65 | The Sandstone Alpinist pt. 1 w/ James Barrow

When you hear "Zion National Park," what comes to mind? The Narrows, Moonlight Buttress, and some of the most stunning sandstone cliffs and peaks you’ll ever see, all packed into a canyon visited by over five million people each year. But what about the possibilities beyond the main canyon, beyond the classic hikes and climbs?
Today, we’re chatting with James Barrow. He's a father, climber, and electrician by trade. James quickly developed a knack for climbing, finding himself leading sport climbs in the 5.12+ range in under six months. But, after rushing his progression, he seriously injured his tendons, which pushed him to find a new kind of challenge. That's when he turned to adventure climbing.
James fell in love with exploring the uncharted, runout, loose, and complicated sandstone peaks and plateaus surrounding the main area of Zion National Park. His latest achievement? The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse-a feat that covers 20 distinct peaks, with 18,500 feet of elevation gain over 28 miles. The terrain involves runouts, canyoneering, bushwhacking, steep snow travel, soloing, and massive 70-meter rappels using a fiddlestick. The climb, rated 5.9+R/M2R, is one of the most challenging and technical routes done in Zion in the last 20 years.
I can't emphasize enough the magnitude of what James and his partner accomplished. After our conversation, he walked me through his route on Google Earth. The complexity of route-finding, the massive scale, and the varied conditions of rock, snow, and thick bushes left me amazed.
We’ve split this conversation into two parts. Today, we'll hear about the events that led James to set his sights on this massive sandstone alpine linkup, and essentially shape him as a climber. This will help us understand him better when he tells the full story of "The Complete Towers of the Virgin Traverse" in part two. We'll talk about his rapid progression to 5.12+, how he found adventure climbing, his view on risk, and what he did to prepare for this big linkup.
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