Michael Gray

Nutshell facts: 30+ years on rock, first in Virginia, West Virginia, later in Arizona and Colorado; sport, trad, and aid. Climbed in: Yosemite, Red Rocks, the Needles, Tahquitz, Hueco, The Pit, Jack's Canyon, Devil's, Queen Creek, Superstitions, Sangre de Cristos, Dripping Springs, Sugarite State Park, 11 Mile Canyon, Boulder Canyon, Seneca Rocks, New River Gorge, Looking Glass and Smoke Hole Canyon.

A former caver and hiker who discovered that girls like rock climbers better than sweaty men covered with bat poop in his teens.

Along the way, I've managed to survive 166 first ascents on boulders and walls, bolts and gear, in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, the Alleghenies of West Virginia, Northern Gaan (Devils) Canyon in Arizona, and on the granite of Colorado's Pike National Forest.

(Nothing you'll see on 8a.ego, and I doubt Dave Graham is going out of his way to repeat any of my problems.)

To see the list:

http://roninsroad.blogspot.com/p/first-ascents.html

I've been living on the road, on and off, since 1995; out of a backpack, conversion van, Westfalia, pickup truck and tent, Suburban, and, most recently, a 1979 Lindy RV, sharing the adventure with my amazing wife Cindy, ever since she proposed to me in a stormy West Virginia mountain camp, on the rim of a still-undiscovered crag, in December of 2010.

Published a guidebook to the over 250 routes of Smoke Hole Canyon with a Kickstarter campaign, and have since then mailed out over 250 guidebooks. Just finished two apps for the canyon, working with rakkup.com; one for Reed Creek, and one for the Long Branch/Guide Wall area.

Just back from our second season of exploration and first ascents, working as campground hosts and staff in Colorado's amazing Elevenmile Canyon.