Climbing
ArchiveThis weekend is the annual 5 Point Film Festival, and there should be plenty to see. With 35 films on schedule, including 10 premieres, attendees have plenty of footage to look forward to. We went through and picked some of the films we're…
Sender Films and Mountain Hardwear just posted a short video on Ueli Steck's 10.5-hour solo of Shishapangma. Steck, who's famous for his speed climbs in the Alps, hadn't originally planned to go to the summit. After leaving advanced base camp,…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=z4puedruucM%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 Brazilian sport climbers have been banned from international competitions this year after the International Federation of Sport Climbing suspended the country's membership over unpaid debts. The Confederação Brasileira de Montanhismo e Escalada, which governs sport climbing in Brazil, owes a total of 4,395 euros (about $6,427) to the IFSC.
In case you missed it, Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith put out another great video short about two weeks ago. The film is called The Love Letter, and its message is simple. Every once in a while it's good to…
Adam Ondra sent his fourth 5.15b of the year this weekend, making the first ascent of La Planta de Shiva near Málaga, Spain. La Planta de Shiva adds an extension to an established 5.14b for 148 feet of pumpy, often dynamic climbing. According to 8a.nu news, Ondra…
Alli Rainey has a great post on prAna's blog about dealing with fear. Rainey, a 5.14 climber and Harvard grad, writes that she's struggled with a serious, often-crippling fear of heights since she started climbing in 1992. A troublesome…
I leave for my first rotation to the high camps in about 12 hours. We will get up abut 3:00 AM for a breakfast of toast and a single fried egg, maybe a cup of coffee. Then along with our personal Sherpa we will pass the puja alter and through…
Climbers and mountaineers from around the world have begun arriving at Everest base camp the past few weeks, a clear sign that climbing season on the world’s highest peak is once again underway. While most hope simply to make it to the summit, a handful of expeditions have other goals…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=hk-LBmIUDF8%C2%A0 Swiss climber Dani Arnold has broken the speed record for the Eiger, blazing up the mountain's north face in 2 hours and 28 minutes. Arnold, 27, beat the previous record by nearly 20 minutes. According to Mammut's blog, he soloed the classic Heckmair route, passing…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=JCqe96jtExU%C2%A0 After two years of work, Chris Sharma has made the first ascent of his well-known First Round First Minute project in Margalef, Spain. Sharma first began trying the bouldery, 25-move route in 2009. He came frustratingly close to success, and fell off the last move of the climb some…
Climber Scott Bennett has an interesting post up on his blog The Big Wide West about his recent trip to southern Utah to do the Castle Valley Enchainment. The enchainment links up five desert sandstone towers near Moab: Castleton, Sister Superior, The Priest, The Rectory,…
Ueli Steck – The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck speed-soloed Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak, racing up the mountain's 2,000-meter south face in 10 and a half hours. Shishapangma is the smallest of the eight-thousanders, at 8,027 m, and is…
Ueli Steck – The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck speed-soloed Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak, racing up the mountain's 2,000-meter south face in 10 and a half hours. Shishapangma is the smallest of the eight-thousanders, at 8,027 m, and is…
Climber Scott Bennett has an interesting post up on his blog The Big Wide West about his recent trip to southern Utah to do the Castle Valley Enchainment. The enchainment links up five desert sandstone towers near Moab: Castleton, Sister Superior, The Priest, The Rectory,…
A 9-year-old Jim Goodwin on top of his first summit, Hopkins Mountain. Adriondacks climbing pioneer and guide Jim Goodwin passed away on April 7 at the age of 101. Goodwin was 11 when he began guiding hikers up the peaks of the Adriondacks, charging as…
Paul Robinson just released the trailer for his upcoming movie The Schengen Files. Shot during the first three months of 2011, the film documents the European leg of Robinson's recent transcontinental bouldering trip, during which he repeated and established hard problems…
Bottom of Icefall, beginning of Khumbu Valley I walked as far as I could today. OK, that sounded worse than I meant. I walked from my tent to the end of Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. As I left the…
A Belgian-American expedition that climbed nine new big walls in Greenland and a Japanese duo that established a new route up Canada's Mt. Logan were the winners of this year's Piolets d'Or. The six-person jury awarded a golden ice axe to Yasushi Okada…
A 9-year-old Jim Goodwin on top of his first summit, Hopkins Mountain. Adriondacks climbing pioneer and guide Jim Goodwin passed away on April 7 at the age of 101. Goodwin was 11 when he began guiding hikers up the peaks of the Adriondacks, charging as…
Paul Robinson just released the trailer for his upcoming movie The Schengen Files. Shot during the first three months of 2011, the film documents the European leg of Robinson's recent transcontinental bouldering trip, during which he repeated and established hard problems…
Bottom of Icefall, beginning of Khumbu Valley I walked as far as I could today. OK, that sounded worse than I meant. I walked from my tent to the end of Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. As I left the…
A Belgian-American expedition that climbed nine new big walls in Greenland and a Japanese duo that established a new route up Canada's Mt. Logan were the winners of this year's Piolets d'Or. The six-person jury awarded a golden ice axe to Yasushi Okada…
Climbers and mountaineers from around the world have begun arriving at Everest base camp the past few weeks, a clear sign that climbing season on the world’s highest peak is once again underway. While most hope simply to make it to the summit, a handful of expeditions have other goals…
While deep water soloing is still something of a fringe practice among climbers, it's getting more and more popular. It was really only a matter of time until gear manufacturers started taking the idea to market. Case in point:…
Everest Base Camp. What does this phrase evoke in your mind? ϳԹ, Tenzing & Hillary, mountaineering, “Into Thin Air”? No matter your association, it is one of the most interesting places on Earth for 60 days each spring. I have been walking around EBC the past two days in between…
Everest Base Camp. What does this phrase evoke in your mind? ϳԹ, Tenzing & Hillary, mountaineering, “Into Thin Air”? No matter your association, it is one of the most interesting places on Earth for 60 days each spring. I have been walking around EBC the past two days in between…
As we left the village of Lobuche, the trail was a mixture of rocks, dirt, and a few mud puddles. We gained altitude steadily except for several stretches on steep uphill that reminded us of where we were and the task ahead. The clouds were low, obscuring the view. But…
As we left the village of Lobuche, the trail was a mixture of rocks, dirt, and a few mud puddles. We gained altitude steadily except for several stretches on steep uphill that reminded us of where we were and the task ahead. The clouds were low, obscuring the view. But…
High-line master Andy Lewis will be featured in Reel Rock 2011. Maybe you already have a crazy video from a weekend in Yosemite. Or maybe you just need something to do for the next three months. Either way, submit your wildest climbing-related film to Reel…
Tengboche-Monastery I am here to climb Mt. Everest but the trek to Everest is always a highlight. Unlike my previous times, we are taking our time with acclimatization days built into the schedule allowing for plenty of…
High-line master Andy Lewis will be featured in Reel Rock 2011. Maybe you already have a crazy video from a weekend in Yosemite. Or maybe you just need something to do for the next three months. Either way, submit your wildest climbing-related film to Reel…
Tengboche-Monastery I am here to climb Mt. Everest but the trek to Everest is always a highlight. Unlike my previous times, we are taking our time with acclimatization days built into the schedule allowing for plenty of…
Eric Simonson addressing the Everest 2011 Group (Courtesy AlanArnette.com) Sometimes I think I enjoy writing about climbing more than I enjoy climbing – that is until I start climbing. The truth is I love both. The opportunity to share with anyone about this…
Eric Simonson addressing the Everest 2011 Group (Courtesy AlanArnette.com) Sometimes I think I enjoy writing about climbing more than I enjoy climbing – that is until I start climbing. The truth is I love both. The opportunity to share with anyone about this…
Cuba Chapter4_The Life of Leo from renan ozturk on Vimeo. In the April issue, we profiled Jimmy Chin and the climbers/videographers/producers of Camp 4 Collective. Last week, Renan Ozturk (he’s…
Cuba Chapter4_The Life of Leo from renan ozturk on Vimeo. In the April issue, we profiled Jimmy Chin and the climbers/videographers/producers of Camp 4 Collective. Last week, Renan Ozturk (he’s…
Results of a four-year study by researchers at the University of Colorado suggest that living at altitudes around 5,000 feet (Denver is 5,280 feet above see level) or higher might increase lifespan. The study, recently published in the…
Ashima Shiraishi, the 9-year-old climbing prodigy who ticked V10 last year, has been killing it this week in Hueco Tanks, Texas. According to Big UP Productions' Facebook page, Ashima sent two of her hardest boulders this week, Chbalanke (V12) and Roger in…
A 36-year-old Briton died Sunday after being struck by falling rock while climbing in Pembroke, the British climbing site UK Climbing reports. Jonathon Woods of Bristol, U.K., was rock climbing with his girlfriend at Pembrokeshire sea cliff of Bosherston Head when he…
A 36-year-old Briton died Sunday after being struck by falling rock while climbing in Pembroke, the British climbing site UK Climbing reports. Jonathon Woods of Bristol, U.K., was rock climbing with his girlfriend at Pembrokeshire sea cliff of Bosherston Head when he…
Here's a little inspiration this week to keep you going. And going. And in one case, going still. Hats off to everyone who's out there making it happen. Here's the stuff you should click on this week. Off to A Good Start:81-year-old walks or hikes more than…
BD athlete Kyle Dempster makes first ascent of Mount Edgar's east face—PART TWO from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo. –Joe Spring@joespring…
Unlike traditional sports like hockey or football, climbing's big moments aren't televised. There's no network that broadcasts first ascents or hard free solos as they happen. Instead, climbing filmmakers fill that role. They follow athletes into some of the world's deepest corners and crevices to capture the sport's progression on…
The American Alpine Club recognized outstanding achievements in conservation, climbing, mountaineering and community service at its Annual Benefit Dinner on February 26 in Seattle, Washington. The Robert and Miriam Underhill Award went to 88-year-old Fred Beckey for his lifetime…
Carlo Traversi on Saturday made the second ascent of The Game, a proposed V16 put up by Daniel Woods last year in Boulder, Colo., and heralded as possibly the hardest bouldering problem in the world. About a dozen people were present to watch Traversi send…
I'll admit, we're way late in posting this. But just because we're halfway through March doesn't mean the top 10 blogs of February are irrelevent. Read on! Number 10: SIA: The Splitboard Revolution Number 9: Gear Junkie: Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2011 Number 8:…
We found a lot of people getting outside and doing what they love this week. Here’s hoping they inspire you to do the same. The stuff you need to click on this week: Dommy No MatesAlaska to Chile, on a Tandem Bike via…
Mountaineers and climbers can now log the peaks they bag on the new site peakery.com. The site currently boasts 150,339 peaks. Those into notching their accomplishments for everyone to see can build their own peaks page and share photos and videos from their…
It doesn't matter if you're Reinhold Messner or Ed Viesturs: your summit never happened unless Elizabeth Hawley says it did.
Nepal 2011, Namaste, Khumbu Climbing Center from Cedar Wright on Vimeo. Here's a quick short from Cedar Wright that captures the essence of the Khumbu Climbing Center. The school aims to train Nepali climbers and high altitude workers in order to reduce their risk to injury and…
Courtesy of Polish Winter Himalayan Mountaineering Weather forecasts aren't good for the Polish mountaineers making their way up Pakistan's 26,400-foot Broad Peak this week. “The beginning of the summit attempt doesn't look too well,”…
Outdoor enthusiasts have one week left to weigh in on new climbing rules proposed by Arches National Park. Arches established its current climbing policy in 2006, in the wake of Dean Potter's controversial ascent of Delicate Arch. While many Utahns were outraged by…
On February 24, professional climber Caroline George notched a first ascent on “Uprising” in Jordan, a 700-foot, 5-pitch route, the hardest of which was rated 5.11b. George is one of only seven women in the U.S. to be IFMGA credentialed for ski, rock and alpine guiding. ϳԹ caught up with…
(Eddie Bauer First Ascent/Celin Serbo) Professional climber Caroline George was skiing the steeps near Mont Dolent in 1997 when a snow slough swept her into a 1,200-foot fall. She survived, barely. She suffered a fractured pelvis, broken ribs, and a shattered ankle. After…
Last fall, Abbey Smith and fellow climbers Jason Kehl, Pete Takeda, and Mick Follari spent two months travelling and establishing new boulder problems in the mountains of northern India. In this guest post, Abbey details her favorite problems from the group's final destination, the…
Last August, climbers Abbey Smith, Pete Takeda, Jason Kehl, and Mick Follari went to northern India on a unique bouldering trip. For two months, the quartet traveled through the Himalayas, establishing dozens of new problems on often-overlooked blocks at the feet of some of the world's most iconic mountains. To…
Fifteen-year-old French climber Enzo Oddo has made the fourth ascent of Kevin Jorgeson's massive highball problem Ambrosia in Bishop, California, reports the Bishop Bouldering Blog. Ambrosia is Oddo's headiest send so far, a 60-foot-high line that…
GII Winter Expedition | Dispatch # 4 | The way up to the summit from story.teller on Vimeo. On Feburary 2nd, we reported on the summit of Gasherbrum II by the team of Simone Moro, Denis Urubko and Cory Richards. It…
Climbing has announced the winners of its annual award for the fastest, highest, and hardest vertical pursuits of last year. Below is a quick listing of the Golden Piton awards for 2010, with links to the full write-ups on…
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia. Cory Richards, Simone Moro, and Denis Urubko, who knocked down the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II last week on February 2, were hit by an avalanche on their way down to…
For the past two years, we've been hearing rumblings of a new documentary about Adam Ondra, the 18-year-old Czech prodigy widely considered to be the world's strongest sport climber. Besides a handful of clips released online, little information has been released about the as-yet-untitled film.
Steph Davis just posted step-by-step instructions on how to clean cams on the Prana blog. Beginning climbers can easily follow this quick and simple post. If you've been putting off cleaning, now's the time to grab a large…
National Geographic announced on Wednesday that 37-year-old Spanish mountaineer Edurne Pasaban has been named the People's Choice 2011 ϳԹr of the Year. In May 2010 Pasaban finished her quest to climb the world's 14…
GII Winter Expedition | Dispatch # 3 | The Cold welcome from GII from story.teller on Vimeo. Alpinists Cory Richards, Simone Moro and Denis Urubko have completed the first winter ascent of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II, according to Climbing.com. At 26,362 feet,…
This guest post is from professional climber Paul Robinson, who is currently in France on a round-the-world bouldering trip. Paul's first ascent of Lucid Dreaming (V16) was featured in the film “The Hardest Moves” at last year's…
The News Team has been hard at work this week, combing the web for the latest headlines from the world outside. Along the way we discovered these little gems, clips of people out doing what they love. Here's the stuff you should click on this week—video edition. If…
Sixteen months after injuring his shoulder during the 2009 American Bouldering Series Nationals, Ethan Pringle made his comeback. He did it in fine style last June, when he repeated Dai Koyamada's Wheel of Life (V16/5.14d), a massive 60-plus move roof problem in Australia's Grampians. Since then, Pringle, 24, has been on…
The Loneliest Road in America gets a little more lonely, swingliners go big in Utah, an epic bore in Alaska, and tailgating: by the numbers. Here's the stuff you should click on this week. Not Your Average Backyard Swing Set: Forget Duran Duran:Playing…
Courtesy of Flickr Alpinists Simone Moro, Denis Urubko and Cory Richards are attempting a first winter ascent of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II, according to…
Having been home from my successful Vinson summit a few weeks now, my attention has shifted from reflection to planning. The next climb is Aconcagua in mid January. There are two major activities at this point: gear review and continued training. This will be the second climb in The…
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced last Wednesday that the National Park Service will waive admission fees on 17 selected dates throughout 2011. The first fee free days will be this weekend, January 15-17, for the…
Guides Peter Whittaker, Ed Viesturs, Seth Waterfall, Caroline George, Jake Norton, cinematographer Kent Harvey and their clients summited Vinson Massif on Antarctica, 45 years after the first ascent of the mountain. The team called in to…
In 1939, wealthy American adventurer Dudley Wolfe was abandoned high on an unconquered K2, becoming the Savage Mountain's first victim. For more than 60 years, no one knew his story. Enter Jennifer Jordan, author, filmmaker, and…
From the beginning of January up until the year's final weeks, climbing news has been chock-full of bar-raising ascents across all disciplines. We've seen V16 boulders, big wall speed records, and new-school ascents on ice. The sport as a whole has advanced too—climbing may have an Olympic appearance in its…
Standing on the summit of Antarctica’s Mt. Vinson at 16,067’ was one of the highlights of my climbing career. Not only was it one of the most breathtaking views I have ever witnessed from a mountain, the meaning was simply overwhelming. Vinson was the first of my 7 Summits Climb…
Filmed over the past three years and incorporating interviews from more than 50 influential climbers—including Royal Robbins, John Bachar, Lynn Hill, and Tommy Caldwell—The Last Wild Mountain attempts to tell the story of American rock climbing…
Russian BASE jumper Valery Rozov traveled to Antarctica's 9,616-foot Mount Ulvetanna so he could be the first to climb and jump off the rock in temps as low as -22 degrees. Enough said. Via Wend. –Joe Spring…
Mt. McKinley photo courtesy of Unhindered by Talent on Flickr. Ever dream of standing atop one of the Seven Summits, winning a marathon, or swimming across the Atlantic Ocean? So did these guys. But instead of following through, they lied about…
The frozen continent. Photo Courtesy of Flickr Despite -22°F temperatures, a steady band of adventurers has opened the season on Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak and one of the Seven Summits. Team Latitude, a Norwegian team, was…