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Paige ClaassenSolitary men (5.13d/5.14a) Val masino, italy

Climbing for a cause: Paige Claassen has been traveling since July 1, 2013, on her Lead Now climbing tour with a mission to raise money for women and children around the world. She began her stint in Wa-terval Boven, South Africa, where she made impressive ascents of several 5.14s, including Digital Warfare and Rolihlahla, and at press time, Claassen had just left China for India. Despite humid and drizzly condi-tions in Italy, she managed the first female ascent of Solitary Men (5.13d/5.14a), a bouldery route on a 30-degree overhang. Check out the video series of Claassen and her team at climbing.com/video.

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flashflashDani Arnoldeidfjord, norway Because of its northern locale, Norway only gets a few hours of light every day in the winter, so ice climbers in the area are well-versed in ignoring nightfall as an obstacle to climbing. In January 2013, photographer Thomas Senf worked with Swiss light artist David hediger, a team of professional climb-ers, and Mammut to illuminate these “frost giants,” named from Norse mythology. The setup required several different rope arrange-ments, complicated pulley systems, 500 meters of cable, colored flares, spotlights, and headlamps.

ThoMAS SeNf/MAMMuT

Peter Vintonivlong Dong Silver (5.9 a3) San rafael Swell, utah Climbers sure can’t resist their towers, even when said spires are characterized by loose rock, poor protec-tion, and only 100 feet of climbing, like you’ll find on this minaret west of Moab, utah. Photographer Andrew Burr calls it “some of the most horrifying aid climbing around.” one hangerless bolt and an anchor positioned below the true sum-mit comprise the permanent protection, so bring your hammer and some long, thin pitons (as well as a few large cams for the top) to have some semblance of safety. If you do get the courage to surmount this spire, enjoy your 360-degree view of the surreal moonscape.

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Brittany GriffithSicilian (5.11) indian creek, utah

Thanks to its relatively short stature and location 50 feet to the right of the ultra-classic splitter Scarface (also 5.11), the 50-foot Si-cilian probably doesn’t get as much love as it deserves. This fun route moves up finger and thin-hand cracks, with abundant options for finger-stacks, jams, and laybacks. This photo ap-pears in Chris Noble’s new book, Women Who Dare (falcon.com), which profiles 20 of North America’s best female climbers, including Griffith, Lynn hill, Sasha DiGiulian, Steph Davis, and more. Personal stories of success and challenge accompany dozens of awe-inspiring photos.

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Read our review and see more photos from the book at climbing.com.

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Sarah Hartborn To be (5.12b) Vancouver island, british columbia, canada

Sarah hart spends “just another day cragging with me in a tree snapping pictures,” photographer and area guidebook author Rich Wheater says. This short but powerful route features Rifle, Colorado-esque limestone in the unlikely spot of Vancouver Island. As part of the western province of British Columbia, a hotbed for climbing (think Squamish), the island itself is home to limestone routes, basalt bouldering, and granite domes.

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Amanda Berezowski Devil’s butt (V5) Virgin gorda, british Virgin islands

Take one step onto the pristine beaches of Virgin Gorda, and you’ll realize why this Caribbean hotspot is gaining stature as a climb-ing destination: hundreds of huge, immaculate granite boulders are scattered along the sand, with most lines in the V0 to V5 range. The island is home to four national parks—Devils Bay, the Baths, fallen Jerusa-

lem, and Spring Bay—which are home to most of the established problems, though there’s potential for dozens more. The rock is textured, with everything from crimpy slabs to split-ters to gymnastic roofs. Bring extra chalk if you’re a heavy sweater, as tempera-tures never dip below 60°f. find more info in A Guide to Bouldering and Traveling in the Virgin Islands ($25, fixedpin.com).

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