Looking for details - Jim Sinclair's close call on the Chief

[squamish climber]

An article in the Squamish Reporter says Jim Sinclair who is turning 79 years-old in June had a heart attack on Memorial Ledge. Apparently Jim was climbing the Apron with a plaque to honour the memory of his late friend and climber Tony Cousins who died four years ago from a heart attack while rope soloing Sally Five Fingers.

Jim was climbing with Nadine Beckham and Peder Ouroum, when his heart almost gave out and then:

As he lay on the memorial ledge looking up at the clear sky, he noticed the figure of a man coming down from the sky.

Another accomplished climber, John Furneaux, was rappelling down the Chief, and he helped Sinclair reach the ground safely

Some of you may recall Jim fell about 20 metres from a slab above Sugarloaf at Murrin Park 6 years ago. See this post for details of that incident.

Jim's latest adventure is quite a story although I'm not sure when it happened so if anybody has any more info please post up.

What hasn’t changed is his drive for climbing. Its lesson is humility and a profound sense, every time he is on the rock, of overcoming obstacles.

Climbers, he says, will come and go, but the rock will stay, as it was eons ago.

Good words Jim, sending best wishes and heal up quick.

[gnarnaphobe]

I dont quite get what you're trying to say here. Big Jim seemed healed up to me when I saw him a few weeks ago and I pretty sure that indecent happened 2 junes ago...

[squamish climber]

Sorry Big Jim,

The Squamish Reporter piece did not say when the accident happened so I thought it was recently. As Luke points out, this incident happened in 2010. Glad to hear you're doing OK.

Still sounds like quite a story, and you've had a few of them. Would like to hear about some of these stories here. Anders or anybody else with anecdotes about Jim Sinclair, please step in.

[Lurch]

I got to hear this one from Big Jim himself one day last summer.

We were racking up in the Apron parking lot for a Buttress ride, and I saw Jim sitting on a rock, soaking up the sun, and the atmosphere. I went over to talk to him and he asked me what we were up to. I told him and invited him along but he declined saying "I'm taking it easy right now." When I asked why he told me about his recent heart attack.

They were going up to Memorial that day to place this plaque for Tony Cousins


Jim told me they had just gotten up there and were starting to do the job when he felt faint and had to lie down. He said "I closed my eyes, and when I opened them I saw a figure coming toward me as if an angel was descending from heaven."

When John arrived he short rope guided Jim down the gully and clipped him to his hip while setting up rappel into the south gully. Then managed three or four raps with a semi concious Jim at his side and got him to the trail. Jim says he barely remembers any of it and was in and out the whole time so it's a wonder that Furneaux managed to short rope him all the way down the south gully trail all the way to the parking lot.

Thank you John for saving my friend Jim that day.

[squamish climber]

Great story Lurch. That sounds frightening to be suffering a heart attack (or was it a stroke?) on Broadway Ledge, and unable to get down on your own. Were Peder Orum and Nadine Beckham with him also?

What are some of Jim's climbs around Squamish? I think he and Jim Baldwin did the FA of Exasperator what else?

[hevyduty]

i was talking to jim this morning heres a few routes he climbed Diedre, Unfinished symphony,Bigdaddy OH,Exodus, Tourist delight,Mercy me,Exasperator Ist pitch,Wall street,Overhanging gardens .He busy back in the day hevy

[Lurch]

I think it was a heart attack but not 100% sure.

He never really mentioned how he got up there, or his partners, or maybe I just forgot.. I'll have to ask him about it.

As to his climbs? A bunch. I know he was on the FA of Diedre with Jim Baldwin, He was with Fred Becky on the FCA (first complete ascent) of Unfinished Symphony, Boomstick crack with Jim Baldwin and P. Neilson, a little known 6p 10 a1 route called "The Manitou" left of Opal Wall, "Cookie Jar" with Jeannine Caldbeck and finished it later with Perry Beckham.

I'm sure there are tons more just don't have time to look em all up..

[gnarnaphobe]

He also has a small segment in a 60s climbing movie about climbing at squamish, not sure the name, but they showed a segment from it with Big Jim smokin ciggys on the old bolt ladder of the grand wall, and they taking quite the spicy whipper .

Does any one know the name of that movie and or where I can get a copy!?!

[squamish climber]

Is it called "Verticle Desert" ? An old CBC film I believe.

[Tricouni]

Is it called "Verticle Desert" ? An old CBC film I believe.

"Vertical Desert" (note spelling) is indeed the name of the film. Not all that short, either.

[gnarnaphobe]

The Spelling had been duly noted "Nails"

Have you and Jim been in on any FAs together? Or some repeated routes together?

[Tricouni]

Have you and Jim been in on any FAs together? Or some repeated routes together?

No FAs together, but I think we did do something like Sunshine Chimneys (a couple of them) together one drizzly day. And I believe what used to be called Eleven Bolt Rock, the original route.

[gnarnaphobe]

HAHA RAD! Do you recall whether or not Jim liked the Sunshine Chimneys BITD?

When I saw him the other day, I had just found the Chimneys a few days earlier and was taking our buddy Kyle to play in and around that area, Jim didnt appear particularly fond of them

My favourite is the the farthest left one with the burly squeeze traverse

[Tricouni]

I don't remember much about SS Chimneys, except that they were dark and a bit damp. Not an area that we went back to very often. I do remember a squeeze chimney, but that could have been on a later outing.