Is Capstick real or fake?

[VertigoBE]

cbvanb,

Thanks for your note. Glad you found a copy of the hard-copy first edition. The second edition is out on ebook and PDF, and am in the throes of getting set up for hard copy as well.
My two-volume book, God's Country, covers the personal and political side of hunting in several African countries.

Ian

Hello Ian, when you do set up the hard copies again, please let us know, I’m sure a lot of members of AH can use some of your writing to pass the winter months

 

[Ian Manning]

Hello Ian, when you do set up the hard copies again, please let us know, I’m sure a lot of members of AH can use some of your writing to pass the winter months

Will do VertigoBE

 

[Tam Dl]

I am not in any way suggesting Capstick fibbed in print, but if one is talking about the 70s, it was a whole other world. They still thought Everest had been climbed, until 1979. I think that in general, back then, more emphasis was put on honesty, but standards were often lower. Today it is all about lying, but various lines are drawn more rigidly today.

Bob Swinehart was a archery hunter with a reasonable reputation in his day. Look at how that comes out today. In Popular Mechanics for goodness sake.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a37105376/home-renovation-mystery-bob-swinehart/

I corresponded with the author, and I got a really nice letter back from him. I think this is a product of our time more than the author being out of his time, or mind.

So you get people who are attacking Capstick's reputation because maybe he was not nice, or honnest about some details. Exactly how nice or honnest is bearing false witness, we basically have a culture built on that today, and mind reading.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

I am not in any way suggesting Capstick fibbed in print, but if one is talking about the 70s, it was a whole other world. They still thought Everest had been climbed, until 1979. I think that in general, back then, more emphasis was put on honesty, but standards were often lower. Today it is all about lying, but various lines are drawn more rigidly today.

Bob Swinehart was a archery hunter with a reasonable reputation in his day. Look at how that comes out today. In Popular Mechanics for goodness sake.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a37105376/home-renovation-mystery-bob-swinehart/

I corresponded with the author, and I got a really nice letter back from him. I think this is a product of our time more than the author being out of his time, or mind.

So you get people who are attacking Capstick's reputation because maybe he was not nice, or honnest about some details. Exactly how nice or honnest is bearing false witness, we basically have a culture built on that today, and mind reading.

Sorry for going off topic but can you elaborate on “They still thought Everest had been climbed, until 1979.”

 

[Rubberhead]

Sorry for going off topic but can you elaborate on “They still thought Everest had been climbed, until 1979.”

I think he meant that Hillary (Rodman) Clinton was named after Sir Edmund even though he was only a bookkeeper when she was born...

 

[Tam Dl]

Briefly

Basically supplied oxygen ascents are not legitimate. It is like a 6000M climb with supplied oxygen, though not all ascents use the same amount of oxygen. The excuse, was that it was believed that it was impossible to climb Everest without oxygen. I don't really know the history of that, possibly some change related to experience of oxygen on planes. It had been tried quite early without oxygen, as had other mountains of similar size. It was also a time when a lot of the big rock and mountain climbs relied on tech, and tech was sexy, be it rock climbing gear, or oxygen. That changed big time in the 70s.

In 1978 (not 79), Messner and Habeler climbed it without oxygen. But even after that ascent there was some question as to whether Habeler had been injured in the climb by lack of oxygen, or whether they had made it. In 1980, Messner climbed it again, solo, without oxygen, by a new route, alpine style, no camps, no support, just out for a walk. This was also the period, led by the US, when clean climbing on rock came to the fore, and people started looking critically at aided first ascents, and trying to do them free, or without a rope. This was the norm in some backwaters, but it got a boost from the US scene.

The period of maximum oxygen use matched a period of mountaineering pretty much unlike any other. Expeditions were often led by military people, and conducted along military lines. Great national prestige hung on the outcomes. It was not within the normal rules of the sport, which are similar in concept and origin to "fair chase". These were the methods of the day, so nobody so engaged were being cheats. But it is still like the doping in other sports, that in cycling often also involves messing around with oxygen uptake capability.

At the same time there were other controversies, in which climbers did things like take gas compressors, and rock drills to nail their way to the top of rock walls.

The degree to which assistance always factors into climbing can be seen in Honnold's free solo climb of el Capitan, a good candidate for greatest athletic achievement in human history.

Two other things to say about oxygen, it and the gear for it, is heavy, so there always needs to be support, or mainly does. You need Sherpas, and camps, and logistics. But Messner can come along, basically with a day pack and climb from bottom to top in one go. So the "cheat" is twofold, you needed to have summit climbers supported by other climbers, so it is a team sport. Say I decided to run the NY marathon, and I showed up with 4 other running friends, and we won as a team. Than kind of thing. And then add in the O2

The other aspect is that the expeditions were lucrative for the locals, as are now all the fakers who pay 100K to climb Everest (still a big deal with O2). This has a huge economic and cultural, and pollution impact on these mountains, but that is for the locals to worry about and weigh.

In general, climbers still refer to Hillary's ascent as the first ascent. I have only rarely seen climbers say "when it was first climbed in 1978". People really liked Hillary as a person. But the reality is it didn't happen till '78. And i don't see top climbers still climb it with oxygen, unless they might be guiding. With the distance of time, we will start to see this as a period of a little over 20 years when the exception was briefly the rule. And the Wokies may also see it as a period when rather than moutaineering being the "Freedom of the Hills" is was an adjunct to failing imperial dreams.

 

[Red Leg]

Sorry for going off topic but can you elaborate on “They still thought Everest had been climbed, until 1979.”

I have no idea what he is talking about with regard to most of the posting. But then I was born in 1952 and experienced the seventies rather up close and personal.

However, most of the planet acknowledges that Edward Hillary and Tenzig Norgay were the first humans to surmount Everest in 1953. I, and virtually all of those other people, could care less about the oxygen.

And none of this has anything to do with Capstick and the quality of his writing.

 

[Pipe]

Hey all!
I don’t want to make this too long but long story short a much older coworker of mine saw that I had a huge interest in African reading to which he proceeded to bash Capstick and call him a fake. I never get into a debate unless I have all the facts hence why I’m going to my community here which I trust. My coworker’s claim was that Capstick actually stole stories from Hunter and other previous writers or hunters. My impressionnas if it wasn’t Captsick’s actual story he would say so as a disclaimer.
Does anyone know or can prove that that’s true?
Capstick’s writings, like all of of Im sure, we’re very influential in my life and wanted to research this thoroughly.
Thanks!

Hi Tulu, I am a fan of Peter Capstick since I was 30.
Anybody has contacts with guys at "Sportsmen on film"..?
I got several videos from them. I just bought them via internet years ago. They were VHS.
Comedy know any person at SOF?

I wish this will bring souls to earth and we can all be reading Peter Capstick unworried.
Regards

 

[Safari Dave]

I will forever believe that Capstick was real, even if he used a whole lot of literary license.

At this point, I couldn't care less. Maybe, he was only a very good author who knew quite a bit about African hunting.


Nevertheless, he made thousands and thousands of Americans hunt Africa.

If it wasn't for him, only billionaires here would even consider it.



I'm a retiree from a fairly small municipality in Georgia.

If my PH contacts me about a golden opportunity anywhere in sub-Saharan Africa , then I'll probably drop everything that I'm doing, waste my children's inheritance, and take the next Delta flight from ATL to JNB!

 

[PerH]

SOF is up and going as i know, Capstick an many others movies, to be bought on Dvd and for downloading on their site.

 

[Ian Manning]

Lovely to hear of Peter Capstick again, remembering our wonderful days together in 1969 at Nyampala, my safari camp in the Luangwa Valley, where he started in Africa. By coincidence, I had just begun re-reading my unpublished novel 'Digby of Africa' - based at Nyampala - in which I mentioned the glorious safari drink he and I invented, the Gin Nyampala. Here is the opening bit:


But what do you think will happen now that they have got it all?" inquired Digby Roseveare, looking across at the short-cropped bullet head of his companion and wondering again, as he had throughout the previous three weeks, whether he would receive an answer.

The two men sat facing each other, immersed to the neck in a broad river of turgid grey water reminiscent of old boarding-house soup with small clumps of hippo dung, grass, dry sticks and dead insects passing slowly by. On the other side of the river lay yards of bare sand pockmarked with buffalo spoor, and beyond that rose brown earthen banks pierced by the nesting holes of bee-eaters, and beyond that still the bush sweeping to the hills. Digby could just make out the dim form of their camp on the nearest bank, shaded by a glade of Mzikizi trees.

"Agh! I don't know, man", replied Vermeulen, the blue fox eyes staring at the bottle in his hand as he lifted it to his mouth. "Agh! man, you never know what they will do". The great gnarled fist, burnt to dark mahogany, sank beneath the surface. The beer was finished.

Digby pulled the brim of his hat down to the top of his glasses and looked at Vermeulen.

"Agh, it's not good," said Vermeulen, trying to look sad, shaking his head but restricted by the height of the water from assuming his usual melancholy expression.

Digby crowed inwardly with delight but took care not to show it. "You mean Independence, don't you?" he inquired brightly.

"Of course, man. Of course, that's what I mean."

This rather rough reply caused Digby to gulp down his mixture of gin, orange juice and tepid water, smothering the growling sound that had quite involuntarily arisen in his throat.

"I see. You believe Independence to be something of a sinecure then? " Digby bit his tongue, but it was too late.

"A what?" growled Vermelen ominously.

"I mean," said Digby in haste. "You feel that they have achieved power without having to work for it?".

He realized it was not an accurate definition, but it was all his muddled mind could do - the midday heat and the gin had seen to that. He would, he thought, have to remove himself from Vermeulen's presence, or his tongue would assume complete control.

To induce a sober frame of mind, he cast his vision along the river's surface, attempting vainly to wipe drops of water from his thick glasses. How he hated this midday bathing. At first, he had been overcome with terror, for the river was filled with crocodile; but Vermeulen had merely growled, "Agh, those flat dogs here don't bother you man. They got enough fish and red meat without bothering us." And so it seemed, but one could never be sure, hence the Gin Nyampala cocktail and the furtive glances over his shoulder.

Those were the days of black rhino, big tuskers and some wonderful people.

 

[Rare Breed]

Lovely to hear of Peter Capstick again, remembering our wonderful days together in 1969 at Nyampala, my safari camp in the Luangwa Valley, where he started in Africa. By coincidence, I had just begun re-reading my unpublished novel 'Digby of Africa' - based at Nyampala - in which I mentioned the glorious safari drink he and I invented, the Gin Nyampala. Here is the opening bit:


But what do you think will happen now that they have got it all?" inquired Digby Roseveare, looking across at the short-cropped bullet head of his companion and wondering again, as he had throughout the previous three weeks, whether he would receive an answer.

The two men sat facing each other, immersed to the neck in a broad river of turgid grey water reminiscent of old boarding-house soup with small clumps of hippo dung, grass, dry sticks and dead insects passing slowly by. On the other side of the river lay yards of bare sand pockmarked with buffalo spoor, and beyond that rose brown earthen banks pierced by the nesting holes of bee-eaters, and beyond that still the bush sweeping to the hills. Digby could just make out the dim form of their camp on the nearest bank, shaded by a glade of Mzikizi trees.

"Agh! I don't know, man", replied Vermeulen, the blue fox eyes staring at the bottle in his hand as he lifted it to his mouth. "Agh! man, you never know what they will do". The great gnarled fist, burnt to dark mahogany, sank beneath the surface. The beer was finished.

Digby pulled the brim of his hat down to the top of his glasses and looked at Vermeulen.

"Agh, it's not good," said Vermeulen, trying to look sad, shaking his head but restricted by the height of the water from assuming his usual melancholy expression.

Digby crowed inwardly with delight but took care not to show it. "You mean Independence, don't you?" he inquired brightly.

"Of course, man. Of course, that's what I mean."

This rather rough reply caused Digby to gulp down his mixture of gin, orange juice and tepid water, smothering the growling sound that had quite involuntarily arisen in his throat.

"I see. You believe Independence to be something of a sinecure then? " Digby bit his tongue, but it was too late.

"A what?" growled Vermelen ominously.

"I mean," said Digby in haste. "You feel that they have achieved power without having to work for it?".

He realized it was not an accurate definition, but it was all his muddled mind could do - the midday heat and the gin had seen to that. He would, he thought, have to remove himself from Vermeulen's presence, or his tongue would assume complete control.

To induce a sober frame of mind, he cast his vision along the river's surface, attempting vainly to wipe drops of water from his thick glasses. How he hated this midday bathing. At first, he had been overcome with terror, for the river was filled with crocodile; but Vermeulen had merely growled, "Agh, those flat dogs here don't bother you man. They got enough fish and red meat without bothering us." And so it seemed, but one could never be sure, hence the Gin Nyampala cocktail and the furtive glances over his shoulder.

Those were the days of black rhino, big tuskers and some wonderful people.

Wonderful stuff!!! Thanks for sharing! I am a huge Capstick fan and yes between he and Roark this is why I hunt Africa!!!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

PHC wrote some great books. just like watching tv, if you don't like it, turn it off!! you don't like his books, don't read em!

i wonder how many of us on this forum would fare if post death, our reputation was attacked or denigrated by others on this list? whether everything happened exactly as he wrote it or not, seems a small point in a long career in writing.

regardless, i am thankful that he put pen to paper and made my dreams of africa all the more real.

@1dirthawker
People have been denigrated and called liars on this forum, not by genuine forum people but trolls.
We have lost such greats as
@ Poton Kahn
@sgt kawshik Rahman
@Panther Shooter
These people wrote eloquently of days gone by and hunting in exotic lands. Only to be lost to us thru lies by others
Bob

 

[375er]

@1dirthawker
People have been denigrated and called liars on this forum, not by genuine forum people but trolls.
We have lost such greats as
@ Poton Kahn
@sgt kawshik Rahman
@Panther Shooter
These people wrote eloquently of days gone by and hunting in exotic lands. Only to be lost to us thru lies by others
Bob

Thank you Bob!
PHC was a writer and if he embellished stories, so what! No doubt thousands of us have gone to Africa as a result!!
Also, Mt. Everest was legitimately climbed in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay. History. Period.
Sitting decades later and debating legitamacy of this or that is a waste of time.

End of rant.

 

[CoElkHunter]

I don't personally search for and watch hunting videos. I only watch the ones that pop up here on AH occasionally. I do have one or two of Capstick's hunting DVDs I've watched. The only African hunting books I have read were Capsticks and I have several of his books. His books were what piqued my initial interest in an African hunt back in the '90s, although at the time I couldn't afford the cost to go. I know he did use his literary license to embellish some of the details in his African hunting adventures. So what. Many great hunting writers including Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith did too. I feel Capstick was a genuine African hunter who had the literary gift of bringing his readers into his adventures through his writings. I have since been to Africa once on a PG hunt and can't wait to go again, in no small part to Capstick's books many years ago. I feel through his writings, he "opened up" African hunting to those of us with average means who had/have dreamed of an African hunting experience.

 

[Andrew62]

Hi Tulu, I am a fan of Peter Capstick since I was 30.
Anybody has contacts with guys at "Sportsmen on film"..?
I got several videos from them. I just bought them via internet years ago. They were VHS.

Pipe, 10 years ago I did a CBL hunt in the northern part of South Africa. While there hunting my guide says to me, 'hey, we have an issue, the camp is double booked tonight'. He goes on to say 'we can have you two hunters eat at different times so as not to have to see each other'. I said, 'no, we will all eat together, for all I know it may be someone we know or have heard of!'. Well I'll be damned if the other person in camp that night had a PH with him named Ronnie Sparrow. Upon meeting Ronnie I told him I owned every Sportsmen on film video and thoroughly loved them. It was a chance meeting but I sure enjoyed the next 3 evenings listening to Ronnie's stories. As to Capstick, I could care less if what he wrote was true or not, but in my opinion it probably did as much to help promote the African hunting culture as anything anyone ever did in the 70's and 80's.

 

[baxterb]

I have a soft spot for Capstick. I simply look past his detractors and enjoy the books. He writes about things in a way that I like - period.

What I find interesting is that every person I have met who knew him personally liked him.

I think Peter worked very hard to get where he did in life. He used to give lectures on Africa at high schools and other locations (this some 7 years before DITLG was published) and also worked as a real estate agent. His degree from college was in abnormal psychology. His first wife started an african-themed boutique in 1972. I bet this is the first time most of you have heard that.

Long Live PHC.

 

[Jason Miller]

I have a soft spot for Capstick. I simply look past his detractors and enjoy the books. He writes about things in a way that I like - period.

What I find interesting is that every person I have met who knew him personally liked him.

I think Peter worked very hard to get where he did in life. He used to give lectures on Africa at high schools and other locations (this some 7 years before DITLG was published) and also worked as a real estate agent. His degree from college was in abnormal psychology. His first wife started an african-themed boutique in 1972. I bet this is the first time most of you have heard that.

Long Live PHC.

So, Does Capstick have any children? And wonder where is first wife is, Someone once posted here in AH stating he was Capsticks son, I PM'd him but never heard back.

 

[baxterb]

So, Does Capstick have any children? And wonder where is first wife is, Someone once posted here in AH stating he was Capsticks son, I PM'd him but never heard back.

What was his name?

 

[Jason Miller]

What was his name?

I dont remember, however he posted in one of the many Capstick threads ...