Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2023 i Vertical Life

Vertical Life acknowledges that we live, work, recreate and climb on stolen land, and that sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians across Australia and Aotearoa, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise the continuing connection of all First Nations peoples to Country and Culture across all lands and waterways since time immemorial, and reaffirm our commitment to reflection, reconciliation and solidarity. Issue #45 of Vertical life was printed on Wangal Country.…

I find it apt that a mountain that has made me look deep into my spirit, is named Manaslu. The word Manaslu is derived from Sanskrit and means “mountain of the spirit”. Reaching her true summit without using supplemental oxygen after two “failed” attempts was a dream come true. In May 2012, I reached a point on the ridge, just metres away from the true summit, using oxygen. At the time I had a spectacular view and clear blue skies. However, I left the mountain with a sense of failure. I have since learnt there is no such thing as failure, there are only lessons. What has changed since that expedition? In terms of my mountaineering skills, I have so much more experience. I gained more confidence in my abilities,…

RECENTLY A BUNCH OF AUSSIES HAVE BEEN SPENDING TIME IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK CLIMBING ON SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ROUTES. WILL VIDLER AND HIS FRIEND JESSE RUBENSTEIN TOOK ON THE “FREERIDER” ON EL CAPITAN’S SALATHÉ WALL – THE VERY SAME ROUTE FAMOUS FROM ALEX HONNOLD’S FREE SOLO FILM. WILL OVERCAME HEAT, BLISTERS, DEHYDRATION, AND IMMENSE INEXPERIENCE TO COMPLETE THE CLIMB OVER 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS ON THE WALL. MEANWHILE DAYGIN PRESCOTT AND HIS FRIEND JAMES HURREY ALSO CLIMBED EL CAPITAN VIA ITS MOST FAMOUS ROUTE “THE NOSE” AS WELL AS TACKLING OTHER VALLEY CLASSICS LIKE THE ROSTRUM. VERTICAL LIFE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE ACHIEVEMENTS CLOSELY AND RECENTLY CAUGHT UP WITH WILL (WHO IS STILL CLIMBING IN THE USA) AND DAYGIN TO HEAR ABOUT THEIR OBJECTIVES. IN THIS CASE WE…

ROUND 1 I think any serious climber has been in much the same situation… Project blown due to injury—a split tip, tweaked finger, or pulled muscle. That’s where I was in 2017. “Damn it, I can’t believe it… I’ve blown our projects! Not now, not when we are so close, this will put us back months!” The thoughts are agonising enough to distract me from my right knee, which I suspect I have either dislocated or broken. I’m shattered, I’ve totally ruined my ability to climb. My knee is equally shattered, but the greater pain seemed to be the destruction of my dreams, something far harder to accept at the time than the mere physical injuries. How am I going to explain this to the guys? To add insult to…

BUTORA NARSHA SOFT REVIEWER: SULE MCCRAIES RRP: $269.95 Pros: • Excellent ‘smedging’ ability • Good rubber coverage for toe scums • Heel design may ‘save’ those who normally struggle to find a good heel fit Cons: • Slightly annoying strap design • Tongue may feel too short for those downsizing aggressively Best suited for: • Those wanting a more specialised and aggressive shoe for the majority of their gym climbing or more smeary and “smedgy” climbing on more glassy rock types like sandstone. • And worth trying on for those who struggle to get a good heel fit with other shoes. pullover), which also looks good in casual contexts. LONG TERM REVIEW It’s a climbing truism that the “best” shoe is the one that fits you. We can bang on…

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD SYDNEYSIDER AND DIE-HARD COMP KID, DYLAN, HAS BEEN CLIMBING FOR NINE YEARS—AND COMPETING FOR MOST OF THAT TIME. HE SHARES SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS SUCCESS IN THE COMP SCENE, WHY HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES, AND TIPS FOR NEWCOMERS. Greatest success in the comp scene? Statistically speaking my best result would have to be Youth Worlds this year in Seoul Korea. I ended the IFSC Youth World Championships with a combined rank of 7th overall for the Youth A (under 18s) division. Happiest moment climbing? This is extremely hard to pinpoint! Maybe it would be topping a boulder during a finals where the crowd is behind you, giving you that extra strength to top. For example, last year at the Open Boulder Nationals, for the first boulder I came…

The Blue Mountains, aka The Bluies, are unlike other mountain ranges around the world, sitting on the edge of the Great Dividing Range. It is an uplifted plateau, carved into the sandstone over millennia, creating a landscape with limitless opportunity for sport and trad climbers. Climbers from around the world flock here to explore its endless crags and multi-pitches. This makes it a mecca for climbers like myself who are keen to establish new routes and make first ascents. The thrill is in the process. Spying a baked orange face or unclimbed crack in the distance, wondering if anyone has climbed it before. Then rushing home and pouring over topos, the guidebook and consulting the local stone masters to see if they knew anything about this unclimbed sliver of rock.…

GriGri have been the sport climber’s standard for over 30 years now and basically they are great until they aren’t. Most of the time they just lock up and you assume they are safe and reliable, and then suddenly the leader is heading groundwards. No matter how many times they are called an “assisted belay device”, people think of them as automatic; you still have to hang on with the brake hand. GriGri behaviour is very dependent on rope friction (diameter and condition) and the rope weight below (any tangles makes it impossible to feed). So a fuzzy 10 mm rope will lock up easily and be hard to feed while a new 9 mm will feed easily but needs a firm anchor hand to grab. (I use a fuzzy…

*Sigh*… The time has finally come, I can’t avoid it any longer. After a fair few requests, we’re finally going to cover pour-overs. The reason I’ve been so hesitant is simple: pour-over coffee is a huge topic with enough nuance to easily fill a book, several books actually, including one written by a Canadian astrophysicist (The Physics of Filter Coffee). And here I am trying to cover it in two pages (and no qualifications in physics beyond knowing how big of a fall a #1 RP can hold). It would be like trying to teach someone all the nuances of trad without actually being able to demonstrate anything to them, speak to them, ask where they’re climbing, or even know what type of gear they’re going to be using. There’s…

Read CLIMBING FITZ ROY, 1968: REFLECTIONS ON THE LOST PHOTOS OF THE THIRD ASCENT The Patagonian peak of Fitz Roy is nothing short of monumental. It’s been the playground for many aspirational expeditions, testing the mettle of mountaineers from around the world. Memorable summits have been inscribed into the history books over the years, including the one that inspired this story, a movie and an industry-leading company. Some 45 years after the fact, "Climbing Fitz Roy: 1968 offers insight into the first ascent of the California route by five friends turned climbing icons and highlights a pivotal point in the outdoor industry. Beautiful inside and out, the 144-page linen-bound hardcover retells the tale through a combination of short stories, reflective essays and photos from “The Funhogs”—self-confessed dirtbags Dick Dorworth, Chris…

Tell me about your climbing history and how you first got into bouldering? I started climbing in 1991 when I was ten. A family friend took me to the Blue Mountains and hauled me up a grade 15. I was hooked. I loved the adventure, being up high, being outside. I pestered them to take me as often as they could. A few years later, I found out I could do climbing as a school sport. I had already enrolled in tennis, and the coach wouldn’t let me switch. So I would go out there and play as bad a game of tennis as I possibly could, losing every point on purpose so I could rush over and join the climbers. What ignited you to begin writing this guide? The…

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In Behind The Wall, we lift the veil on the mystery that surrounds the climbing industry by introducing you to some of our favourite pirates professionals who not only make the work we do at Vertical Life possible, but who have turned their passion for climbing into their livelihoods. From climbers creating specialty products to brands, businesses and everything in between, our industry truly is a treasure trove of untold stories. Join us this issue as we go Behind The Wall with the most iconic, tealcoloured pirate ship in the biz – Climbing Anchors. Prior to commandeering the Climbing Anchors archives, we initially intended this to be a straightforward re-telling of their humble beginnings. Three climber co-founders, Steve and Cath Hawkshaw and friend Trent Lee, working out of backyard sheds…

Buying gifts is hard enough on its own, but buying gifts for climbers can be an especially difficult affair… Are they a sport climber? A boulderer? A trad dad? Do they climb indoors or outdoors? What size are their feet? What shape are their feet? Eww, WTF is wrong with their feet? This is all made even harder if your giftee is one of those pesky gear freaks (like me). And so in an attempt to lower the number of generic chalkbags being gifted or regifted this holiday, here’s my beta to help you navigate picking a useful present for the climber in your life, from stocking stuffers to more pricey presents… just don’t blame me if they needed that new chalkbag after all. (Note, equipment such as ropes, helmets,…