Rock Climbing – Ice Climbing – Ski Mountaineering
On Sunday May 17th I rope-soloed The Long Climb on Tahquitz Rock, a historic 800 foot 5.8 established by Royal Robbins and Don Wilson in 1952. It represents by far the longest and most sustained rope-solo of my career.
Joshua Tree National Park is Bobbi and I's favorite place for single pitch trad climbing. In 2025 we spent five months in and around Josh, and climbed some 130 pitches. The three routes which defined our season were Run For Your Life (5.10b R), Falcon and the Snowman (5.10c R) and Illusion Dweller (5.10b).
On November 30th Bobbi and I dusted off the Thanksgiving rust with a quick lap on the Tahquitz moderate classic, Fingertrip.
On our way to Death Valley from a tortoise course in Ridgecrest, Bobbi Clemmer and I impulsively dipped our toes into the renowned multi-pitch granite of Whitney Portal. In two short days we climbed the Beckey Route on El Segundo Buttress, and Nimbus on Whitney Portal Buttress. Both were excellent.
On October 30th I redpointed the notorious Run For Your Life (5.10b R) in Joshua Tree National Park, after taking a huge fall from the final move 24 hours earlier. This article is a trip report in essay form, examining the polarizing topic of traditional climbing ethics.
On Saturday September 20th, 2025, I climbed another long and classic Tahquitz crack line with new partner Simon Lee. The Consolation offered several pitches of quintessential granite jamming, a particularly strenuous crux, and a few spectacular exit pitches on the venerable Whodunnit (5.9, III).
The third pitch of El Camino Real is "one of the great layback cracks of Idyllwild"
Bob Gaines dubbed the first pitch of Dave's Deviation one of the best finger cracks in Idyllwild. The Jam Crack is a classic Royal Robbins grunt. I lead rope soloed both routes on September 7th, 2025, and took my first LRS lead fall! Spoiler alert: I'm still alive.
On Saturday September 6th, 2025, I lead rope soloed my first multi-pitch route! El Whampo (5.7, II), and it's direct start via El Grandote (5.9, III), are respective classics on the legendary Tahquitz Rock.
Whodunnit is a physical, varied, sustained, and historical quest up the plumb line of Tahquitz Rock. Since it's first ascent in 1957 by Joe Fritschen and Royal Robbins, this route has been climbed by thousands, including about every United States climbing legend imaginable, and is revered as possibly the best route on Tahquitz. A topo and detailed route description is included for prospective climbers.
Ten Thousand Too Far 