I have a road trip rule: when in doubt, listen to some Bob Seger. This rule stems from a trip a friend of mine, Ben Johnson, took up from the States through Canada up to Alaska one year. This was before iPods and his CD player was broken and they had but one tape: Bob…
Our vehicles make statements about our lifestyles, and in the mountain town of Crested Butte, Colorado there is quite the diversity in modes of transportation. From the high class Hummer SUVs to the old Subaru station wagon that checks in well over 200,000 miles, the car we drive can be a dead giveaway to the…
I always think I’ll write about something else, but these stories keep happening. Then I realize that is the channel for which I have been created, and there is no sense in trying to deny my life’s path. You’ve got to go with life’s flow. So here we go, back on the road, back to…
The sixth volume of The Climbing Zine is now live on Kindle and available in print. Titled “Prose and Parables From The Sharp End” this issue features a range of some of the most talented underground climbing writers including: Drew Thayer, Alexis McLean, James Lucas, Scott Borden, Brendan Leonard, David Fay and Alexa Flower. by Luke…
My first impression of Scarpa’s redesigned Vapor V was how comfortable they were out of the box. I sized mine tight for performance, yet these asymmetric, slightly down-turned shoes were flexible enough to walk in and remained comfortable for long sessions on my garage bouldering wall. Reviewed by Drew Thayer, Senior Contributor Retail: $158.95 This…
Love them or hate them, fixed draws are becoming more and more of a staple in the sport climbing world. They make things more convenient, saving a lot of time when cleaning overhanging and traversing routes, but they also create potential problems: the worst of those creating sharp, dangerous grooves in the biner. There have…
Amongst the hot new climbing gear released this season, something I’m most excited about is the newest ultra-light triple-rated rope, Beal’s 8.5 mm Opera. Rated for use as a twin, double, or single rope, the Opera not only surpasses the 8.6 mm Edelrid Corbie in weight by 3 grams per meter, but also earns a…
I awoke in the Indian Creek desert to the sound of a crying baby. I tossed and turned over in the back of my Subaru – it’s always a good morning when I wake up in the back of my car – and sat there basking in a new sort of nostalgia. The tribe is…