Teddy Dondanville
Rock Climbing Guide & Freelance Writer
Archives
Over the years, Whitney and I had both spent a decent amount of time in the Moab area. But with a place like Moab, you can never really get enough. So when a cold front pushed us south out of Idaho and away from Wyoming (which was the original plan), we were happy to set our sights on Moab for more exploring. Moab and the surrounding country is located on the ancestral lands… Read More
City of Rocks was one big surprise detour. We found out about this place while we were drinking beers at the gear shop outside of Smith Rocks in Oregon. A couple of Idahoan climbers recommended we stop by on our way through. And holy smokes were we happy that we stopped. City of Rocks National Preserve sits just north of the Utah border just outside a sleepy little town called Almo. The… Read More
After it was all said and done, I spent about two weeks in and around Bend, Oregon. I spent the first week with a good friend and claiming partner, Patrick. Pat and I met some years ago during a climbing course we took in Joshua Tree, CA. We shared a campsite for the week, and after the course was over, we stuck around to climb some pitches without the extra stressors of… Read More
After enjoying the desert in Las Vegas and Death Valley, we transitioned into the redwood country of Northern California. But before we arrived, Whitney and I enjoyed an entire week in San Francisco. A friend of mine let us house-sit his apartment while he skied in Lake Tahoe. So for five days, we lived like city folk. We showered a lot, cooked food in an oven, and enjoyed high-speed internet, Netflix, and… Read More
Death Valley National Park, previously the lands of the Timbisha Shoshone Indians, was a quick pit stop to Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. We enjoyed two days in the Park. Unfortunately, the pet policy at the Park is on the stricter side compared to some other parks. So Dottie really couldn’t enjoy much with us and had to stay in the car. So as a result, we popped around the Park and… Read More
Not everyone knows this, but there is world-class rock climbing just Northwest of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The mountains, rivers, and forests are a stunning backdrop to Sin city. Over millennia, six Native American tribes utilized the area for its plant, water, and wildlife resources, with the Southern Paiute being the most modern. We arrived in Las Vegas sooner than we had planned. We wanted to stop in Lime Kiln,… Read More
Our pitstop in Utah was not premeditated. We had initially thought we would do UT on the way back to Colorado this summer when I returned to Estes Park, CO, for another season of working as a rock climbing, via Ferrata and backpacking guide. But because we were so close and the weather looked good, we decided to take a detour north from the Grand Canyon and make a loop through Bryce… Read More
We felt like little kiddies on Christmas day as we catapulted north on highway 64 towards the ancestral lands of the Anasazi, which is now Grand Canyon National Park. We wanted to make it in time for the sunset. We would have driven our rig straight to the rim if it weren’t for the park entrance. Whitney had been to the Canyon in the past. But I was a first-timer. So I… Read More
From the town of Benson, AZ, the looming size of Cochise Stronghold strikes you in the face for the first time. And you’re still about 30 miles away. From then on, as you pummel down the highway, barely able to control your excitement to finally grip Southern Arizona granite with your fingertips and toes, the Stronghold draws you in slowly, like a moth attracted to the limelight of a headlamp. Cochise Stronghold… Read More
Teddy Dondanville 