Jim Bridwell

Jim Bridwell (born 1944) is a noted American rock climber and mountaineer, active since 1965 especially in Yosemite Valley, but also in Patagonia and Alaska. He is noted for pushing the standards of both free-climbing and big-wall climbing, and later alpine climbing. He has written numerous articles on climbing for leading sport publications.

Bridwell is credited with over 100 First Ascents in Yosemite Valley, in addition to conducting the first one-day ascent of The Nose of El Capitan on May 26, 1975 with John Long and Billy Westbay.cite book | last = Long | first = John | title = Long on Adventure | publisher = Falcon Publishing, Inc. | date = 2000 | pages = pp. 83-91 | isbn = 1-56044-985-8 ] He founded Yosemite National Park's Search and Rescue Team (YOSAR), and spearheaded many famous rescues that became textbook for Search and Rescue operations. He was a leading force in the changing techniques of climbing and an innovator/inventor of widely used and copied climbing gear, including copperheads and bird beaks.

Jim currently resides in Desert Palms, California, USA.

First ascents and notable ascents

* 1963 "Northeast Buttress", Higher Cathedral Rock, Yosemite, CA, USA [cite web | last = Drozdz | first = Piotr | title = Climb and More dot com Climbers - Jim Bridwell | work = | publisher = | date =
url = http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,134,0,1,climbers.html
format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-02-03 ]
* 1965 "Entrance Exam", Arch Rock, Yosemite, CA, USA with Chuck Pratt, Chris Fredericks and Larry Marshik
* 1967 "East Face", Higher Cathedral Rock, Yosemite, CA, USA with Chris Fredericks [cite book | last = Roper | first = Steve | title = Climber's Guide to Yosemite Valley
publisher = Sierra Club Books | date = 1971 | location = San Francisco, CA, USA.
id = ISBN 87156-048-8 ]
* 1967 "South Central", Wahington Column, Yosemite, CA, USA with Joe Faint
* 1969 "Triple Direct", El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA with Kim Schmitz
* 1971 "Aquarian Wall", El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA with Kim Schmitz
* 1971 "New Dimensions", Arch Rock, Yosemite, CA, USA with Mark Klemens
* 1971 "Nabisco Wall", The Cookie, Yosemite, CA, USA
* 1970 "Vain Hope", Ribbon Falls, Yosemite, CA, USA with Royal Robbins and Kim Schmitz
* 1974 "Freestone"", Geek Towers, Yosemite Falls, Yosemite, CA, USA [cite book | last = Kroese | first = Mark | title = Fifty Favorite Climbs: The Ultimate North American Tick List
publisher = The Mountaineers Books | date = 2001 | location = Seattle, Washington, USA.
id = ISBN 0898867282]
* 1975 "Wailing Wall", Tuolumne Meadows, CA, USA with Dale Bard and Rick Accomozo
* 1975 "Pacific Ocean Wall", El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA with Bill Westbay, Jay Fiske and Fred East
* 1976 "Gold Ribbon", Ribbon Falls, Yosemite, CA, USA with Mike Graham
* 1977 "Bushido", Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, USA with Dale Bard
* 1978 "Sea of Dreams", El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA with Dale Bard and Dave Diegelman
* 1978 "Zenith", Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, USA with Kim Schmitz
* 1979 "Southeast Ridge of Cerro Torre", Patagonia, Argentina with Steven Brewer (first alpine-style ascent of the peak) [cite book | last = Bridwell | first = Jim | title = The American Alpine Journal 1980 | publisher = American Alpine Club| date = 1979 | location = New York, NY, USA.
id = ISBN 978-0930410766 ]
* 1979 "Northwest Face", Kichatna Spire, Alaska Range, USA with Andy Embick [cite book | last = Bridwell | first = Jim | title = The American Alpine Journal 1980 | publisher = American Alpine Club| date = 1979 | location = New York, NY, USA.
id = ISBN 978-0930410766 ]
* 1981 "Zenyatta Mondatta", El Capitan, Yosemite, CA, USA with Peter Mayfield and Charlie Row
* 1981 "Dance of the Woo Li Masters", East Face of The Moose's Tooth, Ruth Gorge, Alaska, USA with Mugs Stump
* 1982 "South Face", Pumori, Nepal with Jan Reynolds and Ned Gilette
* 1987 "The Big Chill", Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, USA with Peter Mayfield, Sean Plunkett and Steve Bosque [cite book | last = Reid | first = Don | title = Yosemite Climbs: Big Walls
publisher = Chockstone Press Press | date = 1993 | location = Evergreen, Colorado, USA.
id = ISBN 0-934641-54-4 ]
* 1999 "Oddysey", Grand Capucin, French Alps with Giovani Groaz
* 1999 "The Useless Emotion" (VII 5.9 WI4 A4), The Bear's Tooth, Ruth Glacier, Alaska, USA with Terry Christensen, Glenn Dunmire, Brian Jonas and Brian McCray May 3-21, 1999 [cite journal | last = Bridwell | first = Jim
title = The Bear's Tooth: Teaching the new dogs old tricks | journal = American Alpine Journal 2000 | volume = | issue =
pages = 37–45 | publisher = American Alpine Club| location = New York, NY USA
date = 2000 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate = ]
* 2001 "The Beast Pillar", The Moose's Tooth, Ruth Gorge, Alaska, USA with Spencer Pfinsten [cite web
last = Drozdz | first = Piotr
title = Climb and More dot com Climbers - Jim Bridwell
work = | publisher = | date =
url = http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,134,0,1,climbers.html
format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-02-03 ]

Publications

* cite journal | last = Bridwell | first = Jim | authorlink = | coauthors =
title = Brave New World | journal = Mountain | volume = | issue = 1973
pages = | publisher = Ken Wilson | location = United Kingdom

* cite book
last = Bridwell | first = Jim | authorlink = | coauthors = Michael Strassman
title = Climbing Big Walls
publisher = ICS Books | date = 1990 | location = Merrillville, IN USA
pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0934802599

* cite book
last = Bridwell | first = Jim | authorlink = | coauthors = (Dougald MacDonald)
title = Largo's Apprenticeship in The Best of Rock & Ice: An Anthology
publisher = The Mountaineers Books | date = 1999 | location = Seattle WA, USA
pages = 102 - 105 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 0898866650

* cite journal | last = Bridwell | first = Jim
title = The Bear's Tooth: Teaching the new dogs old tricks | journal = American Alpine Journal 2000 | volume = | issue =
pages = 37–45 | publisher = American Alpine Club| location = New York, NY USA
date = 2000 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate =

* cite journal | last = Bridwell | first = Jim | authorlink = | coauthors =
title = Bird's Eye View | journal = Alpinist | volume = 18 | issue = Winter 2006-2007
pages = | publisher = Alpinist Magazine | location = Jackson WY USA
date = November 27, 2006
url = http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP18/jim-bridwell-birds-eye-view
doi = | id = | accessdate = 2008-02-09

External links

* [http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,134,0,1,climbers.html ClimbAndMore.com]

References