Somewhere in between the classic circuits and iconic formations of the world class bouldering destination of Rocklands, South Africa, lies a hidden realm of dusty caves home to a different kind of climb, for a far different breed of climber. There are no carefully curated trails or straightforward directions on a mainstream climbing specific app … Continue reading Something in Between (aka Rocklands Crack Smash)
“Well, Egyptians built the pyramids.” It was said as a clever passing response in a context I've since forgotten, but the profound truth behind the statement created an instant mantra that, for two weeks, was recited time and time again amongst Egyptian, Spaniard, and American alike. Sam, Myself, Mary, and Talo at the Great Pyramids … Continue reading Egyptians Built the Pyramids
‘How is it, that after all these years, I’m still afraid of the dark?’ The thought ran through my mind as the small circle of light from my headlamp illuminated the trail stretching out into the darkness ahead of me as I walked back to the Pines one night. There are literally no predators … Continue reading The Edge of the Earth: Australia
I didn’t sleep last night. Every few minutes a fresh twinge of pain would shoot through my body, forcing me to roll over, curl up, stretch out, try something, anything that might bring even the slightest relief. In one position it was my knee, in another, my glutes, quads, hamstrings.. Nothing really worked for long, … Continue reading One Run to Rule Them All
For four years now, I’ve called the road my home. The phrase “van life” as a colloquial term conjures up images of prayer flags and fairy lights draped around a van that looks like it belongs in an Ikea catalogue, where an Instagram model in a flowy dress with a sun hat looks out over … Continue reading My Shitty Van Life
The beginning of this entry loosely picks up where the last one left off: Yosemite Valley, after a successful albeit extremely grueling free ascent of El Corazon on El Capitan [full story here]. The wall tested me in every possible way, and by the time I finally staggered back to my van with the soul … Continue reading The Lone Black Stallion: Mount Hooker
I can’t do this anymore. the thought played over and over in my head as my knees wobbled with every step, struggling not to cave under the heavy load. My pack was full of hundreds of feet of crusty old abandoned static ropes that I had just spent hours cleaning off the upper pitches of … Continue reading Team Free: A Fool’s Errand on El Corazón
Greetings loved ones, let’s take a journey. The story I am about to tell began a long time ago in a faraway land… except it was just one year ago, and exactly where I am now: Las Vegas, Nevada. I didn’t want to be here. I hated Vegas; the approaches were too long, the style … Continue reading The Crystal Dawn Wall
What follows is a few short (by my standard) stories detailing personally significant experiences from my fall season in Yosemite. While this spring I was a student of El Capitan and the sunnier east side of the Valley, this time consistently warm weather kept my partner Harrison and I exclusively on the opposite side, which … Continue reading Lessons from the Dark Side
“All that is gold does not glitter,Not all those who wander are lost;The old that is strong does not wither,Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken,A light from the darkness shall spring,Renewed shall be blade that was broken,The crownless again shall be king.” A lot has … Continue reading All That Glitters
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