Frequently Asked Questions, Community Guidelines, and more
Discussion about general climbing topics. A great place to talk about gear, technique, and the climbing community!
Discussion about the OpenBeta website, forums, and community
Share stories and pictures from your climbing trips!
Share or browse articles, videos, and news about climbing from around the web
Discussion about OpenBeta (and related projects) development
This was one of the 5.15 climber's longest running projects. See what he has to say about it below
The post Seb Bouin Climbs New 5.15c in France appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
This was one of the 5.15 climber's longest running projects. See what he has to say about it below
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
The steep route is one of many that's come in so far this season in the area
The post Famous Rockies WI6 Virtual Reality Forms appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
The steep route is one of many that's come in so far this season in the area
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
Johnny Goicoechea—a.k.a. Johnny G—was a prolific bouldering developer in Colorado and Washington in the 2000s and 2010s.
https://www.climbing.com/people/remembering-johnny-goicoechea/
A cold and snowy forecast could set up one of the best Squamish ice climbing seasons in years, and they've all been good lately
The post Bomb Cyclone Brings Snow to Squamish appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
A cold and snowy forecast could set up one of the best Squamish ice climbing seasons in years, and they've all been good lately
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
Solly Kemball Dorey tells us about his ascent of Dave Graham's classic Val de Bagnes boulder, Foundations Edge, 8C.
"Hanging out with the family in my favorite place, watching the kids embrace the epic exposure and challenge of the Captain was up there with my most memorable climbs. The snowstorm was the icing on the cake!" -- Leo Houlding
The post Leo Houlding Climbs El Cap with his Family During a One-Year World-Wide Adventure appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
"Hanging out with the family in my favorite place, watching the kids embrace the epic exposure and challenge of the Captain was up there with my most memorable climbs. The snowstorm was the icing on the cake!" -- Leo Houlding
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
Here are some winter-tested tips from Canadian ice climbing expert Will Gadd for keeping your hands (and feet) warm. This is part two of a series of three articles.
Here are some winter-tested tips from Canadian ice climbing expert Will Gadd for keeping your hands (and feet) warm. This is part two of a series of three articles.
Alpinesavvy (www.alpinesavvy.com)
Two of the world's most influential climbers team up for a day out near Las Vegas
The post Alex Honnold and Magnus Midtbø go Free-Soloing Again appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
Two of the world's most influential climbers team up for a day out near Las Vegas
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
Stu Smith has climbed the steep Family Man in the Okanagan Valley
The post A Canadian 5.14 Trad Route Gets Third Ascent appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
Stu Smith has climbed the steep Family Man in the Okanagan Valley
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
Adam Shahar makes the second send of Defying Gravity stand V15 this season as he and Nathaniel Coleman attempt the low start
The post Climbers Try America’s Hardest V17 Project appeared first on Gripped Magazine.
Adam Shahar makes the second send of Defying Gravity stand V15 this season as he and Nathaniel Coleman attempt the low start
Gripped Magazine (gripped.com)
While it can take effort to stay psyched when our mammalian inclination is to hibernate when it's cold, there’s something to be said for winter road trips and goals.
https://www.climbing.com/places/10-best-winter-climbing-destinations/
A Melbourne-based climber has a new vision for gym holds: art that climbs like rock.
https://www.climbing.com/people/making-indoor-climbing-holds-into-art/
The mentorship gap is a frequent topic of discussion in a lot of climbing circles, and the gap seems to be especially pronounced for climbers trying to get into crag and boulder development. In this episode, we dove into the joys of having too many mentors to count.
Long-time developer and AAC member Josh Pollock decided to collaborate with Jefferson County, in the Front Range of Colorado, to develop a beginner-friendly crag called the Narrow Gauge Slabs. For this project, sustainability and accessibility was a focus from the start, and Josh and other local developers designed a mentorship program that would coincide with developing the crag, to support climbers of traditionally marginalized backgrounds who want to equip themselves with knowledge and mentorship resources so that they could be developers and mentors in their own right. In this episode, we sat down with Lily Toyokura Hill and Ali Arfeen, two mentees in the program who have really taken this experience and run with it, stepping into leadership roles in the local climbing community. We cover what inspired them to become developers, perceptions of route development and who belongs, grading and individual bolting styles, and much more. The conversation with Lily, Ali, and Josh illuminates a lot about the power of mentorship and the complex considerations of developing in modern climbing.
The mentorship gap is a frequent topic of discussion in a lot of climbing circles, and the gap seems to be especially pronounced for climbers trying to get into crag and boulder development. In this episode, we dove into the joys of having too many mentors to count. Long-time developer and AAC me
American Alpine Club (americanalpineclub.org)
My climbing partner (31) and I, Alec Gilmore (29), went sport climbing at Pilot Mountain State Park in March 2023. I have ten years of climbing experience, and my partner has six, and we both take pride in our risk assessment and careful approach. The first route we planned to climb was occupied, so we found a nearby route that neither of us had previously tried. We incorrectly identified the route as a 5.7. The route was actually Goodness Gracious (5.10a). I quickly realized the route was harder, but I had previously led up to 5.11 here, so I went on and clipped three bolts and then hung to work out the crux. It involved throwing a high heel hook and manteling onto an awkward bulge.
I got partially over the bulge and needed to make one more move but couldn't find a good handhold. I ended up falling off. Instead of stopping, I hit the ground after falling 20 feet. Both feet landed on a flat rock step on the main hiking trail. My belayer took up enough slack so that the rope started to catch right as my feet hit. After lying on the ground, overcoming the initial shock and pain, I realized that the alpine quickdraw that I had clipped into the third bolt was still clipped to the rope. Somehow as I was wrestling with the move, it had come unclipped from the hanger. I was wearing a helmet, but fortunately I did not hit my head or back during the fall.
Park staffers were alerted by a nearby climber, and in about 30 to 45 minutes a team of park employees, other climbers, and volunteers arrived and loaded me onto a transport basket. For the next hour and a half, they carried me back up to the summit, where an ambulance was waiting. At one point they rigged a rope and hauled me up a steep hill to shorten the journey. At the hospital, X-rays showed I had fractured both heel bones. One of the fractures was bad enough to require surgery, and I received a plate and four screws.
The first mistake we made was not being sure of what route we were climbing. We had recently been trying routes we hadn't previously climbed. The route I fell from was on my to-do list, but the plan was to warm up with an easier route.
The second mistake was the positioning of the carabiner on the bolt hanger. I knew that it was possible for a carabiner to unclip from a bolt hanger if it's pulled up against the wall in a certain way. I try to keep the spine of the carabiner pointed in the direction I'm climbing. When I was clipping the third bolt, I thought I would climb toward the left side of the bulge. The line turned out to go right. Somehow, as I wrestled with the move, the quickdraw came unclipped.
Though rare, carabiners can come unclipped from bolt hangers. A few things to consider: The hanger-clipping-end carabiner should be loose in the sling, never held by a rubber keeper. Both carabiners on a quickdraw should be oriented with the gates facing the same direction. As Alec mentions, quickdraws should be clipped so the gates are oriented away from the direction of travel.
The direction in which one clips also can be a factor in certain cases. Clipping the opposite direction from the angle of the carabiner hole will minimize the possibility of the carabiner levering against the hanger and unclipping. Almost all plate-style bolt hangers have the clipping section on the left side of the hanger. So, the ideal clipping direction would be from left to right. Other factors (like the ones mentioned above) may be more important in a given situation, but when you have a choice, this is the preferred method.
For even more security, a safer play is to flip the gate so it opens downwards. Better yet, if the clip is critical, i.e. before or after a runout, use a locking carabiner on the hanger end of the quickdraw.
(Source: Alec Gilmore and the Editors.)
Under some circumstances, quickdraws can unclip themselves. Editor of Accidents in North American Climbing, Pete Takeda, and IMGA/AMGA Guide Jason Antin, are back to show you that clipping bolts isn’t always as simple as it seems. Dive in to get the accident analysis informing these takeaways, and some quick tips on how to mitigate risk when clipping bolt hangers.
Credits:
Pete Takeda, Editor of Accidents in North American Climbing, and Jason Antin @jasonantin, IFMGA/AMGA Certified Mountain Guide; Producer: Shane Johnson; Cinematographer or Videographer: Foster Denney; Editor: Sierra McGivney; Location: Accessibility Crag, Clear Creek Canyon, CO; Presenting Sponsor: Rocky Talkie @rockytalkies.
Fall on Rock | Quickdraw Unclipped from Bolt Hanger North Carolina, Pilot Mountain State Park My climbing partner (31) and I, Alec Gilmore (29), went sport climbing at Pilot Mountain State Park in March 2023. I have ten years of climbing experience, and my partner has six, and we both tak
American Alpine Club (americanalpineclub.org)
Welcome to the OpenBeta Forums!
Our goal is to provide a friendly, welcoming, helpful online community of people passionate about climbing. Remember to follow the Community Guidelines, and have fun!
