“Vertical Ethiopia: Sandstone Chaos in the Horn of Africa.” Climbing Magazine. January 2008. Download PDF “My first Ethiopian hand jam feels perfect. My flexed thumb nestles into ochre sandstone as I reach above for the next jam. I know this routine well: reach, pull, gear, clip, repeat. I do it for 20 feet. I could be in Indian Creek . . … Read More
Whipped: Father’s Day
“The Best Way to Explain Climbing to Your Family? Scare the Bejeezus Out of ’em. . .” Climbing Magazine Column. January 2008. Download PDF “No one in my family is a climber. In Minnesota we Burhardts stick to sports that suit our locale: in summer, we find new ways to exploit the 10,000 lakes, and in winter, we ski. So when I began … Read More
Klettergarden | Climbing Magazine
“Klettergarden: Alpine Moderate Madness in Rocky Mountain National Park.” Climbing Magazine. August 2007. Download PDF “What comes to mind when I mention Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)? Probably the Diamond of Longs Peak, that 1,000-foot granite plaque capping an ominous east-facing cirque. Or maybe Hallet Peak and the clusters of V-hard boulderers sessioning the talus at its base. Or tourists filming bored, overstuffed elk from their … Read More
Whipped: The Dark Side
“Welcome to the Mad Pursuit of Night Climbing.” Climbing Magazine Column. February 2007. Download PDF “Four hundred feet up Eldorado Springs Canyon’s Yellow Spur, pigeon shit on my lips and headlamps around my ankles, I screamed at my belayer to stop pulling me off. It was well past 10 p.m., and what we were doing would easily qualify as an epic — except we’d chosen it … Read More
Getting What You Came For | Climbing Magazine
“Getting What You Came For: Adventure Climbing in Corsica.” Climbing Magazine December 2006. Download PDF “I had plenty of gear, just nowhere to put it. Quaking in a strenuous stem, I finally gave up trying to sling a sloping horn. Going horizontal out a 3-foot roof, I used all the Corsican tricks I’d learned in the past weeks — I … Read More
Whipped: Expando-Crag
“Maximizing Your Climbing Space, Polish-Style.” Climbing Magazine Column. September 2006. Download PDF “The Poles, long known for making do in the face of social, political, and economic hardship, have also always applied the same perseverance to sport. Consider the recent introduction of the bicycle with hydraulic saddle-lifting mechanism, or the kayak-surfboard for those especially tricky waves, introduced in 1999 with some success. But by far the best example of Polish … 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 . . .”
Expanding Your Horizons | Climbing Magazine
“Expanding Your Horizons: Getting the Most Out of Guided Climbing”. Climbing Magazine. Annual 2006. Download PDF “Let’s say you’re brand new to climbing and can’t wait to get started. Or, let’s say you’ve got some experience, but want to become a better climber. Maybe you know the basic systems, but want to learn how to move over a new medium (rock, ice, or … Read More
An Organic Change | Delicious Living
“An Organic Change.” Delicious Living. September 2005. Download PDF “I never eat airplane food. Instead, I stock up on snacks at the local natural foods store to tide me over until I reach my destination.When I’m too rushed to go shopping first, I subsist mostly on water and dream of my favorite quinoa salad…”
Meet in the Middle | Dandelion
“Yes, You Can.” Dandelion/Women’s Adventure Essay. November 2004. Download PDF “My mother has never eaten a PowerBar. Somehow she has managed to get through seven cross-country bike trips, 11 triathlons, and six marathons without developing a taste for anything other than Oreos. Eight years ago on our first cross-country bike ride together, I watched her eat more than 15 Oreos a day while I stuck to Banana … Read More