Welcome to Bigwalls.net, a repository of all things bigwall climbing.  

To contact John Middendorf, email is best.

HISTORY-->Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical Volume 1 and 2:

Between 2021-2023, I have been posting research articles on the historical tools and techniques of climbing on bigwallgear.com

Below are links to PDF's of the compiled research (large files-tip: right click and select 'download file').  

Mechanical Advantage, Volume 1 (mostly European developments)

Mechanical Advantage. Volume 2 (mostly North American and international developments to the 1950s)

Buy the books here:   https://www.bigwallgear.com/p/buy-the-books

Note: Bigwalls.com now goes to Ryan's big wall 'how not to' video and review pages--see note from his page below: