Royal Robbins: Spirit of the Age

The definitive biography of a rock climbing legend and a classic work on a seminal era of American rock climbing. Colorado climber and author Pat Ament has written a superbly evocative and lasting biography of one of the sport's most influential figures.

Royal Robbins, more than anyone, defined American rock climbing in the early days of the sport. A colourful, influential, sometimes controversial figure, he was the first in America to climb a 5.9 route, the first to make a big wall Grade VI ascent (the Northwest Wall of Half Dome), and the first to find and conquer new routes up El Capitan.

Rich in climbing lore and anecdote, the book reveals in both text and photographs how a master climber made some of his most challenging climbs. Ament's prose also captures the spiritual allure of the sport, bringing readers into the heart of a transformative era in climbing history.