Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2024 Vol. 26 Issue 1 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

We’re on the doorstep of another rock climbing season, which will probably be the busiest one since Pierre Allain introduced the first climbing shoe, the PA Boot, to the market in 1930. With the popularity of climbing at an all-time high, it’s more important than ever to join local access groups, practise good climbing etiquette and to be a positive mentor. There’s no room in climbing for negativity about how popular the sport is because that bad energy can be passed on to newer climbers. And it’s important to remember that our shared love of climbing is why we need to support each other, both at the crag and online. If there are situations that require conversations about ethics or access, it’s better to resolve them in private conversations or…

The golden autumn sun filters through pine trees, casting a warm glow over the Yosemite Valley floor near the renowned Ahwahnee Hotel at Church Bowl. Amity Warme and her husband, Connor, open their van door, releasing their morning coffee’s steam and the heater’s warmth. Surrounding them are iconic landmarks: to the east, Half Dome looms over the park; to the south, the vast Glacier Point Apron, a granite slab stretching three-quarters of a mile and rising 1,000 metres; to the west, El Capitan, bathed in the morning light. El Capitan is a magnet for Warme, where she’s ticked four free ascents of grade VI 5.13s as of November 2023. Among these is a ground-up, five-day ascent of Golden Gate in 2021. She and Tyler Karow carried their full rack for…

“We won’t be able to learn from each other if we don’t expose ourselves to people who have different lived experiences and have the opportunity to talk about those experiences.” My pal Andrew and I were in deep discussion as we were doing a quick 321 lap, which is when you fast hike up Sla’hanay, running onto third, second, and first peak of the mighty Sta’wamus. He’s your typical societal “enemy” these days: a young straight white dude. We had been chatting about Project Pride, diving a bit deeper into its inception and why it was important to continue with. Here’s the thing: while I think that providing a safe space for queer climbers is essential in encouraging someone to feel comfortable and visible, I appreciate being able to open…

Antarctica is home to several research stations that are populated year-round, and two of them are home to climbing gyms. The gyms were built for and by the people living at stations and popular training spaces. At the Amundsen-Scott Station is a small bouldering cave, and at the McMurdo Station is a taller wall with a handful of top-rope routes. Nathan Cannon, who works at the Amundsen-Scott Station as a mechanical engineer from time to time, said that there are a handful of climbers who work there. The bouldering gym is found in a shed in an area called the Summer Camp a few hundred metres from the main station. The cave itself is found in a small shed-like building and has several walls with problems that range from easy…

Located in Southern California, Joshua Tree has been a must-visit for rock climbers from around the world for decades. The desert landscape makes for a dramatic backdrop to the granite formations dotted throughout the park. There are hard cracks, burly boulders and test-piece slabs. There are over 8,000 routes in Joshua Tree, which makes escaping the crowds easy during the busy winter months. Joshua Tree is big—like 789,745 acres of land kind of big—and there are over 8,000 routes, which makes escaping the crowds easy during the busy winter months. The rock type is monzogranite and the routes are found on outcrops, cliffs, domes and other interesting formations. Much like the Gunks in New York, Red River Gorge in Kentucky, Smith Rock in Oregon and Yosemite in California, Joshua Tree…

Rab Expedition Duffel 80 Kitbag $130 This is a heavy-duty bag built for climbers heading into remote areas where durable gear is required. It has triple-stitched seams, the burliest base of any duffel on this list and a lockable main compartment. It has two internal pockets, burly buckles, daisy chain lash points and four handles. The two shoulder straps come off for transportation, end compression straps and large zippers. A must-have duffel for climbers. Osprey Transport 120 $280 A high-quality and versatile duffel bag that ticks all the boxes for climbers needed a carrier to haul gear from A to B. You access the main compartment through a wide U-shaped zipper. It’s made of a slick looking durable material that’s connected to comfortable shoulder straps with double stitching. It’s roomy,…

The Dolomites offer every type of climbing imaginable, including drytooling. The landscape is a balance of both expansive mountain vista and human existence. Unlike the backcountry of the U.S. or Canada, in northern Italy, you’ll see little ski chalets and tiny churches peppered throughout even the least likely of landscapes, then chairlifts and gondolas traveling great distances to even the tallest of peaks. Autumn in the Dolomites has its definite advantages as the prime time for a climbing trip. Since it’s the shoulder season, tourism chaos has dwindled such that car rentals and hotel/Airbnb stays are much more affordable. Roads and construction are less busy, reducing backups along the winding switchbacks. The view is always inspiring as the season changes in the mountains. This transition time in the Dolomites delivers…

In the summer of 2022, Alex Honnold and Hazel Findlay travelled to eastern Greenland to attempt to free Ingmikortilaq, a massive 1,150-metre (3,775-foot) unclimbed Arctic sea cliff. The expedition was about more than just climbing. Joined by glaciologist Dr. Heïdi Sevestre, Greenlandic guide Adam Kjeldsen, adventurer Aldo Kane and fellow climber Mikey Schaefer, the group travelled over 160 kilometres through remote Greenland wilderness, scaling two huge walls—the Pool Wall and Ingmikortilaq—and performing a series of climate science monitoring exercises throughout the journey. After travelling to the Pool Wall near the upper end of the Edward Bailey Glacier, the climbers aided up a previously unclimbed line up the wall, cleaning loose rock and prepping the route. Honnold, Findlay, Schaefer and Kane then freed the line, establishing Two Ravens, a 13-pitch 5.12c.…

Move over Kalymnos, there’s a new must-visit sport climbing area in Greece that’s drawing more climbers every year. The limestone crags of Leonidio, a town in the Peloponnese region of mainland Greece, are among the best new walls to climb on in Europe. There are thousands of routes within a few kilometres of town up to 200 metres tall. The limestone ranges from world-class Verdon-like rock to nearly perfect Chulilla-like stone. The ego-boosting climbs have deep pockets, overhanging tufas, smooth slabs and big jugs. The routes are safely bolted, and you don’t need a stick-clip. While there are nearly 3,000 sport climbs, there aren’t any cracks so leave the rack at home. Some pitches have nearly 30 bolts, so pack a lot of quickdraws. It’s easier to get to Leonidio…

Technica Magma 2.0 $260 Technica continues to up their game with the lates model of their much-loved Magma boot. These all-round hikers give great stability, excellent traction on all forms of terrain and provide more support than some comparable options. They suede leather combined with the unique sole give these a futuristic look and feel. The pre-moulded footbed helps to absorb the shocks delivered during a high-impact descent. Overall, these are one of our favourite boots for 2024. Scarpa Kinesis Pro GTX $469 At first look you’d think these full-grain leather hikers would take some time to break in, but we found them to be ready for action right out of the box. Scarpa has put extra effort into perfecting every little detail of these, something that’s evident upon first…

Nine years ago, the Lama or Rinpoche of Tengboche Monastery—his spiritual home within view of Chomolungma/Everest—was interviewed in Kathmandu. With reluctance and humility, Ngawang Tennzin Norbu spoke directly to climbers in the Himalayas. He said: “As more foreigners come to climb, the snow is melting, and the mountains are turning black. As base camp becomes polluted, avalanches and water are destroying things all over the world. Storms are causing destruction. There is a lot of talk about mountains. You think and say that climbing mountains is good, that you will gain something from it. But climbing mountains is also a form of greed. We must protect the world. We can’t say stop, so we must reduce. When the mountains are black take a sacred vessel and make offerings. This can…