The definitive biography of a rock climbing legend. A classic work on a seminal era of American rock climbing in one of the most important climbing books of the decade, Colorado climber and author Pat Ament has written a superbly evocative and lasting biography of this most influential figure. Royal Robbins, more than anyone, defined American rock climbing in the early days of the sport. A colourful, influential, sometimes controversial figure, he was the first in America to climb a 5.9 route, the first to make a big wall Grade VI ascent (the Northwest Wall of Half Dome), the first to find and conquer new routes up EI Capitan. Rich in climbing lore and anecdote, the book reveals in both text and photographs how a master climber made some of his most challenging climbs. Aments prose also captures the spiritual allure of the sport. Pat Ament, an expert climber himself who opened some of the first 5.11 routes in Colorado, is the author of numerous books and articles on climbing and is also a poet and filmmaker.