Uplifted: The Evolution of a Climbing Life (by Sonnie Trotter)

Join Sonnie around the campfire for stories of climbing and the climbing life.

In 2025, Sonnie Trotter celebrated his 30th year of climbing. He’s long been at the forefront of the sport, specializing in first ascents of rock faces most people cannot imagine scaling. In Uplifted, Sonnie recounts dozens of memorable moments, highlighting the physical and mental challenges, sense of freedom, and rich personal relationships that feed his passion. His enthusiasm is contagious; it is easy to see why climbing becomes a lifestyle for so many.

From learning basic skills in an abandoned grain silo to mastering some of the hardest climbs on Earth, Sonnie shares entertaining and candid tales about life on the road, overcoming obstacles, grasping opportunity, and living in the dirt. With honesty and humor, he writes about shifts in his attitude towards risk. Now married and the father of two young children, he thinks differently, reconciling these parts of his life with his identity as a climber. This is a crossroads that many—whether from commitment to a passion or profession or through other circumstances—will relate to.