I call myself a climber because climbing made me who I am. I started in 1980. The more and harder I did it the better I became. I made first ascents on five continents, visited the Himalayas seven times, climbed icebergs floating off the Antarctic coast, and spent five years living and climbing in the French Alps. A few of my new routes have not been repeated, and one or two speed records remain unbroken. I climbed professionally for fifteen years. I took it as far as I was willing and then retired in 2000.

Punk rock attitude influenced my climbing as well as my writing; citing Gauguin and Joy Division, then shouting "no future" in the next sentence made me a novelty in a world better known for romanticizing the sport. My essays about climbing were published in seven countries, translated into five languages.

In 1998 I finally had the sack to write more than 4000 words. "Extreme Alpinism: Climbing Light, Fast and High" (1999), won the National Outdoor Book Award and the Mountain Exposition prize at the Banff Mountain Book Festival. "Kiss or Kill -- Confessions of a Serial Climber" (2001), won the Mountain Literature prize at the Festival Banff and was short-listed at the Trento Mountain Book Festival in Italy. Kiss or Kill is available in Italian, Spanish, German, Polish, and Slovenian.

There are a few more details on my climbing career here.

Between 1997 and 2003 I shot pistols competitively. I had great mentors (Brian Enos, Rob Leatham) and wish I had repaid them by doing better than I did. Later I did enough practical training at Gunsite, Range Master, and with E.A.G. Tactical so I don't make a fool of myself around military personnel. I am the Technical Director of Mountain Mobility Group, LLC, providing cold weather, high altitude, and fitness training, as well as R&D to the Department of Defense.

I am the founder and co-director of Gym Jones, a private strength and conditioning facility. We prepare fighters for MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition, train soldiers, firefighters, ultra-marathoners, professional snowboarders, NFL players, climbers, and bicycle racers, among others. Gym Jones prepared the actors and stunt crew for the Warner Brothers production of "300".

I've quit counting on "no future" and learned to live with not knowing the future. Instead this site is a repository for things done and thought and written in the past.