The last bouldering World Cup of 2019 kicks off this Friday June 7, in Vail, Colorado. This event is known to be a competitor favourite because it takes place as part of the action-packed GoPro Mountain Games and the outdoor wall is surrounded by the spectacular panoramas of the mountain town.

There is only one climbing World Cup in North America so not all international athletes opt to make the trip, especially if they’re trying to conserve energy in light of a demanding competition schedule. As a result, the event in Vail is relatively small; there are 148 registered athletes, compared with 269 in Munich and 398 in Wujiang. That said, the running order is still stacked, as you would expect, with many of the circuit’s top athletes, including Japan’s superstars, who did not compete in Munich.

High-profile climbers notably missing from the starter list include: Aleksey Rubtsov (RUS), Jakob Schubert (AUT), Jessica Pilz (AUT), Shauna Coxsey (GBR) and Petra Klingler (SUI). Coxsey and Klingler also skipped Munich. As the host country, team USA will have a large presence with 20 athletes set to compete. Though Alex Puccio is not among them, Alex Johnson is, along with Kyra Condie, Margo Hayes, Zach Galla, Nathaniel Coleman and Sean Bailey, to name a few.

Canada is sending ten athletes to Vail: Alannah Yip, Allison Vest, Paige Boklaschuk, Madison Fischer, Bea Evans, Sean McColl, Lucas Uchida, Jason Holowach, Nathan Smith and Zach Richardson.

Vest is clearly in top form, coming off her win at Open Lead Nationals in Montreal three weeks ago. Yip, who took a small break from competitions to recuperate and re-group, is having a tremendous season so far and is currently ranked 12th in bouldering. After missing out by one place in Munich, McColl will be gunning for a spot in Semi-finals in Vail. McColl has historically climbed very well at this event, making Finals five times in seven years (2nd in 2012, 4th in 2013, 3rd in 2014, 5th in 2015, and 6th in 2016).

Aside from the standard Finals show, which will no doubt be exciting, eyes will be on Slovenia’s Janja Garnbret. If Garnbret wins this competition, it will mark her 6th victory in a row, out of six total bouldering WC events this season. In effect, she will be the only person to sweep a bouldering World Cup season. It should be noted that Anna Stöhr won seven bouldering World Cups in 2013, but technically it wasn’t a clean sweep because there were eight events that year.

Schedule and Livestream

Qualifiers are on Friday June 7, starting with the women at 8am (MT), men at 1:30pm (MT)

Watch Semi-Finals on Saturday June 8, at 9:30am (8:30am PT, 11:30am ET)

Watch Finals on Saturday June 8, starting with the women at 3pm (2pm in Vancouver, 5pm in Toronto)

The post Ten Canadians Competing this Weekend at the Bouldering WC in Vail, CO appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Dynos weren’t always seen as good style in climbing, of course that was before bouldering and indoor climbing caught on.

The U.S. Army had a climbing rule called three-point suspension to train troops during WWII, which read as, “The climber, to stay balanced and in control, maintained three points of contact at all times.”

Even the classic book, Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills says that dynos are an “elementary approach to rock climbing.”

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Here’s a couple shots of top roping with the master of rock, John Gill, at some boulders near Pueblo, CO many years ago. Pat Ament took the photos. #bouldering #johngill #patament

A post shared by Gray Ringsby (@graystokehawaii) on Feb 21, 2019 at 5:46pm PST

Gill, in his 1969 American Alpine Journal essay The Art of Bouldering, defined a lunge, which is today’s dyno, as “Considered by many traditional mountaineers to be an execrable mutation of good technique, may be safely employed by the boulderer.”

He also defined the “dynamic layback,” which is today’s deadpoint, as occuring when a climber places their hands “on a hold at the high deadpoint of the swing… The ability to return to the start at a speed somewhat less than that of a free fall.”

Gill didn’t coin the shorthand for dynamic as dyno, instead it came about in the next decade at the Mount Baldy boulders near Upland, California.

The Cuco Boulder had a number of dynamic problems. One of the area’s top climbers was John Long, who said, “The hardest problems were these big dynamics and we developed all these goofy words: ‘dyno,’ ‘mo.’ In the whole Stonemaster thing, it was like we were speaking our own language.”

Over the next few decades, more climbers began using dynos both indoor and out and they are now part of most indoor climbing competitions.

In April 2002, the first official Guinness World Records dyno competition took place in at the Edge Climbing Centre in Sheffield, England.

The winners were Matt Heason with a 2.575-metre dyno and Katherine Schirmacher with a 1.9-metre dyno. The distances on the 110-degree wall were measured from the left of two fixed launch holds to the target jug, which needed to be held “in control” (about two seconds) with both hands.

Competitors could choose from two columns of footholds, but could not stand on the launch holds. As the comp progressed, the target grip was moved diagonally up and left at a 45-degree-angle.

That configuration has since been set as the official template by the Guinness Book of World Records. The current World Record holder is American Skyler Weekes who set it in 2010 at 282 cm.

The current Female World Record holder is Celine Cuypers from Belgium. She broke the 2012 record set by Canadian Elise Sethna at 200 cm by 17.5 cm, which means the new record is 237.5 cm.

Many hard rock climbs have dynos, including the famous Dawn Wall 5.14d on El Cap, Rainbow Rocket V11 in Fontainebleau, Hole in One V10 in Rocklands and Chris Sharma’s Mallorca Arch dyno.

The post Dynos Were Once Bad Style and the World Record appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Guides Rock is one of Banff National Park’s most historic multi-pitch crags and is only about a 10-minute drive from downtown Banff. The approach is steep with a number of calf-burning switchbacks, but only lasts about 20 minutes before you arrive at the base.

The limestone is stipply with some natural cracks, but more deep water-runnels that provide fun pinching and foot jams. Most of the climbs are bolted, but some old and bold traditional lines exist. It’s south facing, so it’s always in the sun and can get breezy in the summer, but it’s a perfect place to climb in early spring.

Guides Rock is a Verdon-like steep ridge above the Bow River on Mount Cory. It was once only used by locals for guide and rescue training back in the 1950s and ‘60s, but once technical rock climbing began, the potential for high-quality climbs was discovered. The first route up was by Brian Greenwood and Tim Auger in the mid-1970s up an obvious feature they called Three Roofs. It was once only climbed with a few points of aid before going free at 5.10b, now 5.10c due to polished rock. The steep crack climb avoided the more challenging finish up the striking headwall.

Paper Chase Era

In 1978, Mike Sawyer saw a line through the headwall that would eventual redefine local bold climbing. He called his new route Paper Chase 5.11 and it was a totally new style of rock climbing in the Rockies.

It ventured onto a blank looking wall and had varied cruxes on the outstanding final pitch that surfs up waves of stone. Sawyer climbed it with Carl Austrom and their first ascent caused a stir locally and even out in Squamish. Over the years, the route has had bolts added and then chopped. The crux is currently not bolted and requires heady climbing on tiny gear.

The next route through the headwall was in 1980 and was called Rain Check 5.10b. From the second roof on Three Roofs, Chris Dale and Dave Morgan climbed the direct headwall on small holds. They climbed it in a rain storm and ran the cruxes out over 20 feet.

The next route was Take It For Granite 5.9, which climbs a rib east of the main face by Bob Sawyer and Dan Guthrie. It was 30 years later that the now-famous Aftenroe 5.7 was bolted up an 11-pitch line. My Wish Has Been Granite 5.10 was added to Sawyer and Guthrie’s line a few years later.

Then in 1984, Sean Dougerty and Mike Glatiotis established Direct Start 5.10c to Paper Chase. Then Make Dube and Guthrie added The Hook 5.10a as a new finish to Rain Check. Joe Buzowski, who helped develop Back of the Lake, got in on the action and climbed Close to the Edge 5.10c with Pat Paul.

Dougerty and Brian Baxter then climbed Street Life 5.11a after a close call on the wall due to too much Mexican food before the climb. Then Dougerty and Jim Sevigny climbed the sustained new Solid Air right of Street Life at 5.11b/c. Buzowski sought out a wild new route with Hugs Not Drugs, which he worked on and drilled holes for bolts that Josh Korman later led and free climbed, a bold undertaking. Buzowski, Peter Arbic and Guthrie traversed the upper headwall, though details are vague they called the route Adventures in Flesh Land, all on gear in the upper 5.11 range.

While some hard pitches were added over the next decade, development slowed until the bolting of Sea of Dreams 5.10d up a stunning arete and through the upper headwall by Mark Whalen. The route was controversial at first, but Whalen was used to the attention after bolting the 600-metre Sisyphus Summits 5.10d and the six-pitch True Grit 5.10c near Canmore. Over the past 20 years, a number of new routes have been added, including Cure for Aid 5.11c up a stunning arete, Turf Wars 5.10c and the 2018 route called The Wanderer 5.9.

For 50 years, climbers have been heading to Guides Rock for windy adventures on steep classics. There is still room for modern routes, like the new The Wanderer and the old classics will always be favourites for locals and visitors. If you’re passing through Banff this year, especially in spring, be sure to stop at Guides Rock to see what all the fuss is about.

How to Get There: Take the exit for Johnston Canyon off the Trans Canada and drive for just shy of three kilometres to a pull-out on the left. From there, you can look up and see Guides Rock. Cross the road to the dirt trail that diagonals up the road cut. Follow this to the rock.

Newest Guides Rock Route

The Wanderer 5.9, five pitches
First ascent: Conrad Janzen and Mark Klassen in September 2018
Gear: 10 quickdraws and five alpine draws, a 70-metre rope.
Approach: Before reaching Sea of Dreams, head down and left to the lowest section of the wall. Go up a gully for 15 metres to the steep arete and a two-bolt anchor.
Pitch one: Up arête to ledges then right to an anchor (5.7, 9 bolts, 25 m).
Pitch two: Up the face to the right (5.7, 7 bolts, 25 m).
Pitch three: Up the face to a roof then a slab Sea of Dreams (5.9, 13 bolts, 33 m)
Pitch four: Pass a roof to the upper slab (5.9, 10 bolts, 25 m).
Pitch five: Up the face on the right (5.7, 10 bolts, 37 m)
The route name come from legendary guide Conrad Kain’s letters when he’d signed them “Conrad Kain, Letters from a Wandering Mountain Guide” between 1906 and 1933. More here.

Five Spring Climbing Areas in Western Canada

Yamnuska: West of Calgary, historic multi-pitch climbing with eight-pitch sport and trad routes.
Echo Canyon: On Grotto Mountain in Canmore are hard sport climbs on south-facing walls.
Back of the Lake: Moderate and difficult classic quartzite cragging near Lake Louise.
Skaha: Interior B.C. crags with hundreds of five-star classic sport and trad routes.
Smoke Bluffs: Easy access trad climbing close to Squamish.

The post 50 Years of Climbing at Banff’s Guides Rock appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Watch Jimmy Webb flash the ultra-classic Vorpal Blade V13 at Black Mountain, California, in May 2019. The first ascent was by Alex Savage in 2009.

“It is the sit start to Beware the Jabberwocky V10 which is a rad climb that Ian McIntosh put up a few months back,” said Savage after his first ascent. “It is one of the longest boulder problems I have ever worked on. It starts sitting on the left side of the boulder under the roof and climbs up and right via 20+ hard moves of steep climbing to the lip. The physical crux is within the first sequence of climbing to the stand start.

“The name Vorpal Blade comes from the poem Beware the Jabberwocky, which is definitely worth a read if you haven’t seen it before. As for the grade, it’s always difficult to rate a climb, especially a first ascent.”

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Uncut flash master @jwebxl flashing Vorpal Blade (V13/8B) is LIVE

A post shared by 𝔪 𝔢 𝔩 𝔩 𝔬 𝔴 (@mellowclimbing) on Jun 5, 2019 at 11:53am PDT

Vorpal Blade

The post Watch Jimmy Webb Flash Vorpal Blade V13 appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

The 2019 IFSC Vail World Cup is taking place this weekend in Colorado. It’s the sixth and final bouldering world cup of the year. Three Canadians, Alannah Yip, Sean McColl and Allison Vest have advanced to semis.

Follow results here and watch semis and finals below.

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3 Canadian Vancouverites are heading to the World Cup semi final tomorrow ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @allisonvest and I had a stressful wait as we were both on the bubble for the whole round good thing there’s no count backs in semis (side note: Allison’s first SEMIS, yassssssss ) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @alannah_yip crushed her side and finished 3rd in her group. This performance marks 5 consecutive 2019 semi finals for Alannah, stoked she’s so consistent and looking strong this weekend ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ by: Madison ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @adidasterrex | @scarpana | @joerockheads | @verticalartclimbing | @flashedclimbing | @perfect_descent #verticalart #climbing #train #canada #instagood #picoftheday #photooftheday #athlete #igers #amazing #sports #fitspo #gymlife #power #fitfam #adventure #fitness #work #workhard #workout #strength #challenge #follow #ninja #gym #fun

A post shared by Sean McColl (@mccollsean) on Jun 7, 2019 at 4:18pm PDT

Semis

Finals

The post Watch 2019 IFSC Vail World Cup Semis and Finals appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Sean McColl has made it into the finals at the Vail World Cup in sixth place, while fellow Canadians Alannah Yip and Allison Vest made semis but not finals. This is McColl’s 150th World Cup competition.

Adam Ondra will be going for the overall season title and Janja Garnbret is going for the first ever season clean-sweep. No male or female has ever won gold in every world cup in a single season in one discipline. Garnbret has won all five this year leading up to Vail.

McColl has placed in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in Vail, but has never gotten top spot. Don’t miss this epic bouldering season final showdown. Watch below and results here.

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This weekend at Vail marks my 150th World Cup I am super happy to have made semis at this last boulder World Cup of 2019 and also my 150th ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Bouldering competitions are getting harder, I remember when I was 5 years younger breezing into what seemed like every boulder semi final. Statistically, I actually did, only missing a couple in the first 9 years on the circuit It’s amazing to see, and still say I compete alongside all these very talented climbers ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’ll be out second tomorrow morning for semis, ready to fight for those 6-spots in finals. 09:30 Mountain Time! Link in Profile ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ by: @alannah_yip

A post shared by Sean McColl (@mccollsean) on Jun 8, 2019 at 6:10am PDT

Vail Finals

The post Sean McColl Makes Finals, Epic Showdown to Come appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Janja Garnbret has become the first climber ever, men or women, to win all six Bouldering World Cups in one season. This is Garnbret’s 25th World Cup win. “My motivation was to win every cup, this was a lifetime goal,” said Garnbret after her win.

“This is a level of dominance we’ve never witnessed and we might never witness again,” said the IFSC commentator on the livestream shortly after her win. Full results here.

Garnbret didn’t have a strong semi-finals and said she was feeling some pressure going into finals. Fanny Gibert was climbing strong and was hoping for her first-ever World Cup win, but came up short with a bronze. Luce Douady, 15, was competing in her first world cup and made it through to finals. Watch Garnbret win below.

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She did it!!! swept the series! And I got to witness it. what a fight, way to go, Janja!! #ifscwc #vailworldcup2019 #gopromountaingames2019

A post shared by Audrey Sniezek (@audreysniezek) on Jun 8, 2019 at 3:28pm PDT

Women’s Finals

1. Janja Garnbret
2. Akiyo Noguchi
3. Fanny Gibert
4. Miho Nonako
5. Luce Douady
6. Mao Nakamura

Watch Finals

The post Janja Garnbret is First Ever to Sweep Boulder Season appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

The men’s Finals in Vail on Saturday were exceptionally tense with excitement. Both the Gold medal and the overall bouldering title were up for grabs and it was never obvious throughout the round who the winners would be. In the end, both would be determined on the last boulder.

Many would have placed their bets on Adam Ondra taking both titles (with first or second place he would’ve won the overall) but it was not his round. He started off strong, but it came apart for him on M3. Even the zone eluded him on the technical problem, as it had done for Sean McColl. Jan Hojer and Jongwon Chon fell going to the last hold, while Tomoa Narasaki and Yoshiyuki Ogata showed off their superb slab and volume climbing skills to take the lead.

Ondra was demonstratively frustrated after problem three and, unfortunately, he was unable to turn things around on the last boulder. M4 looked incredibly hard as the finalists fell off, one after the other, trying to squeeze the second-to-last hold. When Ondra failed to complete it, he took himself out of the running for both titles. Up next was Narasaki, who could’ve secured what was a provisional first place with a quick top. But he couldn’t get it done either. Surely the routesetters were sweating when two of the strongest climbers on the circuit didn’t finish the boulder.

But there was no need to fret. Possibly underestimated climbing alongside his superstar compatriot, Ogata came out and positively crushed men’s problem four with a flash. It was a thrilling moment and the crowd went wild in celebration of the young Japanese climber’s first World Cup victory.

To top the evening off, and to the delight of the setters and the crowd, Chon came out last and also pulled the powerful move to finish the problem. With that, Chon moved up to third place, behind Narasaki.

Men’s Final Results

1. Yoshiyuki Ogata
2. Tomoa Narasaki
3. Jongwon Chon
4. Jan Hojer
5. Adam Ondra
6. Sean McColl

In the overall competition, an athlete can earn points in five World Cup events. With this second place finish in Vail, along with two other silver medals and a gold, Narasaki earned enough points in four competitions (he missed Moscow and Munich) to win the overall bouldering World Cup title. With his 5th place finish, Adam Ondra ended up in second overall, and Yoshiyuki’s first place in Vail earned him enough points for 3rd place overall.

The post Yoshiyuki Ogata Wins His First Bouldering World Cup in Vail appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

West Coast climber Dan Beland has climbed Superman 5.14c on the Big Show in Cheakamus Canyon north of Squamish, it was the only route on the steep wall that he hadn’t climbed.

Beland’s journey to send all nine of the hard Big Show routes started in 2013 with a tick of Free Will 5.13c and was followed by a climb of Division Bell 5.13d. Of Division Bell, Beland said, “It took longer than I expected but that’s ok because this is a route I will never get tired of climbing.”

In 2014, Beland send Pulse (Canada’s first 5.14a), Patience 5.14a and Heat 5.13d. In 2015, he ticked Revival 5.14b and said, “So awesome. Despite being a link-up, it climbs very naturally. A huge amount of effort has gone into this wall over several seasons and it’s all starting to come together. Still, this is just a stepping stone en route to bigger objectives.

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Some much needed moisture has finally arrived on the #westcoast. As the vegetation and forest critters breathe a sigh of relief, @kimstagraham.mcg is hard at work on Division Bell (5.13d) on the Big Show, one of the few remaining pieces of dry(ish) rock in town. #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #justgoclimb #ilovesquamish #climbing #rockclimbing #climbinglife

A post shared by Dan Beland (@dan.beland) on Aug 30, 2015 at 10:53am PDT

Jump to 2016 when Beland sent Supermanboy 5.14c and wrote on sendage.com, “After four years of obsession with this wall I finally ticked off the big one. This route is so good. On the send I had to try really hard, but I was solid and in control the entire way.” And in 2017, Beland climbed Captain America 5.14b and said, “Even though this only differs from Revival by like 15 feet of climbing, it offers its own set of challenges and is totally rad. No kneebars for me. The smoke has cleared, temps are down and the rock is feeling sticky. One more to go on the Show.

Beland took 2018 off from climbing on the Big Show and said, “Last year, I took a step back from The Big Show after getting an emotional beatdown in 2017 trying to climb Superman. After sending Captain America, I spent another two months trying to finish Superman. It actually shares the same lower crux which I had previously done. However, after falling on that crux another 50 times from the ground I was starting to feel pretty burnt out.”

Beland came back stronger than ever and climbed Superman this spring and became one of only a few climbers to send every route on the Big Show. Superman was first climbed by Sonnie Trotter and is Beland’s fifth 5.14c.

He wrote on sendage.com after, “Last one on the Big Show. Feels good to finally finish this up. I sent Free Will in 2013 and I’ve spent most of my summers since then working towards finishing the wall. It’s been a hell of a ride.”

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Just like that it's all over. I stuck the crux and climbed to the top. I sent the last route on a wall that has consumed my last 6 summers. . Pretty stoked to finish this thing off, but I'm also relieved that the space in my brain where this has been festering can be cleared up for new things. . Superman. Big Show. . @kimstagraham.mcg. . @petzl_official @climbcragx @onwardup_official @butoracanada

A post shared by Dan Beland (@dan.beland) on Jun 9, 2019 at 10:04am PDT

The post Dan Beland Sends Superman 5.14c, Completes Big Show appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Angy Eiter has repeated Adam Ondra’s Pure Dreaming 5.14d in Arco, Italy, for her fourth send of the grade. In 2017, she became the first woman to climb 5.15b with a send of La Planta de Shiva in Spain.

Eiter was a champion comp climber from 2004 to 2006 when she won three lead world cups in a row and four world championships. In 2011, she won her 25th world cup and reached the podium for her 42nd times.

On Eiter’s Instagram, Adam Ondra wrote, “Mind blowing how you can jump between those distant holds on the top.”

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Due settimane fa ho provato una linea stupende in Arco nel Pueblo, Massone „Pure Dreaming, 9a“, liberato da @adam.ondra. Non ho pensato che ci sono ancora le possibilità di aggiunere tiri indipendenti attraverso al tetto molto strapiombante. Mi l´ha piaciuta, ma purtroppo, ha piovuto molto e la roccia era bagnata. Percio sono andata un’altra volta ad Arco con il mio marito @bernieruech per cinque giorni. Nonostante il tempo era troppo caldo e le condizioni non sono state perfette, era ok per arrampicare. L’ho provato alcune volte e sono cadutto quattro volte alle ultime movimenti duri. Percio, al ultimo giorno sono stata molto stanca e non ho pensato più di avere una chance di realizzare questa linea. Ma l’ho provata ancora e inaspetttato ho realizzato questa linea al ultimo giorno al ultimo tentativo. Grazie @69.nemo per chiodare questa linea. Two weeks ago, I tried an incredible line in Arco, Massone „Pure Dreaming, 9a“, freed by @adam.ondra . I was surprised that there was still room to include an independent route through this crazy overhanging roof. I was smiling of stoke. However, it rained a lot and the wall was wet. So I returned last week for five day together with my husband @bernieruech . Although it was quite hot this time and conditions were not perfect, it was ok to climb. I checked the moves out again, seeing progress. Four times I felt at the last hard moves, wondering if I can still go on for it on my last day, where tiredness and warm temperatures challenged me. Motivation quotes were low first, but then I really wanted to give it another try. Unexpected, I tackled this beauty on my last day, on my last possible try. Thanks @69.nemo for bolting this line. @bernieruech #verleihtflügel #jedentagtirol @ferienregionimst @lasportivagram @team_edelrid #staymotivated #climbing #outdoors #socialmedia #balance #emotion #nature #outdoorwoman #lifestyle #fitness #vital #gesundheit #training #klettern #bouldering #bouldern

A post shared by Angy Eiter (@angyeiter) on Jun 9, 2019 at 4:02am PDT

Eiter’s Sends

La Planta de Shiva 5.15b in 2017
Pure Dreaming 5.14d
Era Vella 5.14d in 2015
Big Hammer 5.14d in 2014
Hades 5.14d in 2014
Hercules 5.14c FA in 2014
Ingravids Extension 5.14c in 2014
Claudio Cafe 5.14c in 2007

Either on Zauberfee

The post Angy Eiter Climbs Pure Dreaming 5.14d appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

If you’re looking for a monster slab climb that will test your friction climbing skills, then consider heading up CardiYak Rythem on Yak Peak in B.C. The 17-pitch granite route was established by Rob Birtles, Lyle Knight and Gary Wolkoff and climbed in September 2014.

The big route climbs sustained slabs, flakes and crack between Hole in My Heaven 5.10a and Reality Check 5.10. Despite having hard 5.11 slab climbing, it’s possible to climb it at 5.10c A0 by pulling on bolts through the cruxes, which might be worth it to enjoy the positions if the free grade is too daunting.

B.C. climber Knight has established many climbs over the years and has climbed Yak Peak above the Coquihalla Highway a number of times. Yak Peak stands at 2,039 metres and is the highest point along the Zopkios Ridge. Yak rises dramatically above the highway with its huge clean slabs, many have compared it to domes in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite.

Knight and his partners wanted to create a difficult, safe climb up the wall. Yak Crack, a 12-pitch 5.9- has many loose runout sections and the 13-pitch Reality Check 5.10+ has an infamous 35-metre runout.

“Rob and I started sussing out a line in August 2011, and we quickly installed 12 anchors along our route to facilitate quick escape, given Yak’s unpredictable weather,” Knight wrote for the American Alpine Journal.

“I visited Yak Peak 12 times with Rob and/or Gary Wolkoff to complete the route. The first three and last three pitches of our 17-pitch route were climbed ground-up, as we were able to sufficiently bolt those sections on lead. The rest was established top-down, and we redpointed the harder pitches to figure out the best balance of gear and bolts.”

There’s great friction climbing and microedges with nearly no loose rock. The pitch-11 fingertip corner is one of the best on the peak.

The post CardiYak Rythem is 17-pitch B.C. 5.11 Slab Climb appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

The third annual Treeline Women’s Climbing Festival is happening in Squamish, BC on July 19-21, 2019.

As per the website, “This event is aimed to celebrate the community of women in climbing and give them a place to nurture new skills and friendships in an environment free of judgement and intimidation.”

Katie Hurley is the founder of Treeline Women’s Outdoor Community and she has organized this annual festival, with the help of top Canadian climber Vikki Weldon, since 2017. We spoke with Hurley to find out more.

“The top priority is building community,” says Hurley. To try and “keep it intimate,” the number of participants, including guides and volunteers, stays between 80 and 100. “There are fewer connections made with bigger groups,” Hurley explains. She sees the success of the festival in terms of “growth in experience rather than growth in numbers.”

Historically, the clinics have been a big draw to the event. Treeline has a lineup of highly skilled professionals running 13 clinics and workshops for various skill levels. Learn the important basics of moving from gym to crag, sign up for a guided tour of the boulders or a workshop in climbing photography. There are also clinics in aid climbing, rock rescue, and how to push your level sport climbing. See the complete list and descriptions of clinics here. Clinic leaders include ACMG guides Kinley Aitken, Jen Olson, and Hannah Preston, and more.

In addition to learning new skills, “part of the experience is staying together,” says Hurley. Participants will camp at the Kingsman Campground on Loggers Lane, eat “family-style” dinners, share in a sunset walk, etc. The goal is to create a “basecamp vibe” at the festival headquarters with a centre shelter and chill-out areas with ambient lighting.

Finally, the schedule includes opportunities to give back to the local community through trail building and a silent auction with 100% of the proceeds going to organizations and programs such as Squamish Search and Rescue and Mountain Mentors. This year the proceeds will go to Canadian Adaptive Climbing.

Spots are limited so sign up soon via their website.

The post Register Now for the Treeline Women’s Climbing Festival in Squamish appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Black Diamond is releasing a new line of small cams called the Z4 expected out at the end of 2019 or start of 2020. The new cams will replace the X4 and C3 cams, two micro-cams that were much-loved by many trad and aid climbers.

One of the most innovative features of the cam is the new RigidFlex stem system. The stem stays rigid when the trigger is pulled for easier placing, but less rigid once placed to avoid walking. The number zero Z4 is the smallest cam Black Diamond has ever made.

Other features include dual twisted cable construction for uniform flex on bigger cams, single cable for smaller; sandblasted lobes; and lightweight durable Dynex slings with new colour scheme: 0-green, .1-red, .2-yellow, .3-blue, .4-gray, .5-purple and .75-green.

Black Diamond Says

Born from a heart-to-heart with our top trad-climbing athletes Hazel Findlay, Carlo Traversi, Sam Elias, and Babsi Zangerl, the Camalot Z4 is the realization of a dream: to have a single-stem cam that stays rigid in-hand, but flexes once placed. Behold—the patent-pending RigidFlex stem. Thanks to the independently floating trigger wires, the Camalot Z4 doesn’t bend while under tension and retracted, but once placed allows the stem to move, ensuring a placement that stays put and doesn’t walk when pulled directionally.

The stem on the larger sizes also utilizes dual twisted cable construction, which provides uniform flex in all directions, while single cable construction is implemented on smaller sizes to avoid buckling when pulling hard on the trigger and to reduce trigger profile.

Featuring a similar head-width as our old Camalot C3 design, but with four lobes that are sandblasted for better holding power, the Z4’s are not only an upgrade, but are also available in smaller sizes—starting from #0, our smallest cam ever made, and ranging to .75, allowing you to dial in the rack, whether you’re gunning for a tips crack in the desert, or going light and fast in the Bugs.

The post Check Out the New Black Diamond Z4 Cams appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Adam Ondra is often asked, “Why do you climb with two different shoes?” In this video, Ondra will answer that question and much more.

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A post shared by Adam Ondra (@adam.ondra) on Jun 10, 2019 at 8:00am PDT

Ondra and Shoes

The post See How Adam Ondra Selects His Climbing Shoes appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Minihapa is a new four-pitch bolted 5.6 that climbs next to the lower tiers of Cascade Falls in Banff National Park above the town of Banff. At 90 metres, most of the climbing is 5.3 to 5.5 and the rock is solid.

It takes advantage of super clean limestone slabs near the bottom of the 300-metre waterfall on the east face of Cascade Mountain. The best part of the climb is that you have to jump across a section of Cascade Falls, which might be difficult during spring melt.

Throughout the route are old, rusty bolts that were added to the rock for rappel anchors for ice climbers over the past 60 years. Sections of the lower two slabs had been climbed on over 30 years ago for toproping. The route is now well bolted and you can walk off down a good trail. A project next to the upper waterfall is currently being worked on.

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On the new Minihapa, a multi-pitch bolted 5.6 that climbs next to and over the lower section of Cascade Falls. Super fun! Beta coming. @alyssaacchione on pitch three. Minihapa is the Stoney name for Cascade Mountain. #grippedmagazine #cascadefalls #banff

A post shared by Brandon Pullan (@brandonpullan) on Jun 11, 2019 at 8:52am PDT

Cascade Mountain

Cascade Mountain is a dominant peak in the Bow Valley and one of the most iconic in Banff National Park. In 1841, Sir George Simpson passed by and noted “a stream of water which, though of very considerable volume, looked like a thread of silver on the grey rock.” Then in 1845, Father Pierre-Jean De Smet wrote a “beautiful crystalline fountain issues from the centre of a perpendicular rock about five hundred feet high, and then pours its water over the plain in foam and mist.” But it was James Hector in 1858, who said he’d reached “a beautiful little prairie at the base of the “mountain where the water falls” or the “Cascade Mountain.'” The name Cascade stuck after that.

In winter, that crystalline fountain freezes into a 300-metre WI3 ice climb which is one of the most sought-after moderate routes in the Rockies. The only reason it will go some time between winter ascents is because of the overhead avalanche hazard. In the summer, thousands of tourist make the five-minute approach to take photos next to the cascading falls.

Long before Cascade Mountain was given its current name, it was called Minihapa by the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and Mount Rundle (the other major peak above the town of Banff) was called Waskahigan Watchi. Minihapa translates to “mountain where the water falls.”

Minihapa 5.6 90m

Approach: Hike up to Cascade Falls, cross the lowest creek and up a short dirt slope to below the first rock tier.
Pitch one: Climb the slab past a small bulge and up to a ledge (5.4 25m). Loose rock: There are small rocks on the ledges.
Pitch two: Head up the fun slab on edges and clean stone. At bolt five, head left to an anchor, avoid the lone rap ring above bolt five (5.5, 30m).
Pitch three: Move onto the ledge, walk to waterfall and jump over to corner. Be careful, the rock is slippery! Up the corner, slab and upper bulge to ledge (5.6 30m). Loose rock: there is loose rock on ledge out left throughout, stick to the line of bolts.
Pitch four: Up the short slab to anchor on left (5.2 10m). You can link three and four with ease but you’ll miss the great photo op looking down pitch three. Loose rock: the upper slab has lots of small loose stones.
Descent: Walk left (south) until you reach the Mother’s Day Buttress/Rogan’s Gully descent trail.
Gear: 10 quickdraws, 60-metre rope, helmets
FA of Minihapa: Brandon Pullan, Alyssa Acchione in June 2019. Sections had been climbed and expect relic bolts on ledges. Most ledges are used during winter for ice climbing.

The post Minihapa is New Bolted Multi-Pitch 5.6 Above Banff appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

There are so many great V7s in Squamish. The most recent guidebook has 13 of them listed among the “Squamish Top 100 Problems.” The short list below includes four of the Top 100 and three 4-star V7s. If you’re planning a visit to this bouldering mecca and you have your eye on this grade, read the descriptions below. You can’t not get psyched.

1. The Fuzz

This boulder sits on the other side of the creek, off the gravel trail that leads out of the Chief campground. Aside from the gorgeous setting, this Top 100 problem is equal parts hard and fun, and easy to work as the business is right off the ground. Beta-intensive opening moves that require good core strength lead to either a dead-point or lock-off move to the top. Good Times.

2. Squealing Pork

Squealing Pork is in the North Walls at the Farm area. It is a stunning vertical face, with technical moves that require good finger strength, good skin, and a good head. It’s a tall boulder but the landing is flat so with enough pads you can safely fall even from the last tricky move, which people do…

3. Golden Boy

Established in 1997, this problem is a mega classic V7 in the Grand Wall Boulders, easily accessible from the trail. Folks love the small, positive edges on the short, overhanging wall. The problem traverses left (over a protruding rock, which is awkward but possible to protect) and finishes on a small shelf over the lip on slopers. The exit adds a bit of spice when you’re pumped so make sure you’ve scoped it out before you get there.

4. Astroman

Up the hill of The Dark Side area in the North Wall Boulders, lies this boulder with a steep face, some decent-enough edges leading to an open-handed ledge. If you like big moves and body-tension, this problem is for you. You might want extra pads and spotters because the landing isn’t awesome.

5. The Airtight Garage

This short, vertical, techy problem in the Grand Wall Boulders is notorious for shutting down solid V7 climbers. It is short but sweet, fun but also weird, oddly technical and powerful at the same time. Once you get it, it feels simple, but in the meantime, prepare to be humbled. It’s short with a flat landing so you can work it alone.

6. Undertow

Another Grand Wall Boulders gem. The description of this problem screams Squamish classic: starts on a good edge in an overhang, big reach to slopers and mantle top-out once you have a good edge. Wait for good, crisp conditions.

7. Ramen Raw

A short walk up hill from The Apron parking lot, this problem has won the hearts of many climbers since it was established in 2003 and continues to gain popularity. The boulder features a rightward sloping rail that you move along with a left heel hook, in classic Squamish style. The opening moves can feel impossible but when you stick them, it feels awesome and the holds get better as you move right. The next crux is reaching back to the lip that’s now behind your head. If you get this without cutting your feet, the exit moves aren’t super hard. This problem is seriously amazing.

The post Seven Awesome V7s in Squamish appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Greyhound Canada, the bus service countless climbers have relied on for getting from crag to crag or from home to mountain, has said it’s cancelling the vast majority of its routes in Western Canada by the end of October.

“In 1978, I was 17 and almost ready to quit high school. By June, I was on a Greyhound bus heading to Yosemite Valley,” said Mike Tschipper in a story for the Canadian Alpine Journal.

Greyhound’s exit could leave many climbers stranded and looking for rides, forcing some to use their thumbs to get to their climbs.

In the 1970s, many climbers relied on hitchhiking to get around, as it was much more popular than these days. but that doesn’t mean climbers shouldn’t still try.

“We picked up a meth-eyed hitchhiker outside of Green River. Didier himself had hitched in the exact same spot, and his “do unto other” philosophy necessitated we pick up the druggie,” said climber Will Stanhope in his 2011 story Reference Point in the Canadian Alpine Journal.

Get a Partner With a Car

If you are hitchhiking to a crag alone, we recommend you get a partner before departing, preferably one with a car.

If you do have a partner, but neither of you have a car then see below.

Go Online

Before hitchhiking to a crag, go online and find a Facebook climbing group to the area you’re hoping to climb.

If it’s a weekend, chances are good that there’ll be another climber heading out that way.

If that doesn’t work then see below.

Safety First

Trust your gut and don’t get into a car that you’re uncomfortable with. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been waiting, it’s not worth it.

You’ll have a lot of climbing gear, but try to keep it with you in case you need to make a quick exit.

If you can handle riding in a car with a stranger and you can be safe about it then see below.

Where to Stand

Pick your spot carefully because some spots will get you picked up quicker than others.

You need to find a spot where drivers are driving slower than full speed, like an ramp or gas station exit.

Put on your nicest sending clothes and don’t look too dirtbaggy.

Be Flexible and Happy

Hitchhiking is a great way to save money, but it makes it difficult to stick to a plan.

Once picked up, enjoy the ride, but know that sometimes you’ll have to wait a while to get picked up.

Be a happy climber because if you look approachable and happy you are more likely to get a ride.

Eye contact goes a long way, so don’t wear sunglasses or a cap covering your face.

If you manage to get picked up, congrats, and see below.

Once Picked Up

Many drivers pick up hitchhikers because they’re bored, so regal the driver with how cool you are because you’re a rock climber.

Tell them stories and epics about the day ahead or the day you just had. If they seem cooler than you, then just listen to them.

Negotiate where to be dropped off before departing because many crag access points are in unusual locations.

Don’t eat, smoke or roll down the windows without first asking the driver.

Drop Off

Once you’ve reached your destination, then toss the driver a few bucks for gas and say thanks.

Ask if they’re heading back past the climbing area later in the day to potentially line up a pick up.

Happy hitching!

The post With Greyhound Gone, a Climbers Guide to Hitchhiking appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

Sonnie Trotter is the only Canadian to open a new free route on El Capitan with Pineapple Express, which is technically a three-pitch variation to El Nino VI 5.13c. Trotter established the route over the last few seasons with Alex Honnold and then sent it in a 13-hour push with Tommy Caldwell supporting.

Honnold and Brad Gobright have made the second ascent of Pineapple Express this week. They climbed the route through the dark after starting at 4 p.m. on June 10. El Nino and Pineapple Express have technical free climbing on steep faces with the intermittent cracks. There’s a lot of 5.10 and 5.11 climbing, six 5.13 pitches and five 5.12. Earlier this spring, Gobright sent Muir Wall via The Shaft VI 5.13c in a push. Trotter wrote on Gobright’s Instagram after, “Dudes! Enjoy the napping and much deserved send glory. Way to crush it gents, what a fun rock climb. So stoked to hear about this, and climbing through the night too… Congrats to you both.”

El Nino was first climbed in 1998 by Alex and Thomas Huber at VI 5.13c A0, it links pitches of Continental Drift, New Jersey Turnpike and North America Wall. Trotter’s original plan was to free North America Wall.

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@alexhonnold and I just sent El Niño on El Cap last night! We started at 4pm soon after the wall got into the shade and topped out in the beautiful sunrise of this morning. It was a brutal 14.5 hour ascent with six pitches of 5.13, five pitches of 5.12 and plenty of 5.10 and 5.11 pitches. We took the Pineapple Express variation put up by Alex and @sonnietrotter which allows all of El Niño to go free. The ascent was full of grunting, groaning and the occasional scream. Alex has done almost no outside climbing this year but still crushed it with only a few falls on the soaking wet 13a pitch at the very top. I had a bit more trouble but still managed to send route. Alex ended up leading most of the hardest pitches but I’m still really psyched for how things turned out. I was almost certain I’d have to save this climb for the colder and drier conditions of next Fall. Even in the night this route was pretty warm. Today my body is super wrecked and I think I’ll be feeling this way for a while longer. I’ll probably just be napping, eating and basking in the send glory for the next couple days. @gramicci_climb @evolv_worldwide @frictionlabs

A post shared by Brad Gobright (@bradgobright) on Jun 11, 2019 at 12:37pm PDT

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Looking back at this year, it all comes down to this; ‘Pineapple Express’ 5.13b/c – First Free Ascent on Nov 19th, in a 13 hour push, leading every pitch. Sometimes I still can’t believe it all happened, and only 4 days after turning 39. Seriously though, dropping into the Valley this season with my family and our 1998 Scamp Trailer I was really, really hoping to finally climb this route (with or without @alexhonnold ) but in the back of my mind I had a feeling it would take a miracle. On the phone with @tommycaldwell the night before the climb I had the same feeling, we were all getting run down with head colds and sore throats, and with the imminent snow storm quickly approaching I knew this would be my one and only attempt. I told him how nervous I was, and he said “yeah, you should be” and laughed, but continued…“that’s the way I feel before every big push” naturally, his words were more comforting than troubling. Like usual, Tommy was an absolute machine on this day, jugging every pitch with a heavy pack, cleaning, reverse aiding, swinging, hauling, and yelling words of encouragement that I could feel in my bones. This year has been one for the books, a multi year dream. I’m currently writing a piece for @climbingmagazine about this wall and its magnificent history. I’ll be happy to share the word when it comes out on newsstands. As well as a more detailed topo. Happy New Year everyone. Thanks for the Photo: @austin_siadak

A post shared by Sonnie Trotter (@sonnietrotter) on Dec 29, 2018 at 3:01pm PST

The post Sonnie Trotter’s El Cap Pineapple Express Repeated appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

By Matt Stetson

Unparallel was started by a group of former Five Ten employees who decided to stay in the warm sun of California and start their own company. Unparallel has been helping brands with their rubber formula for a while now, but just recently came out with a full line-up of climbing and mountain bike shoes. We were stoked to get our hands on a pair of their new Vega shoes and give them a try on some Canadian rock.

The Vega is a slightly downturned shoe featuring UP’s RS (rubber soft) sole material. In fact, this shoe is absolutely covered in rubber. The entirety of the heel is rubber clad, with slits to allow for movement and comfort. The inside toe area gets the same treatment and essentially everything else is painted with rubber. The shoe uses a V-shaped Velcro closure strap that cinches down to hold two overlapping neoprene/mesh padded flaps that act like tongues and control volume. The inside of the shoe is also lined with a synthetic upper.

Comfort out of the Box

Right out of the box the Vegas are extremely comfortable. I wore my street shoe size, which was recommended and even during my first session they didn’t feel half as uncomfortable as most shoes do new. In part, this is because the Vegas are very soft. They have excellent sensitivity when feeling around for small holds and judging friction, which I will add is excellent. Whatever Unparallel is doing with their rubber is working. These are the stickiest shoes I have ever worn, and instill confidence in any situation when friction is an issue. The same can be said about whatever it is they paint onto the toe. The heel fit my narrow heels well and didn’t slip when putting the power down on heel hooks.

As I previously mentioned, I wore my street shoe size which felt great for length, but I did have some extra volume, forcing me to really crank down the strap which was hanging off the side while I was climbing. After a month of testing and several sessions the inner lining is also slightly separated near my toes, which doesn’t affect performance, but does make me question the Vega’s longevity.

Smear with Confidence

The Vegas are not great if you need to stand on small chips for long periods of time because toe and calf fatigue do become an issue, but smear with confidence because your feet will stick to almost anything. Overhanging sport routes and boulders are where the Vega really shines thanks to the downturn and sensitivity. The Vegas are also great on volumes and modern gym boulder problems. Some might even like this shoe on longer multi pitches because they are so comfortable, but Unparallel has several other models that would likely work better (keep an eye open for future reviews). Currently the best way to get your hands on a pair of Unparallel shoes is to go through their website(https://www.unparallelsports.com/), but we are interested to see what the future holds for this emerging brand.

The post Hot New Rock Shoe: the Unparallel Vega appeared first on Gripped Magazine.

As the Rocklands season ramps into gear, here are some highlights from 2018, including the first ascent of The Smile V15 and repeats of The Finnish Line V15, which “are two of the finest lines in the southern hemisphere.”

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A post shared by 𝔪 𝔢 𝔩 𝔩 𝔬 𝔴 (@mellowclimbing) on Jun 10, 2019 at 12:23pm PDT

Rocklands 2018

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