Who is the most famous climber you have ever met? What circumstances?

Ron L Long wrote:Mid 90’s. I was at a belay after having just lead the friction pitch on the Upper Exum. It was my first time climbing a multi-pitch route as a party of three, the ropes were a rats nest and I had lead the pitch without placing gear for fear of a knot in the rope getting caught in a biner. As I was trying to untangle the mess along comes some Exum guide short rope towing somebody up the route. I made some comment of despair, the guy looks at it and says “I’ve seen worse”......and also something about it being a beautiful day.....then breezes on by. I am standing there things who is that guy, he looks really familiar. As the client comes up to me, the guide looks at him and says “Stay off their ropes or you will owe them a beer”, the client’s response “Ok Alex”.....yup, I had just been passed by “The Mutant” as he towed somebody up the Grand. At the Michigan Ice Fest I have had the opportunity to chat/drink beer with a number of sponsored climbers, including Malcolm D..... Barry Blanchard (a couple times)......... Marc Wilford (who has been there a lot) ....... Jim Donini.....so many more I can not think of their names right now. The year I ‘spoke’ with Mr. Donini it was during/after another persons slide presentation. In the dark of the presentation, some one with Donini began to threaten a friend of mine; he (D) made a comment or two as well. When the presentation was done and the lights came on I went over to them. Donini’s “friend” was still running his mouth, and Mr. ‘D’ didn’t seem able to stay out of it. This all changed when I pointed it out to Mr. D that I am sure his sponsors would be thrilled by his behavior (he was there as a presenter) and would like to know about it. To his credit this registered and Mr. D quickly changed his attitude and became much more “friendly”.....ah alcohol...... Oh yeah..... Hank C and Bob D have both sent me PM’s through here.....how cool is that!

Your friend must of been acting like a complete ass since Jim is one nice guy (with an awesome memory). We met him and his wife once climbing at the Ouray,and at the end of the day he invited us over for dinner. Since then whenever I run into him, he says "hi" and even remembers our names. For a guy who meets hundreds of climbers a year.... that is pretty damn good.

jarthur wrote:I met Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken at the Charlotte airport. He was wearing that crazy white suit and hanging out with his agent. I was like 5 and sitting there trying to work out this Rubix Cube when my mom said, "Go talk to that guy Jeff." So I walked right up to him and said, "Hey Mister help me out with this thing will yeah?" So we hung out for a while trying to figure that Rubix Cube out. What's he got to do with climbing? Nothing, but I love fried chicken and could care less about a famous climber. He was far more interesting than Peter Croft's slide show at Foster Falls, TN. I'm far more interested in meeting the man that revolutionized fried chicken and buscuits and turning it into a fast-food chain. Plus I'm sure he used to crush out at the Red River Gorge before it became so popular.

Yes, thats fantastic he revolutionized fried chicken and biscuits, and made them cheap. How many people has fast food killed?

chuck claude wrote: Your friend must of been acting like a complete ass since Jim is one nice guy (with an awesome memory). We met him and his wife once climbing at the Ouray,and at the end of the day he invited us over for dinner. Since then whenever I run into him, he says "hi" and even remembers our names. For a guy who meets hundreds of climbers a year.... that is pretty damn good.

Actually that described incident seems about right for Donini

Passed Fred Becky while going down the trail from Tahquitz two weekends ago. We stopped and chatted with him for a minute, he was super friendly. He was going up to do White Maiden's Walkway. This guy was putting up routes in the 1940s, I can't believe that he's still climbing! Awesome!

Layton Kor

Chatting on the phone about how he was turned away from entering Eldo when he refused to pay. He also spoke about how the nature of climbing has changed from the days when holds weren't chalked and route finding was an essential skill.

I work two cubicles down from John Auld... though he would argue he isn't a famous climber.

Jeffeos wrote:Layton Kor

Sweet!, I have met a few, but Jack Tackle is one of the most memorable. I was in between the bridges and my buddy knocked my tool into the drink. We must have looked like complete gumbies in front of him.

Terry Price wrote: I wonder how many MPers will know who Tenzing is without looking him up on Wikipedia. Fess up it you had to do the research. It will add to the fun.

I fess up . . . I did research it a bit a few years back at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. Amazing museum there. I can't imagine Darjeeling in 1957 - it was amazing enough in 2009.

NippIeit wrote: I would rather hear about peoples personal stories about meeting professional porn stars.

I saw a nude photo shoot while climbing in Penitente. It had to have been in 2005 on some Wednesday. The girl being photographed was posing on the Jabba the Hut boulder . . . we were invited to watch, and did. It was . . . well, I'll say more if need be.

Steven Jeffrey is a local, and he climbs at a couple gyms around here. He used to set at Rockreation and Momentum, now I think he sets at the Westminster University climbing gym.

He's sorta famous, right? Someone once told me that he has beaten Sharma in comps, not sure if that is true or not.

One thing is for sure, he's a damn good climber.

I met Rpyal Robbins at a book signing at Adventure 16 in LA.

Charlie Fowler in Aconcagua base camp, Dave Hahn at an RMI slide show and on an El Cap descent, Conrad Anker on an El Cap descent, Royal Robbins at a book signing, Kevin Mahoney at a slide show, Carlos Buhler ate lunch with me in Huaraz, Peru.

Charlie Fowler was my favorite. He spoke with me for 30 min or more, as though he were just any other guy in base camp. We shook hands at the end and he told me his name was Charlie. He had the biggest sausage fingers I've ever seen. Suspicious that he was someone great, I asked his last name. Fowler, he said quietly, as though he were just any other guy.

Sir Edmund Hillary back in the 80's I think. He signed an old book of his that I had. Was out in a very small town west of Chicago, where he visited regularly.

I met Alex Honnold at Rocks and Ropes here in Tucson. Very nice kid. Let me get a picture with him. Seemed a little embarassed that he was being recognized. He is very smooth on the wall. I hope he gives up soloing soon.

Met Lynn Hill on Flagstaff the other day, she was giving some Austrians a tour. She was at the monkey traverse doing an interview, then drove down to cloud shadow wall, she was cold and unfriendly at first, but she warmed up a little to us. She didn't even know where cloud shadow was...

Met Jason Kehl and Abbey Smith at the Spot, they were pretty cool, but didn't really seem all that psyched on being recognized in person. Saw Pat Ament and John Gill at their show at neptune the other night, both cool guys; Gill is extremely humble and intelligent.

Met Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden at the BRC, didn't really strike up a conversation, but they seemed pretty laid back, Beth was a little shy and withdrawn, but I can understand why.

Saw Jim Erickson on the bus and at the gym, very cool and interesting guy. Have met many other old-schoolers that I can't quite recall, but they were all very humble and talented climbers.

Met Daniel Woods at the Spot, to be honest he was arrogant and annoying. Paul Robinson was arrogant, elitist and dorky as fuck from what I could tell.

Shared a rope and a few j's with Brian f-in Teale back in Valdez, AK. Colorado and Valdez legend, at least in my mind.

Met Wolfgang Gullich in Eldo, fall of 1987 I think. I had been giving the rainbow wall (??) a go b/c R&I had published a beta-photo sequence of it. Back on the road WG had been watching and came over to ask about beta and we whipped out the R&I!! He was eating it up:)

A few days later he met me up at rotary park and I showed him a few of the Gil problems. No climbing as he had come down with a cold, so we hung around a bit and chatted. I do remember him commenting that he was a bit bummed about folks spewing their accomplishments - felt that climbing should be more of a personal experience and less about ego. RIP-WG..

Jim Whittaker, He was doing a presentation at a local school and afterward I met him through a mutual friend.

Got a TR belay on Great White Crime from Jimmie Dunn this past weekend at Turkey Rock.

When we rolled up to Turkey Rock, I couldn't help but notice Jimmie's accent as he chatted with members of his group. Being from NH myself, I asked him where he was from. He sauntered over and introduced himself as "Jimmie" and told me he was born and raised in NH as well. We made some small-talk about NH stuff, and then he went back to hang with his group, at which point one of my buddies leaned in and said, "That's Jimmie Dunn!"

Funny thing is, I knew he looked familiar, probably from some pictures I'd seen of him back in the day. I thought, "Where have I seen you before?" It wasn't until my buddy told me who it was that it clicked.

Later, I was sitting on a boulder watching one of my friends lead Straw Turkey when Jimmie yelled to me, "Hey Brian, when I get done belaying here, I'll give you a belay on Great White Crime...it's my favorite climb at the crag." He called it the "NH hookup".

Of course, I took him up on the offer. He was super positive, encouraging, and quite humble as we chatted more throughout the afternoon. The best part is I ended up climbing through the crux after only 3 tries, and I've never got to the top of a 5.11...evah! While some may argue that GWC isn't 5.11a, Jimmie said it was, so I'm going with JD on this one! :)

If you're out there Jimmie, thanks a bunch for making a great day of climbing even greater.

I was at the AAC cragging classic a few years back after the International Meet. Feeling kinda antisocial I was hiding in the (empty)library reading instead of hanging out at the BBQ in the car park.

I figured it would be a good chance to read Layton Kor's book, as it's really hard to find.

After an hour or so this really tall old guy walks over, sees what I'm reading and just says:

"Untrustworthy that, wouldn't believe a word of it."