R. Bryan Simon

R. Bryan Simon, a native of West Virginia, is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a former U.S. Army infantry officer, and a graduate of the US Army Ranger School. After an injury in 2003, he left the military to pursue other goals. Since his youth, he has wandered and explored the hills and valleys of the New River Gorge. His books include Hiking and Biking in the New River Gorge, Adventure!: A Kid's Guide to the New River Gorge, and the children's activity book, Animals of the New River Gorge. Bryan also writes on wilderness and climbing medicine topics, is a partner in the firm Vertical Medicine Resources (vertical-medicine.com), and serves on the board for the New River Alliance of Climbers (NRAC). His work has been featured in outdoor, climbing industry, and medical magazines and journals such as Climbing, Dead Point Magazine, Emergency Medicine News, Critical Care Nursing, and the New River Gorge Adventure Guide, Bryan met his wife, Deb, on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2001, and since that time they have climbed and trekked together around the world. When not on the road, trail, or rock, Bryan can be found at his home in the New River Gorge, WV.