ABOVE: Mike Stone standing on Mitre Peak. Mount Arapiles is behind him. (Photo Credit: Mike Stone Collection)

A Tribute and Trio of Stories

​Mike Stone passed in 2019. In honor of Mike's contributions to the climbing world, Keith Bell provides a tribute below.

A TRIO OF STORIES

Fiasco on the Grand Cap - 1969 by Mike Stone is a part of a trio of humorous stories about the first Australian ascent of the East Face of the Grand Capucin in Chamonix, France. Fiasco tells the tale of the attempted ascent of Grand Capucin by Mike Stone and Ian Guild in 1969 (but ended up retreating). The first Australian ascent followed in 1971 by Howard Bevan and Keith Bell.

Common Climber shares stories two and three with Night Cap - The Plan by Howard Bevan and A Grand Nightcap by Keith Bell of the complete first ascent. Check out all three to get the full entertaining experience!

Common Climber is fortunate to be able to re-publish Mike's original story that was featured in Thrutch magazine in 1971 (Vol 5 - No 9, January/February 1971, Pages 13 - 14). ​

ABOVE: Author Mike Stone summiting the Grandes Jorasses via the Walker Spur in 1969. (Photo Credit: John Fantini)

Mike Stone is an Australian rock climbing pioneer, particularly in his home state of Victoria, where many of his first ascents are now classics. Mike also forged the way for Australians in the European Alps as shown by his piece, Fiasco on the Grand Cap. Mike Stone, along with John Fantini with their ascent of the mighty Walker Spur inspired me to try the Alpine way. Afterwards, Mike and I criss-crossed paths over the years, and I am proud to share this memoir honoring his life and contributions to our climbing world.
 
Towards the end of 1969, I was climbing in the Blue Mountains with John Fantini. John had just returned from Europe where he had climbed the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses with Mike Stone – it’s first Australian ascent. Earlier that season John had climbed the Brandler-Hasse on the Cima Grande in the Dolomites with an Austrian, but had his heels nipped by another Australian party, comprised of Mike Stone and Ian Guild. These are impressive climbs and John, being the persuasive person that he is, convinced me that I should try the big Alpine ones too.
 
After a successful season in 1971 inspired by John, Mike, and Ian, I returned home to immediately head southwards with Ray Lassman to the premier climbing areas of Victoria – Mount Arapiles (Djurite), the Grampians (Gariwerd), and Mount Buffalo (Dordordonga). As we moved about these areas our paths often crossed with Mike Stone and I got to know him well.

​Throughout the seventies I often travelled south for my vertical thrills and ran into Mike on many occasions. I once surprised him at his home in Warrnambool in Western Victoria while travelling from Adelaide (South Australia) to Melbourne (Victoria) and found him to be a welcoming and gracious host.

Mike Stone leading the first ascent in 1975 of "Son of a Gun" (21 AU/5.10c US), Barbican Wall, Grampians. (Photo Credit: Chris Baxter)

He was unfailingly friendly, kind, fun to be around and free with his extensive knowledge of climbs and cliffs.”

Though I did not climb with him, I found Mike to be an inspiring raconteur with his tales of epics, climbs, and adventures enlivening many sessions around a campfire. Mike was a pioneer who had an eye for outstanding lines and was regarded by all as a doyen of Victorian and Australian climbing, as the following will attest.
 
Many Australian and overseas climbers will recognise with pleasure some of the many climbs Mike Stone pioneered at Mount Arapiles.

Mount Arapiles

Climb Name (AU/U.S.)

D Major (9/5.0)
Agamemmun (10/5.1)
Syrinx (10/5.1)     
Didgeridoo (12/5.4)
Panzer (12/5.4)
Watchtower Chimney (12/5.4)
Beautiful Possibilities (15/ 5.7)
Yo Yo (16/5.8)
Cassandra (18/5.10a)
Scorpion (18/5.10a)
Cadenza (19/5.10b)
Jenny Wren (20/5.10c)

Mike Stone (Right) with his best friend and climbing partner, Ian Speedie in ‘The Pines’ campground - Mt Arapiles. Check out the harnesses. (Photo Credit: Mike Stone Collection)

Mike Stone leading Checkmate (17/5.9) on the Bard Buttress - Mt Arapiles. (Photo Credit: Geoff Schirmer)

Grampians

In the nearby Grampians Mike was also responsible for some absolute classics. Head of the list and demanding special mention is his ascent of The Seventh Pillar (16M4) in 1966, the first climb to breach the overhanging horror of Taipan Wall. Some of his other great firsts in those ranges are:

Climb Name (AU/US)
​
Debutante (14/5.6)     
Hacklespur (18/5.10a)
Man O’ War (19/5.10b)          
Mutinous Dog (19/5.10b)                   
20th Century Fox (20/5.10c)          
The Lonely Sea (20/5.10c)

The Five Amigos at Mt. Abrupt in the Grampians around 1970. (L to R) Alan Gledhill, Geoffrey Gledhill, Mike Stone, Ben Sandilands, and Keith Lockwood. (Photo Credit: Geoff Gledhill Collection)

Ed Note: Geoffrey Gledhill (second from the left above) completed the first ascent of Ozymandias Direct with his twin brother Alan.

Buffalo Gorge

The North Face of Buffalo Gorge is up there as one of the biggest walls in Oz. An early attempt by Mike resulted in Comet Ramp, a climb destined to be the access to and the escape route from the base of this granite wall. Mike and his team returned in 1966 to breach this uncompromising wall with Emperor (18M2/5.10aM2), a superb achievement and a major breakthrough. Later, Mike added IL Duce (15M5/5.7M5) to the right of Emperor. Other shorter beautiful routes which he led are Monarch (18M3/5.10aM3) and Caligula (18/5.10a).

Climb Name (AU/US)
​
Comet Ramp (*) 
IL Duce (15M5/5.7M5) 
Emperor (18M2/5.10aM2)
Monarch (18M3/5.10aM3)         
Caligula (18/5.10a)

Emperor team after topping out on the first ascent of the North Wall - Mt Buffalo (L to R) Reg Williams, Mike Stone, Ted Batty and Ian Speedie. (Photo Credit: Mike Stone Collection)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does highlight the talent, energy, and prodigious pioneering spirit that Mike as a climber possessed.
 
Besides being an entertaining campfire storyteller Mike was also a witty and talented writer. He wrote many articles for local and national climbing magazines such as Argus and Thrutch. He also helped co-author rock climbing guidebooks, including the seminal Green Guide to Mount Arapiles (1966) with Ian Speedie.
 
Victorian and Australian climbing suffered a great loss when Mike passed away on the 19th March 2019, at a youthful 77.
 
The author would like to acknowledge the valued assistance given by Jen Stone (Mike Stone's daughter), Ian 'Humzoo' Thomas, John Fantini and Geoffrey Gledhill in the preparation of this Tribute.

(L to R) Geoffrey Gledhill, Mike and Janet Stone relaxing around the campfire in "The Pines" campsite - Mt Arapiles. (Photo Credit: Mike Stone Collection)