“I’m not saying I’m going to rule the world, or I’m going to change the world, but I guarantee you that I will spark the brain that will change the world.” —Tupac Shakur Last Saturday, April 20th, was the official release for my fifth and final “dirtbag climbing book”, The Desert. The book is now…
I wasn’t sure if I should start this piece with being three thousand feet off the ground on El Capitan, or at the dentist’s chair. But, there I was in Farmington, in a place I’m all too comfortable and familiar with: the dentist’s chair. by Luke Mehall, publisher of The Zine Over the last…
“I try to pursue my enjoyment with the idea that folks care and love for the land the way I do for my own home. I try to model a way of approaching the sport that doesn’t re-create the conflicts (between climbers and Navajo people) that occurred decades ago—to model a culture of reciprocity with…
The sun’s last rays glance across the underside of a cloud-swept November sky as it sets south of the La Sal Mountains’ pointed peaks. The light, poking through a swath of blue above the horizon, sets the cloud bellies on fire, creating a tapestry of orange and gold and pale gray, and bathing Lost World…
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,…
“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…