In an interview, American climbing professional and photographer Matty Hong talks about the challenge of developing a healthy online presence, the importance of real encounters, and chipping and gluing into routes, which he believes should be a thing of the past.
The professional climber Matty Hong enjoys climbing preferably with friends or as a photographer behind the camera. In the interview, the American explains how he deals with the increasing pressure of constantly being present on social media, how he manages not to forget his roots and what real relationships mean to him.
It's a shame when you come into an area, see a beautiful line and then realize all the holds are chipped.
Matty Hong
He also expresses his thoughts on ethical issues such as:
- Red dot vs. pink dot and why there is hardly any distinction these days
- Curtain quickdraws
- Chipping & Glueing and why you shouldn't adapt routes to your own needs

