Category Archives: Climbing

Climbing Joshua Tree

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An April journey to Joshua Tree National Park is an annual rite of spring for most West Coast climbers. I just returned from this year’s pilgrimage to southern California’s climbing mecca, and I’m happy to report that J-Tree is still the preeminent church for those who worship at the altar of rock and rope. With great weather most of the year, a myriad of routes and awesome desert scenery, Joshua Tree National Park is the land of milk and honey for crag rats who thrive on great climbing. And April is the most sacred month here. The desert air is … Continue reading →

Antelope Canyon Slot Tours Arizona

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The small crack twisted like a snake on the ground ahead of me, growing a little wider with each wiggling curve. Idly curious, I followed the narrow channel until it widened enough so that I could see into the inky blackness below. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness and I discerned the smooth walls of a narrow sandstone passage. I continued to move forward until the slit in the rock was almost 2 1/2 feet wide. I peered breathlessly into a dazzling underground chamber where seemingly liquid rock flowed downhill, cascading 20 feet into another chamber that was … Continue reading →

Climbing the Pacific Northwest

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One of my favorite ways to get in shape is to plan my own Triple Crown. Sometimes there is a theme – such as crack climbing or bouldering. Other times, the Big Three is based on the best a geographic location has to offer. If I want to get into awesome crack shape, the ideal trip is Devils Tower (Wyoming), Veedawoo (Wyoming), and Canyonlands (Utah). In New England, my favorite circuit is the New York Gunks, followed by Cathedral and White Horse Ledges (New Hampshire), and Mt. Rumney (New Hampshire). For bouldering, I’d pick Horsetooth Reservoir (Fort Collins, Colorado), Hueco … Continue reading →

Climbing on California’s Lost Coast

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Northern California Climbing Three day weekends seem to have an air of importance and a sense of urgency. They are long enough to get out on a trip; yet still to short to cover much ground. With a three day weekend quickly approaching plans were laid for a relaxed trip to the Northern California Coast for a sampling of some bouldering on the beach and clipping bolts on beautiful sweeping limestone cliffs. Most climbing trips begin with days of thumbing through guide books, checking weather reports, and compiling a list of climbs you’d like to do. The start to this … Continue reading →

Heaps Canyon: Climbing Southern Utah

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Slot canyons exist all over the world, but there’s nowhere on earth that can match the quantity and quality of the classic slots of Southern Utah. There are two reasons for this – millions of acres of soft sand stone and flowing water. Unlike water flowing over dirt which creates a wider and wider river, when water flows over sandstone it gets deeper and deeper. The classic Zion Narrows slot canyon is one of the easiest and most famous of them all. Cutting through 15 miles of sandstone, the surrounding vertical walls tower hundreds of feet overhead and there are … Continue reading →

Climbing in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge

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Moving through the sandpaper textured holds on the long, steep route called The Return of Chris Snyder; I manage to secure a solid foot placement in a nook the size of a small garbage can on the dramatically overhanging face. Wiggling my legs into the small space, I find a way to rest my arms before the final 40 feet of pocketed climbing. As I hang there and try to catch my breath, I hear echoes of support from my climbing crew on the ground, encouraging me the entire way on my journey upward. The weather here is extremely hot, … Continue reading →

Low-Altitude Training for High-Altitude Climbing

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Altitude and Performance Recently, as climbing gyms have boomed, more and more climbers from low elevation areas, are seeking higher grounds and traveling to much higher elevations to climb. Mountains like Orizaba (18,404ft) in Mexico and Mount Rainier (14,411ft) in Washington state are at altitudes where the oxygen pressure is low enough to limit aerobic performance, which is necessary in climbing. Training methods and the problems associated with this type of altitude are of great importance for climbers in these areas because they have to train at such low elevations. Fortunately, there are ways to prepare for this type of … Continue reading →

Best Climbing Gear

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Eagle Creek Load Warrior 30 with Sport Companion When traveling internationally for backcountry adventures, I used to take a 36 inch rolling duffle, and bob’s your uncle: everything you needed in one bag. That won’t work with airline size regulations, so now I use the Eagle Creek Load Warrior 30 inch (that’s the max allowable size for most airlines) wheeled duffel. This rig is so light it gives me substantially more weight for my own gear. I simply put my fully packed backpack right in there, and fill in around with things like hiking boots and trekking poles, and Eagle … Continue reading →

Sunburn-free Climbing

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Indoor climbing gyms are probably the best places to learn to climb, especially when you’re working long days, or battling fickle weather. There’s no worry of falling rock, poison oak, or getting lost, leaving you to concentrate on developing strength, technique and rope work. Later, you can take those basic skills outdoors and apply them to real rock. Artificial climbing walls aren’t quite as abundant as Starbucks, but at last count there are 400 to 500 in the U.S. Look for indoor walls at climbing gyms, health clubs, and schools, as well as cruise ships, amusement parks and fairs. Many … Continue reading →

Introduction to Mountaineering

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Taking Your First Steps Toward Stepping Up High While we all love being outdoors, some of us have a little more hunger, a little more drive to seek more of a test, a deeper sense of accomplishment, and a little more of the edge. This primal call comes from the alpine, the land of wind and rock that shuns both trees and human alike. But even for those of us with a confident mastery of backpacking skills, the jump to mountaineering can certainly be intimidating, if not outright daunting. The following suggested course of action takes you from looking up … Continue reading →