Bonar McCallum started climbing in 1990. At the time, he was 24 years old, working and living in Langley, BC. A friend of his, Cliff Deyo, took him to the Smoke Bluffs in Squamish one day and instantly he was hooked. That winter, he participated in the great North American road trip, starting in Smith Rocks then down to Red Rocks, Yosemite, Bishop, and finally to Joshua Tree.
Flash forward 25 years and you still will find Bonar on the road. This year, Bonar and his wife, Lea Juszkiewicz, are starting in Rumney, NH and making their way down to the Red River Gorge. At the age of 49, Bonar sent his first 5.14’s last year, Bone Thief Extension (5.14a) and T-Rex (5.14a) and continued to put up hard routes in the Bow Valley. Not only that, he has been a strong force in the Alberta indoor climbing scene, coaching and mentoring a number of climbers during the competition season. With so many years of climbing under his belt, Bonar has a lot of wisdom to share, from his ideas about movement training to making sure you stretch, or perhaps more importantly, his ability to stay psyched for all these years.
Bonar McCallum on Wedding Crashers (5.13a). Photo courtesy of Grzegorz Florek ©
Our interview with Bonar was completed during the week that he made the first ascent of Highway to the Danger Zone. Here is what he had to say.
Hi Bonar, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Sounds like you had a great week to finish up your two projects! Can you tell us a bit about it?
