Gripped: The Climbing Magazine June/July 2023 Vol. 25 Issue 3

Mount Louis is a 2,682-metre peak in Banff National Park. It’s one of only a few peaks in the Rockies that’s a true “climber’s mountain” in that there’s no way to hike to the top, you must climb. There’s no glacier or snowfield and it’s relatively easy to access. Its unique spire-like shape and solid rock has made it a popular peak for climbers for over 100 years. The first ascent was in the summer of 1916, after which the now legendary Austrian guide Conrad Kain looked up at the peak and said to his client, “Ye Gods, Mr. MacCarthy, just look at that; they never will believe we climbed it.” Kain and Albert MacCarthy were on a preliminary reconnaissance to scout for a possible route. Kain began searching for…

The North Face Explore Fusebox $120 This is a durable pack, which makes for a great addition to your collection of bags. Works great for everyday activities and fits a small laptop, climbing shoes and chalk. Your new work-to-gym pack. Petzl Verso $30 There’s nothing better than a simple belay device for cragging. If you’re a climber who’d rather use an ATC, then check out the Verso. This is Petzl’s lightest belay device, works smoothly and can handle ropes up to 10.5 mm. It’s a great option to keep in the pack as a back-up. Metolius Locking Anchor Draw $48 As quickdraws are often used for rigging anchors on sport routes, it’s a good idea to use quickdraws designed for that use. This anchor draw is easy to use and…

Sean McColl is one of North America’s most successful competition climbers for the past 20 years. He has nearly 40 World Cup medals, has won regional and national events, and climbed 5.14d and V15. He’s currently preparing for what might be his most important competition season to date: qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. We touched base with McColl before the World Cup season started. 1 What are you recovering from? In May 2022, I had surgery after suffering a type 5 superior labral anterior posterior (SLAP) tear in my right shoulder. 2 What’s been your approach to recovery? Do your exercises, be diligent, and hope for the best. You can’t rush. I’m trying to do more and more crazy moves on it. With the direction that competition climbing is going, especially…

There may be no better first rock climb to do in California’s High Sierra than the East Face of Mount Whitney. The hardest pitch is 5.7 over 10 pitches, the route-finding is interesting and the rock is bomber granite. It’s considered an alpine rock route because it summits the tallest peak in the continental U.S. The first ascent was on Aug. 16, 1931, by four leading climbers at the time: Robert Underhill, Norman Clyde, Jules Eichorn, and Glen Dawson. Of the route, Underhill said, “The beauty of the climb lies chiefly in its unexpected possibility, up the apparent precipice, and in the intimate contact it affords with the features that lend Mount Whitney its real impressiveness.” For protection, they had eight nuts, some slings and a 35-metre rope. It was…

First climbed by Francis Lessard, Antoine Guérette and Jean-François Bernier in 2020, the nine-pitch 5.10+ L’Odyssée became an instant classic. Found on Gros Bonnet, where climbers have been finding adventures for over 50 years, it follows the most direct line up the Grandes Dalles wall. This part of the mountain has test-piece trad and sport routes. L’Odyssée crosses the classic La Niche, which was first climbed back in 1977 by Gaétan Martineau and Richard Lavoie. Located in Vallée du Bras-du-Nord, L’Odyssée is a modern route with well-bolted face climbing and crack pitches left to be protected using trad gear. It took days to establish and clean (as anyone who’s visited this area knows the cracks are overgrown with vegetation). In the 1990s, Jean-François Beaulieu and Jean-Pierre Ouellet explored hard potential,…

The Squamish Buttress is one of Canada’s most-climbed long granite routes. At 400 metres, it takes you from the base of The Apron to the top of The Chief. There are a lot of options along the way, including a new one opened this spring. It was first climbed by Fred Beckey, Hank Mather and Don Claunch all the way back in 1959. The Apron has over a dozen high-quality slab and crack routes that you can choose to climb to the base of the six-pitch Squamish Buttress. Diedre is by far the most climbed at the grade of 5.8. There are always plenty of places for protection, and the first few pitches have some fun slab moves. The style of climbing changes as you head up into the forest…