Armenian First Ascent Open Festival, May 25-31 2013

“There is no avalanche danger unless a human is there,” said Dick Jackson of Aspen Expeditions at the start of a Level 1 avalanche course.

The never-ending pursuit of new routes, fame and glory.

In 1981 John Bachar cast off into the uncharted expanse of Mendlicott Dome, a steep 500-foot, knob-spackled granite face in Tuolumne Meadows, California, with nothing but a hand drill and bolts, some slings, hooks and cams. Climbing onsight and belayed by Dave Yerian, he established the litmus test for runout climbing, the Bachar-Yerian (5.11c R).

Chris Lindner has been climbing for 20 years - which is a lot, considering this blond surfer dude turned 23 in March. He's an original article: styling 5.10a trad at age 4 when the cams were almost as long as his legs, redpointing his first 8a at age 10, and climbing 5.14c at age 16.

The scorched desert expanse surrounding Las Vegas smears together into one terrible brown color as Chris Sharma, Dalia Ojeda, Miguel and I whiz along at 90 miles per hour in an old Jeep Grand Cherokee. The American West, this celebrated frontier, as tame as it has become with commercialism and super highways, is still the last good place I know of for real adventure.

The Talon is an updated version of the Aggro, a shoe I have worn on many gym and boulder circuits. The heel is now fully covered with rubber and the shoe sports a new lace system.