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John Salathé
John Salathé (June 14, 1899 – 31 August 1992) was a Swiss-born American pioneering rock climber, blacksmith, and the inventor of the modern piton. Early life John Salathé, also known as Jean Salathé, was born on June 14, 1899 in Switzerland in the village of Niederschöntal, near Basel. He was one of six children. In his hometown, he was an apprentice blacksmith before moving to Paris first, and then Le Havre where he enrolled as a merchant seaman for 4 years, traveling as far as Africa and Brazil. In 1925, Salathé left Bordeaux, in France and travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada before travelling to Montreal where he met his wife, Ida Schenk. In March 1930, at the age of 30, Salathé, together with his wife and child, emigrated from Montreal, Canada to finally settle in San Mateo, United States. In 1932, he founded Peninsula Wrought Iron Works, a decorative ironwork shop. He was the only employee. ''Lost Arrow'' pitons When he began climbing in 1945, he found that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camp 4 (Yosemite)
Camp 4 is a tent-only campground in Yosemite National Park in the United States. It became notable after World War II as "a birthplace of rock climbing’s modern age." It is located at an elevation of 4000 ft (1200 m) on the north side of the Yosemite Valley, close to base of granite cliffs near Yosemite Falls. Nearby boulders have long been used for bouldering, including the Columbia Boulder, which is known for the boulder problem called the ''Midnight Lightning (bouldering), Midnight Lightning,'' first done by Ron Kauk in 1978. It is easily recognizable by a painting of a white thunderbolt next to it. History Physically unimpressive, Camp 4 nevertheless "served as a seedbed for the exchange of ideas, training and the development of new equipment that vastly improved the speed and safety of climbing" (LA Times) during the time from after World War II until around 1970. Dozens of the most famous climbers in the world congregated at Camp 4 for years, learning from each other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Diamond Equipment
Black Diamond Equipment is a manufacturer of equipment for climbing, skiing, and mountain sports, based in Utah, United States. The company also has a global office in Innsbruck, Austria. The company is owned by Clarus Corporation, which also owns Pieps, ClimbOn! Skincare, and Sierra Bullets. History Black Diamond Equipment's history dates from the late 1950s, when climber Yvon Chouinard began hand-forging pitons and selling them from the trunk of his car in Yosemite Valley. Chouinard's pitons quickly gained a reputation for quality, and Chouinard Equipment was born soon after in Ventura, California. In early 1989, after several product-liability lawsuits and a continued lack of profitability, Yvon Chouinard placed the company in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Black Diamond was founded on December 1, 1989, when the assets of Chouinard Equipment Ltd. were purchased by a group of former company employees led by (now former CEO) Peter Metcalf, and a few outside investors. Metcalf moved ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1899 Births
Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a customs office in Puerto Alonso, leading to the Brazilian settlers there to declare the Republic of Acre in a revolt against Bolivian authorities. **The first part of the Jakarta Kota–Anyer Kidul railway on the island of Java is opened between Batavia Zuid ( Jakarta Kota) and Tangerang. * January 3 – Hungarian Prime Minister Dezső Bánffy fights an inconclusive duel with his bitter enemy in parliament, Horánszky Nándor. * January 4 – **U.S. President William McKinley's declaration of December 21, 1898, proclaiming a policy of benevolent assimilation of the Philippines as a United States territory, is announced in Manila by the U.S. commander, General Elwell Otis, and angers independence activists who had fought against ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Robbins
Royal Robbins (February 3, 1935 – March 14, 2017) was one of the pioneers of American rock climbing. After learning to climb at Tahquitz Rock, he went on to make first ascents of many big wall routes in Yosemite. As an early proponent of boltless, pitonless clean climbing, he, along with Yvon Chouinard, was instrumental in changing the climbing culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s by encouraging the use and preservation of the natural features of the rock. He went on to become a well-known kayaker. Notable ascents * 1952 First free ascent (FFA) of Open Book (Tahquitz), the first route to be rated 5.9 in the Yosemite Decimal System. * 1957 '' Northwest Face'' of Half Dome, Yosemite, CA. First grade VI climb in America. With Mike Sherrick and Jerry Gallwas. * 1960 '' The Nose'', El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. With Tom Frost, Chuck Pratt, and Joe Fitschen, Second Ascent completed in 7 days * 1961 ''Salathé Wall'', El Capitan, Yosemite, CA. Hardest big wall grade VI climb in wo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
El Capitan
El Capitan ( es, El Capitán; "the Captain" or "the Chief") is a vertical Rock formations in the United States, rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The El Capitan Granite, granite monolith is about from base to summit along its tallest face and is a popular objective for rock climbers. Naming The formation was named "El Capitan" by the Mariposa Battalion when they explored the valley in 1851. ''El Capitán'' ("the captain", "the chief") was taken to be a loose Spanish translation of the local Native Americans in the United States, Native American name for the cliff, “Tutokanula” or "Rock Chief" (the exact spelling of Tutokanula varies in different accounts as it is a phonetic transcription of the Miwok, Miwok language). The "Rock Chief" etymology is based on the written account of Mariposa Battalion doctor Lafayette Bunnell in his 1892 book. Bunnell reports that Ahwahneechee Chief Tenaya explained to him, f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salathé Wall (El Capitan)
The ''Salathé Wall'' is one of the original big wall climbing routes up El Capitan, a high granite monolith in Yosemite National Park. The ''Salathé Wall'' was named by Yvon Chouinard in honor of John Salathé, a pioneer of rock climbing in Yosemite. The route is recognized in the historic climbing text ''Fifty Classic Climbs of North America'' and is considered a classic around the world. Climbing history First ascents The first ascent was in 1961 by Royal Robbins, Tom Frost, and Chuck Pratt. After climbing about a quarter of the route, they retreated to re-supply, leaving four fixed ropes in place. Quickly returning, they jumared back up the ropes and totally committed to climbing the upper wall in a single push, which they did in 6 days using only 15 bolts total. The route was about 25% free climbing with sections of run-out at grade 5.9, and the rest being aid climbing which was also difficult at grade A4. A year later, Robbins and Frost returned and did the ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matterhorn
The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is high, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe.Considering summits with at least 300 metres prominence, it is the 6th highest in the Alps and Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the ''Hörnli'', ''Furggen'', ''Leone''/''Lion'', and ''Zmutt'' ridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the northeast; and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervinia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, which has been a trade route since the Roman Era. The M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steck-Salathé Route (Sentinel Rock)
The Steck-Salathé Route is a big wall traditional climbing route up Sentinel Rock. History The route was first climbed, in extremely hot weather with minimal water, from June 30 - July 4, 1950, by Allen Steck and John Salathé, up the north face of Sentinel Rock in Yosemite Valley. They climbed mostly free using occasional direct aid pitons on some pitches, and a blank wall halfway up required a 30-foot bolt ladder. It was the longest and most difficult route in Yosemite in 1950. The route was repeated several times in the 50s using less and less aid. In 1959, Royal Robbins and Tom Frost did it all free except for the short bolt ladder, producing the most strenuous long free climb in America, with 6 pitches of 5.10a or 5.9, and many tiring 5.8 leads. In 1970, Steve Wunsch and Jim Erickson discovered a long finger/hand-size crack to the left of the bolt ladder, adding yet another 5.9+ pitch, which allowed the wall to be climbed totally free. In 1973, Henry Barber made the fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sentinel Rock
Sentinel Rock is a granitic peak in Yosemite National Park, California, United States. It towers over Yosemite Valley, opposite Yosemite Falls. Sentinel Rock lies northwest of Sentinel Dome. How it was formed Sentinel Rock formed when masses of rock split off Yosemite Valley's south-side cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ..., along steep joints trending nearly east–west. This formed the near-vertical north face of Sentinel Rock.USGS Geology and GeophysicsUSGS Geology and Geophysics accessdate: March 20, 2017 Climbing The most famous climbing route is the '' Steck-Salathé route'', which is rated a A0. Climber Derek Hersey died while attempting to free solo climb Sentinel Rock in 1993. Gallery File:Yosemite National Park, Sentinel Rock.jpg, Northwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allen Steck
Allen Steck (born 1926) is an American mountaineer and rock climber. He is a native of Oakland, California. Mountaineering Steck started climbing with his brother George. In 1940 when Allen was 14, the two completed the first ascent of the northwest ridge of Mount Maclure (). He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Discharged in 1946, he joined the Rock Climbing Section of the Sierra Club, and began climbing on Berkeley crags such as Indian Rock and Cragmont. He enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in German. His early climbing influences included Dick Leonard and David Brower. He began climbing in Yosemite Valley in 1947, initially learning the use of pitons by trial and error. He said that at that time, there "was no body of people who could help you learn these things." He has been a Life Member of the Sierra Club since 1947. In 1949, he climbed in the Alps, completing the first ascent by an American of the Comici route on the north fac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lost Arrow Spire
Lost Arrow Spire is a detached pillar in Yosemite National Park, in Yosemite Valley, California, located immediately adjacent to Upper Yosemite Falls. The structure includes the ''Lost Arrow Spire Chimney'' route which is recognized in the historic climbing text ''Fifty Classic Climbs of North America''. Climbing In 1946, the spire was first summited by lassoing the tip from the main valley rim wall, 125-feet away, after which 29-year old Ax Nelson prusiked the lassoed line to the peak, followed by Jack Arnold. Steve Roper called it "one of the greatest rope stunts ever pulled off in climbing history", climbers did not recognize it as a true rock climbing ascent with Nelson saying: "Spectacular and effective though twas, this maneuver required very little real climbing". In that same year, 48-year old Swiss immigrant, John Salathé, had also been attempting the spire and had invented a major improvement to the climbing piton using the alloy used for the Ford Model A axle, wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
First Ascent
In mountaineering, a first ascent (abbreviated to FA in guide books) is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain or the first to follow a particular climbing route. First mountain ascents are notable because they entail genuine exploration, with greater risks, challenges and recognition than climbing a route pioneered by others. The person who performs the first ascent is called the first ascensionist. In free climbing, a first ascent (or first free ascent, abbreviated FFA) of a climbing route is the first successful, documented climb of a route without using equipment such as anchors or ropes for aiding progression or resting. History The details of the first ascents of even many prominent mountains are scanty or unknown; sometimes the only evidence of prior summiting is a cairn, artifacts, or inscriptions at the top. Today, first ascents are generally carefully recorded and usually mentioned in guidebooks. The term is also used when referrin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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