RIP to the most significant and influential American climber ever, Royal Robbins, 82.

It would be hard to overstate Royal’s impact on climbing, from when he started in the early ‘50s to now and beyond. His 1957 first ascent of the 2,000 foot dead vertical Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite completely changed the game forever. It was the tallest and steepest wall that had ever been climbed — he saw the future, something he had a knack for. He was one of the first (if not the first) proponents of clean piton-less climbing and a vocal advocate for free climbing over the more prevalent aid climbing mentality of the time. He took these ideas up big and noteworthy first ascents such as the Salathé Wall in Yosemite in 1961, the American Direct on the Aiguille du Dru in ’62… and to Alaska, the Rockies and the Alps throughout the ‘60s and early ‘70s. His strict philosophy and climbing ethics, put across in his part instructional manual/part manifesto Basic Rockcraft (and later Advanced Rockcraft), have been time-tested and come out on the other side as progressive, accepted and the right way forward. He was the first theorist and lasting exemplar of 20th Century American climbing.

I was in his presence a few times starting when I photographed him in the late 1990s for what is now my forthcoming book about legendary climbers. The silly photograph here won’t be the one I have in the book, I’m only posting it to show that despite his famously serious and astringent reputation he did have a sense of humor.

Those steeped in climbing history will be familiar with his role as the Knight in Shining Armor, the White Hat, in contrast with the Dark Angel as portrayed by Warren Harding, Yosemite’s 1950s anti-hero. In the early 1960s Sheridan Anderson, an illustrator who documented the nascent Yosemite climbing scene in black ink, had drawn Royal as a superhero with a cape. Royal and I were talking and laughing about this and I suggested we recreate that. A stupid idea, but we went for it. We found a Hefty garbage bag to use as a cape and Royal stood on a chair in his backyard. I asked his gardener to come over with the leaf blower to provide some “lift” to the Great Protector’s shawl.

And here it is, the worst photo I ever took of the legend.