March 2009 – 273
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FEATURES
GALLERYPhalanx of Will, monster dyno whipper, Hebrides trad gnar, Sedona’s steepest, and two bloodcurdling highballs yeah, we’ve got it.
PLANET XThe science (and the why) of high-end headpointing, as revealed during a gripper first-ascent mission on the domes of Vedauwoo, Wyoming.Introduction and Photos by John Dickey Captions by Eric DeCaria and Matt Segal
NOBODY’S FOOLOn April 1, 2008, Alex Honnold free-soloed the 1,000-foot 5.12+ Moonlight Buttress, in Zion, a beyond-the-pale ascent many still struggle to comprehend. What makes this hyper-talented but complex young climber tick, and where will he take the sport next?By Chris Weidner
GET SHORTY!A shout out to America’s five finest sport routes in miniature, celebrating the oft-overlooked (but long-relevant) ropedbouldering genre.By Matt Samet
DEPARTMENTS
CONTRIBUTORS Brian Solano, Kristin Marine, Andrea Sutherland, and Matt Segal
EDITORIAL Stay sharp: gravity doesn’t sleep.
LETTERS
BASECAMP JUST OUT HOT FLASHES OFF THE WALL PLAYERS TEN THINGS WHIPPED SPORTING LIFE SUSTAINED
CLASSIC CLIMBSTraitor Horn (5.8; four pitches), Tahquitz Rock, California alpine dreaming in the San Jacinto Mountains
TECH TIPTrad: the Soft-Man Link-Up enchaining Half Dome and El Cap all-free in a day . . . for mortals
REVIEWS Books Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite and Humpty Dumpty Climbs Again; film Rumbling Bald
PERSPECTIVE Christian Griffith: climber, craftsman, artist, business owner; Boulder, Colorado