Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2024 Vol. 26 Issue 3 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

The thought of taking big lead falls outdoors again can be a bit of a scary prospect, even for experienced climbers. Falling safely and comfortably is a skill that needs to be exercised regularly to stay fresh. Fear of falling can be a serious hindrance to performance. At its most extreme, it prevents us from climbing higher as we resort to calling, “Take,” too scared to press on. But even in limited amounts, fear of falling causes stress and tension, resulting in overgripping and reduced mental clarity when trying to execute movement on an onsight or redpoint attempt. If you haven’t been taking regular lead falls for weeks or months, here are some fun drills that you can perform in the gym to get you more comfortable on the sharp…

Zodiac is one of the greatest aid climbs in Yosemite and a must-try for aspiring big wall aid climbers. While there’s also a free variation, it’s only been redpointed three times in the past 30 years, which is why 99 per cent of climbers choose to aid. It climbs the exposed and steep southeast face of El Capitan. For those who’ve never been to Yosemite, plan to make the trip at least once in your life. “Yosemite is much more than a valley with 3,000-foot rock walls and incredible climbing. It is an outlet for the energies of the world’s most passionate and adventurous people,” said Chris McNamara in Yosemite Valley Free Climbs. “Yosemite inspires the souls of climbers and non-climbers to reach for something beyond themselves and to travel…

Bronwyn Hodgins is one of North America’s leading all-round climbers, with several ascent of El Capitan, repeats of bold single-pitch trad routes and first ascents on remote big walls. Originally from rural Ontario, her exploits have taken her to mountain ranges around the world, and, in 2018, she became the first Canadian woman to free climb El Capitan with her ascent of Freerider over five days. In 2021, she became the third woman to free Golden Gate on El Capitan. Also, that year, she became an ACMG rock guide. Earlier this year, she became one of the only Canadian women to climb a 5.14+ sport route with a repeat of a steep climb in Spain. She’s now working on launching a new climbing festival in Squamish. “It took a long…

Scarpa Arpia V $199 We love it when Scarpa releases a new shoe, which is why we’re happy to share the news about the Arpia V. If you’re new to the world of projecting, then this could be the shoe for you. From the rubber-capped toes to the supple upper to the slight downturn and shape, it feels comfortable on techy vertical and overhanging stone. The Velcro straps are big and easy to cinch tight and the tongue is breathable and stretchy, so it always fits snug. La Sportiva Mandala $280 As much as we love hearing about Scarpa’s new shoes, we equally enjoy seeing what La Sportiva has in store for this year. The new Mandala is the latest addition to the brand’s no-edge line. The new slipper is…

Black Diamond Bullet 16 Pack $90 Multi-pitch routes often require spending several hours en route, which is why you want a comfortable bag to carry your layers and food. Black Diamond has long been a leader in building outstanding packs, and this trimmed-down option is one of our favourites this year. Petzl Rocha $24 Whether you’re cragging or multi-pitching, you’ll need at least one locking carabiner that isn’t used for belaying. This 45-gram, pear-shaped option is perfect for when weight matters. The screw is quick and easy to operate. Metolius Crack Glove $50 A goby is a nasty wound that you can get on the back of your hand when crack climbing, but luckily you can protect yourself with this slick glove. It’s breathable, thin and has a urethane cover…

Sport climbing involves high-intensity climbing often done on single-pitch routes. It’s more accessible than trad climbing in terms of cost and skills. The routes always have pre-placed bolts, and there’s an emphasis on physical movement overreaching a summit. Thanks to its competitive nature, trackable progression and fun atmosphere, sport climbing draws new people to it every year. There are several terms that sport climbers often use, with some of the main ones being “onsight,” which means to climb the route on your first try without having previous knowledge of it and without falling; “flash,” which is to climb a route on the first try without falling or hanging on the rope, except you know information about how to do the climb; and “redpoint,” which is to successfully climb a route…

As winter’s grip steadily loosened from the budding spring foliage, the dark, cold and long nights transitioned to warm evenings that seemed to last late into the night. Closing my eyes in the forest in spring is a different experience than during its predecessor, as songbirds trade chimes with one another creating a seasonal chorus synonymous with late March. Water droplets played the accompaniment for warblers, western bluebirds and song sparrows, each serenading the listener with their harmonious chirps. The heat of the day added to the chaotic and inconsistent rhythms of the mini waterfalls, racing down lip traverses and highballs, cannonballing into small oceans that grow deep on the mossy forest floor. Steamy dampness lifted from the faces and tops of familiar granite giants who’d been asleep for the…

In the public imagination—far beyond the details of colliding tectonic plates and the absolutism of natural forces—the sheer accumulation of words written about Mount Everest may be currently responsible for holding the mountain aloft, and the lion’s share of those words might conceivably be devoted to the 1921, 1922 and 1924 British expeditions, when George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made a final summit attempt on June 8, 1924. This year marks the centenary of this fabled expedition that has been laid at the twin alter stones of both myth and mythic speculation. It is my hope to provide a foundation of this fascinating expedition to climbers who may be unfamiliar with it and highlight what we currently don’t know—and may never know—about the fate of Mallory and Irvine. Some of…

The Life of Climber Jim Donini By Geoff Powter Mountaineers Books, 2024 One afternoon, biographer Geoff Powter asked Jim Donini if the vagaries of alpine new routing frustrated him: inconclusive attempts owing to weather, features that led nowhere, intransigent snow conditions. Without hesitation, the legendary climber replied “Absolutely not! That’s mountains at their best. The best lines are those whose solutions are not apparent from the outset. The fun is to be had in the totality of the experience.” These words, this ethos strikes deep into the consciousness of Donini. Each venture up uncharted faces on the world’s biggest mountains gave him the sense that this was where he belonged, that this is what he was meant to do. A flaring offwidth crack high up a route in Alaska offering…

Over the past 30 years, Will Gadd has not only witnessed attitude-shifting changes in the many sports that he excels in, but he’s survived several close calls and epics along the way. I’ve known Gadd since the mid-2000s, but I’ve known of him since my early days as a climber in the 1990s. He was the poster boy for sports deemed as extreme, like kayaking down dangerous rivers, paragliding great distances and climbing remote frozen waterfalls. His accomplishments influenced me to pursue technical climbing, and his message about safety surely kept me alive over the years. His decades of experience have made him one of the most knowledgeable climbers in the game. I hit the ground hard a few times, but fortunately never did any really serious damage This past…

Deuter Astro 300 EL $380 Good down to 3 C, this long sleeping bag is built for people on the tall side, like over 185 cm. It has a trapezoidal baffle system so the down stays in place to prevent cold spots. It comes in at 850 grams and is made with durable fabric that won’t rip easily. Like many of Deuter’s products, it’s also a bluesign product, manufactured to strict environmental and social standards, with minimal impact on people or planet. Mountain Equipment Company Aphelion UL -7C Down Sleeping Bag $560 Mountain Equipment Company has entered the world of ultralight gear, and they’ve done so by introducing several light and fast options. This all-white sleeping bag with 900-fill power down insulation is perfect for climbing, counting their grams. It…

My climbing partner bailed the day before we were supposed to meet in Yosemite Valley, so I dumped my Californian rock climbing guidebooks onto the ground and started reading. I was looking for a classic rock climb that I could climb alone, as I’d just spent the previous few days climbing alone on classics around Tuolumne Meadows. In one guidebook were descriptions for climbs on Mount Dana, a granite peak above the Dana Plateau, a flat valley that acts as a climber’s campground. The guidebook said the route had a few spooky sections, went at 5.10a/b and had the “best 5.9 pitch” in the world. I packed it in for the night and set my alarm for 6 a.m. In the morning, I left Tioga Lake and hiked Glacier Canyon…