[Sloper]

The inevitable.

RIP to a legend.

[andy popp]

Terrible news

Is there a good source for this Tom, I'm having trouble finding much at the moment?

[Andy F]

Very sadly it appears to be true: http://www.supertopo.com/index.html

R.I.P. to a true legend

[namnok]

how did he pass away?

[Andy F]

Info here: http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=46681

[namnok]

cheers andy.

[n_man]

Legend. I remember being truly inspired by the picture of him soloing The Gift and his highball boulder problems were non too shabby.

[Falling Down]

Very sad news.

[cofe]

Very very sad.

[mini]

Hardcore to the end. RIP.

[Nibile]

the inevitable, that's right.
sad news indeed.

[bigd942]

Just reading about him lastnight in Revelations, part about him taking a crowbar to The Force. Sad loss, remember trying to 'emulate' his style from the Owens River Gorge clip in Masters of Stone, never quite managed to be as smooth (or play sax!). Don't think you understand what these people did until times like these, remember the articles in Climbing after Derek Hersey died, him soloing on The Diamond, totally amazing.

[Falling Down]

For me, stuck in rainy Stockport and Sheffield reading the same copies of Rock 'n Ice or Climbing over and over, John Bachar was and embodiment of an unattainable Californian climbing nirvana.  Huge sunkissed granite walls, exotic route names and esoteric californian climbing terms, bandanas, long hair, tube socks, huge chalk bags and high top rock boots were a million miles from getting piss wet in Wales or traversing Broomgrove wall.

[Adam Lincoln]

Thought a pic would be in order.

Bachar on the first ascent of one Bachar Yerian.

[north_country_boy]

Heard about this today from the man Moffatt, needless to say he was shocked. A truly Legend and worldwide name in rock climbing. Will be sorely missed and never forgotten.

[SA Chris]

I always associate him with the Masters of Stone clip too. Must have watched it hundreds of times. RIP.

[Bonjoy]

Bachar on the first ascent of one Bachar Yerian.

"That same year he put up Bachar-Yerian (5.11c) in Tuolumne Meadows with Dave Yerian. One of the boldest first ascents of the time, the 500-foot face climb is protected by 13 bolts, each one placed while hanging from a hook. "

Legend!

[Johnny Brown]

Good article by Bachar on the FA of the Bachar-Yerian in the new Alpinist. Inspirational stuff.

[Adam Lincoln]

Good article by Bachar on the FA of the Bachar-Yerian in the new Alpinist. Inspirational stuff.

Also good thread here.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=375380
Bachar posts first hand knowledge about the route.
Some amazing pics as well.

[Bonjoy]

Just read the whole of that thread. Some proper good stories on there. Good find.
I remember Andy Scott telling me about his and Jamie Robertson's ascent of BY back in the day. I have much renewed respect for their effort after reading some of the stories.

[slackline]

Some amazing pics as well.

You're not wrong, the one of the guy having just come off 

[Doylo]

I always associate him with the Masters of Stone clip too. Must have watched it hundreds of times. RIP.

Yeah i grew up watching Masters of Stone, cool watching him solo that route in red rocks, smooth climber. "No hold me here i'm dogging this section out bloberdee bloop"- my fav quote!

[dave]

Just read the whole of that thread. Some proper good stories on there. Good find.

i like this one best from some guy:

Probably, the BY saved my life. For a time, I did a fair amount of rope soloing, sometimes because I didn’t arrange for a partner as I was running to the mountains last minute after a full work week, sometimes just to be alone. Somewhere deep in the bowels of supertopo there’s a little piece on my self belay antics on the Owl Roof in Yosemite. I think eventually I did about a dozen rope solos, including the first ascent of Thy Will Be Done in Tuolumne. The ridiculous and dangerous part is I used a jumar as the self belay device, an item not designed for this purpose. I never fell on it, but came very close on a failed attempt of the BY.

Why I ever thought to try this run out route with my cumbersome and unsafe self belay system is incomprehensible to me now. I guess I thought I was climbing pretty well back then, maybe a year or two after the climb had been done, and that the technical challenge was not beyond me. As John says, there is a short 5.11 part on the first pitch, but between a tied off knob and cams for the layback, I felt OK. But the next pitch became more and more terrifying as I fiddled to move the jumar along, tired on sustained moves (seemed 5.10ish), and looked down periodically at the “system” wavering below. Between the second and third bolt, finally, finally I realized I would probably die twice if I fell, not only from just banging the rock but then rocketing into the woods when the jumar broke. Increasingly sane but rattled, I had to make a choice between down climbing to the last bolt or going for the third and retreating from there, though that bolt seemed about 20 or so feet away. Or was it? I thought I saw it, but couldn’t be sure I was seeing the dark hanger on just a dark spot in the rock. I did the worst thing of all - I continued on thinking going ahead was the safer option, then decided after several more moves I should retreat. Slowly, carefully but not calmly, I moved down, again fussing with rope slack and the jumar (sometimes using my teeth), hyperventilating, over gripping, mad and very scared. As I approached the last bolt and then the belay station, I felt a rush of thanks to the god I didn’t believe in. Blinking at the jumar, it looked more and more paltry, like something I picked up at a hardware store. I turned it a couple of times in my hand and knew my days of solo rope climbing had just ended.

As with many of our foolish antics and adventures, especially failures, we mostly keep them to ourselves. I never told anyone about this particular fiasco, though Vern Clevenger looked at me suspiciously one day and asked, face screwed up quizzically, “Did you do something stupid up there (pointing to Medlicott)?” I’m still not sure if he was referring to this incident or something else, as probably there was other foolishness of mine to remember on that dome. I took the easy way out. “No,” I said, and maybe there was truth in my lie – it wasn’t stupid, it was insane. Yet, thanks to the BY, I never again rope soloed or soloed in any way, and so live on to reflect back on all the good and ridiculous in my climbing days.

Tom Higgins
LongAgo

shit a dick!

[Bonjoy]

Yeah I liked that one. Mad story and brilliantly written for a forum post.

[T_B]

Eek! wouldn't fancy rope soloing BY!

Very sad to hear of Bachar's death - larger than life character. I can't though, get my head around what he was prepared to solo. Another world of commitment.

[Fiend]

That Supertopo thread is great, the route sounds amazing, really gets the syke going.

Quite a few of these career soloists seem to die soloing, in the end :S

[dave]

Eek! wouldn't fancy rope soloing BY!

you've lead it normally right (if i recal correctly) - whats it like, is it the headfuck everyone makes out or is it just the yanks being soft?

[T_B]

whats it like, is it the headfuck everyone makes out or is it just the yanks being soft?

This route has such a massive aura about it in the states (probably still has). I did it when I was 18 and let's say, not afraid of a run out - I'm not sure it would feel the same now    At the time it felt like E6 6a. The hardest move is by a bolt on the first pitch, then a big runout. The 2nd pitch is well out there and has a tricky move 20ft? above the bolt.  I tried larks footing some of the chicken heads, but generally, these fell off or made holding the chicken heads scary.  I think there are about 4 or 5 bolts in that pitch and it's a long pitch. Mega - never really pumpy, but steep and hard to work out where to go. The 3rd pitch is 10c, but feels like E5. Since then I know a couple of people who've done it - I heard Birkett thought it felt like E7 and Sellers thought E5. It's up there with Serpentine as probably the best route I've done outside of the UK.

[Bonjoy]

I think Andy also said it felt E6 6a

[benpritch]

onsight soloing Moratorium in Yosemite seems totally amazing to me. so much confidence in his ability, totally wild actually when you think about it.

[Fiend]

Reading the thread, I was estimating the route at E6 6a equivalent. 

[Adam Lincoln]

George Ullich (From the Lakes) did it without the bolts didn't he? Suggesting E8?

[dave]

don't think he did it without bolts. didn't be clip one bolt when gripped at the top, and used all the bolt belays?

[slackline]

George Ullich (From the Lakes) did it without the bolts didn't he? Suggesting E8?

Got to the top of the third pitch and bailed (after all the hard stuff, but had blown it sans bolts by then).

McHaffie reckons E8 free.

[Falling Down]

Brilliant... another grade debate   

[Neil F]

I'm really shocked and saddened by Bachar's death.  There's a lot of moving stuff on Supertopo, including a thread started by JB's young (11?) son on the day he died. Really tugs at the heartstrings, that one...

But I suppose the most remarkable thing is that JB lasted as long as he did, given that prolific soloists tend to go the same way - the odds are simply against their survival if they keep doing it, or so history would indicate.  But Bachar's record is quite remarkable, in prolificacy and duration, and shows just how sorted his head must have been.

One thing which I find really worrying about today's exponents of the art, is just how many have a camera crew or stills guy in attendance as they play Russian Roulette.  The shots of Honnold on Moonlight Buttress or some of Dean Potter's recent stuff may be spectacular, but they really make me feel uncomfortable too.  When you start to do things like this because career or profile depends on it, then I think you have probably crossed a very dangerous invisible line...

Bachar may have been photo'd soloing lots of routes over the years, but you got the impression that these were a mere fraction of what he did, and he was still soloing for his own enjoyment and thrills.  I'm certain that was his motivation at Dike Wall last fateful Sunday.

I tried larks footing some of the chicken heads....

That tickled me Tom, and it made me think of a classic old Alan James cartoon featuring Johnny Dawes:-

TB - "I larksfooted a chickenhead..."

JD - "I spragged a quark..."

onsight soloing Moratorium in Yosemite seems totally amazing to me. so much confidence in his ability, totally wild actually when you think about it.

I've not done Moratorium, Ben, nor seen it, though I know quite a few people who have.  Wasn't Livesey the first to free climb it?

Anyway, it must be particularly significant, as I know Bachar himself referred to it a few years back as one of his "proudest sends" (he certainly didn't use that terminology, but you know what I mean!).

So for those of us who haven't indulged, can you give us an idea of what M is like...?

...the route sounds amazing, really gets the syke going.

Is "syke" psyche for the Skype age, Fiend...? 


Neil

[T_B]

I can't remember much about The Moratorium, other than it was a bit less 'Yosemite' than other routes like New Dimensions. But probably to a soloist, this means more commitment to holds on the face, rather than on pure (secure) jamming? The crux is a fairly thin bridging corner, with tips in crack.

[Falling Down]

The crux is a fairly thin bridging corner, with tips in crack.

Shudder..

[Adam Lincoln]

Couple of interesting video interviews with the great man.
http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2009/07/bachar-climbing-video-.html

[corniceman]

A legend and character, sadly missed. i had a brusjh with the legend in 1981. Whilst in Toulamme I stumbled upon a dead hang beam suspended between two trees. No sooner had i hung from two holds but a bronzed adonis with long blond hair appeard from no where and said " 20 bucks says I can hang longer than you". Smelling a rat and being on someones elses turf, I declined the bet, but after being persuaded by the aclompis of the adonis we did do a competitive hang which I duly lost.
A few days later in camp 4, I joined the queues one night at the bottom of Midnight Lightning which was very infrequently sent at that time.
Through the crowds came the blond adonis and his acomplis. The blond adonis proceeded in walking up ML before looking down at the envious crowd and saying "follow that you suckers" and dissapeared into the trees.
I said to a mate those were the guys who challenged me to the dead hang comp. " Oh thats John Bacar and John Yablonskis"

Both sadly now dead. You gave me a tale which I'll never forget. RIP.

[dave]

genuis anecdote simon - its reassuring to know that even inspirational "ahead of their time" climbers are not immune from acting like total cocks.

[Ru]

I wonder if JB challenged Wolfgang to a deadhang-off on that beam (I assume it's this one).

[bigd942]

[Jerry Morefat]

Obituary by Ed Douglas in today's Guardian if anyone's interested.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/10/john-bacher-rock-climber

[Houdini]

Nah, I'm not reading that.  He's a poor and obvious obituarist.

[Bubba]

It is actually a pretty shit obituary.

[moose]

It is actually a pretty shit obituary.

Agreed, not great.  But I imagine it's a pretty difficult life to explain to non-climbers ("...using only his fingers!" etc.).  That said, some kudos to The Guardian for having a Bachar obituary at all (and I quite liked the description of bouldering as the "haiku version of climbing").  The only other mainstream obituary I've come across was in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/sports/09bachar.html

I remember walking under the Medlicott Dome and looking up the Bachar-Yerian: a stark black streak rising through a steep gold void.  I felt lucky to be there: to be aware that it had been climbed, to be able to acknowledge the perfection of the line and the courage of its ascent.  Less edifyingly, I also felt an acute resentment of my own mediocrity.  Seeing the Bachar-Yerian, I was faced with something both beautiful and terrifying, something that I would never be good enough, or brave enough to climb, or even reckless enough to try.  It hurt.  No gritstone line has ever made me feel like that ("too short"), nor even El Capitan ("all that hauling, I just want to climb!").  Five years later and one of the few things that makes me regret (just a little) what and who I am, is a line of spaced bolts on the Medlicott Dome. 

It's not much of a tribute, and one that possibly owes more to geology than the man, but I like to think that my envy that day in California is one of the factors that has inspired me to be a better climber.  Contributing just a little to that kernal of obduracy that gets me to the crag when I'm tired and bored of being shut-down.  I guess if anyone else has ever felt the same way then, for as long as people climb, John Bachar will be remembered fondly and with respect.  Which is more than most of us can ever hope to achieve.

[PATRuL]

I love climbers
Bacher was a warrier right to the death
How mad are we though?
Buddha said all llife is precious ... but there is a distinct difference between folly and feeling the moves.
Its all about the feeling.
However I treasure my own life again that I will not put my own life in such danger where the stress level exceeds my capacity to keep rooted in my belly.
Its not just about the feeling though its about reading the rock - who ever said every hold is a bomber?
Still what is written is muktab.
Which pretty much translates as karma.
But karma is changeable.
Big love.

[lagerstarfish]

You've sorted out that caps problem then, PAT?