Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2025 Vol 27 Issue 2 i Gripped: The Climbing Magazine

The small town of Revelstoke, on the bank of the Columbia River, has some of B.C.’s nicest close-to-the-road crags surrounding it. Ruedi Beglinger has been one of the busiest local route developers there for the past 30 years. He bolted the first sport routes in the early 1990s at Lauretta Slabs. Soon after Beglinger began, the late Dean Flick started to bolt and found the crag Bifacial Retouch. Now there are over 15 areas, about 50 crags and over 300 climbs, adding up to nearly 500 pitches. The most popular areas are Blanket Creek, Shaketown and Begbie Bluffs, all of which you should check out. Waterworld is a one-of-a-kind crag with steep routes above the deep Lake Revelstoke. The rock is mostly solid and features big incuts, ledges and cracks.…

Bouncing down the bush road back to Squamish, the windows of the silver CRV fogged up, blocking the views of rolling timber that trail as far as the eye could see. Two soaked passengers, wet from rain and sweat, returning from the alpine crag of WaterSprite, and my failed project: SX4. A tired and silent car ride spent daydreaming of the summer spent working the beautiful Ben Harden 5.14+ and coming up short. I’m no stranger to failure but even though I am used to the bitter sting of unsuccess it still sucks not getting it done, especially considering how close it was. Choosing not to dwell on the moment of failure, I tuned into the chatter of boulders on the suspension and leaned forward closer to the now-translucent glass…

Metolius 5 Step Aider $72 Every aid climber needs at least one durable five-step aider, and this from Metolius is one of the best designed. It has features staggered and roomy triangular steps with fabric to ensure the step is always open. It has a reinforced clip-in point and full-strength grab loop. It’s made for body weight only. End-to-end it can handle 18 kN, the grab loops up to 22 kN, and the steps 4.4 kN. The overall length is 72 inches, they weight 284 g, and the steps are 14 inches wide. Petzl Parallel Static 10.5 $245 Not the most exciting piece of gear you own but one of the most important. Having a reliable low-stretch rope can help make your day of hauling and jugging a lot easier.…

Flashed Chalk Me Up Bucket $55 Chalk buckets have been all the rage for years now, so if you still don’t have one then we recommend this one by the Canadian company Flashed. It has four brush holders, a larger pocket, and is made from durable nylon. The inside is soft fleece and the top rolls closed to keep your chalk safe. Rungne Magdust $36 We’ve been covering 5.15 climber and YouTuber Magnus Midtbø in the news for over a decade, so we’re happy to include his chalk here. If you haven’t heard of it, the new Mag Dust is a chunky chalk that comes in a 200-gram bag. Everyone likes different styles of chalk, but we loved the chunky blend that had a powdery feel to it. La Sportiva…

It’s been 25 years since the summit of Agiocochook, Mount Washington, vanished from the mountain in my mind. I was alone, on a winter morning, the last time I stood on the apex. Gusts nearly knocked me over as I staggered across asphalt, past a restaurant and gift shop feathered with rime. I didn’t want to think about all the buildings on this mountaintop, only the wildness below. I’ve returned many times to climb the rock and ice of the ravines, but I’ve never continued above the upper plateau again. In my imagination, the road and the parking lot have dissolved into clouds. Without a summit, I’ve focused on the rest of the massif. The mountain is sacred to Abenaki people, and there is a sense of sentience to its…

First climbed by Hans Kraus and Fritz Wiessner in 1941, this is one of the most famous single-pitch 5.5 trad routes on the east coast. Found at the Trapps crag in the Gunks, it takes the obvious wide crack in the Uberfall area. Climbers have long called this the best crack at the grade and a must-climb for new-to-trad climbers. No matter the grade you climb, you’ll be surprised at just how steep this classic is. It starts between the routes Nosedive and Laurel and follows the line to the skinny tree just below a big corner. Start in the crack that leads into the right-facing dihedral about 10 metres off the ground. There has long been a fixed piton at the roof that you can clip before traversing left…

When you think of “the ends of the earth,” Madagascar tops the list. Everything about this vast island—the world’s fourth largest—is both extraordinary and magnetic: its unique flora and fauna, dramatic topography, and place names that spark dreams of adventure. In September 2024, a childhood dream became a reality as my long-time friend and colleague Jimmy Martinello and I landed in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s bustling capital. Joining us were two professional climbers, Paul McSorley and Ines Papert, and my daughter Annabelle, a skilled young climber. Our mission: to capture the breathtaking climbing opportunities on Madagascar’s monumental walls while connecting with the communities we visited. But the trip became much more—an odyssey through remote wilderness, Malagasy culture, and bonds forged over granite, sweat, and serendipity. THE JOURNEY SOUTH: TO THE CLIFFS OF…

Squamish is arguably Canada’s premiere climbing town. One thing that makes it unique is that it has world-class bouldering, sport climbing, and trad climbing close by. To reach the top end of any of these disciplines is an incredible feat saved for the very best climbers among us. Mastering all three disciplines is almost unthinkable. Over the past 20 years, Ben Harnden has done just that. He slowly and quietly built up one of the most impressive climbing tick-lists of any Canadian climber. In Squamish, he’s achieved something no other climber has in the B.C. town, reaching 5.14d sport, 5.14c trad, and V14 boulder. Harnden’s list of hard repeats and first ascents is legendary. He’s sent multiple V14s, including North-North Ridge in 2017 and Deadlift in 2023. He’s climbed most…

Metolius Inferno Go 2 $25 This affordable quickdraw has full-sized wiregate carabiners on both the top and bottom, and an exceptionally stiff sling, which makes it a great choice for sport climbing. The angled gate makes clipping easy. Theses no-frills quickdraws are not overly bulky nor heavy, something climbers look for on big bolted multi-pitch. We’d recommend these for climbers heading up long routes with fixed protection. Deuter Guide 34+8 $190 Many daypacks just don’t cut it for serious climbing, but if you’re looking for the perfect all-rounder for this summer, this might be it. At 1,100 g, it’s packed with features that climbers will appreciate. The abrasion-resistant High Tenacity Polyamide fabric balances lightness with toughness, but if you want a pack for regular hauling, this might not be it. A…

Hyperice Hypervold 2 Pro $450 This is the best on-the-go tool for muscle therapy. You can’t put a price on feeling ready for your project, so the cost of this is an afterthought. The question is whether it works well—and it does. It has five speeds, a digital dial and is light. You’ll heal fast and send harder. Rab Outpost $340 Rab has long been one of the best makers of sleeping bags, which is why we’re suggesting you pick up the Outpost before hitting the road. It’s a perfect loft for spring and summer nights. The down is so soft and comfy that it’s all you’ll want to sleep in after your trip. The shape gives you more room than in a mummy bag. Why a sleeping bag in…

Petit Dru Big Wall Soloed in Winter Mountain guide Benjamin Vedrines soloed the west face of Petit Dru above Chamonix, one of the world’s most iconic alpine big walls, from Feb. 17 to 21. The route that Vedrines climbed is called BASE, a 1,000-metre M8+ 5.11+. “You must climb with your climbing shoes on and chalk your hands…on several pitches. So, it’s very varied, for me it represents the best you can do in terms of technical mountaineering.” Austria Gets First V17 Nicolai Užnik made the first ascent of Mount Doom in Maltatal, Austria, suggesting a difficulty of V17 (9A). The climb is the first of the grade for the 24-year-old Austrian climber. Mount Doom is a low start to Hide and Sick V14, which had been established by Slovenian…