Hilary Oliver

A climber lowers on a toprope, smiling at the camera.

Dos and Don’ts for Taking A Friend Climbing For The First Time

Hilary Oliver|December 6, 2018

If you’re a climber—whether you remember it or not—you had a first day. Maybe it felt natural and fun right away. Or maybe it was miserable but something about ...

A woman climbs an indoor climbing wall on toprope.

Want To Build Climbing Skills? Quit Maxing Out Every Training Session

Hilary Oliver|November 29, 2018

Most of us have felt that urge at the climbing gym or at the crag—the little voice that says, “Just one more route!” It’s the feeling we should dig deeper to tr...

Maria Krasavina and Elena Remizova race up a steep climbing wall.

What’s Up With Speed Climbing?

Hilary Oliver|October 31, 2018

When director Zachary Barr talks about people on social media criticizing or questioning Reel Rock’s inclusion of a new film about speed climbing in its latest ...

Unexpected Joys, Drama from “The Dawn Wall”

Hilary Oliver|September 12, 2018

Do you remember where you were when Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson finally topped out on the Dawn Wall on El Capitan on Jan. 14, 2015? I do. It was a moment ...

Man looking at Denali with a copy of a book in hand

One Writer’s Quest to Introduce Kids to Our National Parks

Hilary Oliver|August 29, 2018

Kate Siber remembers clearly the magic of her first national park visit: She was 10. And the cliffs of Grand Canyon National Park and the Havasupai Tribe’s adja...

REI Presents: FKT (Fastest Known Time)

Hilary Oliver|July 20, 2018

You may have heard of an FKT—”fastest known time.” Like, the fastest known time climbing Everest. Or, the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail. But did y...

“Going Home” Doesn’t Mean “Staying In” For The Holidays

Hilary Oliver|December 6, 2017

How to keep your outdoorsy ways during holiday travel season When you dream about winter holidays, do you picture outdoor adventure as much as you do candlel...

Courage: How I Quit Comparing Myself to Others and Got Brave

Hilary Oliver|August 14, 2017

Steadying my body on the ledge, I let out a sigh of relief and scurried to place a cam or a nut to clip my rope to, something to hold me in case I slipped and f...

We Need an Extra Day

Hilary Oliver|June 15, 2017

Hilary Oliver explores the magic of the three-day effect Day 1: Our packs are heavy. Our sweat trickles, then pours. We don't dawdle—we're propelled. We're fi...

Commune With Nature—In The City

Hilary Oliver|March 8, 2017

Was he staring at me? I locked my car door and looked back across the street at the man standing motionless on the sidewalk—and realized the object of his atten...

Make Home: A Mountain Biker’s Approach to Camping

Hilary Oliver|July 11, 2016

I’d pared everything down to the bare basics for this mountain bike trip—except for that bulky plastic clamshell I’d secretly zipped into my backpack when my fr...

Woman Behind The Lens: Freya Fennwood

Hilary Oliver|June 3, 2016

Freya Fennwood has been paddling her own boat since she was a wee 5-year-old. And that makes a big difference when it comes to shooting action photos in some of...

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