Climbing

Written by longtime climber Hil Malatino, Climbing explores the why of the sport, asking what pushes him and so many others to drag themselves to the gym and the crag time and again; to restructure their intimate lives around the pursuit of a new goal; and to devote thousands of hours forging their nerves to perform physical and mental feats while dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of feet off the ground. In chapters that explore gender, class, and sizeism in climbing culture, as well as grief, addiction, queer and trans-worldmaking, and the tensions between conservation and recreation, Climbing teases out how the art of navigating across rock can help us learn how to revel in being weird, vulnerable, and radically interdependent animals temporarily gifted the complicated tragicomedy of a body. It is a story of collective obsession and transformation that tracks how holding yourself on the wall helps you learn how to hold onto the ambiguities of life on earth.

Author: Hil Malatino
Publisher: Duke University Press
Published: 07/07/2026
Pages: 140
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.28lbs
Size: 7.00h x 5.00w x 0.33d
ISBN: 9781478038818


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/18/2026
Library Journal 06/01/2026 pg. 105

About the Author
Hil Malatino is Associate Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Philosophy at Pennsylvania State University. He is also the author of Side Affects: On Being Trans and Feeling Bad and Trans Care.