Don Mellor

Don Mellor is a climber, teacher, writer, and guide who has been climbing for forty-five years, most of it in the Adirondacks. His resume ranges from multi-day ascents of the biggest rock walls in Yosemite to first ascents of ice routes in Newfoundland. Locally, he's done more than a hundred first ascents, including Big Brother (NEI 5), Airie on Moss Cliff (5.12) and the first free ascent of Mental Blocks (5.12) on the big backcountry cliff of Wallface. Among his books are four rock and ice...See more

Don Mellor is a climber, teacher, writer, and guide who has been climbing for forty-five years, most of it in the Adirondacks. His resume ranges from multi-day ascents of the biggest rock walls in Yosemite to first ascents of ice routes in Newfoundland. Locally, he's done more than a hundred first ascents, including Big Brother (NEI 5), Airie on Moss Cliff (5.12) and the first free ascent of Mental Blocks (5.12) on the big backcountry cliff of Wallface. Among his books are four rock and ice guides to the Adirondacks, the instructional Rock Climbing: A Trailside guide, American Rock, and Alpine Americas. Don also serves as a volunteer for the New York DEC high-angle rescue team and has worked on the steering committee of the Lake Placid Outing Club. He is currently an English teacher and climbing instructor at Northwood School in Lake Placid. See less