Over the years, there have been many things I never thought I would do with climbing.   I never thought I would climb The Eiger... I was wrong, again.

No Joke!

Sunk 20 miles into the backcountry, it's only been climbed once in 1979 by Galen Rowell, Claude Fiddler and Vern Clevenger. 

I slowly racked up to delay the inevitable; eventually I was going to have to start climbing, and I was probably going to fall.

The crushing realization sunk in that we only had a liter of water between us.

I had recently finished my first 50 mile running race, so he assumed I was up to suffer.

The call came the way we always imagine it will, but never expect.

The crux moves on Star Trekkin' were STELLAR, I couldn't believe how fun they were.

Almost as awesome as the mountains themselves is the motley crew of international climbers who come to try their hand at getting high, on big peaks, cheap and fast.

The sense that one’s life is in the hands of the mountains can be as blinding as the endless white glaciers, and a thirst for glory can darken our better judgment more than the blackness of night

Spire after spire, summit log after summit log, the Full Palisade Traverse is the biggest climb in the Sierra and probably also the most spectacular.

The one thing that was noticeably absent in 2011 was time spent on El Capitan. This, however, was all about to change.

I caught wind of The Citadel maybe two years ago, reading how huge Sierra car-to-car days, 32 miles round trip, could be had on this incredible peak. I put it on the list right away, but the area was elusive, mysterious, remote.

Ben saw a woman who resembled the Wicked Witch of the West, or maybe Mary Poppins, riding a small tricycle in the night.  Our bumper was barreling down at her at 60 miles per hour through the fog.  May Day, May Day!

Andre, Michelle, Angelina and Konstantin are all stronger climbers, but Ben is fast, so why not have Ben lead all of the pitches?

The opportunity to take you on your first climb, at age 61, was a dream come true for both of us on so many levels.

Matthes Crest is a ready made one-peak traverse in a Heavenly setting.

There is not much in life more humbling than watching somebody cruise some climb you struggle on, then come down and nurse her baby.

Some routes hog all the glory. Others that are just as good are cut from the list, wallow in obscurity, and cry at home alone in their bedroom

The Temple-Gayley-Sill traverse takes the obvious line from the summit of Tample crag, down and back up the ridge leading to Mt. Gayley, then down the ridge towards Mt. Sill and back up the Swiss Arete.