After learning to climb at Tahquitz Rock, he went on to make first ascents of many big wall routes in Yosemite.

In 1957, he was among a trio of climbers who ascended the Regular Northwest Face of Half Dome at Yosemite National Park.

[3] In 1971, Robbins completed the second ascent, with Don Lauria, of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan, with the (controversial) intention of erasing the route as they climbed it.

He believes that "a first ascent is a creation in the same sense as is a painting or a song", and that choosing a climbing line may well be "an act of brilliant creativity".

In 1980, the three descended the San Joaquin River Gorge from Devil's Postpile to the Mammoth Pool Reservoir, 5000 feet lower and 32 miles away.

In 1981, they carried their kayaks over Mount Whitney Pass at 13,777 foot elevation, into Sequoia National Park and descended 55 miles down the Kern Trench.

He was accompanied by Reg Lake, Chuck Stanley, Lars Holbek, John Armstrong and Richard Montgomery.

He then developed an interest in descending smaller mountain creeks by kayak during their flood stage following heavy rains.