I Sent My Project, Then Decked on a 5.4. Here’s What It Taught Me About Climbing Accidents.
By the time I’d paid lip service to safety protocols, I was on autopilot.
Author
Michael Wejchert
Michael Wejchert is a writer and climber from New Hampshire. In 2023, his first book, Hidden Mountains, won a National Outdoor Book Award.
My Stories
This New Crag Was Called the “Next Rumney.” But There Was One Giant Issue
When a cadre of climbers developed one of New England’s biggest sport crags, weekend warriors came in droves. The problem? Climbing in Merriam Woods wasn’t exactly allowed.
Can Climbing Be Taught on Instagram?
Historically, climbers cut their teeth with the help of guides or mentors. Now, a new climber can follow, scroll, and like their way towards proficiency. Or can they?
10 Million People Watched The Dru Rescue. The Media Created Heroes And Villains.
In 1966 competing teams raced up the Petit Dru in the Alps above Chamonix, France, to save climbers stranded on the wall. (From 2017)
Everest Made Them Famous—And Destroyed Their Partnership
Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner took alpine tactics to the Himalaya, blowing minds and redefining the sport itself. Over 40 years later, they speak about the first oxygenless ascent of Everest, and the rift that broke up the greatest climbing partnership of all time.
Lost Souls: Risking Everything to Become a “Real” Climber
What does it mean to become a “real climber”—and do you need to risk your life in the process? Seeking an answer, the author revisits the folly of his youthful climbs in the White Mountains, New Hampshire.