Climbing the Eiger: Richard Bangs Challenges Wall of Death

  • Thread starter Thread starter Astronuc
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
John Harlin III reflects on the tragic legacy of his father, John Harlin II, who died while climbing the Eiger's notorious North Face. The elder Harlin, a pioneering climber, fell 4,000 feet after a fixed line broke, leaving a profound impact on his son, who was only nine at the time. The discussion touches on the allure and danger of climbing, emphasizing the personal challenge climbers face when confronting the possibility of death. Participants share their thoughts on the emotional and psychological aspects of climbing, including feelings of isolation and humility experienced at great heights. Recommendations for climbing literature, such as "Touching the Void" by Joe Simpson, are also mentioned, highlighting the passion and drive often found in climbers, even in the face of tragedy.
Astronuc
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
22,340
Reaction score
7,138
Challenging the Wall of Death
by Richard Bangs

In the shadow of the most notorious rock wall in the Swiss Alps, John Harlin III contemplates the climb of his life — the one that claimed his father 40 years ago.

One rope length from the White Spider, the last great defiance on the mountain wall that is one of the world’s deadliest, the 7 mm fixed line broke. John Harlin II, the first American to climb the legendary North Face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps four years earlier, fell 4,000 feet into the void.

A short time later his nine-year-old son, Johnny, heard the news from his sobbing mother. It was news he couldn’t fathom. His father was among the world’s greatest climbers, a pioneer of straight-up routes, a man almost mythically at home in the vertical world.

http://adventures.yahoo.com/b/adventures/adventures1185
Stunning video of the Eiger and the Alps!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Daddy's last lesson to little Johnny doesn't seem to have gotten through.
 
wasn't that an episode from the Simpson's?
 
tribdog said:
wasn't that an episode from the Simpson's?

Isn't that an episode from South Park?
 
Butters is maybe the coolest character in the history of television
 
They say insanity runs in families.
 
One of my mates lost his father in a mountaineering accident in the Alps. For some reason, this only fuelled his own passion for climbing.

I think it's a personal challenge, coming face to face with the possibility of death. There's nothing quite like the feeling of complete isolation you have when you're a few hundred feet up a rock face, dangling by a few bits of string and steel, it's very humbling.

Astronuc, - book rec. 'Touching the Void' by Joe Simpson. He's a fellow Sheffielder. Barking mad, but very self motivated and driven, and a rather nice chap too.
 
tribdog said:
Butters is maybe the coolest character in the history of television

I thought I told you to stop making that face!
 
Somewhere there is a thread of top ten places, but it's way back there somewhere.

Anyway, here is a site with lots of cool pictures from around the world.

http://www.adventurephotographs.com/index.asp

If you love mountains, Karakoram, Nepal, and New Zealand have some awesome sites.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top