The gear: Exped Synmat Hyperlite sleeping pad, size Medium (msrp $169) and Schnozzel Pump Bag UL (msrp $40) Reviewed by: Drew Thayer, Senior Contributor A sleeping pad doesn’t need to be complicated, it just needs to do three things well: keep your body off the ground, resist punctures, and not take up much room in…
by Elliot Natz Note: This piece is published in The Climbing Zine, Volume 10 photo of towers in Canyonlands National Park, Utah by Luke Mehall Golden era equals a time of discovery And building of passion An era of exponential growth We all have a golden era An expansion of self-expression A…
“Ummm…honey, you know that nice hiking weekend we have coming up together? Well, ahhh…Dale just asked me if I…ummm…could climb tomorrow, and I’ll be back before we leave. Sooo…would that be ok?” Sweating after an awkwardly tense eternity of silence—but in reality it was only a few seconds—you blurt out in pure, unadulterated desperation, “But…
In the process of looking for a new approach shoe that I could also do some running in I came across the Garmont Sticky Rock. Retail: $145.00 Over the last three months I’ve tested these out on the local trail system, and on approaches across the American West, mostly in the Moab desert area. For…
Without climbing I’d be dead or in jail. This is not the first piece I’ve ever started off with those words. But in the past I never really elaborated, until this week, when my memoir, American Climber was released. by Luke Mehall (banner photo by James Q Martin) It has been 17 years since I’ve…
After a decade of writing, and re-writing, my memoir, American Climber is finally complete. It is a 75,000 word tale about my life experiences with climbing—a sport that saved my life—coupled with reflections on the dirtbag climbing lifestyle. The hard part—the writing—is done, and now the challenge is very simple: get the word out about…
The Mountainsmith Mayhem 45 is an innovative and creative backpack—perfect for certain uses, but hindering for others. Here’s what I liked about it, when I’ll use it, and when I’ll find another pack in the hopper to take up to the crag. Retail: $159.95 Upon first glance this pack is different. Obviously different. The thing…
It’s that time again when I need a new cragging rope. It doesn’t have to be fancy, or particularly light, just something durable that my partners and I can take a thousand falls on and never worry about it. There are lots of options out there, and the Curve 9.8 mm rope stands out as…