On the ledge that night, I felt at home and at ease. We were on the rock of our dreams. And Dave was the perfect partner. He was better at figuring out the logistics of hauling and jugging. Dave was the ying to my yang. Plus, we’d struck a deal: I would lead the infamous…
It’s the same story the crow told me It’s the only one he knows Like the morning sun you’ll come And like the wind you’ll go —Grateful Dead, “Uncle John’s Band” Hunched over, I begin to carve the plaque for the climb I’ve been obsessing over for the last five years. In that…
*Trigger Warning* This article discusses self-harm. “Look at my hands!” I hold my blistered and scabbed knuckles out to my friend Alison. She isn’t as impressed as I hoped she’d be. It is 2017, and it’s my first week of trad climbing. I’m in Yosemite Valley, and until recently, I’ve always had the…
I hold and turn my helmet like a classroom globe, dragging my fingers over each mark, each sign of wear. Every indent, every groove represents a route, a pitch, a move, a memory. Note: this piece is published in the new Zine, Volume 17, now available to order. In my hands is my beaten-up shield.…
There’s a lot of information out there about how to belay, and sure, the mechanics of holding a rope are important. Project belaying is another cup of tea entirely, an art that walks the line between self-sacrifice and domination over your climber partner. A good project belayer will say only, “Excuse me—can you hold on…
And then there’s Lizard Head. I have never climbed such rotten volcanic rock in my life. I didn’t know volcanic rock could be so chossy. The real kicker, which I mulled over as I struggled to not fall off the decomposing top pitch, was that this was first climbed in 1921—a century ago!—one of the…
I started climbing in Durango, Colorado, a small and isolated burg on the edge of the desert and the mountains, pushing up against the mesa farmlands that run along scarce western rivers. All climbing called to me: Mini routes in the alpine above Silverton, Telluride, and Ouray scared the hell out of me with choss,…
Most women, at some point in their lives, get discouraged about their appearance because they may not possess the ideal body, according to societal standards. I was no different. I have always lived in predominantly white communities, and with that, feminine beauty typically meant white or light skin, tall, skinny, long hair, European facial features—the…