Gripped: The Climbing Magazine December 2022/January 2023 Vol. 24 Issue 6

Every ice and mixed climber has stories about heading home with a few more bumps and bruises than when they left. Since I started to swing the tools, I’ve tried to convince myself that ice climbing isn’t any sketchier than rock climbing, but it is. I mean, it doesn’t have to be, but it can be if you’re not careful. I got in 85 days of ice in my first season 23 years ago and learned quickly that your tools must be respected. It must have been -40 C outside our five-person tent, which was pitched in the forest at Orient Bay, north of Nipigon, sometime in January. My climbing partner and I ran into two fellow Lakehead University students. They’d made the same decision to drive the 150 kilometres…

The North Face Oh Mega Fur Pom Beanie $40 This toque is as good as it gets for chilly winter days in town or on approaches to the mixed crag. It’s made from recycled yarn and comes with a puffy faux-fur pom. Arc’teryx Triros Merino Midweight Crew Sock $30 These high-performance Merino wool socks have outstanding cushioning and comfort. The wool blend feels smooth and soft against the skin. A perfect choice for wearing in your ice climbing boots this winter. Camp Rocket XS 9 cm $85 If you like to chase thin ice climbs, then you know that you need a few stubby screws on your rack. The Rocket is a slick 9-cm option made from chromoly steel. It’s strong, light and durable. The reverse thread angles give excellent…

Canmore’s Sean Isaac was one of Canada’s leading ice and mixed climbers during the 1990s and early 2000s. He established some of Canada’s classic mixed lines, like Cave Man M10 and the seven-pitch Cryophobia M8 WI5+. He went on to become one of the country’s most popular ice climbing guides and instructors. In 2001, he wrote a story for Gripped (Volume 3, Issue 2) about the rise of mixed climbing, in which he said, “The Canadian Rockies have unlimited possibilities for those with vision. The future is only limited by one’s own imagination.” We caught up with Isaac 21 years after that story hit the shelves to get some tips for new and veteran ice and mixed climbers. What should beginner ice climbers know before they start? That ice climbing…

The National Park Service is contemplating a new permit program restricting overnight big wall climbing in Yosemite Valley in early 2023. Although a final decision has not been made, pending the public comment period, Yosemite climbing ranger supervisor Jesse McGahey stated that the permit program for overnight big wall climbing is “likely.” Big walls, such as El Capitan, rising 3,000 feet above the Valley floor, are designated as wilderness, the highest protection of public lands. Climbing big walls requires several days of camping on the wall because of the complexity and length of the route. This new environmental policy constitutes a major shift in the decades-long relationship between the Yosemite climbing community, which views itself both as stewards who preserve the unique vertical world of Yosemite’s granite cliffs, and reprobates,…

Quebec is known for its world-class ice climbing, and this route is one of the best at this grade in the province. La Gaspésie is home to several amazing ice flows and the area should be on every ice climber’s list of places to visit. Rising from forested hills across from the St. Lawrence are steep cliffs full of daggers and curtains flowing from the edges. Climbers visiting here often stay in the seaside town of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, a sleepy place that feels empty and cold at night, and alive and full of culture during the day. The names of the nearby routes are rather poetic and include Les Cavaliers du Vent (The Knights of the Wind), Voile de la Mariée (The Bride’s Veil), Méduse (from Greek mythology), Le Méchant Loup…

I can recall Larry flying up a firm spring snow slope while on a seven-day backcountry ski traverse (Bugs to Rogers) in B.C. It was a cool and crisp morning and Brendan Maggs, Larry, and I were all cramponing our way up a steep, frozen snow slope with our skis on our backs. Larry was having fun. While Brendan and I were switch-backing our way up, Larry took the direct path and punched straight up the slope with great speed. Brendan and I chuckled and I took a video of him, laughing to ourselves at his gnarly and adventurous spirit. This may be one of those moments that you had to be there for, but it was funny and fully in tune with who Larry was: someone who seized the…