Royal Robbins was one of the pioneers of American rock climbing.
15 Facts About Royal Robbins
2.
In 1971, Robbins completed the second ascent, with Don Lauria, of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan, with the intention of erasing the route as they climbed it.
3.
Royal Robbins, LLC Royal Robbins LLC is a San Francisco based clothing company built off of Royal's love for climbing and the outdoors by specializing in outdoor and travel focused attire.
4.
Liz Royal Robbins rejoined the company in December 2015 as a senior advisor.
5.
Royal Robbins authored two seminal books, Basic Rockcraft and Advanced Rockcraft, which emphasized free climbing skills and a clean-climbing ethic.
6.
Royal Robbins opposes climbs done outside the accepted mores of a given climbing center, or the prevailing style of an area.
7.
In Royal 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".
8.
In 1978, Royal Robbins developed psoriatic arthritis, which prevented serious climbing.
9.
Royal Robbins took up adventure kayaking instead, completing first descents of challenging rivers from high mountain elevations.
10.
In 1983, Royal Robbins descended the Tuolumne River in Yosemite National Park from Tuolumne Meadows to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
11.
Royal Robbins was accompanied by Reg Lake, Chuck Stanley, Lars Holbek, John Armstrong and Richard Montgomery.
12.
Royal Robbins then developed an interest in descending smaller mountain creeks by kayak during their flood stage following heavy rains.
13.
Royal Robbins was accompanied by Yvon Chouinard, Reg Lake, John Wasserman and Jackson Frischman.
14.
Royal Robbins called this type of trip "flash boating", and later used the technique on the Fresno River, the Chowchilla River and the middle fork of the Mokelumne River.
15.
Royal Robbins leading the third pitch of the Salathe Wall on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.