Going It Alone by Vic Zeilman
At some point in my early to midtwenties, I came to the conclusion that life is not about rock climbing.…
Read more
The Long Run, a profile of Alan Carne by Luke Mehall
“There were no girls when I started climbing [in England],” Alan said, in a tone more serious than joking. I’d…
Announcing a Climbing Children’s Book: Squeak
UPDATE: the second edition of Squeak! has been released. Same great story, with a couple updates, including The Climbers Pact…
Part 2: Chuck Pratt, Liquid Sunshine by Pat Ament
This is part 2 of Pat Ament’s essay, published in Volume 17. If you missed part 1, you can read…
Reflections on Dad by Tamara Robbins
Since November, I’ve been in Modesto, California, with my family and, while here, digitally archiving the multitude of slides, negatives,…
A Venture Backward, Inward, and Upward by Rhiannon Williams
In Memory of Towyn Williams (1926 – 2016) I associate much of my childhood with a little white farmhouse in…
The Joy Pendulum, Swinging High and Low in Yosemite Valley by Lauren DeLaunay
As I listened to my boyfriend make his tenth phone call of the hour, I absentmindedly stirred vegetables and reflected…
Off Root on El Capitan
I wasn’t sure if I should start this piece with being three thousand feet off the ground on El Capitan,…
Jim Bridwell’s Memorial in Yosemite (a photo essay)
When I heard that Jim Bridwell had died, my first thought was, I bet even he didn’t think he’d live…
Where The Winds Hit Heavy by Matt Spohn
The granite escarpments of Castle Crags silhouetted the western skyway, massive gargoyles hunched and staring. I thought of my mother’s…
A Climber Who Cries (a poem) by Luke Mehall
Do only writers cry when a writer dies? Do only musicians cry when a guitar player dies? Do only climbers…
Adventures With Two Tent Timmy
“If Jesus can’t save you, life starts when the church ends.” Empire State of Mind by Jay Z Some call…
Brooke Sandahl on the beginnings of freeing The Nose
Man what a route! As a child, I remember looking at photos of it in my Dad’s climbing books thinking,…
Old School-South Face of Mount Watkins by Brooke Sandahl
The single most important choice you’ll make before any big (or little) climb is your partner. The right partner hopefully…
Off Route: Naked Nose In A Day by Jonathan Fleury
Back in May, while hanging out in El Cap Meadow, I overheard a friend talking about Leah’s goal to climb…