The rush and crush of this Type A glorifying culture alternately can put you unto either a manic, frenzied, high energy state or can lock you down into a fog of numbness and blithering social media ramblings. Or worse. Yet, every now and then, you are jerked from this modern, material-world schizophrenia by something that wakes you up like a stiff cup of joe on an icy backcountry morning.
I'd been meaning to watch this John Long (Largo) interview with Jim Bridwell (the Bird) for going on a year. Today, I finally saw the light and gave 15 minutes over to it. Fifteen minutes well spent. More actually, since I rewound at certain points to make sure I had clearly understood the line of the Bird's story.
From John Long's introduction to this short film on Adidas Outdoor:
Jim had an appointment for dialysis treatment in 30 minutes so we had little time. With no planning or prep, we hastily set up cameras in Jim's back yard and I (John Long) started asking him questions. Jim immediately went to questionably the most controversial event in climbing history: Cesare Maestri's purported 1970 ascent of the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre, in Patagonia. The day following this interview, Jim, critically ill from Hepatitis C, dropped into a coma. And one of the seminal figures in modern adventure sports passed away soon thereafter.
Between these two characters, there is 110% guaranteed gripping and compelling storytelling. This one is priceless. Bridwell is in top "balls to the wall" form right up to the very end.
I'm grateful to have as friends several individuals who knew Jim well. And I'm also grateful to have heard him speak in person a couple of times over the years. He and Mark Twight are amongst the finest climbing-oriented speakers I've encountered. His Cerro Torre Compressor Route story is as spot on in this interview as it was when I first heard it over 20 years ago.
If you really want a deep, deep, comprehensively researched and clearly laid out dive into Maestri's and other Cerro Torre climbs, check out the overly humble but never overly hilarious Kelly's Cordes' masterpiece The Tower: A Chronicle Of Climbing And Controversy On Cerro Torre.
By the way: FYI folks—the original Type A's are the ones prone to heart attacks!
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