Gripped: The Climbing Magazine December 2024/January 2025 Vol. 26 Issue 6

“I want to free-solo El Capitan,” Alex Honnold told me during a podcast interview in 2015. Two years later, he made the first free-solo of the 30-pitch 5.13 Freerider on El Cap, a climb that ended up in an Academy Award-winning film called Free Solo. While many people in the Yosemite circle knew about Honnold’s aspirations, especially since the late Dean Potter had been talking about it for years, climbers away from the valley had no idea. It was the magic of a podcast conversation that revealed the revelation. I was the host of Basecamp, a podcast at the Banff Centre, a show that ran for 50 episodes. During that time, I interviewed people like Colin Haley about his early-life drug addiction, Jesse Huey about his father’s influence over a…

Black Diamond PIEPS Pro Avalanche Beacon $730 New for this winter is the Pieps Pro IPS from Black Diamond. Every climber and skier who heads into the backcountry should be carrying avalanche gear, and this new beacon has more features than anything else on the market, from long-range search capacity to a function that blocks interference from other electronic devices. Stay safe this winter. Arc’teryx Grotto Headband $50 This is so good that it has the potential to turn toque-wearers into headband-shoppers. It will keep you head warm, won’t mess up your hair and fits sung under your helmet. It comes in a new reddish colour this fall. Yeti 1.9 l French Press $170 There’s nothing better than pulling up to an ice climb then pulling out the stove to…

North America has some of the best ice climbing in the world. From the north faces in the Rockies, to valley ice in Colorado, to remote cliffside ice in Wyoming, there’s no shortage of routes to challenge yourself on. While ice climbing and rock climbing are similar, there are some differences, from falling ice to never falling off the ice. Below are some tips on how to stay safe and play nice this winter. No Whippers The golden rule in ice climbing is don’t fall, but over the past decade, more and more ice climbers have been falling. The reasons range from inexperience to conditions, but new ice climbers need to have the mindset that you should never fall off an ice climb. Why? Unlike rock climbing, you have metal…

The 1980s were a revolutionary time in the world of rock climbing. If you are a generation-X rock climber, you may remember these landmark events, people and places in climbing history from the 1980s. 1. The Boreal Firé: In the early ’80s, Boreal introduced the first sticky rubber climbing shoe: Firé. These game-changer shoes helped the Spanish climbers Miguel and José Gallego open Mediterraneo, the first non-American route on El Cap in Yosemite. Many climbers at Camp 4 were impressed with the shoes, including resident Valley legend John Bachar. “By spring of 1983, Bachar had teamed up with Boreal and the Gallegos brothers to import 265 pairs to be sold at the Yosemite Mountain Shop. Within the first two hours of trading on the first day of sales, they had…

If you want to ice climb in the Midwest, Michigan’s Munising should be on your list. It is a small town in the Upper Peninsula on the South Shore of Lake Superior, the gateway to the stunning Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Munising’s breadth of climbs makes it a local mecca. There are roadside climbs and climbs that can feel as adventurous as a long day in the mountains. Every year, Munising is host to the Michigan Ice Fest. It’s the longest-running ice festival in North America and has hosted climbers for over 30 years. Many people have had their first day of ice climbing at the Michigan Ice Fest, and it runs an excellent program for first-time climbers to advanced climbers. With alpine and ice climbing’s top athletes as presenters,…

Bishop is one of the world’s most popular bouldering areas, a high desert location with featured granite, rolling wilderness and an epic mountain backdrop. It’s the perfect place for climbers at every level, from the novice block wrestler to the seasoned pro. The rocks in Buttermilk Country are tall and sculpted like gym holds, while those in the Happy Boulders are good for climbers with good flexibility and strong fingers looking for physical test-pieces. Bishop delivers a diverse range of climbing away from the boulders, from the Volcanic Tablelands to the quieter Druid Stones, to Pine Creek Canyon for classic granite. Not too far from Bishop is the Alabama Hills with dozens of classic routes, and Whitney Portal, which provides a high-altitude venue with world-class stone. And then there’s the…