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  • Photographers & Artists
    • A-F - Photographers and Artists >
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September 2020

Cover photo of April Davidson on Prodigal Son (5.10b) by Eric Fallecker.

Feature Photographer: Eric Fallecker

Picture
Davina Joy on Coyotes at Sunset (5.8) at Holcomb Valley, California.

Eric Fallecker is a climber and professional photographer based in Los Angeles, California. In his professional photography he takes headshots, fine art landscapes, and outdoor and commercial photos, including climbing. But in his climbing photography he features...us. 

Eric is known for taking pictures of the Common Climber. He says, "Taking photos is capturing a story or a feeling and it is easier for me to connect to the feeling of someone climbing that beautiful flowy 5.11 and clipping the anchors than it is to the intensity of absolutely crushing everyday."

You can see Erics "beautiful, flowy" story in our cover shot of his partner April Davidson, and on this photo of Davina Joy on Sunset (5.8) in the Holcomb Valley, California. 

See more of his beautiful work and learn about Erick's thoughtful, contemplative, story in as our September 2020 Feature Photographer. 

Editorial
​(By Stefani Dawn)

If you follow Common Climber ​you know that we just completed a month-long fundraising campaign, starting with a GoFundMe and wrapping it up with the online auction. We raised $2,444 (U.S.) dollars to help keep our all-volunteer online magazine moving forward, growing our audience, and assembling our first annual print Anthology (more on that in the coming months). Woohoo! I am so psyched and grateful to you all for supporting us, believing in the vision, and helping propel Common Climber into next year and a first annual print Anthology!

What I'd love to share with you here is that the support for Common Climber spans the northern and southern hemispheres of the globe. We have a world-wide audience and contributors that will continue to grow (including a strong contingency in Canada), but it's clear that Common Climber has one foot firmly planted in the U.S. and the other deeply rooted in Australia (I like to envision it as arms wrapping around the earth in a supportive hug!). Nearly all of our fundraiser support came from these two nations.

​You can also see this bi-national kinship in the articles in this month's edition - from Dave Barnes' tribute to Andrew Penny - A Blue Mountaineer and Keith Bell's reflection on the classic Flake Crack on Mt. Piddington in the Blue Mountains to an ass-whooping buddy story about a first-time trip to Yosemite in What We Came For by Austin Beck-Doss and a first-time-trad-climbing tale in Moab, Utah - The Pink Tricam by Emma Renly.

I'd also like to highlight a unique story called 
Navajo Rising by climber and guide Aaron Mike. Aaron shares with us his path into climbing, as well as, how it relates to his Native American heritage. Native Americans have a strong history of climbing to be acknowledged and embraced. 
Picture
Common Climber editor, Stefani Dawn, climbing in Joshua Tree National Park. Joshua Tree is one of many locations in the U.S. that has sections closed to climbing due to Native American cultural significance and historic preservation.
The U.S. and Australia share similar stories of white colonization of lands that were originally inhabited by Indigenous People. As nations, we are both trying to find climbing's place in that developing story. That story can become painful when places we know and love to climb become restricted for cultural preservation. And, conversely that feeling of loss is deep amongst Native people's who have seen so much generational loss of land and life. It is a difficult history and a bitter pill to swallow, honor, and reconcile. Yet, there are people like Aaron, whose life-blood is climbing and being Navajo, and whose purpose is to bring climbing to more Native Americans, as well as, bridge gaps so both climbing and the Indigenous people can join together in supportive ways.
Here in the U.S., we saw a major success when Native American organizations and climbers rose up against massive mining and oil-drilling land-giveaways near Moab, Utah - a sacred area for tribes of the American Southwest and for climbers. But, these types of victories and partnerships don't happen overnight. They can take years to cultivate and require a purposeful, sometimes difficult, effort of listening, learning, and opening hearts and minds.

​As climbing grows, so too does our impact and influence, and we need to be mindful of this. Aaron's piece is a beautifully written tale that takes us through the Navajo creation story, and how his life parallels that story. It is a tale of evolution. Our climbing community is evolving as well, we have a say in how this ends up, by the partnerships we build and the individual and collective actions we take.

In this edition we also have three practical and interesting articles that can help improve our understanding of climbing. First is physical trainer Collin McGee's ​Improving Hip Mobility and Strength, which includes photos, videos, and helpful descriptions on how to train to improve the much needed high step. Next is Jesse Montgomery's how-to article The Art of Climbing Without Rock: How to Stay Strong and Stay Inspired in a “Climbing Desert”. Jesse shares how he kept climbing front-and-center when he got stationed in the relatively rock-less state of Georgia. Lastly, the article Take Risks - You'll Remember Them Later shares how memory works and why we can sometime remember the super-duper details of a climb. It's awesome to have those memories, which strengthen our bond with this sport.

Enjoy!

Stef

Articles

Picture
Picture


Andrew Penny - A Blue Mountaineer
​(By Dave Barnes)

​Andrew Penny is a legend  in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Andrew rode the wave of change in the Blue Mountains ushering in sport climbing But, he also made sure to bolt easy to moderate climbs that are accessible to all climbers. Dave Barnes gives us a tour of this Australian climbing legend. 

​Navajo Rising

(By Aaron Mike)


​Diné Bahane’, the Navajo creation story, tells of the journey through three worlds to the Fourth World, where the Navajo people now reside. In the Fourth World, the Diné would assume human form after gaining greater intelligence and awareness. This is a story of evolution, the author's evolution into a climbing guide, and our climbing community's evolution into our Fourth World of greater awareness. 

Picture
Flakes and Shakes: Flake Crack Revisited
(By Keith Bell)

​​Iconic climbs are ones that capture your eye, inexplicably draw you towards them, and are a test piece for climbers across generations. Flake Crack, on Mount Piddington in the Blue Mountains of Australia, is one of those climbs. Look at that photo and see why - now experience the journey.
Picture
The Art of Climbing Without Rock:
How to Stay Strong and Stay Inspired in a “Climbing Desert”

(By Jesse Montgomery)
​​
​What happens when life throws you a curve ball and you end up at a location where there is very little climbing nearby? Jesse Montgomery encountered this very thing when stationed in the middle of Georgia and shares a solid plan of how to keep climbing front and center in your life. 
​
Picture
The Pink Tricam
(By Emma Renly)

Author Emma Renly describes her first trad lead, and how the pink tricam was both her downfall and her saving grace. 

Picture
What We Came For
​(By Austin Beck-Doss)

Two young, strong, enthusiastic climbers hit Yosemite for the first time and...get whipped. A fun, ego-bruising, buddy story I think we can all relate to.
Picture
Take Risks - You'll Remember Them Later
​(By Jess Sanson)​

An exploration of how climbing memories are formed in the brain and why we remember some better than others.

Climbing Training

​
​Improving Hip Mobility and Strength
(By Collin McGee)

Hip mobility and strength are critical for high steps in climbing. Physical trainer Collin McGee shares helpful information about how to improve your high-step game. ​

Thank you for reading and supporting Common Climber! If you like an article, please share it and spread the word!

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          • Anthology 2020 Sponsors
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      • 2023 >
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      • 2024 >
        • March-April 2024
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        • Oct-Nov-Dec 2024
    • 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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        • 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
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        • 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
        • Safety Gifts
      • Grades, Styles, & Types >
        • Absolutely Hypothetical: Introducing the Graham Scale
        • Bouldering-Falling
        • Bouldering Grade Advancements
        • 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
          • Rock Climber Mobility
          • 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
          • Copen Hill Climbing Wall
          • 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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    • FIXEhardware
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    • Tension Climbing
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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
        • Petzl-Dual-Adjust
      • 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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    • A-F >
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        • 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 - Enock Glidden
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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 - Lani Wilson
      • W - Dierdre Wolownick
      • Z - Peter Zabrok
  • Videos
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