After Army service in Vietnam, Greg went to graduate school at American University in the 70’s. A summer trip took him to Geneva, and let him get to Chamonix for a course and guided trips with the French Alpine Club. This was the era of body belays, and rappels, a swami belt if not a bowline on a coil, and ice climbing with French Technique. Chocks had just appeared, but climbers still carried hammers to test or re-drive pins. Greg suffered through the belay drills with “Oscar” and he remembers famed French alpinist Gaston Rebuffat commending the club’s practice to readers of his autobiography. Rebuffat gave a slideshow in Washington in the early 70’s, sponsored by PATC and the AAC.

Greg, Chuck Sproull, and Dave Templeton were among the group climbing at Big Schloss on August 5, 1972. Dave led a climb and another climber seconded and cleaned the gear after numerous falls. Greg then followed. Dave shifted his stance to better secure a traverse. When Greg fell at the traverse, he dropped to the ground and Dave landed next to him. Dave’s anchor had been a single hex, the nut’s surface was grooved from holding falls. Today we understand the directional nature of nut belays, equalization, redundancy, but this was still the age of counting on the ringing sound of a well driven piton.

While climbing at the Gunks, Greg met a Philadelphia climber, and learned of a North-facing ice climbing area, now best known as The Narrows. Greg led reconnaissance and climbing trips to explore this frosty microclimate.

Interviewed on 10/3/2010