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We rounded the bend and there were half a dozen people lining up at the base of the route. Rock climbing pioneers had valued the virtue of good clothing: well ironed shirts, collared and tucked. We paused momentarily—not because of the crowds but because of the publicity—before stripping down to our birthday suits and soaring… https://climbingzine.com/rambling-in-the-bugaboos-by-david-fay/

“Keep dreamin’, stay hungry, and remember that there is no finish line.”   This quote by Todd Skinner in the opening pages of the book Hangdog Days by Jeff Smoot gave me chills the first time I read it. In the pages that followed, I felt history come to life as I read tale after tale… https://climbingzine.com/staying-hungry-on-the-salathe-by-brittany-goris-an-excerpt/

“Oh you feel and you taste it and you want to go higher. So what do you do? And so you peak into the mountain where your desire goes. Spilt blood on this place it only echoes true all through the days. And so you peak into the mountain where your desire goes.” The Mountain… https://climbingzine.com/long-way-back-mike-reddy/

There’s a lot of information out there about how to belay, and sure, the mechanics of holding a rope are important. Project belaying is another cup of tea entirely, an art that walks the line between self-sacrifice and domination over your climber partner. A good project belayer will say only, “Excuse me—can you hold on… https://climbingzine.com/project-belayers-the-real-heroes-at-the-crag-by-tanager/

And then there’s Lizard Head. I have never climbed such rotten volcanic rock in my life. I didn’t know volcanic rock could be so chossy. The real kicker, which I mulled over as I struggled to not fall off the decomposing top pitch, was that this was first climbed in 1921—a century ago!—one of the… https://climbingzine.com/lizard-head-choss-photo-essay-steve-crusher-bartlett/

Most women, at some point in their lives, get discouraged about their appearance because they may not possess the ideal body, according to societal standards. I was no different. I have always lived in predominantly white communities, and with that, feminine beauty typically meant white or light skin, tall, skinny, long hair, European facial features—the… https://climbingzine.com/mountaineering-changed-my-perspective-on-beauty-by-rebecca-ross-2/

In celebration of Jerry week we have been running a sale on our “The Dirtbag is Dead” and “Send Your Face” designs. Shirts are on sale for $25 Hoodies are $30 and stickers are on sale for $3, including $10 bundles https://climbingzine.com/last-day-for-the-dirtbag-is-dead-and-send-your-face-designs-on-sale/

Standing there, gaping at this monstrous and inhuman spectacle of rock and cloud and sky and space, I feel a ridiculous greed and possessiveness come over me. I want to know it all, possess it all, embrace the entire scene intimately, deeply, totally, as a man desires a beautiful woman. —Ed Abbey, Desert Solitaire (Note:… https://climbingzine.com/beyonces-balcony/

Note: this poem is published in Volume 24, now available  Banner photo: Becky Zunigar climbing Manifestación del Yang, a 5.12+ located in the Sierra de Juarez, Mexico. Photo by Oscar Gaytan   I first went climbing When I had nothing else Back in ’98 When Eminem’s rage Was all the rage   Tied in to… https://climbingzine.com/the-knot-of-infinity-a-poem-by-luke-mehall/

This is the most beautiful place on Earth, but of course, like Cactus Ed Abbey said, every person carries in their heart an image of the ideal place, the right place. This is just the right place for me. But, right now, something is not right, and it’s pitch black anyways, no beauty to be… https://climbingzine.com/desert-dog-luke-mehall/

5June’s humid breath settles in waves over the Mount Washington Valley as the sun dips low in the west. A shadow Cathedral Ledge pools at the base of the real one, growing long toward the chalets and the strawberry fields as I belay my partner up behind me. The air is heavy—with evening promising little… https://climbingzine.com/biophilia-on-the-rocks-by-birch-malotky/

It is like any other start to a day of climbing in the Black Canyon. Dave and I are up before the sun, throwing down coffee and a quick breakfast, and assembling all the hardware needed for the day’s climb. We gently descend down the Cruise Gully, careful not to dislodge any loose rocks, with… https://climbingzine.com/painted-wall-luke-mehall/

by Lucas Roman. This story is published in Volume 18. Banner photo by Hobo Greg Brad Gobright is pure of heart. So pure, in fact, that he may never have faced a dilemma in all his life. That’s not exactly serving him well right now, as he’s stuck in a pickle of his own making,… https://climbingzine.com/brad-gobright-pure-of-heart-by-lucas-roman-full-story/

Luke’s conversation with Sam MacIlwaine, who contributed the poem “Dirtbag” to Volume 25 of The Climbing Zine, and is also featured on the back cover of that issue. Subscribe/ score some books/clothes/stickers: https://shop.climbingzine.com/ Our sponsors for Season 7:  Kilter: http://settercloset.com (email holds@kiltergrips.com for more information) Scarpa: www.scarpa.com Osprey: https://www.osprey.com/ photo by Jordi Llauradó https://climbingzine.com/from-tech-to-tolstoy-and-trad-climbing-with-sam-macilwaine/

Typical Sunday used gear peruse. Filing through overpriced  ultralights. Old green rock empire robot. Outdated, unwanted, undervalued…   “Perfect.”   This cam had chemistry, To be there for someone in the  thinnest of situations, In the wildest of areas, Attached at the hip.   Now devoid of adventure, Grown apart, Told that it’s not the… https://climbingzine.com/ass-color-ass-cam-10-by-stefanos-apostle-a-poem/

Screams are a colorful thing. Each one has its own distinct message. An anger, a joy, a pain. The nature of each rings clear somewhere deep in our instincts. From the sound alone, you can practically see the scrunched nose and raised upper lip of a shout delivered in loud fury. Yet slightly muffled as… https://climbingzine.com/seventeen-times-alive-by-dakota-walz/

In Memory of Towyn Williams (1926 – 2016) I associate much of my childhood with a little white farmhouse in the Welsh countryside. My roots are firmly planted there. Planted between the rows of strawberries and the tunnels of raspberry bushes. by Rhiannon Williams note: this piece is an excerpt from The Climbing Zine Book,… https://climbingzine.com/venture-backward-inward-upward-rhiannon-williams/

The next “Zine Thing” will be on Friday July 25th at the Gravity Lab climbing gym in Durango, Colorado. As always this is a free event featuring stories, poetry, film, and a slideshow. If you’ve got something to share please send a message to luke@climbingzine.com. Word. https://climbingzine.com/zine-thing-at-the-gravity-lab-climbing-gym-july-25th/

It’s your mom’s minivan pimped out And only seats two Because if it wasn’t hard enough to live in a van It’s way harder to hook up in one   This poem is published in The Climbing Zine Book 2, now available. Banner photo by: Kristen Hughes   With a full set of seats in… https://climbingzine.com/dirtbag-paradise-amber-roepke-poem/

Is climbing as innate as sharing, copulating, greed, or even walking? Many evolutionary biologists would offer that the essence of climbing can be found in our DNA. It is hardwired into us, this desire to be in the vertical world. And beyond that desire, our bodies are built for the physical challenges of climbing. by… https://climbingzine.com/are-we-born-to-climb-by-d-scott-borden/