Adventure Lifers Mission

Howdy, I’m Mike and the idea of the Adventure Lifers started as I was reading an article about the lack of mentors in climbing. Climbing has been a huge focus in my life and consumed most of my twenties. I was enthralled by these guys in the desert with old trucks and duct-taped puffies, crushing impossible crack routes. Instantly, I knew I wanted to do that.

From the outside, they looked like average guys and girls but the things they could do on the rock were far from average. I admired their bloody hands at the end of the day and listened intently as they wove tales of harrowing desert towers and shiver bivvies. I was hooked on climbing and the dirtbag lifestyle.

My Adventure Mentors

I was incredibly lucky to have found a group of people to take me from a novice sport climber to someone with real skills in the vertical. These mentors taught me not only climbing techniques but about ethics and conservation in the wilderness.

What I now realize is that I was in fact incredibly lucky to have these undercover crushers to show me the ropes. They helped me choose gear and showed me how to use it porperly and safely. Now that’s not to say I didn’t get sandbagged on routes and put in sketchy situations. But these experiences made me problem solve and continue my progression as a climber.

My First Trad Climbing Lead

Speaking of sand bagged, which means telling someone a route is easier or safer than the guide book says. I cut my teeth on a route that wasn’t actually a route! My climbing mentor and climbing mahcine Troutman sent me up a crack in Utah to which there were no anchors. Woops, this foced me to traverse 20 feet to the left onto a 10a slab and I had to run in out legs shaking before reaching a bolt. I felt baptized, and I came back for more.

Who is Adventure Lifers For?

What I want to share with you on this website is solid gear recommendations and techniques from my mentors. Not the full pro athletes forced to recommend the newest gear from sponsors but what the true LIFERS actually use. You will get to hear from them and myself about how to create more adventure in your life. You will get access to us Lifers to ask questions and even share your stories if you please.

Let’s build this community and let everyone have access to quality information from those who do it simply because they love it. We are in it’s infancy but this community will grow for you and with you. Keep an eye out for constant content about climbing, camping, SUP, and more.

We here at Adventure Lifers are here to help you along your next adventure, whether it’s your first or fifth decade, join us. You’ll soon be seeing gear guides, quizzes, free guides, and more from these experts. I invite you to comment, recommend or ask for advice on any of the different skills we highlight on this website. This is OUR place.

Enjoy!