American Rock: Region, Rock, and Culture in American Climbing (Revised)

By Don Mellor

Book Overview

American Rock is a celebration of the diversity of American rock climbing and an authoritative history of how the sport evolved at dozens of climbing hotspots around the country. The United States offers rock climbers a greater variety of geologic environments than any other country in the world. In recent years the sport has exploded and American climbers, once isolated from each other, now cross the country in search of new rock, sharing techniques, equipment, and information. In this thoughtful history and overview, veteran climber Mellor celebrates a dazzling mosaic of American geologic regions and the distinct climbing styles they have engendered. The rock, regions, and styles he explores include: Adirondack and White Mountain granite; Shawangunk conglomerate; the fragile red sandstone in the desert Southwest; western big-wall climbing on stark white walls of Sierra granite; steep walls and overhanging sandstone in the Southeast; and high-altitude mountaineering in the Rockies, Tetons, and Cascades. Mellor also chronicles the rich history and vibrant personalities of the climbing scene, and explores the meaning behind ongoing debates over access, techniques, and equipment. 42 black & white photographs, index.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0881505471
• ISBN13: 9780881505474
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Countryman Press
• Length: 306 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Grand Adventure and Balanced Perspectives

Why have I not encountered Mellor's wring before? Where the hell have I been? He has written two other books, is the resident climbing expert on gorp.com and has been an active participant in the sport for decades. His style sets a high standard for reflective, artful consideration of often contentious problems.This is no dry tome, however: Mellor's book is a true adventure. Here's a grand tour of many of the premiere climbing destinations in this country. He celebrates both the majestic and the more humble arenas. The book is informative and insightful. His writing is clear and consise, exhibiting a tasteful balance between the sociological and the athletic, the academic and the pragmatic. American Rock imparts a fresh perspective on the issues surrounding ethics and access, as well as the responsibilities climbers carry toward the resource and other users with both common and conflicting interests. Geology is not neglected here, but that information is available in a hundred other places. This book's strength is in its study of the key players and the milieu in which each of the areas presented developed historically and how they are being transformed presently. Much food for thought.This is both a great reference for the traveling climber, and a thoughtful plea for sanity. His love and reverence of the medium and the sport are apparent throughout.