A Lifeline Home
A Lifeline Home There was nothing exceptional about how Ryan Utz and Micah Helser became friends. After nodding at each other in the office hallways for weeks, they happened to discover that they shared an interest in sustainable building. They got to talking and pretty soon found that they both shared a love for climbing […]
The Reckoning
The Reckoning Every aspiring photographer dreams of capturing an iconic image. It’s the same kind of motivation that draws young skiers to intimidating lines in foreboding ranges and pulls ambitious climbers to Yosemite. We imagine these moments a thousand times in advance, but when we finally arrive, we are often surprised and humbled. Epiphanies require […]
Help Wanted
Help Wanted There’s no such thing as a perfect job. There’s always a catch- nagging bosses, gossiping co-workers, crummy benefits. That’s why we get paid to work. But what if there was a magical place where you could get paid to climb? The job pays well and during your four hours of paid break you […]
Prayer for a Friend
Prayer for a Friend How do people remember the dead? Some people stuff wrinkled snapshots into wallets. Others build ornate mausoleums. Others ensure their friends’ memories by creating goals that can never fully be realized. In 2003, my friend John Bombard lost his battle to cancer. On the day of his passing, I stumbled across […]
The First Time
The First Time I want you to think back to the first time you touched granite, rolled a kayak or linked ski turns. Whether you’re pushing your sport to new heights or daydream about first tracks during your rush hour commute, those first experiences are something we all have in common. It probably felt a […]
No Big Deal
No Big Deal In 1996, photographer John Burcham and three friends completed the first foot traverse of the 650-mile long Alaska Range. Together, they forded streams, chased off curious grizzlies and crossed crevassed glaciers. After 75 days, they had become a single unit. After delays mounted, Burcham decided to leave the group at the very […]
Anatomy of an Accident
Anatomy of an Accident In May of 2007, I made a mistake that should have cost me my life when I slipped high on a Central Oregon volcano. I fell between 250-300 feet, over a cliff, through rock bands before grabbing a rock out cropping and stopping my fall. I’m still not sure how I […]
A Brief Moment in a Beautiful Place
A Brief Moment in a Beautiful Place There is a fine line between a life-lasting memory and disaster. Whatever the discipline–alpinism, big wave surfing, foreign travel–we calculate risk, formulate plans and sometimes we have the spunk to see them through. Today, we’re headed to Laos to recount the story of two friends and one spectacularly […]
A Thousand Words
A Thousand Words There is no textbook on adventure journalism, but if there were one, it would contain one single, steadfast rule — you can’t photograph adventure from a safe distance. There are no sidelines in wilderness. El Capitan doesn’t have a press booth. Even for the most safety-conscious, danger can come in many forms–falling […]
