Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September Vol. 23 Issue 4 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

The push to change racist and sexist route names has had lasting impacts on the Canadian climbing scene. From coast to coast, guidebook authors have taken the reigns and changed dozens of offensive names. There’s been consensus throughout the world among authors, new-routers and veteran climbers that fixing the wrongs of the past is not only necessary but urgent. There’s still a long way to go to ensure the sport of climbing is accessible to everyone in the future, but steps were quickly taken to make crags a nicer place to be. The theme of the 2021 Canadian Alpine Journal is one of forgiveness and education. Sean Isaac, editor and alpine guide, used his editorial to announce the change to some racist winter route names from 20 years and to…

New Eight-Pitch 5.8 in Squamish Over the past year, there’s been a lot of development in Squamish. Huge new bolted climbs are being added to remote areas up FSRS, and new walls are being uncovered at close-to-town crags. The Spirit of Squamish is a new eight-pitch 5.8 by Aaron Kristiansen and Cameron Hunt that took around nine months of effort to establish. It’s an extension of the classic Klahanie Crack, one of the top 100 climbs in the Sea to Sky. Kristiansen noted in his new-route report, “You may discover that this celebrated classic is not the best pitch on the route.” For gear, you need a single rack to four inches with triples in the one and two. To descend, hike down the Upper Falls Trail. Squamish A4 Repeated…

A strenuous finger crack in a corner widened into an off-width. Once at the top, he traversed out on to the sheer face. As he tiptoeed on crystals, the abyss tugged at his heels. Their tents were little specks on the meadow below. It was 1978, and 23-year-old George Manson and a band of friends from Toronto were far from home: in the remote Ragged Range of the Yukon, attempting the first Canadian ascent of the Lotus Flower Tower. From a big city, far from the mountains, how did they end up amidst such a historic ascent? Thus is the legend of George Manson. With a crack of lightning the limestone of southern Ontario burst with new life. It was the 1970s, an era of drugs, rock and roll and…

Moose Mountain is on the eastern edge of the Canadian Rockies, south of the Bow Valley. It has some of the most esthetic cliffs that rise from a narrow valley in the range. It’s similar to the Ghost, but without the often-sketchy access roads. There are climbs from 5.5 to 5.13, crag and multi-pitches. Despite being a popular crag for decades, there’s still much to explore on the taller walls away from the well-developed overhanging areas. When the rock is good, it’s really good. The dolomite and limestone is formed in every fun feature you could imagine, from edges, jugs, cracks, dihedrals and slopers, to grooves, roofs, aretes and slabs. The bolting is modern, safe and only a few routes require a stick-clip. Climbers are known to visit 12 months…

Keen Women’s Elle Backstrap Sandal $80 A new sporty sandal that features stretchy straps made from 100 per cent recycled bottles and an outsole that uses less rubber than other models. They’re true to size, made with quality material and built to last. Great for the crag, gym and a post-climb night on the town. Metolius Locking Anchor Draw $40 The Anchor Draw is a safe and easy-to-use personal anchor system for sport climbers. It has two screw-lock carabiners on a 178-mm sling. The captured eye carabiners prevent off-axis loading. It weighs 108 grams and can handle 22 kn. It’s quick, convenient, and ensures your safety when feeding a rope through the anchor. DMM Alpha Sport Quickdraw $36 The Alpha is one of the best sport climbing quickdraws on the…

Guy and Kindar McNamee are twin brothers based in Vancouver. Born in Haiti, they moved to Canada at a young age and started climbing at nine years old. In 2019, Kindar won silver in lead climbing at the Open Nationals, and was the junior national bouldering champion in 2020. Likewise, Guy was the national bouldering and lead champion in 2020. They are two of Canada’s most promising young climbers who have a shot at qualifying for the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics. We caught up with them on a trip to Squamish shortly after B.C. travel restrictions lifted this spring. How did you get into climbing? Guy: We climbed everything when we were young, from doorways, walls and roofs to nearby trees. My parents took us to a climbing gym…

There’s nothing worse than being mid-alpine climb and having a crampon break, an old rope absorb water, or a dull tool affect your performance. Below are some great options to spruce up your alpine kit in 2021. Maxim Prusik Cord $20 If you’re in the alpine, then you should have a prusik cord, and not just rely on the cordellete you have for anchors. Maxim’s solution is engineered to grab your rope, but not lock up when loaded. We found this to be a strong, reliable and smooth hitch that’s easy to use for rappels, and even jugging a stuck rope. It’s made of 100 per cent nylon, is available in a variety of colours, comes in five to nine mm and in various lengths. Petzl Sarken $218 A top-of-the-line…

Tecnica Magma $250 The Magma is marketed as the first all-mountain shoe and we couldn’t agree more. Thanks to Tecnica’s state-of-the-art option to customize your shoes, you don’t have to worry about the sometimes lengthy break-in period after your purchase. Kiss those blisters and painful pressure points goodbye. The upper and footbed are pre-shpaed around a specific anatomical last to amazing comfort, support and control. They use Vibram’s latest compound rubber, that wraps around high-abrasion zones, to deliver maximum grip on wet and dry rock and foliage. A perfect shoe for trail running and climbers approaching remote peaks. Keen Ridge Flex Men’s/Women’s $200 Made to be a hiking shoe, the Ridge Flex is also one of the best backcountry approach shoes to access alpine meadows. They’re flexibility allows you to…

In 2001, Katy Holm stepped off the pier in Reykjavik with Karen McNeill, Dave Thompson and Andrea Kortello onto the Vagabond, a 47-foot French yacht. They were headed for the east coast of Greenland with plans to climb big walls in the Foxjaw Cirque, an exciting destination for big new rock routes in an isolated setting. All went well until the Vagabond got stuck in the ice partway across the Denmark Strait. They were stranded, vulnerable to the crushing forces of the ice floe until a Danish icebreaker passed them, smashing the ice as it went by. They followed the icebreaker, terrified they would be left behind, but had to stand at the bow, which was drenched in backwash and fend off pieces of ice floe popping up out of…

Scarpa Charmoz Women’s $380 At 1.25 kg, the Charmoz is in the realm of light alpine boots. Designed for spring, summer and fall climbing, they breathe a lot better than four-season alpine boots, but they’re compatible with crampons. They have a nylon, water-resistant upper, paddle collar for comfort, a waterproof membrane to keep water out, ankle padding for a snug fit, a shock-absorbing midsole that gives nice sensitivity on round boulders, and a Vibram sole for good grip. One of the best boots for summer alpine available this year. La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST GTX Men’s/Women’s $330 La Sportiva has been keeping climbers moving fast and staying safe for nearly 100 years. The Aequilibrium is a stand-out crossover good for long approaches and steep climbs. They’re comfortable right out of the…

Climbers had been tagging summits of western Canada’s big, glaciated peaks for three decades by the time the next logical progression began in the 1930s – ski mountaineering. Skis arrived in the region in the late 1800s with Scandinavian immigrants, mainly Norwegian miners working in small B.C. towns. In 1910, legendary Austrian climber and mountain guide Conrad Kain brought skis to Banff, where he built a small jump and founded the town’s first ski club. Over the next decade, skis became used to explore wild mountain terrain in winter. Then skiers started climbing and descending established glacier routes. Leading the charge were Rex Gibson and Joe Weiss. Having made some ski ascents in Jasper’s Tonquin Valley the previous winter, in 1932 they aimed higher – 3,426-metre Resplendent Mountain, sister peak…