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

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…

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…

Al Alvarez, author of Feeding the Rat, died on Sept. 23 from pneumonia. He was 90 years old. Although Alvarez was a lifelong climber, he never considered himself as someone who was leading the way. In Feeding the Rat, he wrote, “Every move has to be worked out by a kind of physical strategy, in terms of effort, balance, and consequences. It is like playing chess with your body.” Alvarez would spend much of his climbing days at a sandstone crag south of London called Harrison’s Rock. He was often referred to as a mountaineer, but Alvarez considered himself a rock climber. He often climbed with Sir Chris Bonington, Don Whillans, Jim Curran and Ian MacNaught-Davis. In 1964, Alvarez met climber Mo Anthoine in the Dolomites. On the Cima Grande’s…

Adirondack Park, Keene, New York. Tucked in the northeast part of the state, near the Lake Placid, Olympic Training Center, home to the 1980 Winter Games, lie miles and miles of classic rock and ice routes that often rival the best found in Yosemite and Colorado. Some steep, but mostly vertical to less than vertical anorthosite rock in the Adirondacks (adk) has fewer edges than many areas, but many cracks split the stone. Despite the muggy summers and brutally cold winters – which drive most climbers to tamer areas out west – some, including Ian Osteyee, call it home. “It doesn’t have the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies but it has easier access. I’ve never gotten more pitches in a day than I do here in the adk,” he said.…

Utah is known for its world-class desert climbing, but in the heart of winter you can find some of the best big ice climbs in the midwest deep within the state’s canyons. Utah is one of the best states for ice climbing. You can find a wide variety of routes for your ice climbing adventure no matter your expertise. The canyons provide some amazing one-pitch and multi-pitch routes with several different variations. Despite what tends to be a short season lasting usually from December to February, Utah is becoming a go-to place for ice climbers across the nation. PROVO CANYON Provo Canyon holds the record for having the largest amount of ice concentration in the region. It’s two most famous routes are Bridal Veil Falls and Stairway to Heaven. Stairway…

Gyms Quebec Allez-Up1339 rue ShearerMontreal, QC514.989.9656allezup.com Escalade Horizon Roc2350 DicksonMontreal, QC514.899.5000horizonroc.com Ontario Ajax Rock OasisAjax Community Centre75 Centennial Rd.Ajax, ON905.231.3434905.231.9934 faxinfoajax@rockoasis.comrockoasis.com Climber’s Rock5155 Harvester Rd.,Burlington, ON905.633.7625info@climbersrock.comclimbersrock.com40 min. from Toronto Climate controlled! 12,000 square feet 100 + toprope routes 108 feet of continuous top-out bouldering! The Guelph Grotto Indoor Climbing Gym199 Victoria Rd. SGuelph, ON800.454.0456519.767.0838519.767.2408 faxinfo@guelphgrotto.comguelphgrotto.com Joe Rockhead’s Climbing Gym29 Fraser Ave.Toronto, ON416.538.7670joerockheads.com“Eating glazed doughtnut bracelets off the right arm of Jesus.” Of Rock & Chalk482 Ontario St.Newmarket, ON888.248.7625rockandchalk@hotmail.comrockandchalk.com The Rock OasisToronto, ON416.703.3434infotoronto@rockoasis.comrockoasis.com Manitoba Vertical Adventures Climbing Gym77 Paramount Rd.Winnipeg, MB204.632.5001verticaladventures.ca Alberta University of Calgary Outdoor Centre Climbing Wall2500 University Dr. NWCalgary, AB 403.220.5038climb@ucalgary.cacalgaryoutdoorcentre.caThe indoor climbing wall at the Outdoor Centre is the first and only of its kind in Calgary. It features molded concrete panels imbedded with real quartzite that is…

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…

MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR Women’s Super/DS Climb Down Hoody $400 This is the first down jacket to have a weaved back, face and baffle technology, which means there are no glues or tiny stitches that can rip apart. The design will help maintain consistent warmth and reduce cold spots. It’s compatible with a helmet and harness, but this might be best used while warming up to jump back on a boulder problem. Recommended for rock climbers going travelling in cold months. ARC’TERYX Arro 20 Bucket Bag $170 This bucket bag combines the functionality of an outdoor crag pack with the sleek style of an urban commuter. At 20 litres, it’s perfect for the work-to-gym climber looking for a good-looking pack that can fit climbing gear and a laptop. One of the best…

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…

Jeff Mercier is arguably one of the best ice and mixed climbers ever. He currently lives in Chamonix as a mountain guide and rescue instructor with pghm (the Chamonix mountain police), but has been making annual trips to Canada for the past few years. He joined the French national team at 23, has onsighted 5.13, climbed WI7 M8R, made the first spur-less ascent of one of the hardest mixed routes in the world, Jedi Mind Tricks M14, climbed A4 big wall routes and countless committing alpine routes. He’s also no stranger to the competition circuit either, winning the 2008 Ouray Ice Festival and having multiple podium finishes in ice, mixed and drytooling events around the world. “At the beginning I was basically involved in rock climbing, then I started dabbling…