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Chuck Pratt


Chuck Pratt (March 5, 1939 - December 16, 2000) was a rock climber from California, best known for big wall climbing first ascents in Yosemite Valley. He was also a long-time climbing instructor and mountain guide in the California's Palisades Range and the Grand Tetons.

In 1959, he made the first ascent of the north face of Middle Cathedral Rock in Yosemite Valley, along with Steve Roper and Bob Kamps.

In 1960, he made the second ascent of The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, a route pioneered by Warren Harding in 1958. He climbed with Royal Robbins, Tom Frost and Joe Fitschen.

On September 12, 1961, Tom Frost and Royal Robbins began the first ascent of the Salathé Wall on El Capitan, named for pioneer Yosemite climber John Salathé. The pair spent two days establishing the first 600 feet of the route, and then retreated to the valley floor, where they met up with Pratt, with whom they spent several more days pushing the route to 1,000 feet above the valley floor. Once again, the climbers descended and resupplied. On September 19, they resumed the climb, and after days of intense vertical aid climbing they reached the Roof, a 15-foot overhang. On September 24, the trio reached the summit. It had taken them a total of 11 days and 36 pitches of vertical climbing to finish the route, which is rated YDS VI, 5.10, A3.

In 1964, along with Robbins, Frost and Chouinard, Pratt made the first ascent of the North America Wall on El Capitan, YDS VI, 5.8, A5. Of this climb, Chris Jones wrote, "For the first time in the history of the sport, Americans lead the world."

In July, 1964, he completed the first ascent of the south face of Mount Watkins, with Chouninard and Warren Harding. This was a grueling 5 day climb in very hot weather with little water, and Pratt described it is the 1965 issue of the American Alpine Journal.

Roper, Steve, Camp 4: Recollections of a Yosemite Rockclimber, (1998),  pages 185 -187

"I don't want to write about climbing; I don't want talk about it; I don't want to photograph it; I don't want to think about it; all I want to do is do it."

Chuck Pratt Climbing Quote

Rock climber Royal Robbins admired Pratt greatly: "I have said many times that Chuck was the best climber of our generation. I was always in awe of Pratt's ability to float effortlessly up the hardest off-width jam cracks. But he was not just a jam crack specialist. His mastery extended to face climbing, slab climbing, and aid climbing. Pratt could do it all, as well as balance on chains between fence posts and juggle half a dozen items at once. He was also the best writer of our generation: his masterpieces The View From Dead Horse Point and The South Face of Mount Watkins are classics of climbing literature. I admired and enjoyed and attempted to emulate Pratt in all of these areas. Although failing, I was none-the-less prodded to higher achievement by the example set by Charles Marshall Pratt.

But beyond and above these deeds and talents, Pratt is my hero because of the kind of person he is - the very best of climbing companions: jovial, keenly witty, with a sense of humor that has a laser beam focus on the absurdities of the universe and the hands we are dealt in the cosmic poker game. I once heard the phrase, "only the pure climb gracefully." I know Pratt would wince at being called "pure," being as much a sinner as the next man. But when it comes to climbing itself, well, that is almost sacred to Chuck. Pratt, more than perhaps anyone I have known, has always climbed, first and foremost, and last and finally, for the climbing experience itself, for the rewards that come directly from the dance of man and rock. Climbing for Chuck is a life-giving elixir, and he has always wanted to keep it as pure as possible: uncorrupted and unalloyed by gain, fame, or ambition, or any sort of debasement. Chuck has kept his integrity."

Pratt attended a reunion of Yosemite climbers at Camp 4 in 1999.

Pratt died of a heart attack in Thailand.