Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2017 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

On this 150th anniversary of Canada, we take a look back at a century-and-a-half of cutting edge climbs from coast to coast. As we head into the second half of 2017, there are countless youth teams training, more climbers than ever spending their days away from school or work at the crag and tens of thousands of routes from B.C. to Newfoundland. It’s easy to forget that it wasn’t long ago Canada only had a handful of climbers pushing the sport. Take for instance the 1961 first ascent by Jim Baldwin and Ed Cooper of the Grand Wall in Squamish. Or the lesser known bold first solo of Mount Louis in Banff via the Kain Route by a young Ontario climber named Roger Neve in 1929. Both routes are now…

This is it, today you’re going to push your limit and attempt a project that will really test your climbing skills and mastery. Your pace quickens and a feeling of lightness makes you feel strong and ready. The approach trail jogs over a rushing stream and then weaves into a forest. Anticipation makes five minutes seem like hours. Silly thoughts creep into your mind, like “Is this how Chris Sharma felt that first day on Biographie?” Without thinking about the two years of projecting it took Sharma before he sent. A stump catches your foot and almost takes you down face-first while your hands scramble to get out of your pockets. Luckily, a spontaneous ninja-like move with your foot regains your balance in time to have you deposited at the…

Quebec and Ontario have many things in common for rock climbers, from easyto- reach routes to great culture and local food. While most climbers think about heading to Western Canada during the summer months, many decide to head east and climb at the well-known walls around Toronto and Montreal. Rock climbing began in Canada around the same time in many places. Out East, it was in the mountainous area around Val David and along the Niagara Escarpment. The first routes climbed the obvious cracks, chimneys and weaknesses. As climbing progressed around the world and the use of bolts allowed for more difficult climbing, Ontario climbers were not far behind. In the 1980s, hard sport routes were added to many of the original walls. Since then, new crags have been discovered…

When I think of Patagonia, I think of quality gear, sustainable practices and Yvon Chouinard, immaculate rock, wind-carved landscapes and unpredictable weather. The famous Fitz Roy massif in southern Patagonia is a draw for many climbers, myself included. The amount of time required for travel and finding a good weather window in that tempestuous climate was not compatible with my workplace vacation policy at the moment, but a few friends suggested a place north of El Chalten where the granite towers and scenery were quite similar, but the weather more reliable. They were talking about Frey, a spiky cirque where top climber Rolando Garibotti spent years cutting his teeth. It doesn’t have the height of the Fitz Roy peaks, but a chance to climb on beautiful towers on the same…

Karakoram Steve Swenson The Mountaineers, 2017 Exhausted mentally and physically, Steve Swenson and his two partners are greeted on the Choktoi Glacier by Rasool and Ali, their longstanding expedition managers and guides. The climbers have completed the first alpine style traverse of the Latok peaks, prominent and unforgiving granite peaks in the Karokoram, the range that marks the western edge of the Greater Himalaya and that contains five of the world’s 14 8,000-metre peaks. They lay out a picnic on the great glacier and brew the finest cup of coffee. The immensity of the landscape and the warmth of the companionship stay with Swenson long after the f light home to Seattle. Karakoram is an account of 20 seasons across four decades spent among the peoples and conf licts in…

I first visited Squamish on a road trip from Ontario in the late 2000s. Before the long drive west, I spent the spring training on the wall in my garage and climbing on the Niagara Escarpment on the weekends. I was about to find out that climbing pocketed 5.12 sport routes on limestone hardly transferred to thin finger cracks and friction slabs. Our drive west was first time I had seen the mountains. My partner Jon and I took his Chevy Astro and took turns at the wheel. We pulled into the Rockies and a forecast of rain. It was perfect because I wanted to move on and test my free climbing ability on The Chief. I had recently read “Squamish’s Hardest Long Free Routes” in the December/January 2001 issue…

As a climber holding an issue of Gripped magazine right now, there’s a good chance you’re in tune enough with recent developments to have noticed a sudden proliferation of MoonBoards. Whether on the Instagram feeds of pro climbers like Daniel Woods and Nina Williams or in the training area of the newest gym, these cool bouldering walls are ubiquitous. So, what is the MoonBoard? Is it a game-changing training method or a passing fad The MoonBoard is the brainchild of Ben Moon, a U.K.- based climber whose resumé includes the world’s first 5.14c, V13 boulders and a recent 5.14d ascent at age 48. It is an 8'×12' f lat bouldering wall angled 40 degrees and populated with a standardized grid of holds, each in a precise orientation. The holds are…

Elan Jonas-McRae grew up in Nanaimo, B.C. and found a modest introduction to climbing dur ing a sum mer camp at t he Romper Room Climbi ng Centre. At first, he preferred the noncl imbing g ames outside more than he enjoyed the climbi ng part of the camp. Within a yea r of occasional cl imbing at the g ym, he discovered h is ability to pull down harder on smaller holds than h is peer s a nd has gone on to become a force to reckon w ith. With ded icated d a ily tr a ining, he has reached the inter national level a nd competed at three Lead World Cup Circu its to date. One of E lan’s career high lights to date was an…

All good road trips include a few nights spent in a tent. Whether you’re tenting at a campground next to your car or 20 km in the backcountry, having the best shelter is key. Here are some top tents from small to big for this summer. Black Diamond Firstlight $400 Easily one of the best bivy/backcountry tents we have used in the past few seasons. The Firstlight packs up smaller than any other tent on this list. It is great for climbers on a road trip hitting up cold alpine climbs in the spring and spending nights above the freezing level. It’s not completely waterproof, so avoid using in heavy rains. A great alpine tent for those on the move. A vestibule is available for purchase separately. MEC Wanderer 2…

The North Face Base Camp Flip Flop $40 Flip f lop season is the best when you have comfortable ones on your feet. We don’t think you could ask for a better around-thecamp or crag than these ultra-plush egg crate footbeds. Your feet will thank you. Arc’teryx Gamma Lt Pant Revised $200 It’s hard to find a good pair of climbing pants, but Arc’teryx has always been able to find the balance between fit and climbability. They fit well, have big pockets and a f lexible belt. A top choice for summer alpine. Patagonia 850 Down Sleeping Bag New $589 With 850-fill-power traceable down, this new three-season sleeping bag is one of the best to hit the market this year. From the low-profile hood to the extra-warm foot bed, this…

As we went to press we heard the sad news of Swiss climber Ueli Steck’s death on Mount Everest. Steck was a leading alpinist. Find an extensive commemoration of Steck on gripped.com. The 2017 Piolet d’Or went to Russian and British teams for separate new routes in the Himalayas. B.C.-based Kim McGrenere sends hard routes in spring, including Sniffing Glue 5.13c, Pucker 5.13c and Inferno de Dente 5.13d. Leslie Timms from Ontario sends hard routes south of the border this spring, such as her onsight of the crack Reggaetone 5.12. Squamish climbers Vikki Weldon and Tom Wright tick hard Australia routes Eye of the Tiger 5.13b and Serpentine 5.13b. Sunshine Rock near Banff gets two new 5.11s called Thunder from Down Under and Headless Horsemen. Jon Cardwell sends Papichullo 5.15a…

1827: David Douglas makes the first recorded Canadian ascent after he climbs Mount Brown. 1880: J. J. McArthur climbs Mounts Rundle, Aylmer and more. 1896: First climbing fatality with Philip Abbot falling to his death on Mount Lefroy. 1897: Prince Luigi Amedeo di Savoia leads an Italian expedition to the top of Mount St. Elias. 1899: Swiss guide brought to Columbia Mountains by Canadian Pacific Railway. 1901: James Outram climbs Mount Assiniboine. 1906: Founding meeting of Alpine Club of Canada in Winnipeg. 1907: Mount Garibaldi on the skyline of Squamish is climbed. 1916: Conrad Kain makes first ascent of Mount Louis and Bugaboo Spire. 1925: First ascent of Mount Logan by Canadian/American team. 1929: Ontario climber Roger Neve solos the Kain Route on Mount Louis. 1931: First ascents of East…