Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 - January 2016 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

The past year started with the Dawn Wall send that was heard around the world, which was followed by the Niagara Falls climb and continued with major climbing achievements throughout 2015. This year’s great climbs included Marc-Andre Leclerc’s impressive solos in Patagonia, Sachi Amma and Alex Megos’s historic 5.15 sends, Daniel Woods and Ashima Shiraishi’s groundbreaking bouldering sends to new 5.14s in four Canadian provinces, the first free ascents of old aid routes in B.C. and climbers setting Canadian records on the international competitive scene. Looking forward to the next year, what will happen in Canadian and international climbing? There are more extreme ice and alpine climbers and 5.15 and V15 senders than ever before. Will we see the first 5.15d or 5.16a? Here at Gripped, we are excited about…

New Bugaboo Route Tim McAllister and Pat O’Sullivan climbed a new six-pitch 5.11b on Son of Snowpatch called The Middle Child. Marc-Andre Leclerc’s Big Patagonia Solo Marc-Andre Leclerc soloed the 800-metre route that links Tomahawk WI6 M5 into Exocet WI5 and to the top of Aguja Standhardt in Patagonia in 12 hours. Newfoundland’s New Bigwall 5.12 Sam Bendroth and Bayard Russell climbed a new 12-pitch 5.12 that climbs the 400-metre ocean-side Blow Me Down wall called Betrayer of Hope 5.12. David Lama’s New Lebanese Route David Lama sent a steep roof route in Baatara Gorge in Lebanon and called it Avaatara 5.14d. Australian Sends on Yamnuska Australian climber Doug McConnell sent Blue Jeans 5.13b in September, becoming the fifth climber to climb the route. Thor’s Hammer Thor’s Hammer in the…

The Thaitanium Project is a non-profit effort dedicated to providing and installing titanium climbing bolts throughout Thailand. Due to a rare convergence of environmental conditions and minerals contained within the rock itself, Thailand’s existing bolts have experienced accelerated metal fatigue and corrosion, leading to unsafe climbing conditions and a substantial increase in the risk associated with climbing many of the popular routes. Visit thaitaniumproject.com to donate.…

Petzl Nomic $319 The Nomic has become one of the most important tools for many mixed and ice climbers. Petzl was the first to master the ergonomic handle with multiple grip options. If you’re an ice or mixed climber, you owe it to yourself to give these a try. The fully modular head can be adapted to any winter or alpine terrain. Made to last and built smart, the Nomic is an industry leader. Trango Raptor $175 This is one of the best new ice tools in the past year. It’s not hot and flashy, but it performs over and over on steep ice and technical mixed routes. The one-piece moulded rubber handle is easy on the hands and extremely durable. The pick is made to drive into hard ice,…

Zak McGurk is an Alberta-based climber who started competing at a young age. While touring on the Youth World Cup circuit, McGurk focused energy on training and pushing his physical limits indoors. He doesn’t compete on the international stage anymore and now has time to focus on projecting and avoiding repetitive injuries. Gripped caught up with McGurk this fall. 1 What is one of your fondest memories from competition days? Hard to say, there’s a lot of great memories. One that always makes me laugh though, is Marshal German busting the arm off his glasses doing arm swings, right before walking out of isolation to climb finals at Youth Nationals. He ended up with duct tape wrapped all around his head, holding his glasses on crooked and started climbing. 2…

Six hours from Toronto is Ontario’s Algoma Region, where there are hundreds of ice climbs waiting to be found. Nearly 20 areas have been discovered to date and some routes up to 80 metres. From Agawa Canyon to Lake Superior’s shoreline, the Canadian Shield in Ontario’s north has countless cliffs and crags where winter adventures can be had. Over the past few years, a new area has been explored by a few motivated climbers from southern Ontario who have been making the long drives (and sometimes long walks) to develop in the southeastern corner of Algoma near the small town of Blind River. The ever-curious and insatiable explorer Danylo Darewych started exploring the area a few years ago. Myself and some mutual friends have accompanied him and spent many hours…

The Spanish red towers are called the Mallos de Riglos and are in Hoya de Huesca comarca in Aragon. They are part of the foothills of the Pyrenees, the mountainous border between France and Spain. The 300-metre spires rise dramatically from the ground and form a wild setting for climbing. The reddish conglomerate spires are steep with few ledges and fewer continuous cracks. They make for an enjoyable winter getaway for those seeking adventure. The towers are also close to Rodellar and make for good “rest day” climbs between difficult sport climbs. After the North Face of Mallo Fire was climbed in 1929, word spread that Riglos offered big challenges. It didn’t take long for all of the summits to be attained. The main towers are Fire, which is the…

Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero $220 Imagine big down pillows for your hands and you have the Absolute Zero. Fully waterproof and windproof, these are meant for the coldest of days. Made with OutDry waterproof technology, the membrane is directly bonded to the glove’s outer shell and the glove is filled with the highest quality 800-fill down for extreme warmth. These are perfect for belays and bivys. Petzl Cordex $44 Multi-purpose gloves meant for year-round use. During cold months, they make for great mixed climbing belay and rappel gloves. The double-layer goat skin leather on palms and high-wear areas are coupled with abrasion resistant nylon that makes for a great cold rock glove. The hook and loop closure and biner hole make them perfect for multi-pitching. Marmot M11 $69 The M11…

Vikki Weldon Sends Steep 5.14 Vikki Weldon sent Dinosaur Highway 5.14a at Horne Lake on Vancouver Island in early October. Weldon had been attempting the route on and off since her Spain visit in the spring. “Such a fantastic route. So happy to tick it off my bucket list and so happy to not have to pay for the ferry again for a while.” Quebec Cap Trinite Sends Slovenian climber Gasper Pintar and Quebec-based Em Pellerin spent a week at Quebec’s Cap Trinite. Their first route was Les Grand Galets that has a 5.12d stemming crux. Then they climbed La Cavalet that starts with a slabby 5.12b and leads to a 5.13b crux. They then sent the bold Maree Haute, a five-pitch 5.12 “splitter.” Josh Muller Pioneers Acephale Testpiece Josh…

When it was established in 1990, Unendliche Geschichte (Neverending Story) was the hardest multi-pitch route in the world. Since it has been repeated only three times in the last 25 years, it remains a test piece. Located on the border of Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the Ratikon range was once the cradle of European multi-pitch free climbing. Smooth walls of the Kirlichspitze towers have taken away many a breath and inspired the best local climbers of the time to push their limits by setting new standards in alpine climbing. The most prominent name in the history of Ratikon developments was definitely the one of Martin Scheel. The pioneer of many of the area’s early test pieces developed a new style of opening lines that not only influenced the local climbing…

Ton Sai: Located in Thailand’s southwestern province of Krabi, this is the original Thai rock climbing must-visit zone offering routes of world-class quality for both beginners and experienced climbers. Ao Nang: Located in the Chong Pli district, the area has a wide range of routes from 5.8 to 5.13. It is considered Thailand’s newest and most exciting crag. Koh Lao Liang: Lao Liang Islands are rarely visited twin islands made of limestone that rise 80 metres out the Andaman Sea. It’s a great place to get away from the crowds and has fun deep-water soloing. Koh Yao Noi: A pair of large islands in the middle of Phang Nga Bay few people visit. There is plenty of potential for new routes. Koh Phi Phi: The birthplace of rock climbing in…

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