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EXCLUSIVE - POST CARDS
A collection of climbing stories from climbers around the world.
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 Hot Rock Expedition 4: Uganda Gallery
Photos by Ivana Crone and Roger Buser - The Hot Rock Climbing Expedition continues in Uganda. Follow the Hot Rock crew as they explore up to Class 5 rapids down the Nile, the friendly culture, and granite domes. The climbing in Uganda varies, from multi-pitch to bolted sport to phenomenal bouldering, with everything from slabs to finger cracks to steep traverses.  Hot Rock Climbing Expedition 4: Uganda
Uganda is that lazy-paced, sunny, reggae-filled African country, with that old Bob Marley/Caribbean vibe. The people are super-friendly, laidback, and always smiling and helpful. This is the most relaxed place we have visited so far. Our first stop was at Jinja, an adventure seekers' paradise, with its world’s tallest bangi-jump and some of the planet’s gnarliest kayaking, and even rafting on class 5 rapids.  Hot Rock Climbing Expedition 3: Kenya
Entering Kenya feels like entering a typical African postcard. Zebras and giraffes grazed on sweeping grassy plains shadowed by aged sycamore trees, with herds of wild elephants majestically crossing over the horizon. The lakeshores are full of birds often bigger than the mammals. It is like visiting a slightly evolved Jurassic Park.  Brilliance from the Dark Continent
Walking to school in the frigid December Minnesota air, bundled from head to toe in various layers of insulation, I was mulling over an email conversation I had the previous night with my new friend Dave. Dave lives in Mali, West Africa. I was wishing that I could transport myself three weeks forward in time when I would be there for a visit. One night, among other things, we were talking rock.  Hot Rock Climbing Expedition 2: Ethiopia
Ethiopia: The wildest, craziest mix of beauty on the planet. The deep canyons, eagles, and waterfalls, Mohawk kids cracking their whips after a herd of galloping horses. Graceful robed women with crosses and ornaments tattooed to their foreheads. That all has greeted us, as we crossed The high Simien Mountains. Our next climbing destination was Aksum in Northern Ethiopia.  Climbing the Nose With the Man of Speed
I originally met Hans Florine at the Outdoor Retailer trade shows. In October 2009, he came to our climbing gym here in Colorado Springs to do a speed climbing presentation. I talked to him for a bit, bringing up my failed attempt at climbing the Nose two years ago. After his presentation was over, I went to say goodbye to him, and he mentioned climbing the Nose with me "if I was ever down that way." Of course I would make it a point to get down that way!  On Kilimanjaro I felt like I ascended into heaven
It is not often that one meets a very experienced veteran trip leader specializing in safaris to wild parks and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro who says, when he successfully climbed Kilimanjaro to the summit for the first time in 1988, "I was very happy when I reached the roof of Africa. I felt like I have been ascended into heaven, body and soul."  Mountain Weather
Updated 2/18/10 by Michael Fagin - Weekly updates on mountain weather for a different location each week and updated every Thursday. We will cover the following: Alps, Cascades, Sierra, Aconcagua, and more will be added. Lead forecaster Michael Fagin has been providing mountain weather forecasts since the 1970's.  Climbing in Belapur, Near Mumbai, India
Before I moved to Mumbai (formerly called Bombay) I started researching the climbing community. I found a climbing wall that is set just off of a school grounds in an area called Goregaon. The community at the wall is very active and dedicated, immediately accepting me and inviting me to join them regularly on their real rock adventures. Towards the end of 2009 I spent several weekends in an area called Belapur in New Bombay, inland a ways from Mumbai.  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.  Pianos Rachados 2009 - A New Crack Climbing Event in Portugal
Portugal climbing is best known for its excellent limestone cliffs next to the ocean, providing hard, overhanging sport routes, but not its trad climbing... But now, near to Lisbon, south of the surfing mecca, Ericeira, an outstandingly gorgeous cliff of black basalt with perfect splitter cracks was recently discovered. The place might remind you of UK's Peak District with exuberant evergreen shrubs and gray to black rock.  A Climber in Iraq
His fingers curl over the crimpy hold as his left hand reaches for a sweat slick sloper. He ascends the wall, ignoring the hum of the air-conditioner, the aggressive flies, the fluorescent lights, the heat and drafts of dust. At the top he hangs for a moment on the two-by-four plank and then drops to the worn padding of blue mats and grey-yellow mattresses. Outside the roar of a Blackhawk’s rotor blades and engines ruffles the tent’s ceiling over the climber’s head, but after nine months in country he hardly notices these sounds anymore.  MATTERHORN MADNESS UNMASKED
Story and photos by John Wutzer - It all began back in 2006 when a couple climbing friends and I decided to attempt to climb the Matterhorn. We reserved a guide but a trail climb to test our Alpine skills was first in order. We were led on a 6 hour exhausting half traverse of the Breithorn that challenged us beyond our imagination. We completed the journey but lacking top fitness and more, it left us physically drained, mentally down and beaten by the mountain. It was determined that we were under-skilled in a variety of mountaineering and climbing aspects thereby deemed unsuited for the Matterhorn.  GETTING DOWN THE CRUX
Story and Red Rocks wood mural by Sherri Lewis - I avoid alpine starts as if they were a cactus on a climbers’ trail. I never grasped the point of losing sleep to bag a plum route when the low-hanging fruit seemed plenty tasty. But lately this cragger was hungry for altitude, so I made plans to fly from Seattle to Las Vegas before Thanksgiving with the goal of climbing Black Orpheus, an 11-pitch 5.10a deep within Oak Creek Canyon in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada.  The Longest Climb - Part 2
So… its all actually really, properly, happening. For real. The wheels are turning, the wagons rolling and any other getting started type metaphors you can think off. I’m sure anyone reading this by now will be aware of the challenge Tom and I are taking on – unless by some random, freak occurrence of coincidence you have just landed on this blog by chance, in all the billions of pages on the internet. |
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 At First Light
Cody hiked up the trail that circumnavigated the basalt quarry. He hiked in the dark of the early August morning, rope and gear stowed in his backpack. The creosote steps were far apart, built too tall by city volunteers, and Cody pushed down on the tops of his knees to help his quad muscles as he lurched up the oversized staircase.  The Longest Climb - Part 1
This is an attempt to set a new world record. An attempt to raise £10,000 for three charities: Amnesty International, Heart UK, Mountain Rescue England and Wales. This is two guys, Tom Lancaster and Jonathan Briggs, attempting to climb the height of Mount Everest, 8,848 meters (or 29,029 feet), in one stretch, on an indoor climbing wall. This equates to 738 times up the 12 meter wall.  Spidermen at large in Swiss cities
Five climbing teams all posed for the camera at the Red Bull Urban Boulder held between 2 - 3 October. Their mission: to use urban space as their playground for creating spectacular Boulder Pics in specified categories within 36 hours. Each team – one professional climber and one local climber, accompanied by a photographer – set off for a different Swiss city equipped with only a city map, guidebook and train ticket.  The Old Man and the Sea - Gorge du Verdon, France
In August and September 2009, Toni Lamprecht, Uli Strunz and Benno Wagner spent several weeks in the Gorge du Verdon with the target of establishing a first ascent on one of the amazing limestone walls in the south of France. The result is Le Vieux et la Mer or The Old Man and the Sea, with 7 pitches up to 5.13b/c. German climber Toni Lamprect believes this one of the nicest and most beautifull first ascents he's made.  Gorgeous French Limestone at the Gorges du Loup's Deverse Sector
Videos by PhilippeGatta.fr - Deverse, also called Pupuce Surplomb is the hardest cliff, in term of difficulty, in France's Gorges du Loup. The first free climbing route was Déversé Satanique, open by Bernard Duterte in the mid 1980’s. Now graded 8a+ (which may be a tad soft) it remains a fantastic climb. Shown here is Philippe Gatta on Qoussaï and on Déversé Satanique, both 8a+ or 5.13c, plus his wife Anna Gatta on Mekanik Destruktive Komando (7c or 5.12d) all at the Deverse Sector in the Gorges du Loup, France.  The FFA of Cerro Capicua, Valle Cochamo, Chile
By Jvan Tresch courtesy of Arc'teryx and video by Michi Tresch - In January 2009, Tom Holzhauser, Dominik Angehrn and brothers Michi and Jvan Tresch traveled to Valle Cochamó, Chile, for two months of big wall climbing on beautiful granite. They arrived without any specific plans — only an article from the web and a few photos that inspired them and hoped to make a nice first ascent.  Road Trippin' with Paul Robinson - Part 6
We just arrived in Boulder after driving straight through from Billings, Montana. The past few days were spent in Alberta exploring Yoho National Park, Banff National Park, Canmore and Calgary. After leaving Vancouver we began the trek to Alberta. We made it pretty far and ended up stopping for the night in Golden. The next morning we set off once again and made our first stop at Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park.  The Guatemalan - Gabriel Moch’s North American Boulderering Journey
At 23 years old Gabriel Moch has reached an impressive level as the second Latin American climber to send The Mandala (V12) at the Buttermilk Boulders, near Bishop California. Moch was born in Guatemala, raised in Brazil and began climbing at the age of ripe age 16. After only two years on the rock he sent Morfina (5.13a) at Cerra do Cipo, in Brazil and helped develop a bouldering area near Sao Paulo called Valinhos with over 300 problems varying from V0-V10 where he made the first ascent of many of them.  Road Trippin' with Paul Robinson - Part 5
It was a long and crazy week full of many exciting adventures. Paul tried Dreamcatcher various times and was finally able to do the entire thing in 2 falls with the humid, hot temperatures relentlessly working against him. Singularity was deemed impossible due to the weather conditions so Paul tried some other classic lines in Squamish when he wasn't working Dreamcatcher. He completed When Harry Met Sally, Sharma's Jump, The Pain Below and Encore une fouis.  Road Trippin' with Paul Robinson - Part 4
It is the end of our fourth day in Canada and the weather is pretty much as bad as it possibly could be. We are all hoping for a miracle. On a positive note, it is breathtakingly beautiful and the whole area of Squamish and Vancouver is unlike any other place I have ever been. As soon as you leave the city there are mountains covered with pine trees in every direction. Between Squamish and Vancouver there is pretty much nothing except for the mountains on one side of the highway and the beautiful Sound on the other side.  Road Trippin' with Paul Robinson - Part 3
On our last day in Arcata, Matt, the owner of Far North Climbing Gym, took us to some local bouldering on Moonstone Beach. We all did some easy warm ups before following Paul over to try a climb called Pirogi. After a couple hours and a couple bruised knees Paul finished the climb. We went back and filmed it because it was a really nice setting and that film will be available eventually.  Road Trippin' with Paul Robinson - Part 2
It is Thursday, July 16th and our fourth day in Humboldt County, California. Monday we left San Francisco after a delicious breakfast at a local spot called the Herbivore. The trip up north was over 300 miles so it was nice to finally get out of the car and see the beautiful Pacific ocean before us. We drove into what we thought was a parking lot but it turned out to be a sacred ground and we were told to leave.  Road Trippin' with Paul Robinson - Part 1
July 12, 2009 - The trip began with a slow start. With final exams in our summer classes and the prospect of moving our lives into a storage bin looming above us, Paul and I made the final preparations to begin our journey. It took multiple days to move both of us out of our houses but on July 4th after a delicious breakfast at Turley’s, we headed off towards Joe’s Valley, Utah. This was to be one of the many stops on our trip that would take us from Boulder to Squamish and back sometime in August.  Footloose and Fancy Free
Videos by Djamila Proft - Andreas Proft is a 36-year-old globe trekker from Saxony, in Eastern Germany, who started climbing about 15 years ago. Andreas and his wife Djamila, are relatively stationary now and have been touring around European climbing areas in their campervan for the last six years. Typically they stay in Germany during the summer and travel to the south (France, Spain or Italy) when it starts getting cold.  Perfect Blocks in Ticino, Switzerland - Trip Report
Every year hundreds of boulderers travel to southern Switzerland to climb on the perfect granite boulders surrounding the small villages of Cresciano and Chironico in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. This year I joined up with Red Chili team members Dani and Phil Hrozek and the two youngsters, Sammuel Adolph and Lukas Bolesch. See a photo gallery from this trip. |
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 Escape from New York - Part 4
After a few satisfying days in the Wichitas we were excited to discover what the Southwest had in store for us. Our first stop was Santa Fe, New Mexico. The last time I had been to Santa Fe, I was probably no older than 11 or 12 and on vacation with my parents. To this day, I still recall that trip in fond, youthful flashes: the deep earth tones of adobe and dusty hills, old Spanish-style churches, cobblestone streets and horseback rides through the mountains.  Escape from New York - Part 3
We pulled into Jasper, Arkansas late one windy night, after driving the 10 or so hours from Chattanooga. Jasper is the kind of small mountain town that you can drive through in less than 2 minutes, and it features not much more than a few shops, which seem to cater mostly to the tourists of the Ozarks. When we arrived, nearly every inch of the town had been shuttered tight hours before.  Escape from New York - Part 2
Living in the jungle of New York I would often find myself jolted awake in the middle of the night by something I could only generally describe as a panic attack. I would jerk upright (even jump out of bed on occasion) and perhaps yelp out something nonsensical before fully coming to my wits and realizing that, despite my surest conviction, I was indeed still alive, groggy and sweating profusely in my over-heated Brooklyn apartment.  Escape from New York - Part 1
My boyfriend and I were your typical young "urban climbers", more or less: living in Brooklyn, working in Manhattan, staying out too late on the weekends and trying to catch as many hours outdoors at the crag as we could. Nevertheless, we were never really that satisfied. One day, as we sat rehashing all the unpleasant details of our respective days (pushy commuters, long work hours, train problems, etc.), I had an idea: why didn’t we leave?  We're Looking For A Few Good Men
Do you have a compelling story to tell about a defining moment in your life? The editors of More Than a Few Good Men are sponsoring a national writing contest and are accepting submissions through May 1st, 2009. The contest is open to men ages 35 to 60. Essays should be from 1,000 to 3,000 words long and written in the first person.  This is Buildering
One can only witness the true essence, the intriguing energy of buildering in the deep of the twilight. Late in the night when a change occurs. It is an athletic alchemy, provoked partly by the bartender, telling everyone that it’s closing time, they have to leave. Some think, ‘one more cigarette or a bong session, perhaps a silly movie, maybe the twelve pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the fridge at home?’ Others think about climbing buildings.  Bouldering Therapy 101
By Robyn Puro - I’d finally cut ties with my corrupt, evil, horrible, poisonous boss and was eager to rid my home-office of negative juju. I wasn’t entirely sure how I had gotten myself into that situation, but “the mindful life” it was not. My days had been full of angry phone calls.  It's "Dojo" time in Boulder, Colorado
By Mike Adamson / thespotgym.com - There comes a time in every gym rat’s life where you begin to crave more beyond the good ol’ walls you’ve come to know and love. Enter The Spot Bouldering Gym’s newest wall, the Dojo, unveiled September 5.  An Adventure in the Dolomites
By Enrico Maioni / guidedolomiti.com - During my many years in the mountains and my numerous trips abroad, I’ve had the good fortune of living quite a few adventures. Today I’ll tell you my most recent adventure, so you think about how an alpine guide earns a living, especially if you think he does so in the most casual manner ... CLICK HERE to see all the photos from this adventure  Project 365 – Climbing Devils Tower Every Day for a Year
By Luke Laeser - Frank Sanders, 57, owns Devils Tower Lodge, a guide service and basecamp for climbers located a few hundred yards away from the crack climbing kingdom of Devils Tower National Monument in Northeast Wyoming. Frank succeeded in climbing on the tower every day (except for five days when his back was out). Despite this small hurdle, he still managed to top out 365 times.  The Citadels of Sinai Granite
Story and photos by Alexander Orlov — web.mac.com/aorlov - It was a snowless winter in 2006 and all of the previous summer and autumn we, as all climbers do, trained hard and surfed the internet with the aim of learning about new lines and high peaks. I found a site describing about 200 routes on the Sinai Peninsula among the granite citadels, some 600 to 800 meters tall, in a place named St. Catherine, Egypt.  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.  Fried Chicken on Chicken Island
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.  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.  The Best Climbing Wall in Iraq
Micah Helser is a Medevac pilot for the Army, currently deployed to Iraq. He’s been in Iraq for a year now, and will remain there for three more months. He spends his days sweating in the desert heat, flying rescue missions in a Blackhawk helicopter. |
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 Winter Vacation in El Chorro
By Rob Pizem - This year has ended at an all time low: breaking my back, my father needing work done on his heart, and all over the world fellow climbers loosing their lives. On this note I decided to take a trip to El Chorro's tufa filled caves, multi-pitch wonders and perfect weather near the Mediterranean.  Hidden Branches of Joshua Tree
Way out west, far from any big cities, there exists an enchanted rock forest surrounded by lanky trees that look like cheerleaders with outstretched arms, holding pom-poms. Coyotes run around at their feet, howling in unison at twinkling stars.  Travel-Climbing in the Boot
Italy is not only a land of orgasmic food and inebriating wines, but a paradise where climbing on quality rock and bathing in crystalline blue water perfectly accompany your cultural experience. The summer routine here is to enjoy remote rocks on white, sandy beaches and late-afternoon bouldering sessions, but also widen your cultural horizons with occasional museum visits.  To Austria with Love - Piz in Europe
Stepping off the plane, my back was tweaked and I was extremely tired from not getting enough sleep. The walk to the baggage claim was easy in the advanced and clean Munich airport. I collected my things and found my bicycle intact after being handled too many times. I quickly found Andy sitting at the car rental station.  Hueco Tanks - Winter Dispatches
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.  Colorado Alpine Sickness
RMNP and Mt. Evans report. Freaks of the Industry (V14) was sent by Daniel Woods, Ben Safdi, and Dave Graham. |
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