 CONTENTS #36 > FEBRUARY/MARCH 2010
FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE: A Tale of Two Islands - A tour of NZ, from top to bottom; Deep Freeze - This is "ice climbing," UC style; Ode on a Grecian Tufa - A crew of mountain-hardened guides kick off their shoes in Kalymnos; DEPARTMENTS: 411 - Ard Arvin, auto-belay shake-up, Al-Berto & the Fried Bikinis, Show Us Your Woody winner, comp news; Drive - Kelsey Fair and Jon Glassberg; Workshop - Get jacked up with keeler krag coffee
 COIN #36 - WELCOME TO WILD COUNTRY
WHERE THE EVOLUTION OF THE HARNESS CONTINUES IN STYLE // In 1977, Mark Valance forms Wild Country (wildcountry.co.uk) in the United Kingdom’s Peak District. The company’s first product is the Friend, the original camming device, designed by Ray Jardine back in the States. The product is a hit, and Wild Country goes on to produce a host of other goodies, like Rocks (curved nuts), biners, belay devices, and harnesses.
 The AscenDance Project
AscenDance Project is a new company founded in January of 2006 by German born performance artist and rock climber Isabel von Rittberg to create work that explores the aesthetics of climbing. Performing entirely without the use of ropes, their work exhibits strength and grace enhanced by the effects of gravity on the dancers and their ability to overcome it. Check it out from March 5-14th at The Ashby Stage in Berkeley, CA.
 The Northwest Collegiate Climbing Competition Series
The Northwest Collegiate Climbing Competition Series (NC3) has pioneered intercollegiate climbing, while demonstrating an increase in participation and recognition each year. This year’s events will be the largest to date with an estimated 1500 participants and spectators from around the northwest. The series allows college students to experience multiple levels of competitive sport while fostering growth in the climbing community.
 Fifth Annual HERA Climb4Life Metro DC
The 5th Annual HERA Climb4Life Metro DC, an ovarian cancer fundraiser benefiting the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation, is planned for March 13–21, 2010 at several sites in the Washington DC area. The event that features a series of instructional rock-climbing clinics, along with yoga classes and parties, attracted more than 450 participants in 2009 and raised more than $60,000.
 2010 Red Rock Rendezvous - Las Vegas, Nevada
Registration has officially opened for the seventh annual “Mountain Gear Presents: Red Rock Rendezvous” (RRR) rock climbing festival, title sponsored by The North Face. RRR will return to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas on March 19-21, 2010, to benefit The Access Fund.
 Earth Treks 2010 Roc Comp
Come rub shoulders with your climbing idols, snort chalk and celebrate the power of this sport in Columbia and Timonium, Maryland on April 23rd & 24th at Earth Treks Climbing. Climb side by side with some of the biggest names in climbing today like Lisa Rands, Paul Robinson, Charlotte Jouet-Bosley, and Matt Bosley. $11,000 cash purse, loads of prizes, slideshows, movies, food, parties, DJs, thousands screaming spectators - you don't want to miss this!
 The Longest Climb - Part 3
Well rested, well fed, well family feuded and well excited, it is time to hit 2010 running. After far too much indulgence, and not nearly enough contact, let alone climbing, we have both let it slip somewhat over the festive period, and it is with a sense of courageous trepidation that we sit here, staring at the last 6 months until the day when Jonny and I will race against each other to set a new world record; to climb 8,848 meters on an indoor wall.
 Mountain Outfitters - Breckenridge, CO
To us, living and playing in the mountains is the extension of who we are. What you see is a natural, and true, appreciation of the environment in which we reside and recreate. In our Breckenridge backcountry store, we strive to offer our customers a small piece of that authentic life, not merely a catch phrase. We strive to protect our surroundings, supporting both environmental and social causes through our participation in the 1% for the Planet program. Visit: www.mtnoutfitters.com
 High Altitude Fitness - Incline Village, NV
High Altitude Fitness, formerly The Incline Athletic Club, was purchased by Jason Burd in 2006. His development plans include building Nevada's largest climbing wall. Permits for the project were approved and construction begins May 2008. In addition to free weights, cardio machines, & group classes, members can enjoy free wireless internet in the lobby, tanning, use of the newly re-modeled locker rooms (including steam rooms), and healthy snacks & coffees. Visit: www.highaltitudefit.net
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Review Your Climbing Shoes at Climbingshoereview.com and Win Free Gear!
3/8/10 – Climbing Shoe Review - the place where rock climbers from around the world can rate and review their climbing shoes - is excited to announce the kick-off of our Monthly Giveaway Program beginning on March 1st, 2010!
Planet Granite climbing gym to become largest in country
3/8/10 - This spring, Planet Granite in Sunnyvale CA, already home to over 25,000 square feet of climbing with 60 foot high walls, is building a brand new indoor/outdoor bouldering area, making it this country’s largest climbing gym.
Garland Announces New Position with Climb X
2/05/10 - Joseph Garland, formerly of Mad Rock North America, today announced his return to the outdoor industry with Climb X.
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 BARTI, OF AL-BERTO AND THE FRIED BIKINIS
Barti, a musician from Switzerland and Guatemala (“I have family in both countries,” he says), is the front man for Al-Berto & the Fried Bikinis, whose chilled out acoustic/electronic tracks appeared in the Big UP Productions’ climbing flicks Dosage V and Progression. In addition to playing guitar, bass, accordion, and keyboard, Barti sings and is an avid boulderer.
 Bouldering in Belapur, India
Photos by Scott Clark / scottclarkphotography.net - In the fall of 2009 I began climbing with a great group of Indian climbers in the "mountains" surrounding Belapur, near Mumbai, in western India. The local climbers are strong and dedicated, spending seemingly every weekend climbing somewhere in the area. They come from all over — from Lower Parel in Central Mumbai to Pune, three hours further to the East. They search out new cliff lines to climb every possibility, mostly bouldering but also some sport routes too. From this site you can Mumbai in the distance through the haze.
 The Groove - PROGRESSION
Video by Big UP Productions - An excerpt from the recent film PROGRESSION that features Kevin Jorgeson on the second ascent of one of England's hardest traditional routes, The Groove (E11) at Cratcliffe. James Pearson finally climbed the bold and technical route, which was considered before his ascent on Saturday, February 2, 2008, to be “last great problems” of English gritstone. Pearson had occasionally attempted the route over a four year period. Later that year [2008] in October and November, Americans Alex Honnold and Kevin Jorgeson astonished British climbers with rapid repeats of some of the testiest routes on “God’s own rock,” the English gritstone.
 Beach Bouldering - Spray
Video Brian Solano / BSProductions.us - An excerpt from our feature film "SPRAY" featuring Chris Lindner searching for untouched boulders in Northern California. In Spray Joe Kinder and Chris Lindner set out to explore the treasures of California's northern coastline. They ventured 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. DVD's and HD Downloads available NOW at Bouldering.com.
 BELAY SLAVES
SHAKE UP IN THE AUTO-BELAY WORLD //
October 2009, the Pittsburgh-based company MSA, maker
of the Redpoint Descender
commonly used in climbing
gyms for solo toproping, issued a stop-use
notice. “MSA very recently became aware
of two incidents where climbers using Redpoint Descenders experienced rapid rates of
descent resulting in injuries,” said the notice.
This wasn’t the first time — back in 2005,
MSA issued a similar notice. But the most
recent incidents were the last straw. “We’re
exiting the market; we’re not going to have
a replacement device,” says Mark Deasy,
MSA Communications Director. The issue
was in the devices’ one-way bearings, but
because MSA wasn’t able to consistently
replicate the problem in tests, they decided
to recall the units.
 KELSEY FAIR
Kelsey Fair, 21, hails from Toronto, but spent much of her early life moving around: New York, Oregon, California, Switzerland . . . Most recently, she landed in Los Angeles, but has been on the road for the past year or so with her boyfriend and fellow climber, Ryan Held. Together, the two tour the United States with their dog, Sharka, in a big red sprinter van, looking for the endless climbing season…and maybe the meaning of life.
 Panoramas from Boston Rock Gym's 2010 Heart of Steel
Watertown, MA based photographer William Van Tassell captured these awesome 360º panorama images at Boston Rock Gym's 2010 Heart of Steel Bouldering Competition on January 30th, 2010. Flaunting a $2,400 cash purse in addition to a gorgeous line-up of prizes the HEART OF STEEL appeal speaks for itself.
 STARTING HOLD - #36 > JANUARY 2009
FAR AND WIDE - CLIMBING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL //It was freezing and dark in the tent when I woke. My threeseason sleeping bag wasn’t holding enough heat in the Australian winter night, which had turned out to be much colder than I’d planned for. I wedged my fingers under my arms and tried not to think about the piss I had to take, concentrating fruitlessly on sleep.
 Joe Kinder - Pro Blog 6
2/10/10 - Daniel Woods Loves the Solution - This content was shot in the Gorges Du Loup, which is in the South of France. It is a great summer spot with the beach near, a beautiful gorge, and some test-pieces that kept us busy for a month and a half. Daniel impressed all of us, including the locals with his fanaticism and efforts he put in each day. He would try one 9a and immediately after run over to jump on an 8c+, and then 20 minutes after that he would attempt to onsight an 8b!
 SUYW #36 > FEBRUARY 2009/MARCH 2010
WE HAVE A WINNER - SHOW US YOUR WOODY — REDUX // - In UC35, we announced the return of the Show Us Your Woody contest. Response was swift, with a dozen entries hitting our inboxes within days. Among the entries were outdoor woodies, recycled woodies, and just plain badass woodies . . . In the end, though, one wall stood out above the rest — that of Ryan Spence, of Tacoma, Washington.
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