The Lifer Ebook
by Russ Clune
Publication Date: September 26, 2023
About the Author
RUSS CLUNE is a rock climber living in the Shawangunk Mountains of New York. His articles have been published in multiple journals, including Climbing, Rock & Ice, Mountain, Alpinist, Der Bergsteiger, Iwa To Yuki, The Patagonia Catalog, and Urban Climber. Clune has been climbing for over forty-five years and was one of America’s best rock climbers during his peak in the 1980s. He is also one of the world’s most well-traveled rock climbers. Clune was part of the employee group that created the leading climbing-gear company, Black Diamond Equipment, where he worked for thirty years. He remains an active climber and continues to travel the globe seeking new adventures.
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One of the world’s most well-traveled rock climbers, Clune takes us on an up-close journey though the evolution of the sport over the decades. From his home turf in the Gunks of New York State, to cliffs in far flung regions of the planet, Clune brings to life hilarious and sometimes horrifying escapades while he tests his mettle. Along the way, he deftly illustrates the changes that morphed rock climbing from a dirtbag activity for somewhat eccentric people to today’s Olympic sport status for its most dedicated practitioners. As Clune travels, the reader is introduced to a who’s-who of climbers of the past and pulled into the experiences that created special bonds and lifelong friendships.
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Reading Russ’ stories from the golden era of rock climbing is incredibly inspiring, featuring snapshots of some of the most relevant climbers and areas and routes of our sport. Not only is it a great personal account of finding one’s way in the world of climbing but also brings to life some of the incredible characters, climbing areas, and routes that ushered in modern day climbing. —Chris Sharma
This book is part climbing history, part memoir, and part travelogue. Russ has personally experienced many of the pivotal moments in modern climbing - this book offers a first-hand account of where climbing came from and how it’s changed over his many decades in the sport. There’s an old saying that when you start climbing: It’s all about what you climb. Then it becomes more about where you climb, and eventually it’s about who you climb with. Russ’ many decades as a climber travel this same arc, from seeking out the hardest routes to exploring interesting new areas to savoring certain climbing partnerships. I was moved and I laughed out loud. —Alex Honnold
Having been the first American to travel abroad to many of the most historic climbing areas throughout the world, Russ’ colorful and hilarious stories depict the essence of climbing culture as it evolved from the dirtbag days of death defying first ascents, to the development of climbing areas across the globe, to the current status as a mainstream Olympic sport. —Lynn Hill