Now that the reaction has died down a little from my batting back against Andrew Bisharat's overblown and incoherent polemic against climbing blogs, it's time to switch to the positive side of the ledger. Frankly, I am revising some of the things I have thought about blogs myself in the past. This is because some interesting new voices (and some old ones) are adding new life to independent climbing writing and they should be recognized for their contributions.
In no particular order, therefore, here a few examples of writers and sites that I would encourage readers to check out for an alternative perspective. Some are pro climber blogs, some are not. Some are sponsored by maufacturers, others are completely independent. They tend to be very regularly updated and of consistently good quality. The list is biased towards sport climbing and bouldering right now. Maybe another post for some more in the alpine/big wall, etc. Please give them a visit and let them know what you think of their work. I recommend all of them.
http://inclined.americanalpineclub.org/
http://www.moonclimbing.com/blog/
http://bishopbouldering.blogspot.com/
http://www.jstarinorbit.com/
http://www.splitterchoss.com/
http://enormocast.com/
http://semi-rad.com/
http://www.dreaminvertical.com/
http://www.climbingterms.com/
http://www.alanarnette.com/index.php
http://steviehaston.blogspot.com/
http://www.climbingzine.com/
http://mattwilderclimbing.blogspot.com/
http://paigeaclaassen.wordpress.com/
http://hazelfindlay.wordpress.com/
http://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/
http://michelecaminati.blogspot.com/
http://angiepayne.com/
http://martinkeller.blogspot.com/
http://gabriele-moroni.blogspot.com/
http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/
http://www.joekindkid.com/
http://tryhardclimbers.blogspot.com/
http://lloydclimbingblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.highinfatuation.com/blog/
http://climbing.about.com/
http://www.thecleanestline.com/
http://kellycordes.wordpress.com/
http://sonnietrotter.com/
http://www.colinhaley.blogspot.com/
http://www.willstanhope.com/blog
http://www.thenamelesscreature.com/
http://www.whitemountainrockandice.com/cathedralstyle/
http://jonglassberg.lt11.com/
http://thestonemind.com/
http://www.dirtbagdiaries.com/
and so on. In fact, the state of climbing blogging is better than ever. If you are bored after looking over the contributions of these writers, you may need to take up another sport!
The major news sites and magazine sites are omitted here.If I didn't mention a writer that you like please add it in the comments section!
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11 comments:
Thanks for putting this list together, and it's an honor to be included. I wasn't aware of so many of these sites. Every link I've checked has lead to high quality content that makes me proud to be part of the sport. We learn so much by seeing the world through each other's perspective. That's the value of the blogs to me, and I appreciate the effort put forth by those willing to share. One blog that I enjoy is wyomingbouldering.blogspot.com. Davin is always exploring, so you never know where he'll be next, and he writes well too.
You know what this list lacks? Representation from the east coast weekend warrior: http://bailureblog.blogspot.com/
Very nice list. I will have to update my reader, as some of these blogs are new to me! One thing you've neglected is a growing community of family climbing bloggers - yes, the ubiquitous "mommy blogging" has expanded to include moms who crush during pregnancy and for the rest of their lives. I find this set of bloggers to be especially inspirational. These are women (and men) who deal with the pressures of society judging their choices to continue to climb, and have continued to find a place for adventures in their life amidst the responsibilities of motherhood. Their blogs document the struggles of parents who still think it is important for children to run and play outside freely in a world that would rather see them all safely "caged."
Check out: http://www.adventureparents.com/blogs
http://kidproject.org/
http://cragmama.com/
http://mamaclimbs.com/
http://cliffmama.com/
http://natureforkids.net/
And our own little journal (not nearly as great as all of these) is at http://colocalders.com/
Hey Peter, aren't you a parent? Do you ever take your kids climbing? How does that work for you?
Thanks!
Kate
Hi Kate,
Yes I have a five year old and we take her to the climbing gyms in town regularly. There are very few decent crags near here that have a short safe approach, decent climbing options and summer shade.
As Sophia gets a bit older, I think we will try to get her outside more.
Thanks for the links everyone!
Wow, a great list. I agree that they are some great blogs about families climbing together, mothers climbing through their pregnancy, and east coast locations.
Thanks for the links, makes me realize how much I need to improve my blogging skills.
I enjoy Arno's Blog on the mental side of climbing.
http://warriorsway.com/blog/
Yeah man, good list. And not just because The Stone Mind is on't. I love the steady stream of thoughts, talkes, and analysis these and many other sites offer. It's not all always gold, but we're all better off for it. I think.
I love writing about climbing in my blog, although my blog isn't strictly a climbing blog, I write about it more than I think I do.
Thanks for the list!
Notably missing http://www.b3bouldering.com/ Hopefully just an oversight.
Most omitted sites are more likely missed or already linked on my blog. B3 is a staple of my web reading.
india, peru, czech republic, new zealand bouldering and climbing
nzclimb.blogspot.com
Dad who climbs and blogs:
http://sixtypublishing.com
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