The story of Royal Robbins is one of determination, inspiration, and incredible adventure — a story where the guiding patriarch was not the form of a father figure, but rather majestic and unyielding mountains. It was at a ski resort where he worked after quitting high school at age 16 that he found purpose — far from the streets of Los Angeles, where he grew up.

Robbins is one of the most influential American climbers of the twentieth century. With one hand on the climbing rope and the other grasping the hand of his wife and adventure partner, Liz, Robbins revolutionized climbing by pioneering what was thought as the impossible. From first ascents in Yosemite and Europe, he defined a new era of mountaineering where the sky was the limit — or no longer the limit — for the climbing culture.

In 1969, he climbed Tis-sa-ack, a new route on the face of Half Dome and one of the hardest rock climbs in the world. In all he has made a total of five new routes on Half Dome. He also made a ten-day solo ascent of El Capitan. This was a second ascent of the John Muir Route, and the first solo of El Capitan, and remains his most challenging and difficult climb.

In the late 1960's Robbins and his wife, Liz, started their business, Mountain Paraphernalia, which is now named"Royal Robbins." The company continues to do incredibly well today, primarily selling clothing for outdoor enthusiasts.

Always active environmentally, Robbins and Liz stepped up efforts made by their company toward planetary stewardship. Robbins tours the country yearly, presenting his "Forty Years of Adventure" slide program and donating the proceeds, now amounting to tens of thousands of dollars, to worthy conservation groups such as the Yosemite Fund, the American Hiking Society, and the Access Fund.

Robbins was also named one of many "paddlers of the century" in Paddler magazine's January/February 2000 issue. He made the switch from pioneering ascents to pioneering descents as he mastered rivers over rock, after arthritis limited his climbing. He has made 30 descents in California and Chile and more recently, he has run rivers in Norway and Russia, being among the first Westerners to visit a remote section of Siberia to run the Bashkaus River.

Check out the forum and read the discussion hosted by Royal Robbins, where he shared insight with the GORP community on climbing, paddling, the nitty-gritty of starting a business, and the endless opportunities for adventure.

To find out more about the inspirational and fascinating life of Royal Robbins you can read his biography, Royal Robbins - Spirit of the Age.