"Getting to the top is optional, but getting down is mandatory."
~Ed Viesturs, Famous Mountaineer
After a long, hot, 15+ hour day of climbing that included a lengthy discussion on the dangers of drinking unfiltered water in the backcountry, these precious words emerged just as the author plunged his whole head into a slow-moving creek:
"I don't care of if there's a marmot upstream pissing on a dead deer carcass, I'm getting a drink!"
~Keith Hill, Chemeketan Climb Leader
We had just reached the summit of Mt Washington early in our climbing careers, when Gloria, Rick B. and I were faced with a ropeless descent back to the final rappel horn. As we stared down the 30', low-5th class wall just below the summit (widely considered the crux of the climb), our voices quivered as we asked our fearless leader if he really expected us to downclimb, given that a fall would send us bouncing 1,500' into the rocks below:
"Hey, you gotta learn sometime."
~Herb Fecker, Chemeketan Climb Leader
During an Advanced Snow & Ice field session with the Mazamas, we were instructed on the importance of keeping our knots neat and orderly. This was communicated in two ways:
"A not neat knot need knot be knotted." and "You need not knot a not neat knot." ~Wim Aarts, Mazama Climb Leader
One of our famous friends had just finished the Tatoosh Traverse near Mt Rainier. On the way home, the climb team stopped at the Morton Market, one of the few places you can get Dick's Beer, a microbrew brewed in Centralia, Wa. Tired and haggared from the climb and with a thirst for the ages, our dear friend pounded a Dick's Danger Stout and declared (in his Arnold Swartzenegger sounding voice):
"That's the best Dick (beer) I ever had!"
~Nameless Turk, Climber Extraordinaire
During our 18 mile approach to Mt Olympus, one of our team members was having trouble with his insides, causing him to make numerous off-trail pit stops. Ultimately, his T.P. supply was exhausted. When we reached the summit pinnacle, the conditions were such that reaching the top required a 5.6-ish "power move" over a lightly protected, overhung boulder. As I waited for him on the summit, I heard a HUGE grunt, followed by a sad groan and this gem:
"Remember that extra blue bag I asked you for? Never mind.... it's too late!"
~Keith Hill, Chemeketan Climb Leader, in the early years
Most people try to go as light as possible on multi-day climbs, especially when it comes to food. So when one climb team member pulled out an elaborate meal on the summit of Mt Baker, we all had a good chuckle at his expense. Never one to mince words, he exclaimed:
"It's a gourmet Thai roll with ginger-lime dipping sauce, DAMMIT!" ~Bill Saur, Chemeketan Climb Leader
Garry S. & Mike M. help Bill with his summit feast. What, no fried wonton?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment