CaliforniaClimber

CALIFORNIACLIMBERMAGAZINE.COM

PUBLISHER

Dean Fleming

ART DIRECTOR

Alton Richardson

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jerry Dodrill, Jim Thornburg

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Fitz Cahall

CONTRIBUTORS

Alton Richardson, Victoria Kohner-Flanagan, Dean Fleming, Zack Weldon

CALIFORNIA CLIMBER

California Climber

PO Box 94

Big Oak Flat, CA 95305

Email: climb108@yahoo.com

MOST,IFNOTALLOFTHEACTIVITIESDEPICTEDHEREINCARRYAND

PRESENTSIGNIFICANTRISKSOFPERSONALINJURYORDEATH. Rock climbing, bouldering, ice climbing, mountaineering, alpine climbing and any other outdoor activity are inherently dangerous. The owners, staff and management of California Climber do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are an expert or accompanied by an expert. Please seek qualified professional instruction and/or guidance. Understanding the risks involved are necessary and be prepared to assume all responsibility associated with those risks.

EDITOR’S NOTE

At Columns of the Giants, a basalt rock formation on California’s Highway 108, geologists believe that an ancient glacier still remains, protected from the summer heat, far underneath a massive talus field that rises towards a gigantic cave; a feature that houses California’s steepest 5.12a, the wildly overhanging jug-haul aptly named Delirious. In the mid-day summer sun, I knelt down and pressed my face into a large hole in the talus field and began to feel the ice-cold air rushing out from deep below. I glanced ahead to see Julia, far above me, quickly and elegantly scampering her way up the talus field. Earlier in the day, back at the car, I complained about my heavy camera gear and jug of water as Julia stuffed the rope, the rack and all of the food into her pack. She laughed and then said something like, “Toughen up buttercup!” before she saddled the bag and headed across the parking lot towards the trail to Columns of the Giants.