In May of 2016, Jonathon drove the van up to Seattle so that he could work on it with my brother-in-law Joe. Joe has a huge shop at his house and owns and knows how to use every tool known to man. Their first task was to put walls up. They used 1/4 inch and … More Part 2 – Sprinter Van Build Out
View of Aguja Guillemet with Mermoz and Fitz Roy in the background Our first window arrived and we excitedly packed up our gear to head into the mountains. With over a meter and a half of new snow, we were skeptical about rock climbing conditions and concerned about avalanches. Considering all this, we knew our … More Patagonia – Episode 3 – Aguja Guillaumet Ascent
Ice climbing in Ouray: The story of progression I first swung ice tools in 2003 on a glacier in southeast Alaska. I thought it was fun but I spent the majority of the next 10 years rock climbing, working as a mountain guide, and then becoming a nurse. About once a year or every other … More
About a year ago my friend Fitz interviewed me about my epic in Patagonia for his podcast the Dirtbag Diaries. Fitz and his wife Becca put together another great episode and I am super pleased at how it turned out. These guys continue to set the bar high for creativity and thoughtful storytelling. Check it … More Dirtbag Diaries Episode
La Cucaracha in Icicle Canyon, Leavenworth. Photo Jonathon Spitzer It has been a rainy spring in Washington and sunny days have been limited. Despite the lack of sunshine, I have still managed to hit up most of the local Seattle cragging areas. During the long winter in Seattle much of my energy gets directed towards … More Spring Rock Climbing
by Jonathon Spitzer For the past couple years, I have been climbing on Petzl ropes. In both the alpine or cragging environment they remain durable and trustworthy, while also keeping weight to a minumum. The following is a review that Jonathon Spitzer wrote about our favorite Petzl ropes. Nearing the summit of Poincenot, Patagonia, Argentina … More Gear Review: Petzl Nomad 9.8mm & Fuse 9.4mm Climbing Ropes
Heading up the final sport pitch on Easter Island. Photo by Jonathon Spitzer. In late March, Michelle and I packed my tiny honda up and drove south to the Utah desert. We were in search of sunshine, desert splitters and friends. There is something invigorating and refreshing about the southern Utah desert. I’ve spent quite … More Desert Rock Climbing
Jonathon had promised me that this was going to be the best skiing I had experienced all winter. I was excited to finally make some turns in fluffy, white powder. We started the weekend by cat skiing with the guests on some low angle terrain. I have to admit that I wasn’t that impressed by … More Skiing in the Ruby Mountains, Nevada
In September, I did a little filming with the Modern Marvel’s film crew from the History channel. They were doing an episode on ropes and chains and needed some climbers to talk about climbing ropes. My part is very short and I only say 2 lines but it was fun to watch! Seeing myself in … More History Channel Appearance
Jonathon and I arrived in North Conway, NH during a raging blizzard. It was a classic nor-easter. Cold air from Canada had collided with a warm air mass from the south to create high winds and plenty of snow. Prior to this snowstorm, the ice climbing conditions were looking to be good. I felt antsy … More I thought I was going ice climbing…..
Rachel's Adventures 