Ryan: No. I just went to the library
and started reading every climbing
book that I could find. I started
teaching myself.

SmithRock.com: Was there anyone
you were reading about that inspired
you?

Ryan: No, not anybody specific.
Except, for Salathe and Warren
Harding. They were into doing what
everyone else said they shouldn't
or couldn't do. I admire that.

SmithRock.com: When did you
start putting up new routes?

Ryan: The fall of '97. I had been
climbing for two seasons at that
point.

SmithRock.com: What was the first
route you put up?

Ryan: It was a .10c up on Koala
Rock called Ryan's Arete. That was
my first real sport route, it was pretty
significant for me. It was all hand
drilled, with mixed protection. Right
now it's all bolted, but back then
you'd be face climbing and placing
brass nuts in interesting rock...it was
pretty exciting then.

SmithRock.com: Did you go back
and retro-bolt it?

Ryan: I went back and retro-bolted
it because it wasn't getting any
traffic. It just wasn't any fun having
to do that kind of stuff.

SmithRock.com: And when you
retro-bolted it, you did it with a
power drill?

Ryan: Yeah.

SmithRock.com: When did you get
your drill?

Ryan: It must have been January
of '98.

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