Here's the earliest climbing photo I have of me, dating back to the mid-1970s. It's at a roadcut cliff in New England. You can't se my rock boots, but they're Pierra Allain (PA) rock shoes.

ClimbandBike wrote:Weighted diaper laps on the ladder circa '83.

That's the funniest damn thing I've ever seen or heard.

Instead of a Bacher Ladder it's a "Crapper Ladder?"

mconnell wrote:

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Bill, we actually skipped high school school to go climbing, many times. Too many times actually! That was one of those days....

Sounds a bit familiar. We would head to Garden of the Gods (in Colorado Springs) and climb with steel shanked mountaineering boots. The only thing we used a rope for was to haul the beer to the top.

Very familiar. For us it was Great Falls (hell of a name for a climbing area), on the Potomac river west of Washington DC... of course, I climbed in Nike high tops. Surprisingly good for smearing.

Andinistaloco wrote:Very familiar. For us it was Great Falls (hell of a name for a climbing area), on the Potomac river west of Washington DC... of course, I climbed in Nike high tops. Surprisingly good for smearing.

I bet you know someone who climbs a lot in athletic shoes...

From late 1990's-early 2000's
Not a climbing shot but on the trail en-route to Kit Carson Peak

Mountain Man!!

Kiefer Thomas wrote:From late 1990's-early 2000's
Not a climbing shot but on the trail en-route to Kit Carson Peak

Mountain Man!!

Way to channel some Ronnie Van Zant...

Mid-2006, a couple of months after I started climbing and already butshott'd:

always solo....first summit in washington. took 3 attempts. didn't even know there was such thing as a trailhead at that point...ha. i'll never forget it.

sarah.simon wrote:
NOTE: We are nearing our quota on early 80s short-shorts photos, fellas. NO MAS!

Just as well. I did find one of me like that. But I tore it up before posting as I reckoned the therapy bills from everyone here would be more than I could afford.

sarah.simon wrote:
NOTE: We are nearing our quota on early 80s short-shorts photos, fellas. NO MAS!

Alright then, how about the late 70's style?

Somewhere near the Gunks...


Climbing a roadcut in the Adirondacks, between Long Lake and Tupper Lake as I recall...

ksolem wrote:

sarah.simon wrote:
NOTE: We are nearing our quota on early 80s short-shorts photos, fellas. NO MAS!

Alright then, how about the late 70's style?

Somewhere near the Gunks...

Wow...that's like Richard Simmons without the perm.

I have come to the conclusion that climbing attracts many alternative lifestyles.

Hey folks, the statute of limitations is up on that one... And besides, I was climbing with Phillipe Petit then, and that French attitude is a bit contagious. Actually I think Phillipe may have taken that shot. It was either him or Julie Lazar.

FortMental wrote: ...Was he a pain in the ass to climb with?

Not at all. He was naturally gifted and loved the exposure. Also he was very quick with the technical stuff. He made fun of our use of the rope until we did the Directissima variation of High Exposure, when it saved his life.

We climbed together during one season at the Gunks, a few years after his 1974 World Trade Center high wire walk. After that he went on to focus on more wire walks and circus arts. I saw him ride a bicycle on a high wire once in The Big Apple Circus.

sarah.simon wrote: Wow...that's like Richard Simmons without the perm.

Yeah? I might look a little gay there, but that is because I am chumming up with a Frenchman, and that's the way it goes. I'm not half as gay as Richard Simmons, and then he has those man boobs and 30% body fat (and the perm!) That guy has a lot of nerve posing as a fitness guru.

Jack LaLanne for me baby!!