Climbing November 2016

CONTRIBUTORS [Sonnie Trotter] At 15, Trotter hopped on an Ontario carnival climbing wall and “was hooked right away.” Two years later, he repeated four 5.14s while camping in Colorado. Dedicated to traditional first ascents, he freed Squamish’s Cobra Crack (5.14), one of the world’s hardest finger cracks, and sent Alberta’s The Path (5.14 R) on micro-gear. For this issue, he climbed in Frankenjura, Germany, with local and pro Alex Megos (p.26). “I was surprised by how bad the holds often were and how steep the routes tend to be, but inspired by the history there and how dedicated the local climbers were to training for power.” Along with his wife and son, Trotter divides his time between Squamish and Canmore. [Shannon Davis] A former editor-in-chief of Climbing, Davis lives in Lyons, Colorado,…

I grew up in Alaska staring at this mountain, waiting for my turn to stand on top of it for just a moment. —JOSH WULFF A drawing of the classic Cerro Torre and surrounding peaks in Patagonia. —DAVID BONAN (DAVEBONAN.COM) My pen and ink drawing of Devils Tower, Wyoming. —JACOB MADER Mountains have always had a tendency to inspire, and since climbers spend so much time in them, it’s no wonder our sport is full of artists. Here are nine pieces of climbing-inspired art, submitted by our readers. I create flexible, magnetic mini climbers made to look like you, down to your harness, chalkbag, and shoes. They climb on your fridge for hours of fun! —ANNA KUTKIEWICZ (CRUXCRAFTS.ETSY.COM) I am 13 years old, and I’ve been drawing since I picked up a pencil. My art is inspired by climbing…

Climbing ropes have come a long way since the days of stiff hemp cord. A modern dynamic nylon rope will catch a falling climber softly, absorb the force without placing larg e loads on the rest of the system, and last a long time. It’s been decades since the modern k ernmantle (core plus sheath) rope hit the market, and the general design hasn’t changed much since. But could it be improved? Wha t would make a rope perfect? A new study by a team from the University of Utah attempts to answer those questions, and it suggests that there is hope for sof ter catches in the future. The study, published in The Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology, identified the most important features of an ideal climbing rope and…

CLIMBER Carlo Traversi ROUTE Sarchasm (5.14a) LOCATION Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Starting at 4:30 a.m. on September 6, Carlo Traversi hiked more than 23 miles over the course of 20 hours to complete “The Triple 14 Day,” which consists of a V14 boulder problem, a 5.14 sport route, and a 14,000-foot peak done in a day. He sent Jade (V14) in Upper Chaos Canyon, Sarchasm (5.14a) on the Ship’s Prow of Longs Peak, and Pervertical Sanctuary, a sixpitch 5.11a on the Diamond. It was a busy summer for the 14,259-foot mountain, with several notable ascents beyond Traversi’s Triple 14 Day. Jonathan Siegrist claimed the second free ascent of the Dunn-Westbay, a 1,000-foot 5.14a, and Madaleine Sorkin snagged the first female ascent of The Honeymoon is Over (5.13c), which includes four pitches of 5.13. CAMERON MAIER CLIMBERS Scott Adamson…

ON AUGUST 10, Stephen Rogata, 19, attempted the first free-solo aid ascent of Trump Tower in New York. Access issues stopped his bold line on the tower’s south face. Less than one-third of the way up the route, the NYPD removed a pane of glass on the 21st floor and pulled Rogata through. In the spirit of this election season, it was an appropriately batshit-crazy situation, and for a minute, climbing was part of the discussion. Rogata, who was attempting to meet with Donald Trump, was sent to a Manhattan psychiatric hospital after his arrest. Like most Americans, you have thoughts, emotions, and convictions about this year’s election. I have one overriding feeling: sadness that Hunter S. Thompson is unable to cover it. I mean, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign…

How can I reduce the risk of being pulled backwards if my partner falls while we simul-climb? Simul-climbing explained Simul-climbing, correctly referred to as progression with a taut rope, is a style of climbing where both climbers move simultaneously while tied into the same rope. Protection is placed by the first climber while the second climber removes the gear. Progression with a taut rope is used on “easy” terrain and/or to save time, but placing reliable intermediate protection is still necessary. Partners climbing together with a taut rope is an especially dangerous technique and should only be performed by experts who have a good understanding of the risks and advantages that are associated with such a technique. They should be capable of evaluating the difficulties and objective risks of the terrain with respect to…