The Teva Mountain Games put climbing center stage in Vail, Colorado. On the first weekend of June, America's top competitors duked it out in the Bouldering, Speed Bouldering, and Freestyle Dyno disciplines for a $16,000 prize purse. The competition not only tested the climbers' abilities, but also put on a show that was sure to catch the eye of anyone passing by. Thousands of spectators gathered to watch the climbing event, as well as trail running, kayaking, mountain biking, and other outdoor adventure sports. For more info, check out www.TevamountainGames.com

Bouldering
Men
1. Daniel Woods
2. Paul Robinson
3. Nicholas Sherman
Women
1. Alex Puccio
2. Angie Payne
3. Portia Menlove

Speed Bouldering
Men
1. Rob D'anastasio
2. Sean Drolet
3. Daniel Woods
Women
1. Alex Puccio
2. Paige Claassen
3. Kasia Pietras

Freestyle Dyno
Men
1. Mike Auldridge
2. Ethan Pringle
3. Alex DiFelice
Women
1. Kasia Pietras
2. Natasha Barnes
3. Alex Puccio

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Photo: Susan Lehrer, Mohonk Preserve

...until we meet again.
Bob Fisher, trailhead assistant with the Mohonk Preserve, passed away this January. Many climbers at the Gunks knew Bob as the friendly man who always took the time for conversation and humor. Bob injected his love of the outdoors and his enjoyment of people into the lives of climbers and hikers alike. Though not a climber himself, he was a vital part of the experience of those who knew him - and all those who knew him will miss him.
-M. Salzman

Keeping it infinite
It's a cool dark night in Yosemite's Camp 4 and the trees continue to sprinkle us with leftovers from the evening's passing thunderstorm. Our struggling campfire has drawn from its shadows a surly and soggy crew of climbers, equally saturated by an evening of King Cobra tall cans. Struggling to communicate, with English as a second language for many, conversation gives way to a cycle of laughter and pantomimed gestures. The revelry builds, and as our voices come together and our tongues fumble through the sounds of yet another countryman's drinking song, I appreciate how internationally diverse the climbing community truly is, and wonder how many other climber camps around the world are experiencing a similar cultural hodgepodge.

Climbing is everywhere, and although each area may have evolved from the vision and drive of a small core of local climbers with their own standard of ethics, these areas have since become known and sought out by an international community of climbers. Climbing has become an impetus for international travel, and climbers have become a well-traveled and well-cultured demographic. The basecamp, campground, or coffee shop of any well-known climbing destination is often times a culturally eclectic frontispiece to a story of international roadtrips, long-sought-after climbing experiences, and history making ascents.

And unlike the fanny-pack toting, "best cruise ever" boasting, take-a-photo-and-keep-going tourists who claim to have tasted the culture of a country by choking down their "Roy-al with cheese", climbers get imbedded enough to truly taste the culture of an area in the generously offered traditional meal of a mountain village or open-armed kitchen of a gregarious local climber. Climbing brings you to places and connects you with people on a level unreachable by the average tourist and has the power to transform even the most under-funded international climbing endeavor into a trip rich in climbing and culture.

Local climbers know best, and the best way to experience local climbing culture and build lasting relationships is by listening, learning, and climbing in the style of the area. When in Britain, headpoint; when in Rifle, project; when in Nepal, Ka Gar Nay; "when in Rome...". In the end, it's the mutual respect between guest and host that garners the greatest appreciation. If you stay at their house, you clean up after yourself, and when you climb at their crag, you should do the same. Although style and ethics may vary around the world, respecting another climber's crag should always be a universal practice.

American climbers, companies, and organizations have set the precedent on stewardship initiatives at climbing destinations around the world and leads by example in terms of climbing management and policy. The Access Fund is an American organization, supported by climbers, and takes a stand for climbers' justice on issues of climbing access and land management. With a long and successful history of keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment, the Access Fund has become the super model (sans the bikini and wind-blown hair) for climbing clubs and organizations around the world. The Climbers' Access Society of British Columbia organizes a dozen stewardship projects a year ala the Access Fund's Adopt-a-Crag program, eh. The British Mountaineering Club looks to the Access Fund as exemplar for organizing local climbing chaps, working with merry ol' land managers to craft management plans that maintain climbers' access, and influencing policies that support the interests of climbers. The Rio de Janeiro State Mountaineering Federation in Brazil has recently started an access arm and has tapped the Access Fund's extensive resources to help get them off the ground.

With bouldering on the rise, climbing continues to boom and crags everywhere are experiencing an increase in usage. Conserving our climbing areas and maintaining access to them must now more than ever be recognized and supported worldwide.

Reducing your impact and showing respect for your crag is a practice with universal application. Like a pebble in a pond, the wake of one action can create change across great distances. Whether at your backyard crag or your dream destination overseas, we can all make an effort to tread lightly and keep our climbing areas pristine and accessible for generations of globetrotters to come. Rock is finite, keep access infinite.
-The Access Fund (www.accessfund.org)

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