Vertical World: Conversations With Today's Masters Of Rock

by Katie Brown, Pete Takeda (Foreword by)

Overview

Vertical World details the lives and accomplishments of the most influential climbers of this generation, sharing through casual conversation an intimate portrait of each climber, revealing their personalities and drive with great frankness and intimacy. All athletes included are under thirty-five and have broken a major barrier or made a significant accomplishment within the sport - in all cases, something that will stand the test of time. The athletes represent all areas of climbing, from bouldering and sport climbing to mountaineering and big wall climbing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762740086
Publisher:	Falcon Guides
Publication date:	01/01/2007
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

As the first woman to onsight 5.13d (Omaha Beach, Red River Gorge, Kentucky) and flash 5.14a (Hydrophobia, Mont Sant, Spain) Katie Brown has been an influential and groundbreaking climber. She began climbing at age 13 and quickly dominated competition at the national and international level. Now in her young 20s, she is a freelance writer and continues to travel the world as a professional climber.

Read an Excerpt

[from the foreword: "In the following chapters, Katie Brown interviews nine climbers who have made significant contributions to the sport. "These contributions will stand the test of time," she says. Her intent — besides inaugurating a career as an author — is to portray the leading activists of the new generation. She's chosen three women and six men who represent America's current cutting edge of bouldering, sport, trad, big wall free, and alpine rock climbing."][from intro to Chris Sharma: "Chris had fallen off the crux of the Biographie Extension over 30 times, each time taking enormous falls. His tenacity on the route, however, not only proved his talent, but also proved he had the ability to stick with it when success did not come as easily as he was accustomed to. Chris named the extension, Realization, saying that "in French, to realize a route means to send it. Plus, it was very difficult for me mentally, emotionally and physically, so in order to be ultimately successful, I had to "realize" a lot of things about myself during the process." The climb was given the rating of 5.15a, a level that was previously thought to quite possibly be unreachable."]

Table of Contents

The following is a list of climbers profiled within Vertical World. Foreword by Pete Takeda, Senior Contributing Editor to Rock & Ice Beth Rodden, 25, from Davis, CA: First American woman to establish a 5.14b (The Optimist, Smith Rock, OR). Chris Sharma, 24, from Santa Cruz, CA: first person to climb 5.15a (Realization, Ceuse France). Dave Graham, 24, Portland, Maine: has climbed more 5.14s than anyone else in the world, with 100+ routes under his belt. Dean Potter, 32, Yosemite, CA: first person to free climb both El Cap and Half Dome in a day. Dean also free-soloed the Supercanaleta on Fitz Roy in 6.5 hours and soloed the Compressor route on Cerro Torre in 11 hours. Jason Kehl, 27, from Maryland: unrepeated ascent of Evilution (V11) which stands 55 ft. tall, first ascent of After Midnight (V10/11, 25 ft. high) and The Fly (V13, 25 ft. high). Josh Wharton, 27, Rifle, CO: Bold ascent of The Flame in northeastern Pakistan under great odds and first ascent of the world's longest route called The Great Trango Tower in Pakistan. Lisa Rands, 28, from Bishop, CA: first American woman to climb V11 (Plain High Drifter, Buttermilks, CA). First woman to lead E8 6C (The End of the Affair, Curbar Edge, England).Steph Davis, 31, Moab, UT: Second woman, behind Lynn Hill to free climb a route on El Cap in a day (The Freerider, 5.12d/13a). Steph was also the first woman to have climbed all seven of the major peaks in Patagonia's Fitz Roy Range.Tommy Caldwell, 26, from Estes Park, CO: established the world's most difficult big wall free climb (The Dihedral Wall, 5.14a, El Cap, Yosemite, CA). Katie Brown, 24, from Boulder, CO: First woman to onsight both 5.13d and 5.14a (Omaha Beach, Red River Gorge, KY and Hydrophobia, Mont Sant, Spain).