Trip Report
John Long Writing Symposium
By Maxine Speier I rolled into Carbondale, tired and sore, late on a Sunday night in mid-July. I had spent the weekend in Rifle Mountain Park, Colorado’s limestone sport-climbing Mecca, a 45- minute drive from Carbondale. I had been climbing with friends from Boulder, and they had taken full advantage of the late summer light, tying in and…
Nine Gyms, Three Days
One of the benefits of a Touchstone Climbing membership is that you have access to 9 world class climbing and fitness gyms across California. But are you taking advantage of this perk? Two Mission Cliffs members recently took the plunge and road tripped the state – climbing at all 9 locations in just three days! Gina Lam…
International Climber’s Festival
Before the dynamic duo behind the RV Project took to the open road, they were familiar faces around our gyms in the Bay Area. We check in from time to time to see what life is like for this dream team. Last weekend Spencer and Vikki hit up the International Climber’s Festival in Lander, Wyoming and…
Mystic Hot Springs and Monroe Canyon Trip Report
In October, GWPC Staffers Elena Hershberger and Chris Cuoco embarked on a 1-month road trip throughout the Western United States. It’s an enviable itineratry to be sure, so they agreed to report back on their favorite spots! First up is their visit to explore the Mystic Hot Springs, (and the climbing) of Monroe Canyon, Utah.…
Climbing on Everest with Gulnur Tumbat
Touchstone member and Bay area resident, Gulnur Tumbat spent much of the spring 2014 season on Everest. She wrote a bit about her experience for the Touchstone blog. Getting ready for an 8000-meter expedition is a big deal. It is even bigger for someone like me who has a day job and doesn’t get to…
Climbing Half Dome with James Lucas and Christina Freschl
My toes dangled over the ledge. I pushed against the tiny sidewalk and shuffled with my back against the wall, staring at the 2,000 foot drop. I fought into a chimney at the end of the narrow “Thank God Ledge.” A few more feet and I’d be done being scared, I hoped. In June of…
New Zealand Trip Report
In April 2014 Longtime Touchstone Staff Members Michelle Leung and Jeffrey Kosoff travelled to New Zealand to spend a month recreating amongst birthing Volcanoes, glacier carved Mountains, heavily polished limestone, sandfly infested coastlines and the living descendants of Old Gondwana. Check out their jaw-dropping trip report! The following photos reveal a slice of this journey…
Clark Canyon Trip Report
Tioga Pass is Open! I know there are many other ways into the eastern Sierra, but there is nothing like driving through Tuolumne Meadows to get to a near endless supply of sport, trad and bouldering. Oh, and did I mention free camping and hot springs? And, unlike Yosemite, dogs are OK too… To make…
In Defense of Joshua Tree
I hold a tangle of quick draws at my side and use my other hand to shade my eyes as I look up at the rock. I squint, scanning the line for anything that catches the sun, that shines, that’s metallic. Hey dude will you check the guidebook for how many bolts this climb has?…
Trip Report: Kalymnos Sending
There are also a few routes that stand out in my mind purely for the amazing quality of the climbing. Clean lines, perfect rock, beautiful scenery, and no crowds. These are the routes dreams are made of. They motivate us through the rainy days and keep us going to the gym on cold nights. During a…
Trip Report: Ending the Bummer
-Me: Wanna go out and try Endless Bummer with me this weekend?! -Potential Sport Climbing Partner: No thanks, that thing’s way too bouldery for me. -Potential Bouldering Partner: No thanks, sport climbing sucks. These were the conversations that were most popular when trying to try Endless Bummer out near Mickey’s Beach on the California coast.…
Fear on the West Face
There was something profoundly terrifying about watching my climbing partner’s left shoe float away from his twisting body and fall a thousand feet onto the boulder field below us. The nut Will Skinner was standing on had just pinged out of the crack and Will was falling backwards in what seemed like slow motion. After…