I learned a few things that day. Like how someone can hum with crystal glass vibrancy–the kind you can hear and feel. Or how a gleam in their eye is gonna stick to you like burdock burrs after a hike in the woods. There’s no escaping it. That’s how it was, talking with him about … Continue reading The Day I Learned My Cousin Is a Professional Climber
Climbing trips are one of the perks of the sport. Sometimes the hardest part can be choosing where to go.
Let The Coolest Climbing Festivals in Europe guide your itinerary in 2019. Continue reading The Coolest Climbing Festivals in Europe to Get You Stoked for 2020
Outward Bound offers a model for education that I believe in and which played a formative role in my own growth.
I wanted to find a way to use my strength (marketing) to support an organization with an important mission. I made my way to Outward Bound Romania. Continue reading An Expedition for Life: Why I’m Volunteering with Outward Bound Romania
I’d never wanted a vacation to be over before it started.
Maybe it was because I knew we’d be over when the trip ended. Maybe I was trying to delay the inevitable. Continue reading It Won’t Go: On Breaking Up After a Climbing Trip
“Even sweetness can scratch the throat, grandma said, so stir the sugar well.” – Ocean Vuong in “Notebook Fragments”
The thing is, I don’t like sugar in my coffee. But, I was taught recently that a spoonful of sugar in the pot — if you do it Turkish style — makes the final product creamier, frothier, tastier. I have to admit, he’s right.
2018 had its sweet moments, but I didn’t always stir well. Continue reading The Sweet and Salty of 2018: Reflecting on a Year of Love and Travel
The Flying Goat Camp & Hostel is the new kid on the block in Geyikbayiri. They are distinct in the area for their smaller size and communal vibe.
I had chosen this camp because it looked relaxed, friendly, and picturesque. It lived up to expectations. Continue reading The Flying Goat Camp & Hostel: All About Community In Geyikbayırı, Turkey (Climbing Hostel Review)
A funny thing happens:
A day becomes a month,
a plot becomes a line
— best fit —
and outliers are discarded
for sake of
the data.
Boulder Istanbul is your neighborhood climbing gym on the Asian side. It’s akin to your favorite little cafe down the street, full of character and familiar faces. Or it’s the climbing set-up you wish you had in your two-car garage, just for you and your buddies. The Vibe: Make no mistakes, this is an “old … Continue reading Boulder Istanbul: Your Favorite Neighborhood Gym in Istanbul, Turkey (Climbing Gym Review)
Review of climbing in Ballikayalar, Istanbul, Turkey. Continue reading The Best Climbing near Istanbul – Ballikayalar, Turkey aka the sweet, sweet Honey Crag! (Trip Report)
My account of hiking Orla Perć , Poland’s most dangerous trail. Continue reading How to Survive Poland’s Most Dangerous Trail: Hiking Orla Perć (Part 2)
Aaron Gerry 