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American Rock: Region, Rock, and Culture in American Climbing
American Rock Region Rock and Culture in American Climbing Author:Don Mellor Explores the different types of rock found at a dozen major climbing destinations across the United States, and discusses how these physical environments have affected the history, style, ethics, and culture of the sport. The elite sport of rock climbing continues to evolve at lightning speed as techniques and technology improve, opening up hund... more »reds of new routes each year. In this thoughtful overview, Don Mellor reveals how the sport has developed in a dozen climbing hotspots across the country in direct response to the characteristics of local rock and the eccentricities of regional culture:
Shawangunk conglomerate provides hundreds of climbs marked by positive handholds and a busy climbing scene built upon rich and raucous traditions
The fragile red sandstone towers of the Southwest desert remind climbers of a changing earth and challenge them to tread gently
Climbers spend days on slings and port-a-ledges while ascending stark white walls of Sierra granite, immersing themselves in a lonely encounter with the mountain wilderness
And in the Rockies, Tetons, and Cascades, technical rock climbing merges with cold weather alpinism in perhaps the ultimate expression of mountaineering Mellor also explores the meanings behind ongoing debates in the climbing community over techniques and equipment. Climbers of all levels will appreciate his knowledgeable history of the sport, as well as his insider's tips on where to go, what to take, and how to climb the local rock. 35 black and white photographs, 1 map, index.« less