Innholdsfortegnelse for August - September 2016 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

I stepped off the Cornerstone Theatre stage in Canmore after hosting the Night of Lies, an evening of multi-media presentations by climbers, when Dominic Girard introduced himself. He handed me his card and said, “Would you be interested in hosting a climbing-themed radio program on Banff Centre Radio?” It was nearly midnight and I had been drinking Bow Valley-brewed keg beer, it was no time to talk business. Nearly a week later, I found Girard’s card in my pocket. After a re-introduction and a meeting in Banff, Basecamp Radio was born. The Banff Centre hired a team of producers, most who’d worked at CBC, to create three radio stations that would broadcast to the Bow Valley. After a year, The Banff Centre cancelled Banff Centre Radio and laid off most…

New Rockies Crag in Echo Canyon Hungry Tiger Wall has a handful of 5.11s and 5.12s that range from 25 to 35 metres. It was developed earlier this year by Matt Mueller, Hugo Daigle, Doug Fulford and Ian Perry on separate trips. The plumb line is Hungry Tiger 5.12a, which follows a steep line with reachy moves. The crag stays in the shade, so it’s perfect for hot summer days. Visit the TABVAR website for more information on access and route descriptions. New 5.12 at Washington Pass British sender Tom Wright has been based in Canada for the past few years. He teamed up with Squamish hardman Colin Moorhead for a new route at Washington Pass in the Cascade Range they called Golden Age 5.12b. Their new route that climbs…

“I think I popped my eyeball out dude.” For those not in the know, let me fill you in. The nut tool is a long piece of metal with a hooked tip used to dislodge nuts from the rock. The nut tool doubles as an eating utensil, two can be used like chopsticks. The hook also makes for a great back scratcher and since the handle on my van’s passenger seat broke six months ago, I’ve used it as a replacement handle. I began trad climbing in my late teens around Squamish. One day, I made plans to climb the classic Smoke Bluffs Connection with a friend. Nico and I met a few years previous when I started my full-time living-in-a-van lifestyle. Nico was on his fourth year of living…

On a quiet evening last June, a few swigs of Scotch for the worse, Dave MacMillan climbed on top of the three-metre-high railing on the back porch of his home in Nova Scotia and jumped. This was no act of self-harm. To the encouraging cheers of a good friend, who after all had brought the Scotch, MacMillan was entering the product-testing period for a passion project that had consumed much of the last few months. The industrial tailor was pioneering a new brand of hand-crafted climbing pads made from carefully selected foam, which at this point he was almost positive would break his fall. “The test was successful – thankfully,” laughs MacMillan. Less than a year later, the south shore Nova Scotian has created more than 16 custom climbing pads…

Peter Croft is a legendary Canadian climber who has set international standards over the past 40 years. His climbing career spans decades and continues to be prolific, involving different pursuits from visionary new routes and hard solo ascents to big walls and long alpine traverses. Since he first moved to Squamish in the 1970s, Croft led a generation of strong climbers to push themselves and continues to motivate. Lately, he has been working as a guide in the Sierra Nevada and establishing new big wall routes in remote locations. “After that point where I discovered climbing and learned some of the basics, it’s just kind of stayed for me,” said Croft. “I’m still fired up to get up super early and climb all day long. It’s my thing. As soon…

Camp Flash US $70 The Camp Flash is a first-class harness for serious sport climbers. The hyperlight harness uses innovative load-webbing that distributes weight evenly. The front gear loops are ergonomically designed for easy clipping and quick access. A slick and comfortable design that we enjoyed at the crag, but also on alpine routes in the Rockies. Edelrid Huascaran $69 The Edelrid Huascaran is the world’s first ever bluesign approved harness. Designed for the high-alpine, it is as lightweight as an alpine harness can get. With easy-to-use side buckles on the leg loops that make crampon-removing easy and a breathable waistbelt, we can’t stress how near-to-perfect the Huascaran is for the alpine. Trango Liberty $70 The Trango Liberty has stood the test of time and continues to perform great. It…

Gyms Quebec 1339 rue Shearer Montreal, QC 514.989.9656 allezup.com Escalade Horizon Roc 2350 Dickson Montreal, QC 514.899.5000 horizonroc.com Ontario Ajax Rock Oasis Ajax Community Centre 75 Centennial Rd. Ajax, ON 905.231.3434 905.231.9934 fax infoajax@rockoasis.comrockoasis.com Climber’s Rock 5155 Harvester Rd., Burlington, ON 905.633.7625 info@climbersrock.comclimbersrock.com 40 min. from Toronto Climate controlled! 12,000 square feet 100 + toprope routes 108 feet of continuous top-out bouldering! The Guelph Grotto Indoor Climbing Gym 199Victoria Rd. S Guelph, ON 800.454.0456 519.767.0838 519.767.2408 fax info@guelphgrotto.comguelphgrotto.com Joe Rockhead’s Climbing Gym 29 Fraser Ave. Toronto, ON 416.538.7670 joerockheads.com “Eating glazed doughtnut bracelets off the right arm of Jesus.” Of Rock & Chalk 482 Ontario St. Newmarket, ON 888.248.7625 888.248.7625 fax rockandchalk@hotmail.comrockandchalk.com The Rock Oasis Toronto, ON 416.703.3434 infotoronto@rockoasis.comrockoasis.com Manitoba Vertical Adventures Climbing Gym 77 Paramount Rd. Winnipeg, MB 204.632.5001…

Camp Titan $59 Camp’s new hardshell helmet is the Titan and it is designed to take abuse. Inside is a suspended mesh that keeps your head cool. It’s easily adjustable with the rear dial. In an era where everyone should be wearing a helmet, the Titan is a great option. Organic Spot Pad US $165 Organic has adopted the Spot Pad from Pusher/Revolution/Cordless by buying the rights for the pad/pack. Organic added their own buckles, colour options and a bigger zipper pocket. A great option for routes with dangerous starts and decking potential. Petzl Ride US $80 The Petzl Ride is a new ultralight ice axe designed for fast and light alpine missions and mountaineering. The all-steel head gives you bomber placements and the bent shaft makes it easy to…

Bolt Replacement in Ontario Climbers in Winnipeg and Kenora, Ont. raise money to replace aging hardware at Northwestern Ontario crags, including Goose Neck, the Narrows, Road Side and more. Bugaboo Highline In June, Drew Leiterman and Travis Foster rigged the first-ever highline in the Bugaboos. It was set up on Crescent Towers and spanned a gap high above the glacier. Colin Haley Solos Infinite Spur American alpinist Colin Haley made the first solo of Infinite Spur on Mount Foraker. A few days before, he climbed it in 18 hours with Rob Smith. Haley refers to Foraker by its native name, Sultana. Infinite Spur is an Alaska grade-six 5.9 M5 AI4 with only a few ascents. Lena Herrmann First German Woman to Climb 5.14c Crusher Lena Herrmann made history this spring…

win for performance It’s not easy to lighten the environmental impact of a trusted technical piece like our Nano Puff® Jacket without sacrificing performance, but we never stop trying. So we challenged our partners at PrimaLoft to help us. The result is new PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco. Lightweight, compressible and warm even when wet, it’s premium synthetic insulation with 55% recycled content and zero loss in performance. It’s so good that we now use it in all of our Nano Puff styles. win for the planet By using PrimaLoft® Gold Insulation Eco in our Nano Puff® styles, Patagonia will keep more than 2 million plastic bottles from the landfill in the first year›alone. But a breakthrough like this is too important not to share. Beginning in 2017, PrimaLoft will replace…

Over the past few years in Ontario, some once-closed crags have re-opened, new guidebooks have been published and climbers have been filling in blank spaces at popular crags. In an interview with well-travelled Ontario climber Leslie Timms, we discuss the best new lines to explore along the Niagara Escarpment. Based in Beaver Valley, Timms has access to many of the best areas between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Are more climbers establishing routes in Ontario this year than before? I think development has always been going on, but what I have noticed is that more folks are now getting out there and developing routes. So perhaps routes are getting developed at a faster rate these days. I’ve helped out with of a bunch of different lines over the past few…

The building that houses the new climbing gym Basecamp in Toronto was built in 1938 as the Metro Theatre. Located on the busy Bloor Street, it was open 10 hours a day all week. It was one of the many Art Deco theatres in the city at the time. It would screen B movies and second-run films. It had 286 seats in one screening room and 320 in another and a third was storage. In 1976, Kar Green’s family bought the theatre and wanted to show Bollywood movies, but they were too hard to get. The Metro Theatre started to show adult films. By the 1990s, the front entrance had signed posters featuring porn stars like Ron Jeremy. Even at its peak, the theatre was never busy. At the turn…

It was the only World Cup in North America this year and Canadians brought their A-game. On June 10 and 11, the IFSC Bouldering World Cup took place in Vail, Colo. It was likely the biggest event at the GoPro Mountain Games and I was fortunate to be front and centre as a photographer for Gripped and Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC). Also taking photos for Canada was Will Johnson from Toronto, who I had the opportunity to work with throughout the comp. He has been competing in a couple of World Cups this year and climbed well in qualifiers in Vail. Things were quiet the night before the event started, as the athletes were thinking more about hard climbing more than anything else. The Canadian team retired early, most after…

Stacey Weldon began climbing at a young age in Calgary and has never looked back. She is a leading competition climber with a career that gives her time to train and travel. In Kingston, Ont., she helped start the bouldering co-op and over the years has coached the Canadian team. She has sent V11, 5.13s and has big projects, but this summer is focused on competing in Paris for the world championship. What is your first climbing memory? My first climbing memory was during a gymnastics class at the University of Calgary when I was about 10 years old. Our coach took us down the hall to the small ghetto bouldering wall that was simply pieces of wood with sandpaper glued to them. It was was more fun than gymnastics…

Jean Sylvain started climbing in Quebec after reading a book on climbing in the mountains that his mom gave him. At first, he used hemp ropes and wooden blocks for pro. He spent time exploring remote areas in Quebec, some of which were the Palisades, Jacques-Cartier, Gros Bonnet, Grands-Jardines and Malbaie River. In the Palisades, he established and became president of the Laurentian Climbing Club, which was the first climbing club in eastern Quebec. He was known as one of the most charismatic and adventurous climbers. He went out of his way to help others and introduced many young people to the sport. He would spend his time off the rock building trails and the first hut in Quebec. In the 1960s, Sylvain climbed the first big-wall style routes up…

Glancing at the competitive scene might fool you into thinking that competition climbers rarely get injured. The truth is that many of us are injured on a regular basis. Fifteen years of high output training and an obsession with competing has forced me to learn injury management techniques to minimize the impact on my season and career. Here are some tips from my experience on the national and international competition circuits. Trust the Professionals Seek a professional opinion and don’t attempt to self-diagnose. A physiotherapist can perform tests beyond what you can research based on surface deep symptoms. If you can’t afford treatment on a regular basis, bite the bullet and shell out for an initial consultation. Getting a correct diagnosis and basic exercises could save you months of recovery…

Alannah Yip has what it takes to be a world champion. She is driven, strong and committed to pushing her limits in the sport of competitive climbing and beyond. While she attributes some of her recent climbing accomplishments to maintaining a positive attitude, it’s been her serious approach to training and becoming the best that has brought her to where she is today. Based in North Vancouver, she is the Canadian champion in bouldering and lead. This summer is her first year of competing at all of the stops on the World Cup circuit. As team Canada prepares for the world championships in Paris this September, Yip is ranked 20th in the world. Last year, she wrapped up a bouldering trip to the Rocklands, where she climbed two V10s, Caroline…

Summer alpine climbs in Canada are in prime condition in August and September. Even when it is T-shirt weather in the valley, it can be below freezing above treeline. Before you head up high this summer, be sure you have the best lightweight insulation to stay warm. Marmot Calen $175 Designed as a winter mid-layer, the Marmot Calen doubles as a great shoulder season jacket. The dense synthetic insulation will keep you warm, even when it gets wet. The shell is built tough with a durable long-lasting ripstop fabric. A great choice for resting between burns at a crag on cool days. The hood sits snug and keeps your head toasty and big pockets to warm your hands. Arc’teryx Atom SL $240 The Arc’teryx Atom SL is super light synthetic…

Warnings Against Myself David Stevenson Rocky Mountain Books “It’s obvious,” writes Stevenson in his new collection of non-fiction prose, “that climbing and writing are two radically different ventures. It should be equally obvious then, that what one might seem to have learned by reading is of limited value when actually climbing.” Stevenson then sets out to show how this is not necessarily the case in a series of short pieces considering his own experiences as a humble mountain-lover from the American Midwest drawn to the western ranges, climbing celebrity, death in the mountains, the evolution of attitudes towards the mountains, partnership and a host of other subjects. Refreshingly absent are complaints about crowds, the declining sense of climbing style, the decay of mountaineering values, and descriptions of how it was…