Innholdsfortegnelse for October - November 2016 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

Alex Megos Alex Megos visited the Canadian Rockies in August. Read about his first 5.15 in Canada on p.42. Megos also made the first ascent of Full Nelson 5.14d at Acephale, flashed The Path 5.14R, onsighted The Shining 5.13d 12 pitches, made the first ascent of Iron Butterfly 5.14c/d at Planet X, the first ascent of another 5.14 at Carrot Cave and flashed a handful of other 5.14+ sport routes. Megos also sent Dreamcatcher 5.14d, flashed The Path 5.14R and onsighted The Shining 5.13d. Wheat Kings is Rockies Seven-Pitch 5.7 Editor Brandon Pullan and Gaby James established Wheat Kings on Cascade Mountain near Banff. The seven-pitch 5.7 is fully bolted, but not a sport climb, which means the cruxes are bolted but there are spaces between some bolts. The third…

My new goal of sending all of the sport routes in southern Ontario is something that’s always been at the back of my mind, but I didn’t realize how close I was to achieving it until the new Ontario Climbing guidebook came out. This gave me the perfect push and motivation to finally get working on completing this goal. To start, I set myself some ground rules. I was to complete all sport routes as well as some mix routes in the new Ontario guidebooks. With the exception of open projects and Forever Expired, the unrepeated 5.14d at Lion’s Head that has a dyno off a pinky mono. If anyone knows me, they know I’m all about projecting routes and pushing my limits 24/7. I’ve been climbing in Ontario for…

The Keene Farm is run by the Montreal Alpine Club and stands in the High Peaks Region of the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. The 105 acres of forested hills provide a large camping area, a cold brook to swim in and the log cabin sleeps up to 32 people. Built in the 1970s, it has served as the hub for climbers visiting the Adirondacks. The Montreal Section of the ACC was founded by the Swiss-Canadian couple John and Elizabeth Brett who spent many years visiting the Adirondacks in the 1950s. By the 1960s, the small section had grown and needed an overnight stay in the Adirondacks. In 1966, a few members inquired about real estate in the Keene Valley. The section had less than $40 and only 40…

It started as a joke with rating routes with a PickedOut (PO) scale, but turned into something more serious once it caught on. Many climbs suffer from being picked out by mid-season. Joe McKay came up with a way to measure the “Swiss cheese” effect with the following grading. Now many climbers will write grades as WI5 PO-2 or so on. PO-0 This is a virgin ice climb that has yet to taste steel and/or has healed itself to the point that it leaves no trace of a prior ascent. PO-1 Here there may be nothing more than a couple usable pre-made tool placements but a bit of the chandelier ice has been cleaned and perhaps a few of the hanging icicles that you could have dropped on your partner…

Gold Rush 5.10c offwidth Used to be 10b double crack until 2012, now a single 10c to the last 5m of o/w. The Aberdeen gold rush was 2008/ 2009. A Moveable Beast 5.10b There used to be a tottering pillar with about 1m of movement, toppled with a come-along. Now excellent climbing with pro to 1". Pick of the Splitter 5.10c Rock-Scissor-Paper decided who would get the first ascent. Convenient layback rail and chockstone inside, limited rests. Aberdeen Crack 5.11c- Sustained and beautiful, no rests and thin for first half. It gets easier the higher you go (better jams and some rests). Karma Crack 5.10d- One of the best 5.10ds of the crag. Beauty hands to off-width above, climb fast as there’s not much for rests. Stem Cell 5.11a- Powerful…

Peter Arbic spent countless days at Raven Crag alone, cleaning and bolting steep routes in the early 1990s. Little did Arbic know that one day Alex Megos, a young German climber, would make the first ascent of Canada’s first 5.15 up the most striking feature and call it Fightclub. Megos started climbing at five years old and was quickly swinging leads with his father on hard multi-pitch climbs. By 10 years old, he was spending his free time bouldering, biking, running and climbing. He had over five years of outdoor climbing experience before his first Bavarian Sport Climbing cup at 13. The following year he was the Bavarian champion and he soon became the German youth champion. In 2009 and 2010, he won the European Youth Cup and placed second…

Jackalope Montreal Bimini Harstmann won Jackalope in Montreal for the women, followed by Celeste Well and Cat Carkner. For the men, Francis Bilodeau took first followed by Seb Lazure and Je Bouge-Moins. Marc Eveleigh 5.14 Marc Eveleigh sent Leviathan at Acephale, his first 5.14a. Eveleigh is a top comp climber based in Calgary. Grand Sentinel Highline Drew Lieterman and friends established the Grand Sentinel highline between it and a near-by spire. It was the highest alpine line to date in the Rockies at 2,400 metres. It spanned 50 metres long and was 85 metres high. Frangos Sisters Send 5.13d Sara and Becca Frangos, top comp climbers from Canmore, sent Endless Summer 5.13d at Acephale on different days this summer. New Rogers Pass 5.11 Tony McLane and Jason Ammerlann climbed the…

Californication M5 A fun warm-up or introduction to mixed climbing. You start up the ice ramp and head out next to the pillar. Shagadelic M6+ One of the top five of the crag. It starts up the peg board wall into a left-facing crack. The crux is pulling the ledge, always easier later in the season with lots of ice. Half and Half M7 The must-climb classic. It varies every year: sometimes it’s fat and sometimes it’s thin. Often used as a warm-up. Climb the steep wall to an icy roof. Hand in Glove M7+ The newest classic up the prow on the south wall. Up low-angled rock to seams and edges for 20 metres. Solution pockets, hand jams frozen turf and a stein-pull. Longest route in Haffner. Maximum Impact…

In mid May, I set out with Serenity, my 2005 Dodge Ram 1500. My goal was a summer on the road. I spent the winter, after returning from Africa, planning an expedition to Russia to climb Mount Elbrus, but plans changed. I bought Serenity a topper for the box and built a rough sleeping and storage system. I fitted some basic solar lighting and power and before long, had a road-ready home on wheels. I imagined a tour around the U.S. in search of obscure and lesser-known bouldering areas, while networking and building a photo database. I had no idea what I was in for or just how small the climbing world really is. Yankee Jim Canyon, Mont., was my first destination. I wanted a few days to unwind and…

Scarpa Phantom Tech $835 The Phantom Tech is a great all-round boot for quick ice missions or long alpine routes. It’s warm, light and crampons attach easily to it. Compared to the Phantom Ultra, the Tech is a big upgrade. The soles use low-density rubber to save on weight and there is thicker rubber on the outsoles to provide strong traction. The new zipper design (spiral wrap) helps keep in warmth. The gaiters are made of Kevlar-reinforced fabric to stay durable. The midsoles absorb loads of shock. Use the silicone lubricant provided to keep the zip running smoothly. Great boots for snow travel and ice climbing. Arc’teryx Acrux AR GTX $800 A breakthrough alpine, mixed and ice climbing boot. The Acrux line includes other footwear, including the Acrux FL gtx…

He is well known in Squamish as the chatty guy with a sleeveless jean jacket, soloing around in the Smoke Bluffs while drinking a beer. But there is much more to Al Douglas than this simple caricature; his story is complex and nuanced in ways that haphazard Smoke Bluff encounters don’t reveal. Through the ups and downs of his life, Al has taken solace in time spent climbing – and he has done a lot of climbing. Though despite countless hours of time on the rocks, he remains skeptical of his own commitment to the endeavour. Through his 20s and 30s, Al worked as a manager in a glass warehouse in Ontario. He had climbed a bit on the Niagara Escarpment in his youth, but when he discovered the likes…

The Aberdeen Columns is one of the best single-pitch crack climbing areas in Canada. Located not far from Vernon, B.C., the splitter basalt rock has become a must-visit for those in search of steep jams and perfect cam placements. The columns have little in the way of face climbing features and have dense lichen in spots. The only way to the top is up one of the splitter cracks of varying width. The grades range from 5.3 to hard 5.11, but mostly fall in the 5.6 to 5.10 range. The rocky outcrop is up an old logging road on the Aberdeen Plateau at 1,350 metres. The columns are only about a five-minute walk from the car. With over 130 routes, the west-facing cliffs are ideal for afternoon cragging in the…

Yoak Board US$300 A new-age tool for multi-training climbers. The Yoak has four modes that will give you a full-body session. It can be used for squats, pullups, as a weight bar or as parallel bars with a wooden dowel. Flashed Sumi Brush $8 This is a go-to brush for route climbers and boulderers. The Sumi’s long bristles will last many seasons and the secondary brush works in tight spots. The handle will take a lot of applied force to better clean small holds. Flashed has long been a leader in top-of-the-line gear for serious climbers and the Sumi continues that tradition. Organic Yoga Bag $52 Organic is a leading brand for bouldering goods, from pads to chalk bags. You can now add this stylish yoga bag to your Organic…

Black Diamond Cyborg SS Pro $225 The Cyborg SS Pro are burly crampons for hard ice and steep mixed climbs. The chromoly steel front point allows for sensitive placements and the stainless steel body is durable. The vertically-oriented front-points can be changed into three modes. The low-profile heel lever gives you a great fit. They are heavier than other similar crampons, but built to last. Petzl Dartwin Leverlock FIL $239 Some of the best pawns on the market for hard ice and mixed routes. The dual front points are tapered enough to be efficient on technical rock, but provide stability on vertical ice. Second row of points dig in to add even more support. When the front section wears out, you can easily replace. These are rugged, simple, light and…