“Repeat after me…Partner!” “PARTNER!” Chris and I are standing face-to-face in costume at the craziest climbing event of all time, holding up our palms, as Jeremy Collins roars to 276 other climbers in outlandish garb at the top of his lungs. We pledge his preparatory oath to each other. We are about to climb together […]
“I’m in Ten Sleep.” “Where?” My brother asks on my drive through Wyoming. “Ten Sleep…like the number…and like, what you do when you’re tired.” To climbers, mention the name Ten Sleep and there’s immediate recognition. It’s famous in our little world for its vertical limestone cliffs filled with tendon stretching pockets and skin-shredding crimps. Climbers come […]
I’m soaking wet and shivering, desperately hanging on to the side of our tipped canoe as the river pushes us along. One day I’ll look back on this moment and laugh, I thought. But for now, this really sucks. Our boat was riding low. We were a team of six with three canoes, setting out […]
“Your head will collapse If there’s nothing in it And you’ll ask yourself Where is my mind?” -The Pixies Climbing is not all about being physically strong. This is what I love about this sport- our success is largely dependent on our mental strength. I find this fulfilling, otherwise I might decide to be a […]
Accounts of Argentina, Alpinism, and Abdominal Surgery I watched the abdomen fill with bright red blood. Trying to slow the bleeding with sterile gauze was as effective as drying out a swimming pool with paper towels. As the blood in her abdominal cavity continued to rise, I felt my own leave my head and my […]
Chris and I were at The Great Red Roof when we saw the ringtail. Growing up and climbing in the Vegas area I’d heard of the ringtail cat (not of the feline family but closer to a raccoon) for years, but I’d never seen one in its natural environment. They’re nocturnal and shy by nature, […]
“Let it go! The cold never bothered me anyway!!!” My friend Elizabeth and I sang along with Idina Menzel at the top of our lungs from our rent-a-car, feeling like teenage girls about to go out on the town. But instead, the two of us- far from being teens and far from home- were in […]
I felt a tap on my shoulder on the airport bus after a ten-hour flight from Chicago to Istanbul. I was well on my way to my final destination of Geyikbayiri, Turkey to meet up with Petzl for the last leg of the Roc Trip. I turned to see a familiar face, but it took […]
We all have setbacks. Over the past year I’ve watched several climbing partners and friends being forced to take at least two months off from climbing. Between shoulder pain, surgeries, accidents, and finger injuries to mention a few… I can’t help but think it’s just a matter of time before it’s my turn. Last Sunday […]
Two days ago I called my aunt June who lives in northern Idaho and learned that my pony, Hershey’s Kiss, passed away earlier that day. I’ve never cried so hard in my life- not even after my mom died. Hershey was everything to me throughout my childhood and adolescent years. I got him for my […]
Heather Weidner 