Can Climbing Guidebooks Survive the Digital Age—and Do They Need To?
The clash between guidebook authors and climbing apps raises a bigger question: what do we lose—and what do we gain—when beloved print traditions go digital?
Author
Gavin Feek
Seattle native Gavin Feek lives in Los Angeles. He contributes to Stab Magazine and Field Gulls and has been published in Outside, McSweeney’s, and The Stranger. Before becoming a freelance writer, Gavin worked in Yosemite National Park as a white-carded EMT, member of the Bear Team, Yosemite Mountaineering School employee, and resident SAR Site dirtbag.
My Stories
Is This New Tipping App the Answer to Better Routesetter Pay?
A new app called Tip Your Setter allows climbers to tip their routesetters, but it comes at a cost.
The Valley Boy: How a Free Soloist Met His Untimely End in Yosemite
A 17-year-old free soloist ran away to Yosemite. One year later, his body was found at the base of Royal Arches.
How the Yosemite Climbing Community Is Reacting to DOGE Layoffs (Updated)
El Cap’s upside-down flag, the park’s fired lone locksmith, and the safety of Yosemite climbing this season
When Yosemite Search and Rescue Loses One of its Own, the Rescue Work Goes on for Years
The life and legacy of Niels Tietze