Summer’s here and so’s the annual Arc’teryx Climbing Academy! If you haven’t been to one of these events yet you’ll definitely want to check it out. It’s based out of Squamish BC where you can find world class granite climbing without even leaving town. The event takes place August 22nd to 25th but registration is open as of May 15 and events and clinics book up fast … Continue reading Arc’teryx Climbing Academy 2019
Mammut’s new Glacier Cord is designed to be used as part of a lightweight rope kit to allow alpinists, mountaineers and skiers to deal with various challenges and emergencies. This includes rappelling cliff bands, roping up for glacier travel, undertaking crevasse and cliff rescues, etc. Of course lightweight kits like this have been available for some time, the most well-known being Petzl’s RAD kit. Mammut … Continue reading Review: Mammut 6mm Glacier Cord
Not to be left behind in the light-weight ice screw game, Black Diamond has released their own version of a composite, aluminum-steel, screw that they’re calling the Ultralight Ice Screw. Constructed from the ground up these screws feature a new aluminum hanger and aluminum tube that’s attached to a hardened steel cutting surface. They’re now the lightest screws on the market and, even better, have … Continue reading Review: BD Ultralight Ice Screws
Most of us buy or acquire our climbing gear slowly over time. When you first get into the sport there’s a lot of expense associated with getting kitted out so gear is bought a little at a time. Once you’ve been climbing for a while, equipment is replaced as it gets worn out or newer, shinier and possibly better gear. Of course this leads to … Continue reading Building the Ideal Ice Climbing Kit:
There were a bunch of goodies at this year’s Winter OR / Snow Show when it comes to ice climbing gear! Of course I’ve already published an article specifically about climbing footwear so won’t include anything of that nature here. Rather we’ll be looking at more technical equipment such as ice axes, helmets, harnesses and the like. Black Diamond Spinner & Slinger Leash – Update: … Continue reading Winter OR 2019: Climbing Gear
This year’s Winter Outdoor Retailer / Snow Show was a bit underwhelming. There wasn’t as much new and innovative kit to check out as I’ve come to expect. And unfortunately footwear was no exception though there were definitely a few highlights. Five Ten and Lowa, didn’t have anything new for winter while other brands such as Salewa weren’t even at the show. However, that’s not … Continue reading Winter OR 2019: Footwear
In this article we’ll take a detailed look at a few backcountry first aid kits from Adventure Medical Kits. Adventure Medial Kits has a long line-up of first aid kits for a range of applications that have proven to be a great starting point for both my personal and professional backcountry use. However, it can be a bit tough to choose a specific kit as … Continue reading What’s in your Backcountry First Aid Kit?
There’s a huge variety of lightweight mountaineering axes on the market which can make choosing the right one for your specific adventure difficult. Most of the different axe types, designs, shapes, lengths, etc. have a specific use in mind be it alpine climbing, summer mountaineering, ski mountaineering and so on. Though some designs are simply carry-overs from days of mountaineering past which only sell because … Continue reading Comparison Review: Lightweight Mountaineering Axes
The 2018 version of our Annual Christmas Guide for Climbers. For me Christmas is always a bit of a mixed blessing. I have to put up with hearing Christmas carols everywhere, and there’s the stress of spending time with family, finding gifts for everyone and often lots driving on icy roads. On the other hand it’s great to catch up with friends and family and … Continue reading Black Sheep’s Christmas Guide for Climbers 2018
Christmas is just around the corner yet again. But don’t worry if you’ve no idea what to get that hard-to-shop-for climber in the family. We’ve got you covered! In this first installment of the 2018 guide we’ll look at 10 great ideas for smaller “stocking stuffer” type gifts. Basically, cool stuff that won’t cost too much. Click here if you want to look at some … Continue reading Climber’s Gift Guide 2018: Stocking Stuffers
