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and the three-person D4 Delta3p design, the first “foot-out” portaledge designs. He also built a number of other designs, including the D4 Trapezium, a small compact shelter that he personally tested in high winds and extreme weather in the forests of
Tasmania as part of protests against the denuding of
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In 2016, he began building climbing equipment once more, under a new brand name, D4. The next year, while employed as a high school mathematics, science, and robotics teacher in the
Tasmanian school system, he began a three-year redesign of portaledges, cumulating in the two-person D4 Delta2p design
335:
ascends the 1,350 metre vertical and overhanging rock wall of Great Trango to the East Summit of Great Trango Tower at 6,231 metres. Over 2,000 metres of climbing is involved from the Dungee
Glacier. The 1992 new route required 15 days and nights to climb and three days to descend, using
33:
391:. After building over a hundred portaledges and networking with the world’s best bigwall climbers, he considered the design “mature” — meaning completely patterned and tested in the field with successive prototype batches — and made all his design work
395:, with all construction and engineering details available on his Web site, Bigwalls.net. One design, the "DIY Activist Ledge" was created specifically for non-violent protests, allowing activists to occupy giant trees safely and for low material costs.
269:
nearly led to the death of
Middendorf and his companions Steve Bosque and Mike Corbett, and Middendorf became interested in better designs. Middendorf decided to leave Yosemite in 1986 and founded A5 Adventures Inc., to design and manufacture
360:. Middendorf remained at the company as a Senior Product Manager for several years, but then stepped away from creating climbing equipment. He then sought new adventures as a writer, journalist and tour guide in the
241:
Middendorf began climbing after discovering the sport at summer camp when he was 14 years old. After finishing high school he travelled across the United States, before heading to
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Based on his near-death experience, Middendorf's portaledge designs were among the first that could withstand the severe weather of high alpine destinations including the
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383:, contributing portaledges to activists working to save old growth forests. Middendorf also became an educator in the Tasmanian school system.
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Middendorf wrote extensively on climbing and activism topics, with many published articles and books dating to 1987, notably for the
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415:. Between 2021 and 2023, he completed a two-volume history of climbing tools and techniques dating back several centuries titled
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John
Middendorf died in his sleep on June 21, 2024 from a suspected stroke on a family visit. He was 64.
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329:. All attempts of this wall previously had ended in tragedy or were unsuccessful at reaching the summit.
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249:, where in 1983 he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, he headed to
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225:. Also in the late 1980s and early 1990s, he pioneered numerous difficult big wall routes in
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where he worked as a member of the search and rescue team, and pioneered many new routes.
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Big wall climbing and founding A5 Adventures, a big-wall-equipment manufacturing company.
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289:. A5 went on to design and manufacture a variety of big-wall climbing gear, including
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bigwallgear.com, John
Middendorf’s historical climbing tools and technique articles
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435:, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division. Logan, Utah.
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in
Tasmania and fell in love with the region. Middendorf and his family moved to
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222:
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676:), 1993, pp. 263, lines 7-11 (available as a pdf file, see External links)
489:"Half Dome : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost"
464:"Remembering John Middendorf, Influential Climber, Inventor, and Activist"
340:
specifically designed and constructed by
Middendorf's A5 Adventures, Inc.
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364:. It was during his time as a tour guide where he met his wife, Jeni.
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In 2003, Middendorf began studies in fabric materials engineering in
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of the East Face of Great Trango Tower (6,286 m) in
Pakistan's
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with Xaver
Bongard. As a two-man team climbing in lightweight
221:, and in 1992 he climbed the largest rock wall in the world,
206:, mountaineering writer and designer of climbing equipment.
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in 2006. There, he continued to climb, and got involved in
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Great Trango Tower, East Face, Swiss-American Expedition
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www.bigwalls.net, John Middendorf's Big Walls Website
202:(November 18, 1959 – June 21, 2024) was an American
727:"Big wall climbing being reinvented in Tassie shed"
699:"John Middendorf : A Big Man for a Big Stone"
565:"John Middendorf : A Big Man for a Big Stone"
16:American mountain climber and inventor (1959–2024)
753:"Portaledge Protesting In Tasmania by Joy Martin"
540:"Lucky Rescue in the Sierra (see bottom of page)"
417:Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical
309:In 1992, Middendorf achieved recognition for the
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347:John Middendorf in the Wind River Range, 1991.
209:In the 1980s, he climbed the hardest walls of
103:Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering
780:"Yosemite Climber Turns to Saving Old Trees"
356:In 1997, A5 Adventures Inc. was acquired by
352:Move to Australia and environmental activism
805:"Big Wall Climber John Middendorf has Died"
371:. While in Australia, he visited climber,
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634:"Norwegians Repeat Historic Trango Route"
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664:Great Trango Tower, East Face, ...
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245:. After a year, he transferred to
190:Isabelle Paine Middendorf (mother)
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429:John Middendorf papers, 1931–2002
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935:by him (Retrieved 14 April 2010)
778:Smart, Dave (December 7, 2023).
984:Sportspeople from New York City
969:21st-century American inventors
964:20th-century American inventors
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389:Tasmanian temperate rainforests
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462:Lucas, James (July 12, 2024).
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856:"Remembering John Middendorf"
640:. Skram Media. Archived from
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299:climbing protection hardware
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84:Little Compton, Rhode Island
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597:. A5 Adventures, Inc. 1996.
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1000:
974:American mountain climbers
882:"The Line — November 2023"
686:bigwalls.net, Grand Voyage
200:John William Middendorf IV
47:John William Middendorf IV
25:John William Middendorf IV
229:. He was also a renowned
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109:MA, Architectural Design
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918:American Alpine Journal
669:American Alpine Journal
544:San Francisco Chronicle
979:American rock climbers
381:environmental activism
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305:Great Trango new route
116:University of Tasmania
515:"Rescue on Half Dome"
433:Utah State University
407:Researcher and writer
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233:designer and writer.
185:J. William Middendorf
911:" John Middendorf,
886:American Alpine Club
860:American Alpine Club
413:American Alpine Club
301:, and other items.
888:. November 29, 2023
733:. February 27, 2017
609:"On the Big Stones"
377:Tasmania, Australia
247:Stanford University
644:on August 28, 2008
513:Middendorf, John.
493:www.summitpost.org
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327:Great Trango Tower
276:Flagstaff, Arizona
261:While climbing on
227:Zion National Park
223:Great Trango Tower
835:www.instagram.com
759:. October 3, 2018
757:The Climbing Zine
662:John Middendorf,
638:Climbing Magazine
369:Sydney, Australia
323:big wall climbing
265:, a failure of a
243:Dartmouth College
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57:November 18, 1959
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358:The North Face
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890:. Retrieved
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642:the original
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362:Grand Canyon
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319:alpine-style
311:first ascent
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213:, including
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149:Notable work
108:
78:(2024-06-21)
18:
959:2024 deaths
954:1959 births
831:"Instagram"
393:open-source
338:portaledges
297:and packs,
272:portaledges
948:Categories
931:with many
892:August 14,
866:August 14,
789:August 14,
763:August 14,
737:August 14,
708:August 14,
574:August 14,
498:August 14,
473:August 14,
440:References
293:, slings,
267:portaledge
231:portaledge
215:El Capitan
132:Occupation
53:1959-11-18
648:April 14,
618:April 14,
295:haul bags
287:Karakoram
283:Himalayas
263:Half Dome
237:Biography
219:Half Dome
100:Education
933:articles
840:June 24,
815:June 24,
731:ABC News
468:Climbing
251:Yosemite
211:Yosemite
187:(father)
170:Children
135:Climbing
126:Stanford
105:Stanford
65:New York
809:Gripped
178:Parents
111:Harvard
107:(1983)
291:aiders
162:Spouse
95:Deucey
86:, U.S.
67:, U.S.
595:(PDF)
399:Death
894:2024
868:2024
842:2024
817:2024
791:2024
765:2024
739:2024
710:2024
650:2010
620:2010
576:2024
551:2019
526:2019
500:2024
475:2024
285:and
217:and
157:1992
73:Died
43:Born
923:AAJ
674:AAJ
419:.
325:of
274:in
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
