This past Saturday I got the opportunity to take this father-son team on their first outdoor rock climbing experience on Cathedral Ledge. Harley and his son Jonah have literally been on adventures all over the world from Cambodia to Africa and I was happy to play a small part on some domestic adventure for this dynamic duo! We started with some top-roping on the Thin Air Face then headed to the top of the ledge for some anchor building/knot practice.

After some lunch we headed down the Barber Wall and over to the classic multi-pitch climb “Upper Refuse”.

Taking a parent/child team climbing like this is one of my favorite things about being a climbing guide. I’m always remembered how my own father hiked out to a remote cliff in Red Rock Canyon and let me tie him to a boulder so he could belay one of my first ever traditional leads. I also think about how great it will be when I can take my almost 6 year old son on similar adventures. As Harley reminded me parenthood will fly by in a flash and I’m doing what I can to make the most of every moment. I’m super grateful for getting to share experiences like this with adventurers like these.

Thank you Harley and Jonah for a great day in the mountains! Hope to see you both back up here soon for some more fun!

See you in the mountains,

Northeast Alpine Start

For more info on available climbing adventures please check out Northeast Mountaineering here. If you book a course use promo code “DavidNEM” and get entered into a monthly drawing for a free guided day for two!