Jason Kehl’s face is freshly shaven save for two triangular tufts of twisted hair, teased to grow outward from the middle of his jawbone, forming a Tut-like “beard of divinity.” Every twenty minutes, Timmy O’Neil tells Jason that he missed a spot while shaving. Passersby laugh at O’Neil’s banter and Kehl’s soft-spoken retorts. I’m in the ring with heavyweight rock stars at the second-annual Petzl Roc Trip at an after-hours party. Steve McClure walks by, mumbling something about being “a bit knackered,” and I realize I’m caught in the midst of international personalities, brought to the Gunks by a shared passion and a good cause: raising some serious coin for the Mohonk Preserve.

The evening’s festivities kick off with a premiere of the film Pilgrimage, and Chris Sharma and Nate Gold receive hugs and accolades for their parts in the flick. At home in the crowd — that’s where Chris seems to be. Young climbers flock to him seeking his autograph on posters, hats, T-shirts, and body parts, hoping that his karma will rub off. Katie Brown, also featured in the movie, hides in the shadows, her quiet nature at odds with this bursting-at-the-seams gathering. Nate, aka Biggie Smooth, is living in the moment — dreadlocked, grinning face, forearms full of tattoos and bulging veins, a confident smile on his face.