Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2025 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 #51 of Vertical life was printed on Wangal Country.…

On Sunday 20th April, hundreds of local Wimmera residents and visiting climbers met on private land at the foot of Mount Arapiles to take part in the Shared Not Shut Vigil. The vigil was organised as an opportunity for people to come together in solidarity to share their love for Dyurrite. Wild weather including strong winds and persistent rain did not deter the crowds or dampen the mood. After a heartfelt welcome and introduction from local resident Jess Hopf, the crowd walked several hundred meters through the rain to the border of the paddock and assembled in the shape of a giant heart. Local rock climbing legend Louise Shepherd addressed the 300-strong crowd and spoke about the history and importance of the mount to both the local community and the…

MORIAH BROADBENT-HOGAN—BETTER KNOWN SIMPLY AS COACH MORIAH—IS A FAMILIAR FACE IN CLIMBING GYMS ACROSS MELBOURNE, HELPING YOUNG GUNS CRUSH COMPETITIONS AND GETTING MORE CLIMBERS PSYCHED AND CONFIDENT ON THE WALL. CLAIRE WILLIAMS CHATS TO HER ABOUT HOW SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH CLIMBING… AND THEN FELL IN LOVE WITH HELPING OTHERS FALL IN LOVE WITH CLIMBING. Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get into climbing? I started climbing when I was 19, while I was studying at Melbourne Uni in 2013. I used to walk past Hard Rock in the city every time I came home from school, and eventually, I decided to check it out. From there, I basically became that regular who never leaves. I’d rock up at midday when the gym opened and heckle the…

Before we set off I made a list of assumptions about the trip. Three that stood out were: • At some point we can expect our motorhome to have a mechanical failure, perhaps we will be on a mountain pass or at a bustling intersection. In that eventuality we will simply need to put movement on pause and deal with it. • The continuous living and breathing in close proximity as a family will, sooner or later, drive us doolally and we will need a respite. Let’s be prepared to get an Airbnb so that we at least have separate rooms to scream into. • It will not simply be a dedicated climbing trip—there will also be history and culture, villages and eateries, hikes and wild swims—but we’ll go outdoor…

I’ve been spending a lot of time at the climbing gym lately… Sometimes I make excuses for staying inside rather than challenging myself at the crag, or joke about my old age and laziness, but—controversial opinion!—I’m increasingly prepared to defend that gym climbing is a valid choice in and of itself. Is it the same sport with the same rewards as climbing outdoors? Of course not. Am I going to pretend that that plastic 27 I totally crushed (well, flailed my way up on top-rope, utilising swinging traverses and assisted dynos) will translate to anything meaningful outdoors? Er, nope. But can I have a fun and satisfying afternoon (or evening, or sneaky lunchtime sesh) with friends that’s not simply practice for the next weekend in the mountains? I think yes.…

Winter climbing feels worlds apart from the luxury of summer missions. I’ve learned that flexibility is essential—both in body and mindset. Sometimes that means finding myself in almost laughable positions, legs stretched wide across chimneys and gullies, trying to follow the mountain’s natural lines. Other times, it means reading the weather and snowpack, knowing I’m at the mercy of forces I can’t control. When I’m chasing good winter climbing, I get caught up in the details—freezing levels, wind direction, avalanche forecasts, snow texture, and how little daylight I have to work with. And when I’ve got my camera in hand, the checklist grows. How cold can my gear go before it stops working? How fast will the batteries drain? Can I shoot with mitts on? Can I keep the camera…

“She looks nervous,” someone said, as Janja Garnbret stepped up to the Olympic lead wall. Seven of us leaned over a phone on a cold kitchen counter. We were at the end of a climbing trip in the Blue Mountains. Across the ocean in Paris, Janja pulled on. As she settled into her flow, I held my breath. Before I knew it, she was on the headwall. My stomach rose and fell with the tension. Brooke Raboutou’s joy beamed across the tiny screen as Janja climbed past her high point. Relief flooded my veins. Finally, Janja’s drag peeled away a few moves from the top, more than enough to secure her second Olympic gold. We cheered loudly for Janja and for her competitors’ spirit of camaraderie and community. That night…

If you’ve ever spent time in Katoomba, you’ll know the building. The iconic red, white and black Summit Gear shopfront has been a fixture on the high street since the early 1980s and is as much a part of the Blue Mountains landscape as the cliffs, the climbs, and the underdressed tourists wondering why it’s so cold. I’d been inside more times than I care to admit, grabbing dry bags for canyoning trips, replacing carabiners I’d trashed, and eyeing off random gear I absolutely didn’t need (but obviously still bought). I knewtheirpacksweremadeon-site. Ijusthadn’tthoughtmuch about what that actually meant — or how rare that really is these days. That all changed when I caught up with Robert Inshaw, who has owned Summit Gear since 2015, and got a behind-the-scenes look at…

EPISODE 260 OF THE NUGGET CLIMBING PODCAST “You win a competition in isolation,” states Caroline Ciavaldini, a French climber originally from La Reunion. She started out in competitions before transitioning to hard sport and adventurous trad. She is relentlessly honest, expressing how her experience of competition climbing felt inherently selfish. Caroline takes us on a tour of her life and touches on mental training several times, grounding the topic in lived examples. For instance, the acceptance of failure as a tool for success. She talks us through a particular route and visualising not succeeding, visualising being ok, visualising that she is not lesser… and then achieving success by being able to go full-try-hard, free of negative pressure—“putting everything in there, fail and still be fine”. There are plenty more nuggets…

“FLINDERS HOLDS THE KIND OF CLIMBS YOU COME BACK FOR AGAIN AND AGAIN, EVEN AFTER SENDING. NESTLED ATOP A MOUNTAIN IN THE CLASSIC QLD BUSH OVERLOOKING THE INCREDIBLE SCENIC RIM, FLINDERS CAVE IS A SWEAT-FEST TO WALK INTO AND HOLDS SHARP, PUNCHY, PUMPY, 360 GYMNASTIC CLIMBING. AFTER A DAY OF COOKING YOUR WHOLE BODY ON THE ROUTES YOU STUMBLE BACK DOWN THE HILL WITH BLEEDING PALMS AND KNEES AND ONLY NARROWLY MISS A WILD QLD ARVO THUNDERSTORM. BLISS.”LUCY STIRLING @LUCYCLIMBING “THIS CRAG IS IN THE BACKLOTS OF CAMPBELLTOWN. YOU WOULDN’T EXPECT ANY SIGNIFICANT CLIMBING. BUT AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO THE BUSH, WITH THE BIRDS AND THE CREEK – IT’S JUST A LITTLE PARADISE DOWN HERE.”BEN LANE @MRBENJENGA “GETTING PEOPLE OUT IN THE ENVIRONMENT, EXPERIENCING GOOD ADVENTURE ON ROCK,…

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