Glen Denny: Yosemite in the Sixties

by Tom Adler (Photographs), Glen Denny, Kevin Starr

The sheer granite walls of Yosemite Valley have drawn a lot of visitors over the years. In the late 1950s and through the 60s, they galvanized a dedicated group of rock climbers, who saw their glacier-polished faces as the purest challenge. When those climbers first made their way up Half Dome and El Capitan, they ushered in a new era--over the course of the 60s, they developed techniques, tools and philosophies that would change the sport forever. In the 60s spirit of social exploration, a small group of committed climbers eventually dropped out of the mainstream of work and society to take up residence at Camp 4, perfecting their skills and developing a unique scene. This austere, boulder-strewn campground became the epicenter of the climbing world. In between spectacular feats carried out on the walls, it served both as a launching pad for further adventures and a refuge from them. Here, plans were made, teams were formed and life was lived. The significance of Camp 4 was recently recognized in its placement on the National Register of Historic Places. Photographer and filmmaker Glen Denny was among its denizens, and captured his fellow climbers' personalities and parties, aspirations and preparations, loves and dreams in absolutely stunning, and sometimes death-defying, black-and-white. This majestic visual record of Yosemite in the 60s includes a foreword by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and a wealth of previously unpublished photographs.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2007

Reviews

[Roaldeuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been an armchair climbing enthusiast ever since staying up half the night reading Annapurna when I was about 12 or 13 years old. But until now, my main focus has been the Himalayas. Then, on a recent vacation, I picked up a copy of Royal Robbins "To Be Brave" in an outdoor store, and quickly became hooked on big wall rock climbing as well. This lead to the purchase of Glen Denny's "Yosemite in the Sixties", about which I can't say enough good things. The photographs are in a word, superb, perfectly capturing the utterly death defying qualities of big wall climbing. After reading Robbins, and then seeing Denny's picture of a climber on the Leaning Tower, well, it is just a great pairing. I suspect this book will raise the neck hairs of someone who was actually part of the Camp 4/Yosemite scene in the sixties. For an armchair fan like me it is still great read.

[Stevie El · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's got pictures! what's not to love!? i enjoyed reading the notes and contributed essays immensely and wish there were more to go along with Glen Denny's wonderful photos.