Phil Wortmann

e·thos- noun. the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations. When the world blurs At nineteen years old, Bryan Becker sat alone on a small ledge halfway up Colorado’s biggest wall with one rope and a rack of passive pro, but with no clear plan for the headwall above. Thin, fractured crack systems presented several options, but none looked any more promising than the next. Years earlier, the great Layton Kor had been at this spot and...

The Stage Tom Barber sending his new arete masterpiece at Mt. Big Chief, Old Stage Road. One of the many new routes shared in the upcoming Old Stage guidebook (photo by Nick “rawdawg” Wright) You never forget your first. There’s the first girlfriend, or boyfriend, of course. And your first car, which is special, even if it’s a bucket. For many in the Springs area, Old Stage Road is the first, and quickest, trip into the mountains they take. The winding dirt road, rounding treacherous corners,...

For the fifth edition of this blog, I'm releasing a chapter of my new novel, Harte Tower, a coming-of-age climbing adventure novel. This chapter offers a peek into the background of Joe, Ethan's grandfather, who spent decades guiding and climbing in the Alaska Range. I was fortunate to climb the North Buttress of Mt Hunter in 2014 with Chris Sheridan and Doug Shepherd, and I used that experience to build this scene. I hope you enjoy. Mount Hunter's 4,000 foot north buttress shrouded in...