Hi Steph, I want to pick your brain about training techniques, if I may. I started climbing about 6 months ago in Minnesota and recently moved to Turkey, so while most of my climbing experience has been indoors due to snow overload, it won’t be for long. I’m so new at climbing but I really [...]

Steph, is it too late for a 52 year old guy, in good shape, to begin to climb? What are the limitations? Charles Hi Charles, My friend Lee Sheftel is one of my greatest climbing inspirations. He’s over 60, and he has been climbing at Rifle for over twenty years. Lee redpointed his first 14a [...]

Last month Dave Furman, Mammut USA’s hardgood expert, answered my question about sheath thickness of ropes. Usually when leading with two thin ropes, I just call them double or twin ropes. This is a good idea when alpine climbing, since you want a second rope anyway for descending, so you may as well reduce the [...]

Hi Steph! After 5 years of sport climbing I am moving onto trad, which has opened up for me so many possibilities in the mountain. I’ve learned mostly through trial and error, so your articles about thin cracks have been really useful! At least they helped me up a 400mt wall I climbed this weekend [...]

Hey Steph- I enjoy reading your blog and reading your advice/articles about crack climbing. I have been crack climbing for a month and with a lot of practice, I have gotten pretty comfortable with hand/foot/toe jamming, but finger cracks still humble me. Any general advice/tips you could give me on finger cracks would be treated [...]

Hi Steph! My name is Alex and I recently visited your website! Great advice that you have up there! I was just wondering if you could help me out with a little advice. I have been climbing for just about a year now and am finding myself hitting a Plateau. It has been getting pretty [...]

Dear Steph, Enormus respect for everything you represent – I believe that sublime’s all that comes on my mind to say. you are truly an inspiration, nature’s child of free spirit, ability of mental control, urge to push the limits, balance and simplicity, and all that together in my opinion is the highest one can [...]

Hi Steph ~ As you know per tweets from @libraryscene, I loved your book! It has inspired me to revisit an old dream and, perhaps make a few new ones. I’m a complete climbing novice flatlander, but we do have a decent climbing facility. I’m pretty strong upper body, but I was humbled by the [...]

Hi Steph, my name Jose Antonio from Spain, my age 45. First to say to you that you are great, one of my heroes. I want to climb, i love climbing but i am afraid of a possible fall. How could i avoid the terror to fall? Dear Jose, Thanks for writing to me! I’m [...]

Although I live in the desert (and yes, throw my gear in the sand sometimes!), I don’t have to clean my cams very often. When they get sticky and don’t re-cam after you let go of the trigger, it’s time to fix them up, for obvious reasons… I am a huge fan of Aliens. From [...]