Francis Sanzaro is equal parts climber, writer, and philosopher and the author of The Zen of Climbing (2023). The former Editor-in-Chief of Rock and Ice, Ascent and Gym Climber magazines, he has been climbing for more than 30 years: trad, ice, sport, alpine, and bouldering. He has a PhD in the Philosophy of Religion (2012) from Syracuse University. His essays, poetry, and fiction have appeared frequently in The New York Times, Outside, Climbing, Adventure Journal, among a dozen others. He has appeared on the BBC, international podcasts, the New York Times' Op-Ed pages, and delivered a TEDx talk on wilderness and risk. He makes his home in the mountains of Colorado, with his wife and two children.