Jan and Herb Conn

For the Canadian geneticist and poet, see Jan Conn. For the American bacteriologist and educator, see Herbert William Conn.
Jan and Herb Conn
Black Hills in 1959
Jan Conn
BornApril 22, 1924
Takoma Park, Maryland
DiedMay 13, 2023(2023-05-13) (aged 99)
Custer, South Dakota
Known forRock climbing and caving
Herb Conn
Born
Herbert William Conn

April 16, 1920
upstate New York
DiedFebruary 1, 2012 (2012-03) (aged 91)
Custer, South Dakota
Known forRock climbing and caving
Jan and Herb Conn at Devils Tower, 1956
Jan and Herb Conn climbing in the Needles - 2000s. Herb belaying using hip belay technique. The Conns did not use harness or belaying devices. They used 80[1] foot ropes, which are about a third of the length of modern ropes, and they usually downclimbed instead of rappelling.[2]

Jan H. Conn (April 22, 1924 – May 13, 2023[3][4]) and Herbert William Conn (April 16, 1920 – February 1, 2012[5]) were climbing and caving pioneers. They are credited with establishing many classic climbs in areas like Carderock in Maryland, Seneca Rocks in West Virginia, Cannon Cliff in New Hampshire and Black Hills of South Dakota. They are also well known as cave explorers who in the 1960s and 1970s discovered and mapped over 60 miles of Jewel Cave, making it the world’s third-longest cave system.

  1. ^ Jan Conn reviewed and sent corrections to this article to Dwight Deal in August 2014.
  2. ^ Stisser, Daryl. "The first climbing bums, Jan and Herb Conn". 12 February 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2020. (name of the author removed after the original posting)
  3. ^ Brendan. "Sometimes It Ain't Rocket Science". 23 January 2014. semi-rad.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Obituary for Jan H. Conn at Chamberlain McColley Funeral Home - Custer". www.chamberlainmccolleys.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Higbee was invoked but never defined (see the help page).