|
wallwombat
May 21, 2004, 11:54 AM
Post #1 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 727
|
I know he's the Ghengis Khan of Rock and Ice but can anyone tell me anything about his climbing credentials?
|
|
|
|
|
superdiamonddave
May 21, 2004, 4:57 PM
Post #2 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 11, 2002
Posts: 443
|
Duane got his start by climbing virgin rock in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma in the 1970's. A large majority of the most difficult routes in the Wichitas and at Quartz Mountain are attributed to him in the early days. Duane has also climbed the big walls of Yosemite as well as other locations.
I do not know all of his "credentials", but he is a super nice guy. The past couple of Quartz gatherings, he has made an appearance and in fact, free-soloed right past my belay on Snakes Head. Not a hard route to solo, but he was just out for a stroll taking photos.
In his youth, he was known to free solo numerous difficult and very scary routes of the Wichitas and Quartz. He has pretty much reached "legend status" around here. On The Rocks II (now out of print), listed Duane as the first ascentionist of dozens and dozens of Oklahoma routes.
He worked for Climbing Magazine for several years before taking over Rock & Ice.
|
|
|
|
|
silkyerm
May 21, 2004, 5:01 PM
Post #3 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 14, 2003
Posts: 53
|
I know that he learned to climb in Oklahoma. He was pretty hot stuff around OK in the 70's?? and 80's. He developed a lot of routes at Quartz Mountain and The Wichita Mtn. Wildlife Refuge. He bolting style was always on lead, ground up, traditional bolting. Most of his routes are pretty scary X runouts. There is a picture of him free soloing some 5.11 route in my Quartz Mountain guidebook. I know his credential are much more than just this, but this is where it all befan. Other than that I don't know much except that he first wrote for "Climbing" magazine and he has authored a few other books about knots for climbers and a how to climb book.
|
|
|
|
|
bvb
May 21, 2004, 5:08 PM
Post #4 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 3, 2003
Posts: 954
|
his climbing credentials are impeccable. suffice it to say he has climbed at the highest levels in a wide variety of climbing disciplines -- fisher towers mud, valley granite, boudering, ice, etc. his only blemish is a history of chipping routes -- at a quarry. no big deal, imo.
that said, good climbers of his caliber are a dime a dozen. and it's certainly no excuse for the nightmarish publication he presides over.
|
|
|
|
|
stickels
May 21, 2004, 5:17 PM
Post #5 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 5, 2004
Posts: 70
|
like SDDave said he got his start in Oklahoma on the steep and run out granite of the wichita mountains and Quartz mountain.
In the bigger picture, when his was younger he did the first solo asscent of Zenyatta Mendatta (sp?) on El Cap when it was A4. I believe it was the 4-5th asscent total, could be wrong. He also did an FA with Tim Cosgriff on the right side of Half Dome. It's Called Artic Sea. It goes through some of the way loose rock that side of half dome is known for. During the asscent they managed to break all of their drill bits roughly half way up the wall. The climbed and belayed the steep uper section of the wall without bolt belays or lead bolts. It has only seen about 3-4 asscents I would imagine. It was a stlye he pioneered here in Oklahoma. Minimum amount of bolts and all placed on lead. With ethichs like that you get routes like S-wall at Quartz. Roughly 200 feet with three bolts and only one opportuniy for a marginal micro cam.
I know that he also spent a summer in Chamonix with fellow okie Mark Herndon (another Harda$$ famous for taking the 100 foot whipper on Big Bite at quartz) while there they did Les Droites in under 24 hours passing a spanish team on the way up who had been on route for 3 days.
duane is a bada$$ plus a nice guy to boot 8^)
|
|
|
|
|
deafears
May 21, 2004, 5:36 PM
Post #6 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 10, 2003
Posts: 103
|
I believe he also used to climb solid 5.13 sport, WI 5/6 and pretty bad-ass trad ... however, I think those years are behind him. Nice enough guy too.
Jeff Achey, Climbing's top dog, is equally accomplished.
It makes me chuckle when rc-ers claim that the mag editors don't climb, and are fat-cats getting rich of poor climbers. I've worked in publishing, and it's definitely not a get-rich-quick scheme.
|
|
|
|
|
wallwombat
May 21, 2004, 10:39 PM
Post #7 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jun 17, 2003
Posts: 727
|
I also thought he did the first ascent of Aurora on El Cap. I could be wrong.
I know he's done alot of speed ascents in the Fischer Towers.
Tom Cosgriff. Was he the really talented climber who went to live in Norway?
|
|
|
|
|
bigwalling
May 21, 2004, 11:49 PM
Post #8 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Dec 29, 2001
Posts: 728
|
In reply to: I also thought he did the first ascent of Aurora on El Cap. I could be wrong.
Wrong, Child and Mayfield did the FA.
|
|
|
|
|
hasbeen
May 22, 2004, 12:27 AM
Post #9 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 17, 2003
Posts: 543
|
he's also famous for his route modifications, and they aren't all in quarries. anyone been to duane's world? personally, i like the place.
this may be a tad more that the couch traditionists here are ready for but we've all got to get corrupted sometime, and it's not the kind of stuff that makes it into Hot Flashes...
anyway, the story that is legendary in FA circles is the one where he cemented in a huge heueco pretty high up. he hauled up a round board that just fit, cementing over it, and painted in a nice blend to match the pretty red rock. voila, no more jugs to rest on and a nice hard 13+ project.
since i'm sure some on you are averting your eyes by now i'll stop before your cubemate wonders why you're sititng there saying "i'm not reading, i not reading, i'm not reading..."
|
|
|
|
|
studs
May 22, 2004, 10:09 AM
Post #10 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2003
Posts: 103
|
Duane was the pudgy guy that worked in the recycling center in yosemite in the late 70s or early80s.Ya,nice guy , ussually gave u double the deposit.
|
|
|
|
|
okieterry
May 22, 2004, 1:59 PM
Post #11 of 11
(4249 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jul 11, 2002
Posts: 273
|
LOL :lol: Actually, he may have worked there for a bit, he had a lot of different jobs! I've known him since 1978 and during that time (among other things) he roughnecked on oil rigs, roofed houses, ran an equipment store out of his house, was a male model (sorry buddy...I had to spill it), equipment editior for climbing magazine, etc.
Duane learned to climb practically by himself on a small sandstone cliff near his home in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Then he and his partners (mostly Bill Thomas) began systematically climbing everything in the wichitas. Some climbs had been done by other folks, but Duane and Bill really had a lot of unclimbed rock to themselves. At that time, Duane and Bills rack was pretty funny as it mostly consisted of stuff that they had found.
Duane did all his climbing in the wichita mountains in a staunch, ground up, adventure style...and he took many scary falls. When I met him in 1978 and showed him Quartz Mtn, I didn't think he would get through another year of scary climbing (like he was doing). Well, then he really took it up a notch...climbing much harder and scarier stuff.
Here's a typical Duane day...We go out to climb all the 5.10s and up at Quartz one day in the early 1980s. We're swapping leads and going like crazy all day. Finally, in the early evening, we grind to a halt on a climb called "Ichabod Crank". We've done over 20 routes and the tips on our fingers are just gone and we can't manage the hard pull in our exhausted condition. So we hike back, on the way, Duane says something about checking something out and heads back up to the main wall. I hike back to my bug and relax on the hood in the parking lot. Then I see Duane on the wall above. He is soloing a route called Babtism. This 5.10 route has the crux move near the top of the 200 foot route as you go over a bulge on thin little edges and crystals. I am freaked...I can't believe that he would try something like this in the condition that he is in. He moves out onto the bulge and freezes. The minutes slowly crawl by as he desperately tries to move up and then down. He can't move however and he starts wimpering. I swear it goes like this for about 15 minutes and I start to hike up to the base to get ready for whatever. Finally he makes the move and goes up. Whoa!
Duane went on to climb many routes across the country and in Mexico. Back in Oklahoma, in the mid 1980s, since he had done almost everything you could do trad, he began manufacturing and climbing routes in two rock quarries. Of course at both of these areas, he did everything trad at first and did not chip or drill a thing. One of these routes..."Z Man" is simply stupendous. Finally, he got around to altering the "already manufactured" rock and created some incredible and amazingly difficult routes. Several of these routes have not been repeated. Many only have one repeat.
Although Duane moved away from Oklahoma in 1989, he left his mark. Duane and his partners set a high standard of commitment and difficulty that has continued to this day on the crags in Oklahoma.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
