Hangdog Days

March 1, 2019

Climbing in the United States in the 1980s was contentious, with climbers hiding in trees, heckling others on route; grease placed in cracks used for hand holds, and safety bolts and excrement bags thrown on those below. As some climbers moved to adopt modern techniques that drove progression, their detractors used these and other techniques to keep climbing "pure." Smoot (Pumping Concrete: A Guide to Seattle-Area Climbing Walls) recounts the adventures, arguments, and most importantly, the climbs that categorized this era with some technical jargon to provide details to climbers though minimal enough to keep weekend warriors and armchair adventurers engaged. From climbing havens Yosemite and Joshua Tree to less known haunts such as Index, WA and the yet undiscovered Smith Rock in Oregon, Smoot joins Todd Skinner and other prominent climbers of the day to push their limits in what becomes a pivotal time in American climbing. VERDICT A fun read that is as much a history of the surprisingly tumultuous days of rock climbing in the 1980s as it is a travelog. At its heart, this is a memoir of friendship, youthfulness, and a grand adventure with limitless aspirations to do something different and exciting.--Zebulin Evelhoch, NC LIVE, Raleigh

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