Badger: The World’s Greatest Rock-Dodging, Route-Developing, Sandwich-Stealing Crag Dog.

This story, originally titled “Crag Dog,” appeared in our 2024 print edition of Ascent. You can buy a copy of the magazine here.

What is a crag dog? If you’re a climber, you’ve met a few. A crag dog is a dog who goes to the crag a couple of times a week, usually Saturday and Sunday, rain or shine. You’ll find these dogs—all breeds—some sporting bandanas, some with fancy collars, and some collarless mongrels, off the leash, walking over ropes and through landing zones, at large, ad hoc, mixing freely among the climbers.