Most know Chris McNamara, founder and publisher of Supertopo.com, for his high altitude adventures - like his BASE jumping exploits for which he was recently slammed with a $5,000 fine for jumping in the Grand Canyon while on a trip in late 2007. And not to mention all his big-wall climbing records: Since his first time on El Cap in 1994, Chris has climbed El Cap more than 70 times (nine being big-wall speed records), and he did the first Girdle Traverse of El Cap in August 1998, completing it in an epic 75 pitches over five days. But what people don't know about Chris is the staggering amount of time and energy (and money) he has contributed to the greater climbing community.

Since Chris founded the American Safe Climbing Association (ASCA) in 1998, the non-profit group has replaced more than 6,000 bolts. Chris has also published 15 climbing guidebooks (eight that he has written or contributed to) via Supertopo, he serves on the board of the Rowell Legacy Committee, and even finds time to volunteer for various other outdoor organizations. "Chris definitely has a deep place in his heart for climbing," said Mark Melvin, owner of Touchstone climbing gyms and a long-time climbing partner of Chris. "When Chris decides to do something, he doesn't have much use for knowledge of potential impediments." Spadout caught up with Chris during one of the brief moments his feet were on the ground to ask about his passions.

Spadout: Tell me about how you started climbing.
McNamara: When I was 15, I met Mark Melvin who was starting the Touchstone Climbing gyms. I agreed to be one of the first investors (with money I made as a little league snack bar operator and umpire) and he agreed to take me up El Cap! After that first time up I was addicted to El Cap, which pretty much dominated my life for the next five years.

Spadout: What is it about big-wall climbing that attracts you?
McNamara: Having that much exposure all the time creates a whole new reality and that’s unlike anything else in the world. You don’t flirt with gravity like you might while BASE jumping or doing a hard single-pitch climb. You live with gravity and exposure 24 hours a day. It’s like taking a camping trip to the most exciting place in the world

Spadout: What advice would you give to aspiring big-wall climbers?
McNamara: First get really psyched. Big walls are miserable if you don’t REALLY want to climb them. Second, practice aiding techniques at the crag way more than you think you need to. Most big walls ascents fail because people are just too slow with aiding and the basic wall logistics … which is easy to fix if you get the basics dialed on the ground.

Spadout: Switching sports, how is flying in a wingsuit different than BASE jumping?
McNamara: Regular BASE jumping is falling. Wingsuits make you fall with so much forward speed that you feel like you are flying. BASE jumping gets old pretty fast because you are limited on where you can go. Wingsuits open up the terrain, and also let you fly close to stuff, which is the best part. It’s only when you fly close to stuff that you really feel speed.

Spadout: What was your last trip for climbing and/or flying?
McNamara: My last big BASE jumping trip was in Italy. I got to fly next to a cliff repeatedly for The Sharp End movie by Sender Films. The best part is you land next to a bar, have a coffee or a beer and then head back up. Europe was designed for BASE jumpers. Great mountains, easily accessible, totally legal, and tons of perfect small mountain towns.

Spadout: What gear sticks out in your mind from that trip that helped you the most?
McNamara: I had just switched to a new wingsuit and BASE rig. The wingsuit let me fly closer to the cliffs in a much more controlled way. And the parachute was a new ultralight canopy with low drag. Right now BASE gear is kind of where climbing gear was in the eighties. It’s good, but has a lot of major refinements to come in the next decade.

Spadout: As gear is your lifeline in such high-risk sports, tell me about the trust level it takes to rely solely on gear to get you through the adventure.
McNamara: At first it’s pretty terrifying to rely on BASE gear. Or climbing gear for that matter. But I find once you use it enough it just fades to the back of your mind. That is until something wacky happens. Once I took a very short fall on El Cap and a biner just snapped and sent me into a much bigger fall. That made falling really scary. I would rather jump with a parachute now than take a big fall on gear!

Spadout: What else are you involved in right now?
McNamara: I am working on a ‘How to Big Wall Climb’ book and DVD. I see a lot of people showing up to El Cap for the first time without some basic skills. I hope the book will create a training program for people that will make them succeed more often. Because there is nothing as cool as climbing a really big wall … except maybe jumping off it.

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