In the world of alpine big wall climbing, Mark Synnott needs no introduction. A veteran of 25 international expeditions and countless big wall routes (including 21 ascents of El Cap), Synnott has been at the forefront of nearly every climbing discipline since the early 1990s. From establishing Grade VII monsters in places like Baffin Island and Pakistan to a 27-hour ascent of Cerro Torre’s Compressor Route, Synnott has established himself as one of the premier all-around climbers in the world today. A North Face athlete, Synnott assists with product development and design, helping to deliver equipment that can survive a month of sub-zero conditions on Polar Sun Spire, a 4000-foot rock tower in Baffin, or a plethora of sandy pitches in the southwest desert. After recently returning from Borneo, Synnott took time away from his busy schedule to discuss his growth as a climber, memorable expeditions, and the gear he refuses to leave home without.

Spadout: How did you get involved with climbing?
Synnott: I grew up in New Hampshire, and my dad used to take me to Cathedral Ledge to watch the climbers on the cliff face; it wasn’t long before friends and I tried it ourselves. My first route was more of a gully between sections of the cliff, called “The Big Flush.” My buddies and I scrounged a rope from somewhere, and got to within 40 feet of the top of this thing without belays or protection. We had no idea what we were doing!

Spadout: Tell us about your first expedition to Baffin, which resulted in the first ascent of The Great and Secret Show (VII 5.11 A4 WI3) on Polar Sun Spire in 1996?
Synnott: We actually first attempted the Spire in 1995, but didn’t make it up due to a few factors, like the fact that it’s north facing! It was my first trip to Baffin and we [Synnott, Jeff Chapman, and Warren Hollinger] didn’t know exactly what to expect in terms of weather, etc. We did some recon [and] were right back there the following year. Before going up, we basically agreed that we weren’t going to go down, and spent 39 days on the wall before reaching the summit.

Spadout: What sort of research and development do you do with The North Face?
Synnott: Myself and other people on the team typically go out on short trips with a design group at The North Face to test out and research product designs in the field. For example, this past spring, we met in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite to work on developing a ski-oriented pack. We’d ski during the day, and discuss the product at night. The thing I like about The North Face is they really put a lot of energy into practical field research for their products. If they say something is going to last, it will. There’s one backpack that I’ve had forever, so long that the company keeps bugging me to try a new one!

Spadout: What are some pieces of gear that you take on every trip?
Synnott: I’m really impressed with the new Metolius Master Cams. They’re designed really well, completely bombproof. I use them all the time and would recommend them to anyone. Same with the Tibloc; some people claim that they shred the rope sheath, but I’ve never had that happen and it’s a great little tool for a variety of situations. Overall, the best advice I can give is to try everything yourself; using a piece of gear yourself is the only way to really know if it’s for you or not.

Spadout: What advice would you give to aspiring wall climbers?
Synnott: The biggest thing, by far, is determination. If you want to do something, you can do it, believe me. The biggest problem that people run into is that they rush. It took me a lot of time to develop as a climber. Some people want to climb The Nose or another route on El Cap, but they go unprepared and get spanked. The biggest part of my success as a climber is the fact that I took the time to build a solid foundation and try bigger and bigger routes step-by-step. I climbed the Leaning Tower, the (Washington) Column, Half Dome, then El Cap, then harder El Cap routes, then tried out the Bugaboos, etc. Having a slow, logical progression is the best way to plot out how to get to where you want to go from where you are right now.

Spadout: What’s next for you?
Synnott: I’m looking into another trip to Africa for next year. I’ve only been there once before, to Cameroon, and some of the places I’ve been checking out look absolutely incredible!

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