Gripped: The Climbing Magazine February/March 2018

“We can’t stop here, this is bat country,” I read to my then-girlfriend sitting shotgun on our way to the Nevada desert. The words are those of Hunter S. Thompson from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. We were indeed heading to bat country, but we fully intended to stop. The deserts of the southwestern U.S. are a favourite destination of climbers around the world, but especially snowbird Canadians who like red rock. And unlike Thompson who escaped the sandy plains with pellets of mescaline, acid and a galaxy of multi-coloured uppers, downers, screamers and laughers, we escaped up the walls. It was my first trip to the arid landscape around Vegas that so many climbers call home. It was February 2002. Our budget was lean and we were keen…

Quebec climber Hugo Drouin brings us the history of climbing in the province where so many important Canadian climbs have taken place. His new book Roche, Glace et fleurdelisé details important ice and rock climbs over the past 100 years. He’s been working on it for several years and it will be published in March 2018. 1 How long have you been climbing and where did you start? I have been actively climbing since 2005. My first time roping up was on the Université Laval indoor wall. I started climbing outdoors soon after, mostly focusing on trad. 2 Where is your favourite place to climb in Canada? I have been to Squamish and to the Bugaboos and, of course, they are hard to beat. But I have to say that…

Scarpa Maestro Mid $210 Scarpa brings us the all-new Maestro family of shoes for 2018, designed as comfortable multi-pitch shoes. They introduce a new last, active rand system, stitch patterning and plastic insert. DMM Ceros $25 This new version of the DMM Rhino, which has a horn to prevent cross-loading, comes in three versions: screw gate, two-stage locker and three-stage locker. This is one of our favourite new biners for gym and crag climbing. Mammut Smart 2.0 $TBA An update to this popular hybrid belay device. A lighter, simpler, affordable option to full auto-locking devices. Great for gym and sport climbers. Mammut Assorted new Ts $45 Mammut’s Ts have long been favourites of climbers pushing the grades or lounging around. This year, they have a variety of colours and styles…

Remote Spectre in Antarctica Repeated Leo Houlding, Jean Burgun and Mark Sedon made a rare ascent of the remote Spectre spire in Antarctica’s Organ Pipe peaks of the Gothic Mountains. They made the second ascent of the 1980 route established by Mugs and Ed Stump and climbed some new ground along the way. The big north-facing route was their second option after a new climb on the south wall, but logistics forced a change of plans. They were mid-trip of a two month traverse of big glaciers using kite-skiing techniques and walking. Spokesman for the expedition, Chris Lines, reported the team had originally intended to attempt the new route on the south face. The weather and duration of the expedition limited the time available for climbing. “After fully assessing options…

Sharma Sends Chris Sharma made the second ascent of Ethan Pringle’s Everything is Karate 5.14d in California. Bears Ears Reduced Bears Ears National Monument, which protected a number of climbing areas in Utah, was reduced in size. Efforts to protect remaining public wild spaces are being led by outdoor industry leaders including Patagonia. Lynn Hill Route Repeated Caroline Ciavaldini repeated one of America’s classic single-pitch trad routes first climbed by Lynn Hill called The Greatest Show on Earth 5.13. New R-Rated Crack James Pearson has made the first ascent of Power Ranger 5.14R at Sunset Rocks in Chattanooga, a run-out and bold thin crack. Serious El Cap Free Climb Hazel Findlay made an all-free ascent of Salathe Wall 5.13 on El Cap in Yosemite. Ondra Opens Israel Hardest Climb Adam…

Born in 1986, Aric Fishman has been climbing for 15 years. He moved to Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario in 2007 and has spent the past decade working to improve and advertise his local climbing scene. His first time climbing was on a mobile wall at his high school. He then spent the next while climbing with his older brother at the local gym. “I knew right away that I was an outdoor climber at heart and became absolutely hooked for life,” said Fishman. “Coupled with my desire to really learn, practice, and climb as much as possible, having a super solid crew of climbers also enabled me to advance quickly early on and better understand the technical systems, concepts, techniques and safe practices.” Fishman spends about 250 days every…