Hangdog Days - Tales of the Race for 5.14 with Author Jeff Smoot

In Hangdog Days (Mountaineers Books, April 2019), Jeff Smoot vividly chronicles the era when rock climbing exploded in popularity, attracting a new generation of talented climbers eager to push the boundaries of the sport via harder routes and faster ascents by breaking the “rules.” This contentious, often entertaining period gave rise to sport climbing, climbing gyms, and competition climbing—indelibly transforming the sport.

An active climber of the era, Smoot traces the development of traditional climbing rules, enforced through peer pressure, intimidation, and even sabotage, when several climbers in the late ’70s introduced tactics such as “hangdogging” (hanging on gear to practice moves) that the old guard considered cheating. As more climbers broke ranks during the ’80s, their new gymnastic approach pushed the limits of free climbing from 5.12 to 5.13 and eventually 5.14a.

Smoot describes his encounters with the era’s superstars, including John Bachar, Lynn Hill, Jerry Moffatt, Peter Croft, Kim Carrigan, Todd Skinner, and Alan Watts. He deftly brings this raucous, revolutionary time in rock climbing to life, exploring, as he says, “what happened and why it mattered.”

About the Author:
Jeff Smoot is a lawyer, writer, and photographer primarily known for his hiking and climbing guidebooks. He was a frequent contributor to Climbing, Rock & Ice, and Mountain magazines during the 1980s, and has also written for Backpacker and Outside magazines, the Western American Literature journal, and The Writer’s Workshop Review. He lives in Seattle.