Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber

Steve Roper's detailed history provides a look into the ideologies that compelled young men to climb and adventure in a relatively unadventurous age. I find really interesting how the intent of the dirt bags was not really to rebel or reject society but to find a heteratopia that was the absence of normal society.

Jan 13, Vicki Hill rated it it was amazing Shelves: If you love rock climbing stories, the Sierra Nevada, and all the "interwoven" relationships of the early climbers and later to become major outdoor garment and gear gurus , you'll really enjoy this book. Martin Gulan rated it really liked it Sep 09, Jan-thijs Menger rated it really liked it Sep 17, Joey Allison rated it it was amazing Jul 24, Michael rated it liked it May 02, Terri Schneider rated it really liked it Jun 11, Elizabeth Gehret rated it really liked it Aug 03, Matt Wucherer rated it it was amazing Aug 23, Dylan rated it it was amazing Dec 30, TCJ rated it it was amazing Feb 05, Tom Reese rated it it was amazing Jun 29, Eric Chisholm rated it it was amazing Oct 02, Steve Collom rated it liked it Nov 11, Imran Rahman rated it it was amazing Mar 15, Ken MacInnis rated it really liked it Jul 14, Forbes rated it it was amazing Dec 14, Louise Mutel rated it liked it Jul 21, Chris Brent rated it it was amazing Dec 10, Beckywthomas rated it it was amazing May 08, Tom Rush rated it liked it Apr 14, Thank you for taking the time to put it all down.

If you are a fan of climbing and mountaineering literature this one is a must! You will find yourself constantly reminded of the legendary people and events of the 's and '70s and what it truly meant to climb the big ones at Yosemite. Terrific history of Yosemite climbers filled with insight, anecdotes, facts, and beautifully detailed historic routes and climbs!

A mandatory read for any climbing enthusiast!

If you are a mountain history buff. If you are a mountain history buff, a California climber, or just love a good read about something delightfully random, this is a must read. Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber" is a great read for anyone interested in the history of rockclimbing in the valley. As I went through the book I was thinking back to the days I invaded Yosemite's walls and staying in Camp 4 in the late 80's. I actually pulled out my old guide book and looked at the beta on some of the historic climbs that I never did climb. Roper's book started to make me think about taking a trip back to the valley to ascend some of those routes.

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In fresh, frank prose, Roper reveals the factions and cliques and abundant stupid behavior.

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Northern and southern California climbers stayed in separate parts of the campground. Northerners regarded southerners as too clean, polite and square. Climbers shoplifted at the local grocery store, stole into church to sleep, overstayed camping limits. Roper himself once brought part of the skull of a dead climber into the coffee shop to shock companions. And for every juvenile or petty tale, Roper gives us one incredible, pathetic or tragic.

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Roper tells us, for instance, that all the climbing deaths in the sixties came not during the bang of climbing but the whimper of rappelling. Yet at the same time, he shows us how moving and maddening were some of the whimpers. Jim Madsen rappelled from the top of El Capitan to rescue Pratt and Chris Fredericks, only to pop off the end knot and crash feet to his death.

Jim Baldwin was so defeated in love he apparently lost concentration and rappelled off the end of his rope.

Along the way, Robbins climbed the Leaning Tower in a storm, alone with retreat impossible. By such an array and juxtaposition of feats and follies, deaths and disjoints, Roper constructs a realistic collage of the good, terrible, worthy and absurd, all of what was, and probably still is, Valley climbing.