Stone Monkeys - Visions of the modern-age Stonemasters

Aaron Jones arrived in 2004. More than any of the newest Monkeys, he embodies the spirit of dirtbagging, calling the Valley caves home and in the last season launching off to climb 21 walls, 15 of them on El Cap. In fact, Aaron climbed right through the summer’s heat, giving everyone crap for hanging by the river and waiting for a cooling trend . . . until he suffered third-degree burns over his face on the Tempest, that is, crisper-izing these further on Half Dome and earning the nickname “Burn-Face Boy.”

Ben Vanderklooster had a good run, from 1999 to 2005, as a Monkey before he took off sailing in the Caribbean. More than anyone, Ben had bad luck with Valley nicknames, most too politically incorrect to print. Still, he also had his share of good times, lurking about the boulders and hitting on unsuspecting females, and even managing a little stint on Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) before his “problem with authority” got him booted. (Four years in the military pushed Ben to the breaking point, and when the head of SAR asked him to pick up trash during a rescue, Ben quit.)