Gear
Summits are overrated
Back off the wall and home to Sheffield, sore shoulders, new plans forming, and a short video from the latest trip.
By Andy Kirkpatrick
October 4, 2011
Reading Time:00 minutes.
Well, I made it down off the wall (bet some of you thought I was still up there), followed by the long, hard drive home to Sheffield.
My shoulders are still sore, but it’s good to be home, with plans already forming in my head for the next adventure.
Anyway, here’s a short video of images and clips from the trip.
PV Podcast
Read More
Reflections
Midnight Run
A midnight emergency run across Lough Corrib with a badly burned child—fear, mistakes, and instinct collide in this raw story of risk, parenting, and consequence.By Andy Kirkpatrick
Reflections
G is for Garibotti
A quiet evening in Rolando Garibotti’s Boulder kitchen in 2004 reveals the human side of one of Patagonia’s greatest climbers. A personal reflection on talent, illness, humility, and the day climbing regained its wonder.By Andy Kirkpatrick
Reflections
U is for Unknown Pleasures
What do you really get out of climbing? Not just the views. A deeply personal reflection on the small, unexpected rewards of mountaineering — from frost-nipped fingers and cheap tea to coming home changed.By Andy Kirkpatrick
Climbing
GriGri Unconfidential
A raw, honest confession about repeatedly fucking up with the Petzl GriGri — misthreading, open-device rappels, and the psychology of climber errors. Not a gear review, but a deep look at why we all make mistakes and why honesty matters more than looking competent.By Andy Kirkpatrick
Climbing
Beyond Help
When professional rescue isn’t coming: A gripping account of a near-fatal fall in Kenya and a fatal accident in Kalymnos. Essential reading on self-rescue, expectations vs reality, and staying alive in the mountains.By Andy Kirkpatrick
Climbing
Psycho Vertical (2017)
"Psycho Vertical: a raw climbing film about fear, obsession, and pushing into the vertical unknown, where control slips and consequences bite."By Andy Kirkpatrick
Reflections
Brotherhood of Rope
Andy Kirkpatrick returns to climbing after a neglected bicep injury, grappling with ego-bruising restarts, chaotic family crag days, and the raw futility of the sport. Reflections on old friends, near-misses, and the heavy shadow of suicide—including the sudden loss of a charismatic climbing mate and a salvific message from a fallen hero—explore pain, connection, and why words can feel like morphine when life unravels. Intimate, humorous, and unflinching.By Andy Kirkpatrick