Table of Contents
Introduction: 50 Years of Awesome by Matt Samet, Editor of Climbing ix
Part 1 The 1970s
The 1970s: Climbing Becomes Clean, Free, and a Little Bolder Jim Erickson 3
The Dragon Route (July-August 1973, No. 20) Karl Karlstrom 9
Hot Henry: An Interview with Henry Barber (May-June 1974, No. 25) Demetri Kolotronis 16
Climbing and the Alpine Environment: Ethics of Preservation (November-December 1975, No. 33) Michael Kennedy 20
Ogre Descent (November-December 1977, No, 45) Doug Scott 25
Pumping Sandstone (January-February 1978, No. 46) John Long 33
The Foolish and the Wise: The First Free Ascent of the Wisdom (July-August 1978, No. 49) Glenn Randall 37
Friends: A Look at New Technology in Climbing (November-December 1978, No. 51) Commentary Steven Levin 42
Latok I: A Climb without a Summit (March-April 1979, No. 53) Michael Kennedy 45
Part 2 The 1980s
The 1980s: A Decade of Radical Change and Transition Paul Piana 49
Witlessly Bold, Heroically Dull (January-February 1980, No. 58) Tobin Sorenson 54
The Dance of the Woo-Li Masters (November-December 1981, No. 69) Jim Bridwell 59
Shawangunk Solo Climbs: Fool's Goal (April 1986, No. 95) Russ Clune 67
Kiss or Kill (October 1986, No. 98) Marc Twight 72
Wolfgang Güllich (June 1987, No. 102) Interview Beth Wald 76
Salathé Wall: 1988 (October 1988, No. 110) Paul Piana 85
Up against It (April 1989, No. 113) Ed Webster 98
Part 3 The 1990s
The 1990s: Sport Climbing Comes into its Prime Randy Leavitt 111
Tales from the Gripped (October-November 1993, No. 140) John Sherman 115
A Day in the Life of a Mountaineer (December 1994-February 1995, No. 149) Peter Craft 125
The Shining Mountain (September 1997, No. 171) Andy Cave 130
Balancing Act (November 1999, No. 189) Jeff Achey 140
Part 4 The 2000s
The 2000s: El Capitan and the Road Less Traveled Beth Rodden 153
Now Going (February 2000, No. 191) Conrad Anker 157
The Dihedral Wall (October 2004, No. 234) Tommy Caldwell 163
The Line of Control (January 2008, No. 263) Micah Dash 173
The Black Dog (April 2008, No. 265) 180
Ragged Edges: A Private Suicide Kenneth Long 181
The Slender Cord: Free Soloing and the Road to Perdition Fitz Cahall 182
True to Self: Life and Delusions on the Mountains Majka Burhardt 185
Calling All the Heroes: A Black Day in the Texas Desert Matt Samet 187
The Black Hole: Night Soloing in the Tuolumne High Country Chad Shepard 189
Fantasyland (July 2008, No. 267) Kelly Cordes 191
Part 5 The 2010s
The 2010s: A Lifetime of Climbing Chris Sharma 199
Half Life (February 2011, No. 292) Jeff Achey 202
Vampire Diary (December 2012-January 2013, No. 311) Jeff Achey 212
Expaddiction (March 2014, No. 323) Mike Libecki 222
A Belief (April 2015, No. 334) Tommy Caldwell 232
The Freerider (August 2017, No. 355) James Lucas 236