Brad Gobright is pure of heart. So pure, in fact, that he may never have faced a dilemma in all his life. That’s not exactly serving him well right now, as he’s stuck in a pickle of his own making, at the top of the first pitch of Southern California’s gem climb, The Vampire. He’s never taken a whipper like he’s about to, and Lord knows I’ve never caught one. But forget about what the Lord knows… Source ..read more

I started this painting over a year ago after seeing a beautiful sunrise over the North Six-Shooter. It was a quiet morning at camp as folks roused from tents and vehicles, sand lodged in their eyes and deep under their fingernails. I started hot water for coffee, let Izzy, my dog, out of the van, and we walked up the hill to get a better view of the North and South Six as the sun was rising. Source ..read more

We just dropped the shirts, designed by Mallory Logan. You can watch a couple of the videos at our You Tube page now. Shop The Drop Shop Shop… Source ..read more

Luke Mehall reads his piece, “Climbs Fall Apart” which is published in Volume 24 of The Climbing Zine; the episode ends with his poem “A Climber Who Cries” from the upcoming Microdose Mixtape. Zine links: Support our podcast on Patreon KEEP THE ZINE ALIVE + Subscribe Score 15% off anything in our online store Our sponsors for Season 5: Kilter: http://settercloset.com (email holds@ Source ..read more

Our biggest bundle sale going on right now: score 600 pages of reading material and four of our stickers for only $39.99. WORD. Source ..read more

My friends are gettin’ older, So I guess I must be too. Without their loving kindness, I don’t know what I would do. —Greg Brown, “Spring Wind” This story can only begin in one way, and that is with tears. Whether they were the tears from heartbreak, loss, or just from when John Hiatt or Greg Brown come on the radio and I’m alone, it doesn’t matter for now. Source ..read more

“You’re on belay, Mom.” “What does that mean?” she replied. “You’re safe, Mom. Climb when ready.” Over the last five-plus years of her life, before she passed away from complications caused by dementia, we’d often say, “You’re safe, Mom,” in an effort to calm a growing sense of restlessness and panic. Story by D Scott Borden, published in Volume 24 of The Zine. Photos: D Scott Borden… Source ..read more

The Microdose Mixtape is our first ever mixtape from The Climbing Zine. With music by Devin Dabney and poetry by Luke Mehall the whole project will drop on 4-20-24. Please enjoy these two films shot by Jean Kang: License To Micro Viento de Primavera… Source ..read more

Dearest Luke, I have been meaning to write to you for some time, but I have Zine 23 fresh on my mind and some spare time, so here it goes. I don’t even know where to begin with this. My name is Tavish, and I’m a twenty-three-year-old climber from Seattle. I managed to end up in a climbing gym when I was five, and by middle school, it was pretty clear to me that I didn’t fit the mold of… Source ..read more

And so castles made of sand Fall into the sea eventually —Jimi Hendrix, “Castles Made of Sand” “Did you hear the Crooked Arrow Spire fell down?” my buddy, Ben Kiessel, asked me. Another one bites the dust, I thought. I used to be surprised when I heard a climb or a major section of a climb fell off, but now two decades plus into my climbing life, it seems to be commonplace. Source ..read more