Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2022 Vol. 24 Issue 4 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

“What did you think was going to happen?” legendary climber Tim Auger asked me after an epic in the Canadian Rockies alpine. I had just returned from taking a relatively new climber, Matt, up the East Ridge of Mount Temple in snowy, early-season conditions. Hoping to climb it in a single push to be back to the car by dusk, I’d underestimated the poor conditions and overestimated how fast Matt and I could climb together. We ended up benighted on the summit in a snowstorm with no shelter, food or water. I knew it was the summit because the knife-edge glacier ridge ended, and we found rocks. Trying to descend in zero visibility might have killed us, so I made the call that we should hunker down until sunrise. As…

Prow Wall Repeated Sqamish-based climber Stu Smith has made the second ascent of the eight-pitch Prow Wall on The Chief. About the send, Smith said, “It went quick. Good route that.” The Prow Wall was freed in 2016 by Sonnie Trotter, who was belayed by Tom Wright.” Trotter gave the crux 5.14a, which Smith agrees with. The Prow Wall is around 200 metres and goes at 5.10c, 5.10b, 5.12a, 5.14a, 5.11c, 5.13a, 5.12b and 5.12a. The Chief’s New 5.13 On The Chief, Jacob Cook and Drew Marshall completed a new four-pitch 5.13b called Balance. It follows a dyke across the Tantalus Wall and joins the final pitch of Cerberus. It was bolted ground-up, and the pitches go at 5.12d, 5.12b, 5.13b and 5.11d. They also bolted Thousand Year Storm, a…

Alpine climbing is one of the most complicated and amazing forms of climbing. It combines all climbing styles and adds long approaches, big hazards, more committing circumstances and sometimes sleeping on a mountain. It doesn’t take long to know if alpine climbing is for you. By the time you finish your first sketchy pitch, deal with ice in a crack, get snowed on or experience an open bivy, you’ll know. It’s recommended that before you head into the alpine, you get professional training. Hiring a guide to learn the ropes is a great idea. Start Small To fine-tune the skills you need in the alpine, start small and on a route well below your comfort level. If you climb 5.12 and have good cardio fitness, then start on a grade…

As the saying goes: the grass is always greener on the other side. This ancient proverb may be a metaphor for the human condition, but it also might literally hold true for Canadians referring to the other side of the cold Atlantic waters and the rolling hills of Ireland. Never in my life have I seen such a green, grassy landscape, and I’ve been lucky to see it twice. When we think of world-class rock climbing, Ireland is not typically the first place that comes to mind. Perhaps this is because the cliffs are not exceptionally tall in Ireland, or mindbendingly steep. They aren’t known for their lofty mountains, endless boulders, or hundred-foot-long tufas, or maybe it’s because they’re too busy climbing to tell anyone else about it. But I…

New Nova Scotia V7 Sean Rasmussen made the first ascent of Rainbow Bridge V7 at Terrance Bay in Nova Scotia. The granite highball is one of the more esthetic problems in the area. Another 5.14d Angie Scarth-Johnson has repeated Víctimas Pérez 5.14d at Margalef, Spain. Last year, Scarth-Johnson became the first Australian woman to climb 5.14d with Victimas del Futur in Margalef. Anna Hazlett on E9 At the end of spring, America’s Anna Hazlett, a.k.a. Anna Hazelnutt, made the first female ascent of The Walk of Life, an extremely bold E9 6c at Dyer’s Lookout, U.K. Baffin Big Wall Polish big-wall climber Marek Raganowicz pulled off a 35-day first ascent of MikroKozmik Variations, 15 new pitches up to A4+ M5 on the north face of Polar Sun Arm in Kangiqtualuk…

La Sportiva TX2 EVO $170 Thick-soled approach shoes with reinforced uppers are great for protecting your feet in talus, but they can be heavy and take up a lot of space in your pack on a long climb. For most of the summer rock season, lighter, more compact approach shoes, like the La Sportiva TX2 EVO fit the bill. The Vibram sticky rubber Idrogrip is especially great for climbing and scrambling, with its low 3-mm lugs and Climbing Zone flat, high-friction toe area. The C2 Combo Cord keeps the shoes compact and close together in your pack during a climb. The shoe is also built to be resoled, unlike many approach shoes. The one-piece, highly breathable knit upper fits closely around the foot to give confidence on technical terrain. The…

Long-time west coast climber Michelle LeBlanc has been busy organizing the first Project Pride event, which will take place this fall in Squamish. The first-of-its-kind experience aims to bring a community of climbers together to celebrate the sport, inclusion and diversity. We touched base with LeBlanc at the beginning of summer. What is Project Pride? Project Pride is a day-long outdoor bouldering event that will take place at the beautiful boulders in Squamish. It’s an opportunity for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals to connect, build community, crush boulders and pick up some new skills with workshops happening both in the morning and afternoon. Registration ($80) for the event includes food and snacks throughout the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner), workshops, swag bag, prizes, mini “scramble” comp, more prizes, and an after party. What motivated…

I wasn’t a climber when I founded the West Sacramento Community Orchestra. My son was four years old, my daughter six. I wasn’t trained to conduct, but classical music has always been part of my life—making it, as well as listening to it. When I was a little kid, back in New York City, the first time I saw and heard a live symphony orchestra, I dreamed of someday conducting one myself. Decades later, when we moved to West Sacramento in the ’80s, I had the chance to realize that dream. The first thing I learned was that organizing and running an orchestra is a feat of endurance, a more-than-full-time job. Conducting is, too. I didn’t know it was impossible for one person to do it all—so I just did…

Alaska is home to some of the biggest and most sought-after alpine objectives in the world. And this spring saw a handful of the best alpinists throw themselves at huge unclimbed objectives and succeed. From the Revelation Mountains to the Kichatna Spires, there were several standout ascents. The 14-Year Dream From March 23 to 25, Clint Helander of Anchorage and Andres Marin of Ouray, Colo., made the first ascent of The Shaft of the Abyss, a 1,300-metre direct line up the sheer east face of Golgotha (2,724 m) in the Revelations. It had been a 14-year dream of Helander’s, who first spotted it in 2008 on his first of 12 expeditions to the range. Helander and his partner Seth Holden, who died in a plane crash not far from the…

Scarpa Charmoz $429 If you’re looking for a breathable alpine boot then these are for you. The Charmoz is agile, will keep your feet dry but also cool on hot summer days. They have a padded collar, a solid flex point that aids when moving over big terrain, a self-moulding ankle pad and midsole that will absorb the shock of those pointy talus blocks. While they’re a little stiff to begin with, they’ll loosen up after a few hours on the feet. You can snap on a lightweight crampon for moderate glacier crossings at any time. And the rubber is grippy, so you’ll feel comfortable on damp slabs and on fifth-class terrain. Boreal Triglav $300 Boreal is one of the climbing world’s leading footwear brands, so you know that their…