Photos by Andy Mann / andymann.com – Back in May, I took a pilgrimage to Bend, Oregon, home to hard-as-nails, crimpy, 5.14-filled American sport climbing. Sitting amid a groovy town, winding rivers, spotted cattle, and big sky, Smith Rock State Park is home to hundreds of world-class, old-school sport routes. However, the secret to Smith Rock’s real charm is not the climbing itself, but in the landscape and the people. Also visiting the area at the time were fellow Coloradans Jonathan Siegrist and Paige Claassen, who both made Smith a priority area on their spring roadtrip. I’ll let the photos tell the story.

Smith Rock on the flight over