John Long is a legendary rock climber, world adventurer, and top-selling author in the outdoor industry (more than a million copies in print). His feats include the first one-day ascent of El Capitan and a coast-to-coast traverse of Borneo. He has written numerous books, including the best-selling How to Rock Climb!, the world's foremost book of climbing instruction, now in its fourth edition, and he has coauthored Climbing Anchors, Advanced Rock Climbing, and Big Walls. He resides in Venezuela and in Venice, California.

Bob Gaines is an American Mountain Guides Association Certified Rock Climbing Guide and the owner/director of an AMGA-accredited rock climbing school based at Joshua Tree National Park, California. He lives in Irvine, California.