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Climbing Magazine Feature Articles
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 Red vs. New
When the Red River Gorge and New River Gorge rivalry threatened to boil over, there was only one place to settle it: on the basketball court. - Huge spotlights suddenly lit up the small community basketball court in Lansing, West Virginia, near the rim of the New River Gorge. Lights, really? Who rigged those? Surrounding me was the rowdiest scene I had observed in several decades as a local at this worldclass climbing area, famous for bold first ascents and equally hazardous social activities. No craziness I could recall—from nine years of the New River Rendezvous, the Gauley River whitewater festival, even the notorious Pimp ‘n’ Ho parties of the 1990s—could rival this moment.  Monumental
Three and a half years, 760 routes: inside the labor of love behind Mt. Rushmore's new guidebook - “Was it worth it?” Like a broken record, the question keeps spinning in my head. On the surrounding spires, steely gray, crystalline granite sparkles in the crisp fall air, but the chunk of rock between my legs doesn’t seem so magical. I’m straddling the tip of an obscure spire called Lost Yeti, with only a rusty relic of protection far below, and there’s no anchor. I have no choice but to mumble “I’m off,” put the second on belay—luckily the terrain is only 5.7—and then start figuring out how to get off this thing.  Huecos Over Easy
Pocket climbs from east to west - Nine Gallon Buckets (5.10c), Smith Rock, Oregon: Choose your finish with three sets of anchors on this long sport pitch at the Morning Glory Wall. The first anchor finishes at 5.9, the second at 5.10c, and the third after more 5.9 climbing—you can just lower off from the top with a 60-meter rope. “The best part of the route is the upper third, which has a water streak with holds ranging from two- to four-finger pockets to large huecos you can sit in,” says Smith local Ian Caldwell.  Holey Land
Pulling pockets in the Land of Enchantment - A pocket is an absence, a hole in the rock created by gas bubbles, decomposing choss, or a missing cobble. But it’s an absence that climbers love, and New Mexico, a state known as much for its violent volcanic geology as for its spicy green chili, is the pocket capital of the Southwest. Whether you’re pimping monodoigts on the tan tuff of Cochiti Mesa, grabbing anti-cobbles on the red conglomerate of El Rito, going monkey-bars on incuts at the Enchanted Tower, or tweaking basalt divots at White Rock, you’ll find pure pocket pleasure in central New Mexico.  The Master's Favorite Rock Climbs
8 routes from the legendary climber's huge new book - Fred Beckey’s hundreds (thousands?) of first ascents span western North America, from Alaska to Mexico. Although he is best known for his mountain routes, Beckey has always loved rock climbing, and at 89 he’s still cragging. We cherry-picked eight spectacular rock climbs from his new coffee-table book and share his words on each here.  Your First Big Wall
It all started for me back in high school, when I saw a photo of the most awe-inspiring piece of rock I’d ever laid eyes on—the Nameless Tower. I’ve spent years of my life dreaming about that Karakoram spire, and though I still haven’t climbed it, Nameless inspired me to head to Yosemite, more than 20 years ago, to climb my first big wall.  Gunk Show
Learning to love 5.10 in the Gunks - When my wife was offered work as a dancer and choreographer in New York City, I balked. I grew up in Boise, Idaho, and most of my life has been spent rock climbing in the West, enjoying wide-open spaces and amazing geological landscapes from Canada to Mexico, and everywhere in between—what could the City That Never Sleeps offer to me? But this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Molly—she’s aspired to live and dance in NYC her entire life—so I yielded to her dreams, and we began our journey east.  Craig's List
I met the late Craig Luebben (1960–2009) the day I climbed Lucille, the world’s first 5.13 squeeze chimney, in Vedauwoo, Wyoming. I was up at 6 a.m., hoping to confront the iconic route before anyone was awake. Instead, I ran into Craig, who had earlier onsighted the climb’s second ascent. He was guiding a group nearby, and asked me what I was planning to climb. My partner immediately announced my intentions, and Craig said: “Class, today history will be made.”  Carnival Season
11 climbing festivals to hit this year - Planning a climbing trip this year? Here’s a thought: Change up your normal climb-every-day schedule to incorporate one of the U.S.’s major rock climbing festivals, where you can meet loads of new climbers, test out a new area, and even involve yourself in some late-night, dance-party, sumo-wrestling action. From California to North Carolina, here are some of the biggest rock events.  10 Things You Didn't Know about Bouldering Grades
Homo sapiens did not stand upright and then go straight to bouldering V16. The V-grades and French Fontainebleau grades that are today’s gold standards took time to disseminate, with other scales proposed along the way. In fact, it was John Gill’s B-system, advanced over a half-century ago as Gill devoted himself almost exclusively to bouldering, that set the stage for today’s popular, open-ended V-system.  Appealing Ceilings
Get horizontal on these accessible roof climbs - Grunting, groveling, hucking, jamming—all terms typically associated with roof climbs. But more appealing adjectives also fit certain big roofs: airy, exposed, creative, fun, and—surprisingly—moderate. You can find enjoyable, Gunks-like roof climbs all around the country, attainable for the average climber. Here, seven roof routes no harder than 5.10+. Chalk up, sack up, and get ready to charge.  Big Kat
Long overlooked by ice climbers, New York's Catskills are finally coming into their own. - "A good place to die." Rich Gottlieb's words echo in my head. Gottlieb is the owner of the Rock and Snow climbing shop in New Paltz, gateway to the Gunks. The shop is a local institution—and so is Gottlieb. He was talking about Kaaterskill Falls. At 260 feet, it’s one of the tallest waterfalls in the state, and when frozen, one of its iconic ice climbs.  The Sandstone Alps
High adventure in Utah's San Rafael Reef - Two ramps led up into an expanse of sandstone, giving no clue which, if either, was our route. My partners, Kennan Harvey and Tim Gott, were belaying far below. Between us, the rope ran through one cam in a sandy flake. It was our first day of climbing at the Eastern Reef, in Utah’s San Rafael Swell, and the route was called Way of the Increpids. We weren’t sure what that name meant, nor if the route had ever been repeated.  2012 Golden Piton Awards
On frozen Karakoram peaks, fierce alpine faces, and crags around the world, climbers killed it last year. Here, Climbing presents the 10th annual Golden Piton Awards for top performances in six disciplines: mountaineering, big wall, traditional climbing, crack climbing, sport climbing, and breakaway success. Thank you, athletes, for your inspiration!  A Question of Balance
Six essential yoga poses for climbers - My physical therapist, a triathlete, recently told me that climbing puts more intense stress on my body than any other sport does. “Your lats are overdeveloped, your shoulders pull forward, your neck is strained, your hamstrings are tight,” she told me. “Just stop climbing.” Of course, I won’t stop climbing. So what to do? Start stretching consistently. And the smartest way to stretch? Yoga.  Survivors
Most climbing accidents happen suddenly, progress quickly, and they’re soon over. A stone falls, a piece pulls, a leg is broken. A rescue begins. Very few climbs result in true survival situations, in which the misery and uncertainty are prolonged for days or even weeks. Because of their rarity and inherent drama, many such incidents become legendary tales. Others remain private experiences, known only to family and friends.  Staying Alive
Survival tips from climbing rangers - Nobody expects to be loaded onto a litter and evacuated off his first big wall. Or stuck in a snow cave, out of food and fuel, hypothermic, and praying that a storm will quit and someone will find him. Yet it happens, every year, and not just to newbies. Climbers make mistakes, or get unlucky, and rescue rangers drop from the sky and save our asses.  More Than Able
Craig DeMartino’s heartbeat bounded and then stumbled beneath ranger and climber Erik Gabriel’s fingers. DeMartino was losing blood. Broken ribs had ripped a hole in his right lung. With each breath, a deep gurgle choked from his torso. His neck was broken. The lower spinal column was worse; the fall’s impact had traveled up through his legs and pulverized the lower vertebrae. The feeling in his legs was gone. The shock wave had ripped the climbing shoes from his feet and peeled back the skin of his soles. Flecks of granite clung to open flesh. The pain was unmitigated; DeMartino’s heartbeat was too faint to risk morphine.  Towering Heights
Stand atop these spindly spires - In November 2010, I did my first desert tower in Utah: Ancient Art in the Fisher Towers. After holding my breath across the narrow sidewalk three pitches up and winding my way up the final sandstone corkscrew, I stood atop that bizarre summit at dusk, barely able to make out the Rectory across the valley. This was a defining and exhilarating moment in my climbing career: I, like many first-time tower climbers, wanted more.  10 Things You Didn't Know about Avalanches
Avalanches have killed some of climbing’s most luminous stars. In 1979, Willi Unsoeld—who summitted Everest in 1963 as part of the first American expedition—died in an avalanche while leading a winter ascent of Mt. Rainier. In September 1999, a massive avalanche triggered by a serac fall killed Alex Lowe and David Bridges on the flanks of Shishapangma. More recently, an avalanche on Mt. Edgar in China in 2009 killed young alpinists Jonny Copp and Micah Dash along with cameraman Wade Johnson. |
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