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- Royal Robbins (February 3, 1935 in Point Pleasant, West Virginia - March 14, 2017 in Modesto, California) was an American rock climber and mountaineer. He was one of the figures of the golden age of the conquest of the Big Walls in Yosemite in the 1960s. Along with Yvon Chouinard, he was one of the promoters of the clean climbing ethic in the early 1960s. 1970.
Royal Robbins first worked in a bank, then set up a business importing and selling mountain equipment and finally devoted himself to climbing. He is also the inventor of a bag hoisting system using pulleys and jumars.
He acquired his technique and his style on the Tahquitz cliff near Los Angeles and quickly imposed his supremacy in Yosemite, where almost all major routes had been climbed by Robbins, including in 1957 the North-West Face of Half Dome in Yosemite, with Mike Sherrick and Jerry Gallwas: first degree VI in the United States. In 1960, he made the second ascent of The Nose at El Capitan in Yosemite. In 1961, the first ascent of Salathé Wall at El Capitan, with Tom Frost and Chuck Pratt. In 1962, he opened the Directe Américaine on the west face of Les Drus in the Mont Blanc massif in France, with Gary Hemming.
In 1971, Robbins made with Don Lauria the second ascent of the Wall of Early Morning Light (also called Dawn Wall), opened the previous year by his rival Warren Harding and Dean Caldwell, and which had sparked controversy because of the 300 peaks at Used expansions. Robbins originally intended to "clear the way" by cutting expansions as you climb. After two lengths, Robbins stopped because, according to Lauria, "the standard of aid climbing was much higher than he would have expected from Harding or Caldwell and, of course, because it was so horribly long cut off all those damn spits"
Royal Robbins died on March 14, 2017 at the age of 82. - "The Crippler" had quite a career as a wrestler. Tag-team champion, minor wrestling titles, and fruitful career as a headliner. Stevens was best known as a member of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's "Family" (as they were known in the American Wrestling Association) and as tag-team partner to "Wicked" Nick Bockwinkle. A splendid singles wrestler (and well known 'heel') Stevens could never win a major solo title, but was a long-time tag-team champ with Bockwinkle and Pat Patterson. Stevens wrestled in the WWF in the 1980s before retiring. He died in his hometown of San Francisco, of a heart attack on May 5, 1996.
- College football coach. He was a center and 1933 captain of the football team at West Virginia University. He served in the Army in World War II. As a captain in the 82nd Airborne (CO of Company G of the 507th), Schwartzwalder earned distinction during the invasion of Normandy and battles that followed in the last days of the war. He played key roles in the capture of the La Fière Causeway and Sainte-Mère-Église, crucial points of entry into France during the D-Day invasion. By the time the 507th reached the battle for Hill 95, they had suffered more than 65% casualties. Schwartzwalder continued his campaign all the way into Germany and acted as military governor of the town of Essen for a period of six months. He was awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, four battle stars, Presidential Unit Citation and was promoted to the rank of Major for his actions during the invasion. When he was personally decorated by General Matthew Ridgway, the General said "Ben, I never expected to see you here to receive this award." After the war, he began his college coaching career at Muhlenberg College from 1946 to 1948. He was named head coach at Syracuse in 1949 where he compile a 153-91-3 record in 24 years as head coach. He was national coach of the year in 1959 when Syracuse was national champions. He was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame in 1982. He coached Heisman Trophy winner, Ernie Davis; both of whom were portrayed in the major movie, "The Express,"starring Dennis Quaid as Coach Schwartzwalder.