Oliver Perry-Smith

Oliver Perry-Smith
Oliver Perry-Smith (right), 1907
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
BornOctober 11, 1884
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMay 13, 1969
Climbing career
Type of climberMountaineer, rock climber
Known forMore than 90 ascents in Saxon Switzerland
First ascents32 first ascents

Oliver Perry-Smith (October 11, 1884 in Philadelphia – May 13, 1969[1]) was an American rock climber, mountaineer and skier who moved to Dresden in 1902 to attend a technical university.

Climbs in Saxon Switzerland

He became well known in the Sächsische Schweiz for the first ascents of major sandstone rock towers such as:

  • Schrammtorwächter (VI) in 1905
  • Kanzelturm (VI) in 1905
  • Teufelsturm (VIIb) in 1906 (at 5.8+ - with a shoulder stand - a very difficult rock climb)

and first ascents of several climbing routes that are still very popular today, e. g.:

  • Spannagelturm Perrykante VIIb in 1906
  • Falkenstein Südriss (VIIa) in 1913
  • Daxenstein Klavier (VIIa) in 1913
  • Daxenstein Perryriss (VIIb) in 1913

(All grades Saxon rating)

In total "he made more than 90 ascents in Saxon Switzerland, 33 of which are rated VI or above; there were 32 first ascents, 13 solo climbs and 36 additional ones on which he led".[2]

Alps

On a trip to the Alps in 1908 he and his friend Rudolf Fehrmann made a number of first ascents.

  • The most famous is the "Fehrmann Corner" (in German, Fehrmannverschneidung), V−, on Campanile Basso, SW face (also known as "Guglia di Brenta", in Brenta group in Dolomites, on August 28). Despite its name, this route was led by Perry-Smith (because, as explained in biographical article in AAJ 1964, "Fehrmann was the first to sign the summit book and later he was assumed by later climbers to be a leader"[3]).
  • One of others of their new routes is the north face of Cima Piccola di Lavaredo (in German: Kleine Zinne), Aug 15.[3]

In the Alps "his repeated ascents include also Weisshorn, Matterhorn, Dent Blanche, Zinalrothorn, Wellenkuppe, Obergabelhorn, Kleine Zinne".[2]

Skiing

Beside his achievements in climbing, he also won the Austrian championship in cross-country-skiing and ski-jumping in 1914.

Other aspects

There are a number of anecdotes depicting Perry-Smith as a rather unusual character:

  • When people doubted his ascent of 'Perryriss', he climbed that route again and wrote in big letters 'Perry' on the rock. (it can still be read today)
  • He owned a Bugatti race car and got in trouble with the police several times for driving fast and hazardously.
  • He was once arrested for getting drunk and disturbing the peace by threatening people with a pistol in the town of Bad Schandau.

In the year 1914 Oliver Perry-Smith returned to the US, never to visit Saxony again.

See also

References

  1. ^ Proceedings of the Club: Secretary report for the year 1969, AAJ 1970, pp. 224, lines 6-8 (for pdf version, see External links)
  2. ^ a b J. M. Thorington, In Memoriam: Oliver Perry Smith..., AAJ, 1970, pp. 218 (see section "Sources")
  3. ^ a b J. M. Thorington, Oliver Perry Smith; Profile of a Mountaineer, AAJ, 1964, p. 113 (see "Sources")

Sources

  • J. Monroe Thorington, Oliver Perry Smith; Profile of a Mountaineer, American Alpine Journal (AAJ) 1964, pp. 99–120 (with 14 photographs in additional plates)
  • J. Monroe Thorington, In Memoriam: Oliver Perry Smith (1884-1969), AAJ, 1970, pp. 218–219