Despite many trips to Red Rocks over the last five years I have yet to do many of the shady spring-time routes. One reason is that I haven’t felt ready to test my mental limits while maxing out my physical abilities. So in the past I have stayed away from a number of routes in [...]
Out of all the types of climbing, nothing gets me quite as excited as multipitching. I think it brings out the best in me and I enjoy climbing all day. Over the years I’ve climbed a number of amazing and sometimes world class routes. Some I’ve onsighted, others I went back for the send, and [...]
One of the best things, in my mind, about sharpening one’s skills as a climber is the ability to go to bigger and experience beautiful places. I love the feeling of the wind on my face high on a rock wall, alone with nature. I want to share some tips and tricks on how a [...]
This past non-winter was not so good news for skiing, but the low snow-pack means we can escape into the high country way earlier in the season that usual. In mid-April, we took advantage of fantastic weather and rapidly melting (or already gone) snow to do the Snake Hike. In case you aren’t familiar with [...]
Many people associate haul bags with aid climbing, Yosemite, and El Capitan. But I think that haul bags are just as useful for free climbers, especially when you are trying to add a bit of comfort or climb closer to your limit. When climbing multi-pitch routes, you are often going for hours at a time [...]
Technically, it was morning but the night was still holding on. It was late October, the end of an amazing season of climbing in Yosemite. Daylight hours were precious and our head lamps illuminated the trail to Sentinel Rock. I was on this trail at this early hour three months before, almost to the day. [...]
I don’t know exactly where the road began, but I do have a memory of the Astroman topo pinned to my apartment wall in Australia. It was 2005 and I had traveled to Melbourne to become a better trad climber. Sure, I was there to study abroad, but really I wanted to dance up the [...]
As you can likely tell, posts have been few and far between this fall. Two months of splitter weather have resulted in oodles of time outside in Yosemite. Lizzy has been running up a storm and I have been keeping busy climbing. The big plan for this fall was Astroman and come September I was [...]
600 feet 19 bolts, 10 days, 6 brushes, 4 partners and 1 route later, here is the long-winded tale of my experience new routing on the Incredible Hulk. Stemming out under the small roof, I know that I haven’t done it this way before. I hesitate and wonder if I’m going to blow it. (Stop [...]
There are many routes that have a reputation. When you drive through Yosemite, the various formations call for attention. I’ve often stared at the tall dark face of the sentinel. Blank and imposing I first heard tales of a route that climbs up the bowels of this behemoth. In Camp4, one of Steve Roper’s many [...]
As I was hiking down the talus to the base of Mt. Conness, I was happy my toes were covered. Sanuks are no ordinary sandals. They combine slip-on comfort with toe coverage in a lightweight package. My first pair of Sanuks was the “No Sweat”. I was looking for an easy slip-on and they fit [...]
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