Climbing
ArchiveCourtesy of Rodale His middle name, Makalani, is Hawaiian for “skilled at writing,” so it's no surprise that Cincinnati Bengals' defensive captain Dhani Jones has a book out this month. In The Sportsman, he chronicles the…
Alan on the summit of Everest, 5:00AM May 21, 2011 I am back in Lukla on our 3rd of 3 days trek from Everest Base Camp. This is an important time for me to process any Himalaya experience. I love walking the Khumbu trails, sharing…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=AV6NgCLWKdU%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 Leading Dutch mountaineer Ronald Naar died on Sunday while descending Cho Oyu, Radio Netherlands has reported. Naar had given up his summit bid and was heading down with his team when he reported feeling unwell and collapsed unexpectedly at 26,200 feet. Naar, 56,…
Photo from ilkerender on Flickr Irish climber John Delaney died yesterday on Everest, according to 7Summits-Club, the team with whom he was climbing. The club's…
Climbers Ueli Steck and Don Bowie have given up their Mt. Everest summit bid after encountering cold and windy conditions high on the south side of the mountain. The pair began their final push from their camp at 25,250 feet at approximately 11:30 pm. According to a text message posted to…
RMI Guide and First Ascent Climber Dave Hahn summited Everest for the 13th time this weekend, adding another climb to his own record of the most summits by a non-Sherpa. Hahn posted an account of the summit on the…
Everest and Nuptse by Stevehicks on Flickr Nepali tandem paraglider pilot Babu Sunuwar, 29, and climber Lakpa Tshering Sherpa, 35, summited Everest on Saturday and descended via paraglider, according to flying magazine…
The route I took from the Balcony to the summit as seen from Lhotse on the same day I summited. I stood on the summit of Mount Everest at 5:00 AM, May 21, 2011. To say this event had a personal meaning is…
Well, we have slipped our summit day by one day to May 21st. We receive our weather report around 8:00 PM daily and once again after most of us had gone to bed, the report showed very high winds localized at Camp 3 for the time we would be there.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=klkduuguvbs%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 American Alpine Club Executive Director Phil Powers is in stable condition after sustaining severe injuries in a rock climbing accident in Colorado. The accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon while Powers was sport climbing with a group in the Highwire…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=rGA1vI2HxTs%C2%A0 This Hulk has nothing to do with angry green superheros. It's the second installment of Big UP Productions and Sender Films' Origins series, where young climbers tackle famous routes with the pioneers who did them first. In this…
A mountaineer died on Friday while climbing Alaska's 20,327-foot Denali. The Italian climber, Luciano Colombo, 67, died of traumatic injuries after falling 1,000 feet during a traverse between Denali Pass and a camp at 17,200 feet. Colombo’s death is the second on Denali in…
The intro is a little long, but this video of Adam Ondra on the first ascent of Chaxi Raxi (5.15b) is worth a look. Ondra sent the project–a 160-foot line bolted by Chris Sharma in Oliana–late last month. He called it “probably my hardest route I have ever done” and…
Filmmaker Chuck Fryberger has made a name for himself creating visually arresting climbing flicks with some of the sport's strongest athletes. But high-def sparkle isn't enough to satisfy Fryberger, whose film Core last year became the first rock climbing movie to be released on Blu-Ray.
This year's Himalayan climbing season is in full swing, which to most people means one thing: Everest. Already this season the world's highest mountain has seen the first cellphone call from the summit, a record number of…
Apa Sherpa summited Everest on Wednesday for the 21st time, breaking his own world record of 20 summits, the Alpinist reports. The 51 year old first reached the summit in 1990 and has stood atop the…
Pummeled by gastric illness and facing an incoming bad weather front, Ueli Steck and Don Bowie pulled off an ascent of Cho Oyu (8,201m) last week, knocking off the sixth-highest peak on Earth and ticking another of their expedition's objective. Cho Oyu is the…
The Scene, the latest movie from filmmaker Chuck Fryberger, looks at the varied ways people send by traveling to four of the world's most vibrant climbing communities: the sandstone Mecca of Moab, Utah; the cutting-edge sport crags of Catalonia; the competition scene of Innsbruck,…
Cho Oyu Alpinists Ueli Steck and Don Bowie of the Himalaya Speed project have summited the world's sixth-highest peak, according to Bowie's ground team. Bowie reported in a satellite phone dispatch that he and Steck made it to the…
Rick Hitch, a 55-year-old California man, died Sunday on Everest, according to the Folsom (California) Telegraph. Hitch's wife, Loretta, told the Telegraph that he was climbing to Camp 3 with six other climbers and two guides when he collapsed…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=NJo7to7KXrU%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 By his own admission, Ueli Steck is one of the most Swiss climbers out there. He's well-prepared, precise, and functions reliably–“like a Swiss watch,” as Steck himself has said. So it makes sense on some level that Steck would get his own…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vVXdC-PY-nw%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 With his 30th birthday now two weeks behind him, Chris Sharma doesn't seem to have slowed down at all. On Thursday, the climber successfully linked two 5.15 routes–one of them a 5.15b first ascent–in a single day. The takedown began after Sharma had already warmed up and unsuccessfully attempted…
I bought a pair of beginner Evolv climbing shoes and they have fared well, but I'm getting better and need something with aggressive heel and toe. What's the next step for a shoe? Greg Freeport, ME
Niccolò Ceria flashes Jack's Broken Heart, one of the problems Alex Puccio climbed in Magic Wood. Alex Puccio sent two of the hardest boulders of her career this weekend, climbing Jack's Broken Heart (V12) and The Right Hand of Darkness (V11) in Magic Wood, Switzerland. Jack's Broken Heart is a…
Greg and Alan enjoing some rare sunshine outside the IMG communcations tent What a difference a day (or week) makes! I came down from C3 last Wednesday basically shattered. My upper repository lung infection was taking control and I was in a battle for the…
Between presenting slideshows and speaking to audiences during a recent tour of Europe, Dean Potter found the time to take a leap from the previously unjumped Forcellino lookout near Lecco, Italy. Potter wrote on prAna's blog that Fabio Palma brought him to the…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bxejDyDU7Kw%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 The American Alpine Club announced the winners of the 2011 Copp-Dash Inspire Award on Friday, giving grants to expeditions headed for Alaska and central Asia. The Copp-Dash Inspire Award is named for Colorado alpinists Jonny Copp and Micah Dash who died in an…
High winds this week on Cho Oyu, west of Everest So far at Base Camp during the 2011 climbing season, Everest ER has seen 276 patients, a number they say is on target “to break all previous…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5wRUNTg53ZU%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 Well-known Swiss alpinist Erhard Loretan died on Thursday after a fall in the Bernese Alps, the Chicago Tribune has reported. Loretan, who turned 52 on Thursday, was guiding a client up the Gruenhorn when the accident occurred. The pair had approached…
This weekend is the annual 5 Point Film Festival, and there should be plenty to see. With 35 films on schedule, including 10 premieres, attendees have plenty of footage to look forward to. We went through and picked some of the films we're…
Sender Films and Mountain Hardwear just posted a short video on Ueli Steck's 10.5-hour solo of Shishapangma. Steck, who's famous for his speed climbs in the Alps, hadn't originally planned to go to the summit. After leaving advanced base camp,…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=z4puedruucM%3Frel%3D0%C2%A0 Brazilian sport climbers have been banned from international competitions this year after the International Federation of Sport Climbing suspended the country's membership over unpaid debts. The Confederação Brasileira de Montanhismo e Escalada, which governs sport climbing in Brazil, owes a total of 4,395 euros (about $6,427) to the IFSC.
In case you missed it, Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith put out another great video short about two weeks ago. The film is called The Love Letter, and its message is simple. Every once in a while it's good to…
Adam Ondra sent his fourth 5.15b of the year this weekend, making the first ascent of La Planta de Shiva near Málaga, Spain. La Planta de Shiva adds an extension to an established 5.14b for 148 feet of pumpy, often dynamic climbing. According to 8a.nu news, Ondra…
Alli Rainey has a great post on prAna's blog about dealing with fear. Rainey, a 5.14 climber and Harvard grad, writes that she's struggled with a serious, often-crippling fear of heights since she started climbing in 1992. A troublesome…
I leave for my first rotation to the high camps in about 12 hours. We will get up abut 3:00 AM for a breakfast of toast and a single fried egg, maybe a cup of coffee. Then along with our personal Sherpa we will pass the puja alter and through…
Climbers and mountaineers from around the world have begun arriving at Everest base camp the past few weeks, a clear sign that climbing season on the world’s highest peak is once again underway. While most hope simply to make it to the summit, a handful of expeditions have other goals…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=hk-LBmIUDF8%C2%A0 Swiss climber Dani Arnold has broken the speed record for the Eiger, blazing up the mountain's north face in 2 hours and 28 minutes. Arnold, 27, beat the previous record by nearly 20 minutes. According to Mammut's blog, he soloed the classic Heckmair route, passing…
https://youtube.com/watch?v=JCqe96jtExU%C2%A0 After two years of work, Chris Sharma has made the first ascent of his well-known First Round First Minute project in Margalef, Spain. Sharma first began trying the bouldery, 25-move route in 2009. He came frustratingly close to success, and fell off the last move of the climb some…
Climber Scott Bennett has an interesting post up on his blog The Big Wide West about his recent trip to southern Utah to do the Castle Valley Enchainment. The enchainment links up five desert sandstone towers near Moab: Castleton, Sister Superior, The Priest, The Rectory,…
Ueli Steck – The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck speed-soloed Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak, racing up the mountain's 2,000-meter south face in 10 and a half hours. Shishapangma is the smallest of the eight-thousanders, at 8,027 m, and is…
Ueli Steck – The Swiss Machine from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck speed-soloed Shishapangma, the world's 14th-highest peak, racing up the mountain's 2,000-meter south face in 10 and a half hours. Shishapangma is the smallest of the eight-thousanders, at 8,027 m, and is…
Climber Scott Bennett has an interesting post up on his blog The Big Wide West about his recent trip to southern Utah to do the Castle Valley Enchainment. The enchainment links up five desert sandstone towers near Moab: Castleton, Sister Superior, The Priest, The Rectory,…
A 9-year-old Jim Goodwin on top of his first summit, Hopkins Mountain. Adriondacks climbing pioneer and guide Jim Goodwin passed away on April 7 at the age of 101. Goodwin was 11 when he began guiding hikers up the peaks of the Adriondacks, charging as…
Paul Robinson just released the trailer for his upcoming movie The Schengen Files. Shot during the first three months of 2011, the film documents the European leg of Robinson's recent transcontinental bouldering trip, during which he repeated and established hard problems…
Bottom of Icefall, beginning of Khumbu Valley I walked as far as I could today. OK, that sounded worse than I meant. I walked from my tent to the end of Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. As I left the…
A Belgian-American expedition that climbed nine new big walls in Greenland and a Japanese duo that established a new route up Canada's Mt. Logan were the winners of this year's Piolets d'Or. The six-person jury awarded a golden ice axe to Yasushi Okada…
Climbers and mountaineers from around the world have begun arriving at Everest base camp the past few weeks, a clear sign that climbing season on the world’s highest peak is once again underway. While most hope simply to make it to the summit, a handful of expeditions have other goals…
While deep water soloing is still something of a fringe practice among climbers, it's getting more and more popular. It was really only a matter of time until gear manufacturers started taking the idea to market. Case in point:…
A 9-year-old Jim Goodwin on top of his first summit, Hopkins Mountain. Adriondacks climbing pioneer and guide Jim Goodwin passed away on April 7 at the age of 101. Goodwin was 11 when he began guiding hikers up the peaks of the Adriondacks, charging as…
Paul Robinson just released the trailer for his upcoming movie The Schengen Files. Shot during the first three months of 2011, the film documents the European leg of Robinson's recent transcontinental bouldering trip, during which he repeated and established hard problems…
Bottom of Icefall, beginning of Khumbu Valley I walked as far as I could today. OK, that sounded worse than I meant. I walked from my tent to the end of Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. As I left the…
A Belgian-American expedition that climbed nine new big walls in Greenland and a Japanese duo that established a new route up Canada's Mt. Logan were the winners of this year's Piolets d'Or. The six-person jury awarded a golden ice axe to Yasushi Okada…
Everest Base Camp. What does this phrase evoke in your mind? Adventure, Tenzing & Hillary, mountaineering, “Into Thin Air”? No matter your association, it is one of the most interesting places on Earth for 60 days each spring. I have been walking around EBC the past two days in between…
Everest Base Camp. What does this phrase evoke in your mind? Adventure, Tenzing & Hillary, mountaineering, “Into Thin Air”? No matter your association, it is one of the most interesting places on Earth for 60 days each spring. I have been walking around EBC the past two days in between…
As we left the village of Lobuche, the trail was a mixture of rocks, dirt, and a few mud puddles. We gained altitude steadily except for several stretches on steep uphill that reminded us of where we were and the task ahead. The clouds were low, obscuring the view. But…
As we left the village of Lobuche, the trail was a mixture of rocks, dirt, and a few mud puddles. We gained altitude steadily except for several stretches on steep uphill that reminded us of where we were and the task ahead. The clouds were low, obscuring the view. But…
High-line master Andy Lewis will be featured in Reel Rock 2011. Maybe you already have a crazy video from a weekend in Yosemite. Or maybe you just need something to do for the next three months. Either way, submit your wildest climbing-related film to Reel…
Tengboche-Monastery I am here to climb Mt. Everest but the trek to Everest is always a highlight. Unlike my previous times, we are taking our time with acclimatization days built into the schedule allowing for plenty of…
High-line master Andy Lewis will be featured in Reel Rock 2011. Maybe you already have a crazy video from a weekend in Yosemite. Or maybe you just need something to do for the next three months. Either way, submit your wildest climbing-related film to Reel…
Tengboche-Monastery I am here to climb Mt. Everest but the trek to Everest is always a highlight. Unlike my previous times, we are taking our time with acclimatization days built into the schedule allowing for plenty of…
Eric Simonson addressing the Everest 2011 Group (Courtesy AlanArnette.com) Sometimes I think I enjoy writing about climbing more than I enjoy climbing – that is until I start climbing. The truth is I love both. The opportunity to share with anyone about this…
Eric Simonson addressing the Everest 2011 Group (Courtesy AlanArnette.com) Sometimes I think I enjoy writing about climbing more than I enjoy climbing – that is until I start climbing. The truth is I love both. The opportunity to share with anyone about this…
Cuba Chapter4_The Life of Leo from renan ozturk on Vimeo. In the April issue, we profiled Jimmy Chin and the climbers/videographers/producers of Camp 4 Collective. Last week, Renan Ozturk (he’s…
Cuba Chapter4_The Life of Leo from renan ozturk on Vimeo. In the April issue, we profiled Jimmy Chin and the climbers/videographers/producers of Camp 4 Collective. Last week, Renan Ozturk (he’s…
Results of a four-year study by researchers at the University of Colorado suggest that living at altitudes around 5,000 feet (Denver is 5,280 feet above see level) or higher might increase lifespan. The study, recently published in the…
Ashima Shiraishi, the 9-year-old climbing prodigy who ticked V10 last year, has been killing it this week in Hueco Tanks, Texas. According to Big UP Productions' Facebook page, Ashima sent two of her hardest boulders this week, Chbalanke (V12) and Roger in…
A 36-year-old Briton died Sunday after being struck by falling rock while climbing in Pembroke, the British climbing site UK Climbing reports. Jonathon Woods of Bristol, U.K., was rock climbing with his girlfriend at Pembrokeshire sea cliff of Bosherston Head when he…
A 36-year-old Briton died Sunday after being struck by falling rock while climbing in Pembroke, the British climbing site UK Climbing reports. Jonathon Woods of Bristol, U.K., was rock climbing with his girlfriend at Pembrokeshire sea cliff of Bosherston Head when he…
Here's a little inspiration this week to keep you going. And going. And in one case, going still. Hats off to everyone who's out there making it happen. Here's the stuff you should click on this week. Off to A Good Start:81-year-old walks or hikes more than…
Unlike traditional sports like hockey or football, climbing's big moments aren't televised. There's no network that broadcasts first ascents or hard free solos as they happen. Instead, climbing filmmakers fill that role. They follow athletes into some of the world's deepest corners and crevices to capture the sport's progression on…
BD athlete Kyle Dempster makes first ascent of Mount Edgar's east face—PART TWO from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo. –Joe Spring@joespring…
The American Alpine Club recognized outstanding achievements in conservation, climbing, mountaineering and community service at its Annual Benefit Dinner on February 26 in Seattle, Washington. The Robert and Miriam Underhill Award went to 88-year-old Fred Beckey for his lifetime…
Carlo Traversi on Saturday made the second ascent of The Game, a proposed V16 put up by Daniel Woods last year in Boulder, Colo., and heralded as possibly the hardest bouldering problem in the world. About a dozen people were present to watch Traversi send…
I'll admit, we're way late in posting this. But just because we're halfway through March doesn't mean the top 10 blogs of February are irrelevent. Read on! Number 10: SIA: The Splitboard Revolution Number 9: Gear Junkie: Wenger Patagonian Expedition Race 2011 Number 8:…
We found a lot of people getting outside and doing what they love this week. Here’s hoping they inspire you to do the same. The stuff you need to click on this week: Dommy No MatesAlaska to Chile, on a Tandem Bike via…
Mountaineers and climbers can now log the peaks they bag on the new site peakery.com. The site currently boasts 150,339 peaks. Those into notching their accomplishments for everyone to see can build their own peaks page and share photos and videos from their…
It doesn't matter if you're Reinhold Messner or Ed Viesturs: your summit never happened unless Elizabeth Hawley says it did.
Courtesy of Polish Winter Himalayan Mountaineering Weather forecasts aren't good for the Polish mountaineers making their way up Pakistan's 26,400-foot Broad Peak this week. “The beginning of the summit attempt doesn't look too well,”…