Gripped: The Climbing Magazine February & March 2020 / Vol 21 Issue 1

Over the past few years, climbers, including some of the best, have been dying at an increased rate. To be at the top of the game, climbers need to constantly push themselves harder and faster, which means there is less time to consider consequences and less gear to keep them safe. Brad Gobright, one of the boldest climbers of his generation, died while simul-rappelling in Mexico at the end of 2019. At 31, he was known for his free-solos and speed climbs. While rappelling a big route, he and his partner made an error in judgement that led to Brad’s death. Never simul-rappel, but if you do, then be sure to tie knots in the end of the ropes, find the middle mark and triple-check everything. A few summers ago,…

Shaun Parent, 63, was an integral part of the northern Ontario rock and ice climbing scene in the 1970s and 1980s. He established countless routes, many of which are now classics. He promoted the area in publications, including his guidebooks and the Canadian Alpine Journal. He established rock climbs, such as Spiral Galaxy 5.8 and Discovery 5.8, and ice routes, such as Obsession WI4 and Hully Gully WI2. Parent now lives in Batchwana Bay north of Sault Ste. Marie, where he is a climbing guide and has discovered dozens of new routes. 1 What was your first ice climb? First ice climb was near Boulder, Colo., in the early 1970s, on a three-day ice climbing course with Bob Culp’s climbing school. It was called the beginner and intermediate course. 2…

The North Face Women’s Sierra Peak Hoodie $369 With another few months of cold weather ahead, there’s nothing better than having the latest slim-fit, 800-fill goose down hoodie for your adventures. The durable Sierra Peak Hoodie is compressible, shields from damp weather and will keep you warm and toasty. Camp Corsa $130 With strong steel alloy attachments on the pick and spike, the Corsa finds the sweet spot between a general mountaineering tool and aggressive ice tool. The B-rated axe is a top choice for climbers heading out to couloir ice and hard snow. Arc’teryx Norvan VT2 $190 Designed for moving fast over mountain terrain, the Norvan VT2 has a breathable mesh upper with a reinforced toecap that will protect your feet when moving through loose scree. The edging capability…

1967–2019 Bold Canadian Rockies climber Ken Wallator died in December at the age of 52. He was found near Jasper, Alta. after a week-long search by rcmp, friends and family. The death was not deemed to be suspicious in nature. Over the past 40 years, Wallator made a number of historic first ascents and hard repeats. He grew up in Japser, and explored Jasper and Banff National Park with a number of partners over the years. In 1988, Wallator and Tom Thomas made the first ascent of a serious grade-six mixed/aid route up the north face of Storm Mountain in the Rockies. That spring, he joined Tim Friesen and Charles Scott for the first ascent of an alpine route on the south face of McArthur Peak in Alaska. Shortly after…

Annie Chouinard Quebec climber Annie Chouinard sent Pure Imagination 5.14c earlier in the fall, one of the test-piece routes at Red River Gorge. New Climbing Escalade Canada (CEC) Board of Directors Members Christiane Marceau has accepted the role of executive director and Sebastian Powell was selected for the role of series coordinator. Tomoa Narasaki Flashes V14 Tomoa Narasaki flashed Decided V14 at Mizugaki in Japan in the fall. Narasaki qualified for the Olympics earlier this summer. Only a handful of climbers have flashed the grade. Felipe Camargo Sends 5.15b Brazilian climber Felipe Camargo became the first South American to climb a 5.15b with his send of El Bon Combat in Spain. Jakob Schubert Jakob Schubert has made the third ascent of Alex Megos’s Perfecto Mundo 5.15c in Margalef, Spain, which…

New Half Dome Route The Xue Way is a new 5.11+ A0 up the south face of Half Dome, one of the world’s most iconic mountains. The first ascent of Half Dome was by George Anderson in 1875. Chris Koppl, Brian Pence and Vitaliy Musiyenko worked on the new mostly free route, with the exception of 10 A0 moves, for the past few years. The final push took three days. “The route goes at 5.11c-ish,” said Musiyenko, “and has some crazy climbing on it – first pitch climbs a layback to a sideways traverse of a dike, then you climb up into a huge arching roof on pitch two, and continue traversing left, underclinging and jamming the roof, then you downclimb the arch and climb up the dike on the…