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

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…

There have never been so many strong crack climbers in the world, but few are as well known as Pete Whittaker. The British climber rose to fame in 2011 after the first ascent of Century Crack 5.14b, the world’s hardest offwidth, in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, with Tom Randal. The film about their climb, Wide Boyz, became one of the most-watched trad movies ever. And then in 2016, he became the first climber to solo-free (free climbing alone) El Capitan in under 24 hours, when he redpointed Freerider 5.13. Despite being one of the most accomplished crack climbers, he’d never been to Patagonia, which is why he visited this winter. What was your first impression of Patagonia? Definitely windy. I stayed purely in El Chalten. The town is windy, and…

More A New Book About Life Balance Majka Burhardt Pegasus Books, 2023 In More, author Majka Burhardt reflects on how her relationships fit together and contribute to her life and identity. She takes on a lot; balancing a life as a professional climber and guide with being a mom of twins, wife to her second husband (also a climbing guide), a daughter of divorced parents, and founder of Legado, an international non-profit inspired by preserving biodiversity on Mount Namuli in Mozambique. The book covers her navigation of pregnancy and the early years of motherhood, the intergenerational connection between mothers and their children, and how her feminist beliefs translate into action in the parenting and climbing worlds around her. Although the book is written to her twins, it is also written…

Book your marketplace or classified advertisement today. Contact Andre Cheuk andre@gripped.com Gyms Quebec Allez-Up1339 rue ShearerMontreal, QC514.989.9656allezup.com Escalade Horizon Roc2350 DicksonMontreal, QC514.899.5000horizonroc.com Ontario Ajax Rock OasisAjax Community Centre75 Centennial Rd.Ajax, ON905.231.3434905.231.9934 faxinfoajax@rockoasis.comrockoasis.com Climber’s Rock5155 Harvester Rd.,Burlington, ON905.633.7625info@climbersrock.comclimbersrock.com40 min. from Toronto Climate controlled!12,000 square feet100 + toprope routes108 feet of continuous top-out bouldering! The Guelph Grotto Indoor Climbing Gym199 Victoria Rd. SGuelph, ON800.454.0456519.767.0838519.767.2408 faxinfo@guelphgrotto.comguelphgrotto.com Joe Rockhead’s Climbing Gym29 Fraser Ave.Toronto, ON416.538.7670joerockheads.com Of Rock & Chalk482 Ontario St.Newmarket, ON888.248.7625rockandchalk@hotmail.comrockandchalk.com The Rock Oasis388 Carlaw Ave.Suite 204Toronto, ON416.703.3434infotoronto@rockoasis.comrockoasis.com Manitoba Vertical Adventures Climbing Gym77 Paramount Rd.Winnipeg, MB204.632.5001verticaladventures.ca Alberta University of Calgary Outdoor Centre Climbing Wall2500 University Dr. NWCalgary, AB403.220.5038climb@ucalgary.caoutdoor-centre.ucalgary.caThe indoor climbing wall at the Outdoor Centre is the first and only of its kind in Calgary. It features molded concrete panels imbedded with real quartzite…

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…

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…

North America has some of the world’s most spectacular alpine rock climbing destinations, but of them all the Bugaboos might be the best and most popular. They’re located in the Purcell Mountains in eastern B.C., about 300 kilometres from Calgary. The routes are found on several tall granite peaks, with the most popular being Bugaboo Spire, Pigeon Spire, the Howser Towers, Snowpatch Spire and Crescent Towers. No matter how many times you visit there will always be more to discover, from old classics to modern test-pieces. The busiest climbs are found close to the Kain Hut and Applebee Campground. The peaks weren’t always called the Bugaboos, as they were once referred to as the Nunataks. They were referred to as the Bugaboo spires for the first time on a surveying…

Arc’teryx Atom Lightweight Vest $200 Whether it’s on a cool morning lap or breezy afternoon climb, you want to keep your core warm. A vest is the best option for those warm but cold sessions. The updated Atom is our most recommended option for those working sessions. Scarpa Vapor S $230 The shoe that will help you send your steep projects. Ideal for climbers with a narrow foot and shallow heel. These stretch out slightly, so consider going half a size down. Black Diamond Zone Harness $120 Hard sport climbing requires light gear, including your harness. The Zone is built to help you send, and is comfortable enough to sit around in while hang-dogging. It has lots of sweet features, from the technology to materials, but the contoured fit is…

Huntington Alpine Line Canadians Zac Colbran and Grant Stewart, along with American Dane Steadman, climbed a new route up a striking buttress on the west face of Mount Huntington. The route follows steep mixed terrain linking rock corners into large ice features to establish 700 metres of highly-technical new ground before intersecting with the Colton/Leach to the summit. They called the 1,300-metre route The Technicolor Super Dream, and it’s graded AI5+ M6+ A2. New Rockies Sport Routes At Barrier Lake Rockwall, Wild Child 5.11d and Whild Thyme 5.12b were added to the wall above Squeeze Play. The rock is solid, just expect some run outs. Sunshine Slabs is one of Alberta’s most popular crags, with over 50 sport routes from 5.7 to 5.12. In spring, a new six-bolt 5.10 called…

When my dad first took me out climbing, I was about 12. Back then we were clomping around in super stiff trail runners that were an upgrade from mountain boots. My dad taught me the intricate ways of hexes, hip belays and the high-pitched sound a pin finally makes when it’s solid. Climbing was a natural extension of scrambling around on the peaks outside of Calgary like Yamnuska, Castle Mountain and Athabasca. Route finding was normally more than half the battle, and it seemed as if we were constantly dodging weather changes and flying limestone. It was Type 2 fun in the Rockies, for sure, but we eventually got fancy new fixed-stem cams, Boreal Fire climbing shoes, and a better sense for how routes suddenly swerve left or right without…