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dingus
Nov 19, 2003, 4:08 PM
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Twas reading up a bit last night on the man, Jim Holloway. AHR, Meathook, etc. Seems the man was a giant but that is only half the story. I have read the John Sherman tributes down through the years as well.
This hombre was one tough boulderer, gifted and an American original to boot. Yet beyond the short anecdotes of Sherman and Ament, a real man lurks, presumably still kickking and (hopefully) bouldering. Surely some of you Front Range Freaks know the man, have bouldered with him.
Share the wealth! Contribute to the fire side lore! Make something up if you don't have any facts, I don't care. This is part of the mythology of our sport. If we stop the fireside stories we lose touch with a large part of who we are and from whence we came.
We need some Jim Holloway stories!
DMT
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roclimb
Nov 19, 2003, 5:21 PM
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I know the guy climbed a V13 in 1971 or 72
~Rob
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jkarns
Nov 19, 2003, 5:56 PM
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That "pumpking Sandstone" article is reprinted in "Sherman Exposed" a ver good read!
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tenn_dawg
Nov 19, 2003, 6:06 PM
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tenn_dawg moved this thread from Trip Reports to Bouldering.
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alpnclmbr1
Nov 19, 2003, 6:38 PM
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I have always been pretty sure that he used to visit the Gordon Ranch incognito. Each time I saw him there he was using a different name and he sure looked like his pictures. I never asked Todd about him in respect for his obvious quest for privacy. He always seemed like a really nice person with a great attitude. (early 90's) Reality or delusion???
When I lived on the front range he seemed to be pretty much invisible and I can't remember what the story was on what he was up to. (mid 90's)
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qacwac
Dec 5, 2003, 7:12 PM
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I was just looking the other day at a list of the hardest boulder problems in the world. It was a pretty long list and as I was scrolling down some ()'s caught my attention. Low and behold there is Jim Holloway with 2 V13's. The ()'s said "done in 1975" and "done in 1977".
Amazing
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curt
Dec 6, 2003, 2:35 AM
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I've met Jim Holloway. This happened at his home in Boulder, Colorado 12 years ago or so, where he still lives today. I was introduced to him by Chris Jones, a boulderer who many may not know--but who Gill called one of the most powerful boulderers ever.
Jim was repairing his lawn mower when Chris and I stopped by after a day of local bouldering. Jim had long since given up bouldering, yet he was (or pretended to be) fascinated by our bouldering exploits of that day. He had somehow come to know that I was a long time friend of Gill's and told me to let him know if I was ever coming back to Boulder to boulder.
Well, I've been back bouldering in Boulder several times and I never bothered to look up Holloway. I'm not exactly sure why either. I suspect it is because Holloway was just extending a courtesy to me by inviting me to look him up someday in the future. Who knows, maybe some day I still will check in on him again. I still have his number--and recently Sherman has assured me that the number is still valid.
Curt
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curt
Dec 6, 2003, 2:44 AM
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In reply to: I was just looking the other day at a list of the hardest boulder problems in the world. It was a pretty long list and as I was scrolling down some ()'s caught my attention. Low and behold there is Jim Holloway with 2 V13's. The ()'s said "done in 1975" and "done in 1977". Amazing
Nobody knows how hard Holloway's "big three" problems are, except Holloway. AHR, Meathook and Slapshot are all still unrepeated nearly 30 years later. This is pretty interesting considering that all three are located in Boulder, Colorado and Ft. Collins, Colorado--not exactly bouldering backwaters. BTW, a variation to Meathook has been done--but the original line has not, to the best of my knowledge.
Curt
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riceplate
Dec 6, 2003, 2:52 AM
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In reply to: I've met Jim Holloway. This happened at his home in Boulder, Colorado 12 years ago or so, where he still lives today. I was introduced to him by Chris Jones, a boulderer who many may not know--but who Gill called one of the most powerful boulderers ever. Jim was repairing his lawn mower when Chris and I stopped by after a day of local bouldering. Jim had long since given up bouldering, yet he was (or pretended to be) fascinated by our bouldering exploits of that day. He had somehow come to know that I was a long time friend of Gill's and told me to let him know if I was ever coming back to Boulder to boulder. Well, I've been back bouldering in Boulder several times and I never bothered to look up Holloway. I'm not exactly sure why either. I suspect it is because Holloway was just extending a courtesy to me by inviting me to look him up someday in the future. Who knows, maybe some day I still will check in on him again. I still have his number--and recently Sherman has assured me that the number is still valid. Curt
and the story is?
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curt
Dec 6, 2003, 3:00 AM
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In reply to: In reply to: I've met Jim Holloway. This happened at his home in Boulder, Colorado 12 years ago or so, where he still lives today. I was introduced to him by Chris Jones, a boulderer who many may not know--but who Gill called one of the most powerful boulderers ever. Jim was repairing his lawn mower when Chris and I stopped by after a day of local bouldering. Jim had long since given up bouldering, yet he was (or pretended to be) fascinated by our bouldering exploits of that day. He had somehow come to know that I was a long time friend of Gill's and told me to let him know if I was ever coming back to Boulder to boulder. Well, I've been back bouldering in Boulder several times and I never bothered to look up Holloway. I'm not exactly sure why either. I suspect it is because Holloway was just extending a courtesy to me by inviting me to look him up someday in the future. Who knows, maybe some day I still will check in on him again. I still have his number--and recently Sherman has assured me that the number is still valid. Curt and the story is?
Story. n. An account or a recital of an event or a series of events. (American Heritage College Dictionary)
Curt
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polarwid
Dec 6, 2003, 3:18 AM
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polarwid moved this thread from Bouldering to Climbing History & Trivia.
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bobtheboulderer
Dec 7, 2003, 3:29 AM
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In reply to: Nobody knows how hard Holloway's "big three" problems are, except Holloway. AHR, Meathook and Slapshot are all still unrepeated nearly 30 years later. This is pretty interesting considering that all three are located in Boulder, Colorado and Ft. Collins, Colorado--not exactly bouldering backwaters. BTW, a variation to Meathook has been done--but the original line has not, to the best of my knowledge.
Who has tried them? Anybody like Sharma, Graham, etc? It would be interesting to know who those climbs have spit off.
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noodlearms
Dec 7, 2003, 8:14 AM
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I find this story absolutely fascinating, and I don't even boulder. It's like Bobby Fischer, retiring at the top of his game and disappearing. To this day some people still argue that he was the greatest chess player ever.
What a great climbing magazine story this would make. Go interview Holloway, then try to get some of today's top boulderers to repeat his problems.
Of course, it sounds like Holloway himself would hate the publicity. Too bad. :(
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curt
Dec 8, 2003, 8:44 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: Nobody knows how hard Holloway's "big three" problems are, except Holloway. AHR, Meathook and Slapshot are all still unrepeated nearly 30 years later. This is pretty interesting considering that all three are located in Boulder, Colorado and Ft. Collins, Colorado--not exactly bouldering backwaters. BTW, a variation to Meathook has been done--but the original line has not, to the best of my knowledge. Who has tried them? Anybody like Sharma, Graham, etc? It would be interesting to know who those climbs have spit off.
Besides all the Colorado boulderers that came after Holloway, like Jones, Sherman, Blunk, Mammen, etal., the routes have been attempted by Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon and quite a few others. Whether or not Sharma or Graham have tried them--I have no idea.
Curt
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junkie
Feb 13, 2004, 10:20 PM
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Curt,
I was under the impression that Dave Twinham (sp?) had repeated Meathooks in '93, and Slapshot in '94.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
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climbsomething
Feb 13, 2004, 10:31 PM
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In reply to: What a great climbing magazine story this would make. Go interview Holloway, then try to get some of today's top boulderers to repeat his problems. |
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petro
Feb 13, 2004, 10:56 PM
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There are some pretty good Holloway stories in Sherman's "Stone Crusade". Good read if you are into bouldering and it's history.
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bvb
Feb 13, 2004, 11:30 PM
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In reply to: Curt, I was under the impression that Dave Twinham (sp?) had repeated Meathooks in '93, and Slapshot in '94. Correct me if I'm wrong.
what i heard was he did a variation to meathook (peeps call it cheathook) that is still wicked hard but it avoids the initial crux undercling lock-off on meathook.
don't know nuthin' bout slapshot getting repeat -- i've heard that erosion underneath the prob has made it virtually impossible to recreate the reachy problem that holloway did.
if you're a mere mortal, and need some excitement, go repeat sherman's "germ free adolescence". hooo boy.
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curt
Feb 14, 2004, 1:24 AM
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In reply to: Curt, I was under the impression that Dave Twinham (sp?) had repeated Meathooks in '93, and Slapshot in '94. Correct me if I'm wrong.
BVB got most of it right. Mammen had come close to working out meathook (with the variation) but then injured himself. Dave Twinam then completed this variation of the original meathook problem.
Dave Twinam also actually repeated the crux move of AHR, but did not climb into that move--or finish the problem.
Slapshot has not been repeated.
All of this information is according to Chris Jones and was correct through about 2000. If somebody has repeated any of these routes since then, it is not known to him--and it seems to me that someone in the bouldering community would probably have heard about this happening.
Curt
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noodlearms
Feb 14, 2004, 3:49 AM
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In reply to: don't know nuthin' bout slapshot getting repeat -- i've heard that erosion underneath the prob has made it virtually impossible to recreate the reachy problem that holloway did.
Sounds like a weak excuse....
If there are photographs of Holloway doing the problem, surely someone could bring a shovel and restore the ground level to its original height? Or start standing on a box? ;-)
C'mon boulderers!
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jgill
Feb 14, 2004, 4:13 AM
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I have seen a report that Dave Graham tried Slapshot in 2001, but ultimately backed off because of small holds he thought might break off. I can't attest to the veracity of the report, but would guess it's correct. Go to my website (johngill.net) to see a brief profile of Jim I recently put up. There are several climbing photos. 8)
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noodlearms
Feb 14, 2004, 5:47 AM
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Thanks for the information, everyone.
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rockitjeff
Feb 14, 2004, 4:40 PM
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Pat Ament wrote about Holloway in a column ~ was in an old Mountain Magazine (circa ’79 or ’80)…
..gist of it was – up on Flagstaff Mtn. one spring day, one of the locals was acting all nice to Pat then flashing all the ruthlessly wired problems that Pat could not longer climb due to age and girth… . so a disgruntled Pat wanders out back to the more obscure boulders and there is Jim, quietly and Zenfully working his problems and inviting Pat in to join in the fun. No ego, no competitiveness. Just Jim’s good karma.
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taorock
Feb 14, 2004, 5:51 PM
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^^^^^^^
I can attest to this. I would watch Holloway boulder in the mid-70's up on Flagstaff Mtn. His whole presence was as described above. At the time, I would describe him as being able to "charm" the rock. I'd watch him do a problem; his ascent was so pure and clear that it would rub off and enable me to attain an ascent too (many times my only ascent of that particular problem - therefore a "fluke").
It went beyond just seeing the moves. His energy was very empowering, generous and definately had Zen qualities.
T
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