Thanks for posting those photos climber dude. I have wanted a copy of that thing for awhile so it's cool to see. If anyone has a copy and does not consider it a legit guide or does not value it for some reason I am willing to purchase it from you.
Richards was by no means perfect and yeah he did some bad stuff but despite his shortcomings and bad decisions it is obvious that he had a love for the Pinnacles.
A big influence on my life is the D.I.Y. punk scene of the late 1980's and 90's. When I was a teenager we formed bands, booked our own shows across the country, put out our own records, Xeroxed our own flyers and magazines (Like richard's guide) printed our own t shirts and created our own culture and scene .
When I started climbing i was really struck by the similarities there are between the D.I.Y. scene and climbers. Both groups drove around the country in vans, slept on friends floors/ camped out,were resourceful, and generally had a seperate lifestyle from the mainstream.
Unfortunately in both groups there were some vibrant, bright, entertaining characters, who succumbed to drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and depression. Some of these folks were a pleasure to be around and some were real bastards but definitely free spirits.
There is a lot of beauty in imperfection. It is easier to demonize and judge someone than it is try to find commonalities and forgiveness. Richards is a part of Pinnacles climbing history whether you like it or not. Warts and all. May his soul be in a better place.
