Andy Wellman

Andy Wellman is a writer and adventurer with a degree in English Literature from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has been testing and reviewing gear for OutdoorGearLab since 2014. A native of Colorado, he has spent his entire life playing outside, seeking adventures in mountains around the world. His primary passion is rock climbing, which he has been pursuing for over 22 years, with ticks on his resume of 5.13 sport and trad routes, many ascents of big walls such as El Cap (up to A4, as well as solo, and in-a-day), as well as countless other climbing adventures. He used to own and operate Greener Grass Publishing, a climbing guidebook company specializing in the excellent sandstone of the Southeast, and is the author of Stone Fort Bouldering, a guidebook to the finest boulderfield outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is also an avid trail/mountain runner, having traveled the world extensively expressly to run, and compete, in places as diverse as Nepal and the Canary Islands. When not climbing or running, he is most often found backcountry skiing, hiking, mountain biking, practicing yoga, or chilling on his couch with a book and journal. He likes to use outdoor adventures and challenges as a lens to learn more about himself and the human experience in general, reasoning that even if the great mystery never gets solved, time outside is still time well spent. He currently lives in Terrebonne, Oregon, near Smith Rock, with his partner Elizabeth and dog Rishi.