john bachar on his famous route, The Gift (5.12c)
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in the eighties, John Bachar was one of my role models for free soloing (unroped climbing of difficult routes). his training regimes would completely dismantle all of us who attempted to mimic them. i had the great fortune of visiting and hanging with him in Camp 4 in Yosemite. there was always a huge entourage of scraggly climbers and not so scraggly girls flocked around his bronzed,chiseled body and blonde locks. John's free solos of absolutely intimidating spires inspired me and hundreds of others back then, to push our own Training and Performance. back in Eldorado Canyon, me and my climbing buddies would be leading (roped) some heinous rock climb hundreds of feet above the canyon floor, petrified to move up or down one more inch. all the time, in our minds, we knew what so many others knew,
"Oh yeah, Bachar totally free soloed this route on sight."
when John offered $10,000 to anyone who, "could follow me for a day," i wussed out like the rest of the world. there ain't many humans on this planet that i am afraid to follow for a day. John was one of them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bachar
On Sunday, August 13th, Steve Karafa, President of Acopa Climbing Shoes became victim of a tragic accident on the way home from the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show. John Bachar was also injured in the accident and is expected to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, he is without medical insurance and will be facing tremendous medical expenses. Mammoth Mountaineering Supply has set up a donation fund to help him cover his medical bills. If you feel like helping out, please either send donations to:
Mammoth Mountaineering Supply, ("John Bachar Fund"), PO BOX 2297, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 or contact Dave (dave@mammothgear.com) to find out how else you can help. Donations can also be made to the American Alpine Club for the John Bachar Fund. People can either mail checks to:
John Bachar Fund
American Alpine Club
710 10th St. Suite 100
Golden CO 80401
You can also donate online at www.americanalpineclub.org. Click on "support us" and you can donate.
Tell John that, "Coach ilg sent me, and it is an honor to help out a Warrior who inspired my coach."
you would have dug hangin' out around a Camp 4 campfire with John and go bouldering beneath the moon rising over Half Dome...help my bro out.
thank you for your Warrior Metta.
om so ti
coach ilg
