Why We Climb

The World’s Most Inspiring Climbers

Why We Climb is a celebration, in word and image, of those aspects of the
climbing life that are most universal, meaningful, and long lasting the strong
connection to partners and nature; the physical and mental mastery required
(and how to achieve it); the rewards of exploring oneself and the world
through climbing.

Through interviews with some of North America’s most notable climbers the book
undertakes a quest to find the soul of climbing asking what compels men and
women to dedicate their lives to the challenges and deprivations of living in
a vertical world?

What are the sacrifices and what are the rewards? And most importantly, can
the lessons learned on cliff faces, frozen waterfalls, and alpine peaks
lessons of respect, discipline, commitment, humility and simplicity be brought
home and used to benefit society as a whole?