Gripped: The Climbing Magazine December & January 2019 / Vol 21 Issue 6

Sport climbing will debut at the Tokyo Olympics in August in front of millions of viewers and spectators. If all goes well, climbing will also be at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Canadian Sean McColl secured his place in the competition after performing well at the World Championships this past summer. To prepare for the Olympics, four-time world champion McColl, 32, said he’ll be climbing in hot conditions to be ready for the extreme temperatures that athletes might experience in Japan. He took some time off at the end of 2019, but will be ramping up training in January, which will give him seven months to prepare for the Olympics. McColl’s rise to fame got a big boost after his four-year partnership with American Ninja Warrior, where he competed for Team…

Arc’teryx Proton LT Hoody $350 The revised Proton LT Hoody is even more durable and breathable than its predecessor. The synthetically insulated mid-layer is lightweight enough for your most demanding mountain pursuits. An excellent option for ice and mixed climbing this year. Black Diamond ATC Alpine Guide belay device $35 At seven grams, the Alpine Guide is one of the lightest guide-style belay devices on the market. With improved grooved sides, you can lower a leader or rappel with more control. A top choice for ice climbing adventures using twin and double rope configurations. The North Face SummitL6 Insulated Belay Skirt $350 Using their most advanced technology, Futurelite, The North Face introduces the Insulated Belay Skirt. The Futurlite membrane allows for maximum breathability without sacrificing durability. This comfortable skirt is…

Ontario climber Sabrina Chapman didn’t start climbing until she was 26, but quickly rose through the grades to tick a number of the hardest routes on the Niagara Escarpment. With sends of southern Ontario routes like The Man in Me 5.13d, Broken In 5.13c, Grey Matter 5.13c and Maxi Pista 5.13c, it was only a matter of time before she turned her attention to a classic 5.14a. Chapman’s most recent project is Titan 5.14a at Lion’s Head. Titan was first climbed by Sonnie Trotter in August 2000 as the first of its grade in eastern Canada. It’s become the test-piece 5.14a in Ontario and has seen a handful of ascents over the past 20 years. Chapman’s project caught the attention of some American filmmakers who started a Kickstarter campaign to…

Eye of the Storm Over the past decade, Castle Mountain has become a popular early-season peak for mixed rock and ice routes. The newest route is the 700-metre Eye of the Storm IV M6 WI5 by Ethan Berman and Maarten van Haeren. Eye of the Storm was van Haeren’s second new route on the northern aspect of Storm. In 2015, he, Ian Welsted and Jay Mills made the first ascent of Canoeing to Cuba on the northeast face at IV M4 WI5. In the same year, Yamada Toshiyuki and Takeshi Tani made the first ascent of Kogarashi IV WI4 5.6. Paige Claassen Sends Shadowboxing 5.14d Paige Claassen sent her first 5.14d with Shadowboxing in Rifle, Colo. It took Claassen about a dozen sessions over a month and a half. The…

Tim Emmett on Mount Everest Top trad and ice climber Tim Emmett attempted Mount Everest in the fall with a team of climbers from Mountain Hardwear. Extreme objective hazards, including hangers seracs, forced Emmett and his team to bail. Emmett said he’ll be returning in the spring. Festiglace Quebec’s legendary ice climbing festival returns in February 2020. Festiglace will take place at Pont Rouge and will feature clinics, parties and gear markets. Emma Twyford Sends 5.14d Emma Twyford sent The Big Bang 5.14d at Lower Pen Trwyn in the U.K. The powerful route was first climbed in 1996 by Neil Carlson and Twyford’s is only the third ascent. With the tick, she becomes the first British woman to climb the grade. David Smart Wins Summit of Excellence David Smart, editorial…

On Aug. 4, Ben Homer, Matt Zaleski (my dad) and I left Finlayson Lake in the Yukon Territory. We then met a helicopter pilot in the North West Territories to bump us into the base-camp for Mount Proboscis. Probosicis is the much bigger and steeper neighbour of the Lotus Flower Tower. Most people walk to the Lotus base camp from the float plane dropoff at Glacier Lake. Proboscis sits above the Lotus Flower Tower, in a sheltered valley. From the information we could gather, the last party into the Proboscis base-camp was there nine years ago. It took Layton Kor, Royal Robbins, and Jim McCarthy 15 days to walk into the valley below Proboscis. Being somewhat softer and more time restricted due to work commitments, we decided to spend literally…