EP 49: Darek Krol
January 4, 2021
Photo by Emily Korth
Darek Krol was known by many as the “Mayor of Rifle”. He managed to climb 400+ of Rifle’s roughly 500 routes in his 23 years in the canyon. Darek was killed in an avalanche shortly after this interview. We talked about his love of climbing, about stewardship, and about his close friend, the late Dave Pegg. Darek was well-loved, and he will be deeply missed.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts
Here is the short clip I played at Darek’s memorial service:
Darek Krol Memorial Fund:
http://www.gofundme.com/f/darek-krol-memorial-fund
Books Mentioned:
Les Conquérants de l'inutile by Lionel Terray (French Edition)
Conquistadors of the Useless by Lionel Terray (English Edition)
Rifle Mountain Park Guidebook by Dave Pegg
Rock Climber’s Training Manual by Mike and Mark Anderson
Other Resources:
Rob Miller on Facebook (articles on weighted hangs and pullups)
Articles:
Dave Pegg obituary - Rock & Ice
Routes Mentioned:
‘Philology’ 5.13a, Rifle, CO
‘Present Tense’ 5.13d, Rifle, CO
‘Gropius’ 5.13d, Rifle, CO
‘Cryptic Egyptian’ 5.13c, Rifle, CO
‘Sometimes Always’ 5.13c, Rifle, CO
‘Sprayaton’ 5.13c, RIfle, CO
‘Music for the Dead’ 5.13b, Rifle, CO
‘Procession’ 5.13b, Rifle, CO
‘Cemetary Gates’ 5.13c, Rifle, CO
‘Soup Nazi’ 5.13d, Rifle, CO
‘Eulogy’ 5.13b, Rifle, CO
‘Gayness’ 5.14a, Rifle, CO
’Simply Read’ 5.13d, Rifle, CO
Darek’s Links:
Nuggets:
4:07 – Discovering climbing in Poland
7:44 – Love at first rock climb, and climbing in his “whities” before harnesses
11:35 – ‘Philology’, and ‘The Conquerors of the Useless’
17:04 – What defines us as human beings, and hugging the planet
26:00 – Balancing relationships with climbing
28:25 – Moving to America
32:58 – Parallel lives in America and Poland, telling stories, and connecting with people in Rifle
38:56 – Climbing as a social sport, Darek’s first trip to Spain in the mid-80s, and selling his sleeping bag to buy chalk and shoes
47:48 – Working for ‘Gory’ (‘Mountains’) magazine, and starting his own climbing magazine
52:25 – Discovering training, building an indoor climbing wall in Poland, and hosting a climbing competition in an arena
59:30 – Waiting to be recognized as climbers, and the quarry in downtown Krakow
1:01:40 – Why Rifle?
1:05:06 – Meditating on the drive to Rifle, and commuting to climb in Poland
1:09:28 – Darek’s “dope” psych-up music, and sharing music w/ Dave Pegg
1:12:45 – Encouragement and self-talk
1:15:14 – Memories of Dave Pegg, and the new Rifle guidebook
1:24:37 – Rifle in the 90s, and Dave’s dedication
1:27:06 – ’Sprayathon’
1:31:28 – Rediscovering Lower Tier
1:38:16 – Movement vs. strength, and “there is always a way in Rifle”
1:41:45 – Kneebar pads and blue duct tape
1:48:58 – RendezSPEW event, and taking over duties from Dave
1:55:15 – Stewardship, and Dave’s legacy
2:04:28 – The bow and the arrow
2:09:48 – Climbing his hardest route in his 50s, and excitement to push new ground
2:14:35 – Darek’s project during covid
2:17:38 – “What you eat matters”
2:25:30 – “It’s never too late”, and Stanislaw Lem
2:29:23 – “There is no good and bad”
2:32:38 – More about Darek’s project, and “Vitamin I”
2:41:16 – Trying the Anderson brother’s training program, feeling old injuries, and weighted pullups
2:49:15 – Homemade training weights (bolted rocks), and the magic of training
2:53:55 – Winter skiing and training plans
2:58:10 – Darek’s dry-tooling friend in Poland
3:05:05 – Gratitude
3:10:20 – “I am the mayor of Rifle, I know everybody!”