Welcome to Granite Cliffs!

This is Your Adventure Portal

Want to to explore somewhere new, but don’t know where to start? You’re in the right spot! This is your resource for everything outdoors, whether it’s exploring the mountains for your first time or your thousandth. There is always something new out there for us to see, and odds are there’s a new way for us to experience it.

You don’t have to be an expert at ANYTHING to be here, but you are welcome to become one. Or not. It’s entirely up to you.

We believe the excitement of exploration comes from pushing yourself to try something new and stepping out of your comfort zone, but sometimes you need a little (or a lot) more information before taking that step. With the right information, the right gear, and the inspiration to get started, we can help take you there.

At Granite Cliffs you will find in-depth how-to articles, tips and tricks, gear reviews, and the experience you need to plan your next adventure. Follow us on our journeys as we explore the wild and share our experiences. Learn how to get there, what to bring, and how to have an experience of a lifetime. You might even discover a new passion! This is your one-stop shop for information. This is your Adventure Portal.

GARY BALLENTINE, Founder

Gary is a Wasatch shredding, Sierra trekking, backcountry exploring adventure blogger and engineer with a passion for building things. He’s the founder of Granite Cliffs and a longtime enthusiast of finding new ways to see what the mountains are hiding. He grew up exploring the ranges of sunny California, earned a BA English and Anthropology at UC Davis, lived in Spain for a stint, studied technical and professional writing at San Francisco State, then moved to Utah where he earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has been backpacking since 1998, completed the John Muir Trail multiple times, built custom 4×4’s and driven the Rubicon Trail in them, competed in snowboarding, and ridden his splitboard off more summits than he’s bothered counting. You can find him in the mountains year round, except when he’s in the garage welding something to his Jeep. Feel free to follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.