Innholdsfortegnelse for October/November 2023 Vol. 25 Issue 5 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

Jasper National Park is known for its towering peaks, classic ridges and long slab routes, but few crags stand out as being up there with the best in the Rockies. While Lost Boys, a quartzite crag on the old highway ranked among the best in the park, offers steep and often run-out routes on solid quartzite, it’s the vertical walls of Watchtower Creek that deliver one of the best vertical modern crags in the area. The crag was mostly developed in the 2000s by a handful of climbers, such as Greg Tos, Sean Elliot, Dana Ruddy and others. The climbs range from 20 to 30 metres, with the upper 5.12 lines following overhanging terrain. The climbs are divided into six walls, though there is room for much more development. There…

For any fervent ice climber, the rhythmic sounds of axes digging into frozen waterfalls and the soft crunch of crampons on cold ice are sounds synonymous with adventure. As the ice climbing community grows, so does the myriad of festivals celebrating this chilly and challenging sport. For the 2023/2024 season, three festivals, in particular, stand out above the rest: Festiglace in Pont-Rouge, Que.; the Ouray Icefest in Ouray, Colo.; and the Michigan Ice Climbing Festival in Munising, Mich. Here’s why these events should be at the top of every ice climber’s list. Festiglace Pont Rouge, Quebec  The Canadian Charm Nestled on the outskirts of historic Quebec City, Festiglace is more than just an ice climbing festival; it’s a fusion of French-Canadian culture and climbing prowess. Quebec’s winter wonderland provides an…

Rab Men’s Banff Force Hoody $70 This limited edition long-sleeve is Rab’s Force Hoody with a print of Lake Louise (on the back). It’s the perfect layer for fall climbing and training. It’s lightweight, breathable, and durable. The Banff festival takes place Oct. 28 to Nov. 5. The North Face Men’s ThermoBall Traction Booties $52 Fall is bootie season, so if you don’t already have a pair, then be sure to pick some up. The Traction Booties are stylish, easy to slip on and make for great between-burn attempts on your fall project. Black Diamond Method S $180 Black Diamond has come a long way in the world of climbing shoes over the past few years, with the newer Method S being one of the brand’s best-ever soft shoes. It’s…

Making the jump from sport to trad climbing is a tough step. Climbs require a new set of techniques and a steep learning curve. Going from predominantly sport climbing in Canada and then moving back to the U.K., I struggled adapting to the style of trad climbing. Getting it right means you’re open to a new world of adventurous climbs that can take you (almost) anywhere. Essential Lessons Know your gear Being good at trad climbing means knowing your gear and how to use it well. There’s already a lot of great articles and videos about beginner trad racks and how to place gear, so I’ll leave the exact details out. It’s important that no matter what rack you buy, you learn how to place every piece in a variety…

Twelve-year-old Henry Barber loved baseball so much that he would pedal his single-speed bike 16 kilometres rather than miss a little league team practice. He wasn’t a star player, but he had been bullied at school and craved an atmosphere where rules and skill, rather than cheating and brute force, were the order of the day. Predictably, the discovery that some kids were given better positions in the team simply because their parents complained to the coaches soured his view of the game. Less predictably, instead of conforming to the sordid ways of the world, Henry concluded that without rules, any game, even baseball, was meaningless, and he quit and held out for a more worthy pursuit. Barber, born in 1953 in Boston, was the son of a banker who…

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 519.767.2408 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…

Tucked away in Quebec’s La Malbaie is one of the world’s most famous tall ice lines. La Pomme d’Or is on Mont de l’Equerre in Hautes-gorges de la rivière Malbaie. It offers big exposure, hard ice, steep climbing and a true adventure. The 360 metres is divided into six pitches with climbing up to WI6 in lean conditions and WI5 in fat years. The first ascent was by Kurt Winkler and Jim Tierney in March 1980. In 1985, famous Italian climber Renato Casarotto, along with partners Guido Ghigi and Gian Carlo Grassi, made one of the first repeats. Casarotto went on to become one of the boldest alpinists of all time. Then, in 1989, the late Guy Lacelle became the first climber to solo La Pomme d’Or, which made the…

Didier Berthod is a climber that sits outside the box—both in his life story and style of climbing. Being an ordained Catholic priest and a crack climber of the highest order, I was honoured when he accepted my invitation to share his story. Some background: I have walked a similar path to Berthod. I have had an interrupted climbing journey, spending several years in religious life. I smile looking back at myself heading to 6 a.m. Mass, sleepy-eyed and mumbling out the Benedictus in morning prayer. When it came time for spiritual reading, I would sneak a climbing guide out of my pocket and dream of vertical places other than heaven. Mea culpa. Sharing conversation with Berthod, he was a more serious squirrel than me—he was a solid monk. Berthod…

Around 150 kilometres from New York City is one of the best, most-revered trad climbing areas in America. The routes are steep, the grades are sandbagged and the gear is run-out. Countless climbers have cut their teeth on classic climbs like Modern Times 5.8+ and Le Teton 5.9+, where the “+” indicates a solid sandbag. The jugs will pump you out, the traverses will confuse you and the roofs will intimidate you, but there’s no better place to enjoy some time plugging gear on the sharp end. The Gunks are found near New Paltz, N.Y., and the rock is composed of quartz conglomerate. It features long horizontal cracks with vertical ones. October is one of the best times of the year to climb in The Gunks, as the temperature cools…

Mountain Hardwear Nilas Jacket $800 This designed-for-altitude down coat is the perfect choice for cold belays this winter. Whether you’re being slammed by spindrift or fighting freezing wind, you’ll be happy and cozy in this monster layer. No matter what the conditions are, flip the hood up and you’ll be warm and dry. The zipper and fabric are durable, with the zipper easy to use with gloves on. One of the best big down coats on the market. Valandre Immelman G2 $700 In the world of big and warm puffy coats, few compare to this beast. With 57 individual baffles and an articulated design that gives a wide range of motion, the Immelman G2 is one of the best down jackets ever made. Built for technical climbing, you can be sure that…

Rob “Platinum” Miller, a legendary figure in the Yosemite big wall free-climbing scene, first ascensionist, personal trainer, and mentor to countless climbers—including me—just unveiled his comprehensive Training Guide for Climbers: Platinum Principles for Success. Now available on Amazon and Book Baby for $28.95, the guide covers 21 chapters, brimming with wisdom amassed over decades as a professional athlete and coach. Miller’s book is for climbers eager to craft their training regimen and boost their route climbing and bouldering performance. With easily understandable illustrations, sample training schedules, and concise instructions, this guide is touted as an “easy-to-use resource” by professional climber Katie Lambert. The project, akin to Miller’s groundbreaking first ascents in Yosemite, including Quantum Mechanic V 5.13 on Washington Column, High Life V 5.12 on Higher Cathedral Spire, The PreMuir…