Ray Jardine
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Ray Jardine (b. 1945) is an American rock climber famous for being the first to free climb the West Face of El Capitan in the Yosemite Valley and also for inventing the spring loaded camming devices that revolutionized rock climbing.
He began his climbing career in 1963 in the Tetons, climbed in Eldorado Canyon during the 1960s, and became active in Yosemite around 1970. During the 1970s he pioneered a number of Yosemite routes harder than anybody had done before, including a number graded 5.12 and most notably the first ascent of The Phoenix, possibly the world's first 5.13. He accomplished the West Face route in May 1979, with Bill Price.
In 1996, he advanced the sport of backpacking with the publication of his Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook, which advocated hiking the entire Pacific Crest Trail in a much shorter time using lightweight gear and techniques.
His techniques were initially considered radical and risky by mainstream commentators. At the core of his philosophy was a primary focus on limiting the weight carried by a hiker. He advocated replacing one's tent with a tarpaulin, sleeping bag with a blanket, and using the post office to carry gear not needed for a trail segment. He recommended that a hiker make most of his or her own gear.
In 1999, he revised the PCT Hikers Handbook and retitled it Beyond Backpacking. This book ignited a revolution in lightweight and ultralight backpacking. Though some of the book is still considered radical or dangerous by some.
More recently, lightweight backpacking techniques with less than 25 pounds of gear (before consumables such as food, water and fuel) are becoming increasingly popular, and ultralight backpacking (less than 12 pounds base weight) is gaining acceptance by many. These techniques are often criticized for the lack of durability of some equipment or for being unsafe, but experienced users find the same practicality with less material. A smaller yet notable market for super-ultralight techniques (less than 5 poundp base weight) is also gaining popularity, but not used by a majority of hikers.
Jardine has also become an avid kayaker and skydiver.
