Joshua Tree National Park is a refuge. I don’t know if I’d decided this by then, sitting folded into the crook of Cyclops Rock, but I felt it. The stone bench was smooth, from water and wind and hands and feet and seats, narrow enough to let our legs dangle over the edge, leaning back…
The Factory Bouldering Gym in Orange, California, was by no means small, but it felt small that day. In addition to us thirty-one routesetters, there were about thirty or so people that were siphoning in for their late-afternoon sessions. The judges had just passed out our results and were preparing to announce the winners and…
I clipped her to the anchor, untied her knot, and pulled the rope through the gear. “I need more time.” Jessica whispered so weakly that I had to lean close to hear her. “We don’t have more time. We have to get help,” I replied. “What happened?” “You fell. You broke your arm and leg.”…
Although the issue was delayed by COVID, we’re proud to announce that Volume 19 is now off the press. Banner photo: Teresa Nguyen climbing Trench Warfare, during “Trench Day” in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah. Photo: Irene Yee Here’s a look at the lineup of essays and poetry. XIX can be ordered. Overly dedicated readers can…
“There were no girls when I started climbing [in England],” Alan said, in a tone more serious than joking. I’d just met Alan Carne only twenty-four hours before, on a warm September day seeking refuge in the shade of the 4×4 Wall at Indian Creek, and we instantly became friends, that kind of instant friendship…
The Climbing Zine creates stories for all our readers; whether you’re able to pay to read them or not. Most of our stories end up getting posted online for free. At the end of the day we’re a business, and we’re forever grateful for those that invest in our future by picking up zines, books,…
Just A Climber (For Bears Ears) is the result of 20 years of thinking and recreating in Indian Creek. When the new protections are threatened by the Trump administration Luke Mehall sharpens his tools from his rucksack of poetry, and prepares for the battle to save Bears Ears.
I see it being used all around me to describe women, often by other women: badass. I have always considered it to have a good connotation, as it implies confidence with a splash of style. Diverse, strong-willed women deserve an empowering word that delivers a heavy compliment—one that says, “She’s got things under control.” The…