Innholdsfortegnelse for April & May 2020 / Vol 21 Issue 2 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

At the start of 2020, Ontario’s newest bouldering gym opened its doors. Boulder Parc in Scarborough is owned by Michael But, Edwin Chang, Mike Chien, Mabel Law and Benson Li. They came together with routesetters Jason Dionisio, Marsha Chan, Wes Moore and Matt Chapman to create a cutting-edge facility close to the heart of the province’s capital. Chapman is also the head coach of the gym’s competitive team. One of the main attractions are the Impact Climbing walls that are built in Milton. The dark stain promotes a natural esthetic that creates a chill but inspiring environment. The facility has a base of On Site mats, which are also Canadian made and come from Montreal. “We want to grow the Canadian climbing community,” said Chang. “We feel proud to support…

I never met Ken Wallator, one of the best Canadian alpinists of his generation, but I tried. By the time he died by suicide, we had sent each other many “let’s meet up” messages over the Internet, starting a decade ago. I wanted to write a story about his monumental efforts in the mountains. In 2019, I asked him again if I could document his ascents in a story. He told me, “Maybe, but I really think you should give the younger generation the space.” I followed Wallator online, where he’d often talk about his work and most recent climbs. I never expected to see such a recluse and rumoured-to-be-tough man from the northern Canadian Rockies have such a big online presence. He seemed to enjoy connecting with climbers, especially…

There are hundreds of bouldering problems and more than 100 years of climbing history at Fontainebleau, which is about an hour south of Paris. It’s often described as the crown jewel of bouldering. There’s a protected forest, farms, rolling hills and fun for the whole family. The unique sandstone boulders have been sculpted by the elements over time and offer problems at every grade. Fontainebleau climbing areas are colloquially known as Font to English climbers and as Bleau to French. At the end of the 1800s, Aldolphe Joanne, the president of the Club Alpin Français, invited climbers to train in Font. Before World War II, most of the areas that are popular today were already well known to Parisian climbers. The 1936 French expedition to the Karakoram included several Bleausards…

Mountain Hardwear Outpost 2 $750 Having a burly tent on board while living on the road is always a good idea. You never know when you’ll want to venture into the backcountry for an expedition-style climb. The new Outpost 2 is a durable three-season tent for those looking for the breathability of a light, double-walled shelter. It uses super light poles, has D-shaped doors, mesh vents for great ventilation, thought-out internal pockets and is free of flame-retardant chemicals. The North Face Homestead Bed $290 The Homestead Bed is the ideal sleeping bag for living on the road. It’s so roomy that you’ll take a pass on the campfire hangouts most nights just to cozy in until the next day’s session. It features a big hood that fits a camping pillow,…

Born in Wales, to a Canadian father and Austrian mother, Quentin Roberts had an adventurous childhood. He started climbing in Wales with his father and eventually found his way into the Alps with his school’s alpine climbing team in Germany. He then moved to Vancouver Island and attended Pearson College and soon went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. He’s since gone on to send routes like Air China 5.13+ on gear, make solo ascents on grade-five alpine routes in the Rockies and establish bold alpine lines in South America. “When I was 12, we moved to Germany, and I joined the school climbing team,” said Roberts. “We’d do a trip to the Alps every two weeks. It was really just myself and another kid called Louis who…

Squamish is one of the most iconic climbing destinations in Canada. It has crags, big walls and hundreds of boulders that are visited by the world’s best. There are lakes, a route to the Pacific Ocean via the Howe Sound, breweries, cafés and a growing population. It’s an ideal backdrop for the Arc’teryx Climbing Academy, which takes place every summer. Arc’teryx is sewn into the fabric of Canadian climbing history. The academy is a week-long festival featuring climbing clinics, films and presentations by industry-leading athletes and creators. If you’re a climber looking to connect with others in the community, then it’s the place to be in August. I was lucky enough to attend this year and climb with a number of legendary athletes. Arc’teryx’s name and logo refer to the…

Mammut 9 Crag Sender Dry $360 A slick new rope for 2020, the nine-millimetre Crag Sender Dry is a light, triple-certified rope for sending hard projects. It’s designed for hard onsight attempts, difficult redpoints and fast multi-pitch pushes up fixed-gear climbs. It has dry treatment on both the sheath and the core. The coated yarns allow fibres to glide over each other, reducing friction. It comes lap-coiled by the factory, so it’s ready for the climb. Black Diamond Zone LV $170 This much-loved Black Diamond shoe, which excels on steep sport climbs, comes in a low-volume model. The Zone LV features a slightly downturned last and molded sticky rubber. They have knit uppers that breathe well and double straps that help lock in your foot. The soft flex midsole helps…

Black Diamond Circuit Crash Pad US$150 The Circuit makes for a great target when coming off from high above the deck. The burliness gives it a long lifespan no matter how much you use and abuse it. The addition of a light rubber coating keeps it in place on sloped landings. The square corners help it to fit with other pads and eliminates dead space in stacks. The updated suspension system makes it comfortable to carry to remote boulders. Organic Big Five Pad $500 The Big Five is a heavy-duty pad that comes with some of the best foam on the market. It closes with four metal buckles that are easy to cinch down. It comes with big and balanced shoulder straps, a hip belt and three carrying handles that…

We want the event to be inclusive and diverse. Of course, some people still raise their eyebrows asking how a “women’s festival” can be inclusive, but we don’t want to close our doors to anybody, regardless of their gender. What we want to create is a safe space – not safe from any particular group, but safe from attitudes that don’t align with our values of treating everybody with the same respect and giving everyone the same opportunities. And again, there’s this sentiment that nobody’s banning anybody from going outdoors and climbing, and at least within our culture that’s true. At the same time, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t systemic, cultural barriers preventing people from doing certain things. Outdoor recreation is incredibly empowering; there are countless studies talking about…

Metcalfe Rock is one of the oldest crags in southern Ontario with the first climbs done back in the early 1960s. At that time, the crag was called Kolapore Crag because it was found in the Kolapore Uplands. There’s a cabin in the woods at the base of the crag owned by the University of Toronto. It’s one of the most popular crags in the province. The Niagara Escarpment limestone is featured with pockets, slopers, arêtes and jugs mixed with cracks and ledges. Some of the most popular routes are quite polished and offer hard climbing at the stated grades. There are walls that face every aspect, which makes it perfect for escaping or chasing the sun. Snakelet is one of many routes that climb The Anvil, a tower at…

Camp Orbit Wire Express $16 A great, inexpensive, entry-level quickdraw for all-around climbers. Highlights include the double-large wiregate carabiners that are easy to clip into nuts and cams. The sling is easy to grab and the keeper allows the bottom carabiner to move a bit while also keeping it in line for optimized clipping and loading. A great choice for new-to-trad-climbing climbers who will also be projecting sport climbs. La Sportiva TC Pro $210 The TC Pro isn’t a new shoe, but if you’re new to trad climbing then it’s one that you need to know about. From freeing hard cracks, to working big-walls, these shoes, which were co-developed by Tommy Caldwell, are a must-have. The mid-height cut protects your ankles and strategically placed foam helps make long crack pitches…

La Sportiva Futura $199 The Futura is a lightweight and precise shoe that excels on climbs where having a sensitive performer on your foot matters. It uses La Sportiva’s patented no-edge concept, which brings your foot closer to the rock for better edging. It’s built with an all-synthetic upper that doesn’t stretch out and the lacing system gives a quick and secure seal. In terms of out-of-the-box performance, it’s among the top five shoes in the world. There’s almost no break-in period and the low-volume model is an esthetically brilliant product. For competition climbing, it is a masterpiece, not requiring anything more than the confidence of the user on all styles of climbing. For outdoors, it is delicate and confidence-inspiring, but will wear quickly. In the gym, it is a…

While on a climbing trip to the world-famous El Potrero Chico in beautiful Nuevo Leon, Mexico, I climbed the tallest, newest and chossiest climb in the park. Established by Eric Werfel and Seth Williams, La Sombra Luminosa takes a king line directly up the north face of El Toro and maintains striking views the entire way. La Sombra follows a sustained col that splits the giant limestone cliff in half and can be seen from far away. Besides a few pitches of traverse or head wall, the entire route follows the same col from top to bottom. That means over 800 metres of choss-blocks are on a continuous downward spiral into the deep col. This can lead to the obvious conclusion to not follow any party up, but that shouldn’t…