ofJC&ling dill's did not become a science until 1910, when the piton wu invented by an Ausuian dim bet named llannes Fieehtl. As a yot.Ulg man in Druden, Wiesmu ab!orbcd the fine points o( the ~pon, and brought to America in I~ an entirely new technique, involving delicate and rhythmical r:novemc:nt on cllHs with no visible holds {or the hancb and feet. A m.n whQ bdi~ in "dean" climbing as a greater ten than the lavish WIC ol pitons, he made the 6m uoent of Dev:il's Tower, in Wyoming, with only one piton, where later climbers \lied them by the dozen. He: abo climbed IS 1i60-foot ML Waddington1 in Brimh Columbia, which had been.euemptcd fourteen rima previously. Wiesmer .is th.at rare being, an articulate climber. or "Rock climbing," he fcc.b, "is the mou satisfyi111 and f.ucioating sport in the world. The lancbc:ape oC mountains, the a.rchiLCC> rure ol mountaiN. is aomethin& toO few oi us know. It is a sport and not a c:ompetitibn-match[n& )'OUrld! againat JOmething much ~ than a.ny human being, against nature. h is a way or enjoying what one's ov.•n body can do, much as OW' anc:at.on wbo lived in trees must ba\<e enjo)-cd the easy movanent oi swinging from limb to limb. You !Ire away from ~iJll mechanical, and it makes )'OU fed like a king, perched on a Little spot up in the sky. You ba~ OVCI'OiliJX: physical as wdl as mental difficulties. ''To be a good rock climber, you have to put everything into it-t.o figure out your moves as you would in che~~, e:Mcept that on a cliff you are playing with the biggest queens, bi.shofl', roolcJ and pawna on the planet. E\·cn on the smallest cliff, there b aomething JOphiltic.attd about the delicate movcmc:ntl imp<liCCI on a climber. 1'he mechanical stuff- the pitons and boll$you can enjoy for a whUe, btu in the long run you get )'Our vllues from your cloleness to nature, the realization how small we humans are compared to the big mounrains. It is something you can enjoy with the eye, the.brain and the whole body. And it is an escape from the pressures of the world. out \"Vhen those great walls of rock above you, it is like sitting in the quiet and calm of a Gothic cathedral. "The man who leads a rock climb must recognize that there is danger involved, and he must keep it in mind, but if he has the talent, he can win through. He needs judgment as well-the ability to know what one ought to be able to do in a difficult spot. A good man climbs up and down such a spot a few times, always a little bit higher, until he knows how he can safely get through it. Many men, not strong or patient enough, try to rush a cliff, and those (\re the ones who fall. They take chances, and they lose. A leader has to be able to fight against his own ambitions; be able to . turn around ana to go home if the climb is too much for him.:There are those who race to climb the big faces or who hunt for notoriety, hut in five or six years you don't see them around any more. Most of them quit. The real climber sticks with it all his life. When the big ones are too difficult' for liirn-well, he always can do the smaller cliffs and be just as happy." arch It wu on one ol these smaller cliffJ, a few days later, that I saw this philosophy put to the test. Wiessner and I had met in Chapel Pond Pass, near Keene Valley, in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. Above us, 6s!ured and seamed, rotc a rock wall 400 feet high. No ooe had climbed it, but 'Wi&ner was rudy to do 10. We lied in to the rope, and Wiessner started swiftly up through ·a naiTOw crack, the classic rock climber in action. Above him the waU leaned outward, for a space of perhaps fifteen vertical feet. J could see a few tiny handbolds, but no easy way past this obstacle. With the utln0$t precisen~, Wiessner worked his way upward, paused for a moment, leaned out from the rock and craned his n~k. There was something about the route he didn't like. Silently, he came down again to a wide IO(Ige, thought for a momut, and started up again, this time selecting a slightly different oollection of holds. Again. he paused to study lhe problem, and again came carefully down. " ll will go now," he called cheerily to me. So rapidly my eye could not follow his. move· ments, he flickered up lhe ledge, hooked three fingenc over a thin flake oC rock and disappeared over the ledge above. 1 followed, but not with such ease. From his stan<lC above, Wiessner wu exerting a firm but steady pull on the rope. With this a5S1,lrance of safety, I managed to claw my way through a maze of totally inadequate holdJ and to crawl on my belly over the top of the ledge. Off to the right a &e<lOnd wall led up to a projecting pic« of rock broad enough for a man to sit on. How to get there? This one was easy for Wiessner. He moved upward on scant foot· and hand· holds, turn~ his right h.and so that it rested palm down on the proj~ting rock, fingers, facing outward and wrist facing inward. Then he gently swungoutow:rspac:e, reversing his body, and sat comfonably down. When I followed, it was the triumph of bnne strength ovu an obstacle that de~~ mo~ gtntle treatment. I made a Junge·for the rock, hung on for deariife and hauled mysc.lf up. The rest was easy. A few more ledges, a few cracks to be climbed by jamming Ul0$t of the body into them and inching upward1 and we were on top of the cliff, with the Adirondacb spread out in front of usrange after range of hills dark with spruce and pine. ''Look, Hal," said Wiessner, sweepiJl8 his arm to encompass the horizon. "~n•t it THE E N D make you feel like a king?" 62 �Meyers, Yosemite Climbs, A Rock Climbing Guide to Yosemite Valley, p. 145 National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 145, No. 6, pp. 782-791, June 1974, Climbing Half Dome the Hard Way, Galen Rowell 63 �Climbing Half Dome the Hard Way MtTIC U! AND 11140TOORAf'IIS 6Y GAL.EN ROWF.LL.. SualcJM bel- tt• 1.600 llld .I taN an o\\1(1.<1,'1 ..~ ---400/HC ol pttpmoloe..t.t CI'UIIil r llllrd dll)· on. YOM•._,., follllfld Udl' O...W., whoM~ n...,. .. JMWdrloW$lwt ~ 1WVW t.don '"• "c~ ttua•-o. ¥, WII!Mul drW\111 ...,..,.._...,..,..,_... .._.w.. .•. ...,.,....,._..., . _ k....,...-_. ,....., . ,.._.o._._.... r.~_.f.t.l ......_..,......_ . .oW dt«b. n,., f- ..,.._......., _ _ _ ... u.-b .arlkNd.~t, t~w~~~adllillrll"t ........... MAW_f....__~..,-..__ fl'l 64 �C..t1511.-rotcl Ull(li...Wie lor ~­ ,.,.,. lt41t m 19Ji lilT ••• ,,.., ,..,.1\.Nno-·. .,..,~ RMtblllt folktwtd '-I•B)' -~"''·-"""" 11Ukn• to •na_., !.n tatt, t~ llatt l)cmw'• crile:).t bur tbr .,... ,.lblly tttl!lte Kan (If (I!Nintlrill f!IIOM \\'t )ooj:C <Jtkn wllf kol'"' our uu,plit fll Ore ...,. ...._ ...,1111 tbocb , ..... l)fllftJitt-' (richiJ kM tlw ar6d ·~· ..,..IUIOG .................... (t.ili _................ ,._. .. u-....-. .,_....,.....,,. _.._......., .. bo'rDtMh•-·-' .,.&.."i! _ _ _....(.1ft_ "-" I IIAT£D TO LEAY& ,._ H<~trhy of" ~ foothold. A f'09t' , .. ~tack (rom my wwt di~r down the dall', entll.naln tlw hlUI!ds ot Dmnh H.t:•uwk. wtlo uood teoturely a.n(horcd oo a l'o\"0-loot•Widr ktfu Bct,.,'t!en IU 11. .wriu o( nu'llblntn •!Qmrd like ovnslrc safety llint.,allnthln& the rope tO varioui lllldJOr$ in the roc-k Thr IW'..mt tt'n f«t ~low me. t'rom tbl:rr 11 wat lUI *"' Cit~ My fett to ~nrut.a"" tbtn a •holt~ fftt .-~ai.J,tll down to tbf bMtom of thtt nol1h· •'tSI fauo(Balf l)ocn,r, tht INMI\'f ftll:k wall «!ltd ~b..IIW • v-~ fro• iu bait,thti ~ c:litr .,,... 111 \'Okfl'litot tbu john ltuir f.ro. clot.Mh 1.0 dr'lh. llik a ~ .,....., ~ ~ ~'ff 160 ,~.... ll(ftt '0 . _ ~ fail10 -.vd a1 ~ ~ lofcu tar'\~ • llwouJtl llw ..... ...... • ~ iO'talll ftlltiDC. ..... t:f.to,al . ....... ..... a(~~-. To"~ dw.., sac. l.,ooo..toot wall tt ~'II To a N<~ ca....lla It a ~ \\t • t f t ._. ,.,. ....c:o.d .by fll oer oucmt. 'flle .-dlwest £ace ol HAlt Domt wu Ant di.mbed ift 19$1 and bd oftt• ""'"' $1lakd u... .. , tln«, but llt'\'ft . , w wen- cloifiJ: it hOW I klok.td l.n (toM ot 111C at a (Q(t in tht rock .,. ttJbUI Gl •n 1nca. wide and dttptr than I roold 1« l'rom the equipmt:IU han&· h11 hom my 1hwldcr I pick«! out • uny atumlnml'l wtd!CJt, tmal ~ th11.n a thumbn<\ll. baHiy 1w rhthlh or an incb thid: From h h•mll" ~tetlloop lhlnntr than a lbl>daclt Gtntly 1 tbrtadtd lilt ~'~~ ii'II.Oa l'lurow lfl(ll ln tbt (:tfltlt and IU#,Jf'd hU'Cf (1ft •htol obk klop h w'OUW ha'~ ,_. bold my fu.ll •cl«lrl• .-..'al.t I ~W r.a. "'" -'•. \li•Oo: ~-Act« r.rtt. I (: I Pl'f'd In) l'Op' am. lblt c:abk Joop and >..t;W &o ~ "l.o•'U ,..... 11w topf' b-~ I kft _,.. footJaold ud WJIA.td ....,_..,. do... tk wal to a ClOY .,...,~tu.~blll(v ........... I btdtt.rd a .... el noW Tlw 6nt part .t tlw ~ fac'f' tl Hal' o...r. ..., 0\'a' ,......ww. ....,.,. .,. • """"' ~ Ro,oat Robbun.. 11w kil\'ffM kadn ol • ,..._,_ party tJw AWMk lk '"" ..Cffll "' lk c• ., 16 1"" bdOft OUI' •U•mP' .\t t•» llftllt It 1II"U the lortps~. mott dlllkt~h fO(l cbmt. .,,.,. .aoe~pfu;htd 1111 ~h Amtriu .. <W tbe: &..,.... cb)'f and four nl&htt on Ott wt.l&, Rbbbinl Ntd. " W~t Wt~ 1'4'1111)1 k1tn~d btc&uJt~ Wt holdn' dOIW &n) tltl111 hke It brfOtt-.. I lllloi'W ltow lit (('1\, re.-r b norm11 for ••>9M attt'mptlftl tltt: unknown. and w~t too 101m'! lr)i.,_l ltOrllf:thlnl 1'('\'ft lUtPtptcd belotf a cll.mb of •ucll ltr~ll)! ud d~ A tlltota •• a .t.«l wppon to be hammen"d i~ti.O a « Kt unt tilt rif!ll\ til.;, a ra.ltro.d spd:~t­ '*" ..... roii!Sidtftod ._pou.blf I'Uc dl•bt had ll'l6ti and t1puuMcl -·t~ bok~ AI the "*a&. achlllbtt .....W ~ l.belll ....., ,... . . talof, - --·· " " " " - . . . l'"er' .... ~.~ ..... w..n..-s.rtot """'...... '"Ut una ._ aJIIhet • -. ,...,. ...... ~ Sot ~- liaJ, .-ca tl • ..._ allo) daataabr ilwru4 * .vlML' p&.cu !Ia .....,Pd. to Mf''t u • uJ~ •mhot ~ MIU afll' ~U.M~(ec:tu.f'fd ll)tQiklii)' Un')\ft. rtO IMIODJ. _. hnk a!u:muu.1.m "'' I<~• ('OCIW ta the form of rtatrow- Wtcltcn{PAI't 710)Md lit mulbfiKeted The UM oi1U1U dtvfk)~ morll' thAn a d«ade' 110111 t~ P..nal•,•l..al.e OU.tridalld '" WaJH. 861~ or the llrt.1 nuu ~'~tn> p.clttd liP &Jon• the S!tti"'·•ton rail•">' by dimlxrt on thtlr will) Ia 64:illot \\'d,h (f'~Wo With • small rop.r lool)f'lll throod1 UJ bole-, • fll'llubr machhllt' nut could tw J•mMtel h110 • crwk a.u ad ltWd ._ ..... - · · . - \ . .~Mf. CNitd r._l.t ., e.b.. ~ reaurbbk r. <limbtrl. '" vart.out "t6to ra~. <nt'• up ...u ii'Cha v.·wk- ht . . . . ..a~ ..1(11. • ~·..a)' lu'~ «''""ii"ft fiiiOft hokttna pow'ff than a ptCO.. But ........ " IMo ,.., ...... Jll.iw& 1116& ....u. Ml.., sto.d. l ~ tht s.,..,._ I ......""'".,.. ...... • • 1 . . . . .tltff'MOII ot .., ~. llllU aebl dw b "'"''' ... IMkd • ..,. Drrluh ,...,.. . , .. - .... Uw INo ..,,.., ~ .. bdlk ·-Me. ,...,. n.y ........,... ._. irft ......_ .. .,.,..... lk!WW\ (M\1acl. . . . . ..,. " \'ttnitA., c&on. ,; tiiiUh:ld..y rl..... ,.._. tk o\n.tk. to tht A!Mkt. k • • r. too ,., 65 �W•ll·w•tll~o· tovb Wduok Jl;l(.. ):ndi.opc-blt kinl.b ol c:hod<~ M st~rJ.(Id\), -.Ju mils"m ~e' l&¥k Ut .top)- if )'011 (:ail. TheM: Mel W.Ubt dt\'I(G ~ d109Ptd0t ~hf,d into c:r.dts and ~u:ttd wital downwwd j~rb (1/ !.her sttd or eylo111 <~~ Up.. Wl'ltd )'Uikl !UIIllily liiiM<e 1.0 ~-~ 11wt11 0. Mil no~~.alkt'l\lit~l bat b«n Jet tnro • <hl;k (ff•~ er) • r"w i 11(1lq fl()llll • rw.t1 ~~~~ klt by ~lkr elltr~bt"' A Nft't)..pin11~ w..t.ion tri tl14) (liJit tk aM.bot co tile' <I~ ro(lf Dout (oppoSjtll") !Nke. .-. u ....~ ,.i!lo !':» vln(lry ttl ""tfull)· ra.c:ll~ luonl~ duoah.na v>d dalscilla exl)(rienucl IUld cardul to h~t.ve leh pito1u bdltnd-cl.n.leu bt did it pur~ly. He and our other comp:u~iocl, Doug ROOintOR, h.ad 10rted the dimbing toqUipmt-llt te>tttlhtr. J ruli~ed wbll.l £1rt.nni$ rl)tallt,: 'rhJt tl~ 'llo't 111-ere flQt cclff)ina 04-lr ~ra~e:ln ou.r r11dt· e;a(lt~ We ~re <Ommincd 10 an ad..-~nt-ur~ ~. 111'(:11 Uuo our S«Oftd dl)·, it 'llo'llb D<>u(s turn. to kad. from nt)' ltd~ In tbt middk of Robb!M 'fta\'(':Nioe: I ,.,&UI~ him without dir«t !UfiPQn from rope or :uwboors. Soon he: rta<lltd a Ptrlc:tl slotlllhtre at last h(. pla«d a flut th~t not rvcn th.c -·rlabt of a c.u wuld lt;a\·e bi.NI~. nw. nut Kll~ Oou.J: Ole> conlldetlce 1.0 con· dnuc fr~ dlmblllj. S()ol) be: bad hb hands oo a IN~ a bul'ld~ Ce~ lon~ Attd luU u wi<k u a d~y !-idewall. 'M1c: chtric:uJUts ()(the RobbJns Tt•\~rk lll"tte be-hind us. s:LI\Igak. Ht trkd \'.,.BI)' 10 piau a nul ten Dout(l Jd~•l: tlw! Mo.1nutn C~Mt feel aboo\'C tnc In a nill'rOYI crack w\lb fl~rln.s Dou!J lbcd !Oe"."fflll nub (or aMbon. and s:I<Jcs.. Wu this as tu ai 111-c <Ould tto? Oc>ug's richt leg ~lj:;ut co shake bk.~" -.n old· (:ublooed wwlng nuchbw. lie carne down and mlt'd. ihiJ S«l.ion b uw.lly climbed by poundin& in pit.oos !Lnd uWn& ditett aid auacbi."'J :. nylon !addu w a pil.oo and ttkwinl up•-ard 1.0 place another. Oc>u~ dKiid 6nd no nut tbol lbe fl~ri111 crack III'Ould ,.ccept, • he tried a dill'ercnt ,.,ay. A, Dennis fed out tOpe. be tr.ni'$Cd downw.lrd to a cr:.ek or~ly l\ few inchEf \\ide. Our )pirits lihM M """watched l)out'"frte dimb'"'~"insfoe'ltboldsand finvrboldf~ty. on an btra ropl" be luuled up our 1111'0 . -.k$ holding Jbpin&ttcar, food, an4 four cltllottS ol III'IIIC't in pb!lic boltla. Dtn.nb and I joi~ bim, l~ftin& ou.1 the nu.u Oo111 hAd rtl~ ((W prO(f't'tiOft fin bi$ lf.afi. Happy nbout tb~t morninj(• J)TQ«fCStt we: lun<b(d on sawa.p, cN:¢St, and blVd t.a.nd)e$. 1 thouKbt back I.Otbedl\)'l'd "-lktd Doouc ifhr 111.'()1111(1 ~ lnttrt':Sted In d imbinc Hal( Dome: He: had polittly ret~ l.l«"lols-t his fttl· i".P about pioons aDII ..dirett·aSd dimbin.c.• 11\Stcltd or $.Widin.1 in a nylon laddtr whllt dn\·lnJ • ro"'' ()( piulnt evu bl3bc:r, be or 66 �Thel'(l are .:lwayos .trin,p llllllitbed -dimbin.t roi)H. b1111l litlel. Jlin~;,~. If )'OU Ilk web liftltnn to l-UPJ'IOft )'OUr ••«-ishl.. it's calkod ..ditt<t·aid dunbintc-"' If )VU use thtm. only to <:ateh you in c:~ )'OU tal.__ an acrobat ~ bis IWl- il ' f (alkd "(ru dimbine,• 1'bn't Me t(llr left) ul'ii«~«: dit«t aid Oft a thttr JfM}te £ace. Wh.at '~ llold· i~g tDit up' Not the dimbiftll fOPt:, but ·~ Jtrit.r-o. nylon loqp a:upporud by a nul 1\~ jw.t IUIChored. IMo whkb .ny ritht loot frb 5tinup-f• hion. ffft: dimbin;s up a ttulc s)"tem, IXnnb (mid dle left) .faiN lba ancl ff!C't into the lil$urt i11 a t«faniqu~ called "jlt.lllmi ns." After a d.ay't JUII.Kk-numWng lllbor, we "tic in" to a hl.8h·rbe JC'd~(abo,·e) and enjoy .omt food, rts.t. •nd d~¢ lwury of ttk.ltlg olf ow s.hon. In t.,.J ,~rtkaJ "''Ofld )'01• ha'-e to bt' Pftl)lirtd for "udden ()OH and downs. Tryh~,: a too·risl:y short·w.t t!Cat tbe 1umrnil, 1"p«l," or !All, b1,1t 011lY about ltn fttt CutJir JeJI). The rol)t:.andlortd from abo\·e, pulls ta~n :u'ld nopa aw jlbt abo'-e • 6uk ltd~ AOMU! ,.. Climbing 1/tl// 1)(),~ rlt~ Hard Way 189 67 �Pft{~rred to dimll lih a rnoonuin goat, f)n skin ~Jont. u$int; tbe tQJlC oaty M • blldmp. Doug ft'IO'Wd ro the mountairu ~nu colic~ to makf_ bi:s lhi11.1 by S'Jiditlg and writins.Si.mptid~y k(l)·noto hb. life, He aM a fritnd Ol)tt &tt out Oft skiJ from the JO'\~th end or the Jnbn Muir lhll, ncu ~Jount Whitney, and arri\'Cid in Y~mik Valle)' mo~ tb.:w a month l~lt.f. The)' wmt i.n winter, v.ilhout .ttl\~ lb«IIIOf!W(u, w;~~tdl, or compas&, to nf)trit~ lht I\'IOIUntaiMOII dtelrowo t~ ncK )wt on IIW'I'$ wt.)' of lfiCA!uriiiJ 1bc-m.. J kMw that Douc • •u in superb coOOition and h:ul the d~Ul to dltnb l:ialf l)ol!)t. I tokt him th.at sort~e rt«:rn a.t<-:flu had bttT!mote thl.n SO ptl'(tntfrec dlmbina: by w.fl:ll n\IU, we •-ould not need mllJI)' pil.Ofl5. Artn m~X:b ll!Ott~~. Dou,g ~...1'11 10 If ""'t<llm'bit dean." Meaning fl() piton.t at ~It I sAid. "Let's try it clu.n., but well Off)' jOIQt pitons jwt i.n c-." ~s ~rt'td. voc ~k hand.s, and met a wctJc.lal.t:r in \'OM'mlte. The idea of 1.1$l111t null i~ of pitons lmptics much more ~31111 wi$b roc &implicity. Tbe Jut mAll in a dlmbinog party Uliu:ally !'\"• moo.·~ the pitmu., so tbcy can be wed apia. by tbt b.tot 1960's, thoasanth of e:timbc'n had fl~ a'"d ~YMOV«d "'"or 1ho11J.'IJICb pitofiS in \'*mite Alont., -~rill$ natural uub into ugly -..·hitt' IC:IU'$. Wikl and once!~ rci.'!IOU difb ~ f~ b«orninc -..'Orn pq· boozcb in a.n open-air pmn.uh,un. One e:ou.ld, ot COO\Ir.w, *'-<*I uatk dam• by ka,•rnc tbc plwru In place. Bitt that would rob a climb of much or iU aoch'eflt\11'\". Climb• ins h CJ6entilllly a wildcrncn uthity, and a rvw of pitoru. $na.kl.f'l.5 up a rodt wall dctracu ~.tll)' Crom the ccs.w;ritt~et ot btln,J part or a or I\IIU.I..-1 f<tfle UI\IOtK'Jwd by ftWII, Clin~nlt to~ alld O.ill&'"'~ \\'ilh lu.ncb 6ni$1wd, we turned our u.. tcnlion bMk to cracb and climbinsCrack ~>~~:ens IUt lib ri\-erJ In IJ~e: rod:. J\lktll'la trt.flk ~·cr \'f:rtkal tttraln. mak.iar rli!Tiblnc J*SIWt on ~~·i~ bla~1k. clilb. Abo\·e RobbiM 'rta\'fl'.st •~ folkl•'td a l.up uack !)'Slt.m (« 600 (ert., m~»tl;y in cbl.roDC)'l-C:r¥b •·ide t :.uou,c;b to crawl I~ Wdc altd MCctld by prtMlnJ t.tliMt \Ito $100 with Jllouldtr,. h!ldc, &riN, or q,. By lhe ate:ond f'\'eains we rud!UI a ~riH of ltdstJ. only <&00 f~t bdow l.bt stunmit. In the Jottlinl )U• we (ou.nd Mmp~ Joy In • •alldog bad: lind forth. dra.~111( 011r bare ~ throulb 1bt nnd dci)Odttd on tbt klfty, "" two-roa~ -wide kdtu by (4'1\turit:~ or troOOa MU>Ch or • climb b quid and refkctiW:. So it W7.l now, 1,600 (~t abo\•c the b.uc o4 tbt dill' attd •,.soo fm ~·t: the d1m, haey floor. We spoke liult dllrit~r; • )uppu ol pnli~ uisim., Md wmtn. No we bad done tile ~loU t\'enii!:A 01) a IIArTOW ~ II. t.hollWld rm ~tow,""" bedlkd down for tbf night. rOI)ilftl oursd'I'H to tbt wall tO u to roU oft h~ our slt't'P (paf't i89). "*"tY '* \\1~e01 All e h f: Ft.it(, Try 11 "Sk)'b.ool.:" In tile dnr air o( tk third moornlng we looted do~n inlo the \"alley allnOISI. a mfle: below. w~t(ih.il'lJ aftl.llkc Jl(OSlk, e«1nJ them c.lt&rly, fetlin.J: dost t.o tlw111. •~'~~~ )'tt $0 far, I began the firM lead r.owanllhc Vif.or, 1111 ovcrllang o( the tummh tbllol juu !0 fctt into '~»" (dillJnun, pap 114). The Mtq) rod: to0e1 bce:arnc so di1l'lcu.lttbat I (Ould IW lo~S,~tr (m ditnb. World"' my way UJ'IW#d with t~)iofl ~" au3<-h «J co flu!$, I came to a 1pot I CCM~Jdn' pll.'$. Norte o{ the nutt 'A'OUJd hold in Ibe ...,bll)' O\"C!rbMging crxk. Dennis y-clkd up, "Can you goet a book inr I Jpottcd a nubbin or rotk 1101 miJCh l~r tlllll! my tkumb. IL had a ftat till) 0<n w-hkb I ~~otd to h:..na • "ik>iiOOit"--' •t~l boot to be tbe key to the ~ucccu (If faiJu.rc of tbe e:limb Irucclld ol poumrl illt orw: Crt!Ck at a tam~. be now bad 10 ckal witb dbcood•11101d e:~~ ~lumblnt 8 root Of ,,.,.. 11p one. crac\, and the-n reae:hinJ; 10 a ('Omp&ttdy ditftrenl ont, t••o ot tbrct: f«>t to the 1ick. u,. J:o;li was • Led~ tbat klok«< ~pti,·elydow but wu in '*''1'fmc JO feet Uo\·c b.ha .k>Cm«< to&l&lld Jtlll u Dtoni$ leads .wpanu,«< us from oot wtU1ina: frie11di. I led oat:, Otnnb the nut. lltld .tOOn "A'(_ "A'C«' hauli.nJ tl~ 'bl hll.jf.l)nto du: 1!-.c ) ummit At du$k wt v.•alktd dov.·n alonatbc cables. oo t_l\(> blliC:k of tbt do~ .ahd kl up ump In the: forttt nu.r a tprin~r:o Wt bad IW)t had boc food or drink for 1brec days. and the tf'.a wltll ib lb\~ of tbt ••uminum poe ~mcd tlw- ~)laced ruJut Qquid -..-e cou.ld h•\'t ~t<l Our bed$ • U:)•boot. Tb.cn • ~ spc<iaJ n.ut-dtc J.mlllleat oC all, matk of chr~·mo1~num (I( phw l)ft(l)fi ~~ ~ <:omfott.ablc tbiUl .lt~d and only • silttl'tnth or aa iDC:h thick.. Final!)' aMther tl.ny ....~.his moit SK'ure IIIIC.hor in lO fet:l. A11 th!« of In Yo"'t~ jQ en1r:~ th.tl to us t.ho$r lt'l(lt'IW-nU tst)a(lde:d to contain 1111 reality. Tlu:: (J'Uit or the climb wu io Jkn_n h'' hancb. t"inally ~ >'C-11«1 down. "01f bel~ Ut kad tltd Mt rOJMl to jC)Ikl IU'ICbon 01'1 tbe 1-htU aboV'('.. Now oB!y two moderate •o.r tnal lttS.SU •-e <:ould {~oe. In the morclna: we w~tcbifd the Nnriseunder brcwinx -'orm doutb as .,..., biked tbt nmainins ~ milu to tbt v:alley &oot. At tile end Lhl' trail l'"'t boud«< the public ~unk bill wilb O!JI heavy l)a(:k$, d10t. and odor$. We fdt ~tl~td all(! )'t'l *''"""JtiY de~ btauw-our ad\•o:nlu ~ Wll:l 6n.it.htd TI~&L fcelins will diapptv ew~ly ••bt.n tile or nut ad~un ~pru. 0 )'OU UK Whet! )'OQ'd titt 10 Ust )'OUt lin.str• Mil$ but klH>"' chcy Men' •tr1>e1s n.ou;~b. On a nytol!lladder au.acbed to 1M boo&:, I moved up lo •·bert I coukl pbn• another nut. Dmnh aDd .l)cwl e:acb kd for a $Ctll0fl until we: re:.ac.bcd the btcinninc ol '"'"" k God l~p-. 50 rumed by llw Robbin. Jl~Ut)• becaux it erubltd tbcm to aV<Iid the V~r Sf,•tral dll'l\bti'J b:.~ ..U.cn tbc IWIIIW tO ~~ a .dldf big e:ootU.h for bi\'~M'· The 1i1ty kdl't wu 11. stwrc di!~p)IIOintmcnl to the-m h is only IS in(bt;t 111 iu •idtst. Dou1 ltd nm:w l~ led~ <nwlii\S PMI the utTO""~t p;a.rt. f-'rom ib end, be p&actd a nut for S&fdy u b~k a. be. could bde~« frtt tJimbl~ • \'ef'Y dlJ!k,tll c~ \\'(' wtTe flOW only I .SO ft'tt below the i.Um• mit. FricMs who had Wlllked up the Cll.bJt· .ecurcd p:llh••ay on 1M lHick of lhc donx (page lJ~) ""'8\'C'd (rom tbc wp. Rut oour c;lirab tuC' W.U f'(IC 0\'d 1'11e fUC:b W~ ftlltfOW aftd ~n.ild.Qd('(! 1udwncroics of I'IUt plac:il~ Dt1:u:li. led oil' delintdy, pladn,; ti.ny Yri~ -..'fd;set. tort~Mtdy the- rotk fa« wu rou' ' allow;"' a C:OCrlblr»don of frt'C abd aid tlimbinc. He 1UPP<lf'cd {lartol b.i• wftshl oo tll.c rod:, tbc: me on the meager Wt'CICHSoot'l bt t'*#'IC: to a pbcc tbllt would pro\-e "Ther.. iJ n.o upnoen tompa~ 1.0 lb• mout~l¥,_,.. wt«c Sifrn lo\"1nlt jolla Mu], HiS w«.h llirror out rcd:IIS' as . ... •und-Do\l~o ~11b. Uld •Halt Drotnt'• Mlm.mlt. w.. art: .,.wd ri~t CSO. n lO IN IIWIW o( Ooi.f ac:hln1 bona tNt we- not ooly •hie:\~ thit llfllll!•~ o. 01.11' o<r~~, bru1 thal 'It"' did It Wllboul miorti"' tho ......,. of those wllo follow ,., 68 �Ament, A History of Free Climbing in America, Wizards of Rock, pp. 73-75 The Gallwas interview on the following page is accurately quoted by Pat Ament but my quotes are flawed. It demonstrates the need to rely on and refresh one’s memory from original publications, gear, and photographs. Had I done so before the interview, I would not have given him misinformation. We naively took only 13.5 quarts of water, not 5 gallons, although we should have! We did have a first aid kit but it was only enough to satisfy the NPS requirement. We recognized that rescue was not an option. 69 �with his hands and 'walked' out the vertical face of the cliff, working his way up around the lip of the block to a belay stance some 20 feet higher." In GaiJwas' words: "We chose these light, lug-soled boots because you could stand in slings for a long time, and they were easier on the feet tha.n tennis shoes. We also had to carry our packs up to the wall, so the walking was better in boots. I built a hauling bag from an old Navy duffel bag that we named the Torpedo Bag. We didn't understand what we were getting into. We thought there would be more 6th class than there was. A lot of the climb was done free. This climb was pushing into the unknown for us. It was Royal at his very best. He was spectacular. Being there first on that wall was a lot of fun. We took 5 gallons of water, no first aid kit, no walkietalkie. . .. For food we had Triskets, dates, and nuts, and we were big on tuna packed in vegetable oil. I still like that. Whenever I think about tuna, it makes me want to go climbing. We had a few candy bars. For bivouac gear, it was a warm time. We needed only sweaters and light wind-shell parkas. The great tragedy is that I didn't take a camera, and Mike's camera broke about half way up." (Interview with author) 1951-1958 75 One feature of the HalJ Dome climb was Psyche Flake, requiring that the climbers chimney up behind a massive 70-foot-tall, detached flake they fonnd balancing on a small ledge. The huge flake seemed to cling to the wall miraculously. Exercising faith, they ascended with backs against the main wall and feet pushing outward against the flake. A few years later, the flake would fall off, apparently nnder its own power. According to Gallwas: "Psyche Flake was a dannting, frightening situation. We bivouacked behind the flake the second night. When you slapped the flake it sounded like a ripe watermelon. Someone far above on top dropped a small film canister in the middle of the night, and we could hea.r it falling down behin.d the flake. It was amazing it fonnd its way to the top of the flake, and it was an eerie sonnd and feeling. We didn't find it, though." 70 �Roper, Camp 4, Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber pp. 59-62 steveroper@aol.com Sun 9/05/10 4:51 PM gegallwas@msn.com Early ascents of the northwest face of Half Dome: 1) Robbins, Sherrick, Gallwas. June 28, 1957. 5 days. 2) Pratt, Frost, Fitschen. June 15, 1960. 2.25 days. 3) Robbins, Rearick. June 30- July 1, 1960. 2 days. 4) Layton Kor and Bob Kamps. 1961. 5) Frank Sacherer and Charlie Raymond. June 1963. 6) Robbins and Lito Tejada-Flores. June 17-18, 1963. 7) Mark Powell and Steve Roper. July 18-19, 1963. 1.5 days. 8) Allen Steck, Dick Long, John Evans. July 29-31, 1963. 9) ?? 10) Galen Rowell and Phil Berner. 1963. [three times in 1964, according to Pratt in SCB, Dec. 64] [only once in 1965, according to Pratt in SCB, Jan. 66] ["nearly a dozen times" in 1966, according to RR, Summit, 3/67] ["over 100 ascents" by July 1972, according to RR in Summit, July/Aug 72] 71 �CAMP 1: llec:oUectioos of a YOKmice Rockclimber Robbins, the aclrnowledged leader on the ha.r d climbing, "walked" out this block, with his foot on Lhe main wall and liliJ hands grasping the underside of the block. Higher was what became known as Psych Flako, a fortyfoot-high shard of gran ito the men had to chimney behind. Although this pit.ch was easy, stones ratlled in the black depths of the slot, indicating that the flake was slightly loose (and fragile it was, parting company with the cliff during the winter of 1966-07). On day four, with Robbins feeling somewhat enervated, Gallwaa did moet of the leading up the Zig·Zag Pit.chcs, three ropelengths of highly strenuous a.id climbing. Theu led to · an absolutely flat.-but disturbingly narrow- ledge that shot across to the left, just below a dead-vertical blank section. By squiggling along this ledge for about 61ty feet, the trio was able to bypass the blank part. The Thank God Ledge is now one of the most famous pitches in Yosemite. Easier climbing tho next day led to the top. At sundown on June 28, 1957, their fifth day, the tired and thirsty climbers pulled over the edge and stood on t he broad summit of the dome. On band to greet them was Warren Harding, who had hiked up the trail. Harding, along with Powell and Dolt, had plsnned to try the route soon, but they had arrived in the Valley too late: tho others wore already partway up tho wall . Harding, however, harbored no resentment-a t least no visible resentment. "IJlllide, the ambitious dreamer in me was troubled,• he later admitted. 1\fike Sherrick, describing the climb, wrote that the trio had returned home "fortunate to avoid publicity about an accomplishment which would only have been made into a senSation. • Ironically, the Sierra Club BuUetin in whjch these words appeared was dated November 1958. In that same month, massive publicity, generated in large part by climbers themselves, erupted over the first ascent of the Nose of El Capitan-the prQject to which Warren Harding turned a few days after the Half Dome climb. 62 72 �Huber & Zak, Yosemite, Half a Century of Dynamic Rock Climbing, p. 42 Two years later, Robbins and Gallwas had far from forgotten the wall and its difficulties. They began thorough preparations for a further attempt in June 1957. They forged their own Lost Arrows as well as early Knife Blades. On 24 June, Mike Sherrick joined them for the next attempt. With the knowledge gained on their previous attempt, they reached the 1955 highpoint on the first day. Their progress was swift and by the second day they had already d imbed 300m and now stood fadng a compact and featureless wall. Above them to their right lay a set of chimneys that presented the obvious route to follow. After placing seven bolts, Robbins was in a position to see that below him to the right was a small ledge leading to the chimneys. Sherrick lowered Robbins ten metres from the highest bolt. On this ridiculously exposed wall, Robbins then began to run back and forth making several attempts to get a handhold until he finally reached the ledge. With this, the most extreme pendulum traverse to date in Yosemite, Robbins found the key to the next section of the wall. On the fourth day, Gallwas mastered the next hard section: the celebrated cracks known today as the Zig-Zags, a feature created by the large-scale exfoliation of Half Dome's granite mass. Then, on the fifth day, just as progress again grew more questionable, a solution appeared as if on cue. At the end of the Zig-2ags, a horizontal ledge, the 1hanl:: God ledge appeared on the left, about fifteen metres long getting narTOWef as it went. This weakness allowed progress across the steep summit overhang known as the Vosor, first by precarious walking, then on one's knees. and finally by handtraversing - all on the most exposed part of the wall. After this marvellous climax to a fine climb the three men reached the summit just before dark, to complete the first ascent of the great face of Half Dome (A315.8 now A 115.8), at that time the longest and hardest rock dimb in North America. Warren Harding was waiting for them at the top to offer his warmest congratulations on their great success. Harding, with Mark Powell and Bill "Dolt" Feuerer, had also come to Yosemite with the North-West Face of Half Dome in mind but they arrived too late. Ambitious dreamer that Harding was, he was left deeply wounded by the loss of this first ascent. Despite this, he did not bear a grudge- at least not in public - showing noble character. Back in the Valley, Harding drove straight to El Cap Meadows, and gazed up at the monolith-like granite wall in front of him. There were plenty of challenging goals to undertake, but apart from El Capitan nothing compared with the North-West Face of Half Dome. To appease his soul, he had no option but to take on the last great problem - The Nose of El Capitan, the greatest of Yosemite's big walls. 73 �Sherrick Photo Record Sequence 4 08 1 05 2 06 3 07 5 09 6 10 7 11 Labeling: 1-27 sequence #s 05-30 film #s 8 12 �9 13 11 15 10 14 �12 16 13 17 �14 18 15 19 �16 20 17 21 �18 22 19 23 �20 24 21 25 �23 27 22 26 26 30 24 28 25 29 �Harding / Gallwas Letter .I C'ler./<} /,.·~ _s,,~. . . . . ...c; ;tl.e~J,.,~. ;;,..,..~.... .., /~ ,;/,_,- N'.;/.-v/ ~, / ~,; ~.,. ,._ ,K;U/1' ~, ~- <:::,.....,...,,~/ ...,......, ~,., ,e;..n:J ~~/?-<Y-,#-/-.1 ;';.::;-.,,-. ~"""'~ 4 ..,,..,,_ p;,~~"f/ ..,~#_,.,SI'Jild urr~, ,:::Vff? ,.c,,- K _, ..- R~e ~,...,,. fi'..s-4r/.., ~._,,. ~ ~'( ~# ~ .:;:;,- ~m'...-4f: r.,~HI'/' ~ """"" ~ ..,.,.. ,p,..,.,..., ,;9.,tv,~,,." 0,,_, _,_,,., f<~~.~·,.,~-.,.!? ,. O;r _ , _ ..,.,,...,.,..:,:.....-~ ~&,,NIP; ~~--,-----~ ~.,.,...,/ ~.,,, -..,;'~~ /.-p JI!Av',lf-'..-.'0 ..,,.,..,.,~ ~ .,., "' ~ ,., -"' -'*'- ~"""~"-- - .,..,.. /~ ~, .--. ~.,....,._, ~""'?" ~r ,..~_, 11/oH' • .,.,ft.,.,, / ~, / ""'7~_,,..,­ ..;S:e+...-~ ..<4o......-.-""" .......... ; , . ·-'V't:tl4' ~//-'~.::1/A#,;:.,..,.(Av-Y~ /~/....V 4~ ~r ..l.r.u~ • • 04-'~~ / ~..-~ //N_,.,, p,,c .... ;,._ .. ...., .t:V';,<,r ~,.,. . "+f/~.t~o,d ,,., ,_, - /?F. . . ~ ~&>API ~.,#N:,,I ....__, ~., ..,~....,., .a,.~ .S:.;.H'r ,.,.,NI"' .~ ft;,,..f,Y".:T.L_,_.,~, ~fi--~ 6_., NAI'sr .;9,..._., ,.._,. ..Qv . ,_. ,. ,. ,. ...rNJ ~ ~, ... 4a-..... ~ ....:>"'.,_.,,_.,,~ .,,_,.. ..:c...,......,......-..::::.,_,..,.,.. ~,.,) ..;,;A3...- / / - / ~ r. ~; ~ ;li".,J, Gttlf-~::r H,.,..;., / r ..., _,,_,?"' ........-~,«.,..,. .4/h -$ ~_,)?r.-' .,..,4"',_, M;,J~..e ~, ~ A"" $ e::;.,_.-. ....,.......,...,.,..,. _, , .J4,~ ~;. _,$..,..,._,~ ..&..v 4¥1"'/~ ""'-""~ "'.,,,,/_.,,,./~ ~'.-J/ hi(:,...,.,.,.,. ,, /.Ai"'l,..;'tt)""A"_, ..,v',_- ..~ G"' ~-.-4" . _,, . ,_ ~ ~ ..c.,,,. ..... ,.,~ ~ 82 �Memorable Notes: • Each evening during the Firefall, a tradition of pushing burning embers off of Glacier Point, we would signal our well being to Wayne Merry at Mirror Lake. We used this time as visitors to the Valley would be focused on the Firefall and thus our signal would not be misinterpreted as a sign of distress. • At dinner on the evening of the 50th anniversary program, our waiter in the Mountain Broiler Restaurant asked why all the women in our party were wearing Half Dome earrings? We explained that we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the Northwest Face. He commented that he had stopped climbing but that his unknown ascent of the face a few years before had taken five hours; a note worthy effort even compared to the record times of today’s free solo climbers. Very impressive to the three of us who had spent five days on the first ascent. • The ongoing mystery is how Royal learned of Warren’s return from Alaska and his plan with Mark Powell and Bill (Dolt) Feuerer to make an attempt on Half Dome. Royal does not remember and Mark recalls that Warren only contacted him after he returned to California in the late spring of that year. It could have been that somehow during the planning discussions between Mark and Chuck Wilts for their climb of the North Face of Sentinel Rock the weekend that we arrived in the Valley, the secret was passed to Chuck and onto Royal. At this point, we can only speculate but that leak put the three of us on top whereas we might otherwise have only read about the first ascent In the newspaper. September 6, 2010 Yosemite Firefall Viewed from Camp Curry Curry Company photo 83 � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Half Dome First Ascent of the North West Face Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jerry Gallwas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 6, 2010 Description An account of the resource An account of the first ascent of the North West Face of Half Dome Subject The topic of the resource mountaineering first ascents Half Dome (Calif.) Yosemite National Park (Calif.) Rock climbing Language A language of the resource English Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Extent The size or duration of the resource. 83 pages 8.9 MB Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Jerry_Gallwas_Half_Dome_Pictures_9_6_10.pdf https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/bdb5f65cacd893eaf1d93401ac251123.jpg 82c3338be9b069823d262c3802edf495 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA2.017 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 4 , Folder 2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA2.017 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California Title A name given to the resource Half Dome from east, Yosemite. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Card-mounted Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Description An account of the resource View of Half Dome looking west, up-sun. Good contrast in shadows. Much haze otherwise. Subject The topic of the resource Yosemite National Park (Calif.) Half Dome (Calif.) domes geological features half dome mountains yosemite national park https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/8be2fc1a8e6fc6688afc692858c529be.jpg 42978607532f02b62b85f4f4f8b4c92a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA4.007 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 6, Folder 1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA4.007 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California, 1900 to 1930 Title A name given to the resource Half Dome from Glacier Point, Tenaya and Merced Canyons, Yosemite Valley. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pillsbury Description An account of the resource View looking northeast at half dome. Annotation in lower right corner. Subject The topic of the resource Yosemite National Park (Calif.) Half Dome (Calif.) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg canyons domes geological features half dome merced canyon tenaya canyon yosemite national park yosemite valley https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/3902285575bbfc2043bc3517cdff1374.jpg 7aa05ec3eca181000bc4d9f4cad51b7e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA2.016 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 4 , Folder 2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA2.016 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California Title A name given to the resource Half Dome from Glacier Point. (Telephoto.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Card-mounted Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Description An account of the resource Portrait view (telephoto) looking northeast toward Half Dome, which dominates the frame. Strong shadows. Subject The topic of the resource Half Dome (Calif.) Yosemite National Park, (Calif.) Glacier Point (Calif.) domes geological features half dome mountains yosemite national park https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/51a60de12d360fd47a2edbe1afdff507.jpg e038f556109526f849a60c7eaca1a040 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA2.033 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 4, Folder 3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA2.033 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California, 1900 to 1930 Title A name given to the resource Half Dome in winter, Yosemite. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Card-mounted Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource .jpg Description An account of the resource Portrait view of Half Dome, partially obscured by fog and mist, in distance, center. Heavy snow coats objects in foreground. Also in foreground river with weak reflections of background objects. High contrast. Subject The topic of the resource Yosemite National Park (Calif.) dome river snow domes fog geological features half dome mountains snow weather yosemite national park https://library.americanalpineclub.org/files/original/edd7e24a720094b64a09bdb30aa17878.jpg 0ff454d1ce7faf03408b2b8bf7285697 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource California 1900 to 1930 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource LeRoy Jeffries Visual Materials Visual materials and three-dimensional objects. This item type includes elements for local fields that do not map to Dublin Core. File Name File name of the digital object. P1.CA5.048 Stack Location Physical location, e.g., room name or number, range/section number, shelf number, etc. Rare Books Room, Box 7, Folder 3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context P1.CA5.048 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant California, 1900 to 1930 Title A name given to the resource Half Dome, Yosemite Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 to 1930 Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. American Alpine Club Photo Collection American Alpine Club Photo Collection Medium The material or physical carrier of the resource. Print, Photographic, Two card-mounted photos Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available American Alpine Club Library Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mountain Views Description An account of the resource Striking, high contrast view of half dome Subject The topic of the resource Yosemite National Park (Calif.) Half Dome (Calif.) domes geological features half dome yosemite national park