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Climbing News from assorted publications

This category can be followed from the open social web via the handle news@community.openbeta.io

  • Why Are Some Climbers Proud to Not Try Hard?

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    climbingC
    Grades were meant to guide climbers to appropriate challenges—but a new anti-grade sentiment seems to be gaining steam. https://www.climbing.com/people/do-climbing-grades-matter/
  • Everest Is No Longer On All-Trails… Sorry About That

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    climbingC
    After we published what you might call a “review of the reviews” on the AllTrails page for Everest’s South Col route, admins took the page down. https://www.climbing.com/news/everest-is-no-longer-on-all-trails/
  • Remembering John Middendorf

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    American Alpine ClubA
    We are deeply saddened by the loss of the incredible climber, mountaineer, inventor, writer, and historian of climbing gear John Middendorf. John (nicknamed the "Deuce") was a true friend to the American Alpine Club, and his insatiable curiosity and kindness made an impression on everyone he met.  Although his contributions to climbing are many, some in particular changed the sport forever. John’s ascent of the East Face of Great Trango Tower in 1992 with Xaver Bongard epitomized his elite climbing skill—The Grand Voyage was a performance of a lifetime on one of the biggest and remotest big walls in the world, and was one of the first Grade VII climbs. John also put up new Grade VI routes on Half Dome and El Cap, along with many first ascents in Zion National Park. He was otherwise a prolific contributor to the American Alpine Journal with exploratory climbs all across the world. John, an engineer and inventor, started a hardware company, A5 Adventures, in 1986. His innovations in portaledge design, as well as Birdbeak pitons, aiders, haul bags, and other gear, unequivocally changed the big-wall game. He sold A5 to The North Face in 1997. His 1994 book Big Walls, co-authored with John Long, was the crucial reference for many wall-climbing novices. But besides being a great man in climbing, he also was a dear friend of the AAC. We deeply appreciate the generosity and knowledge he shared with the Club, his support of the AAC Library, and his contributions to the Legacy Series and the 2023 Cutting Edge Grant.  The AAC’s Library Director, Katie Sauter, reflected: “[John’s] insatiable curiosity led him to research so many avenues of climbing, often sending me questions about the most obscure references. He was very knowledgeable and wrote blog posts about a wide variety of topics pertaining to climbing history and the evolution of gear. He was generous with his time, and when he was visiting, he'd identify historic climbing gear for our collections. His enthusiasm was infectious. He was so interested in how gear was made that he even wanted to test the composition of some of our historic pitons to see what kind of metal was used.” The AAC will truly miss John Middendorf, and our thoughts are with his wife, Jeni, his children, and his other family and friends as they grieve and celebrate him. https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2024/6/25/remembering-john-middendorf
  • A Letter To The Zine by Tavish Hansen

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    ClimbingZineC
    Dearest Luke, I have been meaning to write to you for some time, but I have Zine 23 fresh on my mind and some spare time, so here it goes. I don’t even know where to begin with this. My name is Tavish, and I’m a twenty-three-year-old climber from Seattle. I managed to end up… https://climbingzine.com/a-letter-to-the-zine-by-tavish-hansen/
  • Olympic Qualifier Series Budapest - Report

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    UK ClimbingU
    The second, and final, round of the Olympic Qualifier Series took place in Budapest, Hungary, over the weekend, with the final tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympics on the line. https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=772268
  • New Drytool Route has 145 Moves Along Roof

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    GrippedG
    While it's the hardest drytool route ever, the grade of D15 requires a lot of strength and stamina The post New Drytool Route has 145 Moves Along Roof appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/new-drytool-route-is-145-moves-along-roof/
  • McNeice, Thompson-Smith and McArthur qualify for Paris Games

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    climber-magazineC
    After the Budapest leg of the OQS over the weekend Erin McNeice, Molly Thompson-Smith and Hamish McArthur have all secured qualification and will now join Toby Roberts in Paris in August. https://www.climber.co.uk/news/mcneice-thompson-smith-and-mcarthur-qualify-for-paris-games/
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    GrippedG
    Adam Ondra, Dohyun Lee, and others secured their Olympic tickets in the semi-finals. Not so for Team France, who had to battle it out in a heart-wrenching final. The post Teammates Forced to Become Rivals in Men’s Olympic Qualifier Series Final appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/teammates-forced-to-become-rivals-in-mens-olympic-qualifier-series-final/
  • California Has a New 5.13c Big Wall—It Tops Out at 14,000 Feet

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    climbingC
    After months of work (and more than a 100,000 vertical feet of hiking) Chase Leary and Andy Puhvel finally freed ‘Keel Haul’ (5.13c; 2,000ft). The crux is pitch is above 14,000 feet. https://www.climbing.com/places/keel-haul-high-sierra-14000-feet/
  • 9 Mile Cigarette is a 5.13 Trad Climb in the USA

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    GrippedG
    Watch as the crux of this five-pitch route gets a repeat in a new short film The post 9 Mile Cigarette is a 5.13 Trad Climb in the USA appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/9-mile-cigarette-is-a-5-13-trad-climb-in-the-usa/
  • Angus Kille Onsights Spicy Trad in Ireland

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    GrippedG
    A new video just dropped featuring a bold ground-up push on a gear classic The post Angus Kille Onsights Spicy Trad in Ireland appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/angus-kille-onsights-spicy-trad-in-ireland/
  • Coach Reviews: Why Steve Bechtel’s Training Team Blew Us Away

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    climbingC
    “I basically had a personal trainer!” our reviewer raved. “I don’t know what else I could’ve even asked for.” https://www.climbing.com/skills/training/review-climbing-strong-training-plan/
  • All Aspects

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    American Alpine ClubA
    The AAC DC Chapter hosts a New Ice Climber Weekend in the Adirondacks with Escala Grassroots: Unearthing the Future of Climbing By: Sierra McGivney The sun peeked over the Pitchoff Quarry crag, hitting the ice and creating an enchanting aura. The cool February air was saturated with people laughing and ice tools scraping against the ice. If you listened closely, you'd notice that the conversations were a beautiful mix of English and Spanish.  The New Ice Climber Weekend (NICW), hosted by the AAC DC Chapter, has become an annual event. Piotr Andrzejczak, the AAC DC chapter chair and organizer of the New Ice Climber Weekend, believes mentorship is paramount in climbing. The weekend aims to provide participants with an opportunity to try ice climbing, find ice climbing partners, and have a starting point for more significant objectives. Above all, it aims to minimize the barrier to entry for ice climbing.  Last year, Andrzejczak approached Melissa Rojas, the co-founder of Escala and volunteer with the DC Chapter, about partnering to do a New Ice Climber Weekend with Escala. Escala is part of the American Alpine Club's Affiliate Support Network, which provides emerging affinity groups with resources in order to minimize barriers in their operations and serving their community. Escala “creates accessibility, expands representation, and increases visibility in climbing for Hispanic and Latine individuals by building community, sharing culture, and mentoring one another.” Climbing can be a challenging sport to get into. It can require shoes, a harness, a gym membership, and climbing partners. Ice climbing requires all that plus more: ice tools, crampons, and winter clothing.  "There's a lot more complexity to ice climbing," said Rojas. Ice climbing can be limited not only in quantity but also in quality. Due to climate change, the ice in the Adirondacks loses its quality faster than previous decades and the climbs are only of good quality for a limited amount of time. DC climbers are at least seven hours from the Adirondacks, plus traffic and stops, so ice climbing for them has unforeseen logistical challenges. During the NICW, participants can focus more on the basics of learning to ice climb and less on logistics. Rojas and Andrzejczak hosted a pre-meetup/virtual session so that participants could get to know each other and ask questions ahead of time. "We wanted to give folks an opportunity to ice climb in a supportive environment where they felt like they were in a community and were being supported throughout the whole process, from the planning stage to the actual trip," said Rojas. Another focus of the weekend was creating a film. Colt Bradley attended the New Ice Climber Weekend in 2023 as a videographer and as a participant. Bradley volunteers with the AAC Baltimore Chapter and is also Andrzejczak's climbing partner. Last year, he created four Instagram videos that captured the excitement of ice climbing for the first time. When asked to film the Escala x NICW this year, he wanted to do something longer and more story-focused. Bradley and Rojas talked beforehand about focusing the film on the Escala community and highlighting the bond made possible through its existence.  Rojas has worked hard to build up this blended community of Spanish-speaking climbers. Spanish has many flavors, as it is spoken in many different countries with different cultures—all unique in their own way. The film focused on reflecting and representing the vibrant community of Escala.  Soon, they all found themselves at Pitchoff Quarry in the Adirondacks. While the participants learned how to swing their ice tools and kick their crampons into the ice, Bradley sought out community moments. He wanted to put viewers in the moment as participants climbed, so he mi... https://americanalpineclub.org/news/2024/6/18/all-aspects
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    Raboutou won gold at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, earning her Olympic ticket The post The USA Olympic Team Is Complete – Brooke Raboutou Is Going to Paris appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/indoor-climbing/the-usa-olympic-team-is-complete-brooke-raboutou-is-going-to-paris/
  • CONTEST: Win a Mountaineering Backpack Worth $330!

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    GrippedG
    3 secondary prizes also up for grabs! The post CONTEST: Win a Mountaineering Backpack Worth $330! appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/contest/contest-win-a-mountaineering-backpack-worth-330/
  • Big Wall Climber John Middendorf has Died

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    GrippedG
    From establishing one of the world's hardest routes to designing famous portaledges, Middendorf had a monumental impact on big wall climbing The post Big Wall Climber John Middendorf has Died appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/profiles/big-wall-climber-john-middendorf-has-died/
  • Lucas Uchida Sends Sword in the Stone V14 in Squamish

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    GrippedG
    The Ethan Salvo problem features a series of strength-zapping moves before a giant lunge to the lip The post Lucas Uchida Sends Sword in the Stone V14 in Squamish appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/lucas-uchida-sends-sword-in-the-stone-v14-in-squamish/
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    UK ClimbingU
    https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=772166
  • Miho Nonaka’s Road to the Paris Olympics

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    GrippedG
    She has one last chance to make the Summer Games – this weekend's Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest The post Miho Nonaka’s Road to the Paris Olympics appeared first on Gripped Magazine. https://gripped.com/news/miho-nonakas-road-to-the-paris-olympics/
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    ClimbingZineC
    “Life can be rugged and cold, or smooth and exciting. The climb these two have just performed today symbolizes life and all of its trials and excitements,” read our officiant. “…All love is enclosed in our love: / all thirst ends in our embrace,” I read, starting an excerpt from “Ode and Burgeonings” by Pablo… https://climbingzine.com/long-life-endures-climber-wedding-sara-aranda/