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CONNECT: Undercover Crusher Nathan Hadley

On this edition of the Undercover Crusher series, we have Rab athlete Nathan Hadley on the pod. We talk about what counts as “undercover,” and the reality of straddling the world of full-time work while being “pro.” We discuss the pressure to be obsessed with Yosemite, and maybe figuring out that performing in Yosemite is not the only place to make a name for yourself…as well as bolting and development ethics in Washington, sending the Canadian Trilogy, and the downsides and upsides of being a route setter. 

Jump into this episode to hear all this and more from crusher Nathan Hadley! 



CONNECT: Summiting Denali, Living the Dream

In this episode, we had Live Your Dream grant recipient John Thompson on the pod to tell us all about his trip to Denali! Our Live Your Dream grant is our most popular grant, and it’s powered by The North Face.

John’s LYD story is about feeling a sense of urgency–how now is the time to explore and pursue big adventures. A strong sense of carpe diem. After nearly a decade away from Denali, John returned, only to get caught up in helping with a rescue, and not getting to pursue his goal route because of weather conditions. We sat down with John to hear about his grant experience, the rescue he helped with, his journey falling away from climbing and coming back to it, how guiding shaped his climbing, and why it meant so much to be standing on the top of Denali once again.


Pay What You Can (PWYC) Toolkit

At the AAC, we believe that addressing equity issues in climbing is not mutually exclusive from best business practices. That is why, in partnership with The North Face, we designed a Pay What You Can (PWYC) toolkit, a free resource for gyms who want to offer alternative payment models alongside—or in place of—traditional membership structures. Although much of our work at the AAC is outdoor-centric, we recognize that many climbers are introduced to the sport through a gym, and therefore a holistic approach to climbing access requires us to consider challenges across the climbing spectrum, including indoor climbing. Our hope is that with our toolkit, gyms can implement sustainable PWYC models that offer a product that is attainable for those in under-represented income brackets, with the added benefit of increasing these gyms’s memberships and maintaining a profitable business.

We examined 47 existing Pay What You Can (PWYC) programs within the climbing gym industry, interviewing 16 program leaders for further study, in order to analyze the viability and best practices of PWYC programs. While PWYC programs take on many forms, they all share an essential goal: to provide financial options for individuals and families who are otherwise unable to afford a gym’s day pass or membership at “standard” rates.

In this toolkit you will find:

  • Analysis of the nine (9) components that comprise PWYC programs

  • Two (2) case studies based on the experience and outcomes of real gyms

  • Insights and Best Practices

  • FAQs

  • Resources, including a grant to support the one-time cost of implementing a PWYC program, a peer-to-peer directory of gyms implementing PWYC programs, and an example application (if the model you are considering utilizes a “proof of need” application).


In the climbing gym industry and looking to start your own PWYC program at your gym? Explore the PWYC grant to get started!


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The AAC DC Chapter hosts a New Ice Climber Weekend in the Adirondacks with Escala

PC: Colt Bradley

Grassroots: Unearthing the Future of Climbing

By: Sierra McGivney

The sun peeked over the Pitchoff Quarry crag, hitting the ice and creating an enchanting aura. The cool February air was saturated with people laughing and ice tools scraping against the ice. If you listened closely, you'd notice that the conversations were a beautiful mix of English and Spanish. 

PC: Colt Bradley

The New Ice Climber Weekend (NICW), hosted by the AAC DC Chapter, has become an annual event. Piotr Andrzejczak, the AAC DC chapter chair and organizer of the New Ice Climber Weekend, believes mentorship is paramount in climbing. The weekend aims to provide participants with an opportunity to try ice climbing, find ice climbing partners, and have a starting point for more significant objectives. Above all, it aims to minimize the barrier to entry for ice climbing. 

Last year, Andrzejczak approached Melissa Rojas, the co-founder of Escala and volunteer with the DC Chapter, about partnering to do a New Ice Climber Weekend with Escala. Escala is part of the American Alpine Club's Affiliate Support Network, which provides emerging affinity groups with resources in order to minimize barriers in their operations and serving their community. Escala “creates accessibility, expands representation, and increases visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine individuals by building community, sharing culture, and mentoring one another.”

Climbing can be a challenging sport to get into. It can require shoes, a harness, a gym membership, and climbing partners. Ice climbing requires all that plus more: ice tools, crampons, and winter clothing. 

"There's a lot more complexity to ice climbing," said Rojas.

PC: Colt Bradley

Ice climbing can be limited not only in quantity but also in quality. Due to climate change, the ice in the Adirondacks loses its quality faster than previous decades and the climbs are only of good quality for a limited amount of time. DC climbers are at least seven hours from the Adirondacks, plus traffic and stops, so ice climbing for them has unforeseen logistical challenges. During the NICW, participants can focus more on the basics of learning to ice climb and less on logistics.

Rojas and Andrzejczak hosted a pre-meetup/virtual session so that participants could get to know each other and ask questions ahead of time. "We wanted to give folks an opportunity to ice climb in a supportive environment where they felt like they were in a community and were being supported throughout the whole process, from the planning stage to the actual trip," said Rojas.

Another focus of the weekend was creating a film. Colt Bradley attended the New Ice Climber Weekend in 2023 as a videographer and as a participant. Bradley volunteers with the AAC Baltimore Chapter and is also Andrzejczak's climbing partner. Last year, he created four Instagram videos that captured the excitement of ice climbing for the first time. When asked to film the Escala x NICW this year, he wanted to do something longer and more story-focused. Bradley and Rojas talked beforehand about focusing the film on the Escala community and highlighting the bond made possible through its existence. 

Rojas has worked hard to build up this blended community of Spanish-speaking climbers. Spanish has many flavors, as it is spoken in many different countries with different cultures—all unique in their own way. The film focused on reflecting and representing the vibrant community of Escala. 

Soon, they all found themselves at Pitchoff Quarry in the Adirondacks. While the participants learned how to swing their ice tools and kick their crampons into the ice, Bradley sought out community moments. He wanted to put viewers in the moment as participants climbed, so he mic'd some participants; including Kathya Meza. 

Meza spoke openly during interviews and had a compelling story that Bradley thought would resonate with the viewers. 

PC: Colt Bradley

In the film's final scene, viewers can hear Meza swinging her tools into the ice, see her smiling, and experience her problem solving as she pushes herself outside her comfort zone. Bradley filmed this scene the first day before they even identified her as a focal point of the film. 

Bradley continued to capture the essence of the Latino influence over the weekend. On the second day, the group headed to Chapel Pond. Despite the cold 21-degree weather and whipping wind, the energy was high. Mentors taught mentees how to layer correctly, and folks danced salsa at the base of the crag to stay warm. Later, feeling connected and energized from this incredible trip, the group salsa danced on the frozen Chapel Pond with the iconic ice falls that makeup Chounaird's Gully and Power Play in the background.

"For the twenty-some-odd years I've been going to the Adirondacks to ice climb, I've never even thought that maybe one day I'll be dancing on Chapel Pond, hosting a new Ice Climbing weekend with Escala" said Piotr. 

For Rojas, it was some of her best salsa dancing. She was so focused on staying warm that it freed her from overthinking her dancing skills. The dancing didn't stop at Chapel Pond. After dinner, the group returned to the inn and fired up the woodstove in the recreation room. The sound of salsa dancing and glee filled the room. 

The NICW isn't about going out and sending, so naturally, this isn't the type of climbing film where climbers try hard on overhung climbs overlaid with cool EDM music. Every climber remembers the moment they got hooked on climbing, whether sport, trad, ice, or alpine climbing; they remember the thrill of reaching the top of a climb for the first time, out of breath but more excited than ever. Climbing is a multifaceted sport, and climbing films should be reflective of that. Showing the first-time-swinging-an-ice-tool moments at the NICW inspires someone to take that first step toward something new or nostalgic for the longtime climber.

PC: Colt Bradley

"I think the thing about Escala is it's more than just a climbing group. It's a community," said Rojas.

Escala is a place where Rojas can be all parts of herself. Rojas has four children and refers to Escala as her fifth baby. She doesn't have to explain why she climbs or her love for Sábado Gigante–a famous variety show in Latin America. Everyone in her community recognizes all aspects of her. Her identity as a climber and as a Latina can be one. 

One participant of the NICW approached Rojas and said it was the best experience of their life. 

PC: Colt Bradley

"He said it with such sincerity that it was really humbling in the moment," said Rojas. 

Leading an affinity group can often feel like running on a never-ending treadmill of organizing event after event, where reflection takes a backseat. However, according to Rojas if she can positively affect just one person, it makes all the work worth it. 

Salsa music playing over Chapel Pond, smiling faces red from the winter frost, and dancing in crampons are the mosaic of moments that make up the heart of Escala, the DC Chapter, and the New Ice Climber Weekend. 


Watch Escala En Hielo Below

Climbing Grief Fund Spotlight: Gratitude

PC: Jessica Glassberg/Louder Than 11

Grief, Beauty, and Loss in the Mountains

by Hannah Provost

“When Meg climbs on the Diamond these days, she can’t seem to shake a glimpse of red in her periphery–the color of Tom’s red Patagonia R1 as he climbed with her. When she turns to catch a better look, he’s not there. Tom: her dear friend, who fed a bumblebee on a belay ledge to bring it back to life; who encouraged Meg to lead harder and harder pitches on gear; who introduced her to her husband; who she trusted more than anyone on rock. She wants to turn and see Tom’s red R1 climbing up the pitch behind her. But Tom won’t ever climb the Diamond again.

Meg Yingling is an American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) rock guide, a lover of the high places, deeply embedded in our community—and intimately aware of the grief that haunts our sport. When she lost her friend, Tom Wright, to a climbing accident in the summer of 2020, her relationship to climbing radically changed—it mellowed and thickened and burst all at once. But thanks to the Climbing Grief Fund Grant (CGF), she was able to get the resources she needed to start processing her grief, her new relationship to climbing, and actively sit with the messiness of it all…”


Read more about Meg’s experiences with both grief and beauty in the mountains:

Climb United Feature: Finding Impact in a World of Performance

Salt Lake Area Queer Climbers (SLAQC) showing some pride at Black Rocks, St. George, UT. Land of the Pueblos and Paiute people. AAC member Bobbie Lee

A Deep Look Into the Affiliate Support Network

By Shara Zaia

Drawing on personal experience in co-creating Cruxing in Color, and the experience of affinity group leaders across the country, Shara Zaia reflects on the unpaid labor that goes into creating affinity spaces within climbing—and yet just how much it means to so many traditionally marginalized climbers to find community. Zaia uncovers the true cost and benefit of this work, and lays out why the AAC has developed the Affiliate Support Network (ASN)—our Climb United program that provides fiduciary and other administrative support to affinity groups across the country so that they can raise donations and/or become nonprofits, ultimately making their organizations more sustainable and long-lasting. Dive in to get a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible power of this work, and how the Climb United team has been determined to find impact.

Climbers of the Craggin' Classic: Ozarks

Ozarks Craggin’ Photos by Joe Kopek

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, Bishop, Ozarks—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.


Meet Ozarks Climber: Andrew Gamma

Scroll to read Andrew‘s Story…



Artist Spotlight: Marty Schnure & The Art of Maps

By Sierra McGivney

Photo courtesy of Marty Schnure.

In this profile of cartographer Marty Schnure, we uncover the philosophy that has influenced her creation of several beautiful maps for the American Alpine Journal (AAJ), the world-renowned AAC publication that reports the cutting-edge ascents and descents of each year. For Schnure, map-making is about blending geographical information while also evoking and displaying the relationship between that geography and whatever is important about that place to the map user—aka climbing routes, or the animal corridors of that area. Dive into this article to learn about the art of map-making, and how Schure thinks about the responsibility of a cartographer, the power of maps to express an idea, and more.

CONNECT: Inside the Life of a Climbing Photographer

Note: This episode is explicit.

In this episode, we had adventure photographer Jeremiah Watt on the pod to talk about all things climbing photography. Miah is a big fan of the AAC, and regularly donates his incredible photos to us! In this episode, Miah and the AAC’s award-winning Graphic Designer Foster Denney dive into topics like the life of a freelancer, what it takes to get the right shot on the wall, trends in climbing photography, the physical toll like jugging fixed lines to get the shot, mistakes new photogs make, and more. Ever wondered what’s going on behind the lens? Listen to this episode to get the behind the scenes life of an adventure photographer!


Immaterial Climbing: A Story From the Catalyst Grant

Reported by Sierra McGivney

Photos by Ben Burch

Ben Burch climbing, featured in Immaterial Climbing. PC: Ashley Xu

In the backdrop of Northern Appalachia, Ben Burch (he/they) drove to nowhere. Like most high schoolers, driving was a source of relief and independence in the wake of an angsty breakup. Eventually, Burch needed to stop at a gas station, and the one they picked happened to be next to a climbing gym. Bored of driving aimlessly in their car, Burch wandered inside the climbing gym, opening the door to climbing and its community.  

Burch continued cultivating their passion for climbing in Philadelphia when he went to college. There, he worked with other queer climbers to create PHLash, a community-based, peer-led group that aims to bring together LGBTQIA+ individuals to climb and socialize. Burch found he loved leading and being a part of that community. It was a space that held community and understanding in a sport that traditionally has not always provided that. 

The mood shifted last year when West Virginia attempted to pass a law banning events based around queer affinity. West Virginia is only a stone's throw from Pennsylvania and hosts Homoclimbtastic, the world's largest queer-friendly climbing festival. Burch and his friends found themselves distressed about the status of Homoclimbtastic. This event, like PHLash, had enriched their climbing experience. It kept Burch climbing and invited others into the community. But now, they didn't know if it would ever exist again. Instinctively, Burch thought, I need to document this. 

"I just needed to have something recorded down so people know that this event was here and that we were here," said Burch. 

Their idea was to take photos from affinity groups and events they attended and post them on Instagram to exist somewhere in the ether. On a whim, Burch applied to the American Alpine Club's Catalyst Grant and was chosen. Their photos would no longer live just online but in a physical book: Immaterial Climbing: A Queer Climbing Photography Zine. 

Burch embarked on an East Coast climbing adventure, photographing and memorializing queer events, meetups, and climbers. 

Ultimately, the version of the bill that would outlaw Homoclimbtastic did not pass; however, the bill that did pass put restrictions on queer events. Minors are not allowed to be involved in any way in drag shows in West Virginia, and drag show organizers are responsible for checking the age of attendees. At the Homoclimbtastic Drag Show, participants had to wear a wristband and have their IDs checked. 

Despite the political backdrop, the high-energy drag show and dance party at Homoclimbtastic was one of the most fun nights Burch had in years. For some photographers, when they capture moments through the pictures they take, their memories bend to how they remember them. That night, Burch took a photo of someone dancing surrounded by a bunch of people, all wearing wristbands, and titled it Armbands Around Salamander because the person dancing in the center has a salamander tattoo on their shoulder. This ended up becoming one of Burch's favorite photos in the book. 

"They're really kind of lost in their moment of dance, and for me, even though it is kind of a reconstructed memory, I really think about that dance party as this moment of freedom and expression regardless of the circumstances that were trying to repress that," said Burch.

In the book, Burch focuses on his home base, too. 

One moment stuck out to Burch. A participant at PHLash wearing a Brittney Spears t-shirt said that climbing in Pennsylvania is like Spears' song …Baby One More Time. The rock climbing in the northeast is generally not friendly. Outside of Philadelphia, one of the main climbing areas, Hayock, is home to Solid Triassic Diabase, a type of rock that requires precision on unforgiving edges. Philadelphia feels like a city that embeds grit and determination in its residents, much like the climbing in the area. The lyric hit me baby one more time embodies the rough climbing and the determination of the climbers in the area. 

Photo by Ben Burch

Burch became interested in the idea that the city you're from—not just the culture–is reflected in the climber. In the book's PHLash section, he mixes photos from living in Philadelphia with climbing photos from the meetup. 

Next, Burch changed their aperture, widened their depth of field, and traveled down to Atlanta, Georgia, to the southeast bouldering scene. 

"[Bouldering in the southeast] is truly this perfect marriage of texture and shapes that force precise body positioning and control, mixed with the raw power to get through the fact that they're all just slopers disguising themselves as crimps," said Burch.

There, he participated in a meetup with the affinity group Unharnessed, an LGBT+ and allies climbing club. At this meetup, Burch was more of a wallflower; he had a couple of friends in the Atlanta area but was not a deep group member in the same way as Homoclimbtastic or PHLash. He listened in on the conversation between climbs and found it was not the idle talk that normally existed at the crag. People would talk about the climb or the person climbing, but then the conversation would shift to asking if anyone had extra food to put in the Atlanta community fridge or about the community resources near the gym. He was so struck by how focused the group was on building community through resources and knowledge. 

It reminded him of a quote by bell hooks, "I think that part of what a culture of domination has done is raise that romantic relationship up as the single most important bond, when of course the single most important bond is that of community."

In their portrait section, Burch created a shallow depth of field, softening the background and pulling queer climbers to the forefront. Andrew Izzo is a crusher. He has recently sent Bro-Zone (5.14b) in the Gunks and Proper Soul (5.14a) in the New River Gorge and is a consistent double-digit boulderer based in Philadelphia. He only came out recently and is featured in Immaterial Climbing: A Queer Climbing Photography Zine. Burch thought that taking and publishing these photos of him almost served as a coming-out party. Izzo felt like there was no better way for him to come out. The intersection of being part of the queer community and part of the climbing community showed all of him. "That was a special moment in taking these photos, serving as a space for someone to embrace all of themselves," said Burch.  

Everyone featured in the book's portrait section was chosen for their excellence in community work or climbing. Burch wanted to highlight these individuals who were balancing so many aspects of their identity and achieving so much within the climbing community.

The book revolves around the community Burch is most familiar with—that he could really speak to without fear of misrepresentation. 

"I think all climbers are in constant chase of flow, of that feeling when you are climbing, and it feels like your body is in perfect response to what it needs to do with the rock—this immovable object that you have rehearsed and understood. For me, the East Coast Climbing Scene feels like that state of flow.

“It feels like a place where you are understood, and people know who you are, even without thinking about the larger circumstances. It's this, like, perfect moment of escape in the larger challenge of—to complete the metaphor—trying to finish the climb," said Burch.


More about Immaterial Climbing: A Queer Climbing Photography Zine and Ben Burch (he/they): 

PC: Ben Burch

Burch is a photographer and climber currently based out of Washington DC. Part of queer affinity groups since they began climbing, he wanted to use this zine as a love letter to the spaces that gave him so much. For more of their photography, please follow them @benjammin_burch on Instagram.

Immaterial Climbing is a photography zine which explores the world of queer climbing. Taken over the course of 2023, this book explores meet-ups, affinity groups, and climbers who are creating their own space of belonging. The project features the event Homoclimbtastic, affinity groups Unharnessed and Phlash, as well as portraits of queer climbers. It is a lovely coffee table book, a book to add to your gym's collection, or a reminder that we'll always be here. Grab your copy.

This project was made possible through the American Alpine Club and the bravery of the queer climbing community.

CONNECT: Mo Beck on the Impact of Adaptive Climbing Fest, and Retiring from Competitions

Adaptive Climbing Festival (ACF) is crafting a shift in adaptive climbing. Not only is it easier than ever for a person with a disability to TRY paraclimbing, but through ACF, there are also now more opportunities to build skills and depth in the paraclimbing community, deepening the knowledge and expertise that adaptive leaders can use to empower future generations of adaptive climbers.

We sat down with Mo Beck, one of the organizers of ACF and a pro athlete, to talk about how Adaptive Climbing Fest started, its impact, and why ACF is such a meaningful finalist for the AAC’s Changemaker Award. We also chatted about Mo’s climbing philosophy, the emotions of retiring from competing, trolls on Mountain Project, and how she’s seen the sport change over 25 years of climbing.



2024 Annual Benefit Gala Awards

MEET THE AWARDEES

Discover their incredible stories, then join us for the 2024 Annual Benefit Gala to hear more!


The Climb of the Year Award

For pushing the limits of climbing, whether that is the grade or the most epic story—the redemption arc, the new frontier, or defying the odds. This award is determined by public voting.

The 2024 nominees include:

  • Round Trip Ticket (M7 AI5+ A0 2700M), Jannu (7710m), Matt Cornell, Jackson Marvell, and Alan Rousseau

  • B.I.G. (5.15d), Jakob Schubert

  • Aletheia (D16), Kevin Lindlau

  • Box Therapy (V16, contested), Katie Lamb.


The Community Changemaker Award

For the movers and shakers, the innovators, the loud voices and the doers. The people who, no matter the size of their platform, are making an outsized difference in shaping the future of our climbing community.

The 2024 nominees include:

  • Tommy Caldwell

  • Adaptive Climber's Festival

  • Marcus Garcia


The Robert Hicks Bates Award: Matt Cornell

For an Outstanding Accomplishment by a Young Climber

Matt Cornell grew up in Michigan, where he began climbing at the age of 13. Once he turned 18, he headed west to climb full-time, following the seasons from Bozeman to Yosemite, and then on to Patagonia and the Himalayas. In 2021, after steadily building his skills and experience, he and Jackson Marvell (Robert Hicks Bates Award recipient in 2020) established two new routes on Pyramid Peak in Alaska's Revelation Range, Techno Terror (AI6 M7+ R A0) and Smoke' Em If You Got 'Em (AI5+ A2+); Austin Schmitz and Jack Cramer joined the latter ascent. Cornell received the American Alpine Club's Cutting Edge Grant for this trip.

In late March 2023, with Marvell and Rousseau, the three climbed a new route on the east face of Mt. Dickey in Alaska's Ruth Gorge over three days, Aim For the Bushes (AI6 M6 X). Then, in early October, roping up with Marvell and Rousseau over seven days, they climbed a new route on the north face of Jannu, 7,710m, in alpine style. They called their line Round Trip Ticket (M7 AI5+ A0).


Angelo Heilprin Citation: Alison Osius

For Exemplary Service to the Club

"We chose [Alison] from a list of candidates we've carefully curated over the years. As many can attest, she's shown exemplary service to the Club by devoting countless hours in various recent and past roles, including as the Club's first woman president, from 1998 to 1999." -Selection Committee.

Alison Osius has been devoted to the Club for decades. She attends board meetings, annual dinners, panel discussions, and Club events. She's a trusted authority, a keeper of institutional knowledge, and vital to the community. Osisus is known for her engagement and mentoring of younger climbers and writers in their careers and her ability to relate to people from all walks of life who enjoy different climbing styles. 

As the Club's first female president (1998-1999), Alison led the AAC’s first extended public outreach campaign and continued the effort into rule-making on fixed anchors in Wilderness. Her many years of elegant writing and superb editing for prominent publications have delighted climbing and outdoor audiences. She is a senior editor at Outside and a former editor at Climbing and Rock and Ice. Osius has written for CNN.com, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal

Her strengths as a storyteller, communicator, and role model build on her many years of climbing experience, including her previous work as a climbing guide in the U.S. and U.K. and becoming a three-time national champion in sport climbing, X Games finalist, and top-10 World Cup finisher. Rooted in her love of climbing, her abiding curiosity and exploration of our world, and her empathetic and inclusive approach to others, Alison's exemplary service to the Club has dramatically strengthened the AAC. 


Honorary Membership: Kitty Calhoun and Geoff Tabin

Honorary Membership is one of the highest awards the AAC offers. It is given to those individuals who have had a lasting and highly significant impact on the advancement of the climbing craft.

The Honorary Membership Committee has selected Kitty Calhoun and Geoff Tabin as our 2024 nominees. Both are well known and recognized for their amazing climbing achievements, exemplary service to their communities, and lifetimes of noteworthy activities which reflect well on climbing—Tabin in medical outreach to underserved peoples often in mountain regions and Calhoun in her leadership actively supporting the development of women in climbing during the last 30 years.

Kitty Calhoun is honored to receive this award and happy to share her most proud accomplishments. She received an MBA from the University of Vermont, where she found her passion for ice and alpine climbing. This led to a 40+ year career as a guide for the NC and CO Outward Bound Schools, American Alpine Institute, and Chicks Climbing and Skiing. Calhoun founded Exum Utah Mountain Guides and later became co-owner of Chicks Climbing and Skiing. She is also an ambassador for Patagonia, SCARPA, PMI ropes, POW, and Lion Energy. Additionally, Kitty has been a member of the American Alpine Club since she can remember, has served on the Board of Directors, was Chairperson of the Expeditions Committee, and has received the AAC's Pinnacle Award. 

Calhoun's mountaineering achievements include a rare ascent of the Diamond Couloir on Mt Kenya, the first American female ascent of Dhaulagiri, three new Grade VI rock routes in Kyrgyzstan, and a new route on Middle Triple Peak in Alaska. She attributes her successes to applying the power of teamwork, which she learned through alpine climbing.

Geoffrey Tabin began climbing at Devil's Lake, Wisconsin. He went to college at Yale University, where he explored the rock and ice climbs of the Northeast from New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont, in addition to trips out West. He joined the American Alpine Club in 1977. He then went to Oxford University in England, where he and his climbing partner climbed the classic hard routes of the Alps. He received grants from the American Alpine Club and Oxford University to climb in Africa and Irian Jaya, Indonesia. They climbed the Ice Window route on Mt. Kenya and the first ascents of three long rock routes on the Mt. Kenya Massif, including the first free ascent of the Diamond Buttress on Mt. Kenya (V 5.11). In Indonesia, they climbed all five of the highest peaks in the Carstenz range, including the first ascent of the North Face of Puncak Jaya (Carstenz Pyramid). In 1983, Tabin was part of the American team that made the first ascent of the Kangshung East Face of Mt. Everest. In 1990, he became the 4th person to reach the top of all seven continents. Along the way, he also completed first ascents of rock or ice routes on all seven continents, including the first ascents of five 6,000-meter peaks. Tabin attended Harvard Medical School, trained as an ophthalmologist, and then worked as an eye surgeon in Nepal. He established the Himalayan Cataract Project, which is dedicated to overcoming needless blindness through education, training, and establishing a sustaining infrastructure. After returning to the United States, Tabin taught at both the University of Vermont and the University of Utah while spending three to four months per year working in Asia and Africa. He is currently the Fairweather Foundation Chair and Professor of ophthalmology and global medicine at Stanford University.


The H. Adams Carter Literary Award: James Edward Mills

For Excellence in Climbing Literature

James Edward Mills is a National Geographic Explorer and a contributor to National Geographic Magazine, a Fellow of the Banff Center Mountain & Wilderness Writing Program in Alberta, Canada, and a recipient of the Paul K. Petzoldt Award For Environmental Education. He has worked in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer, and photographer. He is the author of the book The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors and the co-writer/co-producer of the documentary film An American Ascent. Mills is a contributor to several outdoor-focused print and online publications such as National Geographic, Outside, Rock & Ice, Alpinist, SUP, Elevation Outdoors, Women's Adventure, the Clymb, Park Advocate, High Country News, Appalachia Journal, The Guardian, The New York Times, Sierra, and Land & People. 

In recognition of his work sharing the important history and legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers and their efforts at the dawn of the National Park Service, James was named a Yosemite National Park Centennial Ambassador in 2016. Currently, Mills is a faculty assistant at the University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute For Environmental Studies and teaches a summer course for undergraduate students on diversity, equity, and inclusion in outdoor recreation and public land management called Outdoors For All. His climbing accomplishments include two ascents, one solo, of the mountaineers' route on California's Mount Whitney, sport climbing routes on the Gheralta Massif of Ethiopia, a team ascent of Mt. Baker, and a trek to Everest Base Camp.

The committee believes it's hard to overstate the importance of The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors in shaping the discourse around justice and equity in mountaineering since it was published in 2014, which is why James Edward Mills absolutely deserves to be celebrated with the H. Adams Carter Literary Award for this year.


The Pinnacle Award: Steph Davis

For Outstanding Mountaineering and Climbing Achievements

Steph Davis is a rock climber, BASE jumper, and wingsuit flier. She began climbing as a freshman at the University of Maryland in 1991. After receiving a master's in Literature, she moved out to Moab, living in her grandmother's Oldsmobile. Some of her notable ascents are the First Female Ascent of Freerider, the First Female Ascent of the Salathe Wall, free solo of the Pervertical Sanctuary on the Diamond of Longs Peak, and the first American woman to summit Fitzroy. Davis started skydiving and BASE jumping in 2008; human flight is her second passion. She is one of just a few people in the world, and the only woman, to combine free solo climbing with base jumping and wingsuit flight. She is the author of High Infatuation and Learning to Fly.


The David A. Sowles Memorial Award: Roger Schaeli, Matteo Della Bordella, Thomas Huber, and Roberto Treu

For Unselfish Devotion to Imperiled Climbers

The Cerro Torre Rescue

Patagonia is considered by the world’s best climbers to be one of the most difficult and dangerous climbing areas in the world. Climbers who attempt Cerro Torre, Fitz Roy, and other notable climbs understand an accident here requires self-rescue, as an organized rescue is unlikely or uncertain at best. Two teams established two new routes on Cerro Torre on January 27, 2022. The teams had climbed the last 1,000 feet with each other, summiting together. The Italian team, Matteo Della Bordella, David Bacci, and Matteo De Zaicomo, decided to bivy up on the summit of Cerro Torre and descend the next morning while the other team, climbing guides Tomás Aguiló, 36 (Argentina), and Korra Pesce, 41 (Italy) decided to descend in the dark to mitigate the danger of rock and icefall. 

As Aguiló and Pesce descended, on the morning of January 28, they were hit by an avalanche of ice and rock. Pesce was paralyzed, while Aguiló was seriously injured, but able to move. Aguilo continued to descend, eventually finding his satellite device and calling for help. 

Unaware of Aguiló's satellite device message for help, someone had seen a headlamp's SOS signal high on the mountain and got together a group of ten to hike the two hours to the glacier's base and investigate. Some of the group continued on to the base of the east face, where they saw Aguiló slowly descending to a triangular snowfield about 1,000 feet of technical climbing above the glacier. A drone was used to pinpoint Aguiló's location, and a rescue operation was formed. 

By 5 p.m. on Friday, Della Bordella's team had finished rappelling 30 pitches from their summit bivy and met up with the rescue party. Upon learning the news, Della Bordella, alongside Thomas Huber (Germany), Roger Schaeli (Switzerland), and Roberto Treu (Argentina), climbed the first seven pitches of the Maestri Route in three hours to reach Agulió. Around midnight, Treu and Huber descended with Aguiló, while Della Bordella and Schaeli waited for any sign of Pesce. A storm was approaching, and the two only had one rope between them. As the weather worsened and exhaustion set in, the two decided to descend for their own safety around 3 a.m. Unfortunately, Pesce perished. Rescuers carried Aguiló down to the bottom of the glacier, where he was helicoptered to a hospital.  

The American Alpine Club is honored to recognize Matteo Della Bordella, Roger Schaeli, Thomas Huber, and Roberto Treu with the David A. Sowles Memorial Award for their voluntary actions to rescue Tomy Aguiló and Korra Pesce on Cerro Torre. The David A. Sowles Memorial Award is the American Alpine Club’s highest award for valor, bestowed at irregular intervals on climbers who have "distinguished themselves, with unselfish devotion at personal risk or sacrifice of a major objective, in going to the assistance of fellow climbers imperiled in the mountains.” The recipients’ voluntary actions to rescue Aguiló and Pesce at great personal risk is the embodiment of why this award was created. 

About the Rescuers

As soon as Roger Schaeli began walking, the mountains became his fate. For Roger, climbing is passion, a sentiment, a strong emotional confrontation with the mountain, life, and himself. Schaeli is an IFMGA(UIAGM/IVBV) Mountain guide and Swiss Alpinist. Schaeli has many notable ascents all over the world, including more than 56 ascents on the North Face of the Eiger, the first ascent of Odyssee (5.14 1,400m), and the linkup of the six most prominent North Faces of the Alps (Eiger, Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses, Grosse Zinne, Piz Badile, and Dru) in a non-stop, unsupported trek over 45 days. 

Matteo Della Bordella began climbing at 12 years old, thanks to his dad. In 2006, he joined the group of Ragni di Lecco and had the opportunity to grow both as a mountaineer and a person. He likes to climb technically difficult big walls in the most remote places on earth. Bordella's proudest achievements as an alpinist are the first ascent of the route Brothers in Arms on Cerro Torre's east and north face, the first ascent of the west face of Bhagirathi IV (6192 m) in the Indian Himalaya, the "by fair means" expedition to Greenland which involved 200 km of kayaks and the first ascent of Shark Tooth north face, the first ascent of Torre Egger West face in Patagonia, summiting the Cerro Torre three times, and Cerro Fitz Roy four times. 

Thomas Huber is a German climber and mountaineer. Huber is known for his speed records and first ascents. Of his most notable climbs are the FA of the direct north pillar of the Shivling (6543m) with Iwan Wolf, which won them the Piolet d'Or, and the first ascent of El Niño and the first free ascent of Zodiac on El Capitan in Yosemite. 

Roberto Treu "Indio" is originally from the province of San Juan, where he found his passion for the mountains. He is an IFMGA Mountain Guide at Patagonia Ascent and the director of the technical committee of the AAGM (Asociación Argentina de Guías de Montaña). Some of his most important achievements have been the Cerro Standhardt, Herron, Egger traverse, and the Directa Huarpe, a new route on the West Face of Cerro Torre. In addition to these climbs, Treu has climbed Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy numerous times.


The President's Award: Steven Swenson 

For Extraordinary Accomplishments in the Climbing World

Steve Swenson grew up in Seattle and started climbing in the nearby Cascade Mountains at age14. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Civil Engineering. He has been climbing for over a half-century with over twenty expeditions to South Asia, including ascents of K2 and Everest without supplemental oxygen. He was part of a team that won the 2012 Piolet d'Or award for the first ascent of Saser Kangri II (7518 meters), and a team that won the 2020 Piolet d'Or for the first ascent of Link Sar (7041m). He is married with two sons. He is retired after a 35-year consulting engineering career in project management, design, policy-making, finance, and communications consulting related to water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Since his retirement, he has served on several nonprofit boards and has expertise in governance, fundraising, and strategic planning. His book titled Karakoram: Climbing Through the Kashmir Conflict was published by Mountaineers Books in 2017. 


American Alpine Club award winners will be honored with bespoke, sustainable, custom-made awards by metal artist Lisa Issenberg. Lisa is the owner and founder of the Ridgway, Colorado studio, Kiitellä, named after a Finnish word meaning to "thank, applaud, or praise." Lisa has been providing custom awards for the American Alpine Club since 2013. Kiitellä's process includes a mix of both handcraft and industrial techniques. To learn more, visit kiitella.com


To hear more from these awardees, join us for the 2024 Annual Benefit Gala in Los Angeles, CA, on April 27, 2024.

CONNECT: The FKT of the Rainier Infinity Loop, In Memory of A Friend

Abby Westling and Kiira Antenucci were devastated to lose their friend Luke to a climbing accident in 2022. But as they learned to cope with this tragedy, they began to dream up something big. In July of 2023, Kiira and Abby set out to attempt The Infinity Loop, an epic endurance test piece that summits Rainer twice and circumnavigates the mountain via the Wonderland Trail. The two have extensive experience as guides on Rainier, and have submitted dozens of times, but this challenge would push them to their limits. They also wanted to do it in memory of their friend, and raise money for the AAC’s Climbing Grief Fund (CGF), which had supported them in the early stages of their grief process. Dive into this episode to hear the full story of how they set the female Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Infinity Loop, the emotional ups and downs of such a massive challenge, why the Climbing Grief Fund means so much to them, and the impact of their incredible work in fundraising for the CGF.



CONNECT: Behind the Scenes of Climbing Mentorship, with Kimber Cross and Kit DesLauriers

Kimber in action. Photo Courtesy of Kimber Cross.

Showing off her custom prosthetic ice tool. Photo courtesy of Kimber Cross.

Kimber Cross is an adaptive climber who uses a custom prosthetic ice tool to climb waterfall ice around the country as well as alpine ice routes in her home state of Washington. She is a part of The North Face’s Athlete Development Program, and her mentor is long-time AAC supporter Kit DesLauriers, the first person to ski the seven summits. The AAC sat down with Kimber and Kit to talk about Kimber’s emerging career in alpinism and ski mountaineering. We also cover mentorship, setting goals, and some of the ways the larger climbing community makes assumptions about adaptive climbers. Dive in to hear some fascinating tales from the mountains—including raising a wolf and doing a bit of spontaneous hangliding in the Tetons—and to learn more about how Kimber is pushing her climbing and changing the narrative.



Climbers of the Craggin' Classics: Bishop

Bishop Craggin’ Photos by Sierra Farquhar

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.


Meet Bishop Featured Climber: Andrew Kang!

Scroll to read Andrew’s story…



2023 Craggin’ Classic Supported By

Climbers of the Craggin' Classic: Moab

a female climber trad climbs a desert crack

PC: Matthew Cunningham @clamsjog

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.


 

Meet Moab Craggin’ Featured Climber: Katrina Le!

Scroll to read her story…


The 2023 Craggin’ Classic Series is Supported By

Climber's of the Craggin' Classic: Devil's Lake

We’re interviewing a climber from each event in the Craggin’ Classic Series—Rumney, New River Gorge, Devil’s Lake, Smith Rock, Shelf Road, Moab, and Bishop—to take a deep look into the breadth of climbers that come to Craggins, and how they make the most of each unique event.

Read on to hear from climbers just like you, and their take on the things that matter to climbers.


Chad and Cooper Donahue side hugging.

Chad and Cooper Donahue.

Featured Climbers: Chad and Cooper Donahue

Devil's Lake Photos by: Laurel Myers @laureljmyers

AAC: How did you get into rock climbing?

Chad Donahue: Growing up I had a couple friends who were into rock climbing and so went a handful of times throughout high school. But my son Cooper and I really started getting into it last year, with Adaptive Adventures. My family found Adaptive Adventures, and hooked me up with Kat and Jesse and some of the other incredible people running it. My first trip with them I did some wakeboarding and I’ve tried a bunch of stuff from there!

Climber sitting on an overlook.

There’s one rock climbing gym in Madison, and on every last Sunday of the month, Adaptive Adventures hosts an adaptive night for free. We’ve been going to these for a year. Any time I have Cooper, we end up going climbing if we can or doing something else active. They also have a couple times a year where they take climbers outside, and the clinic at the Devil’s Lake Craggin’ was one of them!

AAC: What does climbing mean to you?

Chad Donahue climbing indoors.

Chad Donahue climbing indoors.

CD: Rock climbing gives me an opportunity to share anticipation—like getting excited to go to the movies as a kid. It's sometimes not even about the rock climbing, it's just the whole process. There is no right or wrong way to do the moves either, so it's really cool how different people can do the same thing in different ways. Like Moe, who was also at the adaptive clinic, is in a wheelchair, and he was just campusing this overhung route that is so hard for me! And climbing is just such a cool way to share those moments of connection and love of the outdoors.

I had a traumatic brain injury in 2014, and if that hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have gotten back into rock climbing. Because of the TBI, I have a visual impairment and I’m legally blind, but I can see kind of well for someone who is legally blind. It’s kind of like being permanently without your glasses, everything is really blurry. A lot of fine motor skills are hard, so tying the rope for climbing is really hard. Spacial awareness can be pretty challenging now too…

AAC: Who are you besides a climber?

Chad Donahue Rapelling outside

Chad Donahue rapelling.

CD: Well I’m a dad, a big music lover, our family has always been huge ice cream people, and I love being really active. I used to play a lot of sports—like basketball, tennis, lacrosse, and football.

Cooper is in 8th grade, I can’t believe he’s going to be in high school next year! He’s a really kind and thoughtful kid. He loves video games and anime, and he’s really incredible at art. And he likes climbing outdoors 5x more than indoor climbing. When we were wrapping up for the day on Sunday at the Craggin’ he didn’t want to come down.

We do a lot of active things together. Like we’re working towards a triathlon with Dare 2 Tri. Cooper likes biking but is definitely not a runner. When he was spacing out at the crag during a break from climbing, someone asked him what he was thinking about—and he said snowboarding haha. So we’re always getting up to something.

AAC: Tell us about the adaptive clinic at the Craggin’ event!

CD: We ended up climbing inside on Saturday due to weather, but it was still really fun! On Sunday, it was perfect weather out, and Cooper and I got to climb outside for the second time ever. The rock isn’t very grippy at Devil’s Lake, the handholds are weird. Climbing outside is in some ways so different than inside, it's kind of like starting over! But it was really fun to figure out a way up.

With every new volunteer that I climb with at Adaptive Adventures, I feel like I’m learning something new because they all have a different perspective. Like that day Jason was teaching me how to turn my hip in to extend my reach.

AAC: What’s climbing like for you?

Cooper Donahue helping Chad Donahue with his harness.

Cooper Donahue helping Chad Donahue with his harness.

CD: My vision is barely a problem indoors because the colors of the holds stand out to me, but outdoor climbing really levels the playing field. It’s a lot more challenging outside, especially to find the footholds. One technique I’ve been working on will help me spot footholds better, by dragging my foot up the wall as I move it, so I can feel the feet without seeing them.

AAC: What’s it like climbing with your son Cooper? Do you worry any extra about safety because you’re also worried about him?

CD: The nice part about working with Adaptive Adventures is that I know that Cooper is in good hands and we’re showing him the ropes in a safe way. I just appreciate the joy on his face, and how excited he is to go rock climbing. He’s always ready to jump in though. His first time out rock climbing he got to rappel!

AAC: Do you have any dreams or goals around climbing?

CD: I just want to continue to have fun…and maybe go on a rock climbing trip to Colorado sometime!

Adaptive Clinic participant, Moe Ewing shows off his powerful pulls.

Adaptive Clinic participant, Moe Ewing shows off his powerful pulls.

AAC: In your opinion, how can the climbing community better support adaptive climbers?

CD: Just treat ‘em like any other rock climber and offer help. They might not need it, but you never know unless you ask. With rock climbing becoming more popular, I think that it's really important for everyone to know that groups like Adaptive Adventures or Dare 2 Tri exist. Just because you have differences or challenges doesn’t mean shit. The mind and body is limitless! It’s all mindset—like in rock climbing when you think you can’t go anymore, but you pause and realize you can go a little further, and you push through and do more than you ever thought you could.

Adaptive Clinic participant, John Heim poses with his dog Scout.

Adaptive Clinic participant, John Heim poses with his dog Scout.

 

Meet Chad and Cooper Donahue: Devil’s Lake Craggin’ Climbers

Scroll to read their story…


2023 Craggin’ Classic Series Supported By

Dear Mother: A Transracial Adoption Story

An Upcoming Film from Jon Glassberg, Sophi Rutherford, and the Pull Focus Grant

In Dear Mother, climber and transracial Asian-American, Cody Kaemmerlen, searches for connection with his birth parents after a near-death fall leaves him shaken and grasping for answers.


Synopsis

Cody Kaemmerlan is a climber adopted out of South Korea in 1984, into rural Tillamook, Oregon. He was raised by a loving family, and thrived in his small town, not fully comprehending what it was like to be a person of color in a white world. After reaching out to the adoption agency, he was left with an email stating his birth mother had no interest in meeting her son. He struggled in adulthood, as he started to experience adversity which produced a cycle of anger, divorce, car accident, and finally a near-death free-soloing fall which became a catalyst for change.

A few years later, the agency reached out with an apology about a file mix-up, stating his birth mother and father would love to meet. Soon after, he begins to process his adoption and identity with the help of the climbing community and close friends.

Follow Cody to South Korea on his mission to meet his mother and father, in hopes of finding resolution and inner peace.



ABOUT The Directors:

Louder Than 11 is a media production company and creative agency based in Boulder, Colorado, run by Jon and Jess Glassberg. LT11 delivers authentic narratives through their work with top-level brands, professional athletes, and other creatives in the Outdoor Industry. Louder Than Eleven is made up of passionate filmmakers, photographers, and professionals who tell great stories through adventure media.


In Association With:


ABOUT THE PULL FOCUS GRANT:

Climbers build their lives around adventure in the outdoors. Climb United is committed to being adventurous in our pursuit of others’ perspectives. We know how important climbing media is in shaping climbing culture. We also know that the stories that have been told have highlighted those in power. We want to remove barriers that underrepresented communities continue to be challenged with when accessing the outdoor media and production industry and to support the progression of a talented filmmaker’s career. 

Introducing Pull Focus: a storytelling grant that provides BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with both seen and unseen disabilities the funds and mentorship support to create and share stories that reflect their communities. The Pull Focus Grant is made possible by Mountain Hardwear!

Dear Mother was assistant directed by the recipient of the Pull Focus Grant, Sophi Rutherford. Read about Sophi’s artistic philosophy and why she resonated with Cody’s story in this profile of Sophi as an emerging filmmaker.


CREDITS:

A Louder Than Eleven Production 

Presented by American Alpine Club 

In Association With Mountain Hardwear 

With Support From A-Lodge & Pro Photo Rental

Directed by Jon Glassberg 

Starring Cody Kaemmerlen 

Birth Parents Nam Family

Featuring Janet Kaemmerlen, Mike Kaemmerlen, Nina Williams, Suah Yu, Peter Clotfelter-Quenelle, Hoseok Lee

Assistant Director Sophi Rutherford 

Written by Jon Glassberg, Jessica Glassberg 

Edited by Jon Glassberg 

Assistant Edit Saraphina Redalieu

Video by Jon Glassberg, Jessica Glassberg, Sophi Rutherford, Cody Kaemmerlen 

Photography Sophi Rutherford, Jessica Glassberg

Archival Material Provided by Cody Kaemmerlen, Kaemmerlen Family, Joey Maloney 

Voice Over Mei Ratz

Pull Focus: Behind the Scenes with Sophi Rutherford

Sophi Rutherford in action during the making of Dear Mother. PC: Cody Kaemmerlan.

Sophi Rutherford is the recipient of the first ever Pull Focus Grant, a grant that provides historically underserved outdoor filmmakers the opportunity to intern with a premier photo/video production studio, Louder Than Eleven, and advance their careers in this notoriously competitive space. Through this paid internship, she served as the assistant director on the upcoming film Dear Mother, a transracial adoption story, following the climber Cody Kaemmerlan as he grapples with his identity and ultimately travels to Korea to meet his birth parents. In this profile on Sophi, Holly Yu Tung Chen uncovers Sophi’s artistic philosophy, the importance of telling transracial adoption stories, and the pull to hide behind a camera. Dive in to get a glimpse at the process behind making Dear Mother, and get to know Sophi Rutherford as an emerging filmmaker.


In Dear Mother, climber and transracial Asian-American, Cody Kaemmerlen, searches for connection with his birth parents after a near-death fall leaves him shaken and grasping for answers.


Learn More

The Pull Focus Grant

Emerging Filmmaker: Sophi Rutherford

Film Subject: Cody Kaemmerlan

Writer: Holly Yu Tung Chen

Louder Than Eleven

Climb United

The Pull Focus Grant Was Made Possible By:


Navajo Rising: An Indigenous Emergence Story

Shiprock (Tsé Bit a í, “winged rock”) rises over 1,500 feet above the desert floor of the Navajo Nation in San Juan County, New Mexico (Diné, Pueblos, Ute lands). Shiprock was a sought-after summit during the late 1930s, until the first ascent was done in 1939 by David Brower and Sierra Club team. It marks one of the first times bolts were placed for protection in the history of North American climbing. However, the rock formation is highly sacred to the Navajo people, having historical and religious significance. In 1966, the Navajo Nation banned all climbing on their lands, including Shiprock.

by Aaron Mike

This Indigenous People’s Day, we’re reposting a beautifully written essay by Navajo climber Aaron Mike that we published in 2019.


Acknowledging the roots and conceptualizations of the outdoor activities that we so passionately pursue enriches our participation and ties us to the land, as well as to one another. When we view our industry through a historical lens, we inevitably hear about John Muir, Sir Edmund Hillary, Royal Robbins, and other giants of outdoor recreation. We revere them based on their successes and physical accomplishments. There is one similarity between them that is rarely mentioned: the entirety of their recreational pursuits took place on ancestral homelands of Indigenous Peoples. The Miwok and Piute resided amongst the majestic granite walls of what is now Yosemite National Park. The Havasupai and Hualapai cultivated the areas of the Grand Canyon. The Shoshone, Bannock, Blackfoot, Crow, Flathead, Gros Ventre, and the Nez Perce tribes inhabited what is now Grand Teton National Park. The history and heritage of Indigenous peoples as an inherent part of the lands on which we recreate is a topic that must be part of the conversation if we are to achieve a responsible, sustainable, and inclusive industry. Especially today, this topic is paramount not only because it enhances the care and stewardship of the lands we all love, but also because it is a statement against the systematic dehumanization of a people. 

Diné Bahane’, the Navajo creation story, tells of the journey through three worlds to the fourth world, where the Navajo people now reside. The story details chaos and drama as the Diné, or “Holy people,” moved through Black World, which contained no light; Blue World, which contained light; and Yellow World, which contained great rivers. Eventually, in the 4th world, White World, the Diné would assume human form after gaining greater intelligence and awareness. Through these worlds deities, vegetation, and animals accompanied the Diné, as well as our four sacred mountains;  Sis Naajini (Blanca Peak), Tsoodził (Mount Taylor), Dook’o’oosłid (the San Francisco Peaks) and Dibé Nitsaa (Mount Hesperus).     

Like the story of my people, my tribe, I have gone through many different worlds to walk the path that I am on today. My first world, Ni’hodiłhił, consisted of a surreal state of constantly spending time in the outdoors on the Navajo Nation from Sanders, AZ to Monument Valley, AZ, as well as my hometown of Gallup, NM. Weekends and summers were spent playing with my cousins through the tranquility provided, or turbulence imposed, by our Mother Nature. My grandparents taught me about sheep herding with blue heelers, building hogáns, and butchering sheep. I learned how to take care of horses and cattle, and how to live off of the land. During the spring and summer I spent nights sleeping under the stars and a Pendleton blanket in the back of my grandfather’s early 1990’s Ford F-150. During the fall and winter, I woke up sweating under a sheep woolskin blanket next to a wood burning stove that my grandfather had installed. 

I blinked my eyes and I was in the second world of my journey, Ni’hodootł’izh, far from the Navajo Nation in the Northwest, transported to an environment where all of those activities that had made me feel so real were not customary or necessary, and were even frowned upon. Due to my Diné heritage and my personality, being in the outdoors is a necessity. It is hardwired into my entire being. In this second world, the connection to the land that I had experienced and loved was diverted and diminished. I began to feel disconnected from my Diné roots and felt a growing spiritual void.

I awoke for my first day in a new desert environment and into my third world, Ni’haltsoh. By this time, high school, my identity was in constant flux. I struggled to find my place and individual path in a sea of foreign values and ambitions. I blew through various sports, political ideas, social scenes, and academic areas of study. Amidst the chaos of these years, I found a vehicle that would take me into my fourth world, rock climbing. Being on the walls and boulders in Yosemite National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, the eastern Sierra Nevada, Cochise Stronghold, Hueco Tanks State Park, and Mount Lemmon with people that shared similar values brought me back to a feeling of connection. Rock climbing became my missing identity puzzle piece; a reincarnation of my first world. 

Ni’halgai, the fourth world of my journey: I am Tábaahá, the Edgewater clan, born for Tł’ógí, the Zia clan. My maternal grandfather is Táchii’nii and paternal grandfather is Tódích’íi’nii. After 16 years of redpoints, boulders, summits, alpine ascents, and first ascents, I am an Indigenous rock climbing guide, guide company owner, professional rock climbing athlete, and advocate for the protection of sacred land resources. My fourth world came about after I resolved that I am committed to the path I am on and that I do not want my story to be unique. It is my goal to provide the same access that was gifted to me to Indigenous youth as a means of connection to their land and to their heritage. 

The author, Aaron Mike, bouldering in Northern Arizona (Hopi, Yavapai, Western Apache, Ancestral Puebloan lands). PC: James Q Martin

Simply acknowledging Indigenous heritage and history as a part of the land is not the only answer. It is a step in our First World, eventually leading to our Fourth World of evolution. Accountability is not only assumed with the people and organizations in the industry that are trying to make a sustainable difference, but should be carried out through the actions of each and every climber. Throughout the decades and in my personal experience there has been a culture in climbing that tries to nullify existing law on sacred lands, specifically on the Navajo Nation. Climbers drill fresh bolts and pay to poach sacred formations behind excuses like “good intentions” or “having a Native friend.” These illegal actions are a modern day conquer-and-destroy mentality that fails to respect Indigenous sovereignty and deteriorates the credibility of potential sustainable rock climbing efforts.

Indigenous Peoples are not extinct. Not everything needs to be climbed. Recreation must take a back seat to respecting Indigenous practices that have existed for millennia. Media channels promote first ascents, first free ascents, first descents, and sending of beautiful lines in remote places on rock, snow, or water, which can overlook Indigenous values. The actions that we take must respect Indigenous culture and it is up to us as the greater climbing community to decide the direction that we wish to pursue. Like climbers’ push for Leave No Trace implementation and education, it is up to all of us to push our Local Climbing Organizations to provide information on how to recreate with respect on or near sacred lands and to develop relationships with local Tribes. We must shift the ethos from a western “take” culture in order to not only respect the original stewards of the land, but to ensure that Nahasdzáán, the Earth, will be healthy for our future generations. 


Aaron Mike is a Navajo rock climbing guide, a NativeOutdoors athlete, and a Native Lands Regional Coordinator for the Access Fund. Since the time of this being originally published, he has also joined the Protect Our Winters athlete team. Find him here.