Rock Climbing

For some, this might just be a hobby, but for a guy born in the flatlands of the Midwest, it is an adventure.  And it's probably one I might have let slip by if not for an odd encounter and my wife prodding, "you've always wanted to do it; now's your chance...  you HAVE to."  A six hour drive later I was hooked and made a great friend, Adam Beck, now a climbing guide at Fox Mountain Guides.

I love climbing for all that it does to strengthen us mentally as well as physically.  Rock climbing forces you out of the comfort zone and getting out of the comfort zone is a good place to be.

I built a climbing wall in my garage and I frequent Red River Gorge, KY and Muscatatuck Park, IN.

My Climbing Articles are posted here: Adventure Trip Reports (a sister project I do with Pancake)

Climbing Resources:

• ClimbMidwest.com - I really wanted to track down all of the crags within reasonable driving distance from my home in Indiana.  I couldn't find one so I built one.  This is my site - please pass it along.
• Fox Mountain Guides - If you want to learn, these guys are the best in the Eastern U.S.  My friend, Adam, is a guide there and I've had great time learning from Karsten Delap.

Essential Climbing Books:

• The Rock Warrior's Way and Espresso Lessons,  by Arno Ilgner
• Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills
• How to Climb 5.12, Eric Horst

Videos that keep me primed all winter:

• Progression - Got this in HD - awesome.
• The Sharp End - Beyond what I'll try but fun to watch.
• King Lines - Sharma at his best.
• Masters of Stone V - I don't have the rest of series but I hear they kick ass too.