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 Best of Burr 2010
Here, a selection of some of senior contributing photographer Andrew Burr's best photos published in Climbing in 2010. Areas include Indian Creek, Joshua Tree National Park, Mill Creek, Lover's Leap, Spain, and more. See more of Burr's work at andrewburr.com.  Dominion Riverrock 2011 Boulder Bash
The 2011 Dominion Riverrock Festival hosted the Blue Ridge Mountain Sports Boulder Bash bouldering competition, which featured top pro athletes ascending a 20-foot-high by 30-foot-deep bouldering cave made from metal, wood, and fiberglass with large, overhanging volumes. Despite inclement weather over the weekend, the event (which also boasted other extreme sports events and live music) drew almost 20,000 people. Sasha DiGiulian easily took the women's comp, flashing all four problems. Zach Lerner won the men's division. See full results here.  Visual #46 - February/March 2011
Photos by Greg Mionske / Words by Jon Glassberg - Rocky Mountain National Park is home to some of the country’s best alpine bouldering, and for three months out of the year, one very special sector is climbable and is virtually undeveloped. Super Chaos is located at 11,000 feet and an hour’s walk from the car with 2,000 feet of elevation gain, so it’s not for the faint of heart, but the reward is world-class bouldering. Ryan Silven and I spent the summer hiking pads and gear to Super Chaos three times a week to develop some of the most obscure first ascents in the country. The immense boulderfield that sits atop Chaos Canyon is now home to more than 30 newly developed problems from V0 to V11 and hundreds of open projects just waiting to be plucked from their stunning alpine setting. Super Chaos is immense, and you can spend a summer lost in the house-sized boulders and never see another climber. For an interactive map and videos of the area, visit superchaosbouldering.com.  Ashima Shiraishi in Hueco Tanks, TX
Photos by Julien Jarry - During the second half of March, young guns Ashima Shiraishi and Zoe Stienberg went to work in Hueco Tanks, Texas to film a section of "Origins," a Big Up Productions video prepared for the 2011 Reel Rock Film Tour. The two followed their coach and friend Obe Carrion on the same trails and some of the same lines he was on 13 years ago documented in the movie "Free Hueco," also filmed by Big Up. We were fortunate enough to be guided by Jason Kehl and receive first-class treatment at the Hueco Rock Ranch.  SCS National Championships 2011
Photos by Caroline Treadway - USA Climbing's 2011 SCS Open National Championships transpired this past weekend, with Sasha DiGiulian and Magnus Midtbø taking top honors in lead and Dana Riddle and Alex Johnson (male) in speed. DiGiulian was followed by Paige Claassen and Dana Riddle, while Matty Hong and Carlo Traversi took second and third for the men. Read the full write-up here.  Bouldering in the Buttermilks, Happy Boulders
Photos by Trevor Pound - I have been blessed to have lived in the Sierra Nevada for six years. Between the classic granite you will find in Tahoe, the awesome pocketed tuff in Mammoth, and the beautiful, very large boulders in Bishop, you could climb something new every day for years. We went to Bishop for a little while and explored the Happys, the Sads, and the Buttermilks. I love the Sierras and can't wait to spend some more time exploring the landscapes and the hundreds of thousands of climbs just within a few hours of each other.  ABS 12 National Championships - February 2011
Photos by Caroline Treadway - ABS 12 National Championships took place Saturday night in Boulder, Colorado, in an empty warehouse—the first year that Nationals hasn't been held in a gym. Hundreds of spectators filled the floor, strobe lights flashed on the wall, and live commentary from Jason Danforth and guest speakers was streamed online for those who couldn't be there in person. Alex Puccio dominated the women's competition, flashing two of the three finals problems. The men's race was a closer one, but Canadian Sean McColl clinched his win with a flash of Men's 3. Read more details here.  History of American Sport Climbing
Photos by Andy Mann / Words by Jonathan Siegrist - Sport climbing in America has undergone a lifetime of changes during its almost 30 years of existence. What was once considered an ethically questionable practice has not only been widely accepted, but embraced by the climbing community. Sport climbing history is not only a fascinating story—it's unique in that its landmarks remain for our current-day experience. It's invaluable to understand the roots of sport climbing history in order to fully appreciate its modern form.  American Sport Climbing - A Photo Essay
Photos by Andy Mann / Words by Jonathan Siegrist - Sport climbing in America has undergone a lifetime of changes during its almost 30 years of existence. What was once considered an ethically questionable practice has not only been widely accepted, but embraced by the climbing community. Sport climbing history is not only a fascinating story—it's unique in that its landmarks remain for our current-day experience. Historical testpieces and groundbreaking routes are accessible to anyone and can be enjoyed by every following generation. Read more here.  Triple Crown Bouldering Series 2010 - Stone Fort
Photos by Kelly Bussell - On Saturday, December 4, Triple Crown competitors gathered under a cold and gloomy sky at Urban Rocks Climbing Gym in Chattanooga, Tennessee. With a chance of rain threatening to shut down the comp, uncertainty filled the air. Climbers were herded onto buses to make their way toward Montlake Golf Course, home of Stone Fort. Scrambling to gather their crashpads, they quickly descended onto the boulderfield, trying to stay ahead of the rain. Inevitably, a light drizzle enveloped the boulders, making the simplest of topouts somewhat dicey. However, the boulders buzzed with laughter and a positive vibe, while climbers made the best of a cold, damp day, filling up impressive scorecards. Southern climbers Jimmy Webb and Kasia Pietras won the comp and the overall Triple Crown title for 2010. See more results at triplecrownbouldering.org.  Valley of the Giants - Sawtooths, Idaho
Photos by Andy Mann / Words by Matt Segal - "Holy shit! Where did all these people come from?" I was bouldering at Lincoln Lake on Mt. Evans and was shocked by the mass of people that had hiked to the newly rediscovered alpine bouldering area. It was absurd; people wait in lines to climb at Rifle all the time, but at a 12,000-foot pristine alpine talus field? Over the last few years, my friend Beau Stuart had hounded me to check out a bouldering area dubbed the Valley of the Giants that he’s been establishing in the Sawtooths in central Idaho. Timing was perfect, since I was looking to escape Colorado for a fresh alpine locale.  Bouldering in Columbia, California
Photos by Dean Fleming - After the unearthing of a massive gold deposit in the spring of 1850, the small town of Columbia, California, became one of the largest mining camps in The Mother Lode. Today, an enormous labyrinth of narrow limestone corridors and jumbled blocks sits exposed by Columbia’s extensive hydraulic gold-mining campaign. Although the boulders and cliff-bands are endowed with harrowing landings, mossy topouts, mountain lions and poison oak, this area’s unique features have attracted climbers for nearly 40 years. Columbia is relatively unknown to the American climbing community, yet a small group of local boulderers is continuing a long-standing tradition of highball bouldering and high adventure in Columbia’s overgrown passageways. See more about bouldering in Columbia in Mileage in Climbing No. 290.  Yangshuo Climbing Festival 2010
Photos by Rocker - On October 28 through November 1, 2010, China's third annual Yangshuo Climbing Festival, sponsored by The North Face and Black Diamond, took place on Yangshuo's world-class limestone with more than 550 climbers from 17 countries in attendance. The week included clinics taught by Yuji Hirayama, Sam Elias, Emily Harrington, and Liu Yongbang, plus informative slide shows, a climbing treasure hunt, climbing videos, music, food, beer, and socializing. The twin goals of the Yangshuo Climbing Festival are to promote a sense of community among climbers throughout China in a fun, friendly, and casual atmosphere and to support the sustainable development of rock climbing in the Yangshuo area China. Visit www.ysclimbfest.com.cn for more.  Triple Crown Bouldering Series 2010: Horse Pens 40
Photos by Adam Johnson - The second leg of the Triple Crown Bouldering Series went down this weekend at Horse Pens 40 in Steele, Alabama. Competitors enjoyed a perfect autumn weekend for the eighth installment of this annual competition. With perfectly crisp temperatures, skin was sticking, chalk was flying, and the competitors were sending. Many of the proceeds from the Triple Crown events go on to benefit originations like the Carolina Climbers' Coalition (CCC) and the Southeastern Climbers' Coalition (SCC) to help fund the purchase of and secure access to new climbing areas. Jimmy Webb won the men's open division, with Angie Payne taking the women's. See full results at triplecrownbouldering.org.  The Spot Gym's Psychedelia 2010
Photos by Adam Bove - The Spot Climbing Gym in Boulder, Colorado, hosts some of the biggest indoor bouldering events in the country. The Spot Bouldering Series has a standout event that really represents the essence of Colorado competition climbing, partying, and community. Psychedelia is a black light competition like no other and the 2010 event brought in more than 1,200 people, both spectators and climbers. Gabi Masse took home gold for women's open, while Rob D'Anastasio won the men's open division. For more results, visit thespotgym.com. |
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