It was just weeks into this move that I realized just how much closer I was to Indian Creek, that old friend. It didn’t take long for us to get reacquainted. I had changed. It had mostly remained the same, save for its ever-increasing popularity. I was back in the desert, and, maybe, just maybe,…
Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you in better living conditions. —Hafiz I’ve always been a sucker for men with incredible strength-to-weight ratios. My husband, a wiry 5´11˝, coming in at 139 pounds on a good day, has the most gorgeous, well-defined arms I’ve ever laid eyes on.…
“They’re not like those trees,” said five-year-old Remi Middendorf, pointing at the young birches lining the hot springs. “They’re special trees.” Her Australian accent with an adorable lisp made the word special sound extraspecial, like she knew it would call to mind exactly what she was describing: the eucalyptus trees in the Tarkine forests near…
Volume 13 of The Zine is now printed and available to order. Here’s a look at the introduction from our publisher, Luke Mehall. Cover photo by Sagar Gondalia. Introduction Welcome to Volume 13 of The Climbing Zine. From the vertical search of flying squirrels in Pakistan to navigating big walls amongst poppy fields in…
Every once and a while I bust out my typewriters for a writing contest. This year at the International Climbers Fest in Lander, Wyoming we held a “love letter to climbing” contest. Sara Aranda was this year’s winner, and it was her first time ever using a typewriter! Here’s her poem, in original format and…
The Pinnacle of Technology, as we called her drifted through the endless space, the time continuum that is road tripping. Flakes of snow silently hurtled themselves at the windshield and accumulated on the invisible roadway beyond our high beams, as if the stars of hyperspace were falling out of solution. by Kevin “K-Bone” Volkening (note…
The construction style “Mussy Hook” has always been one of my least favorite pieces of climbing hardware to see at an anchor. They tend to get sharp quite easily from wear and tear, and their gates often stop functioning properly, leaving an open part of the biner in the system. Reviewed by: Shaun Matusewicz, Senior…
Doing a gear review Climbing Zine style for a rope is difficult. For starters our method for reviewing gear is simple: we use it in our normal day-to-day climbing, as anyone else would. We pay attention to what we like, and what we don’t. by Luke Mehall Ropes are tricky because any rope can get a…