CLIMBING Archives - Semi-Rad.com

Surely That’s The Summit Just Ahead, Right?

by brendan on August 12, 2021

—Brendan

Chart: How To Talk To People About Their Favorite Outdoor Activities

by brendan on February 18, 2021

My stories, art, and newsletter are free, and ad-free, because of the financial support provided…

A Very Informal Interview With New American Alpine Club CEO Mitsu Iwasaki

by brendan on September 3, 2020

Last month, the American Alpine Club announced that Mitsu Iwasaki would be the organization’s new…

Hitting A Wall In Zion

by brendan on May 28, 2020

[all photos by Matty Van Biene] [NOTE: 2020 is the tenth year of my…

Success And Failure

by brendan on May 14, 2020

From the book The Hard Truth: Simple Ways to Become a Better Climber by…

An Illustrated Story About Anxiety

by brendan on April 23, 2020

—Brendan Thanks for reading. If you’d…

Should You Do It In Jeans?

by brendan on March 5, 2020

The bumper stickers about politicians skiing in jeans were first created more than a decade…

Unsolicited Beta For Snow Shoveling

by brendan on December 5, 2019

Hey, how’s it going? Some storm we got last night, huh? You know, I used…

The Greatest Alpine Climbing Trip Of All Time

by brendan on September 5, 2019

It was one of those weekends when everything went right. The weather was perfect—sunny, not…

39 Supportive Things You Can Say To The Climber You’re Belaying

by brendan on August 22, 2019

Because we all need a little encouragement sometimes: “You got this” “Breathe” “Relax, shake out,…

It Could Be Worse

by brendan on July 3, 2019

“Well, it could be worse,” the first climber said to the second one, as the…

11 Ways To Let People Know That You Climb 5.12*

by brendan on May 16, 2019

Are you tired of everyone you encounter not recognizing the fact that you climb 5.12?…

Anya Miller On Climbing, Cancer, And Creative Strategy

by brendan on May 9, 2019

NOTE: In 2018, I started recording interviews with creatives (writers, filmmakers, podcasters, photographers, editors, etc.)…

Remember When We Were Young?

by brendan on April 25, 2019

Mark and I sat in the front window of a Denver coffee shop, talking about…

Yes, A Friend Can Make Miserable Things Less Miserable

by brendan on March 14, 2019

I trudge forward, the muddy road tugging at my running shoes, splattering my ankles and…

Air Fresheners Based On Real Outdoor Odors

by brendan on January 17, 2019

Because you know you want your car to smell like your weekend. —Brendan

The Best Semi-Rad Adventure Charts of 2018

by brendan on December 20, 2018

For the past couple years, I’ve drawn non-scientific charts and other doodles and posted them…

Concerns Internet People Have After The Release Of ‘Free Solo’

by brendan on October 18, 2018

Newspapers, to the greater benefit to society as a whole, have largely done away with…

If You Don’t Want To Dawn Patrol, You Can Dusk Patrol

by brendan on October 4, 2018

It’s (hopefully) common knowledge that if you want to climb a Colorado 14er in the…

Other Horns Of Switzerland (Besides The Matterhorn)

by brendan on September 20, 2018

I was in Zermatt last week and was fortunate to gaze upon the incredible Matterhorn,…

The One Thing You Need To Know

by brendan on September 6, 2018

To climb rocks: Use your feet. Despite what you may have seen in Cliffhanger, or…

Zen And The Art Of Not Packing Shit You Don’t Need

by brendan on August 16, 2018

I once packed a can of chili ten miles into the backcountry. It weighed 15…

How To Tell People At The Gym You’re Not Climbing The Dawn Wall This Year

by brendan on August 2, 2018

Nowadays, every time you’re at the climbing gym, people are coming up to you and…

The Story Of The First Ascent

by brendan on July 5, 2018

You think that last pitch was tough? Do you know about the first ascent of…

20 Things That Take Longer Than Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold’s Ascent of the Nose Took

by brendan on June 14, 2018

On June 6, Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold broke the speed record for climbing The…

The People-Pleaser’s Plan For Climbing A Mountain

by brendan on May 31, 2018

Hey, I was wondering if you might want to go climbing this weekend? I think…

Affordable Alternatives To The Seven Summits

by brendan on March 29, 2018

Want to climb the Seven Summits? Sure you do. Want to pony up $157,000 (not…