Clik here to view.
Cassin X-All Mountain Ice Axe Review by Dave Burdick
CAMP and its sub-brand Cassin have offered a steady line of nice tools over the past decade (and beyond of course). While these tools didn’t get the same hype and adoption in North America that other...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cassin C14 Crampon Review by Dave Burdick
The C14 is a technical climbing oriented crampon with a variety of configurations, similar to the Black Diamond Cyborg or the Petzl M12. If you haven’t already, read the Black Diamond Cyborg vs Petzl...
View ArticleClik here to view.
eClimb Cryo Pro Ice Tool Review by Dave Burdick
eClimb is a company that has been around for a few decades, but has not penetrated the US market as much as other European manufacturers. I remember seein their radical looking tools online and in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Alpine Belay by Blake Herrington
The GriGri as a an all-around tool for the mountains Scott Bennett belays a leader uses a GriGri while feeding a tag-line by hand. Skinny sport climbers know and love the Petzl GriGri. Though they...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Forget that Bulk Webbing by Blake Herrington
Six common pieces of gear and why you’re better off leaving them behind. Blake Herrington rappels in the Mendenhall Towers, Alaska. He and partner constructed this rappel line and each rappelled it 3...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ice Axe Review – How to buy an ice axe by Jim Nelson
WHAT SIZE or LENGTH or ICE AXE? The proper length ice axe will primarily depend on the user’s height. When ascending it will be more effort to plunge the shaft of a longer axe above, than with a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jetboil Alpine Cuisine by Blake Herrington
There is no denying the convenience of dinner in a bag. The makers of pre-packaged “backpacker” meals know this, and make ease-of-use a primary selling point. But Snickers or meal-replacement bars are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
eClimb Klau Ice Screws Review
When I first saw these screws I remember thinking that their design intuitively made sense. Where other screws use a heavy steel tube in the shaft of the ice screw, eClimb has used light weight...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Synthetic Insulated Jacket Layering Review by Dane Burns
The typical question: “I will climb Rainer this summer…next Orizaba, Kili, then Aconcagua! What do I need for clothes?” Here are some thoughts on a well proven “systems approach” that you may have not...
View ArticleClik here to view.
La Sportiva Spantik Review by Dave Burdick
The La Sportiva Spantik is one of the very best cold weather technical climbing boots currently made. It is built with a combination of the latest technology and innovation in design features. In this...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Arcteryx Nuclei Hoody Review by Dave Burdick
The moment I picked up the Arc’teryx Nuclei hoody, I realized that Arcteryx had made my other belay jackets obsolete. And I have a lot of belay jackets. For my uses, which are mainly alpine climbing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jetboil Sol – A Major Upgrade Gets it Right by Blake Herrington
When the Jetboil Personal Cooking System first came onto the market in 2004, it was truly a “game changer” for climbers. The system (originally around 15oz before fuel) wasn’t any lighter than a small...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rope Drag: The Silent Menace
While climbing do you often feel irritable, moody, or wracked with pain and uncomfortable pressure in your crotch and lower abdomen? Do you catch yourself upset and shouting at your friends and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Late Season Last Chance Alpine Rock
Mike Pond on a late-season ascent of the Ellen Pea route – Supercave Wall. November is, without a doubt, the worst month to be a climber, skier, or hiker in the northwest. But November is still a few...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Local Deaths Can Inspire Safer Rappels
The northwest climbing community experienced a string of tragic accidents in September of 2014, when three veteran climbers were killed in accidents taking place at a bolted sport crag, a huge, scruffy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fix Large Cams for Free
Unlike ropes, shoes, and harnesses, our climbing protection will last through years of use and abuse. I still regularly climb on a purple Metolius TCU which is older than I am, but which I have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mt. Slesse Descent Update by Marc-Andre Leclerc
Last summer my good friend Kieran embarked on his first ever alpine climbing adventure. His objective? The classic Northeast Buttress of Slesse Mountain. Upon his return I excitedly asked him about his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lower Body Maintenance for Active Climbers by Marc-Andre Leclerc
Extended periods of climbing or long alpine adventures have a way of simultaneously being both beneficial for the body and hard on it. Consecutive days of cramming feet into rock shoes, cramming the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Elbow-Saving Belay Setup – Streamline Your Multipitch Performance
As climbers and climbing-gear buyers, we are accustomed to wading through marketing claims, weeding out hearsay, and determining the facts on our own before we act. Is that carabiner really just 29g?...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Faster is Lighter – Tips for Increasing Your Speed in the Alpine
Jason Kruk and our minimalist bivouac setup in the Torres of Argentine Patagonia. Cerro Fitz Roy in the background. I’d like to start this article by just mentioning a thing or two about my intention...
View Article