Roughly from 1986 to 1993, Armando Menocal was one of the founders and de facto leader of the nascent Access Fund. It is hard to imagine where climbing would be today without him. He fought for climbers’ rights, and though he wasn’t a fan of bolts he believed the government shouldn’t dictate how or where climbers place them. When government agencies tried to ban bolts, Armando stood in their way.
“Upside-down double-heel hook” is not in our mixed-climbing vocabulary. Maybe that’s for a reason.
The ‘Travesía Doble M’ (5.11 A2; 2,200m), is the first time all four summits have been connected in a push—with or without a partner.
It’s all fun and games until you start ruining narrative flow.
We caught up with Lightner to learn more about ‘Death of Villains,’ his training, and—after an eight year interlude—what it took to surpass what he believed to be the peak version of himself.
With the acquisition of the Citadel, one of the oldest climbing access projects in the southeast, another killer Bama crag is open for business.
The 55-year-old Japanese icon recently completed a crack project he’s eyed for the last 40 years. In an interview with Climbing, he talks about why “adventure is much more important than grades."
In 1979, Steve Roper and Allen Steck released 'Fifty Classic Climbs of North America.' This modern take is for the weekend warrior.
A 2022 landslide destroyed dozens of boulder problems in Rocky Mountain National Park’s Upper Upper Chaos Canyon. After a two-year closure, Chaos is open again, giving climbers a chance to explore the numerous “house-sized” boulders deposited by the slide.
Was Adriene Akiko Clark "robbed" of gold, or are “rules rules”?
“I let the feeling of being done take over, and I forgot to use my feet.”
As a part of a new series, we’re interviewing pros and joes about the things they wish they knew before beginning climbing.
‘Pot’ (5.11 A3; 2,500ft) marks the end of a three-year project for Luka Lindič and Luka Krajnc.
Amid proclamations and revisions, guides and operators are left scratching their heads
Learn how to extend your draws to minimize rope drag and rope abrasion while making falls less dangerous.
First climbed by Daniel Woods in 2015, ‘The Process’ gathered rumor and cobwebs for nine years before Zach Galla finally scrubbed them away with his recent ascent.
Watch Swiss climber and paragliding pilot Mario Heller team up with Argentina’s Pablo Pontoriero and Switzerland’s Roger Schäli to climb up and fly off Cerro Torre.
Allison Vest is a three-time Canadian Bouldering Champion. Here, in the form of a poem, she offers a mantra for other female climbers.
Be wary of clipping above your head while close to the ground.
Establishing new routes is tons of work and takes a vision and drive (and lots of free time), but it's also a selfish pursuit, done to make the FAer happy.
Everyone is different, but these training precepts seem to stick no matter who you are or what your goals are.
These two self-rescue methods will help you safely extricate yourself if you miss a rappel anchor
Semi-final and final rounds will be livestreamed on Outside Watch
“I put myself off-route, on the far end of an unprotected traverse, and climbed up moves I could not protect nor easily reverse.”
The first dyno? The longest dyno? A system for grading dynos?
Not everyone has a smooth entry point into climbing, and not everyone starts in a friendly, supportive community. Let’s change that.
Don't wait until they start to ache.
The 34-year-old American gave us the lowdown on his “savage” new boulder, ‘Adrenaline’ (V16— his first hard FA since ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ (V17)
It’s easy to think that we can look after our pets’ needs at the cliff, but, in reality, we can’t.
Nearly 60 years after its first ascent—and 45 since its inclusion in “Fifty Classic Climbs of North America—the Hummingbird Ridge remains as fearsome as ever.
The climber would have knocked his teeth into the roof had he placed a cam a bit higher.
The 1,300-meter behemoth was freed over 18 stormy days. Over a meter of snow fell on their portaledge camp, and winds exceeded 80 miles per hour.
Whether you're prepping for or recovering from a climb, this practice will bring much-needed focus and release
Bosi, who has now climbed three V17 boulders, considers ‘Return of the Sleepwalker’ harder than ‘Alphane’ but easier than ‘Burden of Dreams’
Ondra has now climbed the hardest grade in every climbing discipline except bouldering (he has yet to do a V17).
These destinations check all of the important boxes, offering short approaches, a high density of routes at various grades, a flat staging area, zero to minimal rockfall, and overall safe climbing terrain.
The policy mandates athletes to undergo questionnaires and tests before competing, with those identified as at-risk receiving further evaluation and treatment.
This anchorless belay relied on bodyweight and broke all the rules in the book, including some that weren't even in there.
Although staying upright would be nice.
In 2023, Catalina Shirley took a life-threatening fall and questioned whether she’d ever lead again. This year, she returned to the site—and became the first American to podium in an Ice Climbing Lead World Cup.
Heed these 10 principles of neuroplasticity and motor learning to increase your performance. Ignore them and you can expect to languish in a never-ending plateau.
The trial will be followed by a sentencing hearing, scheduled for May 21. Barrett faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Our weirdness also makes us odd dating material, both within our community and with the non-climbing normies, baffled by our filthy, impoverished, obsessive ways
By bringing together incredible music, inspiring speakers, riveting adventure films, sports and wellness activities, outdoor industry leaders, and a whole lot of gear, Outside has created a celebratory event with real purpose
Climbing holds were once shaped to mimic holds in nature. Now they shape our choice of movement outside.
Five ways to customize hangboard training to make it easier or harder.
We chatted with Kai Lightner about diversity in the climbing world; misconceptions about how accessible climbing is for people of color; his nonprofit Climbing For Change; and—of course—his current climbing and training goals
This climber totally mismanaged his rope’s position.
Miraculously, he is expected to make a full recovery
The inaugural event in Denver features Fleet Foxes, Thundercat, Lettuce, Andrew Bird, Say She She, and The Heavy Heavy, with adventure films, an ideas summit, and climbing competitions also in the mix
It's a fantastical, unbelievable story, but the unbelievable really happened.
This first course opened today—it’s taught by Adam Ondra.
Federal prosecutors allege that Charles Barrett—a prominent member of the Northern California climbing community who goes to trial for sexual assault next week—is a serial offender with a shocking history of violence, harassment, and intimidation. An exclusive investigation into his life and alleged actions raises troubling questions about the dangers women continue to face in the outdoors.
Picture a climber in your head. What does that person look like? The institutions that caused this gap in the first place are deeply entrenched and won’t just go away.
Brette Harrington and Marc-André Leclerc were the first to climb the stunning granite wall. After Leclerc died, Harrington kept going back.
A longtime favorite in the Patagonia line, the Cragsmith (which comes in 32L and 45L) has gotten some updates.
A retired physician's efforts to mitigate his Parkinson’s symptoms catalyzed a program that would turn a climbing gym into a research facility.
“I guess the lesson learned is: Can never be too careful on runout slab.”
Think you're too short to make the move, then heed the advice from a world-class climber who stands just over five feet tall.
Six climbers spent 65 days in Greenland, first kayaking hundreds of kilometers then climbing 'Sea Barge Circus' (VI 5.11+; 900m) over 20 days.
If the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service proposals pass, fixed anchors in wilderness will be considered illegal unless granted special permission.
If there had been established norms of boundaries, reporting, and education during my childhood, Alex Fritz wouldn't have had the opportunity or access to exploit me.
This overview aims to shed light on SafeSport’s policies and processes, emphasizing the importance of understanding and adhering to them to create a safe environment for young climbers.
Kevin Lindlau has made the first repeat of a D16 route in Italy, solidifying the lofty grade.
Ready to climb in the Alps, but don't know where to start? Don't miss these six multi-pitch routes—all between 5.8 and 5.11.
“There’s a pretty strong consensus from gym owners that the business side of this just doesn’t make any sense, and USA Climbing is going to bankrupt [themselves].”
Thorne is a climber of 30 years and has decades of experience as a strategic and collaborative leader.
Because climbing isn’t a sport—it's a lifestyle
“Looking back, it was a big mistake to not wear a helmet. I totally overestimated the steepness of the wall.”
If your forearms inflate like balloons and your fingers always seem to uncurl just before the anchors, then these winter endurance workouts are just what you need.
The Veloce L is an indoor-specific shoe that our tester liked so much he used it on his limit projects outdoors.
Welcome to CLIMBING's 12-month training plan. This eight-phase series will present specific workouts based on the principles of periodization, a proven approach to training that results in peak performance. Each six-week segment will build upon the previous with the end result being a better, stronger climbing machine—you. Now, get started!
Kitty Calhoun has climbed hard alpine faces around the world, but her biggest struggles have come at home: dealing with death, identity, and a complex family history.
Not every hard project has to be tackled from a tent or campervan
You don’t see this everyday.
See if your skills on the rock translate to these mental rock climbing mysteries.
The cruxes didn’t give Megos many problems, but the pump was real. He thinks 5.15b feels more accurate.
The John Lauchlan Memorial Award is Canada’s biggest alpine-climbing grant, having funded trips to Patagonia, Alaska, and the Himalaya for 30 years. Apply for this year’s award by January 31.
How do you climb in the cold and how do you stay warm belaying? Heather Weidner shares four strategies.
Despite overtly acknowledging that climbing is an appropriate use of wilderness land, two new proposals, one from the National Forest Service, another from the National Park Service, would give land administrators the tools to unravel America’s wilderness climbing legacy.