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Dec 13, 18 •
559 Views •
Locations •
Luke •
No Comments
The granite escarpments of Castle Crags silhouetted the western skyway, massive gargoyles hunched and staring. I thought of my mother’s words: “Don’t do that. You’ll get hurt. Be safe. You’re going to die.” Sentences that salted every conversation...
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Jul 11, 17 •
8680 Views •
Locations •
Luke •
1 Comment
The uninitiated, those who don’t climb, always ask me why I do. I normally begin my response with the statement that I don’t climb enough. I’m a marginal climber at best and am thankful for many far superior climbing partners who humor me struggling up...
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Jun 22, 17 •
9914 Views •
Climbing Culture •
Luke •
2 Comments
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goerte I grew up in the traditions of western science and puritan pragmatism. Success is earned through work, luck is the sum of preparation, a penny saved is a...
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May 18, 17 •
4078 Views •
Dirtbagging •
Luke •
No Comments
Doug Tompkins opens the door to a South American summer evening. At seventy-one—stooped and shuffling, a button-down shirt tucked into khakis and held up with a leather belt—he’s not exactly the climbing jock he once was. Looking up through kind, brown...
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Feb 21, 17 •
7572 Views •
Climbing Culture •
Luke •
2 Comments
Awake. Alone. It’s 3 am. Only two more hours to sleep, the clock is ticking. The world is silent. Maybe there’s a breath of wind here and there. Late July in California and it isn’t hot at all – I’m in a big puffy coat, sitting on a...
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Feb 8, 17 •
41819 Views •
Climbing Culture •
Luke •
22 Comments
Pulling into The Chief campground in Squamish for my first time, I had to double-check the sign to make sure my boyfriend and I hadn’t driven into the training ground for a traveling circus. Uncoordinated, poutin-hungry tourists from China and Montreal...
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Jan 28, 17 •
7802 Views •
Indian Creek •
Luke •
1 Comment
“You know there’s something special you’re needing. And you know there’s no drug that’ll do the healing, and no liquor in the land to stop your brain from bleeding. You need something special to open up a new door, to show you something you’ve...
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Jul 31, 16 •
2099 Views •
Locations •
Luke •
No Comments
Right now, this detail is all that matters: the carabiner just fell back into the crack, and you’re staring it down as if it’s the only damn thing in the whole universe. Your middle finger brushes it aside on the first pass, then just lightly levers it...