247 – April 2006

CoverDJ Underground Chuck, somewhere in Colorado.Photo by Keith Ladzinski

Crag X Trad, sport, and bouldering, all safely tucked away somewhere in the desert Southwest. We’ll show you the goods… we just won’t divulge the location.By Lisa Hathaway Photos by Andrew Burr

Hidden GiantsAnd all these years you thought Squamish was the bomb when it came to climbing in the western Canadian maritimes — think again. With walls up to 2700 feet, the Eldred Valley could prove to be the next great granite hotspot.By Aaron Black

Golden Piton AwardsEl Cap free routes, Hueco’s newest testpiece, Mr. 8a evolves into Mr. 9a, Indian Creek sickness, an unlikely solo, and one of mountaineering’s last great problems. Celebrate 2005’s best climbs, climbers, and humanitarians with Climbing Magazine’s fourth-annual achievement awards.By Dougald MacDonald

Gallery A few secrets, a few you might already know, and a couple new perspectives on the vertical world.

8 > Editorial Crags may be secret, but climbers are loquacious

12 > Letters Jack Osbourne-related poetry, 2005 Golden Piton awards

16 > Hot Flashes Graham establishes his first 9a/9a+ (5.15a), Harry Berger climbs Alps trilogy, Lake Willoughby and Poke-O-Moonshine ice routes, and the world’s stoutest mixed climbs

26 > Off the Wall Indian Creek land access, Yosemite lawsuit dismissed, Hueco Rock Ranch debacle, rescuing the Red’s new crags

34 > On the Radar Secrets no more: Crags where climber’s lips got too loose

38 > Passages Heinrich Harrer, Eigerwand’s first-ascentionist and author of Seven Years in Tibet

66 > Tech Tips Trad: Rack conservation strategies Sport: Better climbing through periodization training Wall: Micro survival gear

72 > Equipment New rock gear for ‘06

80 > Reviews Elizabeth Hawley, The Mountaineering Handbook, and more

86 > Classifieds

94 > Vantage Point The upside and darkside of authoring guidebooks By Phillip Benningfield

98 > Off Route Fishing meets big-wall climbing