MUST BE NO ONE’S FOOL by John Long (summer 1978)

Sitting in bliss in my nylon seat
Paying out the rope
Caught three whistlers – one, two, three
Almost gave up hope.

Looking left, ten staring right
To my mind’s dismay
A naked maiden soloing
But ten yards away.

I tied the bonehead off but quick
And laced my boots up tight
Then untied and prayed to God
And soloed ten yards right.

She glanced down claiming hold-a-plenty
Though I saw not one;
But after all, my eyes were glued on
Loins which shone in the sun.

I cranked, I edged, my fingers bled
But no advance was gained.
The maiden chalked and high-stepped on
And woe, my heart was pained.

She topped out soon thereafter
Voicing down to “play it cool.“
I answered back that “Climbing wise,
I was no one’s fool!”

Ten feet from the summit
She observed my face’s frown
And bless her soul, she quickly tossed
The sacred perlon down.

I grabbed the cord, and thanked the Lord
Then tied my carcass in.
I cranked like hell; I almost fell
The holds were terribly thin!

A mantel quick, then pan the scene
No maiden to be found.
Bereaved I paced, then stumbled ‘cross
A note upon the ground.

“Dear handsome one, a nice display
And though you make me drool
The man I need, climbing wise,
Must be no one’s fool.”

(Climbing free. My life in the vertical world. - Autobiography by Lynn Hill)

To know more about the history of the Yosemite valley check out the movie “VALLEY UPRISING - Yosemite’s Rock Climbing Revolution” on www.senderfilms.com & www.bigupproductions.com

(Inspired by John Long’s poem “Must be no one’s fool”, Jean-Marc opened and named a combi route in Berdorf “No one’s fool”.)