Excerpted from FIRST ASCENT: It might seem as if Royal Robbins and Warren Harding had nothing in common. Royal was thoughtful and quiet. Warren was wild and loud. Royal liked books and classical music. Warren liked parties. But they both loved rocks. BIG rocks. Royal got his first taste of rock climbing in elementary school.

He didn't have the happiest childhood. He wasn't great at school, and he couldn't throw a ball. But he loved scrambling over boulders on the ocean breakwall. When Royal was about fourteen, he went climbing in the High Sierra. It felt like magic when his hands touched that rock. For the first time in his life, he felt good at something. AUTHOR'S NOTE My son Jake introduced me to rock climbing and to Yosemite National Park, one of his favorite places on Earth. It was easy to see why, and I found myself wondering about the people who have tried climbing those massive cliffs.

Our conversation led to Royal and Warren, sparking months of research and, eventually, this book. I'd like to thank everyone who helped with research and fact-checking, especially Hannah Fleetwood, Jerry Gallwas, Liz Robbins, Jim Thomsen, Ken Yager, and everyone at the Yosemite Climbing Association for their work in preserving the history of Yosemite climbing. Royal and Warren are gone now, but they left their mark on the sport of rock climbing. Royal's ethics led to a new style of climbing that had less of an impact on the environment and helped usher in the Leave No Trace guidelines that are a cornerstone of conservation today. Just like Royal and Warren, today's climbers aspire to their own first ascents, pushing the sport to even higher levels.