Adieu Charlie

[El Rojo]

http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/ch ... orter-dies

[Pié]

http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/ch ... orter-dies

che personaggio..


ciao Charlie

[El Rojo]

The Definitive Charlie Porter Profile


Living in Yosemite during the early ?70s was a heady experience for an impressionable young climber. It was as if the fairytale world of climbing literature, complete with heroes and villains, and all the adventure a rookie could handle, had magically come to reality. Printed names had become living faces; living faces, friends. Experiences shared and events witnessed left indelible impressions, playing an integral part in shaping my climbing philosophy. The most unique and influential character from that period in my life was a soon-to-become-legend by the name of Charlie Porter.

I can no longer recall when I met Charlie, but my first memory of his climbing prowess is unforgettable. It was late summer 1972. I was 17, spending my first full season in the Valley. I heard an amazing story about a guy who soloed the first ascent of the New Dawn on El Cap. He?d dropped his haulbag low on the route, then continued to the summit ? nine days on the wall, sleeping in slings, with only the crude insulation of an ensolite pad and cagoule for warmth. I couldn?t believe it! What kind of person was capable of a feat like that?

That same summer, Charlie had also completed the coveted second ascent of Half Dome?s Tis-Sa-Ak. But the capper came in the fall, when he and a partner, Gary Bocarde, established a striking route up a bulging, seemingly blank headwall high on the southwest face of El Cap. It soon became known as the Shield.

While they were on the Shield, I was helicoptered to the summit of El Cap to participate in a big rescue of an injured climber from the Nose. During the flight ? my first, and a pretty exciting experience in its own right ? I was treated to the unforgettable sight of Charlie and Gary dangling thousands of feet above the ground. The rescue was a success and the victim was lowered to the Valley floor. The whole affair ended like the grand finale of a stage show, with the last of the rescuers descending at night, under a battery of floodlights illuminating El Cap like a gigantic stage backdrop. All of this was pretty exciting stuff for a Valley newcomer, but it was soon to be eclipsed by accounts of Charlie?s heroics.

Word had gotten out that Charlie had, on one pitch, placed 35 RURPS in a row! That was unheard of. The news spread like wildfire through the climbing community impressing all, including Royal Robins, who was moved to write: ?(Porter) has gotten inside the RURP and is looking out.? The Charlie Porter legend was born.

Climbing at a time when the focus of the valley elite had shifted dramatically towards free climbing, Charlie was content to do his own thing ? climbing big walls. He admirably filled the void left behind with the departure of Harding and Robbins from fulltime residency in the Valley. Charlie became a larger-than-life figure to me. That November, when most climbers had vacated the Valley, word went ?round that he was preparing for another new route ? he was looking for a partner, and was willing to go with just about anyone. It seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime chance ? climbing a new route on El Cap with Charlie Porter! Though my heart ached to go, I couldn?t find the courage to approach him and, in a decision I regret to this day, I let the opportunity pass. Charlie went on to solo Zodiac.

Eventually I got to know Charlie quite well, as anyone who spent much time in the close-knit Yosemite climbing scene would have. To an idealistic youth, who believe in honesty and ? if you will ? chivalry, my first impressions of many of my early idols were disappointing. More often than not, these people came across as a little too full of themselves, a little too competitive, and a little too quick to judge others while turning a blind eye to their own shortcomings. This, however, was not the case with Charlie. His character left a bigger impression on me than the sum of his climbing accomplishments.

Climbing at a time when the focus of the valley elite had shifted dramatically towards free climbing, Charlie was content to do his own thing ? climbing big walls. He admirably filled the void left behind with the departure of Harding and Robbins from fulltime residency in the Valley. Over the next several years, climbing with anyone or alone, in good weather or bad ? but always in impeccable style ? Charlie was the major force behind a host of modern El Cap classics such as Tangerine Trip, Mescalito and Excalibur.

Eventually, seeking greater challenges, Charlie stopped coming to the Valley and headed north to Canada and Alaska. In the next several years he did the first ascent of the southwest wall of the Moose?s Tooth, the first ascent of Polar Circus, soloed the first ascent of Mt. Asgard?s biggest wall, did the first solo of Denali?s Cassin Ridge and, by way of its most difficult face, the first ascent of the Kichatna Spires? Middle Triple Peak.

I would not see Charlie again for 15 years. The last I?d heard was a rumor that he was planning to row a dinghy to Antarctica. Over the years I often encountered climbers who were familiar with Charlie?s accomplishments and eager to know what became of him. I wondered, too.
It was a good deal of excitement and curiosity that I greeted the news that Charlie had returned to the Valley this fall. I wondered what it would be like to see him again. Would I even recognize him?

I found him at the base of Ranger Rock where Ron Kauk, another long-time admirer, was introducing Charlie to modern gadgetry ? fancy harnesses, sticky boats, and Friends. Charlie looked a little different ? gone was the trademark bushy beard, and perhaps he had gained a little weight, but his voice and hearty laugh transcended time. He seemed genuinely excited to be back in the Valley.

I finally told Charlie about having wanted to climb the Zodiac with him, and my regret at not having the courage to approach him. He got a laugh out of it, assuring me that there were plenty of other routes we could do together. This is something, after all these years, I am really looking forward to.

--Mark Chapman
http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/th ... -interview

[El Rojo]

Isola di Baffin Parete Nord, Asgard Tower.
A sinistra la via salita in solitaria nel 1975 da Charlie Porter - VII, 5.10 + A4.

[El Rojo]

Mescalito 1973.
Charlie Porter, Hugh Burton & Steve Sutton alla partenza.