Climbing

Dirtbag Dan Books

Daniel Leave a comment

If you know me in real life, you’re probably aware that I’m always slinging climbing books – buying and selling guidebooks. Over the years, this has proven to be a pretty reliable small business for me. I was selling mostly via forums and social media – good venues to reach interested customers, but they require an active effort. Since I had some time on my hands after my climbing accident, I decided to build an online store for selling climbing books. That website is now complete! You can check it out at DirtbagDan.com.

(in climbing culture, being a ‘dirtbag’ is considered a positive thing)

Some rare books I have in stock currently:

If you’re a collector or a climber, I think you’ll enjoy it. New books will be added on a rolling basis, and all orders ship USPS media mail. Check it out and buy some books! Thanks.

Surviving a 100-foot fall

Daniel 9 Comments

Since this is the Internet, you get the crude title, and the summary up top. 

The short version: yes, I did fall ±100 feet trad climbing in Eldorado Canyon (My Garmin Fenix GPS watch measured a drop of 33 meters – 108 feet). I was runout on easy ground, lost balance, popped a piece, fell way past the next one, and was caught on a Gri-Gri. I broke my left foot in two places (fifth metatarsal, non-displaced calcaneus fracture) and had two cuts to the face which required stitches (5 in the left eyebrow, 11 in the forehead/scalp). No surgery for the foot. The incident easily could have killed me, but instead left me with a relatively minor 10-week recovery. 

The long version, after the jump.
(Warning: there will be a couple bloody pictures)

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Vallunaraju North Ridge 2024

Daniel 1 Comment

Calum Kenny (UK/Hong Kong) and I climbed the North Ridge of Vallunaraju in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca on July 10, 2024. We successfully completed the route, although we found it in much harder condition than reported in many sources. We carried our camp up and over and descended the standard route to moraine camp, and then the Llaca refuge.

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Climate Change in the Cordillera Blanca

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two cell phones showing images of huarapasca glacier in the cordillera blanca in 2023 and 2024. the 2024 photo shows less snow and ice

Hello from Huaraz!

Back for my second season in the Cordillera Blanca. And none too soon it seems, as there has been significant glacial retreat even since I was last here 11 months ago.

Peru’s Cordillera Blanca is a tropical mountain range, making it especially vulnerable to the effects of a warming global climate. Whatever your political stance on the issue, it is impossible to deny that these glaciers are melting. Here’s just a few quick photo comparisons from the lower-elevation peaks around town:

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