Gripped: The Climbing Magazine December 2017/January 2018

As I look back over the past year, I can’t help but think it was one of the most breakthrough, upsetting and all-round memorable since I started climbing two decades ago. In February, American Margo Hayes became the first woman to climb 5.15a with her send of La Rambla. Then tragedy struck when top climber Ueli Steck, known for his solo speed records, died soloing Nuptse on an acclimatization climb in preparation for his solo climb up Mount Everest. It took the climbing world by surprise and left a deep sadness in those who knew Steck and those who admired him. In June, Alex Honnold free-soloed El Capitan via Freerider, a 30-pitch 5.13a. He noted after: “It doesn’t feel that big a deal when you finally do it, because you…

Indiana Chapman is one of Canada’s rising climbing stars, with a number of impressive wins and podium finishes. This summer, she was the only Canadian to head to a finals round at the Youth World Championships. We caught up with Chapman at the start of the 2017/2018 Canadian competition season, when she had just won the first Ontario competition of the season at Coyote Rock. 1. How long have you been climbing and where did you start? I was a monkey-bar kid since I was little, so I was always climbing something. I’ve been indoor rock climbing since I was seven and started at True North Climbing in Toronto. My dad has always climbed and was really the one who introduced me to the sport. 2. What was the first…

Rockfall in Yosemite off El Capitan A number of big rockfalls from El Capitan left one climber dead, others injured and an entire route destroyed. British climber Andrew Foster, 32, had completed a climb on El Capitan with his wife Lucy. Back at the base of the wall, building-sized blocks from the Waterfall Route broke away. Andrew shielded his Lucy and was killed in the brave act. The rockfalls continued for two days. Amazingly, three climbers were on the route that fell off, but above the rockfall area. Canadian Peter Zabrok was one of those climbers and described the rock as “white granite the size of an apartment building.” He posted videos on YouTube that went viral and can be seen with a quick search. While much of the Waterfall…

Early Season Rockies Ice: Remembering Fred is New Shoulder Season Alpine John Price and Kris Irwin climbed a new long moderate alpine route at M6 they called Remembering Fred, in honour of the late Fred Beckey. New Storm Mountain Mixed Route Toshiyuki Yamada and Noboru Kikuchi climbed a new route above Arnica Lake on Storm Mountain east of Lake Louise. Their new climb is a 400-metre M6R WI4. New Kananaskis Country Ice Route Toshiyuki Yamada and Noboru Kikuchi assumed they climbed Dr. Evil in Kananaskis Country. But they ended up climbing a new 70-metre WI5 they called Over Slept. Canadian/Scott Duo’s New Variation Canadian Jon Walsh and Scottish climber Greg Boswell completed a mixed start to a 2004 ice route in Storm Creek. In the end, they established the new…

Hayden Kennedy (1990–2017) On Oct. 7, accomplished climber Hayden Kennedy took his own life in Bozeman, Mont., after the death of his partner Inge Perkins. Raised in Carbondale, Colo., the son of famed alpinist Michael Kennedy was known for his bold climbs at a young age. His first route up El Capitan was El Nino, a grade VI 5.13c, with Chris van Leuven and Jonas Waterman. As a teenager, Kennedy was known for quickly climbing 5.14 sport routes and 5.13 cracks. A few years later, he established Indian Creek’s first 5.14 crack, Carbondale Short Bus. His first international expedition was to Patagonia in the 2009/2010 season. He and Jason Kruk made the first fair-means ascent of Cerro Torre. On their descent, they removed the bolts from the Compressor Route. Some…

Patrick Stinson invited me and Anita Leisser down to the Adirondacks in August to show us a long-standing unclimbed line on King Wall, which is tucked behind Chapel Pond Slab. It was first noticed by Patrick Purcell, prolific local and first ascensionist of hundreds of routes: sport and trad; ancient and current. Called The Holy Grail of all aid climbs, It is arguably the most striking line I’ve ever seen – a frighteningly thin right-leaning crack ascending two hundred feet as straight as a laser beam up a gently overhanging wall. If ever I saw a contender to be legit A5, this was it. We returned to Montreal to scrounge aid gear, which came from as far away as Washington, when I put out the desperate cry for help on…