Unlike the fairly uniform and well maintained anchors provided at climbing gyms, outdoor crags can offer a wide variety of anchor points, or nothing at all. And of course different situations will require different gear. That being said, most areas are set-up with a pair of bolts that can be used to build either a top-rope or lead anchor. This article will review different equipment … Continue reading From Gym to Crag Pt. 3: Anchor Kits
Selecting a climbing rope can be confusing given all the different types and features available. This article focuses on giving you the information you need to select the right rope to climb at your local crag. When it comes to buying your first cragging rope to go there are two main factors to consider: Diameter & Length. Simple right! You can ignore options such as … Continue reading From Gym to Crag Pt. 2: How to Pick a Climbing Rope
Many new climbers are looking to transition from the gym to pulling on real rock. But to go outside some new toys are needed. This series of articles focuses on helping climbers select the right equipment to get out cragging. This first of the series will examine quickdraws. If you simply want to go top-roping you can skip this purchase for now. There’s a huge … Continue reading From Gym to Crag Pt. 1: Choosing Quickdraws
This video features the PowerPoint slides from a presentation on Ice Climbing I gave at the Arc’teryx store in Kitsilano on January 31st, 2018. Continue reading Presentation: So you want to be an ice climber?
The ice climbing community has been undergoing a paradigm shift in regards to avalanche awareness and safety. Like the ski community’s transition to wearing helmets, ice climbers continue to become more aware of avalanches and how to mitigate the associated hazards through knowledge and equipment. This is a much different environment than was present almost 10 years ago when I was getting introduced to the … Continue reading Avalanche Gear for Ice Climbers
A prusik hitch is an invaluable tool when rock climbing, traveling across glaciers, climbing ropes, etc. However, there are a range of options when it comes to prusik material and of course each has its strengths and weaknesses. I review three of the more common options below in a long winded rant but threw in a few photos to keep you going. Continue reading A Comparison Review of Prusik Cord Options
I often get asked how I mark the middle of my climbing ropes when the factory marks start to fade. As I’m sure you know many manufacturers warn against using any dyes or markers on their product leaving people in a difficult position when the center mark disappears. Of course one way to deal with this issue to purchase ropes with a mid-rope pattern change. … Continue reading Refreshing the Center Mark on a Climbing Rope
When making the step from single to multi-pitch rock climbing you no longer have access to all the kit at the base of the climb. This means that you have decide what’s important enough to haul up the wall and what can be left behind. Below I provide an outline of the technical gear that I typically carry with me into the vertical world. I … Continue reading Essential Gear for Multi-Pitch Rock Climbing
Modern canister stoves like the MSR Reactor work great and have deservedly become very popular with alpinists and ski tourers. The reason for this popularity is simply because they work really well.  The Reactor for example is extremely fast (a key consideration when making coffee in the am!), fuel efficient and works well in the wind. However, the fatal flaw with the Reactor (and other … Continue reading Canister Stove Freezing Fix
