Alan Roberts

The voice grew up back east and, I hear, was an ace at golf in college. Well educated and highly intelligent, he gravitated to climbing from backpacking and mountaineering. Starting out slowly and cautiously, he worked his way up the ranks until he eventually was leading 5.11, especially hard cracks, which seemed to be some his (and everyone elses?) favorite climbing.

His near photographic memory, and ferocious appetite for climbing information and knowledge, turned Al into a walking encyclopedia of climbing knowledge. He could tell you what piece you needed 30' up the 4th pitch of any given climb, especially in California. On top of his vast knowledge of climbing, he was opinionated too, and his bias and prejudices filtered together with his knowledge gave us "the climbing world" according to Al.

Roberts lived the climbing life, and was very thrifty with the little money he made working as a guide for Yosemite Mountaineering School. He lived frugally so he could climb more. When he was 40, he looked forty, but his body was younger looking than forty and he was quite cut. He was strong and what you would call a 'trad" climber. He saw the approaching popularity of sport climbing more or less like a plague that would poison "real" rock climbing. He predicted gym climbers and their gym type mentalities, when others swore it would never happen.

Al had many, many friends, and was well respected by all his pals. He has strong bonds with many, and his disappearence from the climbing world mystified many. Seems that he had a neuro-muscular condition that forced him to give up climbing, and he, in turn, gave up the climbing life, and moved on with his new life. Reports of "Little Al" sightings pop up every now and then. Last I heard he was living and working in Vegas, married, and over his climbing past. His friends in the climbing world all wish him well, and are all better people for having known "The Voice."