Photos by atg200

The Lone Peak Cirque is as good as it gets. Coiling ropes on top of Pika's Paradise on the Question Mark Wall. It isn't an alpine route if you don't top out, so a long traverse to the summit on the tower on the left awaits.

We skiied the couloir that comes down right from the summit - the bottom of the couloir is partially blocked by my skis. We measured the upper slopes at consistently 45-50 degree with a slope meter. Thank god for the nice runout at the bottom.

Cool clouds near the summit of Orizaba in March 2004. The penitentes were no fun to walk down.

Hope nobody was up there at the time. Desert storms are intense. Castleton, the Rectory, and the Priest visible.

atg200 on top after climbing the Ayoloco Glacier in late February, 2004. Popocateptl sits quietly in the background - not smoking like it was the other times I have been on Ixta.

This is the Ayoloco Glacier in late February 2004, photo taken from near the summit. It was ice the whole way, though lots of penitentes on the left side made for easy progress if for some reason you don't like steep styrofoam ice.

This is Lizard Head - the hardest peak in Colorado. It is about 13,100' high or so, and is notorious for being very, very loose. A classic not to be missed for people with a few loose screws.

Martha happy the climb is over with, but a few frightening rappels and loose downclimbs left to go. The Wilson group is in the background.

This is the fiercely exposed and appallingly loose summit of Lizard Head. One of the wildest places in Colorado.

atg200 just over the bulge on the summit pitch of Lizard Head. Free climbing overhanging choss is very exciting.

My little brother Pete in the crux section of the first pitch on Lizard Head. 5.8ish, but very loose rock make it pretty thought provoking.

This is where you start to get scared on the approach hike...

Uncle Big Green battling the crux - the civil war didn't last as long as the next 10 feet did.

Echo Tower is the large 500' tower in the foreground, and the top of the Titan is in the sun in the background. Phantom Sprint IV 5.9 C3 climbs the left skyline of Echo Tower.

jsj42 and climbergirl on Midsummer Night's Dream 5.11 in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Good job guys.

Leisure Climb 5.9 in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. An easy route by Black Canyon standards, but not too leisurely if 5.9 is your limit. Look for two climbers in the center of the photo.

This was taken during the carry up to camp 1 on the Polish Glacier Route. The East Glacier is stunning from here, though we went right through the penitente field for the Polish Glacier since we aren't burly.

This is the first view of Aconcagua you get when approaching from the Vacas Valley. The large glacier on the left side is the Polish Glacier, and the smaller one in the center is the difficult and seldom climbed East Glacier Route.

This is La Lena on the Vacas Valley approach to Aconcagua. Mules milling around are a fixture of all the approach camps - be careful where you pitch your tent!

This is Mexican Hat in southeastern Utah. not much else to say about it. Fun climb.

This is me leading through the roofy opening section of pitch one. Tricky but very solid placements in good rock. Much easier than what was lurking above...

atg200 carefully leading the A3 pitch one of Sundevil Chimney on the Titan hammerless. The pitch was far more technical than it was scary - bring lots of Lowe Balls and Aliens, especially red ones. Photo taken by bigdan(Dan Russell)

Addiroids on Room to Shroom 5.9 at Joshua Tree. Nice jams, 5.9 if you don't use your feet like addiroids, 5.8 if you do like atg200.

Topping out on the Happy Turk, which is also known as the Devils Golfball. How on earth is this thing still standing?

Thank god for gri-gris. My friend is a new aid climber, so I settled in to my law chair with an ice cold Bridgeport IPA for a *long* belay.

The obvious tower in the center is Lighthouse Tower, Dolomite Tower is the skinny one to the left of it, and Big Bend Butte is the landform on the far left.

Me at the first belay on Triple Exposure in the Garden. I love old drilled angles.

This is Dreamspeaker in Texas Canyon - a remote part of the desert about 3 hours southwest of Moab. The route climbs this face in two pitches of 5.11 crack climbing.

This is the imposing and huge north face of the Kingfisher. A couple of sick routes ascend the middle and right side of the face, and the upper part of Colorado NE ridge climbs the left skyline.

This is Putterman's Pile in the Fisher Towers. It is one of the many minor small towers lurking among the huge monsters in th area.

This tower is the site of a nasty Walt Shipley 5.11 offwidth route. Putterman's Pile is the small tower on the right below GGM and is easiest to spot by looking for its shadow.

This is Dock Rock, probably the easiest 5th class summit to reach in the Fisher Towers. Its about 100 feet high. I onsight free-soloed Impish, an old Layton Kor 5.5 on the right skyline.

This is a shot of the Corkscrew Summit on Ancient Art from the bowl under the north face of the Kingfisher.

This is atg200 leading the opening squeeze chimney on Ted's Trot at Vedauwoo.

I ran into this Marmot on the summit of Mt Shavano, a 14er in the Sawatch Range in Colorado. Shavano is an easy walkup, and has a wonderful snow route up the Angel of Shavano snowfield.

This is South Sixshooter, the easiest tower to climb in the Utah desert and the best moderate route at Indian Creek. The standard route goes at well protected fun 5.6 - a desert rarity.

This shot of the Rectory was taken from the top of Castleton Tower. Fine Jade climbs a thin crack system on the right side of the formation. The Priest is the tower on the left.

This is Castle Ridge taken from the summit of Castleton Tower. Sister Superior is on the right, and the Convent is the mesa on the left.

This is the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park-probably the most famous Arch in the park and one of the more unique rock formations anywhere. The hike to it is highly recommended on rest days in Moab, but it is illegal to climb.

I show up at Joshua Tree at the end of March, and it snows. I didn't get any climbing in, but I did some exploring and took a few unique pictures.

This is my brother soloing the WI3 Silverplume in lean springtime conditions. The ice had the consistency of styrofoam, and screws wouldn't have held a fall anyway. This is usually a solid wide curtain of ice.

My brother soloing above me took this picture about 700 feet up the Freeway on the Second Flatiron. The route is low 5th class, and a fun easy criuse above Boulder.

I tried to solo Ixta in January. The weather turned horrible, and I hitched a ride down with a bunch of Mexican climbers. Thanks guys!

Dirtbag Senior following the first pitch of the North Chimney 5.9, Castleton Tower in Castle Valley.

K Dog finishing the second pitch of South Sixshooter 5.6 at Indian Creek.

Dirtbag leading Scarface 5.11 at Indian Creek. The route starts as hard 5.11 fingers and eases to 5.10 thin hands.

A friend took this black and white of me while I was rope soloing the huge Kansas City roof at the Gunks. It is either a hard 5.12 free climb, or a wonderful A1 crack with bomber gear. I am hanging completely horizontal in the picture.

Andrew Gram(atg200) camping near the Fisher Towers(The Titan in the big tower in the background). This is how to camp in style.

atg200 on the Penny Lunge V0+ at Horsetooth Reservoir near Fort Collins Colorado. Big dynos even on the easy problems-what a great place.

This is Castleton Tower near Moab from the approach road. This tower has several classic moderate free routes, and the Kor-Ingalls is even one of the 50 Classic Climbs of North America. This is the first tower for most aspiring desert rats.