No commitment—not even the one to your SO—is as binding as that of the belay. When you hold the rope, your partner’s life is in your hands. Screw up this marriage and you give new meaning to the vow “till death do us part.”

John Long, original Stonemaster and climbing's most popular writer, spills his guts.

With over a thousand new routes and almost 350 boulder problems, Adirondacks climbing is alive and well!

Age 50, Climbing Pioneer, BASE jumper (BASE #39), Businessman, Kite Surfer, Big-wave Surfer

A tricky crux, a surprise pop, a very fast 15-foot descent. I was delighted to find myself dangling from my beloved little blue Metolius. But when doing a quick body inventory, I noted that my left foot was attempting an inward 180. Suddenly, explosively, it hurt like hell. My partner Peter quickly lowered me, winced, and suggested we call an ambulance.

Wild CountryElite Men's Ziplock$69 | www.wildcountry.co.uk | 4 StarsI've spent the past two years infatuated with the lightest, sleekest climbing harn...