In 1976, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, the daughter of legendary alpinist Willi Unsoeld, died while climbing the massive Indian peak for which she was named. Decades later, friends, family, and surviving expedition members offer new insights into what went wrong during this controversial adventure, shedding light on an enigmatic young woman who lived without limits.
Insecure rock climber (and badass alpinist) Nick Bullock gets a little perspective on an everyday trip to his local crag.
One very real concern, the filmer said, was the climber’s rope cutting over the sharp ironstone edge.
This article was originally published in Climbing No 371. It's appearing now in front of the paywall for the first time.
"I used to be a bit of a rock climber myself. Now I haven't so much as touched a hold in—gosh, how long has it been?—four or five weeks."
If your forearms inflate like balloons and your fingers always seem to uncurl just before the anchors, then this two-part series on endurance training is just what you’re looking for
“We know in certain sports like horse racing, where lightness is favorable, that if jockeys weigh in too low on the morning of a race, they ride with additional weights. Climbers should too.”
On November 11, 2021, my climbing partner and I weathered two avalanches while on an alpine climb in Canada. We were simul soloing and dumb luck kept us alive.
If your forearms inflate like balloons and your fingers always seem to uncurl just before the anchors, then this two-part series on endurance training is just what you’re looking for.
It has been a long-standing goal of mine to join the elite group of women who have climbed 5.14a on gear, and I’ve trained my ass off to do so. Here’s what I learned in the process.
This unlikely climbing crew hasn't let age stop them from having a good time. In fact, some things are better than ever. We asked them how they do it.
Everything's here, from fingerboarding to power, endurance and strength training. Includes expert advice on getting stronger fingers, shoulders, abs, you name it and if you want to train it up, this soup-to-nuts compendium has it.
Honnold is famous for (among other things) cramming as much climbing as he can into each day. To do so, he's developed some efficiency tricks that the rest of us can imitate.
They needed to be prepared for disaster. Fortunately, a real climber stepped in.
There are two miracles in this week's whipper: 1) He survived. 2) He caught the fall on video.
Stop wasting your money on shoes that don't fit or are painful or fail you. Don't be disappointed again. Here's how to buy what' just right, just for you.
The fearless American free soloist brought climbing into the limelight, and upped the risk ante so high it may never be surpassed.
Seven essential climbing knots to learn first: The Trace Eight, Prusik, Clove Hitch, Ring Bend, Double Fisherman's, Girth Hitch, and Figure-Eight On A Bight.
They figured they knew enough about climbing to wing it, but took a dangerous risk that could have cost them.
During my senior year of high school, my friends and I were bored. We decided we collectively knew enough about climbing for it to be safe. We went to the local outfitter and bought harnesses, carabiners, and belay devices, but we scoffed at the price of a rope. It was way outside our budget. Instead, we went to Home Depot and bought 100 feet of poly cord that was rated for 200 pounds. We climbed on that rope all day, just easy 5.3 climbing on toprope. I’ve included a couple photos. It wasn’t until I was lowering at the end of the day that I realized what a mistake I’d made. The 100-foot rope had stretched to about 200 feet, shrinking to the size of 8mm cord. I bought a real climbing rope the following week. Wanted to share because we are all new at some point and even with the best intentions mistakes are made. We should collectively work together to improve safety across the sport. I wish someone would have stopped us from climbing on that poly rope.
—Kyle Harris, via email
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LESSON: Modern climbing ropes include a number of climber-friendly features. They can hold thousands of pounds of force. They have durable sheaths that prevent abrasion and cutting. They have the ideal amount of stretch to catch a fall softly, and then bounce back to their original length and diameter. They’re supple and easy to tie and untie. They’re tested to meet rigorous safety standards. And they work great with modern belay devices. A random hardware store rope is not designed with any of these goals in mind, and can’t be expected to meet them. Always use proper climbing gear designed and rated for climbing.
These Kids Used Parachute Cord For Slings …. Said They Learned It From The Boy Scouts
