“Alpine Shangri-La on a 1,000-Foot Granite Wall.” Climbing Magazine. August 2009. View Online | Download PDF “Elephant’s perch is the West’s hidden gem, with golden granite and airy climbs above sapphire lakes. Fred Beckey, S. Marts, and H. Schwabland put up the Perch’s first line in 1963 (the Original Beckey, then V 5.8 A2), when the approach involved eight miles … Read More
Underwriting Adventure | Elevation Outdoors
“Want health insurance to protect yourself on your next climbing expedition? Think about applying for Polish citizenship.” Elevation Outdoors Essay. June 2009. View Online | Download PDF “Two weeks from today, I head to Namibia. In fact, by the time you read this, I will likely be in Namibia doing something for which I’m not insured. Technically, because I live in … Read More
First-Timers | Climbing Magazine
“8 Tips for Your First Day Out With a Newbie.” Climbing Magazine. December 2008. Download PDF “Marla is your best friend – you go way back. She runs marathons and could dust you on foot, but you’re a climber, and thus Marla is one of your “other” friends. That is, until she expresses an interest in climbing. However, before you bestow your vertical … Read More
Classic Climbs: Yellow Brick Road | Climbing Magazine
“Everything Wild and Granitic, in One 300-Foot Rock Climb.” Climbing Magazine. October 2008. View Online | Download PDF “Every story you’ve heard about the Needles (California) is true: the place does feel haunted, and the climbing is that good. Towering cones of granite claim the horizon of this wonderland, perched at 8,000 feet in the Sierras near the edge of the Kern River … Read More
Polish Invasion | Ski Journal
The Ski Journal Straight Line Column. September 2008. View Online | Download PDF “Dad, to me on the first chair of the day: ‘Are you feeling it? Do you think today is the day?’ Me: ‘I don’t know.’ Dad: ‘Come on now, pretend you’re 12 again.’ This is a typical exchange between my 66-year old father and me before we … Read More
True To Self: Lies and Delusions in the Mountains | Climbing Magazine
Climbing Magazine Feature Essay. April 2008. View Online | Download PDF “I’m a mountain guide — which might mean I’m a control-obsessed thinly veiled masochist or that I’m a climber who likes teaching people how to stay safe in the mountains. It definitely means taking risks. I’ve guided thousands of pitches from 5.0 to 5.11, ice, big mountains, and long … Read More
Arctic Ale | Patagonia Field Report
Patagonia Field Report. Summer 2006. View Online | Download PDF “For three days we’d had nothing to drink but stout. We extracted the brew from shallow ponds and bogs, depressing the slimy moss with the tilted side of an aluminum cup and watching the dark liquid seep over the lip, eight ounces at a time . . .”
Vantage Point: The Feng Shui of Alpinism | Climbing Magazine
“Let Chinese Wisdom Turn You Into an Alpine Ace.” Climbing Magazine Essay. June 2003. Download PDF “When in the mountains, I try to stack the odds in my favor. I have the sharpest crampons and the best energy food, I wait for the most impeccable weather forecast, and I always bring my pocket guide to feng shui . . .”
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