Mountaineering News in english

News source myskyrunning.com: climbing.com

• Climber Hugh Herr Talks Beating Disability With Technology
  March 28, 2014
  Hugh Herr was one of the best free climbers in New England. His career took a turn in 1982, when he was caught in a blizzard on Mount Washington. Herr spent three nights in -20 °F temperatures. By the time he was rescued, he'd suffered extreme frostbite. Both of his legs had to be amputated. Instead of deciding he was broken, Herr started developing artificial limbs and returned to climbing. Today he directs the Biomechatronics Research Group at the MIT Media Lab, where he is pioneering new prostheses and exoskeletons. In this Ted Talk, Herr explains how they're using technology to eliminate disabilities.
• Help Give Muir Valley To The Climbing Community
  March 28, 2014
  

  

  Liz and Rick Weber

  3/28/14 - In 2003, climbers Rick and Liz Weber purchased the land that would become the Muir Valley climbing area in Kentucky's Red River Gorge. Ten years later, the Webers, now in their 70s, are donating it to the climbing community.
  When the Webers purchased Muir Valley, they imagined it would only be visited by about 100 climbers a year. Their expectations were exceeded quickly when 50 routes were established the first summer.
  "Hundreds soon turned into thousands," said Rick.
  Before long, thousands turned into tens of thousands. 50 routes has become 400 spread across 30 walls. The Webers found themselves to be the private owners of one of the most popular climbing areas in the Red River Gorge. Today, about 40,000 climbers a year visit Muir Valley. Every visitor uses the area for free, but it's been no small expense to the Webers, who estimate they've spent $1,000,000 on Muir Valley over the years.
  In order to pay the operating costs of Muir Valley and legal fees associated with a property transfer, the Webers and the Friends of Muir Valley (FOMV) volunteer organization need to raise $200,000 by March 2015. You can contribute to their fundraising goals and monitor progress at the Friends of Muir Valley donations page.
  We spoke with Rick about the transfer.
  What made you decide that now is the right time to donate Muir Valley to the community?It wasn't a sudden decision. It has been our vision for nearly 10 years (almost from the time we founded Muir Valley) to ultimately make a gift of Muir Valley to the climbing community. We have been steadily working toward that plan by mentoring FOMV volunteers and grooming the organization for eventual Muir Valley ownership and responsibility.
  Are you and Liz staying in the area? Any plans for your extra free time?Yes, we plan to continue to be involved with Muir Valley. The difference will be that instead of Muir Valley owners, we will be just two additional enthusiastic FOMV volunteers and donors. We will still have our home at Muir and expect to spend time lending a hand when we can.
  What's the plan for management and maintenance of the area after the transfer?We have prepared a comprehensive 30-page operations manual, which FOMV has studied and accepted as part of the transition plan. (Note: The operations manual is not public. The Webers state on the Muir Valley website: "It is available to those to whom it is relevant. It is specific to Muir Valley and is not applicable to other climbing areas that have far different standards.")
  What happens to Muir Valley if the $200,000 isn’t raised?First off, Liz and I are very confident this energetic group of individuals will raise these funds. However, If FOMV doesn't reach the $200,000 goal, Liz and I will retain ownership of Muir Valley. Any part of that goal donated to FOMV will continue to be used by FOMV for fulfilling their mission. Any donor who wants to make a conditional donation can specify that the donation is being made on the conditions that FOMV is successful in meeting the goal and the property given to FOMV. If those terms are not met the conditional donation will be returned at the request of the donor.
  Otherwise, Liz and I will continue to be in charge of Muir Valley. We will keep it open to the public and welcome climbers. Unfortunately, if the goal is not reached, we will conclude that Muir Valley is not as important to the climbing community as we thought. We will take that into consideration as we decide how much more of our resources we want to put into Muir Valley and what its ultimate future will be.
  Liz and I are firmly convinced that FOMV will meet their goals that we will be making a gift of Muir by March of 2015.
  For a more in-depth FAQ about Muir Valley and the Webers, visit muirvalley.com/answers
  Sources: Rick Weber, muirvalley.com, friendsofmuirvalley.org.
  Photo courtesy of Rick Weber.
• Major New Alpine Route for Oregon
  March 27, 2014
  

  

  Steve Elder leading the first pitch of Brainless Child on Mt. Thielsen in Oregon. Photo by Tyler Adams.

  3/27/14 - Tyler Adams and Steve Elder have done the probable first ascent of the east face of Mt. Thielsen, a 9,183-foot volcano in the Cascades of southern Oregon, just north of Crater Lake National Park. They completed their route, Brainless Child (1,600', WI5+ 5.9X and "steep mush"), in one long day on March 22.
  The two men left the car at 1:30 a.m. and hiked and postholed around the mountain's north face to reach the east side. They began climbing around 8:30 a.m., starting with a long 5.9 pitch on solid rock. Two pitches of moderate and reasonably solid but rapidly melting ice led to the crux, with steep, very rotten ice and poor protection. "About the only thing I've ever climbed this hard with rotten ice like this was Riptide [Canadian Rockies, WI6/7] back in 1994," Elder wrote in a trip report at Cascade Climbers. "Gently place tool as high as possible and pull down till it kind of stops. Quick weight-test, close eyes, and move up. Repeat."
  

  

  Lower part of Brainless Child, taking the obvious steep mixed line in the center. Courtesy of Steve Elder.

  The route continued up a couple of pitches of snow, with short ice and mixed steps, to the upper couloir, which the climbers simul-climbed to reach the ridge line just below the summit. Adams was hit by rockfall as the day warmed, but was not seriously injured. The two topped out around 3 p.m. made it back to the car about 17 hours after leaving.
  "If this climb was in good condition, it could be recommended as a committing but safe WI4+ outing," Elder said. "The problem lies in finding it in those conditions. It is east facing and gets the sun the moment it rises, and doesn't lose it until midafternoon. All that freeze/thaw is what makes the ice, but for it to be good ice it really needs to be climbed when there's no sun on it."
  Elder had hiked into the east face a couple of times before, but did not find a climbable line in condition. Two years ago, he soloed most of a mixed route up the north face of Thielsen, but narrowly escaped serious injury when a hold broke just as he was finishing up the Northeast Buttress route. He was self-belayed, but in the fall he pulled out two old bolts. Elder fell and slid at least 30 feet before coming to a stop amid rocks in a steep gully, and then made a painful retreat down the east side of the mountain.
  

  

  Second pitch of Brainless Child. Photo by Tyler Adams.

  Date of ascent: March 22, 2014
  Sources: Steve Elder, Cascade Climbers
• Video: Get Psyched For Climbing Season In Alaska
  March 27, 2014
  The Alaskan climbing season is right around the corner. Get psyched with this video by Denali mountaineering ranger Mark Westman, one of the most-experienced climbers in the Alaska Range. It includes footage from the South Face of Denali, North Buttress of Mount Hunter, and other classic hard-man routes. If that's not enough, Westman's website has some great Alaska photos.
• How to Choose the Right Tent
  March 27, 2014
  Ask yourself these key questions before buying a new shelter.
• How to Choose the Right Sleeping Bag
  March 27, 2014
  Ask yourself these questions before buying a new bag.
• Climbing Editors' Choice 2014: Edelrid Mega Jul
  March 26, 2014
  
• La Dura Complete: The Full Story Of The Hardest Rock Climb In The World
  March 26, 2014
  In Reel Rock 7, we saw Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra's struggle for the first ascent of La Dura Dura(5.15c). In the end, it would be Ondra who claimed the FA on February 7, 2013. This only motivated Sharma further, claiming Ondra's victory freed him from the pressure of the route. On March 23, 2013, he clipped the chains himself. This short film tells the full story of Ondra and Sharma's ascents of the hardest sport route in the world.
• Daniel Woods Interview
  March 26, 2014
  Over the course of 45 minutes, we'll cover training, travel, competitions, and more with Daniel Woods, the #1 ranked boulderer in the world.
• Joe Kinder Sends Two-Year Utah Cave Project
  March 25, 2014
  
  3/25/14 - Joe Kinder reported redpointing long-time project Maquina Muerte on March 21. The sport route is at the Cathedral, located near St. George, Utah. No word yet on a rating, but expect it to be hard. Kinder called it "one of the most finicky redpoints of my life" on Facebook, and he climbs 5.14d. Kinder described the process in an email to Climbing.
  On first finding the route:
  “I bolted the route two years ago after a trip from Spain. I returned to the Cathedral and immediately saw the line. It beckoned to me. I rapped down the wall and sure enough saw holds. I was blown away, so I returned the next day and bolted the thing in three hours, ground up, which was awesome to me.”
  On the challenge of developing new routes:
  “When you first bolt a line and start trying it, usually if it's hard enough it feels REALLY hard. The process from bolting to sending is massive and involves a lot of trial and error, holds breaking, beta solving, the mental game of what is possible, and the doubts. First ascents are another game in every way. The route developer has a completely different connection with the line and for me its a lot more emotional of a process."
  On sending Maquina Muerte:
  I could never foresee the amount of effort I had to put in, but I knew it was going to be challenging. The moves are amazing. The style is physical, muscly, and relentless. It's fully a Dani Andrada-style rig with burly climbing and pump. It never got easier. When I randomly sent it, I felt like my head was going to explode of my neck. It was utterly intense. I couldn't clip anything. I had to skip the last three clips and just balls out go for it. Thats surely a send I won't forget.
  On what’s next:
  Next is my Life Of Villains project in the Hurricave (near Hurricane, Utah), as well as a trip to Ely, Nevada. Then Australia for May and June!

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News source myskyrunning.com: ukclimbing.com

• FRIDAY NIGHT VID: Houlding & Emmett vs Clarkson
  March 28, 2014
  
• Alex Megos Climbs Hard UK Sport; 8c & More
  March 26, 2014
  German climbing superstar Alex Megos has just had a very successful trip to the UK where after coming 2nd in the CWIF, he managed to climb a lot of hard and classic routes very quickly, including Mecca, 8b+, and Unjustified, 8c...
• INTERVIEW: Ben Bransby on Baron Greenback, E9, 2nd Ascent
  March 26, 2014
  Ben Bransby has made the 2nd ascent of Baron Greenback, without testing the fall. UKClimbing.com interviewed Ben about his ascent...
• La Dura Dura 9b+, Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma - FULL MOVIE
  March 25, 2014
  Watch Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma's journey to success on the world's hardest sport route."Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra spent two years working together to climb La Dura Dura (9b+), the world's hardest climb. This film tells the story of their unique collaboration and shows Adam's historic first ascent and Chris' second ascent."
• WARNING: Dangerous Bolts on Welsh Slate
  March 25, 2014
  ​Llanberis-based climber Mark Reeves has reported on his blog that many well used bolts on the Slate of North Wales have become dangerously loose."I tested some bolts in the wet yesterday and the results were even worse, two pulled at 1kn."
• CWIF Report 2014
  March 25, 2014
  The 2014 Climbing Works International Festival (CWIF) was once again a great success, as always attracting a number of international superstars from the competition climbing circuit. In addition to these superstars, many amateur climbers attended the event to pit themselves against their heroes, making the CWIF one of the largest event on the UK's competition calendar...
• NEWSFLASH: 2nd Ascent of Baron Greenback for Bransby
  March 24, 2014
  Ben Bransby has just made the 2nd ascent of Pete Whittaker's Baron Greenback, E9/10, at Wimberry...
• The Story of two worlds, ~8C, by Jimmy Webb
  March 24, 2014
  To no one's great surprise, except perhaps his own, Jimmy Webb has repeated Dave Graham's The Story of two worlds, ~8C, at Cresciano, Switzerland. He says he is stoked to have climbed it and that the ascent came as a bit of a surprise after having fallen off the top four times the day before. Jimmy has now spent almost three weeks in Ticino, and repeated five problems in the ~8C range. According to him, four of those are more likely to be "hard 8B+'s" or so, but not The story.... Between...
• 4th ascent of Corona, 9a+, by Neumärker
  March 24, 2014
  Felix Neumärker, a walking muscle according to a source, has repeated Markus Bock's Corona, 9a+, at Schneiderloch, Frankenjura. Markus made the first ascent in 2006 and it has previously only been repeated by Adam Ondra (2009) and Alexander Megos (2013), so Felix is in good company. Compared to Felix' first of the grade, La Rambla, Corona is not very long, only ~18 meters but very fingery and powerful.
• VIDEO: Potential New 8A for West Penwith
  March 24, 2014
  Cornish local, Tom Bunn has added what may be West Penwith's first 8A boulder problem with an ascent ofWonderland. The problem is the hardest Tom has climbed to date and he is keen for people to repeat his problem to provide a consensus...
• Sean 'Stanley' Leary Killed BASE Jumping
  March 23, 2014
  Reported on SuperTopo and Climbing.com is the sad news that well known climber Sean 'Stanley' Leary has been killed in a BASE jumping accident in Utah, USA. Leary was well known to many British climbers after starring in a run of Alastair Lee films such as The Asgard Project and The Last Great Climb. He was a hugely successful Yosemite climber who had broken several records on the big walls of the valley. More details on this accident are...
• VIDEO: Eliot Stephens Climbs Multiple Peak 8A's
  March 23, 2014
  22 year old Eliot Stephens from South Wales had a good weekend in the Peak District, managing to climb several problems between 7C and 8A, including flashing Dangerous Action Man Wrestling (7C), at Anston.
• Favela, 8c+, by Ashima Shiraishi
  March 22, 2014
  Ashima Shiraishi has spent some days in Catalunya finishing it all off with back to back ascents of Favela, 8c+, and Rollito Sharma extension, 8c, both at Santa Linya. Previously she also made a 2nd go ascent of Digital system, 8c, at the same crag. Ashima, who turns 13 in a couple of weeks, is one of very few women, regardless of age, to have climbed both 8c+(5) and 8B(3). She has also flashed 8A... Source: Brett Lowell (Instagram) Ashima Shiraishi is sponsored by:
• China Crisis, 8b+, for Katy Whittaker
  March 21, 2014
  Sheffield based Katy Whittaker has just had a very successful trip to Catalunya, Spain, where she became the 4th British woman to climb 8b+ with an ascent of China Crisis, at Oliana...
• VIDEO SERIES: Sharma and Glowacz - the Full Story
  March 20, 2014
  A couple of weeks ago we reported that Chris Sharma and Stefan Glowacz had teamed up to climb a mega new route. We guessed that it was the huge cave of Majlis al Jinn in Oman. Were we right?Details were scarce, and the first video that was released was just a teaser, but now here's the full video series.

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News source myskyrunning.com: guardian.co.uk

• Sport England's £1.6m cut to FA 'a warning over grassroots failure'
  Cut made because of decline in people playing football
  Golf, netball, rowing, hockey and mountaineering also hitThe grassroots funding body Sport England has said a £1.6m cut in the money awarded to the Football Association should act as a "warning" over its failure to increase the number of people playing the game.
  The chief executive, Jennie Price, has also called on professional clubs to do more to work with the FA, local councils and commercial five-a-side companies to encourage more people to take part in football for fun.
• Nepal to station officials at Mt Everest base camp to control crowds of tourists
  Plan to cut queues with new routes and ensure climbers clean up among ideas to regulate crowds on world's highest peakNepal plans to minimise the congestion of climbers near the 8,850m (29,035ft) summit of Mount Everest, which is clogged with scores of climbers during the short window of good weather, officials said on Monday.
  One of the initiatives includes introducing separate fixed ropes for climbers ascending and descending near the summit to help ease the traffic, said a tourism ministry official, Mohan Krishna Sapkota.
• Ladders on Everest are just the latest step in our commodification of nature
  Even in the deepest oceans and rainforests we humans have left our mark. What we observe, we also destroyLadders on Everest? For a place already blighted by litter, fistfights and unburied dead bodies, it's not so much "health and safety" as "access all areas". Its greatest hero, Edmund Hillary, declared in 2006, two years before he died: "I think the whole attitude towards climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying. The people just want to get to the top." His successor, Stephen Venables, the first Briton to climb the peak without oxygen, agreed. "The mountain has become a commodity, to be bought and sold like any other,"he said. We humans have come to expect the natural world to come commodified, negotiated, shaped to our needs. From high to low, there's nowhere we can't go, nothing we can't do. In this age of the Anthropocene the era of human manipulation heralded by the industrial revolution it is a given that we have tuned the environment to suit ourselves. Dominion is all; human ingenuity has encompassed the planet. Now pass me the phone: "I'm on themountain."
  What mystery is left when the roof of the world resembles your loft conversion? Or when the third person ever to have descended to the bottom of the world the Mariana Trench in the Pacific, which is 10km deep is a movie director, James Cameron? Even outer space, courtesy of Richard Branson, is already becoming a future tourist destination.
• From the archive, 20 March 1966: Editorial: The rise of indoor climbing walls
  As one of the first climbing walls is planned at Liverpool University, there is concern that artificial faces will lure climbers away from the real cragsAn artificial crag of brick will, it is hoped, be built at Liverpool University's new recreation centre, for instruction and practice in rock climbing. This is an engaging idea. Well-designed and furnished with excrescences and recesses, it could be a useful aid to the acquisition of various climbing devices movement on small holes, lay backs, jamming, mantlepieces and so on. The novice thus instructed could take his place on the rope more confidently; he would soon find that there was plenty more to learn on real crags.
  Why stick at brick? It is, of course, solid and durable, and relatively cheap; and the architect of the centre hopes to find a climbing bricklayer to plan and build it. But if the idea catches on, other materials may be found more attractive. Sheets of some hard, rough plastic material would have advantages. They could simulate natural rock more closely. And they might be moved to present fresh problems and combinations. The novice who had successfully climbed a slab tilted at 65 degrees could then try it again at 75 degrees; two strips standing side by side could be rotated to form a corner or a chimney; a face that became too familiar would present new problems if turned upside down.
• A bypass for Everest: Nepal seeks to lure climbers to alternative mountains
  Nation considers leasing Himalayan peaks to private tour companies in attempt to ease congestionHimalayan peaks could be leased to private tourism companies in an attempt to ease increasing congestion on Mount Everest, officials in Nepal have said.
  The proposal would involve hiring out some of the 326 Himalayan peaks that are currently open to climbers in the poor south Asian country, in an attempt to lure mountaineers away from Everest.
• Ice-climber falls hundreds of feet ... and walks away video
  Canadian mountain guide John Freeman describes how he survived one of the craziest ice-climbing falls ever recorded when a pillar of ice he was climbing detached from the cliff face. Footage from a helmet-cam shows Freeman in Alberta, Canada, falling hundreds of feet when the ice crumbles away. He slides off it and walks away unharmed
• Mount Everest litter targeted by Nepalese authorities
  Climbers will have to bring down 8kg of extra waste or face legal action as government tackles rubbish mountain in HimalayasClimbers scaling Mount Everest will have to bring back 8kg (17.6lb) of rubbish under rules designed to clean up the world's highest peak.
  The rule, one of several new measures for mountaineering in Nepal, will apply to climbers ascending beyond Everest's base camp from April, said tourism ministry official Madhusudan Burlakoti.
• Ian McNaught-Davis obituary
  One of the first British climbers to ascend Muztagh Tower in 1956 who went on to present the BBC TV series The Computer ProgrammeIn the spring of 1956, the Manchester climbing star Joe Brown had just put his feet up after a taxing weekend in north Wales, when there was a knock at the door. Waiting on the step was a bearish man with a curly mop of hair and thick glasses. Without preamble, he introduced himself as Ian McNaught-Davis and explained that he was leaving in a fortnight with a friend for the Karakoram to climb a mountain called Muztagh Tower. Would Joe like to join him?
  The idea was preposterous on many levels. If any mountain encapsulates the notion of inaccessibility it is Muztagh Tower, a tapering fortress of rock and ice reaching 7,276m on the border between Pakistan and China. Equipping and supplying such a logistically awkward expedition in so short a time was surely madness. But two weeks later, all three men sailed from Liverpool with their gear, en route to one of the finest first ascents by British climbers.
• Retreating Alpine glacier gives up another body after 34 years
  Jonathan Conville, 27, vanished from the Matterhorn in 1979. Now, as the ice melts, his remains join finds dating back 5,000 yearsAs one of the world's best-known mountain rescue helicopter pilots, Gerold Biner is used to spotting things on glaciers that shouldn't be there. Flying under the north face of the Matterhorn last summer, he saw at the edge of the ice that flows beneath the mountain some equipment, clearly abandoned. Inside the clothing were bones, and a name tag with one word: Conville.
  When the remains arrived at the laboratory of forensic pathologist Bettina Schrag, she put the name into Google and discovered the website of a charity set up in memory of a young British climber who disappeared after falling from high on the Matterhorn in 1979. "As soon as I saw the email was from a Swiss pathology laboratory," says his sister, Melissa, "I knew they'd found Jonathan."
• Mapped: every UK military search and rescue callout in 2013
  The number of search and rescue incidents in 2013 was up on the previous year. We've mapped every callout on our interactive map.
  
  1,696 people were moved during 1,918 callouts for the military or mountain rescue teams in 2013 but 44 of these were in the Falklands or Cyprus (not included on this map). The vast majority of operations used Sea King air sea rescue helicopters.
  
  Break the map down by what assistance was given or the force involved at the top of the interactive. Alter the time period using the slider below the map. The glossary at the bottom explains the terminology behind each incident
• Welsh mountain tops poll of Britain's favourite peaks
  Tryfan in north Wales beats nearest rival Snowdon and Lake District's Helvellyn in reader survey by hillwalking magazine TrailIt may not be the biggest or the most famous but the rugged mountain of Tryfan in north Wales has topped a hillwalkers' list of the UK's most beloved peaks.
  Tryfan, which has a classic pointed shape and requires some scrambling to get to the very summit, beat its near neighbour Snowdon into second place. It also finished comfortably ahead of the biggest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis, which was eighth, while England's highest peak, Scafell Pike, did not make the top 10.
• Himalayan heroes blow away their winter cobwebs on Scales Fell
  Blencathra, Lake District: Scores of Gore-Tex-clad souls clambered up the ridges tumbling like pleats of a kilt down to Threlkeld and the A66For 50 years it has been a tradition for Carlisle Mountaineering Club members to climb Blencathra on Boxing Day. Towering above Threlkeld and the A66, the saddle-backed mountain also attracts other climbers on the day, Sir Chris Bonington, Doug Scott and Simon Yates often numbering among them. This last Boxing Day was no exception as scores of Gore-Tex-clad souls clambered up the ridges tumbling like pleats of a kilt down to Threlkeld and the A66.
  Since then the slopes have been quiet, a few walkers apart, on these wet days with high winds likely and buzzards blown from the sky, though I saw two red foxes in Doddick Ghyll this week. Sharp Edge was the one ridge mostly bypassed by the Boxing Day throng as it was slick with verglas. The one or two exceptions were climbers wearing crampons, which stick to ice like flypaper.
• Climber recounts 240-metre cliff fall
  Ollie Daniel suffered nine broken ribs, a broken wrist, liver and lung injuries during plunge in Scotland's Cairngorm mountainsA climber who fell 240 metres (800ft) down a mountain after stepping over a cliff has told how he feels lucky to have survived.
  Ollie Daniel, 25, was walking in the Coire Sputan Dearg area of the southern Cairngorms in Scotland when the accident happened at around 3.30pm on Sunday. A major rescue operation was launched and he was found at around 6.30pm and airlifted to Aberdeen Royal infirmary.
• Facing down the Taliban on the Himalayas' killer mountain
  Last June, 11 climbers were shot on one of the world's highest mountains. So why is Simone Moro now chancing a winter ascent of Nanga Parbat? He talks to Ed Douglas about fear, extreme cold and refusing to be cowed by the TalibanWhen climber Zhang Jingchuan saw the gunmen breaking laptops and phones they'd grabbed from the tents, he knew he was about to die. The men threatening him weren't ordinary thieves. The 42-year-old former soldier had been settling in for the night of 22 June 2013, below the vast Diamir face ofNanga Parbat, an 8,126m mountain in Pakistan, when 16 armed men dressed in local paramilitary fatigues stormed into base camp.
  Still shocked from his ordeal, Zhang Jingchuan told journalists as he arrived home in Kunming how he was forced from his tent in his thermal underwear and bare feet, had his hands bound and was ordered to kneel. His two companions, leading Chinese mountaineers Yang Chunfeng and Rao Jianfeng, were already outside in the freezing cold with the barrel of a Kalashnikov held to their heads.
• Boy, nine, climbs South America's tallest mountain
  American Tyler Armstrong and father Kevin break record by reaching peak of Argentina's 22,841ft mount AconcaguaA nine-year-old boy from southern California has become the youngest person in history to reach the summit of Argentina's Aconcagua mountain, which at 22,841 feet (6,962 metres) is the tallest peak in the western and southern hemispheres.
  Tyler Armstrong of Yorba Linda reached the summit on Christmas Eve with his father Kevin and a Tibetan sherpa, Lhawang Dhondup, who has climbed Everest multiple times. They were in fine spirits Friday as they left Aconcagua, whose precipices and bitter cold have claimed more than 100 lives.
• Arthur Birtwistle obituary
  Pioneering British climber whose achievements in Snowdonia and the Peak District were stamped with a certain eleganceArthur Birtwistle, who has died aged 95, was the last survivor of a group of pioneering 1930s British cliff climbers. His achievements in Snowdonia and on the gritstone crags of the Peak District still elicit respect. Modern opinion views them as the ultimate expression of the balance style of their day, and a foreshadowing of the bold and gymnastic mode established by Joe Brown, Don Whillans and others in the postwar years.
  Birtwistle was born in Bury and won a scholarship to Bury grammar school. He went on to take first-class honours in geology and anthropology at Manchester University, and was also a fine gymnast and high-board diver. Those two disciplines prepared him well for a climbing career that began in Holcombe Hill quarries, near Bury, still a popular venue with northern rock-addicts.
• A mountaineer on the wintry princesses of Frozen
  Women climbers are not high in number, but Disney's heroine Anna has the right credentials to join them as long as she ditches the high heelsWhen I was halfway up Everest, there were moments when I wished I was somewhere warm just like the characters in this fun Disney cartoon about two princesses, Anna and Elsa, whose kingdom has been thrown into eternal winter. But you have to love winter to be a mountaineer and cold, mountainous environments are incredibly beautiful. The illustrators have done a nice job of capturing that beauty.
• On the moors and mountains, female climbers find there's room at the top
  There's a new generation setting records on some of the toughest ascents in the country and they're changing the face of a sport that has long been male-dominatedOn a cold and blustery day threatened by rain, Katy Whittaker, a young British climber, headed for Curbar Edge, outside Sheffield, to tackle an escarpment named appropriately Knockin' on Heaven's Door.
  Ascending a steep slab of rock spotted with lichen, the climb appears hold-less. Progress on the hardest section is made by smearing a technique in which the climber must rely on friction to keep the feet from sliding off.
• Lifelong secret of Everest pioneer: I discovered Mallory's body in 1936
  Son of mountaineer Frank Smythe tells how his father spotted the remains but decided he had to keep quietTony Smythe knew he might find secrets when he came to write a book about his father, the 1930s Everest pioneer Frank Smythe. But he hadn't anticipated they might include Frank's discovery of George Mallory's body in 1936. "I found it in the back of a diary," Smythe says. "He'd written out a sequence of letters he'd sent, so he would have a copy."
  What happened to Mallory and his climbing partner Andrew "Sandy" Irvine, and whether they got to the summit almost 30 years before Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, is the most enduring mystery in the history of exploration, and Mallory one of its most romantic figures: the Galahad of Everest. His weather-bleached remains were discovered by the American mountaineer Conrad Anker in 1999.
• Climbers scale Norway's illuminated frozen waterfalls in new art project - video
  Alpine photographer Thomas Senf gathers the world's best professional climbers for a photoshoot in the mountains of Eidfjord in Norway. The athletes, who prepare for several hours prior to the large-scale shoot, climb frozen waterfalls and icefalls while spotlights and flares illuminate their backdrop. Famous for his vibrant photos taken in hazardous conditions, Thomas Senf has previously shot for Red Bull and Adidas

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News source myskyrunning.com: thebmc.co.uk

• British Junior Bouldering Championship - Round 2 - Scottish Youth Bouldering Championships
  April 2, 2013
  The Scottish Youth Bouldering Championships is Scotland’s National Competition for young climbers organised by the MCofS and is also the 2nd round of the 2013 British Junior Bouldering Championships.
• Alpine tricks of the trade: Rob Greenwood interview
  April 1, 2013
  Are you hoping to head to the Alps this year? We interviewed Rob Greenwood (alpine climber) to find out what he has gained from his alpine exploits.
• The eggs factor
  March 27, 2013
  Arctic conditions are sweeping across much of the UK but, as far as birds are concerned, it’s nesting business as usual. If you do find a dry crag to climb on, remember to check that it hasn’t got any current climbing restrictions.
• The BMC's 'Apprentice' workshop: you're invited!
  April 2, 2013
  This weekend workshop on 18 & 19 May at Plas y Brenin, the National Mountain Centre in Snowdonia, is for club members wishing to learn more about introducing new club members to climbing and walking.
• What's new in 2013?
  April 2, 2013
  The BMC has got off to a busy start this year. Here are a dozen of our newest and shiniest developments either ongoing or in the pipeline for 2013.
• Wise words for walkies
  April 2, 2013
  When visiting the countryside, dog owners need to keep their canine companions under effective control at all times but especially during the breeding season, so that they do not scare farm animals, birds and wildlife. Take the lead and follow the Countryside Code.
• Lees and Callaghan become first British females to complete Pierra Menta ski race
  April 2, 2013
  Leanne Callaghan reports on one of the toughest ski mountaineering races in the world and how she and Gabriel Lees became the first British women to complete the race in March 2013.
• Are you ready to rock outdoors?
  April 1, 2013
  Calling all climbers age 18 or over. As the days get longer and warmer, we've expanded the opportunity for you to try a value for money outdoor climbing course at Plas y Brenin.
• Listen up: climbers talk Olympics on the radio
  April 1, 2013
  Top British competition climbers and BMC officials have been on national radio stating the case for climbing to become an Olympic sport.
• First complete crossing of the Torres del Paine
  March 31, 2013
  Spanish climber Pedro Cifuentes, on his third attempt, has made the first integral traverse of the three main Paine Towers.
• Piolets d'Or Special Mention to Cerro Torre story
  March 30, 2013
  Although the Jury of the 2013 Piolets d'Or has nominated six ascents as being representative of the most compelling, innovative and adventurous climbs in 2012, it will also give a special mention to two symbolic and historically significant ascents that took place on Cerro Torre.
• Be a happy bunny this Easter
  March 28, 2013
  Ready for a good Friday and an eggxcellent Easter weekend? Read on for our don’t-miss guide to conditions and options for this weekend.
• BMC Paraclimbing Series 2013: round 1 report & results
  March 28, 2013
  Tuesday 26 March saw round 1 of the BMC Paraclimbing Series 2013 hosted at the Castle Climbing Centre, London. BMC Equity Steering Group member Graeme Hill reports on the event.
• Are your climbing moves in need of a spring clean?
  March 27, 2013
  If you're looking to improve your rock climbing, indoors or out, then come along to the BMC Climbing Movement Masterclasses - run by top climber Naomi Buys.
• Planning ahead for Easter in Scotland's mountains?
  March 27, 2013
  The BMC and the MCofS have issued a joint safety message to help those who are planning to spend this Easter in Scotland's mountains.
• Alex MacIntyre Hut AGM 2013
  March 26, 2013
  The Alex MacIntyre Memorial Hut is located between Glencoe and Fort William in the Western Highlands. Jointly owned and administered by the BMC and the MCofS, the management team is holding its AGM in April.
• Ash dieback: new management plan launched
  March 26, 2013
  The government has produced a chalara or ash dieback management plan which sets out a number of actions to help reduce the spread of the disease.
• Club training course hits the heights
  March 25, 2013
  University of London Graduate Mountaineering Club member Craig Rice attended the BMC-organised winter mountaineering skills course in Scotland earlier this month. Find out how he got on.
• Meet Fran Brown: the real spider woman
  March 25, 2013
  An article in the Sunday Telegraph likens Paraclimbing World Champion Fran Brown to spider woman. One thing is for sure - she is a super woman.
• Pembroke 2013 Dates Reminder
  March 24, 2013
  Easter is coming and that means it's time for Pembroke! With some excting new developments, new guidebooks and improved access now is the time to plan your visits - and get yourself to the Range West briefings to sample some of the best adventure sea cliff climbing in the UK.

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News source myskyrunning.com: nicros.com

• Training in Accordance to the “SAID Principle”
  March 6, 2014
  In working with hundreds of climbers over the past five years, I’ve discovered that an increasing number are investing a significant amount of training time on activities and exercises that are not climbing specific. Popular activities, like Cross-Fit, trail running, weight lifting, and mountain biking, can consume a tremendous amount of free time that ultimately leaves Read More
• Round 118
  March 5, 2014
  I’ve just finished my first periodized training cycle, and I am now beginning my second. I’ve realized that I naturally build muscle quite easily, however I think my recruitment is rather low. For this next cycle I want to spend more time focused on max recruitment, however I feel that finger strength is also a Read More
• Round 117
  February 9, 2014
  I was a basketball player before I started climbing, so I have large, muscular thighs. I’d like to drop some of that muscle mass without losing my climbing muscle. I already start jogging 3 times a week, but I’m afraid running will build up more muscle on my leg. What do you suggest? –Terry (Hong Read More
• Core Training – Part 4
  February 4, 2014
  This article is the 4th in a series on Core Training. While no single exercise will give you a complete workout, doing one or two sets of each of the exercises described in the series will build you a stiff effective core for climbing! Previous articles: Core Training #1 | Core Training #2 | Core Read More
• Core Training – Part 3
  January 6, 2014
  This is the third in a 4-part series on developing greater, more complete core strength. Simply doing ordinary Crunches isn’t going to get the job done. The key to developing core stiffness that won’t “leak” precious energy while you climb is working all the muscles that surround your torso. This month you will learn the Read More
• Round 116
  January 6, 2014
  Hi Eric, Can you please give me more info on the ”Stamina Workout” (p.182) in Training for Climbing? Should I be trying to climb, say, 1,500 feet all at once or 150 feet in 10 reps? I climb sport at the Red River Gorge weekly, so 80 foot routes are my focus. I’m following the Read More
• Round 115
  December 4, 2013
  Hi Eric, I’ve just turned 40 a few months ago, and after 1.5 years of climbing and training, I’ve managed to reach my first significant goal–climbing my first 7a+ sport route (5.12a), yesterday! I bought and read two of you books, How to Climb 5.12 and Training for Climbing, and enjoyed every bit of them. Read More
• Core Training – Part 2
  December 4, 2013
   This is the second in a 4-part series on developing greater, more complete core strength. Simply doing ordinary Crunches isn’t going to get the job done. The key to developing core stiffness that won’t “leak” precious energy while you climb is working all the muscles that surround your torso. This month you will learn the Read More
• Core Training – Part 1
  November 3, 2013
  Talk of core conditioning is in vogue these days, and the six-pack-ab look is indeed highly coveted by climbers and nonclimbers alike. But there’s more to the core than meets the eye. Think of your core as the area between your shoulders and hips, a region that serves as the foundation for all physical movement. Read More
• Round 114
  November 3, 2013
  I’m trying to break through a plateau with route climbing and I was hoping you might be able to help. I boulder up to V9 and lead 12+, but can’t break into the 5.13 grade–I’ve tried many, and do all the moves, but I can’t complete the routes.  I don’t think power is normally an Read More

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News source myskyrunning.com: nytimes.com

• Local-Guide Requirement Considered for Nepal Peaks
  March 27, 2014
  The goal is to increase local employment, and to reduce on-mountain clashes between climbers and Sherpas.
• Charlie Porter, an Adventurer Scaling Rock and Sailing Seas, Is Dead at 63
  March 16, 2014
  Mr. Porter, a self-taught adventurer and climate scientist, was most famous for the climbing routes he devised up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in the early 1970s.
• Nepal: Push to Open Peaks to Climbers
  March 11, 2014
  The government is considering contracts with climbing companies that would grant exclusive access to many of its highest mountains, a spokesman for Nepal’s tourism ministry said on Tuesday.
• Climbing Mt. Everest? Nepal Says Bring Back Garbage
  March 3, 2014
  With an estimated 50 tons of trash left behind by climbers littering Mount Everest, Nepal declared that all climbers must carry down 18 pounds of garbage or face stiff penalties.
• Money Lessons From Where the Air Is Thinner
  February 17, 2014
  The climber Alison Levine has learned that the skills needed to tackle a mountain are also useful in making decisions about money.
• Chad Kellogg, a Speed Climbing Pioneer, Dies in Rock Fall at 42
  February 17, 2014
  Kellogg was one of a small but growing number of climbers who had begun to make speed a priority in ascending a mountain. He died while descending the Patagonian peak Fitz Roy.
• Overcoming Shyness to Inspire a Seatmate
  January 13, 2014
  Alison Levine, a mountaineer and leadership expert, encouraged another traveler by sharing her knowledge of and passion for climbing mountains.
• Bodies of 2 American Climbers Found in Argentina
  January 6, 2014
  Francis Keenan, 28, and Jarod Von Rueden, 22, were trying to scale Mount Aconcagua when Mr. Von Rueden sent out a distress radio signal Dec. 31.
• The Meaning of Mountains
  October 12, 2013
  Pemba Gyalje Sherpa, a mountain guide, talks about his people’s special connection to the peaks.
• Facing Fear, With Family, in the Sierra
  September 7, 2013
  A climbing novice who’s afraid of heights tackles Mount Langley, a 14,026-foot peak, with her brothers.

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