Over six years, Olsen evolved from a Yosemite concession worker to a photographer documenting top climbers—including Kevin Jorgeson, Sasha DiGiulian, and Molly Mitchell—as well as the Valley’s highlining and rope-jumping scenes. He learned photography through a high school elective and mentorship from Yosemite, and through constant trial and error.

For this week’s feature, we spoke with longtime Tuolumne climber Dave Yerian. Museum curator Nansi Wilson often mentions Dave’s decades-deep love for the Meadows when I visit, and I ran into him again at the Mark Chapman memorial in May. Yerian has also been posting about the upcoming 44th anniversary of the Bachar-Yerian on Medlicott Dome.

This week, we interviewed Kate Kelleghan to learn more about the video she’s co-producing with climbing partner Laura Pineau on their ascent of the Yosemite Triple Crown—Mt. Watkins, El Cap, and Half Dome in fewer than 24 hours.

This week, we have news of even more speed climbing, a death on the Royal Arches, and a GoFundMe for a climber undergoing an amputation.

This week’s news brief addresses the current and timely issue we are facing with the proposed sale of public lands. Chris Van Leuven will be back with Yosemite News next week!

With mid-June heat settling over Yosemite Valley, many climbers are escaping to higher elevations in Tuolumne or farther south to Shuteye Ridge.

The speed-climbing season is in full swing in Yosemite, with several teams ticking huge link ups in rapid times.

Hot temps, park traffic, and Jordan Cannon tells us about his recent original Salathé Wall free ascent…

So much has happened in Yosemite this past week. On the Big Stone, Freerider was flashed—in a single push of 22 hours, 16 minutes—by Will Moss, marking only the second-ever flash of an El Cap route and the first completed in a day.

Rather than spotlighting a single climber or route, this week’s feature will weave together both headline ascents: Pietro Vidi’s repeat of Lurking Fear and Jordan Cannon’s full free of the Salathé Wall with its notorious 5.13c pitch 19.

Profile of the week: big-wall free climber Elliot Faber.

The news this past weekend: Glacier Point Road and Mariposa Grove Road opened at 8 a.m. on May  10.

In other news, Backpackers Campground will remain open for the season. “Yosemite Valley’s backpackers campground is open as scheduled for the season after the park walked back plans to close the campground indefinitely,” wrote Mary Beth “Mouse” Skylis on May 8 in Backpacker.

This week’s spotlight: Why Sasha  DiGiulian Loves Climbing in Yosemite.

Big news about Yosemite in the press yesterday (April 29). After weeks and months of waiting, there is finally an official report on the status of the Yosemite reservation system.

After a few weeks of promoting authors and new books, we’re mixing things up. We’re focusing on the news since this is a Yosemite climbing newsletter.

his week, we feature Southern award-winning filmmaker and photographer Andrew Kornylak and discuss his new book, Spare These Stones….

This week, we speak with Sonnie Trotter—Yosemite big-wall free climber from Canmore, Alberta—about his upcoming book, Uplifted: The Evolution of a Climbing Life,

Kevin DeWeese: Yosemite Climber Talks Mentorship, First Ascents, and the Art of Not-Suffering

Valley Local Taylor Martin on Soloing El Cap in a Day

Author Rick Accomazzo: Tobin, The Stonemasters, and Me

Welcome to the first edition of the Yosemite Climbing Association’s new eNewsletter—your window into the stories, history, and ongoing work to preserve Yosemite’s climbing legacy.