NEOM, a new city project being built on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, hosted an IFSC-sanctioned competition this past November. The city has been called an ecological disaster and a violation of human rights.
A 5.15a slab was recently established on UK slate, and 5.14+ slabs exist in Spanish granite—but one of the hardest slabs in the U.S. is graded just 5.13c... which might be why it's been unrepeated for 23 years.
Plus: Jesse Grupper flashes 5.14c; Kai Whaley skips two grades to climb V16; Katie Lamb knocks down two more V14s; and a podcast host finds his best bouldering form yet, thanks to not training.
“If little me could see me now and look at the body, he would probably be like, ‘There's no way he’s climbing that hard.’”
Here are some favorites from our team, which range from $20-$350, and are sure to be appreciated by beginners and seasoned tool-swingers alike.
After her fall, Whitney Clark crawled for 2.5 hours down talus and scree to reach a rescue helicopter, but ultimately suffered only minor injuries.
Lighter, greener, more durable, and just plain more useful... 2023 brought us some exciting innovations.
With 'Round Trip Ticket' (M7 AI5+ A0), Alan Rousseau, Jackson Marvell, and Matt Cornell have established one of the most impressive Himalayan routes in recent memory.
Home to more than 150 high-quality sandstone lines, the Citadel Boulders help further solidify northern Alabama as a climbing hotspot.
One of the biggest trends of late is that of celebrities getting into climbing. This got me to thinking about how I might jump on the bandwagon and polish my own brand.
“This was my first time ever falling while clipping. A huge but very safe fall.”
Sure, they’re strong and skilled. But there’s more to it than that.
The four-pitch line on Looking Glass Rock in western North Carolina is a masterpiece of route finding, knitting together a confusion of “eyebrows”—horizontal pockets that flair in all directions.
These climbers—many of which are women of color—are claiming space in climbing media by showcasing their vulnerability.
Our new weekly discussion program covers outdoor recreation and adventure
Earlier this month, the Verzasca Dam in Ticino, Switzerland, saw the return of the Red Bull Dual Ascent for its second iteration. Twelve mixed-gender teams of climbers battled it out on the 720-foot-high concrete wall, culminating in a nail-bitingly close final for Jenya Kazbekova (Ukraine) and teammate Alberto Ginés López (Spain), and the sibling team of Jernej and Julija Kruder (Slovenia), who ultimately claimed first place.
Plus: Cédric Lachat sends one of the world’s most controversial routes & Pete Whittaker nabs the 3rd ascent of 'Stranger Than Fiction'
Their 2,100-meter route was graded ED, a terse grade that feels appropriate for the duo’s proudly minimalist climbing style.
"I don’t think it felt like the hardest route I’ve ever done. … I figured adding to the conversation was better than just taking the given grade.”
It was the 23-year-old’s third free route on El Cap, after 'Golden Gate' and 'Freerider' in a day.
“I’ll be back for you, 'Prime Directive.' Hopefully with someone who will hang the draws for me.”
The crux move, a low-percentage V14, is probably one of the hardest single moves in the world.
Train anytime, anywhere with this no-equipment-necessary workout
Waterhouse had just a little crack experience, Ridal even less. But as it turns out, comp boulders have a lot in common with El Cap granite
Climber has elbow pain, and of course wonders, "Can I keep climbing?"
The Fortress of Solitude climb marks the first of the grade for Cardwell
No shoes, no problem. The barefoot Frenchman is back with another potential V17, 'L’Ombre du Voyageur.'
"A lot of people put so much emphasis on strength," Webb says, "[but] no matter how strong you are, if you can’t climb well on stone you’re not gonna get much done.”
After four seasons of work, Sabourin has become the first person to repeat Mason Earle’s trad route 'Stranger Than Fiction' (5.14), at Bartlett Wash outside of Moab.
All climbers need endurance, and there’s no such thing as too much of it.
Andrey Stepanov failed to adhere to safety requirements while planning a 2022 expedition.
It's gift-giving season! These affordable options are perfect for climbers with any level of experience.
Wrist pain following a training injury is probably referred from the climber's palm or forearm. The good news is, you can probably climb.
Sometimes, at hanging belays, there’s nowhere to hide.
Predictably, the morning’s ‘Today Show’ article led with “Jared Leto got about 30 seconds closer to Mars”
Alex Honnold has done quite a bit more than just boulder El Cap. Here’s what you didn’t know about climbing’s biggest celebrity
Having strong, well-balanced shoulders is your best chance of a) avoiding the knife, b) climbing anything, and c) a successful surgical outcome.
New to climbing? Gym bro, the shirtless dude who's constantly filming himself and campusing, can help.
The Kong Panic Draw has an ingenious “stick clip” design to skip cruxes and reachy clips.
It’s a question that’s more pressing than ever.
Plus: Brooke Raboutou flashes hard in Switzerland; Seb Bouin climbs a 5.15b; and Andre Branchizio gets the most heart-warming send of the month; and more!
Drew Herder and Ben Wilbur made the first continuous ascent of one of the longest continuous rock climbs on earth: The ‘Great Wall of China’, a.k.a the ‘Gunks Traverse’… 9,000 feet of lichen and choss.
As good as Roper was at writing and editing, he was also one heck of a climber whose résumé during the Golden Age of Yosemite put him amongst the best of his generation.
“This is one of the most popular climbing areas at Index,” says Chris Kalman. “It’s hard to imagine the ramifications it would have had if this property fell into less climber-friendly hands.”
If you live far from the crags or a climbing gym—or find yourself marooned in a “climbing desert”—you need not lose sight of your climbing goals.
The Brutemaker 5000 wasn't a fingerboard, it was a way of life.
These ready-to-gift products from Hydro Flask make holiday presents as simple as putting a bow on it
Leader falls 25 feet and lands directly on her head, setting off a host of injuries.
A pulley rupture can affect the volar plate and its role in finger flexion. Or is this climbing injury a pulley strain alone? The advice is the same.
How to maintain while rehabbing: Crimp less (much less), open-hand more, train smart.
The pioneering American mountaineer sounds off on Everest crowds, races to Himalayan summits, and reshaping the record books for the world’s highest peaks
This week’s whippee went for a pretty massive ride.
Think your climbing loved one has it all? Think again.
Given the muscular development and general load put through their forearms, are candidates for nerve-compression syndromes.
Sharma has been working the line for the past four years
It was a first of the grade for the Louisiana native
A reader asks whether climbing indoors or in the shade makes climbers susceptible to osteomalacia, or softening of the bones, due to vitamin D deficiency.
Nagging wrist pain, origin possibly skateboarding, affects climbing for years.
THE WEEKLY ROUNDUP: ‘Tis the season for hard sport climbing! Nicholas Milburn also made quick work of ‘Flex Luthor.’
This isn't a guide to 2023's newest approach shoes—it's the pairs we return to time and again.
I’ve finally figured it out (I think)….
The classic mistake is to listen to your natural instinct to save yourself by jumping from an easy warm-up route onto your target onsight for the day.
Two IFMGA guides became the first people to summit Yansa Tsenji (6,567m) in Nepal via a technical route.
Neil Gresham puts Klemen Premrl and Tim Emmett, two of the world’s best ice climbers, in the hot seat for training advice
A magazine can dream.
The British trad climber took down his massive 330-foot single-pitch project in early October.
It's officially time reconcile your desire to send with reality of the shifting seasons.
Musings on the state of our sport after a failed mass shooting at the Smith Rock Craggin' Classic
On Sunday, October 22, Touchstone’s Hollywood Boulders management were made aware that a member of the gym had suggested that they were “strapped” with a weapon and “wanted scalps.”
THE WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Watch 'Floatin' get its third ascent. And Paige Claassen does 'Everything is Karate' (5.14c).
When dish soap and other lubricants weren’t enough, rescuers used ketamine to relax the climber’s muscles.
He needed “only” 60 days for the climb, he says. But it felt like a longer process. We chatted with him about it.
Climbing is built on the honor system, which is super easy to take advantage of. Seriously. Here’s how to do it.
She called it hard for the grade.
“Adam Ondra: Pushing the Limits,” which will be available on November 1, opens a deeply intimate window into Ondra’s personal and competitive life. It drives home the message that getting to the top isn’t easy.
Heel hooks help you reach farther, use less energy, get your body over the lips of roofs or around corners, or simply keep your hips closer to the wall.
Check out Dr. Julian Saunders's author page.
Check out Dr. Julian Saunders's author page.
Kevin Junge is recuperating in the hospital after lowering off the end of his rope
Or, why you shouldn't get angry at your climbing partner, stalk off across a remote Alaskan glacier alone, and fall unseen into a crevasse.