Alabama Hills (map)

Leaping between boulders

Easy face climbing on plates with cool orange lichen
Muffy

Crimping at the start of Hang 'Em High
Hang 'Em High

More crimps through the crux
Hang 'Em High

Grabbing for a draw
Hang 'Em High

The route finishes in a crack
Hang 'Em High

Avalanche Gulch (map)

Colin follows the first pitch, belayed from above by Tom, just before a major storm hit
The Fire Spire

Tommy and Colin gearing up at the base of the spire
The Fire Spire

Beaver Creek (map)

Colin and Tommy at the belay in front of the "eye"
Batteries Not Included

Colin follows P1 of Batteries Not Included; crisp limestone
Batteries Not Included

Colin follows P1 of Batteries Not Included; crisp limestone
Batteries Not Included

Colin rappels through the "eye"
Batteries Not Included

Bishop Creek (map)

Pretty much the only boulder we could climb; we suck
Unknown

Shredded hands from 31 straight days of climbing

Slab at the top of P3
West Face

Nearing the top of P3, Lake Sabrina in the background
West Face

Leading P4 in the rain
West Face

In a warm puffy jacket at the P2 belay, Aspendell in the background; the vansion is parked in the pullout on the road above Colin's head
West Face

Blue Cloud Spires (map)

Our camp spot next to large boulders. Too bad there's ticks.

Rock hoping around the top of Elk Rock

Colin on top of large boulder

Awesome views off the back side of Elk Rock

Cochiti Mesa (map)

Finally the sun; we ran out and climbed a few routes before dark

Perplexed by a sea of pockets at the start of the route
Open Mouth Syndrome

Typical pocket at Cochiti
Open Mouth Syndrome

Typical pocket at Cochiti
Open Mouth Syndrome

Sending the super-overhanging Prow
The Prow

Pulling the crux on big jugs
The Prow

Colorado National Monument (map)

Starting up the third pitch easy chimney
Otto's Route

Pulling the final move onto the summit
Otto's Route

The final rappel off Independence Monument
Otto's Route

At the belay below the summit
Otto's Route

Massive runout up to the capstone
Otto's Route

Ahhhh…protection; notice the drilled stances up the face above him
Otto's Route

Hard pulling over the overhang leads to a good ledge and fixed anchor
Otto's Route

Woo hoo
Otto's Route

Starting up the first pitch of Otto's Route
Otto's Route

Devil's Tower (map)

Reading the register on the summit.

Getting up early to hit the Tower

Leaving the P1 belay and starting up P2
Solar

Excellent corner jamming on P2
Solar

Finally, a break in the jamming
Solar

Colin at the top of P1 of El Matador. We decided to bail here.

El Rito (map)

A scary self portrait

Approaching in the rain, of course

Our campsite at El Rito; cows roamed around our van at night

High on Boltaneer
Boltaneer

In a sea of knobs and cookie-chip chunks
Boltaneer

Amazing jugs where cobbles used to be
Boltaneer

A super juggy and high-quality route
Boltaneer

God's Crag (map)

Crux moves at the top of the pitch
Fear is Never Boring

Styling the second pitch, in the rain
Fear is Never Boring

Following the beautiful face on P1
Fear is Never Boring

Nearing the top of the pitch
Fear is Never Boring

Great Sand Dunes (map)

Big jump with plume of sand

Colin's thigh sprouts people

Totally airborn

Hellgate Gulch (map)

Colin leads up the awesome wall
Weird Science

Colin leads up the awesome wall
Weird Science

Colin leads up the awesome wall
Weird Science

Colin leads up the awesome wall
Weird Science

Colin leads up the awesome wall
Weird Science

Lost Horse Canyon (map)

Chilling out at Observation Point

Our camp at Observation Point; it snowed…again

Colin follows Chew Time at the left end of the wall
Chew Time

Colin follows Chew Time at the left end of the wall
Chew Time

Standing below Chew Time
Chew Time

Mt. Rushmore (map)

Colin follows small crimps in the rain (which turned to snow)
5.9 Route

Owens River Gorge (map)

First route in the Gorge, slippery and good
Fear of a Black Planet

Long reach at the crux
Fear of a Black Planet

In a sea of pockets near the anchor
Expressway

Pulling through the first overhanging section
Bone Up

Pulling though the big overhang high on the route
Bone Up

Whew…getting established after the roof
Bone Up

Thin, crimpy moves at the bottom
Expressway

Crimp…ouch!
Expressway

Steep climbing that just doesn't let up
Expressway

Pompey (map)

Winter '93 -- the snow is deeper than young Colin

Questa Dome (map)

Looking at the pitches above with water streaming down the face
Question of Balance

Rifle (map)

Lookin' smooth at the Middle Ice Caves area

Tenuous brook crossing

Near the bottom of Cold Cuts
Cold Cuts

Angular holds characterize this route, and just about every other route at Rifle
Cold Cuts

Bustin' back muscles
Feline

Colin on Rumor Has It, a super popular .11b
Rumor Has It

Fierce and strenuous laybacking
Rumor Has It

Steep climbing in a cave…a good choice because it was raining
Pile Driver

Rock Creek (map)

Standing at the base of Gong Show Crag

Gong Show Crag proved a popular destination with locals

Preparing to lead, not super motivated
Welcome to the Iris Slab

Shoeing up
Welcome to the Iris Slab

Rock Garden (map)

Starting up, pretty much the crux of the route
U2RINXS

Traversing to the arete
U2RINXS

The route climbs the left tower of the highest formation in the photo; Colin is there if you look closely
U2RINXS

Cranking on a jug in a sea of rock
U2RINXS

Approaching the Rock Garden from Penetente Canyon

Sheep Mountain (map)

Relaxing on top of Devil's Thumb
Standard Route

Belaying Tommy with fingerless gloves
Standard Route

Sinks Canyon (map)

In the steep corner of P1
More Gunky Than Funky

Approaching the belay; odd angle with fish-eye lens
More Gunky Than Funky

South Dakota Needles (map)

Finally in the sun, Colin enjoys a comfy belay at the end of P1
West Gruesome

Colin raps the Hitching Post back to the car
Hitching Post

Colin sitting on top of the Hitching Post
Hitching Post

Colin eating breakfast in the carport

Colin comes up the final chimney
Totem Pole

Standing on the sub-spire just after the crux
Totem Pole

Standing on the sub-spire just after the crux
Totem Pole

The final face moves to the summit
Totem Pole

The final face moves to the summit
Totem Pole

Rapping the Totem Pole
Totem Pole

Rapping the Totem Pole
Totem Pole

On the summit of the Totem Pole
Totem Pole

On the summit of the Totem Pole
Totem Pole

On the summit of the Totem Pole
Totem Pole

Spearfish Canyon (map)

Campusing up the big moves at the start
Son of a Thousand Fathers

Looking around for dry rock

Ten Sleep Canyon (map)

Colin's first lead in the canyon
Ice Station Zebra

Colin looking all scary

Gearing up at the start of the route
Euro Trash Girl

Pullin' on jugs up the arete
Orange Likin' Delight

Pullin' on jugs up the arete
Orange Likin' Delight

Tetons (map)

Colin approaching No Perches, but up the wrong gully
No Perches Necessary

Colin approaching No Perches, but up the wrong gully
No Perches Necessary

Colin belays
No Perches Necessary

The Hut (map)

The crew that did the initial gathering of stones for the chimney

Tres Piedras (map)

Starting up an unknown (but good) route in the Beastie Alley
Unknown

One of Colin's first trad leads; real juggy with good pro
Mama Jugs

Walking off Mosaic Rock

View from the top of the rocks, looking towards Taos

Whitney Portal (map)

Colin sketches on top of the bear-proof storage box

More 5.9 friction
Manta Ray

Colin belays Tommy on P5 while Michelle snacks
No Country for Old Men

Nice rope management
No Country for Old Men

Colin emerges from the P5 chimney
No Country for Old Men

Taking a nap after the big whipper
No Country for Old Men

At the P5 belay, happy to be bailing
No Country for Old Men

Wild Iris (map)

Little red potatos…swollen fingers with very little pad remaining

Wind swept plateau on the approach to the Main Wall

Approaching the Main Wall

Approaching the Main Wall

Approaching the Main Wall early season

Standing on a large boulder at the high end of the Main Wall