Richly authentic collection of photography and stories celebrates Southern climbing culture
Spare These Stones: A Journey Through Southern Climbing Culture is a captivating visual and narrative exploration of the evolution of climbing in the Southern United States during the transformative decades of the 1990s and 2000s. From its clandestine roots, when climbing was an underground pursuit shrouded in secrecy with areas passed around through word of mouth, to its rise in accessibility through grassroots efforts and land conservation, photographer and filmmaker Andrew Kornylak delves into the intricate threads of geography and culture. This heart-shaped region of Southern climbing, stretching from Nashville to Charlotte and Atlanta to Lexington, is known for limestone and sandstone cliffs, hard bouldering, and challenging roof cracks. Highlighting efforts of the community to protect climbing areas, Kornylak shares stories about Jerry Roberts, Joey Henson, Greg Kottkamp, Lisa Rands, Adam Henry, James Litz, and many more at off-the-beaten path spots and iconic destinations like the Tennessee Wall near Chattanooga and Horse Pens 40 Ranch in Alabama.
Spare These Stones celebrates the resilient spirit of Southern climbers and their profound connection to the rugged, culturally-rich areas they call home.
Contributors
Reviews
- ...a simply fascinating and informative compendium of captioned full color photographs and authentic commentaries on and about the subject of rock climbing in the southern states. A wonder and joy to simply browse through and is unreservedly recommended
— Midwest Book Review
- Andrew Kornylak is a uniquely gifted visual storyteller whose skills extend to the written word. This stunning compilation of people, place, sport, culture, legend, and lore embodies the spirit of ascension in the Southeast and calls you to embrace and care for the community and landscape. For climbers and non-climbers alike, Spare These Stones offers a gripping journey that draws you in and inspires you to seek out--and then hold on tight to--all the good that surrounds us.
— Jennifer Pharr Davis, author of Becoming Odyssa and The Pursuit of Endurance
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Spare These Stones is a love letter to Southern climbing--the sandstone, the soul, and the rugged, humble characters who call it home. Andrew Kornylak brings a singular visual voice to this deeply personal and definitive work. Through stunning imagery and intimate stories, he captures not just the routes and crags, but the heart of a community whose ambition is matched only by its generosity. This is more than a climbing book--it’s a portrait of a place and its people, rendered with honesty, grit, and reverence.
— Andrew Bisharat, cohost of The Runout podcast and publisher of Evening Sends
- Part time capsule, art installation, and motivational speech, Spare These Stones is a magical journey through rock climbing in the American Southeast. Andrew Kornylak has long been one of the region’s most dedicated climbing photographers, and this book showcases his best work. Steep cliffs are the backdrop, but the true subject is the strong and colorful community.
— Jeff Achey, former editor of Climbing