- Dean Potter
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Dean Potter 
Dean PotterBorn January 18, 1972 Occupation Rock Climber Known for rock climbing, alpinist, BASE jumper, and highliner Dean Potter (born January 18, 1972 in the United States) is an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, BASEliner, and highliner. He is noted for hard first ascents, free solo ascents, speed ascents, and enchainments in Yosemite and Patagonia.
Contents
Free climbing and free spiriting
Potter has made several new routes and solo ascents in Patagonia.
Speed climbing
In July 2006, he climbed The Reticent Wall, one of the hardest routes on El Capitan, in 34 hours and 57 minutes with Ammon McNeely and Ivo Ninov, shaving five days off the existing time.[1]
Highlining and BASE jumping
Potter is known for his exploits in highlining and BASE jumping. He was introduced to slacklining by Chongo,[2] aka Charles Victor Tucker III, one of the first three people to highline across Lost Arrow Spire. Potter has completed a variety of highline crossings without benefit of a safety lanyard, backup line, or BASE-jumping parachute. Some of these include lines suspended as much as 3,000 feet above the ground in Yosemite National Park.
Delicate Arch climb
Potter generated controversy by climbing Delicate Arch, for which he lost his sponsorship from the Patagonia clothing company. "There wasn't any legal reason for me not to climb it," Potter said of Delicate Arch, despite well-established tradition forbidding climbing named features in the park. This incident resulted in a blanket ban on the activity within Arches National Park. Potter had previously created conflict with Park authorities by slacklining between the Three Gossips.[3]
"I didn't see any moral reason not to climb it. I didn't hurt it,"[4] he claimed, though deep rope grooves later came to light, possibly created or enhanced by the professional photographers Potter brought along to publicize the climb.[3]
Potter said he would not climb Totem Pole, the spire in Monument Valley that Navajo imbue with religious significance. Delicate Arch, despite its prominence on Utah license plates, doesn't have the stature of that sacred Arizona tower, he said. "I didn't see a reason why it's wrong, why we shouldn’t mesh with nature," Potter said.[4]
"At first Potter's handler in Patagonia spread the word of his climb by calling a press release to the Salt Lake Tribune. Public outrage was immediate, though, especially in Utah, where many see Delicate Arch as a symbol for the state's wild beauty."[3]
Potter's Delicate Arch climb became the topic of the song Not All Roses by rapper Odub (Kris Hampton), released on the web on April 2, 2007. On April 11, 2007, Potter's lawyer sent Hampton a Cease and Desist letter advising him to halt all distribution of the song. Hampton subsequently released a follow-on song called Cease and Desist.[5]
Notable ascents
- 2002 Supercanaleta, Cerro Fitz Roy, Patagonia. First solo of route.[6]
- 2003 Concepcion 5.13+ (67m), Day Canyon, Moab, Utah. First ascent.[7]
- 2006 Heaven (5.12d/13a) Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley. First solo ascent.[8]
- 2006 Southern Belle (V 5.12d R/X), Half Dome, Yosemite Valley. Second ascent with Leo Houlding.[9]
- 2008 Deep Blue Sea (5.12+), Eiger, Bernese Alps, Switzerland. First FreeBASE ascent of the Eiger. [10]
References
- ^ McDonald, Dougald. "Reticent Wall in a Single Push". Climbing Magazine. Skram Media LLC. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/reticentspeed06/. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ Janice Ahn, Brian Murphy, Ritesh Batra, Daniel Patterson, Keith Davis (2008-12-18). Chongo (Short film). Cisco. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. http://www.webcitation.org/5wWE07Ehs. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
- ^ a b c Neville, Tim. "How Delicate Was Dean?". Outside Online. Mariah Media Inc.. http://outsideonline.com/outside/features/200606/dean-potter-delicate-arch-climb-1.html. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ a b Thuermer, Angus M.. "Climber Potter, Patagonia agree to split the synchilla". Jackson Hole News & Guide. http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=1567. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ Levine, Whitney. "Not All Roses: Climbing Rapper in Hot Water over Delicate Arch Parody". Climbing Magazine. Skram Media LLC. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/notallroses/. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ MacDonald, Dougald (2009-01-08). "Haley Solos Fitz Roy's Supercanaleta". Climbing Magazine News. Skram Media. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/haley_solos_fitz_roys_supercanaleta/. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ Pegg, Dave (2003-06-24). "Immaculate Concepcion". Climbing Magazine News. Skram Media. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/immaculate/. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ Hansen, Holly (2006-09-11). "Potter in Free Solo Heaven". Climbing Magazine News. Skram Media. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/potterheaven/. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ MacDonald, Dougald (2006-11-10). "Scary Half Dome Route Gets Second Free Ascent". Climbing Magazine News. Skram Media. http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/southernbelle/. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ^ Thomasma, Melissa (2008-08-13). ""FreeBASE": Dean Potter on the Eiger Nordwand". Alpinist. Alpinist LLC. http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08x/newswire-potter-eiger-freebase. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
External links
Categories:- American rock climbers
- 1972 births
- Living people
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