Beal Joker 9.1 Climbing Rope Review: Soft and Regular
Climbing ropes have changed over the years. They’ve gone from 11mm ropes good for hip belays to ropes that meet single rope UIAA requirements. Ropes so skinny that belay devices had to be redesigned! Fat, old-school ropes are being left for top-roping school groups while skinny single lines are becoming lighter and more durable with better handling, all dramatically helping you to send that next … Continue reading Beal Joker 9.1 Climbing Rope Review: Soft and Regular
Review: Edelrid Spoc
The Petzl Micro Traxion finally has some competition in the form of the new Edelrid Spoc! Given the popularity of the incredibly useful device, I’m surprised it took so long for a competitor to one-up Petzl. A testament to how well the unit was designed really. And Edelrid didn’t just copy the Micro Traxion, they made a few improvements as the Spoc is lighter, more … Continue reading Review: Edelrid Spoc
Review: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir® UberLite™
Therm-a-Rest recently released the UberLite™ sleeping mat, the lightest and most packable sleeping mat we’ve ever come across! The size of a can of beer when packed up, this mat expands to the same size as a regular tapered mat when deployed and is just as thick as the other mats in the NeoAir® line! How did they do it? Well, they utilized cutting edge … Continue reading Review: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir® UberLite™
Review: Mammut Wall Rider MIPS
Mammut created a new genre of helmets when they introduced the original Wall Rider helmet a few years ago. This first hybrid helmet combined an EPP foam body with a polycarbonate cap in a construction that was quite innovative at the time but has quickly become quite familiar. Since the release of the original Wall Rider helmet a couple of years ago a number of … Continue reading Review: Mammut Wall Rider MIPS
Summer OR 2019: Harnesses
There were actually enough new harnesses at the Summer OR show this year to justify a harness-specific write-up! And I’m sure that if I had a little more time to walk the show floor I might have found another harness or two to add from lesser-known brands. I’ve got all the big boys covered though. CAMP Impulse and Impulse CR Harness: The Impulse and Impulse … Continue reading Summer OR 2019: Harnesses
Summer OR 2019: Climbing Gear
In this second installment of our Summer Outdoor Retailer Show Reports we take a look at all the cool new climbing gear that’s on its way. From carabiners to cams, helmets to ropes, there was some pretty cool kit at the show this year! If you’re looking for harnesses though you’ll have to wait for the next post. There were quite a few this year … Continue reading Summer OR 2019: Climbing Gear
Summer OR 2019: Winter Climbing Gear
Surprisingly, in a very good way, there was a lot of winter-focused gear at this year’s Summer OR show. Enough to justify a winter specific article anyway! So, as an avid ice climber I just had to start this summer’s series of OR reports by covering winter climbing kit. Asolo Boots: Asolo has given a few of their alpine boots a serious upgrade and the … Continue reading Summer OR 2019: Winter Climbing Gear
First Look Review: Updated Black Diamond Camalot C4
Friends are great to have. They have evolved over the years, getting lighter, stronger and smarter… Black Diamond have recently updated the forever loved and well trusted Camalot C4. The main change is in the lobes, and the larger sizes got some clever features. This next generation was due, with new Wild County Friends and DMM Dragons circa 2017. This saw both having major upgrades … Continue reading First Look Review: Updated Black Diamond Camalot C4
Technical Mountaineering Axe Comparison
Last year I wrote an article comparing different lightweight mountaineering axes. This year I’m comparing their slightly heavier brethren. And while a really lightweight axe is great if it’s going to mainly live on your pack, a slightly sturdier tool is ideal for more technical objectives. Routes where you plan on using one (or more) axes to climb some alpine ice, work through some deep … Continue reading Technical Mountaineering Axe Comparison
The Overwhelming Truth of Yosemite – For a Climber
Yosemite A place forever intertwined with the history of rock climbing, and has remained relevant in the climbing universe after many decades. While access, culture, and the valley floor are completely different when compared to the days of the Stonemasters, the source of inspiration remains the same. Through rock-fall and epics, The Valley constantly reminds us that it will remain untamed—regardless of how many millions … Continue reading The Overwhelming Truth of Yosemite – For a Climber