Ron Kauk

Ron Kauk, born September 23, 1957, in Redwood City, California, is an American professional climber. He is a pioneer of rock climbing and a resident of Camp 4 in Yosemite National Park. Ron Kauk's first experiences with rock climbing date back to when he was fourteen, when he hiked through Yosemite on a school backpacking trip. That same summer, he and his brother enrolled in a climbing course in Tuolumne Meadows. "In town, I climbed the school walls, did at least 100 pull-ups a day, and practically memorized the Yosemite route guidebook." During the summer of 1973, Ron spent his weekends in Yosemite and was drawn to the "Stonemasters," a group of climbers who stayed at Camp 4 in tents and old buses. After spending the entire summer of 1974 in the valley, he returned to high school but only stayed for one day, declaring he never wanted to breathe the air of a classroom again. He then moved to Camp 4 to live among climbers including Jim Bridwell, Dale Bard, and John Bachar. "It was Ji...