Yankee Rock & Ice: A History of Climbing in the Northeastern United States

by Laura Waterman, Guy Waterman, Michael Wejchert, Sara Garlick (Foreword by)

Overview

First published in 1993 and hailed as a classic, Yankee Rock & Ice is now reissued in a new edition with four new chapters covering the 1990s through today to bring the book up to date. This comprehensive and entertaining history of roped rock and ice climbing in the Northeast traces the growth of this popular sport in New England and New York and covers the first trailblazers of the eighteenth century through today’s events and personalities. Well-known mountaineers and preservationists, Guy and Laura Waterman have explored every corner of the mountains of New England and New York and done solid historical research on first ascents of classic routes and the climbers who have made them legendary. Climber Michael Wejchert joins Laura for the work on the second edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811737685
Publisher:	Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date:	10/01/2018
Edition description:	2nd Edition
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Laura and Guy Waterman have been dedicated volunteers for the U.S. Forest Service and for hiking and conservation organizations, maintaining New Hampshire’s Franconia Ridge trail for nearly two decades. Energetic explorers of White Mountain terrain, on and off trail and in all seasons, the Watermans carried a feet-on-the-ground knowledge of the land they so passionately wrote about. In 2012, the American Alpine Club awarded them the David R. Brower Conservation Award for Outstanding Service in Mountain Conservation. After Guy’s death in 2000, Laura and friends founded the Waterman Fund to carry on their vision of preserving wildness and conserving the alpine areas across the Northeast. Laura lives near their original homestead in northern Vermont and has published her work in various literary magazines and journals, including Appalachia and Alpinist.

Michael Wejchert has climbed all over North and South America and Canada, but settled in New Hampshire because he likes the spirited climbing community, rainy rest days, and living ten minutes from Cathedral Ledge, one of the best cliffs in the country. He works as a climbing guide, a carpenter, and a writer. The winner of the 2013 Waterman Fund Essay Contest, he has contributed to Rock and Ice, Gripped, Alpinist, Ascent, Appalachia, and The New York Times, among others. When Michael’s not working, he can be found trail running, rock climbing, ice climbing, or in a tent, waiting out a storm in the Alaska Range. He lives in Jackson, New Hampshire.

Table of Contents

Foreword v

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xiv

Introduction xxi

Chapter 1 The Prehistory of Northeastern Climbing: Before 1916 1

Chapter 2 A New Form of Exploration: 1916-1927 16

Chapter 3 The Classic Routes: 1928-1933 30

Interlude I It's a Grand Old Flagg 45

Chapter 4 Mountaincraft: Ethics and Style in Prewar Climbing 58

Chapter 5 The First Ice Age: Before 1927 71

Chapter 6 Huntington Ravine: 1928-1945 81

Interlude II Anniversary Waltz in Pinnacle Gully 96

Chapter 7 Fritz Wiessner 104

Chapter 8 Rock Climbing for Fun: 1934-1945 113

Chapter 9 The Gunks Discovered: 1935-1945 130

Chapter 10 World War II as a Watershed in Northeastern Climbing History 140

Chapter 11 The Conservative Tradition-Rock: The 1950s and 1960s 148

Chapter 12 The Conservative Tradition-Ice: The 1950s and 1960s 166

Chapter 13 Young Turks, Old Bootleggers, Vulgarians, and a Boston Tea Party 173

Interlude III Chasing Ghosts on the Armadillo 184

Chapter 14 Breakthrough on Rock: 1957-1966 191

Chapter 15 On Beyond 5.10: 1967-1973 204

Chapter 16 Clean Climbing 218

Interlude IV The Rack and the Theory of the Expanding Universe 228

Chapter 17 Quiet in the North Country: Before 1970 232

Chapter 18 Streibert and Barber 245

Chapter 19 North Conway Renaissance: 1970-1979 257

Chapter 20 Higher Standards throughout the Northeast: The 1970s 273

Interlude V The Many Faces of Group Dynamics 285

Chapter 21 Revolution on Ice: 1969-1976 289

Chapter 22 Emergence of Climbing as a Popular Sport 307

Chapter 23 Restoring Parity: The Reemergence of Women in the 1980s 322

Interlude VI Can Women Lead on Ice? 332

Chapter 24 5.13 and Beyond 337

Chapter 25 Lake Willoughby and the Quandary of Northeastern Ice during the 1980s 347

Interlude VII Education in Verticality-a Short Comedy or Farce in Four Scenes 360

Chapter 26 Climbing at the Crossroads: Ethics and Style Questions for the 1990s 364

Chapter 27 Rumney and the Rise of Sport Climbing 372

Chapter 28 The Swamp Donkey Disco: North Conway's New Generation of Troublemakers 384

Chapter 29 New York and the Charge of the Trad Brigade 395

Chapter 30 Winter in the Northeast 405

Index 426

About the Authors 440

Editorial Reviews

There is a historic spirit in these lands where our nation was born, and the climbing folklore is similarly colorful. Now, finally, with the publication of Yankee Rock & Ice, this lore can be shared among a wider audience.

Climbing - Bob Palais

Dividing their account roughly into decades and describing the major eastern climbing areas in loving detail, Guy and Laura weave a rich tapestry with vivid scenes in which they portray the leading players. ... Relish this remarkable book. It’s a fun read and an inexhaustible reservoir of history, and certain to be a classic.

The American Alpine Journal

Laura and Guy Waterman have achieved something similar to a controversial first ascent.

Crux - Peter Beal

A necessary purchase for libraries in the Northeast and desirable for all sports collections.

Library Journal

Humor, meticulous research, a grand sense of history, and firsthand experience on the rock and ice they describe, put the Watermans’ latest book high on the must-read list for anyone who loves New England’s hills.

Appalachia

I, who grew up climbing in the Northeast, found Yankee Rock & Ice both educational and delightful. It is a necessary piece of gear on the rack of all armchair mountaineers, as well as an accurate topo of where we’ve been.

Rock and Ice - Ramsay Thomas

An intimate history of the sport as it developed in this low-altitude area. Heavily illustrated and authoritatively crafted by a couple who have seen much of the growth. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews