My early days climbing in California's Joshua Tree and Taqhuitz piqued my overwhelming desire to be in the outdoors. Growing up in an artistic family made it a natural for me to bring my camera wherever I went so I could later share my adventures with family and friends.

As a rock climber who is always meeting new people, when the chance to visit South America to climb Aconcagua came along, I couldn't miss the opportunity. I bought a lot of film and, though I only used a light hand-held point and shoot, a picture from this trip turned out to be one of my best sellers during my first year as a pro.

After my South America trip I moved to St. George, Utah, to work as a Grand Canyon river guide for High Desert Adventures. There, I continued to find myself in outrageous locations and took advantage of every situation, taking photographs every chance I got.

Better equipment and lots of film later, I landed a cover for Rock & Ice. Since then, rock climbing has led me all over the U.S. and Europe and given me the opportunity to shoot some of the best climbers doing the hardest routes. Having grappled with some of the harder grades of the sport myself, I have a great appreciation for the current difficulty and speed in which this new generation does the hardest climbs.

Although at times you can't beat setting up a shoot to get optimum light conditions, there's nothing like shooting away right when it's all happening.

To email Jorge, click here.