Climbing Covershows

On August 11, some of the strongest climbers in the United States congregated in Salt Lake City at The Front Climbing Club, for SENDFEST. This was the second annual competition held during the Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow (an event attended by many of the country’s top sponsored athletes). There were also some surprise darkhorse climbers, like Brian Kim, Tyler Haack, Patrick Luther, and Tyler Davis; familiar faces, like Chris Sharma, Daniel Woods, and Obe Carrion – yes, he’s out of retirement; and the young guns destined to make Hot Flashes news, Paul Robinson, Jon Cardwell, and Tyler Landman (the U.K. phenom who’s been tearing up Colorado this summer).

Photos by Andy Mann — Climbing Magazine and Marmot held an awards ceremony January 24, to celebrate the recipients of the 2007 Golden Piton Awards. The event, held at the Marmot Booth at the Outdoor Industry Association of America TradeShow, in Salt Lake City, was a big hit, pulling in climbing fans with ashort film showcasing the winners, and free beer and Marmot/Golden Pitonpint glasses. The presenters were Kevin Riley, of Skram Media, and Matt Samet, editor at Climbing. A special thanks to MARMOT.COM, Brian Solano, and to Andy Mann, for taking these shots, as well as all the photographers who donated their images of the winners for the event.

CLIMBING EVENT — Welcome to the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell; the Friday night slackline competition; Clay Frisbie on Door Prize, 5.12a; climbers on Hackberrry Crack, 5.9; Josh Carrick on Powdered Toast Man, 5.12b; Clay Frisbie on Granny Tranny, 5.12a; night time headlmap chaos; and event winner Todd Johnson on The Farrier , 5.12a, September 28th-30th, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch near Jasper, Arkansas.

CLIMBING EVENTS – September 28th-30th at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch near Jasper, Arkansas, hundreds of climbers, from all over the country, will come to particpate in a one-of-a-kind, 24-hour-long, endurance style, outdoor climbing competion.

I’m gonna slit your throat open…” says the deeply distorted basso on my voicemail, one week before a mag-sponsored bouldering trip to Flagstaff, Arizona. “You better think twice about bringing Climbing down here. That’s right… close your blinds… turn off your lights… but I still have you in my crosshairs.” The message ends.

Britons Jon Bracey and Andy Houseman have made the second ascent of the French Route on the North Buttress of Mt. Hunter, 23 years after the first ascent.

32 TOWERS IN A MONTH — Joseph Puryear of Leavenworth, WA and Talkeetna, AK kept busy this spring completing a desert Southwest super-tour climbing 32 towers in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada on a one month road trip. He then published this inspiring report to Supertopo.com on April 27th and allowed Climbing.com to host it as well. Areas included in the super-tour: Colorado National Monument, the Superstition Mountains, Red Rocks, Zion, Indian Creek (Bridger Jacks), Canyonlands, Tusher and Mill Canyons, Fisher Towers and Castle Valley.

The ABS7 Nationals started with in a frenzy. 40 tough finalists competed against the clock and each other, but the problems looked at first to be tougher. The final problems had competitors bouting against technical cruxes and hucking huge final throws for the lip. When the chalk dust settled Daniel Woods grabbed first place, but without solving the last Men’s problem nor did any one else. Alex Puccio pushed past top women competitors Angie Payne and Emily Harrington to nab first place by reaching the highest point on problem 4.

PHOTO GALLERIES — On February 16th, the Saturday-night final drew an audience of hundreds to the Spot gym in Boulder, Colorado concluding Season 9 of the American Bouldering Series. Photos of Alex Puccio, Alex Johnson, Paige Claassen, Elizabeth Asher, Tiffany Hensley, Lisa Rands, Paul Robinson, Chris Sharma, Sean McColl, Mark Hobson, Tyler Haack, Keita Mogak and more. READ MORE

A German-Venezuelan team established a 20-pitch free route up the North Pillar of Acopan Tepui in Venezuela in December. After an approach by folding canoes and a trail hacked through the rainforest above the Gran Sabana, Kurt Albert, Ivan Calderón, Stefan Glowacz, and Holger Heuber (along with a photographer, cameraman, and doctor) climbed 20 pitches up the 2,300-foot buttress. In early January, shortly after the Germans paddled off toward an airstrip to be picked up, Americans Kyle Dempster and Mike Libecki arrived at Acopan Tepui, hoping to make the first ascent of the North Pillar. (Libecki had attempted the wall four years earlier, climbing about 700 feet.) After climbing the initial jungle pitches, they were disappointed to discover that someone had just been there and had removed the fixed ropes and portaledge that Libecki had left on the wall.

Easter Bouldering at Albarracin Photos by David Balcells — www.canpirra.com Albarracin is the Spanish bouldering mecca with excellent orange sandstone cracks, slabs, roofs, featured with pockets, sloppers and crimps. This year we decided to have our easter vacation in Albarracin. So we packed up everything in our old caravan and headed for a full week of bouldering in the middle of March when the weather is cold and dry. The bouldering is located near Teruel in northwest Spain, on a high plateau at around 4000 feet.

Daniel Woods and Alex Puccio were the big winners at the two-day, three-event Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado, last weekend. Woods, a 16-year-old Coloradan, beat New Jersey’s Paul Robinson in a superfinal on Saturday afternoon in the bouldering finals; both men had completed all of the semifinal and final problems. Meanwhile, Puccio, a 17-year-old from Texas, won both the women’s bouldering difficult comp and the “speed bouldering” competition. Woods and Puccio won the men’s and women’s national bouldering championships in February.

Alexander Huber has redpointed an enormous 5.14 overhang, once called the “biggest roof on earth,” starting five pitches up the 1,500-foot north face of Cima Ovest in the Dolomites’ famous Tre Cime.

2007 All Access Tour – October 25-December 10 From Hueco Tanks to the Trango Towers. A Multimedia Presentation and Access Fund Membeship Drive presented by Micah Dash and Matt Segal. The All Access Tour will take off from Boulder, Colo; and make stops in: Kansas City, Mo; St. Louis, Mo; Red River Gorge, Ky; New River Gorge, W.Va; Baltimore, Md; Richmond, Va; Charolotte, N.C; Ashville, N.C; Boone, N.C; Knoxville, Tenn; Atlanta, Ga; Chattanooga, Tenn; and Little Rock, Ark; We will also be participating in two of the three Triple Crown Events, for a total of 15 events.

Fantasyland – A deranged trip up Cerro TorreBy Kelly Cordes – In 2007, Kelly Cordes and Colin Haley linked two monster routes to climb Cerro Torre base-to-summit in 32 hours. And you know what? It’s all good, brah. … Alex Lowe once said that there are two kinds of climbers: those who climb because their heart sings when they’re in the mountains, and all the rest. I’d like to fancy myself the former, though sometimes I wonder.

PHOTOPOST — Sport Climbing Action at the Division Wall and Beer Can Alley, American Fork Canyon, Utah.

American Latok 1 Expedition – 2007 Mugs Stump Award Trip Report “In our 42 days at Basecamp we only experienced two truly good days, and the pressure never went more then a few points in either direction.” —Josh Wharton

Gone in 60 seconds. Watch JJ Fuerst huck off the Tombstone, a 400 foot tall piece of wingate sandstone known for Dean Potters 5.13 testpiece Epitaph, outside of Moab, Utah.

Midwest Crags by Andrew Chasteen — Oklahoma shooter Andy Chasteen seeks out a variety of outdoor adventure mediums in his work, but the dance between rock and humanity is where his heart lies — eye focuses and shutter clicks. If you are looking, you can find him perched on a distant high point, bush whacking, or hanging from a fixed line in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma or the Ozark Mountains of NW Arkansas. Find more at AndrewChasteen.com

ANGELA PAYNE – PRO BLOG 2 – After leaving the South and making the boring two day drive across Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas, we arrived in Hueco Tanks. The last time Jamie and I spent a long time here was two years ago on our first big road trip. Because of increased media coverage and the publication of the guide book, Hueco was a madhouse that year. Countless hours were spent waiting at the gate, and when we did manage to get in the park, we were often frustrated by warm temperatures.

Eddie A. climbing on the classic steep splitter, Anunnaki at the Optimator Wall in Indian Creek, UT.

Mike and Rob tackle Astro Dog for the final route of the AstroTour.

Astroman during the AstroTour.

A tour of some steep sandstone in Australia’s, Blue Mountains. © Photos courtesy of Pixie_Pixel.

Rob Pizem sport climbing in Austria, September, 2006.

Better known as an ice and mixed climber, Austria’s Harald Berger is also a master of Alpine mega-sport climbs. Now, after repeating some of the hardest long routes in Europe, he has redpointed his own testpiece on Switzerland’s legendary Rätikon. In late July, Berger led all six pitches of Antihydral (8b/5.13d), a route bolted more than a decade ago but never free-climbed. The pitches go at 5.12d, 5.13d, 5.12c, 5.12d, 5.12b, and 5.13c, with the final crux featuring a six-foot bulge with holds all pointing the wrong way.

Perhaps nowhere else on Earth can you find a crag so inextricably linked with world history. For example, a favorite climb, Goblin (5.10c), boasts a forearm-sized hole at mid-height. Here, as your arm reaches into the Bunker’s cold bowels, you can’t help but be reminded that during the Berlin air raids, as many as 18,000 civilians huddled inside with only one hour of oxygen if the power was cut. (The interior walls were painted with white phosphorus — itself extremely toxic — which glowed during power outages.) In the last few weeks of the war, as the Russians closed in, Berliners amassed in these bunkers for weeks on end. Thousands committed suicide. For more about the bunker: http://www.travelerphotography.com/essay/essay.htm

“Player” Profile: BJ TILDEN — In February 2006, I was shooting video in Hueco Tanks with Dave Graham, Brian Camp, Jamie Emerson, and Angie Payne. We were living at the Hueco Rock Ranch. People talk about who’s doing what and gossip about who’s stronger than whom all the time there. (It gets a bit annoying.)

Greg Williams and Penn Newhard on Black Streaks a multi-pitch sport climbing adventure above Alta, Utah.

By Gerhard Schaar — www.gerhardschaar.com – Bolts for Bangalore was two-month project in India to train local climbers how to replace unsafe anchors on existing routes and establish some safe new sport climbs. Over 50 remarkable new pitches were climbed in the areas of Badami and Ramanagaram. The new lines define a new standard of climbing in India since most of the old routes have been bolted inadequately. READ MORE ABOUT THE BOLTS FOR BANGALORE PROJECT

PHOTOPOST — Boulder (Colorado) Girls — Aly going big on Consideration (V3), Cloudshadow Boulder, Flagstaff Mountain; Natalie sticking the crux move on Strange Science (5.11c), Avalon Crag, Boulder Canyon; Nikki preparing for a slopey topout at Joe’s Valley, UT; A busy day on the Turning Point, Flatirons; Aly getting down to business, Flagstaff Mountain; Sabrina at Carter Lake

PHOTO GALLERIES — Take a tour of bouldering testpieces with Colorado High School student Ryan Olson as he guides you from Hueco Tanks to Rocky Mountain National Park on problems like: Deep Puddle Dynmaics (V9), European Being Human (V12), Burnout (V12) and Right Angryman (V10).

The steamy sport climbs of Brazil. © Photos uploaded to Photopost by ghnouer

PHOTO GALLERIES — California Bouldering — Sean Naugle is an Escondido, California local and Brooks Institute of Photography student with a concentration on sports and outdoor photography, mainly motorsports and rock climbing. He grew up camping and spending lots of time outdoors doing various activities ranging from Tae Kwon Do to dirt bike riding to skateboarding.

Photos by Carlos Hernandez — Carlosbcn.com — La Salle Enginyeria /Arquitectura hosted the Copa Catalana and University Rock Climbing Championships Saturday May 12, 2007 in Barcelona, Spain. The competition saw about 80 competitors from 7 to 50 years old. The bouldering competition was held in an immense hall which made it ideal for spectators. The competition was organised by Jaume Oliveras, La SALLE Climbing Director.

In October 2006, Alpinists Ben Clark and Josh Butson ventured to the Quonglai Mountains in Western China’s Sichuan Province. They were inspired and encouraged by mentor Charlie Fowler, was on a quest for adventure and first ascents on virgin granite. The pair found what they were looking for and the adventure can now be viewed at: therestofeverest.com

Charlie Fowler, who perished in an avalanche in China in November 2006, was one of America’s leading rock climbers and alpinists. His friends and climbing partners Damon Johnson and Pat Ament remember their time together on the rocks, and we present Fowler’s final pieces of writing for Climbing, two short tales of adventure (and misadventure) from Peru and Tibet.

PHOTO GALLERIES — The majestic 1000 foot, knob-covered, South Face (III 5.7) of Charlotte Dome is true Sierra classic climb located in Kings Canyon National Park. It was first climbed in October of 1970 by Chris Jones, Galen Rowell, and Fred Beckey all free, without a single piton.

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — The great Japanese explorer Tamotsu Nakamura has returned from another expedition to far western China with photos of stunning unclimbed peaks. Since 1990, Nakamura has made more than 25 exploratory journeys to the border country of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and Tibet, where hundreds of high peaks have yet to be attempted by mountaineers. CLICK HERE

EXTENDED FEATURES – Miss the crux lunge, and it’s miles of penalty slack. Sharma spent three days lobbing here before he snatched the hold. © Photo by Corey Rich — coreyrich.com

Italian Christian Core has completed the long version of a boulder problem called Gioia at Varazze, Italy, and given it 8C (V15). Core worked for four months on problem, which has 14 hard moves and bad feet, and said it was his hardest ever. Core originally sent the line at V12 from a standing start in the middle of the cave, but then decided to work on the full traverse. © Photo by Roberto Armando / Infoboulder.com

Some secret boulders near Ponderosa, New Mexico called Cibola (aka La Range)

Some beautiful secret boulders near Ponderosa, New Mexico — Cibola (aka La Range)

On November 11, Paul Robinson made a quick ascent of the granite testpiece Circadian Rhythm (V13/14), in Poudre Canyon, near Rustic, Colorado. Although fighting a 72-hour illness, Robinson explains, “I was just lying around all day, because I had a fever … some wacked-out bug I got on Friday. My lockoff strength was horrible. I was psyched, though, because the weather was so perfect to do it. I rested for three hours, then did it just when the temps got really cold.”

Conn Diagonal, Black Hills, South Dakota — This unforgettable 300-foot, three-pitch climb sits in the shade on Outer Outlet, one of many striking formations in Custer State Park, South Dakota. Although certainly not the hardest or scariest line in the area, the Conn Diagonal stands as a bastion of exposure above the Black Hills’ dark-green, Ponderosa canopy.

Walk on the Wild Side, Joshua Tree — As one of the largest climbing areas in the world, with about 5,000 routes to choose from, Joshua Tree could keep you busy for a lifetime, though it hardly registers as a place to go for longer routes. One notable exception is Walk on the Wild Side, a 600-foot beeline up the right side of Saddle Rock, the largest stone in the Monument.

Climbing Magazine – 254 – January 2007 — SPEED DEMONS – Take a visual sprint up El Cap with two big-wall masters; SLAB HAPPY – Boulder’s gently reclined Flatirons; Todd Skinner 1958–2006 – The iconic big-wall free-climbing pioneer, fell to his death on Yosemite’s Leaning Tower.

CLIMBING MAGAZINE’S February Issue — No. 264 — IS ON THE NEWSSTAND. IN THIS ISSUE: Los Humildes pa Casa (5.14b) feels the crush groove of Dave Graham, Oliana, Spain; 2007 Sport Golden Piton winner Ethan Pringle works an open project at Clark Mountain, California; Daniel Woods gets it done on the scary upper crux of Midnight Express (V14), Boulder Canyon, Colorado; Lisa Rands makes the mondo lockoff on Golden Shower (V10), a Buttermllks, California.

Adventure Climbing in Corsica — Corsica is the Brigadoon of the climbing world: Most have heard of it, few know where it is, and nobody, apparently, has climbed there. Flipping through old magazines, I saw an article by Arnaud Petit: “Corsica: a mountain in the sea” [Climbing No. 152]. I had nurtured a mild obsession with the island ever since.

ABOVE & BEYOND — Legends of the Costa Blanca – Text and Photos by Dougald MacDonald – The Costa Blanca, a 50-mile swath of beaches and limestone cliffs on Spain’s eastern coast, between Murcia and Valencia, is one of the great winter climbing destinations of the world.

CLIMBING’S JANUARY 2008 ISSUE ONSALE NOW — VERTICAL ETHIOPIA — Infinite, crumbling spires of northern Ethiopia; THE LINE OF CONTROL — Kashmir is known for its conflict, sure . . . between India and Pakistan; WYOMING WIND — Wild, remote, monster granite of the Wind River Range; NECESSARY EVOLUTION — Clean climbing is back, stronger than ever, and it’s high time we think before we drill, says Sonnie Trotter. PHOTOS BY: Cory Richards, Nick Rosen, Tim Kemple, Andrew McGarry and Gabe Rogel

Spain’s Edu Marin has nabbed the second ascent of the original La Rambla (5.15a), right under the noses of several of the world’s best sport climbers, who also have been trying the route. Marin completed the endurance testpiece at Siurana, Spain, on November 30. As reported on Dave Graham’s Pro Blog, Graham, Dani Andrada, and Chris Sharma have all been working on the line, with Sharma apparently the closest.

Crack Addiction Fissures of the West, from seams to bomb-baysIn North America, crack climbing means selfsufficiency: gauging size, assessing your rack, and slamming in gear as needed. It also means favoring technique over power, or rather, learning to harness your inner brute to cup and jam, ring-lock and foot torque, armbar, chimney, and chickenwing — because go-for-broke laybacking and praying for face holds often aren’t “technique” enough.

Highlights from the 2008 New River Rendezvous — Amazing climbing, killer party and just enough rain to let the forearms depump — all to raise funds for the New River Alliance of ClimbersIn case you need a few more reasons to check out the NRR next year: shown here is Matt Fanning on Cage Match (5.12d) at the Meadow, festivities at the Burnwood Campground (note: everyone is using their own cup), a little slackline action, the Project Holds Dyno Comp, and kickin it live on the mic — Kris “Odub” Hampton

“All I have been doing is climbing 24/7 , driving back and forth between Innsbruck and Ticino. Having been out of school for almost a year now, all responsibilities that I used to have are now finished and now the only focus is climbing and making sure the bills are paid (not to mention a few parking tickets and speeding tickets much to the dismay of my girlfriend).” —Daniel Woods

“After I stopped sleeping properly, I had the feeling something was going down. Information trapped in my head, or at least, I hypothesized, similar to one of the racing scenes from Tron, interfaces behold little motorcycles carrying information along at a blazing pace, all through out my mind for hours.” —Dave Graham from his 14th Pro Blog

Graham-Pro Blog 15Today I stepped outside my shanty place — my fort — or my resting grounds if you will, and felt the urge to reach out to the world again. Today is most certainly special and I have been waiting for a long to make sure the time was right. From the moment I awoke, I knew there would have to be this relay, this transmission, but in all cases, this batch of words will be sent to the real world, straight from my new home, The Island. I have not lost my mind, neither have I become adjacent and old, grown a beard, found a four-leafed clover, nearly died, or gone sane.

“After a rest day, I fell off three times on [Realization’s] crux move, which was kinda discouraging … then after another rest day, I fired it off the first try with perfect conditions.” —Dave Graham — ProBlog 13

Dumby Dave – The Dark Art of Rhapsody — At E11 7a, Rhapsody requires 5.14c climbing with 70-foot fall potential — Dave MacLeod succeeded only after two years and numerous ankle-smashing rippers. He has free-soloed 5.13d and repeated E-desperates throughout the British Isles. He also has climbed 5.14c sport in Spain and established V13.

Dumby Dave – The Dark Art of Rhapsody — At E11 7a, Rhapsody requires 5.14c climbing with 70-foot fall potential — Dave MacLeod succeeded only after two years and numerous ankle-smashing rippers. He has free-soloed 5.13d and repeated E-desperates throughout the British Isles. He also has climbed 5.14c sport in Spain and established V13.

Hot Flashes News — Scotland’s Dave MacLeod has completed “the most dangerous lead I’ve ever done,” a new route at Hell’s Lum crag in the Cairngorm mountains.

Colin Haley and Mark Westman climbed the Denali Diamond route on Mt. McKinley’s southwest face in less than 48 hours, from the bergschrund to the summit, making the probable fifth ascent of one of Alaska’s most beautiful climbs. The two climbed the steep rock wall that gives the route its name in 21 hours, then continued to about 16,500 feet for a bivouac. They summitted on the second day and descended to the 14,000-foot camp on the West Buttress Route.

So check it out: Here is some crazy news. It’s raining here in Catalunya. Everything is wet and humid, and climbing doesn’t look so hot! As well, it’s raining in Aragon, which in my personal opinion is even more tragic! Other terrible news from the south, down in Andalusia, is that it is, as well, raining. – Dave Graham

On the Blouberg Massif, a 1,200-foot quartzite mesa near South Africas’s northern border, a major FA played out: Dog of Thunder, a 13-pitch 5.13 A0 envisioned by the South African Charles “Snort” Edelstein, with assistance from Stewart Middlemiss and the talented all-arounder Clinton Martinengo. Their efforts mark a nearly all-free FA of South Africa’s most difficult big wall, one that Edelstein pegs at possibly 5.13d to do single push, all free.

CLIMBING HOT FLASHES NEWS — The massive limestone cliffs of Oman on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula are hot this winter, with many new routes being established. Most recently, Slovenians Dejan Miskovic and Matej Knavs have climbed Kabir Hajar on the 900-meter south face of Jebel Misht, the most famous cliff in Oman. The two Slovenians climbed the route in a 24-hour round trip and no bolts, with climbing up to UIAA VIII- (5.11c). Earlier last month, Miskovic and Pavle Kozjek established Yel-la Sadik on the southeast face of the Jebel Misht massif, climbing the 900-meter face in just nine and a half hours, with difficulties up to 5.10.

PHOTOPOST — Deron Stevens, on (and off) the classic friction slab, Space (V8) at The Stone Fort, AKA Little Rock City, near Chattanooga, TN.

Scott Semple and Raphael Slawinski have climbed a difficult new route on the northeast face of 11,319-foot Mt. Andromeda in the Canadian Rockies, left of the classic Andromeda Strain. The route takes a direct line up a curving, right-facing corner system with eight pitches of sustained ice runnels and drytooling, capped by an exit through a large cornice. The two climbed the 700-meter route on May 15 in a 17-hour round trip from their car. DTCB (The Doctor, The Tourist, His Crampon and Their Banana) was given the modern grade of V M7, in much the same understated spirit that desperate Canadian Rockies routes have long been graded 5.9 A2.

PRO BLOGS — “Since I got back from Europe, aside from a couple short trips, I’ve mostly been hanging out in the city, surfing as much as I can, and climbing in the gym some. It was nice to see friends that I had been thinking about during my three-and-a-half month stay in Europe and spend time with my family.” —ETHAN PRINGLE

Blank Check – A trip up the Eigernordwand, 69 years after the first ascent – In 1938, a tough team comprised of Andreas Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Heinrich Harrer, and Fritz Kasparek made it up the Eigernordwand after a decade of attempts by Europe’s finest. So many have died on the face, you don’t know how to begin to count.

In honor of the 15th annual 2007 Celebrate Eldorado event, the Action Committee for Eldorado (ACe) has assembled an amazing collection of rare signed prints by legendary photographers Dudley Chelton, Glenn Randall, Beth Wald, and Dan Hare.

This weekend our good friends Cary and Damo flew Natasha and I down to southern California to climb Iron Resolution in Joshua Tree. It was my third time climbing this amazing boulder, and the most amount of tries it took me to repeat it. The first time I sent it (and the first time I repeated it), I did it first try of the day. But, this time, it took me several tries to do, and I was getting pretty frustrated, thinking I wasn’t going to be able to do it again.

After Hueco, we visited many great bouldering destinations — a week in the Arkansas Ozarks, a few days in the Front Range, a week in Joe’s Valley, and a couple days in Little Cottonwood Canyon to top it off. — Ethan Pringle

ETHAN PRINGLE’S PROBLOG – “My main goal of the trip was to climb, or climb on, the notorious Realization or Biographie, whatever you want to call it. But after suffering my minor debilitating ankle injury and just not feeling like I was in good enough shape in general, I had my doubts.”

When someone gets on a rip — as the California climber Ethan Pringle has in the last few months — it’s almost impossible to keep up with him. However, the bouldering tick list Pringle has racked up since April, particularly in Utah and Colorado, is singularly impressive. On a perfect spring day (April 9) in Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC), Utah, Pringle flashed Bully (V12) and the highball Triple Threat Arête (V10), and made the first repeat of the hairball Sam’s Arete (aka Birds Nest; said to be somewhere between “V8 and V12” and with a stopper dyno at the top, according to the photographer Ryan Wedemeyer, who shot the sequence of Pringle flashing Bully, seen here).

I also managed a first ascent of an extension of an already established route at the third tier called Wall of Glass. Lindner has been working on it off and on for the last five or so years, falling at the last hard boulder problem, which is still about 50 feet from the anchors of the full pitch, which makes it about a 120-foot pitch in total. It is a consistently bouldery route, and no move is harder than about V10ish. It has a couple of decent rests that you have to milk, or they will milk you. The angle of the wall is like 20 degrees overhanging the whole way—pretty bitchin’ line. I am including a picture of Lindner I took a while back on the first crux of the route.

“I was able to do all the moves of the upper crux and the beginning rail traverse on my first tries, but that slab, man… I decided to have another go on it and split the tip of my index finger — something I have never done in my life (which I attribute to the humidity) — and was done for the day.” —Ethan Pringle

As ice climbers converge from around the world on the famed Festiglace, held just south of Quebec city, Mother Nature has prepared an alpine welcome. Blizzards and other weather obstacles clog many of the Midwestern and Northeastern travel hubs, and here, outside our traveling headquarters at the Gite a Emilie in Neuville, snow is blowing sideways across the ice-choked St. Laurence River … which is a welcome change from this morning’s sleet.

If you’re a climber in the Pacific Northwest, climb boulders or big walls, there’s really no excuse for missing the Leavenworth Rockfest sponsored by Feathered Friends on June 2nd-3rd. Photos by Eddie Espinosa

Stone Monkeys – Visions of the modern-age StonemastersMany sojourn to Yosemite with starry-eyed dreams of El Capitan or Half Dome. For some — myself included — the draw is so strong we return every year. And if you’ve ever scrounged in the Valley dirt, you’ve likely met the eclectic clan of regulars who’ve traded normal life for the dirtbag dream — the “Stone Monkeys” (aka “Rock Monkeys”). —Cedar Wright

CLIMBING HOT FLASHES NEWS — New Hampsherites Dana “Mad Dog” Drummond and Freddie Wilkinson have done a superb three-day traverse of Aguja Guillaumet, Aguja Mermoz, and Fitz Roy by its North Pillar. The traverse was the culmination of three warm-up climbs, including two new routes or variations, completed during the incredible high-pressure system that settled over the Fitz Roy massif during the second half of January.

Fried Chicken on Chicken Island By Björn Alber – Photos by Frank Shröter – Sketchy, stoned boatmen that don’t appear on time, no water, bolt glue that doesn’t work, diving to retrieve lost bolts… A lot of work went into setting up the first sport climb on this Krabi, Thailand landmark.

Wilkinson – Pro Blog 5 — You know how it goes: most of the time, we alpinists don’t think with our heads. Such was my initial reaction on seeing pictures of the Jangpar Glacier. Every alpinist knows that fate will only deal him a few special summits in his career. And Peak 5960, with its clean lines and elegant symmetry, a classic alpine pyramid complete with a stylish fault of white quartzite streaking across its north face, was damn near perfect.

Crack Climbing 101: Indian Creek — Photo Gallery by Gerhard Schaar – Austrian climber, globe-trekker and photographer Gerhard Schaar captures the beauty of Utah’s splitter paradise on classic pitches like Supercrack (5.10) , 3 A.M. Crack (5.10), Cave Route (5.11-), Scarface (5.11-), Fingers in a Light Socket (5.11+), Swedin Ringle (5.12-) and more.

Photos by Devaki Murch – Over 50 women participants attended the first annual women’s climbing weekend, April 28-29, 2007, at Joshua Tree National Park. The Sterling Rope/Peak Rescue Inst. Women’s Climbing Weekend, was hot in more ways than one!

2008 Gravity Brawl Wrap Up — Report by Megan Parks — On March 28 and 29, the 2008 Gravity Brawl had Isaac Newton turning in his grave. The season opener of the Mammut Bouldering Championships Pro Tour had 270+ participants who pushed the gravitational limits.

New Jersey is short on World-class bouldering, but thanks to the New Jersey Rock Gym’s monstrous terrain and “Thunderdome” a portable structure by PYRAMIDE USA, there was some incredible action on March 24th and 25th. As the final stop of the 2006 Mammut Bouldering Championships, the NJ Rock Gym Gravity Brawl did not disappoint. Almost 200 individuals competed, from beginners to pros. The finals for the pros were a spectacle of sights and sounds. Jason Danforth and the NE2C crew kept the action moving at a frenzied pace, giving competition climbing a dynamic new face.W hen the dust finally settled, Daniel Woods and Lizzy Asher stood victoriously atop the podium. © Photos by JenFu Cheng – www.jenfucheng.com

PHOTO GALLERIES — Boulder, Colorado, photogapher Greg Mionske’s passion is bouldering and landscape photography in places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Bishop, California. Shown here are photos from Colorado and Utah: Carlo Traversi sending Cage Free at the Poudre River; Alex Puccio warming up; Carlo Traversi working a DWS project in Joes Valley, Giovanni Traversi in RMNP; and finally an Eldorado Canyon highball.

Hong Kong – Pearl of the Orient — By Wong Ho Fai and Jonn Benedict Lu – Hong Kong is Asia’s financial hub for international commerce, and gateway to the burgeoning economic superpower that is China. Although Hong Kong is only 1,104 sq km in size, the entire gamut of tropical climbing activities are available; sport, traditional, multi-pitch, bouldering, and of course buildering.

HOT FLASHES NEWS FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE — At Crawford Notch, Eric McCallister completed the first lead of Dial M for Murder (WI4+ M8) on Mt. Willard. Dan Corn and Jim Surette skied the snow-covered granite slabs of Whitehorse Ledge in North Conway, New Hampshire, making two short rappels to bypass unskiable ice.

CLIMBING EVENTS – Saturday, March 1, the Schultz family will be hosting the Southern SloperFest Bouldering Competition and Music Festival charity event at Horse Pens 40, in Steele, Alabama – benefiting the Southeastern Climbers Coalition, Chandler Mountain Volunteer Fire & Rescue, and Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital.

The 2005/2006 season witnessed everything from standard-setting first ascents and widespread development of new boulders to repeats of proud and stout established problems, as climbers settled into Hueco Tanks’ guided tour policies and North Mountain user limitations.

Hueco Rock Rodeo 2007 – February 24th, the last Saturday of the month, was a chilly but prefect day for bouldering, and a good time was had by all who attended.

The 2006 Rock Rodeo began on another lucid blue-sky day ripe for t-shirtless bouldering in Hueco Tanks State Park. Climbers jumped into impromptu cargo vehicles carrying passengers and their crashpads- reminiscent to that of the Beverly Hillbillies.

PHOTO GALLERIES — Asheville, North Carolina, photographer Jeff Zimmerman gives us a peak at the world through his lens: the proud Mount Agner, Italian Alps; misty, alpine limestone in the Dolomites; the splitter cracks of Rumbling Bald, North Carolina; sureal sunset on Looking Glass Rock, NC; jagged skyline of the Dolomites; and nice round problem at Rumbling Bald, NC.

“One night, I was on a 25-foot highball on east face of Square Rock on Dinosaur Mountain — I got stuck high on that one day and held there for about an hour, waiting for a hiker to help me, but no one came by. It was either jump or top out, I topped out.” —Jim Holloway

Down Under: Stu Ellis sticking the crux throw of Last Man Standing (V8) at Bonnet Bay, Sydney; Helen Day showing the boys how its done at South Central on Maintain the Rage (5.12d); Duncan Steel feeling the moves of Cherry Ripe (5.10a) at Dolphin Walls, Port Stephens; Simon discovering the joys of the of the Sissy Crag sandbag.

EXTENDED FEATURES — The Full Johnny Dawes Interview – Fiercely intelligent, iconoclastic, dancing to the eternal vibrations of the rock that the rest of us just pull past – Johnny Dawes, 43, the irrepressible English climber who brought solid E8 (Gaia, an E8 6c at Black Rocks) and the world’s first E9 (Indian Face, E9 6c, 150 feet of technical, 5.12c death at Clogwyn D’ur Arddu) to the world during his manic blitzkrieg in 1986.

Jon Cardwell © Photos by Steve Woods

Spring Break at Joshua Tree Photos by Andrew Chasteen — A trip into the west is a welcomed treat for a trio of rock-hungry Midwesterners. Jeremy Collins, Jarod Sickler and I had resolved to brave the LA smog for a chance to crag in the clear skies and desert rocks of Joshua Tree National Park and the San Jacinto Mountains; AKA Tahquitz. An old, used guide was loaned our way and pointed us in the direction of such classics as Loose Lady, Hot Rocks, Left Ski Track, Clean and Jerk, Walk on the Wild Side, and The Vampire. Five days later, we tucked tail and headed back home with aching bodies and a couple of photos to share.

CLIMBING.COM PRO BLOGS — “I won’t go into all the gritty details of sandstone flakes, slopers, and pockets, but I will say this: there is real bouldering in Athens, Ohio. Some of it is sandychoss. I wasn’t lichen all of it (if you get my meaning). And some of it was lowball and contrived. But some of it was good, a small percentage of it was very good, and likely much more goodness has yet to be found/developed.” —Justin Roth

Justin Roth – Pro Blog 3 — 2008 Red Rock Rendezvous — “Vegas, Baby, I thought as I boarded the plane in Denver. Ticket in hand, camera in tow, and a bag full of rope, draws, and clean undies in the checked baggage compartment below, I was ready for the sunny sandstone and the hordes of adoring readers I’d encounter while repping the mag at the fifth annual Red Rock Rendezvous; March 28-30 — one of the biggest, most laid back climber events of the year.”

K2 Dispatch 26: 5th time is the Charm — After enduring another closed weather window and returning safely to base camp earlier this week, the team’s spirits have been buoyed by the news that a summit chance looks very promising early next week. —SharedSummits.com

PHOTOPOST — Mixed climbing on the icy Pink Panther (M9+) bareback style, Kandersteg, Switzerland; and the view from the Albinoni-Gabarrou couloir on Mont Blanc du Tacul.

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — Kelly McBride visited Bishop in mid-December, and came away with a handful of high-level sends. Most impressive was Center Direct (V10) at the Peabodies, which local Wills Young calls “extremely tough for shorter climbers.” During her short visit, McBride also climbed Bubba Gump (V9/V10) at the Peabodies, and Low Rider (V10) and Cholos (V9) at the Happy Boulders. Last July, she did the Kind Traverse (V11) in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Klettergarden — Alpine Moderate Madness — What comes to mind when I mention Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)? Probably the Diamond of Longs Peak, that 1,000-foot granite plaque capping an ominous east-facing cirque. Or maybe Hallet Peak and the clusters of V-hard boulderers sessioning the talus at its base.

Ko Lao Liang – Paradise in Thailand Photos by Gerhard Schaar — On my second trip to the limestone wonderland of Thailand, I started off at the mecca of Ton Sai. After only a couple nights I moved on to Ko Lao Liang which is a great little resort and more quiet. Not far from here is Koh Yao Noi, one huge perfect beach with the adjacent cliffs. After ten days it was time to move on again. Back in Ton Sai, for a few days then to Chiang Mai for a few days of climbing at the Crazy Horse Buttress. Then to a new place, Chiang Daeng, to check out some newly established lines. At the nearby village, we witnessed some real Thai culture, soon to vanish as the the old generation passes away. A great experience and so different to the super touristy south.

Americans Toby Grohne and Jesse Huey established a striking new route on Agjua St. Exupery, a satellite peak south of Fitz Roy in Patagonia. The two climbed Last Gringos Standing (V 5.11- C1) just left of the knife-edge southwest ridge of the peak over two days in early March.

© Leading Off Images on Climbing.com

Line of Control — Bouldering, Big-Walling, and International Conflict in Indian Kashmir — Our basecamp, nestled in a grassy meadow, had freshwater springs on two sides and amazing granite bouldering. For a week, we’d lounged in the sun like fat marmots, eating well, “acclimatizing” (camp lay at 13,000 feet), and reading Cormac McCarthy westerns . . . which left us talking like cowboys.

LISA RANDS INTERVIEW — “This past December, when I tried it [The Mandala (V12)] for the first time of the season, I felt so much stronger than before; I knew I would do it. But even on the second day, though I made the big move several times, I couldn’t quite grab the key crimp in the right spot. Then snow buried the boulder for two agonizing weeks. On my third try of the third day this season I hit the micro-crimp perfectly and went to the top.”

Lauren Lee on the first ascent of Pucker at Welcome Springs, Utah originally thought to 5.13b, but upgraded to 5.13c by Dave Graham. “I love this sequence of photos and thought it would be fun to share a piece of history since I’ve been busy traveling and haven’t had much time to write.” —Lauren Lee — Pro Blog 5

Photos by Ryan Olson — BoulderingMedia.com — Lisa Rands and Paul Robinson won the third and final stage of the Triple Crown Bouldering Series at the Stone Fort (aka Little Rock City) near Chattanooga, Tennessee. Robinson swept the series, previously winning the Triple Crown comps at Horse Pens 40 (Alabama) in October and Hound Ears (North Carolina) in November. Visiting Californian Lisa Rands took home first prize at the Stone Fort, while Kate McGinnis, second at the Stone Fort comp, won the women’s open series title with a second at Horse Pens 40 and a win at Hound Ears. READ MORE

Photos of Angie Payne, Paul Robinson, Daniel Woods, Alex Puccio and Emily Harrington by Wade David from the 2007 Spot Bouldering Series competition in Boulder, Colorado. Saturday, February, 24th Mens winners: 1st Paul Robinson, 2nd Daniel Woods, 3rd Carlo Traversi and Womens winners:1st Angie Payne, 2nd Emily Harrington, 3rd Alex Puccio. Visit: www.thespotgym.com for more information.

Last November, I was attempting Mandragora, located at my “second home” —

Colorado Headpoint Gets Four RepeatsThe trad-style/headpoint testpiece Must’a Been High (5.13c R), on the Rincon Wall in Eldorado Springs Canyon, Colorado, saw a record four ascents over a three-week period in late February, early March. The climbers were Boulder hardmen: Justen Sjong, Matt Segal, Matt Wilder, and Chris Weidner. First sent as a TR by Sjong in 2002 and dubbed Knee Jerk Reaction, the line fell as a lead to Eric DeCaria several months later.

Alpine Madness – Maxime Turgeon’s Complete Report From a Month in Alaska Trip report and photos by Maxime Turgeon – Everything is calm. I can’t tell were I am; all the sensations of my body are gone except for a warm feeling all over. No more pain, no more sore muscles. Slowly I feel pressure building up in my bladder, and then my numb limbs come back to life. The pressure is soon too great, and my arm starts searching for the zipper pull.

Repeat Crusher Sean McColl and Edmonton Local Thirza Carpenter Top MEC Canadian Bouldering NationalsFor the third consecutive year, Canadian wunderkind Sean McColl took top spot at the Tour De Bloc Bouldering Championships this past weekend (May 18, 2008), having little challenge defeating a strong field of contenders. With McColl a bit under the weather prior to the comp, there was early reverberation that top Edmonton locals Terry Paholek and Marshal German might be able to dethrone McColl.

Megalodon Man — On September 6, 2007 Blake Herrington and Sol Wertkin bagged the first ascent of Mount Goode’s 2,800-foot East Ridge, a line they dubbed Megalodon Ridge, named for the giant prehistoric shark. “That was Sol’s idea,” said Herrington. “This dinosaur-shark was evidently the largest fish to ever live. Before the climb I kept saying that this thing was going to be big, fierce, and intimidating. Throughout the climb we kept joking about all kinds of ‘fishy’ things and it actually helped lighten the mood on route.”

PHOTOPOST — Take a tour of NW sport-climbs: Irreverence, Smith Rock, Oregon; a variation of Pornstar , World Wall 1, North Bend, Washington; The Latest Rage, Smith Rock, Oregon; Jealous God, World Wall 1, North Bend, Washington.

FEATURE ARTICLE — “WE ONLY GET ONE SHOT ON THIS DUSTBALL…” “I often refer to my zone of concentration as the ‘eight-foot eggshell.’ It is the immediate area where my hands and feet lie. It is the concentration of my focus. In this area, I have a choice of moving up or down, but everything outside of that area no longer matters.” —Michael Reardon

“The next day on the way to the airport, we made a quick stop to climb at Little Cottonwood. It was strange to climb there. A religious group blasted the granite slabs to create a temple of faith, but in the process created a temple of adrenaline for our reality.” -Michael Reardon

“I’ve been told that many things are impossible, but my friends and family, the Outlaws, refuse to acknowledge such nonsense. We refuse to live our lives based on someone else’s limitations; we live life based on our expectations.” —Michael Reardon — ProBlog 1

I climbed with Michael for nearly two decades, from the early days of lycra-clad bolt clipping to long trad routes in the Sierra and Needles. After ascending 280 routes solo in a day at Joshua Tree, Michael wondered if he could leave his rope in a closet for a year. That year never ended … We were partners always, and where I could not follow, my lens endeavored to capture his passion for climbing without a net. —Mark Niles

Climbing.com welcomes the newest member to the ProBlog Team – Michael Reardon.

Day 9 of the 21-day-tour. “Solo 50 pitches at Suicide Rocks in Idyllwild, including an onsight solo of a two-pitch 5.12a and a 5.11c; and rework the opening crux of The Pirate (5.12d) to start putting that into the circuit when I get back.” —Michael Reardon

PROBLOGS — “This extraordinary area [Ireland] is home to some of the best sandstone I’ve ever touched. A vast lush valley is lined on both sides with dark purple rock, splattered with massive bands of white quartz.” —Michael Reardon

Mighty Mt. MOG Gets First Ascent – Rob Owens and Eamonn Walsh have climbed another big “alpine cragging” route in the Canadian Rockies—and possibly made the first ascent of a peak little more than 30 minutes’ drive from Banff.

National Championships – Momentum Indoor Climbing GymPhotos by John Evans — Emily Harrington and Chris Sharma topped very strong fields at last weekend’s comp at Momentum Inoor Climbing Gym, near Salt Lake City to be named adult national champions in lead climbing. Read More

Mt. Alberta’s North Face in Near-Winter — In late March, Vince Anderson and Steve House climbed a new route on the north face of Mt. Alberta in the Canadian Rockies — the first time this legendary face has been ascended in “near-winter” conditions. House has generously provided this slide show to give a taste of the adventure. All photos and captions courtesy of Steve House. Read more about the ascent HERE

Ultar Sar’s Hidden Pillar — 2007 Mugs Stump Award Trip Report by Colin Haley – At the start of August, 2007 Jed Brown and I flew to Islamabad and soon were bumping along the Karakorum Highway towards the famous Hunza Valley, on the west end of the Karakorum Range.

The event gods smiled down on the 5th annual New River Rendezvous providing splitter weather and a large crowd of over 1000 happy, relaxed climbers who enjoyed the three day schedule of comps, clinics, parties and general hanging out and goofing off, all for the benefit of New River Alliance of Climbers. The crowd started pouring in early on Thursday and by Friday’s kick-off event, Dessertapalooza, over 350 tents were up, the parking was filled and the gates closed. Well-organized volunteers kept the scene flowing smoothly for the duration, with Saturday’s packed line-up miraculously staying on schedule: dinner followed by sumo wrestling leading into the dyno comp, culminating with a hot opening set by Odub and a rocking dance party with Atomic Jo. Event organizers report that the fundraising total was stellar as was the cooperative, self-policing nature of the crowd. Plans are already underway for Rendezvous 6!

In 1996, photographer John Burcham and three friends completed the first foot traverse of the 650-mile long Alaska Range. Together, they forded streams, chased off curious grizzlies and crossed crevassed glaciers. After 75 days, they had become a single unit. After delays mounted, Burcham decided to leave the group at the very end of the trip in order to make it to his sister’s wedding. He said goodbye and parted ways. He was alone in the continent’s last great wilderness with a sobering realization — crevasses, hungry wildlife and hypothermia can kill you, but loneliness can drive you crazy.

Ed Strang and Jason Hebert battle some steep sandstone classics in Northern New Mexico at the new secret areas: The Squat and Mega Blocs.

“This is the Woodstock of climbing festivals,” said Craig Luebben, offwidth master and slide show presenter, after a weekend of absolutely splitter weather, a million feet of climbing, and countless crazywildwierd events. An estimated 700+ climbers attended, and events went off pretty much without a hitch, with comp winners walking away with wads of cash and clinic attendees with precious gems of new knowledge. © Images by Devaki Murch

Tour de East: Crack of Dawn (5.10), Seneca Rocks, WV; New Yosemite (5.9), New River Gorge, WV; Tree Route (5.10), New River Gorge; Team Machine (5.12a), New River Gorge; All The Way Baby (5.12b), Summersville Lake, WV; Waimea (5.10d), Rumney, NH; Handsome and Well-Hung (5.11a), New River Gorge

Take a tour of the Needles in California’s sunny Southern Sierra, as seen by traveling photographer Nathaniel Walker.

PHOTO GALLERIES —Take a tour of Sierra rock climbs from the yellow-lichen-crusted foothill boulders on the East Side to airy, isolated alpine summits. The “Snowy Range” is home to some of the most spectacular granite formations in the world.

Ola Taistra

2008 Ouray Ice Festival — 23 Photos by John Evans — The icy hot action at the 13th Ouray Ice Festival in southwestern Colorado, January 9-13, presented a mixed-climbing (and spectator) extravaganza featuring ice climbing to a long bolted rock climb, followed by wild moves between two vertically hanging wooden logs, and finally the diving board. Read More

HOT FLASHES NEWS FROM PATAGONA – Rolando Garibotti and Colin Haley have completed the much-discussed—and occasionally attempted—Torre Traverse: the link-up of Aguja Standhardt, Punta Herron, Torre Egger, and Cerro Torre in a single alpine-style outing.

When Climbing asked the legendary Colorado climber Pat Ament to help us with a Perspective piece, he gave us such deep, thoughtful, well-reasoned answers that we decided to post this interview with him in its entirety. Ament (patament.com) also provided us with these shots of him, past and present.

PHOTOPOST ACTION — Brothers on Space, El Capitan – Timmy and Sean O’Neill (who is a paraplegic) ascend ropes as Cedar Wright breaks down the belay; Paul Barazza coming out of the darkness on Narcissus (V11), Yosemite, CA; Justin Alarcon looking evil before sending Pride (V9 dyno), Yosemite, CA; Steve Maisch looking HUGE on the world-class Thriller (V10), Yosemite, CA; Aris Theodoropoulos on Helios (8a/5.13b), Kalymnos, Greece; Mike Shaffer on Paradise Lost (5.13b), Red River Gorge, KY; and Rode Hard Put Up Wet (5.10d), Foster Falls, TN.

PHOTOPOST — Alex Brunel on Leonardo, 5.13b, Baldy, Quebec; Ben Carlson bouldering in Southern New Hampshire; Dan Mills on White Lines, V8, Donner Summit, California; Andrew Wilder on Fallen Arches 5.12d, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah; and Keith McCallister on the FA of a 5.11 route near The Island, outside Cody, WY.

PHOTOPOST BOULDERING ACTION — Jurie Joubert starts Ergodic (V7), Rocklands, South Africa; Andre on GoBot (V11), RMNP; Giovanni Traversi cranking on The Automator (V13), RMNP; and Carlo Traversi on Diaphanous Sea (V12), Hueco Tanks, Texas.

PHOTOPOST WINNERS — “The Big Hang” on Poda Island, Krabi, Thailand; Devan on JRT’s (5.10+) splitter basalt, Crack World, OR; the third pitch of Vertigo’s Half Moon Crack (5.9), Cannon Cliff, NH; Adski on Runt (5.12c) at Diamond Falls, Blue Mountains, Australia; Applebee Camp bouldering, Bugaboos, CA; Pulling the roof directly to the right of the crows nest on The Classic Climb, Zoo View (5.7+), Moore’s Wall, NC; and Becky on Jedi Mind Tricks in the Pollen Grains of Bishop, CA.

PHOTOPOST BOULDERING ACTION — Jesse, Seven Spanish Angels, Buttermilks, Bishop, CA; Kevin, Black Magic, Happy Boulders, Bishop, CA; Pow Pow, Sad Boulders, Bishop, CA; Ben sending Sex Factor X, Yosemite, CA; Thomas sending Stained Glass, Bishop, CA; Randy Puro on Flatline, Yosemite, CA; Scott Chandler on White Lines, Tahoe, CA; Scott Chandler on The Big Face, Truckee, CA; and Scott Chandler on Jedi Mind Trick, Bishop, CA.

PHOTOPOST ACTION — Dale on Peabrain at the Asteroid Belt, Joshua Tree NP, CA; Todd Mazzola is Off My Rocker, 11b, New River Gorge, WV; Secret Garden Arete, Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT; Giovanni Traversi lunging on Aquahuck, V7 CCC; Carlo Traversi throws for blind slot on a DWS project in Joe’s Valley, UT; and Andrew Tower sending Tied to the Whipping Post, 13a, Lost Dome, Wichita Mountains, OK.

PHOTOPOST ACTION — Full moon session at the Baba Cafe boulder (6a+), Hampi, India; Mark Gvazdinskas on the frozen Poudre River, Colorado; Experts Choice III, WI 6, Waterton, Alberta; Mick Savage on El Villareto (6b) in Sector L’école, Rodellar, Spain; Unknown granite sport climbing in China; Chris Hyde on Pump Handles (5.9), Sandrock, Alabama; Luis on Paint Can (V5) at the 2008 Boatrock Competition, Georgia.

Sean Isaac and Marc Piché made the first winter ascent of Pigeon Spire in the Bugaboos via its north face. The two flew by helicopter to just outside the park boundary on the Bugaboos’ west side, then skied over the Pigeon-Howser col to the base of their line: the 1948 Beckey-Hieb-Widrig route. Although this wet, mossy gully is seldom, if ever, repeated during the busy summer season, the two Canadians hoped it would offer good alpine mixed climbing in winter.

Visitors Pillage the Canadian Rockies — Ueli Steck (red dot near top) soloing Ten Years After. Simon Anthamatten leads Sea of Vapors (WI 7) in extremely thin conditions. Steck on Not Flying is Not Trying. Daniel Du Lac leading the WI 5+ ice-blob pitch on Leviathan.

PRO BLOGS – “The Monastery is probably the single most underappreciated cliff in the country, or at least in California, or at least it will be when Sharma finishes his project.” -Ethan Ringle

Climbing.com’s PRO BLOG athletes Ethan Pringle, Dave Graham and Josune Bereziartu.

The Swiss climbers Simon Anthamatten and Ueli Steck are on an early-season rampage in the Canadian Rockies, climbing a significant new route and two major repeats over the last two weeks of October 2007.

A tour of some steep sandstone in Kentucky’s, Red River Gorge.

Photos by Devaki Murch — Presented by Mountain Gear — The Red Rock Rendezvous rock climbing festival will returned to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas on March 23-25, 2007 to benefit The Access Fund and other local and national non profit organizations. Celebrity climbing instructors, activities, games, contests, and great food!

The REEL ROCK Film Tour sold out all three premiere shows — Encinitas, Salt Lake CIty and Boulder 9/5/07 — REEL ROCK 2007 features KING LINES, the new movie and first-time collaboration by Sender Films and Big UP Productions. A huge thanks to everyone involved in helping take this year’s REEL ROCK Tour to the next level. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

REEL ROCK TOUR — The New Film KING LINES documents Sharma’s groundbreaking ascent of Es Pontas in Mallorca, the most difficult deep water solo in the world. Also included in the film: Bishop highballs, new French 9a+ sport climbs, Zion free climbing, Chris’ futuristic Mt. Clark super project and a bouldering adventure in the Venezuelan jungle.

The NEW Film KING LINES – Chris Sharma’s Search for the Planet’s Greatest Climbs – The 2007 REEL ROCK Film Tour hits over 60 locations across the U.S., Canada and Europe in September and October. © www.reelrocktour.com

Red Rocks Sport Climbing — Boulder, Colorado photographer Rich Crowder shows Matt Laessig and Ben Vernon on a handful of great “moderates” and some sweet, steep sport routes at the infamous winter vaction mecca of Red Rocks, located just minutes away from the casinos of Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Yesterday, Séan (Villanueva) and I summitted the Central Tower in the Torres del Paine in pretty-bad conditions. We fortunately had luck with us coming down the wall (and our ropes didn’t get stuck). Now we’re all ready to get on Riders on the Storm [{7c, A3, 1200m; VII 5.12d, A3, 36 pitches on the seldom climbed 4,200 foot east face of the Central Tower of Paine, pronounced pah-eeneh] and spanning over a month and a half to establish in 1990-91 by Wolfgang Güllich, Kurt Albert, Bernd Arnold, Norbert Bätz and Peter Dittrich}.

At Worlds End – Rocklands — Photos by Frédéric Moix – Fred Rouhling, Scott Milton, Lisa Rands, Romain Desgranges and others in South Africa. Sunsets, spotlights, fauna, flora, floods, rainbows, laughter and a few tasty chunks of Rockland’s finest sandstone.

PHOTO GALLERIES — Highlights from the 2007 RockMaster Competition in Arco, Italy. Shown here: The Audience during the bouldering comp, Natalija Gros, Patxi Usobiaga, Ramón Julián Puigblanque (Mens Winner), Evgeny Vaytsekhovsky (Men’s Speed Winner), David Lama, and Angela Eiter (Women’s Winner). © Photos by Marco Togni — marcotogni.it

PETZL ROCTRIP AT THE RED RIVER GORGE — Highlights from the Flash Rally Competition at the Motherload, Saturday, October 13th: Sean McColl (with Emily Harrington in the background) warming up on the Undertow Wall; Mickael Fuselier sending Transworld Depravity (5.14a); Said Belhaj warming up; Mike Doyle gets some airtime on the GMC Wall; Lynn Hill on the Undertow; Emily Harrington sending Flower Power; Daniel Du Lac cruising 8-Ball; Liv Sansoz, Lev Pinter and Martina Cufar side-by-side at the Undertow. © Photos By Luke Laeser

Photos by Masumi Shibata — www.artporia.com/masumi – No, So don’t even ask … This small crew of New Mexicans isn’t telling anyone where their new stash of perfect sandstone is located. They did disclose that the canyon is littered with thousands of nicely shaped blocs on bullet stone, the cliff line goes forever, and that access is perfect. Apparently, the area’s only locals are a family of bears and and few bald eagles.

A Japanese threesome has climbed a trio of hard new routes in the Ruth Gorge of the Alaska Range. Fumitaka Ichimura, Yusuke Sato, and Yamada Tatsuro spent 24 days in the Ruth in April, 2007 and made five attempts on unclimbed lines, three of them successful.

Sard in a Can: Part IV — Dispatches from the Island of Sardinia by Bruce Willey “The best thing about a hanging belay on a multi-pitch climb is the promise of a nice, semi-spacious belay ledge above. A place where you can kick off your shoes, have a sip of water, look around. That, and the hope that when you’re swinging leads with your partner, your pitch ends at one.”

Dispatches from the Island of Sardinia: PART III Cala Gonone — “The bite of the limestone holds felt pleasing to my fingers and I began to trust my feet to smears and tiny edges that would have given my pause the day before. Without putting too fine a woo-woo point on it, climbing seemed exactly what my body had evolved to do, where my mind found it’s most sinuous focus.” — Bruce Willey

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — Mixed Action: Steve Ashworth, Viv Scott, and Andy Turner made the first ascent of The Secret, a two-pitch crack at Ben Nevis, Scotland and have yet to suggest a grade publicly for the difficult route. On Cannon Cliff in New Hampshire, Andy Tuthill and Will Mayo climbed Mean Streak (450’, WI6 M7) in three long, sustained pitches, onsight, leaving no fixed protection.

Harald Berger and Albert Leichtfried, along with photographer Hermann Erber, have pioneered a wildly overhanging ice route at over 4,500 meters in Chile. The Austrian team discovered the line on the south face of 6,100-meter Cerro Marmolejo, where Canadians Ben Firth and Eamonn Walsh established a five-pitch climb, The Nook (WI6+), on the southwest face in 2002.

One lucky winner and a guest will receive a extraordinary four night all inclusive stay at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. Built on the deep-blue waters of Lake Mohonk in 1869, this grand 265-room Victorian castle is one of America’s oldest family-owned resorts.

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — Two major Canadian Rockies walls have had significant ascents in winter conditions: one by a first winter ascent, and the other by a new route. Mr. Everywhere, Raphael Slawinski, was on the scene on both climbs. First was Mt. Temple, where Slawinski had already completed two full-length routes on the north face in winter. Next, with Pierre Darbellay they nabbed the first ascent of the much-tried Dogleg Couloir on the mile-high east face of Mt. Chephren.

SPRAY — The New Movie from BS Productions, attempts to capture the true spirit of climbing and to explore the treasures of California’s northern coastline. Follow Joe Kinder and Chris Lindner on their most recent journey through the delicate beaches of Arcata, the stunning limestone of the Trinity Aretes, the historical shores of Mickey’s Beach, and the alpine stone of Donner Summit. Read More

EVENT PHOTO GALLERY – Sports-action highlights from the high-flying Dyno Competition – one of the many activities visitors could participate in – at the Squamish Moutain Festival, July 13th-21st, 2007.

Sportiva Solution Team Tour — The 1-month/20 event tour, scheduled October 12 – November 5, will visit the SE region of the US. Timy Fairfield, Jason Kehl, Ivan Green, Abbey Smith will be offering a series of free multi-media shows, shoe demos, gear raffles and poster signings. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO. The tour is a promotional campaign utilizing Sportiva sponsored athletes in appearances at retail locations, commercial climbing gyms and local outdoor climbing areas to promote Sportiva’s new award winning, state-of-the-art, performance rock shoe – the ‘Solution’. Sportiva sponsored athletes will available to climb with gym members/customers.

The Full Steve McClure Interview by Abbey Smith — McClure is a true working-class hero, calculated and humble about his instinctual talent. With his lean, wiry frame, McClure may not be the strongest climber, but he has fierce determination and the mind of an engineer, breaking each move down to find the perfect, most precise and efficient position. A native of Brotton, in northeastern England, McClure has been climbing for 30-odd years.

“We entered the refugio joking and laughing obnoxiously, bragging about how many bottles of Vino we would destroy and exactly how many routes we would crush; however, our spirits were quickly stifled with pensive glares. The chirping and chattering of beta-spray silenced, wine glasses settled, and the air grew a bit thicker. All around European climbers stared at us the way you would if you saw an elephant try to blend in with a pack of wolves. Not goin’ happen pal.” — David Wetmore

Paul Otis cruises the classic Gunslinger, Lake Tahoe, California.

Nick Vosbein making the long lunge on Shiver Me Timbers (V8), Stone Fort, Tennessee.

Photos by Devaki Murch — The Teva games are an annual extravaganza of so-called “climate sports,” including white-water paddling, trail running, mountain biking, and climbing. Organizers said this year’s games drew 30,000 athletes and spectators. Ten invited athletes and five climbers from the qualification rounds competed in the men’s and women’s pro bouldering comps. The games also featured “speed bouldering,” citizens’ comps, and a high school team contest. FOR MORE INFO SEE: Teva Mountain Games Results

Photos by Steve Woods — The Teva games are an annual extravaganza of so-called “climate sports,” including white-water paddling, trail running, mountain biking, and climbing. Organizers said this year’s games drew 30,000 athletes and spectators. Ten invited athletes and five climbers from the qualification rounds competed in the men’s and women’s pro bouldering comps. The games also featured “speed bouldering,” citizens’ comps, and a high school team contest. FOR MORE INFO SEE: Teva Mountain Games Results

It was a powder day in Vail on Saturday and for once that wasn’t a good thing. On June 1 through 5, the Teva games rocked the little town of Vail, exhibiting numerous disciplines of mountain sports: climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, adventure racing, and even fly-fishing. Yet none of these sports flourish in a blizzard, and unfortunately on Saturday, the main event day, Mother Nature had something to say about summer sports at 8150 feet in early June. However, the Speed Bouldering Finals took place in the late afternoon, amid a downpour. Ethan Pringle took the Men’s title and Alex Johnson snapped up first place for Women’s.

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — Peter Doucette and Freddie Wilkinson have climbed the second major new route of the season on the left side of New Hampshire’s Cannon Cliff. Firing Line (NEI5+ M6) follows three mixed pitches left of the classic Cannon testpiece Omega (NEI 5+).

James Pearson has climbed one of the “last great problems” of English gritstone, The Groove (E10 7b), at Cratcliffe. Pearson had occasionally attempted the route over the past four years, and other top British climbers have been eyeing and sometimes trying the line since the 1970s.

Warren J. “Batso” Harding throws a lopsided grin in my direction. “God, isn’t this fun?” he screeches in his high-register Dr. Demento voice. “I am having sooooo much fun, you just can’t imagine.” —By Burr Snider

CLIMBING EVENTS — A good comp like this one at The Spot Bouldering Gym in Boulder, Colorado — Saturday, December 1, 2007 — with no finals and no prizes (only giveaways and raffles), is a great time: there’s no pressure; your only prerogative is to climb new routes until pumpitude grounds you, hang out, and then enjoy the provided food and booze. What better way to spend Saturday night? READ THE EVENT RECAP; VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

BASE jumping, wing suit piloting, bigwall, mixed, speed, sport, and DWS climbing — UK extremist Tim Emmett is anything but idle. “I guess my life is a bit like DIY Fairground ride – Lots of ups and downs, always fast moving , no rules, and aiming to inspire people and inject them with energy” — Tim Emmett

La Sportiva North America is launching the ’07 Sportiva ‘Solution’ Team Tour – presented by Revolution, Gorilla Bidet, Momentum Video Magazine, Urban Climber Magazine & Climbing Magazine. The Sportiva sponsored pro-climbers making appearances on this tour will be: Timy Fairfield – Sportiva Team Captain (Albuquerque, NM), Jason Kehl (Jarettsville, MD), Ivan Green (NYC, NY) & Abbey Smith (Boulder, CO). © www.sportiva.com/solutiontour.php

Meet Climbing.com’s, OTW2 Volume 6 – May 2007 Player of the month, SLC hardman, Tom Adams. © Photos by Andrew Burr

Toni Lamiche at the 2006 Triple Crown, Stone Fort, Tennessee.

On July 30 – August 2, 2008 the biggest bouldering event in France — the Tout A Blocs (TAB) — will be kicking off in the town of l’Argentière la bessée and on the beautiful granite boulders of Ailefroide, France. The competion includes an outdoor international bouldering contest where three hundred climbers competed last year. Also this weekend Tout A Blocs will host the French youth Championships, a photo contest, a film festival and a HUGE party. Visit toutablocs.com for more information, registration and photo galleries by Stéphan Denys of the 2007 event.

If the chill of winter has a icy grip on your crag, these photos should warm you up. The collection is from some exotic destinations around the world: La Cabrera, Madrid, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Tonsai Beach, Thailand; Frankenjura, Germany; Sicily, Italy; and more. © Photos by Fernando Nuñez — ojovertical.com

Jim Horton and Chad Wykle once again have brought to the Southeast the biggest and badest outdoor bouldering competitions, the Triple Crown Bouldering Series. Hound Ears – October 1st, 2005, Horse Pens 40th – November 5th, 2005, and Little Rock City – January 7th, 2006. These extremely intense competitions provide climbers with anywhere from six to eight hours to climb the 10 hardest problems their body will allow.

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — Canadian Sonnie Trotter has redpointed The Path (5.14 R) at the Back of the Lake area in Lake Louise, Alberta. The 130-foot pitch overhangs about 30 feet, following crimps and seams up a quartzite face.

Ty Landman(blue shirt) and Harry Robertson(red pants) sent the testpiece Circadian Rhythm (V13), on March 17th, Pouder Canyon, Colorado.

CLIMBING HOT FLASHES NEWS — Patxi Usobiaga has concluded perhaps the most impressive week in sport-climbing history by repeating La Novena Enmienda (9a+/5.15a) at Santa Linya, Spain. SHOWN HERE: Onsighting the first ascent of Variante Monocroma (8c/5.14b).

CLIMBING VIDEOS — Tim Kemple presents Vasya Vorotnikov on a beautiful, crimpy, granite sport climb called The Hard Way (5.14), in Marshfield, Vermont. Music by Mactonite.

Passion for Flashin’ 2008 – St. Paul, MN The St. Paul Vertical Endeavors Climbing Gym will be kickin’ off its 15th Annual climbing competition, Passion for Flashin’, on Saturday, February 9th, 2008.

CLASSIC CLIMBS — 5.9 R offwidth anyone? John Bragg belaying Michael Peloquin on the first ascent of Vertigo’s Half Moon Crack, Cannon Cliff, New Hampshire on July 1971. Then, from more recnt times, some photos of pitches two and three (photos 1-4 submitted via PHOTOPOST), and finally Tim Kemple Sr. runs out the infamous thrird pitch.

EXTENDED FEATURES — The Color of Life — The accomplished wall specialist Silvia Vidal, 36, of Barcelona, Spain, recently stuck her neck out (solo) on a new Shipton line: Life is Lilac, completed over 21 days this July (10 through 30) and clocking in at 2,900 feet, 5.10 A4+.

“One might confuse the scene — the arrogant locals, the wet cobblestone streets crowded with patisseries, cafés and lingerie shops — with any ordinary European city in March. But the fact that a traffic cop was dissing our climbing style tells you that Chamonix is anything but ordinary.” —Freddie Wilkinson

Photos by Emanuel Moosburger — In February 2008, five Austrians: Katharina Saurwein, Anna Stoehr, Lukas Ennemoser, Mark Amann, Emanuel Moosburger, and Dutch climber: Jorg Verhoeven made a three week trip to Hueco Tanks, Texas, where they sent some 100+ problems graded V10 and harder, up to V13 – V11 by the girls!

HOT FLASHES NEWS — The weeklong world championship of climbing in Aviles, Spain, has concluded, crowning new champions in lead climbing, bouldering, and speed. Russian climbers led the medal count at the biannual event, with seven podium finishes (more than twice as many as any other country), including three gold medals.

HOT FLASHES CLIMBING NEWS — Jeremy Samson and a gang of other climbers have completed the first free ascent of Newborn (29/5.13a, 14 pitches) at Yellowwood, a massive sandstone cliff in the Du Toits Kloof area, north of Cape Town. Samson, Dave Birkett, Mary Jenner, and Jamie Smith redpointed the route in six hours on January 11.

Big New Routes Keep Falling in the Rockies — Two more major new ice routes have been climbed in the Canadian Rockies, still weeks before the official start of winter. On their second attempt, locals Steve Holeczi and Rob Owens made the first ascent of the Northwest Face of Mt. Bell, west of Banff, via a 12-pitch route they called Zeitgeist (530m, IV+ M7- WI5 R). Meanwhile, the Swiss climbers Simon Anthamatten and Ueli Steck, who have climbed a host of major repeats and new routes in recent weeks (see: Visitors Pillage the Canadian Rockies and Swiss Duo on a Rampage in Canada), concluded their Canadian holiday with another very hard new climb.

Climbing.com Covershows

6/11/08 – Over 200 animated.gif images. A continually growing collection of covershots from many great photographers and adventurers that graced the homepage over the last few years. Images from Photopost, Hot Flashes, Photo Galleries, Events, Extended Features … I would like to thank all of our dedicated contributors and uploaders for making Climbing.com what it is today. —Luke Laeser — Climbing.com Online Editor