24th January 2025

Fear & Loathing in Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas

It was sometime around 4 o’clock in the afternoon –– my boyfriend Ben, Max, Bear and I were many hours deep into the drive that stretched from the coast of San Luis Obispo to the inconceivable happenings of Las Vegas. The car speakers roared with Brewer & Shipley’s song “One Toke Over The Line”; Max wanted it rolling as we thundered on through the barren highway into Barstow because it played in the first scene of his favorite film adaptation.

14th January 2025

The Tor

It was dull, dirty pain that we took part in manufacturing as we made our fingers hold the body’s weight. The deep, two-finger pockets we grabbed were man made too. The men: local climbers Phil Requist and Steve Edwards; they drilled and chiseled away some years ago, hung a series of fixed draws and opened up a hidden nook amongst the foothills off the 166 to climbers willing to test themselves and meet back up with fear and failure.

4th January 2025

On Ice

It’s tricky to navigate ice, it seems to always have an agenda of its own. Driving into Lee Vining, the ice-laden roads carved into our conscience; I noticed Ben’s eyes never unfurl from the road, save for the quick sideway glances of people standing disoriented in front of their fresh collisions.

20th October 2024

A Quick Trip From Morro Bay to Moro Rock

How soon the road was winding and we were engrossed in the forest canopy and the slanting, autumnal leaves lining it as we snaked into and through Sequoia National Park. We got to a tiny crag and got our belongings and bodies out of the packed car. Oh to be on the road, even just for a few days, I thought to myself. That feeling of driving away from one's very own normalcy and into something unpredictable is one of the most notable gifts.

13th September 2023

It’s Time to Get Your Shoes Resoled, and Positive Resoles is There

When the small rip starts threatening to become a hole, and your big toe starts feeling extra exfoliated as it sticks out and brushes against every hold you climb on, you must come to terms with the fact it’s time for a resoler to work their magic. It’s a tedious task of shipping those shoes out, but that process gives way for the beautiful excuse of buying a new pair.

23rd July 2023

Reflections on Climbing

Tucked in my journal, written on December 24, 2022:

My time back in Sacramento this winter has allowed me to revisit myself.

Frequent December hours climbing at Sacramento Pipeworks has seemed to soothe any anxiety caused from my sudden change of pace in my life.

4th May 2023

A Night With Mo

The sport of rock climbing is as much a physical and mental activity as it is a mentor. Teaching lessons applicable to one’s life off the rock, it ingrains the notion of hard work and determination, quick and adaptive thinking, and most importantly, it opens the gate to what one may think achievable for themselves, encouraging them to push the limit of what’s deemed possible.

19th March 2023

The Mountains Are Calling

A story of a Dutch climbing enthusiast and her alpinist adventures in the mountains of the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps.

9th March 2023

With Climbing Comes Community

A tale of how two girls came to be great friends, brought together through their shared passion for climbing and love for the outdoors.

20th February 2023

A Meditation on the Complexity of a Climbing Session

For seasoned climbers who spend hours each week at the climbing gym, the act becomes a unique ritual. From slowly warming up one’s body and fingers with floor stretches and easier routes, to climbing hard and pushing oneself, to finishing a session training on tension and hangboards, many value their methodical routines, allowing them to destress, connect with others and get strong.

6th February 2023

Iranian Climber Makes History– But It Came At A Cost

Stepping out onto the competition floor, gracefully and decisively floating through the moves on the IFSC Asian Championships finals route, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi showcased her raw strength and calculated technique. Yet getting lowered to the ground and finishing in fourth place, Rekabi’s feat would be quickly overpowered by the intense backlash of her actions– climbing without her hijab.

24th January 2023

Cal Poly Climbing Team Reaches New Heights

While 8pm on a Wednesday night for many students may entail last minute studying or a movie in bed, for the Cal Poly Climbing Team, the night of training hard, chalked holds and calloused hands has only just begun.