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“There were no girls when I started climbing [in England],” Alan said, in a tone more serious than joking. I’d just met Alan Carne only twenty-four hours before, on a warm September day seeking refuge in the shade of the 4×4 Wall at Indian Creek, and we instantly became friends, that kind of instant friendship… https://climbingzine.com/long-run-profile-alan-carne-luke-mehall/

The third conversation from our series of interviews in Lander, Wyoming. Steve Bechtel is a local legend in Lander, and runs two successful businesses: Climb Strong and Elemental Fitness. We have a really fun conversation ranging from old climbing stories of his with Todd Skinner, to the modern world of work, business, publishing, and climbing.… https://climbingzine.com/you-belong-here-a-conversation-with-steve-bechtel/

Four fingers grip an empty cup. “Go back to your country, terrorist!” a stranger spits, tossing his beer on me as his eyes survey my Middle Eastern features in disgust.  Budweiser drips down my cheeks and onto my American flag T-shirt as cars race the Indy 500 track in circles on a hot summer day… https://climbingzine.com/holding-on-by-letting-go-by-shara-zaia-volume-24-excerpt/

“Hey, wake up. Wake up!” Brian whispered harshly. “There’s someone out there.” I half opened an eye and begrudgingly listened to the deafening silence. “I don’t hear anything man, I’m sure it’s nothing.” “SHHHHH!!!!” Brian’s face was pressed against the mesh fabric of the tent, as he peered out into the darkness. I thought of… https://climbingzine.com/mt-kenya-jason-haas/

We just posted a sale to score all of our current back issues in print + three dope stickers for $64.99 Score here: https://shop.climbingzine.com/collections/frontpage https://climbingzine.com/mega-sale-all-back-issues-in-print-bundle-1000-pages-of-reading-for-65/

Milton had overgrowth knots, the greasy kind, matting his beard to his wooly secondhand pullover, which sagged without shape over his sulking frame. As he sat in the passenger seat beside me, looking a bit like Schulz’s Pig-Pen, I almost admired it. His was a special form of dereliction. Speckled as much by bourbon as… https://climbingzine.com/angels-alight-by-lucas-roman/

The dance of renewal, the dance that made the world,  was always danced here at the edge of things…   —Ursula K. Le Guin, Dancing at the Edge of The World   My first sense of it is auditory. I am walking toward the rim, eyes straining to see over an edge I can’t yet… https://climbingzine.com/climbing-en-plein-air-by-birch-malotky/

Words are from the traditional song “Wild Mountain Thyme.” The basis of this trip was simple: climb rocks and drink scotch. The weather, being highly Scottish, even in the so-called drier month of May, lent itself more to the latter than the former. But hey, we still managed nine days of climbing out of twenty;… https://climbingzine.com/scotch-on-the-rocks-by-greg-petliski/

Preorder the upcoming zine (Roman numerals are back by popular demand) Due out Fall 2024 Cover shot of Mary Eden on “Supreme Manliness” by Spencer McKay https://climbingzine.com/volume-25-available-to-preorder/

We have restructured our Patreon system to include more offerings and discounts. The Patreon is not only the best way to support our “Dirtbag State of Mind” podcast, but it’s also a great way to score discounts in our Climbing Zine Store. Here’s a look at the three offerings we have: Five On It $5… https://climbingzine.com/new-patreon-rewards-5-gets-you-a-zine-sticker-and-store-discounts/

The first of our series of conversations recorded this summer in Lander, Wyoming. Shara Zaia wrote a beautiful piece is Volume 24, our current issue, and we discuss that essay and much more. Zine links: Support our podcast on Patreon KEEP THE ZINE ALIVE + Subscribe  Score 15% off anything in our online store Our… https://climbingzine.com/holding-space-and-leading-the-way-a-conversation-with-shara-zaia/

Yeah, we are star matter from the big bang   And that love ain’t far behind you   Love ain’t far behind   —Ani DiFranco, “Star Matter”   We looked for god in the wet heather, the crumbling talus, the heinous gully, and the father-son fishing trip. How can the same god that crafts this… https://climbingzine.com/echoes-of-expansion-taking-our-gear-for-a-walk-in-the-north-cascades-by-katie-griffith/

“We’re not sponsoring The Climbing Zine, because we’re only doing digital ads this year,” my contact at Patagonia told me.  This was a setback I’d been anticipating — Patagonia has pulled back from a few different long term sponsorships — but to hear these words directly, from my long term business colleague who represents the… https://climbingzine.com/keeping-the-zine-alive-after-losing-patagonia/

Long before we decide, the path is carved for us. Sliced through existence to be forged for this one, and beyond. The goals we strive for in this life, the roles we thrive in, the roads we stride on, all to guide us through the night of our own inner selves, as we run from… https://climbingzine.com/arnos-dragon-by-devin-dabney-a-poem/

As we move towards publishing Volume 25 and wrap up our Keep The Zine alive campaign, one of our readers sent over an idea: “What if I pay for 50% off the next 25 subscribers”? If you’ve been waiting for a deal to subscribe, this is it, here’s the link, good for the next 25 people… https://climbingzine.com/anonymous-donor-covering-50-off-for-25-subscribers/

The black-and-white photograph is small and square, half a century old, showing my grandmother posing in front of the dark, mysterious walls of the Black Canyon. As I study the image, I quickly realize that she is witnessing a time period in 1961 when there is not a single documented rock climb of any significance… https://climbingzine.com/reflections-in-the-black-by-vic-zeilman/

SHOP https://climbingzine.com/5-6-tanks-are-here/

Introducing our first ever mixtape from The Climbing Zine. The Microdose Mixtape pairs Luke Mehall’s spoken word poetry, with the music of Devin Dabney. Enjoy. Merch is available here: https://shop.climbingzine.com/ Tapes and vinyl will be available shortly https://climbingzine.com/introducing-the-microdose-mixtape/

Way back when, which seems like not so long ago, your guidebooks tended to be a few pages of the barest drab info. Stapled, folded, printed in black and white, with a poor font and a quick-to-mellow yellowish cover of a slightly higher poundage of press that, nevertheless, tended to feature a look like they… https://climbingzine.com/comin-in-from-the-top-by-chris-schulte/

“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… https://climbingzine.com/staying-hungry-on-the-salathe-by-brittany-goris-full-story/