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Show LIFE&STYLE SECTION | DoilySHerald SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2006 LIFE & STYLE EDITOR Elyssa Andrus - 344-2553 - eandrus@heraldextra.com Rock stars roam the Comb New book recounts journey of world-famous climbers through remote Utah wilderness ing in a J-shaped curve that ends near the Na- to their long-ago habitation of dizzying nooks and ledges among the soaring cliffs. Both the arid, sunbaked allure and the abundanceof Anasazi dwellings andartifacts attracted longtime climber and mountaineering writer David Roberts, who traversed the length of the Comb in 2004 with fellow climber Greg Child andlocal wilderness guide Vaughn Hadenfeldt . The trio's experience is recounted in Roberts's newest book, “SandstoneSpine.” Roberts's 2005 memoiriscalled “On the vajo Nation township of Kayenta in northern Ridge BetweenLife and Death,” but he said Cody Clark C DAILY HEI F: downin the vasty redrock emptiness of southeastern Utah, an intrepid motorist or weekend hiker may encounter a prominent sandstone hogbackwith an undulating, serpentinecrest that straddles the San Juan River.This is Comb Ridge, which extends roughly 100 miles from a point west of Bland- Arizona. The Comb,as it is called, doesn’t have anywhere near the recreational glamour of such nearbylocales as Canyonlands National Park, or Natural Bridges National Monument. It's also not so remote or rugged as to be inaccessi- ble even to the casual explorer — the ridgeline is leapfrogged at twopoints by state highways. Like muchof Utah’s canyon country, however, Comb Ridgehas an austereslickrock charisma. And, hundreds of years ago,it seduced the Ancestral Pueblans, or Anasazi, whose empty, ghostly dwellingsarea silent testament tain summit — Child said that, “I think we David Roberts pulled a rope out once the entire time” — the trip was not without its challenges. | presents There werenoestablished trails, water was scarce andthe self-guided route included all of the hazards common to rambling in canyon country. Lots of knee-jolting descents (often followed or preceded by lung-chafing uphill scrambles), thrashing aroundin the occasional tamarisk thicket, wading, negotiating large boulders orloose slopes and mile after mile of striding along sharply angled slabs. Dustin Lyon,president of the Serac Moun- that taking 18 days to explore the Comb from end to end was more aboutintrospection and cultural discoverythanrisk to life andlimb. “This was more appropriate to being 61,” he said. Child, wholivesin Castle Valley near Moab and whose photography supplements the text of “Sandstone Spine,” said that he wasjust happy to have a reason for an “extended foray”in a remotestretch of southern Utah. As heputit, “Anyexcuseis a good one.” taineering Club and a co-ownerof Orem's Hansen Mountaineeringsaid that going over trailless desert country can sometimesbe very straightforward. “It can be good for people who don't have a lot of experience,” Lyon said. On theother hand,hesaid, the terrain can change rapidly, immediatelyintensifying the difficulty of travel. “For people who wantto get reallyserious, it can definitely be an And while CombRidgeis generally lacking the exotic dangers of an ice-encrusted moun- “Sandstone Spine” Climber, adventurer and writer David Robertswill discuss southeastern Utah's Comb Ridge and sign copies of his book, “Sandstone Spine,” at three Utah locations in May: » May 19 Where: Back of Beyond Books, 83 N. Main St., Moab When:7 p.m. Info: 435-259-5154 or _\www.backofbeyondbooks.com Dd May 24 Where: Orem Public Library, 58 N. State St., Orem See THE COMB, C5 When: 7 p.m. Info: 229-7050 or www.oremlibrary.org Below, David Roberts (left) and Vaughn Hadenfeldt on Comb Ridge, beneath untraversablepinnacleson thecrest. Courtesy Greg Child D May 25 Where: Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore, 245 S. Main St., Salt Lake City When:6 p.m. Info: 801-328-2586 or www.samwellers.com Gadgets helps seniors | tackle small tasks MichaelAlison Chandler | At a certain point, dailylife becomes an obstacle course, with a new challenge at everyturn. Just ask John “Aldo” Gallo, 73, of Silver Spring, Md., whohas survived twostrokes. He sayshis Mother’s Day troubles begin when he gets dressed in the morning. 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