Royal Robbins (February 3, 1935[1] – March 14, 2017)[2] was one of the pioneers of Americanrock climbing. After learning to climb atTahquitz Rock, he went on to make first ascents of manybig wall routes inYosemite. As an early proponent of boltless, pitonlessclean climbing, he, along withYvon Chouinard, was instrumental in changing the climbing culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s by encouraging the use and preservation of the natural features of the rock. He went on to become a well-knownkayaker.
Robbins was born in 1935 and grew up in trailer parks in Southern California. Robbins first began to climb in the early 1950s at the nearbyTahquitz Peak. At age 17 in 1952 he climbed the now famousOpen Book route up Tahquitz. In 1957, he was among a trio of climbers who ascended theRegular Northwest Face of Half Dome atYosemite National Park.[3]
In 1971, Robbins completed the second ascent, with Don Lauria, of the Dawn Wall onEl Capitan, with the (controversial) intention of erasing the route as they climbed it.
Their ascent closely followed the 1970 first ascent byWarren Harding and Dean Caldwell, completed with protective bolts – a method that offended Robbins and other clean climbing advocates. Harding had left all his bolts in the rock; Robbins and Lauria used the bolts to repeat the climb; and Robbins then chopped the heads off the bolts behind them. After two pitches, Robbins stopped chopping the bolts because (according to Lauria) "the quality of theaid climbing was much higher than he had ever expected of Harding or Caldwell and, of course, it was also taking us an awful long time to chop all those goddam bolts."[4]
Robbins authored two seminal books,Basic Rockcraft andAdvanced Rockcraft,[5] which emphasizedfree climbing skills and a clean-climbing ethic. In a section ofAdvanced Rockcraft calledValues, he described his climbing philosophy. He believes that "a first ascent is a creation in the same sense as is a painting or a song", and that choosing a climbing line may well be "an act of brilliant creativity".[5] Another creative aspect of a first ascent involves the aids that the leader of the climb rejects. With modern technology of aid climbing available, a first ascent is more artistic if it consciously rejects the use of certain climbing aids that are not essential to the success of the climb. He places emphasis on using equipment which is non-destructive to the mountain environment. He opposes climbs done outside the accepted mores of a given climbing center, or the prevailing style of an area. He favors what he calls "upward variations", or completing a climb using more stringent standards than used on the first ascent. In Robbins' view, the decision to place a single piton is a matter of "enormous importance" because "like a single word in a poem, it can affect the entire composition".[5]
In 1978, Robbins developedpsoriatic arthritis, which prevented serious climbing. He took up adventurekayaking instead, completing first descents of challenging rivers from high mountain elevations. His early kayaking partners includedDoug Tompkins andReg Lake. In 1980, the three descended theSan Joaquin River Gorge fromDevil's Postpile to the Mammoth Pool Reservoir, 5000 feet lower and 32 miles away. In 1981, they carried their kayaks over Mount Whitney Pass at 13,777 foot elevation, intoSequoia National Park and descended 55 miles down theKern Trench. In 1982, joined by Neusom Holmes, they descended the Middle Fork of theKings River inKings Canyon National Park, the largest and steepest of these three High Sierra descents. In 1983, Robbins descended theTuolumne River inYosemite National Park fromTuolumne Meadows toHetch Hetchy Reservoir. He was accompanied by Reg Lake, Chuck Stanley, Lars Holbek, John Armstrong and Richard Montgomery.
He then developed an interest in descending smaller mountain creeks by kayak during their flood stage following heavy rains. His first such project in May, 1984 was the descent ofSespe Creek, which runs through theLos Padres National Forest. He was accompanied byYvon Chouinard, Reg Lake, John Wasserman and Jackson Frischman. Robbins called this type of trip "flash boating", and later used the technique on theFresno River, theChowchilla River and the middle fork of theMokelumne River.[6]
Following his success as a climber, Robbins founded an eponymous outdoor apparel company with his wife Liz Robbins.[8][9] Royal Robbins, LLC[10] Royal Robbins LLC is a San Francisco based clothing company specializing in outdoor and travel focused attire. Following his death, in 2018 the company was bought by the Swedish company Fenix Outdoor International AG, which also owns brandsFjällräven, Tierra and Hanwag as well as the European outdoor retailers Globetrotter, Naturkompaniet, Friluftsland and Partioaitta. Liz Robbins rejoined the company in December 2015 as a senior advisor.[11]
Robbins, Royal (2009).To Be Brave – My Life, Volume One. Ojai, CA: Pink Moment Press.ISBN978-0982500019.
Robbins, Royal (2010).Fail Falling – My Life, Volume Two. Pink Moment Press. p. 188.ISBN978-0982500026.
Robbins, Royal (2012).The Golden Years – My Life, Volume Three. Royal Robbins Adventures, distributed by Giraffe Public Relations. p. 158.ISBN978-0615661926.
