Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2021 Vol. 23 Issue 1 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

Rockies Ice Report The Canadian Rockies had a lot of early season ice form in the fall. The result was one of the busiest new-routing bursts on record. The following is brief summary. Katana Above Lake Margaret, which is next to Hector Lake below Pulpit Peak, Sebastian Taborszky, Stas Beskin and Dylan Cunningham climbed a new serious 245-metre five-pitch mega ice line they called Katana WI6+X. It’s one of the most serious pure ice lines ever climbed in Canada. The east-facing route goes at WI3 60 m, WI6R 45 m, WI5+ 55 m, WI6+X 40 m and finally WI6R 45 m. About the fourth-pitch: “Climb the improbable free-standing pillar with the first screw at 30 metres above the belay. Pillar had a three-inch unhealed crack half-way up.” High Hanging Fruit…

In 1994, Jim Sandford clipped the chains on Division Bell in Cheakamus Canyon. The route’s 25 severely overhanging metres clocked in at 5.13d. It was just the second route on the Big Show Wall, which is more of a relentless, planar 45-degree roof than a wall. In 1993, Keith Read had climbed Gom Jabbar, 5.13b, a tour de force of its own. The year after Division Bell, Jim was back on the Big Show Wall to send Pulse, the first 5.14a in Canada. His wife, Jola, showed that she was the strongest woman climber in Canada by adding Freewill, a direct finish to Keith Read’s Gom Jabbar. There were no other climbs in Canada like these, and Jim and Jola just kept climbing harder and harder routes at the Big…

Osprey Porter Travel Carry-On 30 $200 Many climbers haven’t thought about flying to a climbing destination for nearly a year, but with this year being different than 2020, we’re hoping that we’ll all need new carry-ons this season. The Osprey Porter combines comfort with a simple design and storage similar to a duffel. It has padded sidewalls, compression straps and you can tuck the back-pack straps away to hand carry it. Features include: zippered top pockets and a U-zip full panel zip. Perfect for those much-needed flights this spring. Arc’teryx Aerios $150 to $290 A new line of hiking packs from Arc’teryx that come in 15, 30 and 45 litres for day, overnight and multi-day hikes. It’s lightweight and built to withstand the elements while maintaining comfort. The breathable shoulder…

Dolomiti New Age by Alessio Conz Dolomites Without Borders by Daniel Rogger Editions Versant Sud, 2020 When the mid-century mathematician, Martin Gardner, reviewed the now classic Gödel, Escher, Bach, he described the book as work of philosophy disguised as a work of education. Similarly, Dolomiti New Age isn’t so much a guidebook to modern, well-bolted routes in the Dolomites as it is emblematic of an entire approach to climbing the big faces of this storied range. Heroics, so much a part of the history of the mountains that form the south eastern extent of the Alps, are suppressed in favour of being able to climb 10 pitches on compact limestone high above long-settled valleys with a full rack of quick-draws and little else. The idea that you can approach such…

Gyms Quebec Allez-Up 1339 rue Shearer Montreal, QC 514.989.9656 allezup.com Escalade Horizon Roc 2350 Dickson Montreal, QC 514.899.5000 horizonroc.com Ontario Ajax Rock Oasis Ajax Community Centre 75 Centennial Rd. Ajax, ON 905.231.3434 905.231.9934 fax infoajax@rockoasis.com rockoasis.com Climber’s Rock 5155 Harvester Rd. Burlington, ON 905.633.7625 info@climbersrock.com climbersrock.com 40 min. from Toronto Climate controlled! 12,000 square feet100 + toprope routes108 feet of continuous top-out bouldering! The Guelph Grotto Indoor Climbing Gym 199 Victoria Rd. S Guelph, ON 800.454.0456 519.767.0838 519.767.2480 fax info@guelphgrotto.com guelphgrotto.com Joe Rockhead’s Climbing Gym 29 Fraser Ave. Toronto, ON 416.538.7670 joerockheads.com Of Rock & Chalk 482 Ontario St. Newmarket, ON 888.248.7625 rockandchalk@hotmail.com rockandchalk.com The Rock Oasis 388 Carlaw Ave. Suite 204 Toronto, ON 416.703.3434 infotoronto@rockoasis.com rockoasis.com Manitoba Vertical Adventures Climbing Gym 77 Paramount Rd. Winnipeg, MB 204.632.5001 verticaladventures.ca Alberta University…

Golden Gate in a Day Emily Harrington and Jordan Cannon both climbed El Capitan via Golden Gate in a day in separate ascents. The first climber to free El Cap in a day was Lynn Hill in 1993 via The Nose 5.14. See p.34 for more. K2 Climbed in Winter At the time of print, K2 was climbed in winter for the first time by 10 Nepalese mountaineers. The all-Sherpa team included: Nirmal Purja, Gelje Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Sona Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa and Dawa Tenjing Sherpa. New B.C. V10 Allen James Rollin made the first ascent of Warhammer V10 at Arrowlakes near Castlegar. He said, “A sick compression line. Lots in intricate beta required and fully…

The Smoke Bluffs is a 27-hectare municipal park near downtown Squamish. The park was established in 2003 after lobbying by many outdoor activity groups. Squamish residents have been hiking there for over 100 years and the climbing dates back over 60 years. The Climbers Access Society of B.C. have been focused on maintaining access to the area since 1972. The Squamish Access Society, which was formed in 1982, is also involved in access issues. In 2005, the Smoke Bluffs Advisory Group was launched. In the mid-1980s, Jim Rutter, manager of the Federation of Mountain Clubs of B.C. (fmcbc), discovered that the Smoke Bluffs (the base of the bluffs at the Mamquam Blind Channel) were to be bought by a property developer and closed to the public for good. The fmcbc…

Mountain Hardwear Ozonic $250 Whether you’re hiking, backpacking, approaching a climb or high on a route, the Ozonic will keep you covered. Rugged and light, it gives great stretch on difficult dynamic movements. It uses abrasion-resistant fabric, has big pit vents, an easy-to-use hood cinch system, two hand and one chest pocket (where it can pack into) and comes in at around 315 grams. A great option for spring afternoons at the local crag or multi-pitch rock climbs this summer. Arc’teryx Beta LT $600 The Beta LT is Arc’teryx’s newest lightweight all-mountain shell constructed with breathable Gore-Tex and built to last. It’s very minimal, which will make many climbers happy when try it. The zippers are watertight, and it has pit zips, adjustable cuffs, a hem adjuster and solid hood.…

Jetboil Micromo $160 Jetboil is famous for its integrated cooking cup/stove systems paired with a flux ring and their own, efficient fuel cartridges. The Micromo comes with a burner with a sparking, integrated lighter, the 0.8 litre cooking pot/flux ring/cosy, the lid with straining holes a cup that clips on the bottom of the cooking cup and a folding plastic tripod stand to go on the bottom of the fuel canister to stabilize the stove. A stable set-up that works great once you dial it in. The automatic electric lighter worked every time. Highly recommended for backcountry climbs this year. Primus Firestick $90 The second-lightest stove on this list is by Swedish outdoor company Primus. The Firestick is simple, compact and has an ingenious construction. When the cap is removed,…