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Story perspectives

Teen Climbers Battle Adversity in Joshua Tree

1/20/2026

50 11 Full Breakdown

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Story summary
  • Gabriel Tallent, the author of Crux, follows two 17-year-olds, Dan and Tamma, in the Joshua Tree area.
  • They are passionate climbers who lack equipment, reflecting their tough circumstances.
  • Tamma aims to break into professional climbing, and Dan seeks a college scholarship.
  • They face family struggles, including medical costs and strained relationships.
  • The story portrays survival and individual resolve against a changing landscape of encroaching development, with Tallent's lyrical climbing descriptions.