WVU alumnus, Dan Brayack scores his photo on the cover of Climbing Magazine!

Dan Brayack climbs Mr. Witty in Bishop California

WVU alumnus, Dan Brayack scores his photo on the cover of Climbing Magazine!

For some their career is a calling, and for others it represents a means to an end. In Dan Brayack’s case, he chose the path that would lead him closer towards his passion, rock climbing.

By: Susan Harper

From a young age, rock climbing left a sparkle in Brayack’s eye whenever the opportunity arose to get his hands chalky. Back in his mountaineer days, young Brayack asked his father for an opinion of what major he should pursue. His father’s advice was to choose something that had structure and a steady income. Brayack chose engineering.

When Brayack wasn’t in class or doing homework, he was tackling another puzzle out in Coopers Rock. He knew that if he wanted to continue doing the things he loved, he needed to get his studies done first. He was serious about school and he was serious about rock climbing. Before class he would climb and after class he would climb. On the weekends? He would climb


“I know a lot of people drank and partied, but I never did.  I didn’t want to get fat or be hung over – because I had some serious climbing to do!”

So, what was Brayack doing when he wasn’t doing schoolwork and he wasn’t rock climbing? He was thinking about climbing. This is the pivotal reason for how he got into photography. He wanted to share his passion of rock climbing with everyone and the delightful treasures of the sport.

Years past and Brayack is still rock climbing and photographing the action behind the scenes. He has published multiple guidebooks across the board including, Rocktown in northwestern Georgia, Grayson Highlands in Western Virginia, and Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois. His most recent project and monumental achievement was landing his photo of the front cover of Climbing Magazine!

From the thousands of photos Brayack has stored on his computer, he uploaded about a hundred of them to the Climbing Magazines drop box according to what they were looking for. Of the thousands of other photos submitted by other photographer’s, Brayack’s photo was the chosen one.

Dan Brayack is not just an engineer. He’s a rock climber, a photographer, a fellow Mountaineer. He is an individual who saw that he could and so he did. Everything that Brayack has accomplished so far within his lifetime has fully been his doing. He is the prime example of someone who keeps a tight hold onto his career without ever letting it interfere with his hobbies. With a level head and steady determination, you too can live successfully with your passions at the center of your life.

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Additional Information: 

Web Link: http://brayackmedia.blogspot.com

http://www.climbing.com