“They were telling us everything they were going to do to Ella. Your whole life is turned upside down. You know, and it’s your kid so it’s not like, ‘Oh she’s lived a good life,’ No it’s like, ‘Oh she needs to have a life.’” – Gene Wade, Ella’s father. Cancer is terrible. There’s something […]
Table Mountain Table Mountain’s walls can be easily spotted from the Highway 49 / Highway 108 junction, and from the roads surrounding New Melones Reservoir in the Central Sierra foothills of Tuolumne County. Because of their obvious position, the cliffs have no doubt sparked an interest in the area’s earliest climbers, and although the walls […]
Exotic Locales, No Passport Required New Mexico is nicknamed The Land of Enchantment, and climbers may be familiar with a particular tower that fell under the spell. But aside from the remote and mysterious Enchanted Tower, and the fact that one must pass through during the annual Hueco migration, New Mexico is almost entirely off […]
Sure, we all know that we should be getting up from our desks a bit more often, or going for a morning run, or signing up for that new cardio class we keep hearing about…. But take it from us at Touchstone headquarters; nothing motivates like good ol’ fashioned competition. Deep in the belly of Touchstone, several […]
Ty Tyler. Now there’s a name. Technically, it’s a nickname, but whatever you want to call him, Ty is the National Stewardship Director for the Access Fund. It’s his job to ensure long-term sustainability and stewardship of our climbing areas throughout the US. He travels more than we do. Ty worked a trip to La […]
Bove: Here’s what we know: You retired, purchased an olive grove in Esparto, CA, and opened an olive oil company called Moonrise Grove. Wow! What has been the most interesting part of this new chapter in your life? Williams: A hard question to answer since everything about ‘retirement’ has been an interesting adventure. During the […]
It’s no secret that the Touchstone Climbing Series is legendary. 11 locations. 11 Competitions. One amazing community to rule them all! This month’s comp is bringing the community together at Diablo Rock Gym in Concord, Ca. Here are some handy tips to prepare for Friday’s party – er – competition. Pre-Competition Prep: Carbo-loading is only half of […]
In the spring of 1850 a few settlers unearthed one of the largest gold deposits in the Central Sierra in the small town of Columbia, California. In less than one year over 5,000 fierce and swearing gold miners inhabited the surrounding hillsides. By 1852 the stone buildings that line Columbia’s small main street were occupied […]
In 2011, while leading his men on morning foot patrol, an IED explosion left 21-year-old Lance Cpl. Cody Elliott severely injured. His left leg was amputated at mid-thigh, and he had a broken fibula and tibia in his right leg, along with severe calf muscle damage and 40% skin loss on his right leg. […]
Black Diamond has issued a voluntary recall for a variety of carabiners and nylon runners. The company is asking retailers and consumers to carefully inspect Black Diamond gear that may be affected. Links to self-inspection procedures are below. “In some carabiners, the gate rivets (in solid-gate carabiners) and wire ends (in wire-gate carabiners) attaching […]
