All of us know how long it takes, to the minute, to reach our local crag. We’ve slept in the dirt at J-Tree, in gîtes in Argentière and on the couches of countless climbing partners in between. When we look at a doorjamb, we see a pull-up bar. We know how to tape our hands and fingers in the morning, and how to repair the damage with superglue at night. We’ve run out of water, watched the sun set from the top of a spire, hiked out in the dark and never felt happier.

We know these things because we’re climbers, and being a climber is about more than just climbing. Beyond crimps and laybacks and hand jams, climbing is a passion that shapes the bodies, minds and lives of an entire community. Driven by something far deeper than simply making the crux move, the climbing life encompasses everything that happens before tying in and after topping out. It is training, travel and the kind of friendships forged over unplanned bivys and campfire beers.

At Black Diamond, we believe our gear can be a catalyst for this global culture of climbing, from working 5.14 moves on the Dawn Wall in Yosemite to the thousands of new climbers experiencing the sport for the first time in a gym. It’s this dedication that will continue to fuel our approach to creating Black Diamond gear: using, designing, engineering and building equipment and apparel for the climbing life.