Interview with George Lowe

George Lowe did a bunch of notable FAs (The Dorsal Fin, Mexican Crack) and FFAs (Bongeater, etc.) in the Wasatch, particularly LCC. Here's a great interview with him. Among other things, he talks about the FA of the Fin in hiking boots. I think it's worth reading. This year he was the chairman of the jury that awarded the Piolets d'Or.

Yeah, that's a great interview. George was certainly the one most of the 70's & 80's climbers looked up to. We patterned much of our climbing style ethics after him. I'm glad rap and drill climbing didn't take place until more that 20 years later. I remember talking to him at the annual AAC get together a few years back. Trying to speak over the loud music and chatter about his ascent of the Dorsal Fin We found out that he had led the first pitch, while Mark McQuarrie I think, led the 2nd. He took a long fall during one of his leads into the unknown.

George said that Mark was by far the most talented of his Little Cottonwood partners. Not long after their historic ascent of Fin, Mark was killed on the Church Buttress When his rope broke during a skidding/pendulum-like fall he took on lead. Most of the close knit climbing community attended his funeral. Mark had been climbing on a new 9mm perlon rope that George has brought home from Europe. Famous Yosemite climber Royal Robbins had said that 9mm perlon ropes were ok to use. They had learned this from him when he was in town to teach a climbing seminar. Another partner of George, Bill Conrod told me all of the locals were quite bummed by Royal's endorsement. Most of them went back to the old 11mm goldlines ropes.

It's interesting that George mentioned the Fin on a very short list of his biggest climbs ever. Thanks Tristan, for posting the link. So does anyone want to climb the Dorsal Fin in Mountain boots?