Climber Confessional: A Lesson in Backing Up Your Systems
byFuuucckkk I heard Don groan 15 feet below me. I had just led an old-school 5.9 gear line, and Don—a relative neophyte—couldn’t pull the…
Campfire
Campfire: Falling Star
byThe following post is a Campfire: a short story of 110 words or less and one photo. Want to take on the challenge? Submit your Campfire…
Campfire: The Small Sounds of Climbing
byThe following post is a Campfire: a short story of 110 words or less and one photo. Want to take on the challenge? Submit your Campfire…
Campfire: Dirtbag Romance
byIf you like Piña Coladas Pabst Blue Ribbon, And going weeks without rain. If you are into yoga, And write poetry unchained. If you…
Campfire: On Failing
byYou get back up after yet another fall. It feels so clumsy. The thing that matters most is that you pick yourself back up…
Campfire: To Climbers — Thank You
byIt’s a spot. It’s a catch. It’s a ride to the crag. It’s sharing your crash pad, your shoes, your chalk bag—switching between burns….
Campfire: The Fight is Within
byWe spend our lives in cities and in cars, with phones and computers ever-clouding our perception of the natural world: the pristine and ephemeral…
Campfire: An Unexpected Obstacle
byTiny turd pellets rained down as I groped for the next jug. What in the world? A scratching sound. Mice? But why- something smacked my…
Campfire: Ascension
byKnow thyself. Looking from a distance, there is no question who is present. Who is commanding. But facing inward, I am wrestling this abyss…
Campfire: Anchorless
byMud oozed between my bare toes as I peeked over the cliff edge—twenty feet down, maybe more. Climbing. Please don’t fall. Please don’t fall….
Campfire: Climbers Get Closer
bySkaha Bluffs, BC. My brother had taken a fall and tore up his fingers, everyone was sore, covered in dirt, and clutching drinks. We…
Campfire: Daring to Fail
bySometimes, when I’ve failed on a route ten times already, and the crux just needs a bit more than what I think I have, I…