Climbing 2013-12-2014-01

You only get 26,320 days, more or less. How will you spend them?

scarpa.com/phantom-guide

c o n t e n t s

ReadeRs

cho ice

issue 321

climbing.com | 1

6Flash

The winning shots from our

2014 Reader Photo Contest.

38Its All About You!

Funny but true: Snatching

food from a dumpster and

skipping your wifes birthday

to climb arent unusual for

our tribe. Neither is choosing

climbing over sex! This and

more in our inaugural

Climbers Choice Survey.

By the Editors (and You!)

46Winds of Change

Our editor and 12 readers

went on the trip of a lifetime

to the Wind River Range

and helped fund wilderness

trips for urban teens in

the process.

Santiago ESpinoSa

4Editors Note

17The Guide

31Gear

36Semi-Rad

59Clinics

dest inat ions17

Gills WorldFather of modern bouldering

John Gill has established

dozens of areas and prob-

lems. Take a power trip that

follows in the footsteps of

this climbing legend.

By Leia Larsen

22Dissecting the Dyno

The physics, skills, and know-

how to master climbings

most dynamic move.

53

Guide to RedpointingMatt Samet explains the ins

and outs of working a hard

route, with tips on how to

train, resting, and why you

should never give up.

59

Double-Rope Technique

Best practices for smooth

and safe belaying with a

two-rope system.

62Passing Lane

A guide gives the lowdown

on how to properlyand po-

litely!pass a slower party

on a crowded route.

sk ills

GeaR

31Pufes!

Crisp sending temps in

winter bring another bonus:

wrapping yourself in the n-

est of puffy jackets. Here are

our top ve picks.

health and

tRa in inG

60The Art of Taping

Protect your skin, tendons,

and ligaments with these ve

taping methods.

Reader Philipp Peters enters a wide section high up on the 2,000-foot Regular Northwest Face (5.9 C1), Half Dome, Yosemite.

ON THe COveR: Mike Perkins on

Heisenberg (5.13a), Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah.

Photo: Casey Hyer

e d i t o r i a l

Editor Shannon dav iS

Art Director Jacquel ine mccaffrey

Gear Editor Jul ie ell iSon

Destinations Editor amanda fox

Editor at Large dougald macdonald

Senior Contributing Photographer andrew Burr

Staff Photographer Ben fullerton

Outdoor Group Associate Producer cryStal Sagan

Intern devon Barrow

MAnAGED by:

ACTIVE InTEREST MEDIAS OUTDOOR GROUP

SVP, COnTEnT & PRODUCT DEVELOPMEnT | Jonathan dorn

GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR | matthew BateS

GROUP PRODUCTIOn DIRECTOR | BarBara van S icKle

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MOST Of ThE ACTIVITIES DEPICTED hEREIn CARRy A SIGnIfICAnT RISk Of PERSOnAL InjURy OR DEATh. Rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and all other outdoor activities are inherently dangerous. The owners,

staff, and management of CLIMBING do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts, seek qualied professional instruction and/or guidance, are knowledge-able about the risks involved, and are willing to personally assume

all responsibility associated with those risks.

2013. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. The views herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reect

the views of CLIMBINGs ownership, staff, or management.

LEADInG SInCE 1970

whAT GAVE yOU POwER ThIS MOnTh?

knowing my cleanse is almost over, and theres

coffee and wine in my future.

watching my daughter laugh at the altitude and hammer up kili.

bu s i n e s s

Group Publisher Jeff tKach

JtKach@aimmedia .com

Advertising Director Sharon houghton

Shoughton@aimmedia .com

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nicK freedman nicK@mediahoundS inc.com

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Chairman & CEO efrem z imBal iSt i i i President & COO andrew w. clurman Senior Vice President & CfO Br ian SellStrom Senior Vice President, Operations Patr ic ia B . fox Vice President, Controller JoSePh cohen Vice President, Research Kr iSty KauSCopyright 2014 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.

Green smoothies in my Vitamix.

My two-week vacation to hawaii. Im recharged now!

My moms home cooking while she visited and

daydreams of Indian Creek splitters. Also, whiskey.

Images of Tony yaniros biceps.

My boulder Rock Club membershipand stout beer.

My new skis!

Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale.

My dear friend who has an inspirational

spirit and focus despite being displaced due to the Colorado oods. She even picked up

kickboxing.

E D I T O R S

N O T E

Summit for Someone

PICTURE YOUR FAVORITE PLACE. No judgment if its that funky cof ee shop down the street or the bouldering cave at the gym (at least not too much), but Im willing to bet

what youre imagining is outside, at a crag or peak far from town. This is the type of place that feeds our passion, teaches us about ourselves and

the world around us, and makes us better people and stronger climbers. But far

too many folks never get to experience the transformative power of the outdoors.

Thats something the group of readers in the photo above (in my new favorite

place: Deep Lake Cirque in Wyomings Wind River Range) sought to change.

Each raised $4,000 for Summit for Someone, to fund weeklong wilderness

expeditions for under-resourced urban youth through Big City Mountaineers.

Their ef orts covered direct costs for 70 kids, many of whom have never been

outside of the county where they were born. Hows that for change? As a reward,

these readers joined me and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides for their own fully

supported weeklong climbing trip into the Winds. Read their moving reports

starting on page 46.

Then join us! Were doing it again in 2014, and I know we can raise even more

than we did in 2013. Go to climbing.com/sfswinds to learn how. Theres great

joy in doing good by doing what you love.

BY SHANNON DAVIS

C O L D K I L L E RS

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f lash

The Grand Prize Winner graces our cover, and the runners-up

create one of our most engaging galleries of the year.

Bligh Gillies Flakes (V1), The Buttermilks, Bishop, California

When I saw this boulder, I im-mediately realized it had huge potential. The whole scene is beautiful with a striking foreground element and massive mountains looming in the back-ground. When Gabe Cervantes started climbing, I sprinted off to nd a high point and began shooting. At that moment, the sun happened to disappear behind a small cloud, which provided great light and made the sky super dramatic.

ClimBing.Com | 7

8 | December / january 2014

flash

Brendon Salzer

Little red riding Hood (7a+/5.12a), Little red Wall, Waterval boven, South africa

When we came back to this area, I brought along quite a stack of photo gear to experiment with. I just really wanted a cool picture of Tif-fany Wells on a route, and we decided this pitch would be pretty perfect. I used two ashes for this shot: one at the base of the crag and one hanging off the top of the climb attached to a light stand. The one at the top was directed through an umbrella to my right. Its probably the most effort I have put into a climbing picture, but it paid off.

Chase Taylor License to Thrill (5.11c),The Membrane, American Fork Canyon, Utah

Theres almost nothing better than the pocket-pulling and jug-hauling found in the limestone heaven of American Fork. Clay Van Liere sends one of the best and oldest routes in the area. For some its a project, for others a warm-up, but the versatile climbing with big moves between big holds makes it a favorite for all. Check out more of my work at albionrose.com.

CLiMbing.CoM | 9


George Bruce Wilsonatomic Stetson (5.13c), rodeo Wave Wall, Wild Iris, Wyoming

Wilson got this shot of wunderkind Cameron Hrst during his onsight attempt of the routeafer he had already climbed Rodeo Free Europe (5.14a). They were in the area lming for an unreleased lm about the Hrst family.

AJ ODonnell The Gym arte (5.12a), Shelf road, colorado

Miriam Aloisio and I heard great things about this crimpy, vertical line, so on our rst trip we went straight for it. I grabbed my wide angle, found a good viewpoint, and let the climber, scenery, and light do the rest of the work.

flash

Congratulations!Each Reader Photo Contest winner will

receive a pair of shades from Optic Nerve.

Thanks Optic Nerve!

climbing.com | 11


flash

Paul Van Benschoten

Frogland (5.8), black Velvet canyon, red rock, nevada

Michael Warren (pictured), Bill Napier, and I were on the fourth pitch when I took this picture with my point-and-shoot. Bill and I were more than a little confused by the topo for this pitch, but luckily Michael was on it. He later explained, I remember saying to myself as I was pointing to the blunt arte, What the f*** is he talking about?! The route is clearly right up there! One of the huge benets of climbing in a group of three is that it allows for one climber to take photos with-out the distraction of belaying.

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Dom Channon

corbets couloir, jackson Hole, Wyoming

Although Corbets Couloir is one of the most famous ski runs in the country, in the warmer months its also home to some quality rock climbing. I shot Senior Guide Christian Santelices on location there for a portrait shoot with Exum Mountain Guides. With almost 25 years of guiding experience, Santelices hands have taken him all over the world, and I tried to capture their unique look with a single ash set up on the models lef.

Clinton Lewis

urus este, cordillera blanca, andes, Peru

We climbed the peak, which is considered an acclimitization peak for larger summits, in two teams. From front to back, David Byrne, Michelle Hoffman, and Michael Coote were on the rst rope team and summited before my team. As they were descending, I had the perfect shot lined up as clouds started rolling off nearby peak Tocllaraju, which added drama to the photo. Urus Este is not technical, but low snowfall this year lef a lot of exposed rock to climb, which is always tricky in crampons. This is one of my favorite shots because it really shows the scale of the range, the exciting clouds, and stark contrast of the rock and snow.

flash

NOMIC

www.petzl.com/NOMIC

Strike the perfect balance

between power and precision

Introducing the Stance Belay Parka

Andy Anderson

Associate Content Editor

Joes Valley, UT

Photographer: Andrew BurrBlackDiamondEquipment.com

C L I M B I N G.C O M | 17

T H E G U I D EDEAN FLEMING

I S S U E 3 2 1

Power

Not to be confused with pure strength, endurance, or mental boldness, power

is the facet of climbing that can be characterized by a pop and a grunt. It involves high-intensity movements

that combine strength and speed in a supercharged fashion, which allows you to do big moves like dynos and lunges. While it can be employed on

long routes, this quick force is the foundation of bouldering. Turn the page for a pebble-wrestling history

lesson, as well as some training advice.

Only a few decades ago, a roof like this might have been completely passed over as impossible, but this problem instantly became a neo-classic, falling just above the moderate grade level. Zach Fletcher harnesses the power on The Gerbler (V8), Lost in Space, Tahoe, California.

18 | december / january 2014

It was the mId 1950s, and a

young college student was

tooling around the nations

more popular climbing

hauntsRocky mountain

National Park, the tetons,

devils Lake, Yosemite.

the kid was unusualtall,

with 150 pounds of pure

muscle, toting around a

bag of chalk, spending his

time on small boulders

that real climbers only used

for training. It was difcult

to take him seriously,

except for one thing: the

guy could move. with

sheer power, he used his

momentum for controlled

releases, perfectly dialed

lunges, and precise land-

ings. It was the dawn of

dynamic movement and

the demise of the three

points of contact school

of thought, left over from

alpinism rooted in military

safety techniques. It was

these very moves that

would evolve climbing into

an extension of gymnas-

tics, rather than the exten-

sion of hiking it had been.

word began to spread

about John Gill, a young,

mild-mannered guy from

the south, who was

behind this renaissance in

climbing movement.

t h e g u i d ePower

the archives

alton Ric

haRdson

When Bouldering Became Real

By Leia Larsen

How john Gill changed the sport forever

The early years (3) the boulders at stoney Point, northwest of los angeles,

became the training ground for the likes of Royal Robbins, yvon chouinard, Bob

Kamps, and a host of incredible climbers. (2) the yosemite bouldering scene

ian achey cuts his feet in a quintessentially powerful style on Right eliminator Prow (V4), which is just to the right of gills Right eliminator at horsetooth

Reservoir, colorado.

The someTimes-dubious hisTory

of AmericAn bouldering*

*1 = , 3 =

climbing.com | 19

couRtesy john gill

ramps up, but there are still no full-time devotees. (3) john gill begins the movement to legitimize bouldering and adds a gymnastic touch to the way boulders are

climbed. || 1970s (2) the stonemasters develop the bouldering scene in yosemite by establishing and repeating harder problems, but still largely consider it to be

an inferior practice compared to longer climbs and hard free solos. (3) Midnight lightning sees its rst ascent by Ron Kauk in 1978. || 1980s (2) the emergence

Gill had been scrambling

up rocks since his reckless

high school days when he

soloed the Flatirons above

boulder, Colorado, and

made a ballsy ascent of

longs Peak alone. Then,

Gill fell into gymnastics al-

most by accident. he had

enrolled in the mathemat-

ics program at Georgia

Tech in the fall of 1954 and

signed up for a mandatory

gymnastics class.

i was over six feet tall

and weighed about 150

poundsa far cry from an

athletic appearanceand i

knew nothing about gym-

nastics, Gill remembers.

but my rst day in class

Coach Welser had one of

his gymnasts perform for

us newbies so we could see

the potential of the sport.

Then the coach intro-

duced the class to chalk.

Gymnasts use it to keep

their hands dry and ensure

a reliable, sweat-free grip.

Gill immediately thought of

using it in rock climbing. he

found he had a natural abil-

ity to do the 20-foot hands-

only rope climb, eventually

reaching a top ascent time

of 3.4 seconds.

i also began to visualize

a combination of gymnas-

tics and rock climbing, and

saw that if i worked hard

at it i might become an

athlete after all, Gill says.

Gill did become a for-

midable athlete, mastering

dynamic movement and

experimenting with free

aerialslater dubbed

dynoson rock. he

preferred smaller rocks

and shorter lines. They

allowed him to completely

hone his focus on difcult

holds, body tension, and

awless movement.

as he Toured the country

perfecting his new

method of rock climbing,

he met the likes of Yvon

Chouinard and bob Kamps.

When i introduced

chalk and a more gymnas-

tic style, they didnt really

know what to think, but

were accepting and some

were interested, Gill says.

usually they just smiled

and shook their heads.

during the 1950s, most

climbers stressed three-

point suspension, meaning

a climber had to have three

points of contact with the

rock at all times, whether

it be hands or feet. Most

credit that notion to being

an old holdover from the

u.s. army instruction man-

ual. Gills contemporaries in

climbing associations like

the american alpine Club

also placed high impor-

tance on summitinga

true climb nished atop a

formidable peak.

Gills style didnt begin

to be taken seriously

until a decade later, he

remembers.

in 1967 after obtaining

two degrees in mathemat-

ics, the 30-year-old Gill

moved to Fort Collins,

Colorado, to work on a

Ph.d. in complex analysis.

about a year later, he

received a phone call from

a bumptious young local

named Pat ament.

at 21, ament was

among a small group of

budding climbers who had

started to take bouldering

seriously. They knew of

Gill and were in awe of his

abilities.

hed leave little chalk

arrows sometimes that

pointed to a route that

he did, ament says. We

hadnt met him, but there

were incredible routes we

couldnt even touch that

had a little chalk arrow at

the bottom. it was kind of

mysterious.

among those routes was

Acrobatic Overhang (V5),

a mean overhanging bulge

in boulder Canyon. ament

followed Gills arrows to the

route with his friend royal

robbins. although they

were both strong climbers

with several respectable

rst free ascents under their

belts, including boulder

Canyons Supremacy Crack

(5.11b) and Athletes Feat

(5.11a), they stared at the line

in disbelief.

There was no way

anyone could climb this

overhang, ament says.

You couldnt even see a

TouchstonesThree iconic Gill problems

The Thimble

black Hills, South Dakota

The iconic Thimble formation in the black hills is a para-

gon of sustained highball goodness. The crystal-covered

30+ foot pillar is host to a few routes, most of which are

easier than Gills unroped rst ascent of the line of which

Pat ament said in his book, Wizards of Rock, was likely

the hardest short free climb in the world at the time. it

was an incredible ascent in a bold style, and still stands

out today as an accomplishment even with the increas-

ingly pedestrian V4 price tag.

Eliminator Boulder

Horsetooth Reservoir, colorado

Though he put up more than a few problems on this icon-

ic stand-alone boulder outside of Fort Collins, Colorado,

the standout is Right Eliminator, which clocks in at V4.

Though a number of holds have broken over the years,

the original aesthetic of the problem remains, highlight-

ing Gills eye for lines. The crimpy beginnings lead to an

off-balance toss for a layback above the deck, making for

another unprecedented ascent in an era where gymnastic

movement was not the norm.

Double Clutch

Shawangunks, new York

on the left side of dougs roof, a long boulder withyou

guessed ita roof capping the exit, is Double Clutch.

originally climbed in 1964 by dick Willams, John hudson,

and Pete Geiser, Gill managed to tack on a more direct

start to the line, bumping the grade from 5.9+ to 5.12.

Though you can climb on a rope through the roof and

onto the 5.4 sections to complete the pitch, most will

drop off at the ledge after the crux.

gill in the mid 1960s on double clutch (V4), dougs Roof, shawangunks, new york. he would draw small white arrows

pointing to problems he had done.


t h e g u i d ePower

andrew burr

heath lillie gets a taste of gills bold 30-foot line on the thimble, black hills, south dakota, which took even gill a few visits before he got the nerve to top out.

of sport climbing emphasizes the value in pure, hard movements, which also gives bouldering validation. (1) lycra dominates the fashion world. (3) boulder-

ing mats make their rst appearance, which leads to the development of crashpads. || 1990s (2) john shermans publisher forces him to grade every problem

in hueco for his forthcoming guidebook. this is the birth of the modern-day V-scale. (3) in 1998 the international Federation of sport climbing debuts its rst

*1 = , 3 =

climbing.com | 21

courtesy john gill

way to make an upward

move on it.

In 1968, Ament knew

Gill lived in Fort Collins

and decided to call him

out of the blue.

I called him up one day

because Id heard about him

for a number of years. I got

tired of not being in touch

with him, Ament says.

Gill then invited

Ament to meet him for a

climbing session. The two

bouldered together and

instantly became friends.

They immediately recog-

nized a shared gymnastic

approach to climbing. Gill

taught Ament an apprecia-

tion for uid body move-

ment. Ament showed Gill

his one-arm mantel.

The two frequently

climbed together on Fort

Collins boulders that

became legendary, like

the Eliminator Boulder

at Horsetooth Reservoir,

where Gill rst ascended

Left Eliminator (V5), a

tough line requiring a

controlled swing with a

dangerous fall zone. Many

climbers opt to use a

toprope rig on the route.

But for Gill and

Ament, difculty and

danger werent primary

motivating factors. They

looked to bouldering as

a form of mental and

physical meditation, a

place to nd freedom.

Sometimes theyd have

days where they didnt

do a hard problem all day

long. Theyd just do long,

mellow traverses in their

tennis shoes, enjoying the

Colorado mountains and

their bodily connection

with the rock.

Those were some of

my happiest days, Ament

says. The purpose of

bouldering was to enjoy

climbing and go outside,

with the freedom of being

able to climb at whatever

level you wanted. But also

push your limits without

any reservations. It just had

that freedom of soul to it,

of expressing yourself.

As Aments strength

increased under Gills

mentorship, bouldering

also began to slowly catch

on as a legitimate form

of climbing. Not only

did it offer an interest-

ing new philosophy and

way of thinking about

rock ascents, it was also

a great source of training

for longer routes. It gave

climbers the strength and

technique needed for

difcult moves, unlocking

routes at 5.11 and beyond.

wHEN BouldERINGS

popularity as a training

tool ourished in the

late 1980s, it began to be

accepted as an end itself,

rather than a means to be-

coming a better climber.

Thats how I pursued

it, says John Verm Sher-

man. I found the rewards

of bouldering were greater

than any other climbing I

was doing.

Sherman also began his

bouldering career chasing

elusive Gill ascents, trying

to follow in his footsteps.

we just thought of

Gill problems as being

these unattainable things.

He was so far out there,

Sherman says. He was

the man.

Sherman grew to

become one of the most

prolic boulderers in

North America. He put

up hundreds of ascents at

Hueco Tanks in Texas and

introduced the V-scale rat-

ing system, which we use

today. He was also popular

among fellow climbers for

his crass sense of humor

and image as the quintes-

sential vagabond dirtbag.

But as he was taking the

bouldering world by storm

in the 1980s, the sport

was evolving and moving

away from Gills kinesthetic

philosophies.

like many new

boulderers on the scene,

Sherman didnt have a

gymnastic background

like Gill and Ament. while

fueled by the movement

and difculty behind

bouldering, he was less

apt to work problems

over and over again to

develop the muscle

memory to perform them

awlessly.

Instead, I was always

looking for something new

to do, particularly with re-

gards to rst ascents. Thats

what really turned me on,

Sherman says. That was

always a big draw to me,

having that extra degree

of uncertainty going into

a problem, having it all on

me to gure out where

and how the problem was

going to go. Still, aesthet-

ics factor heavily into Sher-

mans climbing philosophy.

If you pursue it merely for

difculty, whats difcult

today is not going to be

difcult ve years from

now. But the aesthetics,

theyll always be beautiful,

he says.

Into the 2000s and

beyond, climbers began to

focus less on the aesthetics

Gill and Sherman champi-

oned. The driving force be-

came a numbers game, with

climbers chasing harder and

harder problems. The focus

became difculty rather

than precise movement.

No matter how bad

you thrash at something,

as long as you get a bigger

number, youll get the ac-

ceptance and congratula-

tions from your peers,

Sherman says.

This represents a

signicant break from

Gill, he says, who was so

far beyond his peers that

their approval was never

pushing him on. That

independent thinking is

what allowed Gill to break

barriers and take climbing

to the next level.

IN THIS dAy, were so

inundated with the media

that its very hard for the

independent-thinking

climber to remain indepen-

dent-thinking and not be

inuenced by the pres-

sures of sponsorship or

ego gratication through

being talked about, Sher-

man says. I think if we

do see another superbly

talented boulderer whos

a generation ahead of

everyone else and people

are scrambling to catch up,

that person will come from

some very obscure place.

Maybe hell be Amish and

not have a computer.

GIll oFFICIAlly retired

from climbing in his early

70s after injuries and ar-

thritis became too painful

and restricted movement.

Some old guys keep

it up with a toprope, but

I wouldnt have, he says.

you have to know when

to quit.

Now 76 and living in

Pueblo, Colorado, Gill still

follows developments in

the climbing world with

great interest. As for the

current bouldering trend re-

volving around numbers, he

offers some perspective.

Current climbers

understand quite well the

contemporary interpre-

tation of the sport: a

quest for difculty. Very

few seem to appreciate

the moving-meditation

aspect, he says. But dif-

culty is a poorly dened

concept. At some point in

the future there will be a

reassessment of difculty,

but we are not there yet.

Even with difculty

aside, climbings scope

would not have its

gymnastic element

without Gills dramatic

advancement. He melded

mind with movement

and power, laying a new

groundwork for the way

we think of scaling rock.

Its on this foundation

that perhaps another

athlete, somewhere, will

help us move into the

next realm.

gill demonstrates a difcult core-training exercisethe

one-arm leverin Fort collins, colorado, in the late 1960s.

bouldering competition called the top rock challenge. that comp eventually became a world cup in 1999. || 2000s (3) bouldering reaches widespread ac-

ceptance and grows in popularity, forwarding progress in pads, shoes, and access. (1) hueco tanks famed Mushroom boulder is closed in 2007. (3) daniel woods

and Paul robinson send V16 in 2010. (2) their V16s are downgraded, and many climbers speculate that V16 may never exist in consensus.


technique

Dissecting the Dynomaster climbings biggest and most powerful moveBy Andrew tower

t h e

g u i d ePower

A well-executed dyno is a beauti-

ful thing. The setup and release.

The uid and controlled ight

that ends with latching the holds

above. Learning how to dyno can

also open up your climbing to new

possibilities. Perform it correctly

and your reward is typically a

good stance above hard-to-cover

ground. Do it poorly and youre

off the wall faster than you can

scream Save me, Sharma!

Dynos didnt gain popular-

ity until John Gills gymnastic

inuence validated bouldering

as its own type of climbing. (See

p. 17.) As routes and boulder

problems with more acrobatic

movement were recognized as

completely feasible projects, the

dyno became a real weapon in

the climbers toolkit. Conceivably,

sticking a dyno seems easier than

climbing statically. But launching

yourself upward and completely

disengaging from the rock while

trying to control your ailing

legs and torso is a technique that

requires practice and precision.

Think about it.

Before you do anything, survey

your objective and scope out your

landing zone. If you know youll

be dynoing sideways for a sloppy

hold on an overhanging wall, take

care to place pads and spotters

in the areas you may fall into. If

youre on a rope, note how far

and where you may fall, including

where youll end up when the

rope goes taught. It could very

well give you the boost in con-

dence you need to really execute

when the time comes.

Plant your feet.

Nearly all of your upward power

comes from your legs, and without

a solid point from which to launch,

you wont go anywhere. Though

the best-case scenario will vary

brett Gottdener sticks it on Planet

X (V6 r), Joshua tree, California.

robert m

iramontes

problem by problem, try to nd

the most solid foot on the side of

your body that is in the general

direction youll be dynoing. Pick

feet that arent too high and close

to your hands. If you cant pull your

body over your feet before you

launch, youll end up shooting out

from the wall instead of up.

Line it up.

Take careful consideration of how

you want to catch the hold above.

If youre on a steeply overhanging

wall, try to minimize the outward

force from the wall, and concen-

trate all that power upward.

Dont waste energy on pumps.

Moving your body up and down

over and over again to get a feel

of what the dyno is going to

be like just wastes energy. Get

into position. Find your objec-

tive. Pump up once, lower, then

commit and dyno with everything

you have.

Let your arms guide you.

Sink low before you dyno. Use

your arms to pull your body into

the optimal launch trajectory. Your

legs will be the driving strength to

get you to your goal, but your arms

are essentially the steering wheel.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Stay focused on where youre

headed. If you lose sight of your

goal, youll miss every time. Theres

no magic tip for this one. Be con-

scientious of where on the hold

you need to be aiming for, which

hand youre going to be grabbing

it with, and which way youll be

swinging. Theres no great rule for

which hand you ought to lead

with when dynoing, but if you can

leave one of your hands on while

your feet cut, youll have that

much more stability after you grab

the next hold. (See photo at left.)

Get a grip.

Your body is going to swing away

from the wall after latching. Dont

let go. Its a natural inclination to

release when your entire body

weight is only being held by one

arm, but if youre warmed up and

dont have a shoulder injury, grab

on for dear life. You know those

videos where professional climbers

arent swinging around like orang-

utans in a zoo? Their bodies are

calm because they immediately use

their core to slow their outward

swing and bring their legs and feet

back to the center in control. As

soon as youve latched your hold,

focus on tightening your core to

control the swing.

Have a plan.

Know where youre going to put

your feet and hands as soon as you

control your swing. There are few

things more heartbreaking than

sticking an insane dyno mid-route,

then melting off the next moves

because you couldnt nd the right

footholds to move forward.

Go for it.

No, seriously. Have you ever

watched someone try a dyno

repeatedly only to fall off and

be facing you when they land

on the crashpad? That spin is a

telltale sign of noncommitment.

Most climbers, when they know

they are going to fall back to the

ground, will instinctively spot

a landing before theyve even

fallen. Unfortunately that lack

of commitment robs you of the

precious power and drive that

might otherwise be the difference

between sticking a difcult dyno,

and crashing to the Earth.

Training guidelines: Look around. When youre in the gym and its busy, dont go buckwild with dynos in the bouldering area. The uncontrolled nature forces everyone around you to be on guard.

Be rope aware. If you encounter a dyno on a route that will take you more than two tries to complete and youre not using your own rope, see if you cant pull past that move to clip up before dialing it in. The repeated big falls on your partners rope is undue wear and tear, and its downright rude.

Get a spot. The only thing worse than accidentally getting hit by a dynoer is getting hit by a dynoer, and then carrying him out of a climbing area because he broke his ankle.

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24 | D E C E M B E R / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 4

T R A I N I N G

Stairway to HellBuild and use the unbelievably simple and overwhelmingly effective Bachar Ladder

T H E

G U I D EPower

YOU CAN FIND a nger-

board bolted to the top

of at least one door frame

in nearly every climbers

house. Our ngers do a lot

of the work while were

out climbing, and many

climbers are obsessed. But

all the nger strength in

the world isnt going to

translate to harder sends

if you havent worked on

developing the power and

body strength to pull your

weight up off the tiniest

holds your iron tendons

might be capable of

crimping.

John Bachar, free-

soloing pioneer and

all-around groundbreak-

ing climber who made a

name for himself in the

1970s and 80s (see right),

was forward-thinking in

his training techniques

and developed the Bachar

Ladder in order to develop

stronger upper-body and

lockoff strength. A Bachar

Ladder is comprised of

evenly spaced dowels (or

PVC pipes covered in grip

tape) tied to a rope that

is hung at a steep angle.

By ascending the dangling

ladder without the use of

your feet, the instability

of the tool forces you

to use your entire core,

shoulders, and back for

stability.

Get

10 Wooden dowels (1.5 in

diameter) cut into 12- to

14-inch sections

1 Retired climbing rope,

about 40 feet

Build

1. Drill parallel holes one

inch from the ends of

each of the dowels that

are wide enough to pass

your rope through.

2. Find the middle of the

rope and tie a gure eight

on a bight. This will be the

grounding anchor point.

3. Tie overhand knots

equal lengths from the

bight with each strand.

Consider the height

and steepness youll be

hanging your ladder when

tying your rst knots, as

this will be where your

rst rung hangs above the

ground.

4. Thread the two rope

ends through the previ-

ously drilled holes in the

rst dowel until the rung

is resting snugly on the

overhand knots.

5. Measure 16 inches

above your current rung

and tie an overhand knot

in each rope strand.

6. Repeat steps four and

ve for each of the re-

maining rungs. If 16 inches

is too far or too short for

you to campus, adjust the

distance based on your

personal preference and

height. (The ideal length

is the distance you can

reach with a free arm

while locking off at jaw-

level with the other.)

7. After your last rung, tie

each strand into a gure

eight on a bight.

8. Attach one end to a

ceiling or tree, and secure

the bottom of the ladder

to the ground or wall

at your preferred

campusing angle.

9. Start getting power!

Train

Ladder Ladders

1. From the bottom of

your Bachar Ladder, cam-

pus up one rung, match,

and then campus back

down to the bottom rung

and match there.

2. Step off and rest.

3. Without matching on

the second rung, campus

to the third, match, and

then down-campus back

to your starting position.

4. Step off and rest.

5. Repeat incrementally by

adding one rung with each

set until you get to the

top, then go back down,

subtracting one rung at a

time like a pyramid.

Safety: Be sure to have

a spotter. Take care to

monitor your elbows

and shoulders for pain

during trainingor if

you feel labored gripping

items, shaking hands, or

lifting things with your

shoulders. Tendonitis and

soft-tissue strains and

tears are not uncommon

with this type of intense

training. Gaining power

will serve no purpose if

youre injured.

John Bachar

March 23, 1957 to July 5, 2009

What he did: As the undisputed godfather of free soloing, Bachar established and soloed ground-breaking routes throughout California in the 1970s and 80s. Among his accomplishments is Astroman with Ron Kauk and John Long, the 11-pitch 5.11c up the east face of Washington Column in Yosem-ite. This practically ushered in a new era of long-route climbing. In 1981, he once of ered a reward of $10,000 (about $25,000 in todays economy) to anyone who could keep up with him for a day. No one took him up on the challenge. Why he matters: Bachar was obsessed with training. His usual spot in Yosemites Camp 4 was littered with training tools, and he relentlessly com-mitted to developing power and strength through a structured regimen, which was pretty unique for the time. It paid dividends, though, and Bachar re-mains one of climbings most heralded gureheads for the advancement of the sport. knot

dowel

rope

AN

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Pint-Sized Power Climb like Ashima Shiraishi to engage beast mode

A SHORT FIVE YEARS

ago, Ashima Shiraishi

was merely a blip on the

international climbing

radar. Bouldering with her

dad in Manhattans Central

Park and at local climbing

gyms, she jumped into

prominence with her

2010 ascent of Power of

Silence, a stout V10 in

Hueco Tanks, Texas, at the

age of 8. Since then, she

has ticked off a new grade

nearly every year and

currently holds court with

the top female boulderers

and route climbers in the

world with multiple sends

of V13 and 5.14c. Not to

mention shes the young-

est person to climb V13 as

well as 5.14c.

This tiny powerhouse

isnt your average image of

climbing powershe may

not even be able to ride

whatever roller coasters

she wants. On the surface,

it seems more appropriate

to peer into the training

schedules of storied

climbers like Daniel

Woods, Chris Sharma, Alex

Puccio, or Angie Payne,

but despite her relative

size and stature, Shiraishi

still packs the serious

punch necessary for these

types of elite sends. Wed

be remiss if we didnt

gure out her secrets.

As a climber, Shiraishis

biggest limiting factor

currently is her size, which

some might happily

dismiss as an excuse not

to climb the hardest lines.

With a wingspan dwarfed

by adult climbers, she has

to compensate by ratchet-

ing up her power to pull

through moves that may

be really big for her, or by

climbing dynamically to

match taller folks length-

wise. Since I am short, she

says. I usually have to jump

on most climbs to start.

On hard routes, especially

bouldering, there are moves

that you have to use power

to get through. I try to lock-

off on a lot of climbs with

long reaches so I can avoid

jumping through.

Train

Dont be intimidated by

the thought of training

speci cally for power; its

not as hard as you might

think. Kris Peters, personal

trainer to a dozen pro

climbers (and half the

training duo Team of 2

Training, along with climb-

ing coach Justen Sjong)

gave us this workout to

tack on to the end of a

gym session. It will help

you attain real power and

generate lockoff strength

that will be key on those

reachy moves.

6-Second Death Drop

1. Find a pull-up bar, set of

rings, or a hangboard.

2. Do a pull-up and lower

down slowly on a six-

second count. You should

not be at the starting po-

sition until the six seconds

are up.

3. Once you reach the

bottom, pull back up as

fast as you can and repeat

the lowering process.

Sets: 1 to 6

Rest: 3 minutes in be-

tween each set

Reps: 5 (or scale down to

your ability)

Its safe because the

lowering helps relieve

stress off the tendons in

the elbow. Thats why I do

negatives after a climbing

day because it stretches

the tendons after pulling

all day, says Peters. This

type of eccentric training

focuses on elongating

the muscles, which trains

the body to have greater

control and focuses on

building lockoff strength.ED

DIE

GIA

NE

LL

ON

I

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fuel

Super Snacks

By Andrew Tower

t h e

g u i d ePower

DeciDing which fooDs

to pack for a day of climbing

isnt always obvious. on

one hand youre looking for

clean, energy-packed foods

that wont weigh down your

pack or drop like a brick into

your stomach. And wouldnt

it be nice if they tasted good,

too? on the other hand, you

dont want to succumb to

the wallet-draining, grass-fed

hemp wraps at your local spe-

cialty grocery store. Luckily,

a sensible answer lies in your

own pantry. cheap, energy-

packed snacks that are easy

to make and lling are just a

few steps of prep away.

Dr. Allen Lim of skratch

Labs in Boulder, colorado,

is spreading the philosophy

that clean, whole, real foods

are leaps and bounds better

than processed foods and

bars. its not a groundbreak-

ing food ideology of fueling

yourself at home by any

means, but in a world where

convenience is king, its too

easy to grab an imperfect

something at the store on

your way to the crag, in-

stead of making something

better for you before you

hop in the car.

An average sports bar has

about 18 different ingredi-

entssome bars have up to

30 listed ingredientswith

only about 60 to 70 percent

of those ingredients being

real food, says Lim. The

average moisture content

is only about four percent,

making them dry and difcult

to eat. At an average calorie

count of 22332 percent of

which come from fatmost

people are better off eating

an unfrosted cupcake. Most

cupcake recipes use fewer

than eight real food ingredi-

ents, have a moisture content

of 40 to 50 percent, making

them easier to eat and digest,

and have the same calorie

count and fat content as the

average sports bar.

Lim gave us recipes

that require no baking, no

next-level kitchen skills, and

use ingredients that every

dirtbag has in the pantry to

create a packable food that

delivers all-day energy.

Better crag food will lead to more sends and more climbing

26 | decemBer / january 2014

Almond Butter & Jelly Rice Cake

Ingredients

3 cups sushi rice

4.5 cups water

Salt

1 cup almond butter (or any nut butter)

1 cup fruit preserves

Directions

Cook rice per instructions and salt to taste. Spread

half of the rice about 1/2 thick on a baking sheet. Use

a spatula to evenly spread almond butter over the rice,

and then place several dollops of preserves on top.

Gently press the remaining rice over the top to create a

sandwich. Let it set for a few minutes, and then cut into

about 15 squares and wrap in Martha Wrap (a foil/parch-

ment paper combo) or equivalent.

Nutrition Facts

One rice cake provides approximately 300 calories (27%,

or 81 calories, from fat ), 49 grams of carbohydrates, 7

grams of protein, and 100 milligrams of sodium. The mois-

ture content is about 60%, making them easy to digest.

A more potato-y alternative

Boil or roast a few baby potatoes. After theyre cooked, season with salt and olive oil to taste. Theyre portable, super easy to make, and not including the oil, ve small potatoes will give you 263 calories (51 calories, or 19 percent, from fat), 50 grams of carbohydrates, ve grams of protein, and about 150 milligrams of sodium, depending upon how much salt you use. Moisture content is about 70%, which also aids hy-dration. Dr. Lim made these snacks for Tour de France cyclists he works with. It quickly became a favorite when they didnt cause the stomach cramps that the typical dry, hard bar caused.

Breakfast for lunch

If you make oatmeal in the morning, take the leftovers and let it sit in a pan. Add some additional fruit or nuts. With enough time, the oatmeal will set and turn into a portable bar that you can eat later in the day. Or just put a lid on it and pack a spoon.

Even Easier

ChipsPork Rinds Pork rinds, as you may very well know, carry a distinct stigma. Each of those deep-fried strips of pig skin wouldnt seem like a very healthy food source, and youre mostly correct. But, when compared with their sister snack, the ubiquitous chip, youll nd a slightly better alternative to the carb- and fat-loaded bags of crisps. Pork rinds, by comparison, have about nine grams of fat per serving and 17 grams of protein. With chips coming up short at only 1.9 grams of protein and 11 grams of fat, in a pinch pork rinds are better than chips. However, dont plan on making them a major part of your regular diet.

GatoradeCoconut Water In the morning, always coconut water. Coconut water has about ve times the potassium than Gatorade, great for preventing muscle cramps. But at the end of a vigorous day, you need to replace the sodium you lost, which is where Gatorade shines, of-fering 200 milligrams to coconut waters 30.

Roller FoodJerky You know the food were talking about. You shouldnt eat it, but how can you help it when theyre two for $1.19 and delicious? Easy, Kobayashi. Take two steps back and walk on over to the refrigerator section. There you should nd blocks of cheddar or string cheese. Grab one of these and some beef jerky and feast away. Youll get protein to aid muscle recovery without all those saturated fats, not to mention half the cholesterol and sodium. Try to nd jerky with less sugar and preservatives. Strike out? Grab a tin of tuna and some crackers.

Better choices for when you have no other choice

fill up!Much more than a cookbook, this guide to nutrition and on-the-go energy for athletes has us obsessed. And eating better than ever. $25, skratchlabs.com

FACT: 61% of climbing gyms have seen an

increase in participation/membership by

adding TRUBLUE Auto Belays*

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C U LT U R E

The Grid: PowerA handy reference guide to where its at BY ANDREW TOWER

T H E

G U I D EPower

BEAST

LEAST

YES!N

O!

Arnold Schwarzenegger

(then)

Summit beers Especially in Colorado.

More Great American Beer

Festival medal winners

than any other state.

One-arm pull-upsNot that useful, really, but demands

respect. Get there: Throw a towel over a

bar and do pull-ups gripping said towel

with one hand and the bar with the

other. Begin building resistance to your

bar arm until you can go towel-free.

Climbing gym membership

Campusing

Arnold Schwarzenegger (now)

Climbing gym buddy pass

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Making it easy for faster parties to pass Advice on p. 62

Rest daysA necessary evil, but

youll return to the game

recharged. Have fun!


C L I N I C S


SUPERCORN

PASSING LANE

G U I D E S T I P

By Jeff Ward

FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE THE CLIMB. For routes with long approaches, write the name of your intended route on the back of your car. This gives the teams behind you the ability to go somewhere else. If you are rack-ing up at the base of the climb and you know you will be pushing your limits and moving slowly, talk with the other team to nd out if they are in the same boat. You may nd out that they are a couple of send-bots on a six-route link-up. Probably best to let them jump ahead at the start.

COMMUNICATE AND WORK TOGETHER AS ONE TEAM. It is usually obvious to see when one group is moving much faster than the other. Work together and be friendly and accommodat-ing to avoid route rage. Dont go for the pass right out of the gate. Show the slower team that you are much faster by staying on their heels for a few pitches. Once they real-ize you can pass and not slow them down, they will be more willing to let you go by, which makes the pass much faster. If you are the slower party, know that just because you woke up earlier and got on the route rst doesnt mean the route is yours for the day. Be gracious and let faster parties pass; tell them directly youd like them to pass, and provide an opportu-nity at a good spot. Be comfortable sharing anchors and do what you can to make the pass safe and ef cient. There will always be someone that climbs harder and faster than you. Its not the end of the world. On the other hand, if you are on a route with an abundance of loose rock or a narrow, steep ice climb, you could argue that you do have the right to stay in front. If you are the passing party, consider how your actions and interactions af ect the other team, both in terms of their safety and their enjoyment. If the team ahead of you is only marginally slower, its probably best to hang behind. You dont have the right to jeopardize their safety just to

pass. You had the ability to choose another route when you realized there were other parties; they did not. This party may be in the middle of the best climb of their life; dont ruin it for them.

PASS IN APPROPRIATE SECTIONS. Climbing a variation on the route is optimal, but that option isnt always avail-able. The next best alternative is to pass

at a belay stance, which is fairly easy and safe. The slower party can take a little rest while the faster party goes into overdrive to make the pass as painless as possible. Share bolted belays or try to nd a dif er-ent belay station when building anchors with gear. Avoid hanging belays and look for ledges large enough to stack your rope.

WORK ON YOUR TRANSITIONS. This is important whenever youre multi-pitch climbing. Always stop earlier at a solid

PROPER TECHNIQUES AND COMMUNICATION TO PASS A SLOWER PARTY ON-ROUTEAfter spending the last two decades working as a climbing guide around the world, Ive had plenty of opportunities to witness and be

part of teams passing each other on popular climbs. These experiences have been anywhere from impressive to embarrassing and humor-ous to downright dangerous. If you plan to spend any time on the classics, you are bound to run into a party or two (or three...) all moving at dif erent paces. Here are a few experience-driven tips to help you smooth out the passing process and make the whole operation go quickly and safely for both parties.

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Climbing (USPS No. 0919-220, ISSN No. 0045-7159) is published ten times a year (February, March, April (Gear), May, July (Photo Annual), August, September, October, November, Decem-ber/January) by SkramMedia LLC, 2520 55th St., Suite 210, Boulder, CO 80301. Periodicals postage paid at Boulder, CO, and additional mailing of ces. Canada Post publications agreement No. 40008153. Subscription rates are $29.97 for one year of postal delivery in the United States. Add $20 per year for Canada and $40 per year for surface postage to other foreign countries. Canadian undeliverable mail to Pitney Bowes IMEX PO Box 54, Station A, Windsor ON N9A 6J5. Postmaster: Please send all UAA to CFS. Retailers: Please send correspondence to Climbing c/o Retail Vision 815 Ogden Avenue, Lisle, IL 60532-1337. Climbing magazine is a division of SkramMedia LLC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Climbing, PO Box 420235, Palm Coast FL 32142-0235.

Guidelines for Passers: 1. Kill them with kindness. 2. Make sure the route is safe to pass on. 3. Choose the right pitch on which to pass. 4. Con rm that you are the faster team. 5. Respect the others ability lev-el and risk tolerance. Guidelines for Passees: 1. Do everything you can to make it easier for faster teams to pass. 2. Write the name of your intended route on the back of your car before heading out. 3. Communicate clearly when and where you want to be passed. 4. Keep your ego in check.

belay stance instead of running the rope out the full 60 meters. Combining pitches can slow you down if you end up at a bad belay stance with the wrong gear. If you are unsure of whats ahead and youre more than 100 feet out, dont pass the low-hanging fruit that is a nice ledge with good cracks.

Leading in blocks (one person leading a few pitches in a row, and then swapping) will also speed up your day by allowing the second to sprint up the pitch without worrying about saving gas for the next lead. But make sure to polish your changeovers between blocks: Flipping the stack, clip-ping the second into the anchor, passing gear, and getting the new leader on belay shouldnt take more than a few minutes.

GET IN POSITION TO PASS WITH MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO THE OTHER TEAM. On many routes this often means leading a pitch while the other teams leader is still on the sharp end. This is inappropriate on many types of pitches (loose, hard to pro-tect, narrow ice climbs, etc.), and one team needs to be considerably faster. Work as two teams to get your leader behind the slower leader. Give the slower leader enough space to fall without hitting you. On bolted climbs, clip your draw onto the spine side of the top biner of the leaders draw ( g. 1). This keeps the biner from being torqued in the hanger; plus, it is easy to clean.

As you ascend the pitch, stay outside the other leaders rope; dont duck under their cord. This is fairly easy on vertical or slabby face climbs, but it gets tricky in chimneys and roofs; consider that when deciding where to pass. On trad routes, clip directly into the other leaders gearbut only after getting express permission from the other team. Make sure its well placed, too, instead of just blindly clipping it. Dont unclip the slower leaders rope from the gear, as that could put him in danger. These tactics will put you at the next belay right behind the other leader. Get your second up quickly and speed through your transition so you can start leading the next pitch and gain some ground on getting as far in front of the other team as possible.

ONCE YOU PASS, GET OUT OF THE OTHER TEAMS WAY QUICKLY. Dont run pitches together until youre a full pitch ahead. Take the rst easy belay stance you can and transition quickly. This will get your belayer out of the other teams way sooner and cause less disruption. Continue to move quickly throughout the climbtheres a reason you passed in the rst place!

BE SENSITIVE TO THE OTHER TEAMS ABILITY LEVEL AND RISK TOLERANCE. I once witnessed a faster party pass while the slower team was still leading a pitch. The faster leader unclipped all but one of the slower leaders draws and clipped his own rope into them. When the slower leader nally realized what was happening, he was irate. He voiced his opinion about what he thought of this passing technique, and the passing leader said, Whats your problem? I left one draw clipped. Needless to say, this didnt go over well.

Understandably so, the slower leader was not that comfortable pushing his limits 500 feet of the deck while being clipped to a single bolt. The faster leader didnt seem to understand why (or more likely didnt care). Make sure you dont project your comfort level and ability onto the slower party. Chances are they are moving slower due to a lower risk tolerance and/or ability level. Respect that and try to work with them. Cut them some slack as you pass, be nice, and dont forget to thank them profusely!

One of the best experiences I had being passed was in Yosemite many years ago. We were climbing as a party of three and moving relatively quickly, but a party of two came up behind us moving much faster. We reluctantly let them pass, which slowed us down a bit, but when we nally got back to our car at the end of the day, the passing party had left a couple of cold beers on our windshield and a quick note of thanks. Now thats how you pass with style.

ASK A GUIDE

What is the dif erence between a prusik, Klemheist, and an auto-block? What are the pros and cons of each one as a backup in a rappel system? Andy

The auto-block, Klemheist, and prusik can all be used as a rappel backup on the brake strands of the rappel. Just remember to extend your belay device so the belay device doesnt unintention-ally release the hitch. (See how to do it here: climbing.com/skill/pre-rigging-rappels.) The preferred hitch is the auto-block because of how easily it releases, but consider that the number of wraps needed for an ef ective rappel backup is directly related to the length of the loop used. The bigger the loop, the more wraps needed. The Klemheist is preferred if you only have slings (instead of cord), but remember slings contain material like Dyneema, which have a low melting point. Having a sling or cord that is a dedicated rappel backup isnt a bad idea, and prod-ucts like the Sterling Hollow Block ($11, sterlingrope.com) are very useful for this purpose. A prusik will work in a pinch, but it is harder to release once loaded, and its often more dif cult to dress properly. Without a properly dressed prusik, the holding power can be unpredictable.

Jef Ward is an AMGA-certi ed and IFMGA-licensed guide and co-owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides (ncmountainguides.com). He works as an instructor for the AMGA and serves on the AMGAs Technical Committee.

Take.Learn to climb through

the pump in our guide to

redpointing on p. 53.

Consolation Beers

Poor spotting, partner lands badDial in the basics here: climbing

.com/skill/spot-on.

Zumba How about some CrossFit

instead, there, Steve?

Government shutdownRight when conditions

are perfect!

Torched tendonsTape to prevent injury. Find

three ways on p. 60.

Rainy dayBut then you hit the gym

to turn weaknesses into

strengths. Get new training

ideas free on the iPad.

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I S S U E 3 2 1

Puf es

Theres an insulation war afootand youre the winner. Down, tra-ditionally the lightest, warmest, and lof iest for the weight, has always had an Achilles heel: It wont keep you warm when its wet. Now, new treatments protect precious down plumes from wilting when water creeps in. Synthetics, which do insulate when wet, have rarely compressed or breathed as well as down (and many of our testers have said theyre not as toasty), but new production methods have upped breathability and altered their physical structure to increase packability. Learn more about the performance qualities of these new-comers in the following reviews. Here, nd a primer on the basics of both insulations.

Down is comprised of spheri-

cal plumes that exist under the

outer plumage (or feathers) of

waterfowl, like a duck or goose.

The three-dimensional shape

traps body heat in tiny air pockets

for insulation. Its breathable and

allows moisture to escape.

Down insulation is measured

by ll power, which refers to the

lof and how much air can be

trapped for heat. Higher ll power

means uf er lof and therefore

more warmth.

If lof decreases over time,

wearing jackets or lying in a sleeping

bag can increase lof , according to

the International Down and Feather

Testing Laboratory (IDFL). Regular

shaking, washing, and drying will

also recharge ll power.

The highest quality down (750

to 900+ ll power) comes from

mature geese who grow larger

down clusters. Goose down has

also been proven to have stronger

individual plumes than duck down,

and it lasts longer.

As a by-product of the food

industry, most down comes from

birds that are raised for ve or six

months and then sold for meat.

According to IDFL, as of 2010,

nearly 80 percent of the worlds

down came from China, where

duck and goose meat is eaten

more per capita than any other

place in the world. Turn to page

33 for more information on down

sourcing.

Synthetic insulation is made

of ultra ne polyester threading,

which can take the shape of long,

continuous strands (several inch-

es in length), or bundles of short

staples (two inches or less). Both

styles of synthetic insulation are

designed to intertwine and create

pockets of air, which trap heat

and insulate.

When searching for a water-

resistant, man-made substitute

for down to ll sleeping bags and

military clothing, the U.S. Army

approached Albany International

Corporation, a textile company, in

1983 to develop such a product.

PrimaLof One was patented

in 1986 for military use; L.L. Bean

brought the rst synthetic jacket

to the commercial market in 1989

(Beans Mountainlight Jacket), and

PrimaLof One can still be found in

dozens of modern jackets.

Short staples of synthetic

insulation tend to be sof er and

more compressible, but can

migrate and create cold spots.

Long strands are typically stiffer

and less compressible, but

they do not rip as easily or shif

around.

When synthetics get wet, the

moisture lls the pockets of air

between the bers instead of

being absorbed into them, quickly

drying by sun or body heat.

Synthetics are less expensive

than their down counterparts,

and theyre hypoallergenic.

THE BASICS

G E A RBEN FULLERTON; DOWN COURTESY PATAGONIA, SYNTHETIC COURTESY POLARTEC



Adidas Terrex Korum Hoodie$260; 14 oz.; adidas.com

While working hard on long approaches in

the Adirondacks during unseasonably cold

fall mornings, our testers forgot they had this

breathable but pleasantly warm piece on. A

diamond-shaped panel of stretchy eece in

the armpits not only allowed for big reaches

and twisting while climbing, but it also kept

them from overheating. It was really impres-sive how well it kept warmth in but let moisture out, our Canadian tester said. The 700-ll goose down made it instantly warm-

ing and extremely packable, which was great

for all-day outings when space was limited;

it compressed down to the size of a bag of

ground coffee. This piece is multi-functional,

as one tester stated, Its intended as an

outer layer, but is so light and slim-tting that

it easily ts under an outer shell. After three

months of testing, packing, and unpacking,

the down kept its loftiness, shape, and posi-

tionno shifting so that certain areas were

bare while others were pufftastic. Another

great feature: a smooth and snag-free zipper.

Even obsessive-compulsive zipper operators

wont nd issues with this jacket, which is

rare for any puffy.

Puffy

Performance

Cons

Conclusion

Bottom Line

Elite HeatBy Devon Barrow anD

Julie ellison

Outdoor Research Halogen Hoody$199; 13.3 oz.; outdoorresearch.com

Climb in it, belay in it, and then don it for the hike out, and this jacket just ows right along with you, one tester said. Crisp morn-ings during shoulder season at Cathedral and

White Horse ledges that turned into muggy

afternoons proved to be the ideal situation

for the Halogen. It kept testers toasty with

60 grams of PrimaLoft One insulation in

the body, arms, and hood, but let air ow

through the stretchy Schoeller panels in

the pits and sides of the torso. This jacket

laughed in the face of muggy and wet condi-

tions that are common in the Northeast. The

synthetic insulation still kept me warm when

the jacket got damp, and it dried quickly

within about 15 minutes when I was active

and moving, one tester said. Water-resistant

Pertex Quantum fabric on the outside

repelled light water and protected from

abrasion, resulting in zero rips throughout

three months of testing while climbing ice

and rock in New York. I havent noticed any

degradation; it still looks and feels new, said

another user. A versatile hood stretches to

t over a helmet, but has elastic around the

face to keep out wind.

A perfect insu-lated jacket is one that lets you enjoy climbing more. It should go above and beyond the basics of comfort, warmth, packabil-ity, and style. It should withstand several seasons of wear and tear as well as the unpre-dictable elements of Mother Nature. It should be the one piece of apparel you cant wait to unfurl from your pack. With advances in technology, hybridization, and discipline-specic features, it is way beyond just com-paring down to synthetic. Armed with more than a dozen jackets, our tester crew expe-rienced everything from the Colo-rado alpine to the harsh Northeast winds and the snowelds of the Bugaboos in Canada. After almost 120 days of testing, they emerged with ve top picks.

Airy Warmth Jack of All Trades

Warm up with our favorite 5 pufes of the season

G e a rThe big review

With thin ripstop nylon, some testers

thought this piece was fragile, so its not

ideal for bushwhacking or sharp puppy claws

for fear of rips and tears.

Pure awesomeness is how one tester

summed the Korum up for its style, coziness, breathability, and warmth. This is great for all-around use, from an alpine approach to

frontpointing up the third pitch.

Hand-warmer pockets were positioned low

so they were covered by the harness and

hard to access at belay stations. Its designed

as a performance midlayer, so dont expect

super-duper and instantaneous warmth.

If eece just isnt enough for a cold climb,

the Halogen will give you added warmth

with similar breathability and top-class cozi-

ness. Extreme packability (the size of a small cantaloupe) means take it everywhere.

climbing.com | 33

Millet Trilogy DownTek$299; 13.8 oz.; millet.fr

The Trilogy is the epitome of a uffy,

maximum-warmth, instantly cozy jacket

with one major technical advantage: water

resistance. During a cats-and-dogs thunder-

storm in the Bugaboos of Canada, one tester

was without a shell for about 20 minutes:

When we got back to camp, everything and everyone was drenched, but I couldnt have been warmer! Thats thanks to the DownTek hydrophobic treatment applied to the down

plumes, which prevents them from absorb-

ing water; instead, it just runs off. The Trilogy

outshined others because of its features: a

butt-covering length that rode comfortably

over or under a harness, extreme packability,

a voluminous, adjustable hood that t over

a helmet, an integrated and stiff visor, and

snag-free zippers. One tester also lauded

the piece for how seamlessly it moved, It

didnt restrict my movement like other puffy

jackets this warm can. From climbing Grand

Teton in Wyoming to alpine conditions on

Mount Baker in Washington and then ski

touring in Chamonix, France, the Trilogy al-

ways compressed easily, lofted immediately,

and kept its original shape and puff.

Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Hooded $250; 10 oz.; mountainhardwear.com

When Im not sure if Ill need an extra layer

or not, this is the piece I keep putting in

my summit pack, one tester said of this

synthetic full-zip jacket with new Thermal.Q

Elite. While most other synthetic insulations

need another binding fabric to stay in place,

Thermal.Q Elite is stable on its own, and

without a second binding material or stitch-

ing, it reduces weight and adds breathability.

Mountain Hardwear is claiming 35 percent more warmth at the same 60-gram weight of other fabrics, and testers found it did feel warmer than other jackets with compa-

rable weight. Combined with a lightweight

baselayer, testers kept warm when climbing

in temps down to about 40F: Id normally

have to dig out another midlayer or shell,

but the Thermostatic was just enough.

The additional airow and increased heat

combine to offer comfort in a wider range

of temperatures, which means doing the

layer-changing dance less often. The jacket

was excellent to climb in, too; it felt light on

the body and didnt restrict any movement

when stemming and scumming on long

routes in Lumpy Ridge, Colorado.

THe LowDown The sourcing of down has become a hot topic in the outdoor industry in the last several years. Rumors of widespread live-plucking (a process that strips an unsedated goose or duck of its feathers) by down farmers for well-known brands spread, and understanding where your down came from and how it was attained became paramount. Down has been used as insulation for centuries, particularly for bedding, and live-plucking during the molting process when birds are shedding was common practice until about 50 years ago. now, many outdoor retailers have reexamined the sources of their down and increased efforts to make them environmentally and ethically sound. Allied Feather & Down, supplier of major outdoor retailers, has since pledged the highest standards of quality and ethical business practice, doing the best they can to prevent their suppliers from live-plucking, though it can be tricky to monitor. look for labels on your down pieces that indicate ethical awareness, such as bluesign, a stamp that veries clean manufacturing, or mountain Equipment co-ops Ethical Sourcing Program.

Belay Buddy Best of Both worlds Temp-Swing Master

The technical look means you might not be

rocking this around town. The high level of

warmth and puff makes it less versatile than

others in our test.

From chilly belays to frigid ice climbs, the Trilogy will be your go-to jacket throughout the cold months of winter. Its ultra-warm and ber-cozy with the technical advantage

of being water-resistant.

Thinner and lighter face fabric means this

jacket could get shredded more easily, so

testers were wary of actually climbing in it.

A slick outer fabric made this a bit clammy

next to skin.

This piece takes the best qualities of down and synthetic (without the caveats) and merges them into one gold-medal jacket that promises warmth, packability, water

resistance, and even a cozy feel.

Testers found it was cut a bit short, so

without a harness on, it tended to lift up and

expose the midriff. A hanging liner on the

inside caught on gloves, pulling the lining out

through the sleeves.

If other 60-gram synthetics just arent warm enough or youre an ounce-counter, the Thermostatic is for you. Get more heat,

added comfort in a wider variety of tem-

perature ranges and less weight.

The north Face ThermoBall Full Zip$199; 11.6 oz.; thenorthface.com

It feels like down, looks like down, warms

like down, packs like down, so it must be

synthetic? The North Face took PrimaLoft

insulation, shaped it into small cotton ball

like pieces that mimic the lament clusters

of real down, and made an instant classica

jacket with the best qualities of both down

and synthetic. These small clusters trap

heat in the air pockets between them for

warmth, giving it heating capabilities that are

equivalent to 600-ll down. One tester said

it best, When wearing this jacket, I forget

that I dont have to baby it like I would

down. It really is the best of both, after

taking it bouldering in Colorados alpine and

then to the Wind River Range in Wyoming.

Since its synthetic, its water-resistant and keeps you warm when wet, but the air pocketlled design makes it breathable and faster-drying. Plus, it packs down smaller than traditional long-strand or short-staple

synthetic pieces, so theres almost no down-

side. One tester afrmed, This jacket is as

versatile as it gets. It gave me a thousand

reasons to never take it off. The North Face

offers a lifetime warranty.

In FocusSPORTRX PRESCRIPTION

SUNGLASSES

For four-eyed climbers who dont wear contact lenses, buying sunglasses is far more complicated than pulling a decent-looking pair off the rack. Prescription sunglasses can cost $500 or more, and your local optometrists might not know much about the needs of mountaineers, skiers, and rock climbers in terms of UV protec-tion, t, and durability. Enter Spor-tRX, a company that stocks major brands of performance sunglasses and gogglesSmith, Rudy Project, Oakley, Spyder, etc.and custom-builds a lens/frame combination for even the most extreme frame shape and prescription. An opti-cian will consult with you to make sure your prescription, frame, lenses, and preferred sports are a good match. Our tester submitted his blend of myopia, astigmatism, and vergence dysfunction to Spor-tRX chief optician Rob Tavakoli, a self-professed glasses geek who only got excited when he heard the complicated and unique pre-scription. A pair of Oakley Jupiter Squared frames with high-index progressive lenses arrived two and a half weeks later. The prescrip-tion was spot on, our myopic tester said. They nailed it, and the frames were ideal for climbing: They didnt slip or even move, but they were comfy on my noggin for all-day routes. Big bonus: If you dont love them from the get-go, SportRX will redo the glasses until they get it right. Prices vary; sportrx.com

Dougald MacDonald

Watch ThisGOPRO HERO 3+ BLACK

EDITION

Point-of-view cameras have revo-lutionized what is possible when it comes to capturing our adven-tures, and the newest additions to the tried-and-true GoPro line take it a few steps further. In fall 2013, GoPro released a free app that turns your phone into a cam-era command center; it becomes a remote control for the camera and allows you to instantly share photos and videos through your various social media. The camera unit puts off a Wi-Fi signal (not strong enough for Internet use) that the phone connects to. The app immediately syncs the data on the camera with your phone, so you have access to all the pho-tos and videos without having to separately plug in the camera, upload images to your computer, and then share. Boomtheyre right there in your hand. One of the coolest features for our testers was the fact that the app also turns your phone into a live-view screen, so if youre standing on the ground at the base of a crag and theres a climber wearing the unit up on a route, you can see exactly what she is seeing. (As long as she isnt too high; connec-tion distance depends on device.) The new Hero 3+ is also 20 per-cent smaller and lighter at only 2.6 ounces (4.8 with housing), so you can strap it to a helmet even when youre counting ounces for a hard send or a long day. Testers were excited about the possibilities it has for projecting hard routes, too. Forget a video

G E A RTested

Crag SundriesBY JULIE ELLISON

A few cutting-edge extras for the perfect climbing day

In 2003, Climbing with the support of The North Face

and Petzl launched the Anchor Replacement Initiative

(ARI)a movement to replace worn-out xed hardware

at popular crags across the country. Leading into 2011,

we are proud to announce that nearly 500 routes

have received ARI support and more than 1,000 bolts

have been replacedthanks to dedicated climbers

who spend countless hours volunteering their time

replacing hardware.

OUT WITH THE OLD.

IN WITH THE NEW.

ADVERTISEMENT

Restoring Americas crags one bolt at a time.

MEET CLIMBER

BEN BRUESTLE,

ONE OF ARIS MOST

DEDICATED EQUIPPERS

Hometown: Pueblo, CO

Favorite local crag: Tanner Dome

Number of years youve been climbing: 18

Number of routes youve replaced as

part of ARI: 11

Here are a handful: Bam Bam, 5.10a, Wild Side;

Newlin Creek KC, 5.10c, Wild Side; Newlin Creek Tuff

Turf, 5.10d, Titanic, Hardscrabble I Did It My Way, 5.9,

Titanic, Hardscrabble

Lea

Documents

Climbing 2013-12-2014-01