David Roberts & Greg Child

Nicknamed “the dean of adventure writing,” David Roberts is one of the most prolific climbing authors to date, with books such as The Mountain of My Fear that appear on the short list of must-read climbing literature almost by default. He’s also written extensively on the history and prehistory of the West, and is an accomplished climber with a list of notable first ascents in Alaska. But in 2015, he was forced to face a whole new kind of challenge when he was diagnosed with Stage IV throat cancer. Instead of slowing down, he has continued to write — through the exhaustion, chemotherapy and illness — musing on death, partnership and climbing. He’ll sit down with friend and fellow climbing author, the Australian-born mountaineer Greg Child, for this intimate conversation. Together, the friends, climbing veterans and scribes will talk about the definition of adventure, the realities of illness and their shared passion for prehistoric ruins and rock art in the Southwest.