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Maury Birdwell

@maurybirdwell

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Lawyer. Climber. Aspiring philanthroper.
Mountain Performance Coach (DM for inquiries)
@honnoldfoundation co-founder.
@grade7equipment acolyte.

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Home from a week in the Bugaboos with a very full cup and very tired body! We explored some new territory, sent some amazing splitters, and left feeling VERY inspired for the next trip into these mountains. It was also super fun running into so many old and new friends and the next gen of super strong crushers. It was dizzying watching the youth smash so many routes in such a short time including an onsite of the Armageddon corner all in one long sustained pitch (a route @maurybirdwell and I free climbed a decade earlier) on the North Howser Tower. It was also a big one for me because it was my first big trip to the mountains after becoming a dad 14 months ago!

Now back to the Boulder heat for a week before heading back up to Canada for the @arcteryxacademy! Very excited to see so many friends up there next week.

@arcteryx @scarpana @camp_usa

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On July 30, @jalcrn and I climbed All Along the Watchtower (5.11 C2- or 5.12, 19+p) on North Howser Tower. We climbed it from our camp in East Creek in 19.5 hours camp to camp.

All Along the Watchtower is among the biggest climbing objectives I have ever completed. It may not have been the hardest in terms of pure technical difficulty—I have climbed harder routes, including Moonlight Buttress, the Original Route on Rainbow Wall, and Cloud Tower, all around 5.12, as well as equally long routes such as The Nose on El Capitan. But when logistics, approach, descent, weather, route-finding, objective hazard, and overall commitment are considered together, All Along the Watchtower stands alone.

And what an adventure it was. John and I had a blast. I couldn't have asked for a better partner.

I have posted a full writeup on my website, with route overlays, approach and descent detail, topos, our gear list, time stats, and pitch by pitch descriptions and photos. www.StephAbegg.com.

Thanks @timbanfield for permission to use the photo I used for the overlay.

Continue to comments to read more...

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I have been in the Bugaboos for the last few days with @jalcrn, @jessehuey, @maurybirdwell, @rushcombs, and @ry.monsters. So far, John and I have climbed Solitary Confinement (5.11 [5.10 PG13/R], 6p) on the Pigeon Feathers and All Along the Watchtower (5.11 C2- or 5.12, 19+p) on North Howser Tower. The weather was great, although we have been hit by a couple of days of rain. I opted to hike out this morning so that I could do a couple of days of computer work from my van while the rest of the crew remains up at East Creek, weathering the rain in good company. I’ll hike back in on Monday.

So here is my report for Solitary Confinement.

John and I had originally planned to climb All Along the Watchtower on July 29, but we learned that four (!!) other parties were also planning to head up the route that day. Not wanting to deal with the objective hazard of multiple parties climbing above us, we decided to shift our plans by a day.

Instead, on July 29 we climbed Solitary Confinement on Prince Edward Tower in the Pigeon Feathers.

The Pigeon Feathers are a group of granite spires about a 30-minute hike from East Creek Camp, with several high-quality multipitch routes. Solitary Confinement is one of the best. This stunning line follows a continuous series of beautiful splitter cracks straight up the center of the wall, with everything from fingers to fists and even a brief section of offwidth. The first ascent was completed by Sean Isaac, Grant Statham, and Andrew Quener in August 2004.

John led every pitch while I climbed in fix-and-follow style, making for a fast and efficient ascent. He onsighted the entire route.

We encountered a sketchy PG13/R start caused by snow recession. John kept his cool, found some gear—although whether it would have held a fall was questionable, hence my PG13/R rating—and climbed through to better protection above. The snow recession also meant that the first pitch could not be rappelled with a single 70 m rope, whereas all the other pitches could. We had brought an Escaper, which solved the problem.

It was a great climb to start our trip and a mellow, low-commitment day from East Creek camp.

Trip report on website.

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From the @thenorthface_climb expedition to Kenya where I climbed Mt. Poi in a day with @alexhonnold and @maurybirdwell … While the climb was arduous the descent was much worse! 😂😱😭

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It’s hard to encapsulate Squamish last week. A time of remembrance and joy, heavy moments and light ones, all shared with good people in a beautiful place. Grateful for it all.

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I absolutely love the way that climbing builds friendships that can last forever. ❤️😃 An absolutely cracking day out on University Wall with these too cats @jessehuey @maurybirdwell 🫶
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I first climbed U Wall with Jesse back in 2010 as the first route of the triple (with Northern Lights and Free way). Now we’re both Dad’s 😝
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#climb #climbing #friends @mountainhardwear @petzl_official @scarpa_uk @arcteryx

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After a less than inspiring winter season, I admittedly wasn’t all that motivated to shove my feet in ski boots for a week. BC’s Selkirk Mountains gave me an attitude adjustment from long untracked lines and fresh nightly refills with a crew with black diamond radio banter.

@anuthaday
@tobygrohne
@maurybirdwell
@janelle.smiley
@smileysproject
@chrismutzel
@jessehuey
@krystinnorman
@mthurk
@conkoch

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In 10 days I head south. Back to Patagonia… This will be my “Senior” year, my 4th consecutive trip to the mountains that inspire me the most.

Each year I’ve learned a little more about what climbing in the Chaltén Massif is all about. I’ve had success and I’ve failed. I’ve shivered on ledges, bailed into unknown terrain, reached summits, and learned what good and bad weather windows are all about!

I’m excited to return to that tiny town at the end of the world, visit with friends, and settle in for another season of adventures.

#patagonia #elchaltén #cerrotorre #alpineclimbing
@camp_usa @camp1889outdoor @rab.equipment @rab.equipment.na @cilogear_official @julboeyewearna

Photos 1-3: @felipesh

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VAIL AMPHITHEATER.

Truthfully, looking out my window at home, it hasn’t felt much like winter this season.

So I went looking for another perspective.

The lack of winter has been scary and mentally depressing. The few storms we have had, instantly picked my mood up, and reminded me of the power of the seasons. So as we drove up and over Vail Pass to find cold, thin air and strikingly cold atmospheres even higher, I could feel the benefits instantly.

Vail itself was lacking its typically robust ice formations, but I was there for the dry tooling and to try hard, and of that there was plenty. While I fought off the screaming barfies, I watched as those with true mental strength led routes I was fearful to even stand under due to their fragility.

For a Saturday in January, with limited winter options available, I expected it to be overrun, but surprisingly we had the place almost all to ourselves. The number of people I knew outnumbered those I didn’t know, but do now.

Winter still hasn’t arrived but I’m stubbornly hopeful it will return. In the meantime, I’m grateful that I have the physical ability, and the community, to still search out these adventures, and adapt.

VAIL, CO. - January - 2026

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Creeksgiving with the homies!

Grateful for the awesome people in my life and the opportunity to spend so much time outside! 🙌

#indiancreek #crackclimbing #desert
@camp_usa @rab.equipment @rab.equipment.na @cilogear_official @julboeyewearna

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Desert exploration over the years.

@expedition.studios @taylorfreesolo @baloointhewild @chris.price.architect @shotsfromabove @m_attredd @jamesqmartin @rudy.le @irish_goodbye #sonyalpha #CameraRollSlotMachine

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In mid-October, I made my first trip to the east face of Long’s Peak with @allie.pine @annegilbertchase and @kellycordes. Climbing Field’s Chimney, I noticed a stunning line of ice drips high on the left side of the Diamond, and was captivated. Later, I was amazed to learn those ice dribbles had likely never been climbed, perhaps not even attempted. The only recorded climb there was an old aid route, “Baknn’s A.P.” Baknn’s seemed destined to obscurity thanks to its mungy nature, but as a mixed route it looked dreamy: drools of blue ice pouring from golden cracks on a clean sweep of granite. @maurybirdwell was game to check it out, so a week later we headed up. After approaching via Lamb’s Slide, we started up the Window, then traversed right into the Wobblisk. A long, tricky pitch brought us to the ledge beneath Baknn’s, and it looked even better up close. The next 60 meters were magical, one of the finest winter pitches I’ve climbed anywhere: a blade of ice pouring from an overhung corner, a thinly iced chimney, traversing past daggers, and beautiful thin runnels to an icy ledge. Above, the final headwall bulged out, and my now tired self felt intimidated. The proudest finish was obvious: a crack system angling left, past two more icicles and a roof, but it looked properly hard. The “easy” way out didn’t look very easy, so that we chose. I wished for safety goggles as I hooked up the gently overhung, mossy corner above, thankful for abundant bomber cams as my vision grew blurrier. After 65 meters, a big ledge crowned the headwall, and we climbed up to Kiener’s, across to the Notch, and descended the Loft late into the night. The next morning, I was already dreaming of the proud finish. This time, Josh Wharton was keen, so ten days later I made my third trip up with him. The lower pitches flew by, and we arrived below the crux with time to spare. My first attempt ended quickly, with a whip down low, then I lowered and pulled the rope. A long time later, I called “off” on the big ledge, after perhaps the hardest pitch I’ve climbed on tools in the mountains. “Wobbly Baknn Strips” (M7+ WI5, 220m), with the “Baknnator Indirect” finish (M8).

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