Whipper Memories
May 2007Grand Teton Climbers’ Ranch volunteer Robert Hyman received an intriguing response to his "Ranch Update" in the last American Alpine News. Mar Himmerich from New Mexico wrote to Hyman and asked: "You mentioned a longtime climber named Bob Horton, and I am wondering if that is the same Bob Horton who was a teacher in Bakersfield, California? I went ice climbing with a guy by that name at Lee Vining in 1986 and took a 100-foot winger! Can you put me in touch with him?"
Sure, enough, it was the same Bob Horton, and when Hyman contacted him, Horton fleshed out the story: "Robert, that was one wild day, and he did in fact take a 100-foot plunge! It was cold and the ice was brittle; I was using a body belay with two 9 mm ropes, as there were no ATCs in those days. I had untied from the anchor because he was knocking off so much snow and ice directly above me. When I saw him lose it, I jumped off my stance at the top of a very steep snowfield and took in at least 20 feet of slack; otherwise he would have hit the deck. I then had to complete the pitch, as it was all my gear up there. I still have the bent Chouinard screw he fell on!"
Got another good story related to the Climbers’ Ranch? Send it to roberthyman@starpower.net.