“A refreshing memoir–fast, fun, and joyous–that reflects Sonnie’s lifetime spent on the rock. He climbs with a certain effortlessness. This book captures that ease and joy in his retelling of adventures around the world.” —Alex Honnold, climber featured in Free Solo and author of Alone on the Wall

“This book is a joyride of positivity, nostalgia and love.” —Tommy Caldwell, professional climber and author of The Push Reviews

“With its boundless imagination, evolution endowed humans with high-level performance features to keep us alive: big brains, opposable thumbs, and then, for a very few of us like today’s guest, freakin’ fearlessness. Show Sonnie Trotter a sheer granite wall stretching thousands of feet up a mountain and he’ll crack his knuckles a couple times and start climbing—ropes be damned—while the rest of us cover our eyes.” —Foreword Reviews

“Sonnie Trotter would never admit to being Canada’s best rock climber, but his multi-decade career of cutting-edge trad climbs and nails-hard sport routes certainly puts him in that conversation. In his new book, Sonnie looks back to the people, experiences and community that defined his path into professional climbing.” —Climbing Gold podcast

“Does Uplifted make me want to send a 5.13? Not really. I know what I’m capable of and I don’t need that level of stress. But the book does make me want to dust off the climbing shoes and feel the freedom of rock climbing again. Well done, Sonnie.” —Vince Shuley, Pique Newsmagazine

“Could Uplifted be a classic one day? I think it has the potential to be timeless. It’s not about a milestone in climbing events, but it is a memoir or some sort, about climbing in our time and about a milestone climber. I am giving it a five out of five because I enjoyed it thoroughly and plan to reread portions if not all of it again.” —Andrew Szalay, Suburban Mountaineer

“So many mountain adventure memoirs are written by hardcore athletes who seem to be driven by some sort of darkness—an often anger-fueled desire to push beyond the edge to prove something either to themselves or their naysayers. In the world of rock climbing, Sonnie Trotter is about as hardcore as one can be—yet he’s driven by gratitude, adventure for adventure’s sake, and, dare I say, fun. I get a kick out of stories of brooding souls as much as the next guy, but it was so refreshing to read about a world-class athlete who’s driven by curiosity and optimism. As a bonus, the book is written in a refreshingly user-friendly style—it’s accessible to everyone, from veteran climbers to people like me, whose climbing career equals chaperoning their seven-year-old daughter at the climbing gym. You don’t have to zoom out much to see that, at its core, Uplifted is a book about turning your passion into a vocation—a universal theme that most thoughtful people will connect with.” —Ed Roberson, host of the Mountain & Prairie podcast

“Sonnie Trotter has long been known for pushing boundaries in rock climbing. In Uplifted, he reveals how those boundaries have shifted with time—and with fatherhood…” —The Squamish Chief

Join Sonnie around the campfire for stories of climbing and the climbing life

In 2025, Sonnie Trotter celebrated his 30th year of climbing. He’s long been at the forefront of the sport, specializing in first ascents of rock faces most people cannot imagine scaling. In Uplifted, Sonnie recounts dozens of memorable moments, highlighting the physical and mental challenges, sense of freedom, and rich personal relationships that feed his passion. His enthusiasm is contagious; it is easy to see why climbing becomes a lifestyle for so many.

From learning basic skills in an abandoned grain silo to mastering some of the hardest climbs on Earth, Sonnie shares entertaining and candid tales about life on the road, overcoming obstacles, grasping opportunity, and living in the dirt. With honesty and humor, he writes about shifts in his attitude towards risk. Now married with two young children, he thinks differently, reconciling these parts of his life with his identity as a climber. This is a crossroads that many–whether from commitment to a passion or profession or through other circumstances–will relate to.