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JTree Bolting Pressure Cooker


By Stefani Dawn ​​
Farai Muchenje is a more recent addition to the climbing world. Kelly Vaught is a stone master, having emerged into the world of climbing and first ascents in the heyday of Idllywild and Camp 4 in Yosemite.  Together, they are a team of Joshua Tree “new-school” route developers.
 
For some, using the words “new-school,” “route development”, and “Joshua Tree” all in the same sentence can be hair-raising/red-flag inducing/trouble-making. For others it elicits great relief and gratitude.
 
What exactly does “new school” mean in JTree? It’s a hint of today’s bolting ethics mixed with local JTree flavor. To better understand, we need to dig a bit deeper into JTree.
 
JOSHUA TREE’S BOLTING HISTORY
 
Joshua Tree is known for it’s surreal beauty, cartoonish blobs of granite, sand-bagged old-school ratings, and run-out. Common characteristics of the rock are barely there discontinuous cracks that meet featureless domes of slab. Are those bulbous domes climbable? Sure. Are they protectable? Not without bolts. So what was a climber to do in the days of yore? Essentially, free solo those sections.
 
When bolts first emerged as a form of climbing protection the holes had to be hand drilled, often while on lead. Imagine for a moment: You are on steep featureless slab, very little, if any protection is placed below you, your feet hang tenuously onto the rock. Then you let go with your hands, grab a hand-cranked drill, and slowly begin drilling. When the hole is done you hammer in the bolt and secure the hanger. How many bolts would you want to place if your other option was to haul ass up the slab to relative safety? Hence there are very few bolts.
 
Hand drilling on lead is one of the early, practical, reasons run-out exists in Joshua Tree. But, even as battery powered drills came into existence, perceptions and ethics were shaped by the minimal bolting. There was the early leave-no-trace ethic of do not mar the rock. Or the bad-ass ethic of if you can’t do it without protection you should not be climbing it. Or, even the default ethic of that is the way its always been done. All of these perceptions resulted in run-out.
 
Fast forward to today, where the popularity of sport climbing exceeds that of traditional climbing. Although it took some time to be accepted, placing bolts in rock is now par for the course – in most places, that is. Joshua Tree is one of the last major hold-outs for minimal bolting.
 
Bolt-chopping wars still occur here. This is in part because of remnants of historical beliefs, but it is also a manifestation of people believing in adhering to the National Park requirements.  The bolting allowances in the park are a little complicated but they are:

  • In non-wilderness areas bolts can be placed using a hand drill. Power drills require a permit.
  • In wilderness areas a permit is required to place any new bolts – even if using a hand drill. Old bolts can be replaced bolt-for-bolt. [For reference, over 75% of the park is designated wilderness (some documents say 85 or 90%)].
  • There are a few areas that are labeled “anchor free zones.” Where no bolts are allowed in order to maintain the natural aesthetic of the environment.
  • It takes about 6 months for a bolting permit to get approved. (Which some perceive as unrealistic to accommodate the demand.)
 
To complicate matters, although the park was established in 1936, the wilderness-designated areas continue to expand within the park. For example, in 1990, 163,800 acres was designated as wilderness. Then, in 2009 an additional 37,000 acres was given the wilderness designation. When an area transitions into wilderness, the routes that already existed in the area are grandfathered in. However, any new route development must follow the rules described above.
 
Since not every route in Joshua Tree has been documented, it is difficult to know what is comparatively “new” or “old.” Due to the historical frowning-upon of bolting, there are plenty of “unclaimed” bolted routes scattered in the park. For these routes there is no known history of first ascents, the year established, and the original number of bolts.
 
Park Officials, who are tasked with enforcing the rules, are faced with questions like, was that route bolted prior to the 1990 California Desert Protection Act  or the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, or even the 1976 act that established over 80% of the park as wilderness? Who knows.
 
CONUNDRUM: THE DESIRE TO BOLT AND PRESSURE NOT TO
 
Enter today’s JTree route developers. Here they are, surrounded by 1200 square miles of drool-inducing rock, and a huge fraction of it is essentially  “off limits,” at least to bolting.
 
Sure, there are plenty of trad-only first ascents to be had, but some of those lines are crazy deep in the park, or have no descent other than to rappel. What do you do if you can’t get off the rock? One might suggest to sling a natural feature and rap, but leaving slings is also not allowed in Joshua Tree wilderness (in fact, if you think about it, bolted anchors are less visually obstructive than slings and do not deteriorate into colorful, useless trash after a year in the UV radiation). Conundrum.
 
In addition to the trad lines, there are also so many aesthetically pleasing unprotectable face-climbs. From a climber’s perspective it can be painful to walk by and see such a beautiful line go unsent. Since most people don’t want to free solo and, unfortunately, top rope options are few and far between, the only option to free that line is to bolt. Double conundrum.
 
But, bolting is not just about freeing a new line; it’s also about safety and accessibility. Bolting has aligned with shifts in world views, moving from one of purity and dangerous adventure, to reducing unnecessary danger and making the beautiful world accessible to all. Triple conundrum.
 
Thus, there is also a shift in the perspectives of today’s route developers, where they value placing permanent protection. This is true for even the original developers who were previously quite vocal against placing bolts.
 
So what is a new route developer to do in someplace like Joshua Tree?
 
BACK TO FARAI AND KELLY
 
Unless you are establishing trad-only lines in Joshua Tree (which Farai and Kelly are doing), route developers regularly face these difficult conundrums. Farai and Kelly are navigating this space carefully by scoping out new crags in non-wilderness areas (which, by the way, are nice and close to the roads!) and finding locations where they can do some trad first ascents and then rappel into face climbs.
 
Rap-bolting was once (and for some still is) frowned upon, but rappelling makes it much easier to hand-drill, thereby meeting park requirements if you don’t have a powered drill permit. Rap-bolting also allows the developer to practice the climb and locate ideal bolt placement, thus protecting for cruxes and ground-fall, but also strategically minimizing bolts (this also includes not placing bolts where a route is protectable using trad gear). Lastly, bolts are minimized by having shared anchors for multiple routes.
 
Farai and Kelly are excited about their work, but they, like many are caught up in the JTree conundrum - excited by “modern” route development, but also understanding the need for and perspectives of preservation.
 
It’s a really tough struggle that many people in the Joshua Tree community are navigating. Organizations like Friends of Joshua Tree and Access Fund are acting as liaisons between Park Officials and the climbing community. Everyone is looking for balance, but it’s a tough act, especially as the popularity of climbing using bolts grows. The pressure to bolt is really only going to increase.
 
For now, though, sticking to developing routes in the non-wilderness corridors seems like a good solution. In fact, perhaps it's a win-win. For one, the approaches to these areas are much shorter, making it easier for climbers. Second, it reduces the footprint in the wilderness.
 
HIghlighted Crags:
  • The Ranch
  • Poker Face
 
Joshua Tree Wilderness Boundaries Map

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    • Themed Editions >
      • Adaptive Climbing Edition >
        • Adaptive Climbing Photo Feature: Paradox Sports
        • Climbing with Type 1 Diabetes
        • Advocating for Deaf Climbers: Sonya Wilson
        • Amputations: Leg Prosthesis for Climbing
        • Blind Ambition Builds a World Class Climber: The Story of Jesse Dufton
        • First Paralyzed Ascents: Rand Abbott
        • Mixed Climbing: My Answer to KT Syndrome
        • Paraclimbing Competitions: Althlete Interviews
        • Rock!
        • The Unreasonable Man
      • Adventure Travel >
        • Aleo Manali, India
        • A Light Through the Cracks Review
        • France - Adventures of Jorge
        • Freiheit - Book Review
        • Light Weight Baby - The Coming of Age of Ben Cossey
        • M - Alex Mauss Design
        • Mirage - Profile of a Climb and Photograph
        • Pen Llŷn: The Most Dangerous Book in the World
        • Tonga - Tropical Rock
        • Whitewater Crocks
      • Belaytionships Edition >
        • Featured Photographer: Charlie OlGrady-Kessner
        • Belaytionships: Maggie and Charlie Odette
        • Zac the Interloper
        • Book Review: Uncoiling the Ropes
        • Belaytionships: Drew-and-Sarah
        • This page has been removed
        • I Am My Father's Son: Layton Bridwell
      • Big Wall Edition >
        • Book Review: Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss
        • Featured Photographer: Matt Spohn
        • Grading Commitment
        • Hanging with the Monkeys, and Getting the Monkey Off My Back
        • It Was His Time: Brad Gobright Interview May 2019
        • John Middendorf : A Big Man for a Big Stone
        • Sébastien Berthe Free Climbs the Nose From the Ground Up
        • Shit Happens – Or, Why You Need a Walkie Talkie
      • Developers and Guidebook Authors >
        • Developer - Mitch Lehman
        • Andrew Penny - A Blue Mountaineer
        • Kevin Powell
        • Rock Star Groupie
        • Tony Calderone
      • Exploring Our World >
        • AUSTRALIA - Photographer - Diego Perez
        • AUSTRALIA - Profile - Julie Anderson
        • Book Review - Climbing Rock
        • CHINA - From Yangshuo, to Getu, to Liming
        • FRANCE - Verdon in Winter
        • GREECE - Meteora
        • ITALY - Dolomites
        • MEXICO - La Huasteca
        • SPAIN - Artist - Karmelo Onate
        • UTAH - Maple Canyon: This One Makes You Taller
      • Farewell Edition >
        • D-Monica Dalmasso Photographer
        • Don't Fall
        • Gorge Country
        • Matheson Brown - There's a Bear in There
        • Piqued by Peaks
        • Progress
        • Remembering Common Climber
        • The Journey is Everything
      • Firsts... and Last >
        • A Tale of Oso Madre
        • Clayton Herrmann - Featured Photographer
        • Rysavy Ridge >
          • The Migrant Pom on Rysavy Ridge
          • Throng of Roland
          • Fast Forward - Rysavy Ridge Revisited
        • The Three Sisters
      • Honoring Diversity >
        • ARTIST: Shawn Lee
        • A Shift on Moonlight Buttress
        • Claiming a Space on the Mountain
        • Colorblind
        • Feature Photographer: Bryan Sillorequez
        • Is Diversity in America Diverse?
        • MOVIE: People of Climbing:
        • Profile - Favia Dubyk
        • The Lineage
      • Humor
      • Joshua Tree >
        • Bouldering: JTree Made Me Do It
        • Improv at JTree: Bad Bolts
        • JTree: Bolting Pressure Cooker
        • Joshua Tree: Heinous Approaches
      • Old and New >
        • Climb Harder Book Review
        • Night Cap - The Plan
        • A Grand Night Cap
        • Fiasco on the Grand Cap - 1969
        • Jusant - Climbing Video Game
        • S - Mike Stone
        • Vietnam - Yen Thinh
        • 2023 - Reflection
      • Overcoming Adversity >
        • Acopa Outdoors
        • Anoushe Husain
        • Failure is Part of the Price: Rand Abbott Attempts the First Adaptive Lead Ascent of The Nose
        • Overcoming a Brain Tumor: WeighMyRack Founder Interview: Alison Dennis
        • Rising
        • The Mountain Path Book Review
      • Overcoming Boundaries >
        • Photographer - Brook Anderson
        • Profile - Louise Shepherd
        • Profile - Megan Banker
        • Profile - Shawn Axelrod
        • Rock Type 1
        • The Tape Job
      • Strength Edition >
        • Effective Training: Are You Getting Stronger or Just Getting Tired?
        • In Praise of Mustang Coffee
        • More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood
        • Mother Earth: One of Australia's Hardest Natural Lines
        • My Husband Climbs Stronger than Me
        • She has a Name: Mary Catherine Eden
        • Train the Mind: Mental Toughness Tips
      • Women's Edition >
        • Editorial - Women's Edition
        • Climbing is My Art
        • Mt. Logan Solo
        • Photographer - Michelle Ranee Johnson
        • Profile - Caitlin Schokker
  • Writing
    • All Writings (List)
    • Topics >
      • Adaptive Climbing >
        • Adaptive Climbing Edition
        • El Capitan: Enock Glidden
        • Failure is Part of the Price: Rand Abbott Attempts the First Adaptive Lead Ascent of The Nose
        • Jean
        • Quinn Brett Interview
        • My Journey to Adaptive Rock Climbing
        • Planning for Mt. Rainier: Adaptive Climbing
        • Resources - Adaptive Climbing
        • Adaptive Climbing: It's About Climbing Independence
      • Alpine & Ice >
        • A Chamonix Initiation
        • California Still Has Untouched Climbing Wilderness
        • Double Sevens
        • Elusive Ice - A Rare Tasmanian Treat
        • Ice Solo
        • Mt. Logan Solo
        • Mt. Ogden Spanking
        • Mt. Whitney Whipping
        • My Common Alpine Epic
        • Nick Would
        • The Dru Derby >
          • Horses for Courses - The Dru Derby 1971
          • My Dru Derby
          • The North Face of the Dru - Chris Baxter
        • Vertical Ice Climbing in Ontario, Canada, eh?
      • Profiles
      • Comics >
        • Master and his Apprentice
        • Totem Pole 2082
        • The Video - Comic
      • CoVID and Climbing >
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        • CoVID-19 Remakes Our Lives
        • Dear Memory
        • From Couch to Lifting Couches
        • How to Climb and Avoid the Corona Virus
        • The 5.10 Commandments
        • Trying to Send this Route
      • Equipment (writings) >
        • Aliens!
        • A Rack Retrospective
        • Cam Ranges (+ Big Bros)
        • Carabiner Strength Ratings
        • Climbing Shoes Fit
        • Guide Book Follies
        • Rope Buying 101
        • Shit Happens – Or, Why You Need a Walkie Talkie
        • The One Item to Stockpile
        • Which Way Should I Carry My Trad Rack?
        • Why GriGris Suck
        • 8 Reasons I Carry a Full Rack on Every Trad Climb
      • Facebook Feature >
        • FF: Big Walls
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        • FF: Exploring Our World
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        • FF: Welcome New Climbers
      • Fiction >
        • GOD
        • Red Curtain: Prologue & Chapter 1 Excerpt
      • Gift Ideas >
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        • Climbing Stocking Stuffers
        • Rock Stack Card Game
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      • Grades, Styles, & Types >
        • Absolutely Hypothetical: Introducing the Graham Scale
        • Bouldering-Falling
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        • Grading Climbs at the Gym
        • It's a F-ing Chimney
        • Onsight vs Flash vs Etc...
        • Top 10: Increase the Climbing Grade When...
        • Trad Climbing is for Chicken Sh*#s
        • WTF 5.7?
        • 18 Climber Types: Which Are You?
      • Kids >
        • Family Stages
        • The Guidebook
      • Legends & Tributes >
        • A - Bryden Allen
        • B - The Bell's Line: The Keith Bell Story
        • B - John Brailsford Tribute - The Immaculate MOAC
        • B - Joe Brown
        • C - Cutcliffe - The Boy from Bothwell – A Tribute to Max Cutcliffe, an Australian Legend
        • F - Doug Fife
        • G - Brad Gobright
        • G - Todd Gordon
        • H - Hugh Herr
        • H - Thomas Huber - In Another World - A Personal Climbing Journey
        • J - Saxon Johns
        • M - Tim Macartney-Snape: ​A Legend from Sea to Summit
        • M - John Middendorf
        • R - Early to Rock: David Roots
        • S- Paul Seddon - From a Nut to a Harness: A Tribute to Paul Seddon, The Third Troll
        • W - Alan Watts: A Smith Rock Legacy
      • Mental-Physical >
        • Climbing Training Series >
          • Climbing Warm-Up: Shoulders & Fingers
          • Effective Training: Are You Getting Stronger or Just Getting Tired?
          • Improving Hip Mobility
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          • Train the Mind: Mental Toughness Tips
      • Other/Misc
      • Places & Climbs >
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          • Consolation Prize
          • Echo Crack and Cracked Egos
          • Email From Italy
          • Flakes and Shakes: Flake Crack Revisited
          • From Yorkshire to Eternity
          • I Like Fake Cracks (And I Cannot Lie)
          • Le Temps Suspendu - Suspended in Time
          • Lost Boys Meets Hard Boys >
            • The Lost Boys: The Epic First Ascent of Mount Warning's Wollumbin Shield
          • Mont Blanc: Climbing the Best Granite Cracks in Europe
          • Ozymandias Direct - Fifty Years of Fun and Games
          • Sierra's Volcanic Plug: Da-ek dow Go-et
          • Supreme Jumbo Love
          • The Fourth Bolt of Texas Radio
          • The Matterhorn
          • Thumbing The Nose at Mr. CF Jingus
          • Tiptoeing Through Some Bungles
          • Tombstone Territory
          • Yosemite - What We Came For
        • Location Reviews
        • My Home Crag >
          • Climbing in the Upper Cumberland Valley, Kentucky
          • Colors of the Climb
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          • Donegal Sea Stacks
          • Drytooling in the Rain - Wayne's World, WA
          • New River Gorge, West Virgina
          • My Home Crag: Nowra, NSW, Australia
          • The Kenyan Climber
        • Travel Stories
      • Poetry/Prose >
        • A Bard of Yosemite
        • Anti-Social Climbers
        • Feeding the Rat
        • Finding Poetry
        • Ice is Nice
        • Sojourn at Dyuritte
        • The Space Between
      • Puzzles, Games, & Fun! >
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        • Crossword - Strength Edition
        • Memes by Bad Beta Bouldering
        • The OG Aussie Klimber
        • 12-Weeks to Onsighting a 5.8
      • Safety and Skills >
        • Bolting and Ground-Fall Potential
        • Euro-Death Knot is NOT
        • Multi-Pitch Tips: Two ATCs
        • Sketchy Anchor Bolts
        • Sliding-X Anchor
        • Three Ways to Use a Stick Clip
        • Top 10: Climbing Best Practices
      • Social, Social Media, & Social Issues
  • Marketplace
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    • Climbing Addicts Colored Chalk >
      • Climbing Addicts Chalk Has New Owners - 2023 Interview
    • Climb-On Maps
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  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews >
      • A-H Book Reviews >
        • A Light Through the Cracks Review
        • Advanced Rock Climbing Book Review
        • Adventures at the Edge of the World
        • Climb - Book Review
        • Climb Harder Book Review
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        • Climbing Rock: Vertical Explorations Across North America
        • Climbing Wild - Book Review
        • Freiheit - Book Review
        • Hangdog Days Book Review
        • HOOKING UP: The Ultimate Big Wall and Aid Climbing Manual
      • M-Y Book Reviews >
        • More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood
        • Paul Preuss: Lord of the Abyss
        • Pen Llŷn: The Most Dangerous Book in the World
        • Red Curtain - Book Review
        • Royal Robbins - The American Climber Book Review
        • States of Adventure Review
        • Sydney Climbing - Book Review
        • The Art of Climbing - Review
        • The Greater Fool - Brad Gobright and the Blinding Shine of Originality
        • The Mountain Path Book Review
        • The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story - Book Review
        • Uncoiling the Ropes
        • Valley of Giants
        • Yosemite Bigwalls: The Ultimate Guide Review
    • Equipment/Gear Reviews >
      • Belay Device Review >
        • Edelrid Mega Jul
      • Harness Reviews >
        • ArcTeryx-FL-365
        • Misty Mountain Cadillac
      • Packs and Bags >
        • Sukoa Chalk Bag Review
        • Trango Crag Pack
      • Personal Anchor Systems >
        • Camp-Daisy-Twist
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      • Other Gear Reviews >
        • D4 Delta2P Portaledge
        • Skyhook Stick Clip Review
    • Location Reviews >
      • Australia >
        • Queensland, Australia >
          • Kangaroo Point Photos and Beta
          • Kangaroo Point Review
        • New South Wales Australia >
          • Blue Mountains >
            • Blue Mountains Photos and Beta
            • Blue Mountains Review
          • Nowra >
            • Nowra Review >
              • Nowra Photos and Beta
      • Mexico >
        • Potrero Chico Photos and Beta
        • Potrero Chico Review
      • United States >
        • Climbing Area Check List - U.S. >
          • Climbing Area Check List Part 1: Alabama to California
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 2: Colorado to Michigan
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 3: Minnesota to New Mexico
          • Climbing Area Checklist Part 4: New York to Wyoming
        • Arizona >
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        • California >
          • Joshua Tree >
            • Joshua Tree Tips
          • Mount Whitney >
            • Mount Whitney Photos and Beta
        • Idaho
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          • Smith Rock >
            • Smith Rock - Photos and Beta
            • Smith Rock Review
          • Spring Mountain >
            • Spring Mountain Review
            • Spring Mountain - Photos and Beta
          • Trout Creek >
            • Trout Creek Photos and Beta
            • Trout Creek Review
        • Nevada >
          • Gun Club
          • Keyhole Canyon
          • Mt. Charleston, Nevada
          • Red Rock Canyon >
            • Red Rock Canyon Review - Yeahs and Neahs
            • Red Rock Canyon Photos and Beta
        • New Hampshire >
          • North Conway, NH
          • Rumney, NH
        • New York >
          • Gunks Review
        • Utah >
          • Echo Canyon
          • Ferguson Canyon >
            • Ferguson Canyon Photos and Beta
            • Ferguson Canyon Review
          • Ibex >
            • Ibex Photos and Beta
            • Ibex Review
          • Maple Canyon >
            • Maple Canyon, Utah Photos and Beta
            • Maple Canyon Review
          • Moab >
            • Moab - Main - Photos and Beta
            • Moab -Main - Review
          • St. George >
            • St. George - Prophesy Wall- Photos and Beta
            • St. George - Prophesy Wall - Review
        • West Virginia >
          • Seneca Rocks
        • Wyoming >
          • Ten Sleep
  • Photographers & Artists
    • A-F - Photographers and Artists >
      • A - Gustavo Acosta - Photographer
      • A- Brook Anderson
      • B - Florian Beyer
      • B - Michael Blowers
      • B - Phillip Booth
      • B - Guillaume Borga
      • B - Michaël Bortoluzzi
      • B - Michael Bretz
      • C - Karen Chan
      • C - Matt Cunningham
      • D-Monica Dalmasso Photographer
      • D - Daga Dygas
      • E- Mary Catherine Eden
      • F - Eric Fallecker
    • G-N - Photographers and Artists >
      • G - Katherine González
      • G - Max Gordon
      • H - Clayton Herrmann
      • J - Michelle Ranee Johnson
      • K - Jethro Kiernan
      • K - Christine Kuebler
      • L - Jim Lawyer - Everyone Needs a Lawyer: Profile of Climber & Photographer, Jim Lawyer
      • L - Shawn Lee Illustrator
      • L - LieseLotte P
      • L - Jim Lin
      • M - Lindsey Mathewson
      • M - Alex Mauss Design
      • M - Adam McClatchie - Mile High Media House
      • M - Alex Messenger
      • N - Tiffany Nardico
    • O-Z- Photographers and Artists >
      • O - Charlie OlGrady-Kessner
      • O - Karmelo Onate
      • O - Camila Ospina
      • P - Diego Perez
      • S - Charlie S.
      • S - Xavi Sanchez - Climbing Comic
      • S - Helmut Schulze
      • S - Bryan Sillorequez
      • S - Stephen Smithburger
      • S - Matt Spohn
      • V - Laura Vallo
      • W - Joel Wilson
      • Z - Eson Zhao
  • JOIN!
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  • About Common Climber
    • Why I Started Common Climber
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  • Authors
    • A-F >
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      • B - Dave Barnes >
        • Dave Barnes Extended Bio
      • B - Austin Beck-Doss
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      • C - Massimo Cappuccio
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      • D - Stefani Dawn
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      • F - Tony Ferrar
    • G-O >
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      • G - Naomi Gibbs
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      • G - Enock Glidden
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      • H - Grey Hensley
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      • J - Jonathan
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      • L - Mike Lewis
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      • M - Collin McGee
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      • O - Maggie Odette
    • P-Z >
      • P - Jorge Packer
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      • P - Paul Pritchard
      • R - Monique Richard
      • R - Juan Rodriguez
      • S - Lor Sabourin
      • S - Jess Sanson
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      • T- Frothy Thomson
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      • W - Kirby Walke
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      • W - Wayne Willoughby
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      • W - Dierdre Wolownick
      • Z - Peter Zabrok
  • Videos
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