CoverGarrett Gregor gets medieval on Dark Age (V11), Hueco Tanks, Texas.Photo by Damon Corso

The Source Pete’s, pictographs, Verm’s V-scale, crash pads, the beginnings of the life as we know it. It all went down near the Mexican border, in a place called Hueco Tanks.By Luke Laeser Photos by Tim Kemple

The Southern Way Rock Town, HP 40, Little Rock City — with sandstone this sweet, who needs grades, names, or a bad attitude?By Adam Henry Photos by Martin Suchma

The Poetry of Mountaineering Before pads, videos, gyms, comps, there was ... bouldering. An old master muses on the state of the art, 1969. By Pat Ament

Grit Therapy On the hard gritstone of England, most climbers pray they won’t get injured — but one boulderer went there to heal.By Lisa Rands Photos by Dean Fidelman

GalleryBloc party! Bleau, Hueco, LCC, Bishop, and more.

12 Editorial It’s the small stuff that matters

18 Letters Readers write about Cascades weather, clinical bouldering, beauty and style, and a better stove board

24 Hot Flashes Top performances: House and Anderson pull off the world’s biggest wall, Huber on Mont Blanc rock, Fred Nicole’s African project, Rodden ticks 5.13c crack ... and more

38 Happenings Arco — the Wimbledon of climbing

40 Off the Wall Furor over Humar’s helicopter rescue, Messner identifies brother’s remains, Roger Briggs’s Diamond anniversary

50 Passages David Mahre, Pacific Northwest climbing pioneer

84 Tech Tips Bouldering: Avoiding the beached whale Bouldering: The thinking climber’s way Sport: Finding the Zone Trad: Sidewinding for squeeze chimneys

93 Puzzlefest Legends never die; they just cross words

94 Equipment Holiday cheer for that special someone, yourself included, from biners to iPods to beer

100 Just Out A pad-errific roundup of bouldering gear

102 Reviews Arlene Blum, Yvon Chouinard, and the Clif Bar guy

122 Vantage Point Pilgrimage — and baptism — at the Holy BouldersBy Scott Burr