Q: What gear would a newbie need to start aid climbing?
Gearing up
for aid climbing isn't too difficult, especially if you're a free climber. You just need to
buy specific pieces of gear. Here are the items...full answer >>
Q: I'm 15 years old. What's the cheapest, best way for me to get
involved in climbing?
The answer is so simple that I suspect you already know what it
is—climbing gyms. I know for a fact that there are several excellent...full
answer >>
Q: Should I take lessons? Where do I climb in Washington, D.C.?
I like to remind people that the first year of climbing is statistically the most
dangerous. Start with a guide and then move on to top-roping and...full answer
>>
Q: Does height make a difference?
It really
depends a lot on the particular climb. The most important thing is strength-to-weight-ratio. A tall
person can reach right past...full answer >>
Q: I'd like to hook up with competitions in New Mexico, but have no
contacts.
Your best resource will probably be the American Alpine Club which is based in
Golden, Colorado. Their telephone number is...full answer >>
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more questions
"A lot of people don't
realize it, but the only thing you really need to climb big walls, or any big route, is
determination," says Mark Synnott. OK. But what else does it take to best a big wall? Just e-mail
Mark and he'll give you the skinny on everything from grub to gear to getting started. And he
should know. Mark has bagged more than 50 big walls including Argentina's Cerro Torre and
first ascents on Canada's Baffin Island, southern Asia's Karakoram Range. And when he's
not climbing, he's helping design new North Face equipment or contributing to magazines like
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Outside, and Climbing.
Photograph by Gordon Wiltsie
Filming a Fuming Glacier in Iceland