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Gripped e-Mag, Issue 12, Full Edition |
December, 2007 |
In This Issue
Welcome to The Gripped e-Mag |
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Albert Leichtfried climbing in the Tirol, AustriaThe Gripped e-MagWelcome to the December issue of the Gripped e-Mag! Published monthly and full of interesting articles on climbing personalities, destinations, techniques and new gear that you won’t find in the magazine, the Gripped e-Mag is FREE and a great complement to Gripped Magazine.Register now to receive the Gripped e-Mag and you will be entered for a draw to win a Black Diamond Focus harness valued at approximately $60 (see sidebar for more details)! Please feel free to forward this e-Mag to any other climbers that would find it interesting! If you have any comments or suggestions please contact us at info@gripped.com.
Gripped Interviews Sean IsaacSean Isaac has spent a significant portion of his climbing career pursuing new routes on remote expeditions, isolated big walls and local mixed climbs. Now based in Canmore, he is the new editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal.
Sean Isaac on Distiller M9, Killer Cave, Alta.Congratulations on becoming the editor of the Canadian Alpine Journal. Now that you are at the helm of the oldest climbing publication in the country, how do you see the CAJ evolving under your leadership?Who’s talking about evolving? I’m just hoping to survive the first year and match the high standards Geoff Powter, my predecessor, brought to the journal during his tenure. You hailed from New Brunswick, learned to climb in northern Ontario, participated in numerous international climbing expeditions and now reside in the centre of Canadian mountaineering, Canmore Alberta. Has all this travel and climbing influenced your perspective on the Canadian climbing scene?Travel is key. Without checking out what others are doing, you can become quite myopic. The more I travel the more I realize we have it pretty damn good right here. My backyard, the Canadian Rockies, will surely keep me entertained for a couple lifetimes. As a professional climber, do you ever get tired of the paparazzi, the lavish parties and jetsetting to exotic locations?Thankfully the climbing scene is far from that. I really hope climbing always maintains its grassroots feel. Climbing is more than a sport; it is a lifestyle to embrace on multiple levels. You’ve authored the recent books Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies and How to Climb: Mixed Climbing. What do you see the as the future of mixed climbing? Has the equipment improved to the point where the difficulty on bolt protected mixed climbs can only be increased by limiting the use of heel spurs?It is easy to get caught up in the numbers game. I’m guilty of it. We need grades as a measuring stick of our own improvement but sometimes they get out of control. When I started mixed climbing, there was hardly a grading system and definitely no M-grades. The mixed experience just seemed too nebulous for numbers. Heel spurs are a fun way to explore massive horizontal roofs - they make it easier, but who really cares. High-end drytooling is silly, addictive and a fun way to get ridiculously pumped in winter. What do you see as the future of competition mixed climbing? With the inclusion of free hanging artificial features, plywood panels and bolt on holds, will it slowly evolve into its own sport and ultimately have little to do with actual mixed climbing?In order to meet the ever-increasing physical standards, ice and mixed comps have become more and more artificial to the point that they barely resemble the real thing. Having said that, the comps are a fun way to stay motivated and train hard. The most relevant part of the comps is that they are onsight, which is a necessary skill for succeeding on trad mixed or alpine routes. As Raphael Slawinski once said to me, “when you are runout with no option to downclimb, onsighting tends to be the only game in town.” Much of your climbing time has been spent on remote expeditions attempting new unclimbed routes. Now that you’re a father, have you modified your views on climbing and risk?Definitely. Watching my two boys grow up puts priorities into perspective. Climbing is a game, nothing else. It’s a great game; one that has steered my entire adult life. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in it and believe it’s something more than that. What do you feel is your most significant climbing achievement?I’m not sure about significant as that is pretty subjective. However, my most memorable achievement would be the first ascent of the east face of Cerro Mascara in Patagonia with Conny Amelunxen in 1999. It was the culmination of my bigwall phase. We spent 19 days working the route with 14 continuous days on the wall during full-on weather conditions. We both lost too much weight and got trench foot from being wet and cold for so long. I learned alpine bigwall new routing takes a lot of time, patience and perseverance. It was an awesome experience but one that I didn’t need to keep repeating. Big walls, alpine, mixed – what’s your favourite?I really do not have a favourite style of climbing. I always strived to be an all-rounder. At various stages of my climbing career, I occasionally focused more on a specific facet, like mixed climbing, but I always enjoyed climbing for its diversity of styles, locations and people. I get as much satisfaction and fun out of pushing my sport climbing abilities as I do on big walls or in the alpine. Do you have any upcoming expeditions or climbing goals?I was hoping to return to Alaska in the spring but I’ll have to see how the workload is with the CAJ since that is crunch time. My climbing goals are to keep exploring my local mountains for new rock, ice, mixed and alpine routes.
Better BetaChoosing the Right Ice Tools
With the many new ice tools on the market, choosing the right model requires considering the performance of various shaft shapes, materials and the terrain you anticipate climbing. Here are some points worth remembering before selecting your new tools:Classic Mountaineering – 65 cm to 85 cm in lengthIn this situation the axe is used primarily as a stabilizing cane and for self-arrest. Slightly shorter tools are more suitable on steeper terrain and a smooth shaft for plunging into snow is mandatory. Alpine Routes – 50 cm to 65 cm in lengthDepending on the difficulty and steepness of the climbing, ideal alpine tools range from short straight-shafted mountaineering axes to tools with bent-shafts and reverse curve picks suitable for sustained ice climbing. As technical difficulty and steepness increases look for alpine tools with similar features as pure ice tools. Pure Ice – 50 cm in lengthReverse pick bent shaft tools dominate the steep ice market. Ideal tools have bent shafts for exceptional clearance and hooking performance with sufficient weight in the head for solid placements. Handles should be narrow for a comfortable grip with gloved hands and include index finger trigger rests and pinkie supports for leashless climbing. Picks must be durable yet thin enough to easily penetrate ice and are identified by a CEN - B rating. Extreme Mixed – 50 cm or shorter in lengthThe current trend of using ice tools to climb bolt-protected rock has spawned a totally new category of tools. The new designs are almost exclusively leashless and focused towards extreme hooking. Pure ice climbing performance is often compromised for superior clearance, hooking, torqueing and levering. Handle shapes are tuned for hanging comfort and climbers often need a modified swing for solid ice placements. Picks are thick and durable CEN – T rated affairs festooned with teeth for secure hooking on varied terrain.
Hueco Tanks
Climbers on New Religion V7, Hueco Tanks, Tex.Once considered the centre of American bouldering, Hueco lost its destination road trip status in the fall of 1998 with the implementation of a new restrictive user policy. The new user plan severely limited access to most of Hueco’s best bouldering and closed much of the park to all users. A decade later the user plan is still in place and most climbers have come to terms with the restrictions. Although much of the park is still difficult to access, there remains a significant amount of world class climbing in Hueco. WeatherLocated in the southwest tip of Texas just outside of the city of El Paso, Hueco is unbearably hot during most of the summer but perfect for climbing during the fall, winter and spring. Conditions during the prime climbing season range from warm and comfortable t-shirt weather to blustery and cold down jacket temperatures. Evenings can be particularly cold in the desert so be prepared with appropriate cold weather gear. AccomodationsCamping options are limited to the state park and Hueco Rock Ranch. Free camping in the desert is risky and not recommended. If you are visiting for a short time and have disposable income, there are numerous motel options on the road into El Paso. Park RulesToo many to mention in one article, the Hueco rule structure is thoroughly reviewed at the following sites: ProblemsThe list is of classic problems in Hueco is huge but a good place to start would be the Mushroom Boulder. Located at North Mountain and not requiring a guided tour, this easy to find area contains numerous historic problems such as the three El Murrays and the Mushroom Roof. Matt Wilder’s guide, Hueco Tanks published by Wolverine Publishing offers a complete list of problems with all the necessary park info and is mandatory for any extended Hueco trip.
BootyLightning Ascent Snowshoes – MSR
Someone once correctly described modern snowshoes as the SUVs of the winter outdoor world. Capable of covering almost any terrain, snowshoes trump skis in difficult-to-navigate conditions and can be mastered almost instantly by most users. Think thickly forested approaches or steep snow covered talus and you’ll quickly understand the benefits of snowshoes. Unfortunately, even with all these advantages, some climbers complained about their weight and lack of traction on steeper terrain. With the introduction of the Lightning Ascent, these concerns are no longer an issue. MSR built the Lightning Ascents on an innovative vertical aluminum rail frame, which provides incredible traction and rigidity at a very low weight. A durable synthetic deck delivers floatation in soft snow and is surprisingly durable and puncture resistant. The simple rubber strap binding is light, secure and will not freeze-up like other binding systems in wet winter conditions. For uphill travel the Lightning Ascents come with foldable heel lifters that reduce calf strain during extended approaches. Available in three sizes and a women’s specific version, the Lightning Ascents can put an end to postholeing approaches this winter. |
Contest of the MonthNow you can win a brand new a Black Diamond Focus harness valued at approximately $60, by subscribing to the FREE Gripped e-Mag.Simply forward us your email address to be entered for the draw that will take place on Dec 31, 2007. Enter as often as you like, just as long as you provide a new valid email for a friend that would also like to receive the Gripped e-Mag for each new entry. Offer closes Dec 31, 2007.
Congratulations to Shauna Bishop. As the winner of the Nov contest, she is the proud owner of a new Optimus Stella+ stove valued at approximately $100.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publication Assistance Program (PAP) and the Canada Magazine Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage toward our mailing and project costs.
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