Wilderness Experience, Inc

10/01/2024

Royal Robbins, Mike Sherrick, and Jerry Gallwas first climbed the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park in June 1957. Their five-day ascent was the first Grade VI big wall climb in the United States.

At the Yosemite Climbing Association's Yosemite Facelift this past week Mike and Jerry signed posters of a photo taken on their climb.

09/22/2024

Next week I will be in Yosemite Valley. The non-profit I'm associated with, the Yosemite Climbing Association will have our largest event of the year, the Yosemite Facelift.
If you will be there, make sure to find me and say hi. If not, maybe plan to attend next year? And, if you are associated with an outdoor company that may want to join us as a sponsor, let me know.

Video collaboration with Mary Beth Lavender and Ellen Callaghan for the Yosemite Climbing Association and their spring 2024 fundraiser.

09/20/2024

Incredible photo by Ryan Sheridan.

It will look great on your wall and helps support the Yosemite Climbing Association. Thank you!

Purchase a framed print of the photograph "Clayton Koob" by Ryan Sheridan. Choose from multiple print sizes and hundreds of frame and mat options. All framed prints are professionally printed, framed, assembled, and shipped within 3 - 4 business days and delivered ready-to-hang on your wall.

09/10/2024

As many of my friends know, I’ve become very involved with the Yosemite Climbing Association and Climbing Museum. Currently I am working on expanding our membership base and online sales. It’s a very exciting time as we work to take the YCA to a new level.

While we have 2 paid employees, we really need to rely on volunteers who are passionate about preserving the history of climbing in Yosemite, are excited about new projects and events and care about the future of climbing. While volunteers at the museum in Mariposa are always welcome, I think most projects are easy to handle remotely (since that is what I am doing!)

Maybe you are interested or have friends who would find this exciting. I see two possible groups of volunteers:

Older, retired, but still passionate about doing something they care about. Even better if they have contacts in the Outdoor Industry who may help support us.

Younger, passionate about climbing and climbing history, but looking for experience in projects, event planning, fund raising and management…for personal advancement but also to look great on a resume.

If you, or anyone you know may want to explore opportunities, let’s talk: [email protected]
Thank you,
Interim Executive Director

07/08/2024

Maybe the most iconic climbing photo from the 1970s.
In 1975, Jim Bridwell, John Long, and Billy Westbay do the Nose-in-a-Day (NIAD), for the first time. Long led mostly free to the top of Boot Flake, Westbay did the mixed middle section to Camp 5, and Bridwell nailed (!) to the summit. Their time was about 16 hours.

Every climber has probably seen this photo in books, on websites, on advertising posters, in movies and just posted on social media.
Other than a couple exceptions, usually it is published without credit to the photographer (and copyright holder), Mike White, and seldom has he received any money this classic photo of one of the greatest moments in Yosemite climbing history.

Here is your chance to have a high quality print of this photo, matted or framed. The profits will divided equally between Mike White and the Yosemite Climbing Association and Museum.

We will soon have a poster of the same photo available for sale from the YCA.
LINK: https://fineartamerica.com/featured/niad-michael-white.html?product=art-Print Fashion

06/15/2024

Wow, look what arrived in the mail today...a WildX Hat from John Mead.
John is making these and selling them on his website:
https://adventure16.com/products/wilderness-experience-70s-trademark-trucker-hats-4-colorways

04/06/2024

If you are a Southern California climber, good chance you have done this route.

Photo of Mark Powell by Bill Dolt Feuerer. Taken sometime around 1957. Traitor Horn is a popular 5.8 route at Tahquitz Rock in Southern California.

If you would like a print, matted or framed: https://2-james-thomsen.pixels.com/featured/traitor-horn-tahquitz-california-bill-dolt-feuerer.html?product=framed-print

The profits from these sales go to support the Yosemite Climbing Association and climbing museum. Thank you!

02/04/2024

A mix of today and 50 years ago. As most of you know, I've become very involved with the Yosemite Climbing Association and we are working on programs for 2024. I introduced Diane Desmond Kay to some of our staff when she offered to help on one of our projects.

Tonight the Chairman of the Board asked if I knew Diane... so I sent him this video I made about 3 years ago.

01/04/2024

Wow, I made it into Gripped Climbing Magazine. For an outdoor person, it's like getting on the cover of Rolling Stone. Thank you Chris Van Leuven.

From co-founding Wilderness Experience to sailing the globe, Jim Thomsen’s journey epitomizes the spirit of exploration and the relentless pursuit of outdoor industry excellence.

11/18/2023

When Greg and I started Wilderness Experience in 1971 we were both active climbers and Yosemite was the center of the climbing universe as far as we were concerned.
Now, more than 50 years later I'm trying to give back, so I recently joined the Board of Directors of the Yosemite Climbing Association and have spent time with the team in Yosemite Valley and the museum in Mariposa.
What a wonderful group of people, especially the founder, Ken Yager, who created the museum and the Yosemite Facelift event 20 years ago.
If you think preserving both the history of climbing in Yosemite and the future of climbing in Yosemite Valley it would be great if you would join us. I joined the Board because I believe in this mission.
If you have any questions about what we are currently doing, or planning to do, please ask me. If you have ideas about things we should do to meet our mission goals I would love to hear them.
Thank you! Check out: yosemiteclimbing.org
3 ways to donate:
Become a YCA Member: https://www.yosemiteclimbing.org/membership
Shop through our online store: https://yosemite-climbing-association.square.site/
Donate: https://www.yosemiteclimbing.org/donate

We need your support to help close our fundraising gap as Giving Tuesday approaches! Be a part of Yosemite Climbing History! We are celebrating our 20th anniversary of being a non-profit as the Yosemite Climbing Association. As a non-profit, our mission is to preserve and protect historic artifacts of Yosemite climbing, and to educate and raise public awareness about interest in Yosemite climbing. In order to do this, we curate the past through our Yosemite Climbing Museum, engage in the present through advocacy and partnership, and stewarding the future through our annual Facelift® events. We have a goal of fundraising $50,000 by the end of year!

3 ways to donate:
Become a YCA Member: https://www.yosemiteclimbing.org/membership
Shop through our online store: https://yosemite-climbing-association.square.site/
Donate: https://www.yosemiteclimbing.org/donate

Thank you from all of us at the Yosemite Climbing Association!

10/25/2023

This is a great book by one of my earliest heroes.

While the supply lasts, they are 10% off and signed by the author.