The Stonemasters: California Rock Climbers in the Seventies

In the early 1970s, a small band of young rock climbers, decked out in bandanas, shades and cut-offs, came together and blew open the conventions of climbing. Dubbing themselves the Stonemasters, these now legendary adventurers established techniques that allowed for some of the most spectacular climbs to be done with a minimum of apparatus. Beyond their unsurpassed skills as climbers, the Stonemasters embodied a lifestyle that made a massive impact on 1970s youth culture across the world. The character or myth of the Stonemaster caught on like wildfire, spreading from coast to coast and across the ocean, and spawning Stonemasters everywhere. In The Stonemasters, Fidelman's thrilling archival photos reveal for the first time an era defined by risk, rebellion, and camaraderie. Tales from original Stonemaster John Long and others recall the highs and lows of the early days - a magical time in the annals of adventure sports.

Winner of the 2010 Banff Mountain Book Festival Grand Prize and James Monroe Thorington Award for Best Work of Mountaineering History. This book weighs 3.75 pounds.