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don.bowie | advance basecamp south face annapurna | nepal 2013

2 | F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 4

C O N T E N T S

ANDREW BURR

Ice isolation: Erik Kelly on the solitary Coats Corner (WI4), Huntington Canyon, Utah, located about 25 miles from Joes Valley,

Utah, a premier bouldering destination that also houses world-class ice in winter.

ON THE COVER: Golden Piton winner Hazel Findlay stems the Yosemite testpiece Book of Hate (5.13d). While some can

chimney through this clean-cut corner, most endure 115 feet of pumped calves and

sweaty palms. Photo: Ben Ditto

20First Ascents

Matt Samet, Alli Rainey, and

other rst ascensionists talk

about the what, why, and how of

establishing new routes. By Andrew Tower

42Golden Piton Awards

Climbing editors debated the

biggest, baddest, coldest, and

boldest ascents of 2013 to bring

you the winners of the 12th

annual Golden Piton Awards. By Dougald MacDonald

58Inside the Sufferfest

Biking to and climbing all of

Californias 14,000-foot peaks

seemed like a fun idea. Then

came the ats, spats,

and butt gobies.

By Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright

66The Eternal Comeback

Pro climber Majka Burhardt is no

stranger to injuries. Her secret

to recovery? Patience. Here, she

sheds light on coming back from

common climbing maladies.

FEATURES

I S S U E 3 2 2

climbing.com | 3

c o n t e n t s

issue 322

4 | february 2014

climbing.com | 5

Gear

andrew burr

Crack master Jean-Pierre Peewee Ouellet nabbed the rst ascent of Mexican Snow Fairy (5.13+), Longs Canyon, Utah, in December 2012. Ouellet used a toilet brush to scrub and clean the almost 150-foot split-

ter nger crack.

8Editors Note

10Flash

19The Guide

35Gear

40Semi-Rad

75Clinics

30Power vs. Hand Drills

Want to get into route develop-

ing? Get the inside scoop on when

to use a power drill or a hand drill.

35Approach Shoes

When getting to the climb is as

big an adventure as the climb

itself, turn to one these ve

top performers.

26No Partner, No ProblemLearn the art of self-belay on

toprope, and you can work your

project anytime.

75What Ueli Packed

In early October 2013, Swiss

ber-alpinist Ueli Steck made an

audacious, blazing-fast ascent of

the 8,000-foot south face of

Annapurna. Heres what he did

and didnt pack.

78Single-Hitch Belay EscapeEscaping a belay doesnt have to

involve tons of complicated knots

and steps. Guide Eli Helmuth

shows how to do it with one

simple hitch.

80Rope Team Basics

Want to climb Mt. Rainier next

summer, but have no idea how to

move on snow? No worriesour

in-house guide explains the

basics.

sk ills

health and

tra in inG

28Mind/Body Training

First ascents involve a lot of heavy

lifing and elbow grease. Lighten

your mental load with these fun

gym games that help you deal

with the unknowns of new routing.

76Mixed Climbing Conditioning

The 2014 Winter Olympics

includes a mixed climbing event.

Heres a look inside one athletes

training regimenone you can

do indoors at any time of year to

improve your own icy pursuits.

e d i t o r i a l

Editor Shannon dav iS

Art Director Jacquel ine mccaffrey

Gear Editor Jul ie ell iSon

Destinations Editor amanda fox

Editor at Large dougald macdonald

Senior Contributing Photographer andrew Burr

Staff Photographer Ben fullerton

Outdoor Group Associate Producer cryStal Sagan

Intern devon Barrow

MAnAGED by:

ACTIVE InTEREST MEDIAS OUTDOOR GROUP

SVP, COnTEnT & PRODUCT DEVELOPMEnT | Jonathan dorn

GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR | matthew BateS

GROUP PRODUCTIOn DIRECTOR | BarBara van S icKle

CLIMbInG MAGAZInE2520 55th Street, Suite 210

Boulder, CO 80301Phone: (303) 625-1600

Fax: (303) 440-3618

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Canada and Foreign: (386) 447-6318 Customer Email: climbing@emailcustomerservice.com

Contributors: Visit climbing.com/contribute

Retailers: To carry CLIMBING magazine and CLIMBING magazine publications in your shop, contact Bonnie Mason:

1-800-381-1288 x95175.

MOST Of ThE ACTIVITIES DEPICTED hEREIn CARRy A SIGnIfICAnT RISk Of PERSOnAL InjURy OR DEATh. Rock climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, and all other outdoor activities are inherently dangerous. The owners,

staff, and management of CLIMBING do not recommend that anyone participate in these activities unless they are experts, seek qualied professional instruction and/or guidance, are knowledge-able about the risks involved, and are willing to personally assume

all responsibility associated with those risks.

2013. The contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. The views herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reect

the views of CLIMBINGs ownership, staff, or management.

LEADInG SInCE 1970

WhICh Of OUR GOLDEn PITOnWInnInG CLIMbS OR CLIMbERS WAS MOST InSPIRATIOnAL TO yOU ThIS yEAR?

kilian jornet. hes mixing disciplines in a way thats superhuman in terms of tness, but very human (and accessible)

in terms of skills and gear.

bu s i n e s s

Group Publisher Jeff tKach

JtKach@aimmedia .com

Advertising Director Sharon houghton

Shoughton@aimmedia .com

Midwest Account Manager charlotte S iBB ing

cS iBB ing@aimmedia .com

Eastern Account Manager matt h igg inS

mhigg inS@aimmedia .com

Western Account Managers

nicK freedman nicK@mediahoundS inc.com

Johanna wolf

Johanna@mediahoundS inc.com

Detroit Account Manager Ke ith cunn ingham

Ke ith-cunningham@SBcgloBal .net

Marketplace Manager Sue Sheer in

SSheer in@aimmedia .com

Account Manager Sean BonSer

SBonSer@aimmedia .com

Group Marketing Director l iz verhoeven

Director of Integrated Marketing courtney matthewS

Digital Marketing Director PhoeBe legg

Digital Marketing Specialist l iSa garel

Prepress Manager Joy Kelley

Sales Coordinator Jenn ifer ray

Circulation Director Jenny deSJean

Circulation Assistant lara grant-waggle

Director of Retail Sales SuSan a . roSe

Group Circulation Manager daryl marco

Group new business Manager Kathleen donahue

Web & Partnership Director deBB ie Kane

Chairman & CEO efrem z imBal iSt i i i President & COO andrew w. clurman Senior Vice President & CfO Br ian SellStrom Senior Vice President, Operations Patr ic ia B . fox Vice President, Controller JoSePh cohen Vice President, Research Kr iSty KauSCopyright 2014 Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc.

Ueli Steck. The strength, skill, speed, and balls this

took is otherwordly.

jeff Lowe. he put up about half the climbs I dream of doing.

hazel findlay is my hero!

Ueli and his climbspe-cically, his downclimb.

Downclimbing is scarier than climbing up.

Psicobloc! So sick!

Ueli. Afer what happened on Everest, its great to see him back at it doing amazing things in the mountains.

Climbers Against Cancer. Everyone should use their sport to

bring good into the world!

hazel findlay!

Steck. Amazing feats of endurance inspire me the most.

Psicobloc. It brought climbing into the spotlight and made even non-climbers excited

about the sport.

Experience more

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trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

E D I T O R S

N O T E

Youve Already WonTHE VIEW FROM THE TOP OF WASHER WOMAN TOWER IS ONE

OF THE FINEST IVE SEEN ALL YEAR. Far below this 500-foot behemoth, the White Rim of Canyonlands National Park

forms an amoebic border around countless red canyons and wind-ing networks of striated rock. My climbing partner, Brad Petersen, director of the Utah Of ce of Recreation, points out the Colorado River and the Maze District beyond. When we open the summit register, we nd the notebook inside to be signed

just infrequently enough to be pretty gratifying. Not too many people stand here,

and weve topped out on one of those perfect fall desert days that makes you

think about never going home. For me, the climbing was dif cult enough to be

enjoyably challenging but not impossible. A perfect day. This was my personal

Golden Piton moment of 2013.

Climbings Golden Piton Awards, a program now in its 12th year, honor the

biggest and boldest events in the world of climbing. And it was one helluva

year. The feats youll read about in editor at large Dougald MacDonalds fea-

ture (starting on p. 42) are

absolutely superhuman

and truly inspiring. No,

Ill never solo the south

face of Annapurna or send

V15 (dude, please), but the

achievements at the upper

echelon of our sport have

a beautiful trickle-down

ef ect. Dedicate yourself

to climbing, and youre an

instant winner with a life-

time of personal Golden

Piton moments ahead.

BY SHANNON DAVIS

WO R K FO R I T !

SC O R E A N E X P E D I T I O N G R A N T In the six years that the Millet Expedition Proj-

ect has existed, it has funded 70 expeditions to 40 countries. Thats more than 300

individual winners practicing 30 dif erent disciplines (from climbing to diving to

skiing) and getting the scratch to set out on the trip of a lifetime. Where would you

go? Belgian paraplegic climber Vanessa Francois summited El Cap with a grant from

the project last fall. Now, for the rst time, Millet, the French gear and apparel co m-

pany, is opening the project to U.S. entrantsand Im a judge! Head to milletusa.

com, download the application, lm a three-minute video introducing yourself

and any team members, and send the whole deal to milletexpeditionproject@

milletusa.com before March 13, 2014. Inspire us!

S U M M I T FO R SO M EO N E Last fall, a dozen readers joined me in raising money

for Big City Mountaineers, a non-pro t that gets under-resourced urban teens into

the wilderness on weeklong expeditions. The resultsboosts in graduation rates

and better relationships with peers and mentorsare astonishing, and our crew

ensured that 70 more kids had all direct costs for their trips covered. Were doing

it again this year, and as an incentive, every reader who joins our team gets a free

guided climbing trip into Wyomings Wind River Range and a gear package total-

ling more than $700. Find out how to join at climbing.com/sfswinds.

DownloaD your local areas, trip Destinations, or all 100,000+ routes. once DownloaDeD, you no longer neeD to be online!

mountainproject.com/mobileapps

iphone anD anDroiD

browse areas, routes, photos, comments, etc offline, at the crag, on the rock.

You only get 26,320 days, more or less. How will you spend them?

scarpa.com/phantom-guide

f lash

Paige ClaassenSolitary Men (5.13d/5.14a) Val Masino, Italy

Climbing for a cause: Paige Claassen has been traveling since July 1, 2013, on her Lead Now climbing tour with a mission to raise money for women and children around the world. She began her stint in Wa-terval Boven, South Africa, where she made impressive ascents of several 5.14s, including Digital Warfare and Rolihlahla, and at press time, Claassen had just lef China for India. Despite humid and drizzly condi-tions in Italy, she managed the rst female ascent of Solitary Men (5.13d/5.14a), a bouldery route on a 30-degree overhang. Check out the video series of Claassen and her team at climbing.com/video.

RICh CRoWDeR

climbing.com | 11

flash

12 | february 2014

climbing.com | 13

Dani Arnold

Eidfjord, norway Because of its northern locale, Norway only gets a few hours of light every day in the winter, so ice climbers in the area are well-versed in ignoring nightfall as an obstacle to climbing. In January 2013, photographer Thomas Senf worked with Swiss light artist David Hediger, a team of professional climb-ers, and Mammut to illuminate these frost giants, named from Norse mythology. The setup required several different rope arrange-ments, complicated pulley systems, 500 meters of cable, colored ares, spotlights, and headlamps.

THoMaS SeNf/MaMMuT

Peter Vintoniv

long Dong Silver (5.9 A3) San Rafael Swell, Utah Climbers sure cant resist their towers, even when said spires are characterized by loose rock, poor protec-tion, and only 100 feet of climbing, like youll nd on this minaret west of Moab, utah. Photographer andrew Burr calls it some of the most horrifying aid climbing around. one hangerless bolt and an anchor positioned below the true sum-mit comprise the permanent protection, so bring your hammer and some long, thin pitons (as well as a few large cams for the top) to have some semblance of safety. If you do get the courage to surmount this spire, enjoy your 360-degree view of the surreal moonscape.

aNDrew Burr

flash

Brittany GrifthSicilian (5.11) Indian Creek, Utah

Thanks to its relatively short stature and location 50 feet to the right of the ultra-classic splitter Scarface (also 5.11), the 50-foot Si-cilian probably doesnt get as much love as it deserves. This fun route moves up nger and thin-hand cracks, with abundant options for nger-stacks, jams, and laybacks. This photo ap-pears in Chris Nobles new book, Women Who Dare (falcon.com), which proles 20 of North Americas best female climbers, including Grifth, Lynn Hill, Sasha DiGiulian, Steph Davis, and more. Personal stories of success and challenge accompany dozens of awe-inspiring photos.

CHriS NobLe

14 | febrUary 2014

Read our review and see more photos from the book at climbing.com.

climbing.com | 15

flash

Sarah Hart

Born To Be (5.12b) Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Sarah Hart spends just another day cragging with me in a tree snapping pictures, photographer and area guidebook author Rich Wheater says. This short but powerful route features Rie, Colorado-esque limestone in the unlikely spot of Vancouver Island. As part of the western province of British Columbia, a hotbed for climbing (think Squamish), the island itself is home to limestone routes, basalt bouldering, and granite domes.

RICH WHeATeR

16 | feBruary 2014

Amanda Berezowski

Devils Butt (V5) Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

Take one step onto the pristine beaches of Virgin Gorda, and youll realize why this Caribbean hotspot is gaining stature as a climb-ing destination: Hundreds of huge, immaculate granite boulders are scattered along the sand, with most lines in the V0 to V5 range. The island is home to four national parksDevils Bay, the Baths, Fallen Jerusa-

lem, and Spring Baywhich are home to most of the established problems, though theres potential for dozens more. The rock is textured, with everything from crimpy slabs to split-ters to gymnastic roofs. Bring extra chalk if youre a heavy sweater, as tempera-tures never dip below 60F. Find more info in A Guide to Bouldering and Traveling in the Virgin Islands ($25, xedpin.com).

RICH CRowDeR

clImBInG.com | 17

climbing.com | 19

t h e g u i d eandrew burr

issue 322

First Ascents

First ascensionists are the backbone of our sport; without them, what

would we climb on? we rounded up a panel of avid Faers to discuss this of-controversial topic, along with some rst-person perspective of new rout-ing. also, when to use hand drills vs. power drills, a few training ideas, and brand-new routes across the u.S. Characteristic white tick marks

adorn the sides of Mexican Snow Fairy (5.13+), Longs Canyon, utah, while rst ascensionist Jean-Pierre Peewee Ouellet works the route.

Peewee said the route was so painful that he was only able to try

it once every two days.

20 | february 2014

Zen and the Art of Masturbation (5.12d), Red River Gorge, Kentucky // Facebook Flash PollWhats the best/worst/funniest route name youve come across in the U.S.?

t h e g u i d efirst ascents

interview

john dicKey

The Art of Development

by Andrew tower

Mikey Schaefer works the 2,000-foot north face of Middle cathedral in yosemite, which he called Father

Time (5.13b). he nished it in october 2012, following a 40-day

effort over two years.

advice, wisdom, and motives from some of the sports top rst ascentionists

The rules of accepted

practices in route develop-

ment are often unclear

and confusing; they differ

from region to region, usu-

ally because of the areas

history, local ethics, laws

regarding drilling, and more.

To help decode the topic,

we picked the brains of a

unique cross section of rst

ascensionists to help paint

a picture of the rst ascent

landscape in America today.

The Panel (1 of 5)

Matt segal

Matt segals rst fA

was Iron Monkey (5.14)

in eldorado Canyon,

Colorado, in 2006a

traditional line segal

initially stepped away

from to become

more competent and

condent in placing

gear. since establishing

eldorados hardest trad

route, hes put up hard,

often runout lines in

the modern head-

point stylepractic-

ing on toprope to

dial in the movesto

manage the calculated

risk required for such

ascents.

climbing.com | 21

john dicKey

Developers have long been catalysts in the climbing community. How do you view the role of developers, and is it understood by other climbers?

Matt Segal: I think there

has always been contro-

versy around rst ascents,

and there will always be.

Climbing is somewhat of

an arbitrary activity with

no real rules. Each rst

ascensionist makes his or

her own rules, and its only

natural that someone is

going to be challenged.

Alli Rainey: From the time

I rst started climbing in

1992, it seems like climbers

have argued and bickered

about ethics around

everything in climbing. I

tend to think in a more

unity-oriented manneras

in, its more important for

us to get along despite our

differences. We should

present a united front to

create climbing coali-

tions, educate the public

and young climbers, and

get more people climb-

ing. Yeah, the crags are

crowded, but obesity is

an epidemic, and people

just need to get outside

and do something! Which

is why we need to keep

bolting, too, of course. So

Id rather put my energy

into issues that I consider

more crucial.

Jonathan Siegrist: I think

that in general, the public

has absolutely no idea

what it takes to develop

a route, let alone develop

an entire area. There will

always be a dialogue about

the importance of conser-

vation and the desire for

accessand there should

be. I wasnt around, but it

sounds like things were ac-

tually worse in other eras.

Nowadays, you chop a

tree down, and you receive

empty Internet threats.

but there are plenty of

sport routes that dont

exist without tactics like

aggressive cleaning or

gluing. I think its very

easy if you havent put up

routesespecially sport

routesto assume some

stance of ethical purity,

but, you know, all rocks

are different. Cliffs vary.

Routes can have perfect

rock and then 10 feet of

choss that you have to

clean. When you get into

it, you start to understand

that, and youre much less

likely to criticize others

climbs.

Cole Fennel: I think

there is probably more

controversy now just

because the number of

climbers is far greater than

ever before. The Internet

certainly isnt helping in

that department.

Magnolia Thunderpussy (5.9), Granite Mountain, Arizona // darkie the Bum Beast (5.12d), Foster Falls, Tennessee // Liberaces Anus (5.9-), Socorro, new Mexico

Matt Segal makes the rst ascent of orangutan Roof (5.13+), originally an aid line, in independence Pass, colorado, in 2008.

Back then, you bolted

a crack, and you would

actually get the shit kicked

out of you. Its all about

where we draw the line as

a community for what is

right and what is wrong.

Developers are denitely at

the forefront when making

those ethical decisions, and

its not always black and

white.

Matt Samet: Heres how I

put it: People who put up

routes actively and avidly

are much more in contact

with the ethical boundaries

of our sport than people

who just repeat routes. Any

time the sport has been

pushed forward, its been

via a rst ascent. Youre not

just exploring your limit,

but also what you can do

within the interface of the

stone. I think people dont

understand how big a gray

area it is when you start

preparing and cleaning

rock. I dont think theres

any black and white.

There have been plenty

of asinine cases where the

community feedback is

overwhelmingly negative,

t h e g u i d eFirst Ascents

alex lau

There always seems to be some bit of controversy around the secretive nature of area and route development. Do you think that routes or areas are the property of the discoverers until they feel its okay to share the location?

Segal: I dont think that ar-

eas are the property of the

developer; that said, I have

kept projects a secret until

I sent them. When you nd

a route, clean it, unleash

the sequence, chalk it,

etc., you get attached, and

your ego gets involved.

You dont want someone

to come out and steal

all your hard work. Some

people dont really respect

the art of rst ascents, and

they think its all about

climbing hard. But its not.

More than half the battle

is having the vision to see

a line. They would be skip-

ping the whole process.

Samet: Ive never found an

entire virgin area before,

so Ive never really faced

that dilemma. I got in early

in Rie [Colorado], but it

wasnt much a secret then.

I had an interesting talk

with Jason Keith, though.

[He is a former employee

at the Access Fund, and he

still consults with them.]

He mentioned that most

access issues dont come

up at existing crags that

already have crowds. They

come up at new crags

where someones kept

the whole thing a secret,

and then word leaks out.

Like if the place had been

developed in a vacuum,

and then suddenly a bunch

of people show up and

all kinds of weird stuff

happens. I can see both

perspectives. It certainly

helps to have feedback

from the community when

youre developing, but it

also helps not to have a

circus descending.

Fennel: I see both sides,

but its hard for me to take

pity on people who bitch

about secret crags. They

arent the ones putting

in all of the effort to get

an area established in the

rst place. Im not a secre-

tive person by any means,

but I denitely dont

choose to spray about

how sick new walls are un-

til the nders have picked

their lines. That said, I bolt

for more than just myself.

Unlike some developers

who primarily bolt routes

near their limit, I really like

nding crags with a good

grade range, and then

fully developing iteven

the mega-moderates. I

probably would feel a

little different if I lived in

an area that has crowding

issues, though.

Why do you think there arent more women out there

developing areas?

Rainey: There are still far

fewer female climbers

than male climbers, so

thats part of it. Also, its a

ton of physical labor, and

you get really dirty. Maybe

thats just a stereotypical

thought that womenon

the wholedont like to

get insanely dirty and cov-

ered in moss, spider webs,

dirt, and drill dust as much

as men. Nor do they like

to use heavy power tools

and show up at home with

bashed knuckles from

the wrench slipping. Or

maybe they do, and Im

just out of touch with that

aspect of femininity. Also,

I nd it impossible to bolt

and climb at full power.

I have to do one or the

other. Bolting wrecks me.

It doesnt seem to wreck

the guys quite as much,

but maybe thats just my

perception or excuse.

Samet: There are still

more males than females

in climbing. That balance

is changing, but I think

its just boys with power

tools. Seriously! Why is it

that its all men in manual

labor and construction?

I dont know. Men like to

bang on shit, hammer shit,

drill it, break it, and use

big expensive tools And

women know better.

Siegrist: Im not totally

sure. I suppose youd be

better off asking the ladies.

Regardless, Id love to see

more women establishing

routes, and Im guessing

that with the wealth of tal-

ent out there now, we will

be seeing more of it.

Fennel: Beats me. At my

home crag, we hardly have

any women climbing, let

alone developing.

Route development isnt limited to 5.14 projectors

and sponsored climbers. From the work of full-time

parents to weekend warriors to college students

comes hundreds of rst ascents across the country

every year. We worked with mountainproject

.com to select a few soon-to-be classics spanning

the states, from historic crags like Seneca Rocks to

unpublished areas in the Washington hills.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate (5.8+)Chocolate Block, Alabama Hills, Sierra Nevada,

California

October 2013; Jeff Mahoney, Chris Wing, Katie

Martin, Alex Lau, Carole Christianson, Shin Nimura,

Mark Buntaine, Julian Lim

This 175-foot sport climb holds some of the bet-

ter rock in the area, despite the obvious crumbling

cookie ake that Mahoney thinks will be gone fairly

soon with trafc. Thoughtful climbing, fun moves,

and a few runouts lead to one of the best views

in the Hills, Mahoney says. As far as having a huge

FA party, Mahoney says hes all about sharing the

experience with climbing friends who may not ever

have the opportunity. Its about sharing and having

funand scaring the bejeezus out of the group with

all the holds that end up breaking on virgin rock.

22 | FeBruAry 2014

New AdditionsPut one of these brand-spankin-new routes on your tick list

Jeff Mahoney in the process of bolting his new route, Peanut butter and Chocolate (5.8+), alabama Hills, California.

aunt Jemimas bisquick Thunderdome (5.12d), Ten Sleep, wyoming // Post Orgasmic depression (5.11a), Pinnacles national Monument, California // nuke

THe PANel (2 oF 5)

Alli Rainey This Wyoming local began her development career after bolting a 5.11 on the clean

and solid rock of Shinto Wall in Ten Sleep, a limestone sport crag in her home state.

Finishing the drilling in a mere three hours gave her a false sense of the strenuous work

required for cleaning and bolting routes, but she went on to make rst ascents of

more than 15 5.13s in the area.

climbing.com | 23

andrew burr

is a rst female ascent a positive

thing?

Rainey: I think its a big

positive! It probably

inspires other women

more than rst ascents by

men. And we are not men;

we are womenwe dont

compete against men in

athletics for a reason. We

just have different bodies,

and thats the way it is. For

me, its most inspiring to

see other women climb

strong and try hard.

How has development changed over the years for you and for

others?

Samet: Regarding access,

we used to think we could

just walk up to a cliff and

start spraying bolts into it,

and climbers certainly did!

I mean, we did that only 25

years ago. Land managers

had seen very few bolts

in America, and most of

the time these crags were

godforsaken places that

no one went to or cared

about anyway. You could

drive into places like Rie

or even the Flatirons [in

Boulder] or Eldorado and

drill bolts. Climbers put up

so many routes so rapidly in

the mid- to late 1980s that

land managers didnt catch

up until the mid-1990s. Now

everyones caught up, and

if you go bolting a crag on

someones private land,

youre going to be in a lot

of trouble.

Also, now people put

up a lot more moderate

sport routes. You didnt

used to see that. Back in

the day, there werent that

many hard routes to try, so

people who were bolting

routes were just trying to

nd something harder to

climb. Then this whole

idea of pleasure climbing

emerged and took off.

A lot of people who can

climb 5.12, 5.13, or even 5.14

are putting up 5.10 because

they know theres a huge

demand. Originally, when

sport climbing was con-

ceived, you only put bolts

on faces where there was

no other option.

is it the rst ascensionists responsibility to regard the safety of future climbers when establishing

a climb?

Siegrist: Yes, to an extent

that is reasonable. Bolts will

eventually fail regardless

of the metal or placement.

But it is the responsibil-

ity of the bolter to make

routes safe for the foresee-

able future, and clean

routes to a degree that

avoids seriously injuring the

climber or belayer. That

being said, there is also

an important distinction

between bad bolting and

airy bolting. I prefer not

clipping every other move,

and I also enjoy the mental

battle of runout routes. So

I dont bolt clip-ups, but I

also dont think that this

makes me an unsafe bolter.

Segal: No! But it is their re-

sponsibility to give an hon-

est account of their ascent.

Did they toprope it rst?

Did they pre-place the gear

or plug it on lead? I think

thats the only responsibil-

ity of rst ascensionists.

Rainey: For me, yes. I ap-

proach it this way: I dont

want anyone to die or

get hurt on a sport route

I established because I

didnt clean it well enough

or I put in a bad bolt. But,

as a whole, when youre

getting on any route, it is

buyer beware. Its certainly

a mistake as a climber to

the Gay whales for Jesus (5.7), Smith rock, Oregon // Harry butthole Pussy Potter (5.8), Horseshoe Canyon ranch, arkansas // The Morning Poos (5.8),

THe Panel (3 of 5)

Jonathan Siegrist

A consummate sport climbing developer and nomad, Jonathan Siegrist is driven by

an unyielding desire to establish hard, aesthetic lines. So far, hes managed to rack up

around 20 rst ascents in the 5.14 rangeup to 5.14d!and is always prowling for more.

Chris Hirsch employs a hand drill on eye of Sauron (5.11-), Custer State Park, South dakota.

24 | february 2014

t h e g u i d efirst ascents

Jealous of Gentry (5.9)Little Seneca Lake, Wind river range, Wyoming

July 2013; Brett Verhoef

Most people overlook Little Seneca Lake on their

way to classic backcountry alpine climbs in the Wind

Rivers like Gannett Peak. However, that area in the

Winds has a wealth of undeveloped potential due

to its remote location, says Verhoef. A pumpy hand

crack splits the rst 20 feet, and then it eases back in

angle and difculty. Consider a spotter for the crux,

which is getting off the ground with no protection.

Glasnost Crack (5.10-)upper Wall, Capulin Canyon, Cochiti Mesa,

New Mexico

November 2013; Josh Smith, George Perkins, Calita

Quesada

This trad line offers a second pitch to two neigh-

boring moderates, Moondog (5.9) and Full Monty

(5.10-). A hand crack leads to a wide section below

a roof, and then back to hands above, followed by

face climbing to the top.

A Touch Too Much (5.10+)South Peak, Seneca rocks, West Virginia

November 2013: Andy Weinmann, DJ Shalvey

A long reach with no good feet at the crux

inspired the name of this new route (that, and some

classic AC/DC). Seneca Rocks has a storied history,

and some believe its climbed out. But Weinmann

discovered this gem while establishing another line

called Lost and Found. Sustained and steep, A Touch

Too Much continues to push 5.10 climbers after the

crux with a series of crimps, edges, and sidepulls.

Fly Fighter (5.11b)Iron Mountain Crag, Skagit, Washington

August 2013; Brandon Workman

Steep, physical, and mostly gear with great rests,

says Workman. It turned out to be a dandy. Dont

be intimidated by the chimney; its easier than it

looks. Two bolts protect some chossy spots, but the

rest of the route takes sinker cams. Bonus: The ap-

proach to this crag is only about ve minutes.

Nyctophiliac (5.12-)West end Wall, Volunteer Canyon, arizona

November 10, 2013; Jeremy Schlick, Wade Forest

Powerful hand and nger jamming on steep terrain

leads to several boulder problems, and a good rest

appears before the nger-crack crux. Nyctophiliac

is certainly one of my nest lines, says Schlick. The

gear is unbelievably good.

Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado // Magical Chrome-Plated Semi-Automatic Enema Syringe (5.7), Lumpy Ridge, Colorado // Drunk Rednecks with Golf Clubs

automatically assume a

route or a hold is safe

just because its there.

The newer the route, the

more potential for danger.

People should go into it

with this awareness.

Samet: I dont think its

that binary, but I think

its the responsibility

of the rst ascensionist

to be clear about the

style in which he or she

established a route to let

climbers know about the

potential risks. Take my

route Primate (5.13) on the

south face of Seal Rock in

the Flatirons. I toproped

the unholy f*** out of it,

and then I pinkpointed it

with a couple pieces pre-

placed that would have

probably ripped. But I

never said I did otherwise.

I never let off the impres-

sion that you could just

show up at the base with

some cams and go for it.

You have to be honest

with your community and

build some clarity.

Fennel: Yes and no. First

ascensionists need to be

putting in quality hard-

ware, but individual climb-

ers need to have good

enough judgment to make

decisions for themselves.

red-tagging: Do

you have a rule?

Segal: Be respectful and

talk to the person who is

claiming the route as his

or her own. Making a rst

ascent takes a lotmore

than most imagineto

clean, bolt, and gure out

protection and sequences.

But I think climbers ought

to know their role, and if

they are not actively trying

something, they should

pass it on.

Rainey: In Ten Sleep, we

dont red-tag. The equip-

per gets credit and naming

rights. Whoever wants

to can climb it whenever

its ready. Of course, if

someone has a problem

with this, he or she could

red-tag it, and everyone

would respect it... for a

while, anyway.

Siegrist: Red-tagging is 100

percent legit. Establishing

routes is hard-ass work,

and it takes a ton of time

and money. Ive paid for

every bolt, hanger, drill bit,

perma-draw, and drill Ive

ever used. It adds up. But,

most important, its the

vision of the developer,

and we all get attached

to a dream. Developers

should have plenty of

time to do their thing.

There is no standard time

limitwhenever that

person has given up, it

should be open. It would

be bullshit if you bolted

your dream route and

tried it every weekend

for six years, and then

some wanker came along

and was like, Hey dude,

times up! Get a drill and

a wire brush, and make

your own contribution. If

you are busy, or you dont

plan to get up there for a

season or more, its time

to open that gem to the

community.

Samet: If I bolt it and have

a tag on it, stay the f***

off! I dont know about the

length of time. If youre

actively trying it and youve

put all this time, money,

passion into it, I think its

lame for someone to jump

on it and take the rst

ascent.

Fennel: One year after

equipping or as long as the

developer is putting seri-

ous effort into it. I respect

red-tagging in all aspects.

Not that I think that

people should physically

hang red tags on boulders,

but I think climbers should

give whoever found and

cleaned a boulder some

time to work a line before

jumping on it.

Having seen the violent nature of cleaning new routes, it seems like the difference between cleaning and manufacturing is a gray area to the layperson. Is there a rule for whats OK to do and whats not among rst ascensionists, or is it based more on situational

awareness?

Rainey: The latter. It really

depends on the crag, the

quality of the rock, and

what it will take to make it

safe and climbable. Some

areas are so clean that a

developer can literally just

put the bolts in, brush

a couple holds, and be

done; others, not so much.

In my mind, sport climbing

is supposed to be safe and

fun, so the primary goal

is to develop routes in a

fashion that allows this to

happennot leaving frag-

THe PaNeL (4 Of 5)

Matt SametThe former editor

in chief of Climb-

ing caught the rst

ascent bug 25 years

ago as a teenager. Hes

established everything

from steep limestone

sport lines to X-rated

traditional fright-fests,

and hes witnessed

rsthand the often-

controversial growing

pains the world of

development and

bolting has endured.

climbing.com | 25

(5.8+), Diablo Canyon, New Mexico // Panty Shields (V3), Horse Pens 40, Alabama // Princess, I Wanna Leaha (5.9+), Spearsh Canyon, South Dakota

ile stuff behind that can

potentially hurt people on

the rock, and making sure

there are no ground-fall

potentials, death clips,

ledges to hit, and so forth.

Siegrist: It largely depends

on the area. Some areas

require aggressive cleaning

that borders on manipula-

tion, or perhaps glue rein-

forcement, and this is just

the way it is. Other areas are

blessed with near-perfect

rock and take only a wire

brush to clean up. In gen-

eral, you know when youre

cleaning a route, and you

know when youre changing

it. When in doubt, always

consult a local.

Samet: I think its a pretty

big gray area. Unless the

things been drilledyou

know, Bosched out with a

bitpeople arent going

to know its chipped. By

the time a route gets

popular, so much chalk

gets built up that its hard

to tell the chipped holds

from the natural.

I have different ham-

mers, framing and geology,

and they have different

heads. Is using an adze

chipping? Should I use just

the head? Whos to say?

Once you have the ham-

mer and youre banging

on another tool, youve

probably crossed a line.

If youre using a chisel or

a drill bit to clean, youve

probably crossed a line, but

I think everything up to

that is probably fair game.

If you dont take loose rock

off routes, its going to hurt

you, cut your rope, or kill

your belayer.

Fennel: Thats a gray area

for sure. I have never

chipped a hold or drilled

a pocket, but I have glued

the shit out of some

choss, and Ive also been

part of some serious

cleaning efforts. I guess

it would be hypocritical

to say I am totally against

manufacturing or enhanc-

ing holds because I spend

a good chunk of my

summers in Rie, but I

never see myself crossing

that line.

if you had to give burgeoning developers one piece of advice as they break into establishing their own routes and boulder problems,

what would it be?

Fennel: Be open to criti-

cism.

Segal: Always check your

intentions, and dont let

your ego and the desire

to be the rst cloud your

judgment.

Rainey: Clean it well, and

when in doubt, rip it off.

Better to leave a huge rock

scar than to leave a ake

that could kill a future

belayer. If you dont agree

with that, then dont bolt

it. Find a cleaner line.

Siegrist: Find a badass

old-schooler that has

spent years bolting and

pick his or her brain. Buy

some beers, sit down,

and get everything out

of that person that you

can. A mistake in bolting

can mean everything from

serious injury to access

endangerment. Look to

the masters for advice and

mentorship. They know

whats up.

Samet: Spend as much

time as possible assessing

a line before drilling it. If

it seems difcult because

it needs cleaning or is

overhanging, do as much

as you can on toprope

or with removable bolts.

Youll save yourself more

work if you do your

research. Id also say dont

be committed to putting

up every route you look

at. Some of them just

arent worth it. Ive wasted

hardware on something

that no one ever climbs

because I just couldnt

stop myself.

The Panel (5 of 5)

Cole Fennel

Cole Fennel is a Fayetteville, Arkansasbased photog-

rapher and avid FAer. Hunting around the Arkansas

hills for new crags, hes put up somewhere around 100

routes and established entire new crags on public land.

Sometimes, you dont need expensive tools for rst ascents: Peewee uses a toilet-bowl scrubber to clean the dirt out of Mexican Snow Fairy (5.13+).

ANDreW burr

26 | february 2014

SkillS

Solo Toproping Maximize your time on a project with basic self-belay techniquesBy DougalD MacDonalD

t h e

g u i d efirst ascents

Supercorn

When Tommy Caldwell or

Mayan Smith-Gobat work

a free climb high on El

Capitan, the crux may be

nding a belayer willing to

put in days of duty in an

isolated and exposed loca-

tion. Often, the solution

is to go alone, rehearsing

the key pitches by solo

toproping. Whether youre

an active rst ascensionist

or just want to do some

laps after work without a

partner, solo toproping is a

handy technique to add to

your repertoire.

Though there are sev-

eral methods, all share a

couple of aspects: Before

ascending, the climber

xes one or two ropes

to an anchor above the

pitch, and then climbs

self-belayed by ascenders

or progress-capture pul-

leys clipped to the rope or

ropes. (A progress-capture

pulley is usually used for

hauling a loadit allows

the rope to roll smoothly

in one direction but stops

the rope if its pulled in

the other direction.)

Solo-toproping

techniques vary mainly in

their back-up methods.

And you must be backed

upnever depend on

a single device. Some

climbers hang a second

rope alongside the rst

and clip into bights pre-

tied in the backup rope in

case the primary rope or

belay device fails. Others

climb with two different

devices clipped into two

separate ropes. (This is the

method recommended

by Petzl, which makes

the most popular devices

used for this technique.*)

Top climbers such as

Caldwell, Steph Davis, and

Matt Samet prefer the

method described here:

two devices on a single

static rope.

Heres how to do it:

Anchor the rope.

For simplicitys sake, well

assume youre toproping

a single-pitch climb. Ide-

ally, your rope should be

clipped to a solid anchor

below the top of the cliff,

so the rope does not rub

over any edges. If youre

setting up the toprope

from above, build a back-

up anchor above the cliff,

and then set your primary

anchor below the lip.

In this method, a static

rope is safest and easiest

to use. Safest because

it wont bounce much

under load; this reduces

dangerous wear. Easiest

because the devices will

track well along a static

rope as you move. Climb-

ers experienced with this

method recommend a

10mm or thicker static

rope for security and rope

longevity. Note: If youre

using a second rope as a

backup, this second rope

must be dynamic, in order

to absorb the shock youll

generate if your primary

system fails.

After returning to the

bottom of the climb, coil

the extra rope and let it

hang above the ground,

or clip a water bottle

or other weight at the

bottom of the ropethis

will add a little tension,

helping your self-belay

system slide smoothly up

the rope at the start of

the pitch.

Set up your self-belay.

Although many different

ascenders and progress-

capture pulleys can be

used, most climbers using

this method prefer the

Petzl Mini Traxion or Petzl

Microcender, or a combi-

nation of the two. Petzl

recommends always using

two different devices to

maximize the benet of

the backup.

Following the manufac-

turers instructions, attach

the two devices to the

rope, one above the other.

Make sure the devices

cams are properly locked

onto the ropeinatten-

tion at this step is the

most common cause of

self-belay failure.

Clip both devices to

your belay loop. You must

use either oval locking

carabiners or anti-cross-

loading locking biners.

climbing.com | 27

The top device is your primary

self-belay. To keep it in the ideal

position for braking (and separate

it from the other device), connect

the top device to a chest harness,

a pair of slings draped over each

shoulder so they cross in the

middle, or a single sling. (Caldwell

drapes a headlamp strap around

his neck and clips this to his de-

vice.) Unlike a true chest harness,

this system is not load bearing,

but simply holds the device in

position. Use a bit of webbing or

an adjustable strap to connect this

system to the top ascender, using

the same clip-in hole as the lock-

ing biner on the device. Make sure

that no cords or straps from your

clothing or pack can interfere with

your self-belay devices.

Climb.

Before starting up the pitch, test

both devices to make sure they

will lock properly under weight.

Gently bounce-test the system

in a safe position at the base,

and make sure the devices dont

interfere with each other. If the

bottom device bumps into the

top device, extend the top device

with a quickdraw, using locking

carabiners on each end of the

draw. If you do this, make sure

your chest harness is still comfort-

able and keeps the top device

positioned upright on the rope.

You may need to push the

devices along at the start of the

pitch, but soon the two should

slide up the rope as you climb.

If you have clipped intermedi-

ate anchors or protection points

along the route (on an overhang-

ing climb, for example), never

climb above these pieces

without unclipping the rope

from them rst.

Escape the system.

There are at least two situations

where you will need to escape

from your self-belay system. At

the top of the pitch, youll need

to unclip from the devices in

order to descend. Less commonly,

you may need to escape from the

system if you cant do a move or

otherwise run into trouble.

When you reach the top of

the climb, use slings or personal

tethers to clip into the anchor. Be

careful not to climb so high that

your self-belay system bumps

into the anchorthis will make it

difcult to unweight the devices

and escape from the system. It

may help to clip long slings to the

anchor before you climb, and then

clip into these slings when you

reach the top, so you are hanging

well below the anchor.

Once you are securely an-

chored, remove both devices from

the now-unweighted static rope.

Attach your rappel device to the

rope, and rappel to the base of

the climb. If you must climb past

the primary anchor to retrieve

your backup anchor, rst clean the

primary anchor and pull any slack

in the rope above you through

the ascenders, before you start

climbing again. Note: Never climb

on a slack static rope using the

toprope self-belay system. A fall

onto a slack static rope could

injure you (even fatally) or cause

the system to fail.

You also need a way to get

up or down if you cant do a

move. This means youll need to

unweight the self-belay devices

mid-pitch, and then either rappel

or ascend the rope. To prepare

for this, always carry some extra

gear on your harness: an assisted-

braking belay/rappel device

(Grigri, Cinch, etc.), a backup

ascender such as a Petzl Tibloc

or Wild Country Ropeman, and

a double-length sling to use as a

foot loop for ascending the rope

or unweighting the devices at your

waist. The various techniques for

escaping the system using these

devices are beyond the scope of

this article, but whichever method

you use, practice while youre still

on the ground.

Final note.

Stay alert whenever you reattach

your self-belay systemwhen

youre ready to do another lap

on a route, for example. This is

where most mistakes happen. You

must be sure the cams on each as-

cender are properly engaging the

rope before climbing or weighting

the system again.

*Petzl has published

an extensive analysis

of self-belay toprop-

ing, including its rec-

ommended method

and various alterna-

tives. Google Petzl

self belay.

REALISE YOUREXPEDITION DREAM

WWW.MILLET-EXPEDITION-PROJECT.COM/EN

ENTER BY 7 MARCH 2014, AND MAYBE YOULL BE SELECTED AS ONE OF THE BEST 2014 PROJECTS BY A JUDGING PANEL OF PROJECT PARTNERS.

Gro

upe Milita

ire

de

H

aute Mon

tagn

e

28 | february 2014

Training

Create-a-CruxVisualize rst ascents at the gym to strengthen mind and body

t h e

g u i d efirst ascents

During winter, rock climbers

experience a patience-testing

stretch of inclement weather,

making it difcult to climb outside

consistently. Consequently, more

climbers ock to the gym and

recommit to a training regime to

prepare for spring sending.

Forget the treadwall, auto-

belays, tedious lines for the lead

wall, and campus and hangboards.

Where youre going to thrive

is through bouldering. But we

know how boring it gets after

weeks of hiking up and down the

same taped problems. Enter Max

Zolotukhin, who climbs, trains,

and serves as a route-setter for

a trio of Planet Granite gyms in

California. You can usually nd

him in the middle of a group of

climbers taking turns making up

problems beyond the tape they

afxed weeks before. The folks

I typically train with are a couple

of the other setters in our crew,

Zolotukhin says. Our gyms dont

usually have more than a few dou-

ble-digit problems at a time, so

climbing on the same established

lines gets stale pretty quickly.

Though most of us struggle

through the more average-human

grades, its the same conundrum.

The solution? Start making up

your own problems. Besides being

a great change of pace from the

normal circuits, there are very

practical reasons for creating your

own sequences. The problems

we do set [for the gym] arent

always the best for training

purposes, Zolotukhin says. A

problem with a kneebar crux

might be fun for the customers to

project but may not be ideal for a

proper training circuit.

When you create your own

problems, you have limitless

opportunities in execution, and

youre free to practice whatever

weaknesses you have. Youll also

push yourself mentally to be more

creative in the problem-solving

process, which can help you nd

better, more efcient ways to

move through cruxes on tough

projects outside.

Weve laid out a typical train-

ing plan you can apply to your

own sessions when the going

gets tough and youve run out of

routes, or youre just looking to

spice up your training routine.

FirSt ASCent FrenZY

1. Find a group. Zolotukhin admits

to making up problems that suit

his own strengths. Having others

with fresh perspectives around

will help challenge parts of your

courtesy boulder rock club

By andrew Tower

climbing you may not have real-

ized were lacking, he says. Dont

complain if one of your partners

chooses a powerful line up a

steep wall that doesnt suit your

techy, vertical skills; you might not

ace the problem, but youll gain

valuable lessons while improving

your weak points.

2. Take time to warm up. Zolo-

tukhin spends the rst half hour

or more on easier problems. Start

at V0, and slowly work your way

up through the grades. Dont rush

the process, and dont be afraid to

repeat some harder taped prob-

lems youve already done before

you start the game.

3. Keep limits in mind. Take turns

creating problems. Look at a

wall that inspires you, and make

moves that do the same. In the

beginning, it will be harder to

create problems that arent too

easy or overly hard. With time,

though, you should be able to

strike a balance with problems

that are one to four grades below

your maximum redpoint ability.

The idea isnt to project them for

your entire climbing session, but

instead try a variety of problems

on different walls.

4. Project efciently. The best

method Zolotukhin has found

when trying harder problems is to

give a good ash attempt, but if

you fall, start again from the hold

that kicked you offnot from

the bottom. Trying the moves

in isolation will help you piece

it together instead of wearing

yourself out and cutting your

session short.

5. Let there be a winner. Who-

ever climbs the problem rst from

bottom to top without falling

gets to make up the next one.

Keep moving around the gym, try-

ing different combos on different

walls. The variety will challenge all

your muscle groups and technical

skills and give you a bigger bag of

tricks to pull from when you go

outside.

6. Take it seriously. Zolotukhins

crew will approach made-up lines

just like any taped route in the

gym, and even come back later in

the session to repeat particularly

hard or interesting problems. If you

struggle on a certain project and

cant top out before your crew

moves on, make a point to go back

and work on that weakness.

7. Know when to quit. If you

regularly climb V7 and suddenly

have trouble on V3s and V4s, your

session might be over. However,

because theres no specic grade

attached to the problems youre

creating, and therefore no real

benchmark in difculty, it can be

hard to tell how rapidly your ses-

sion is ending. Zolotukhin recom-

mends a simple, direct method. If

you start to regress on moves that

didnt feel too bad earlier in the

session, it might be time to call it

a night.

MAXS TIPS TO CREATE

BETTER PROBLEMS: Leave out the circus tricks. Create a problem that is rela-tively straightforward, with minimal feet and comfortable holds that have little chance of causing injury.

Switch it up constantly. If you want to work certain weak-nesses (e.g., crimps or dynos), thats your prerogative, but we usually try to mix it up and not get too attached to one idea or another.

Dont make it easy. I try to make up individual moves that I think I wont ash, but that I can do in a couple of tries. If you have a problem with four to six such moves, then its probably in that one to four grades below your max zone.

Dont be scared to fail. Finding a move that may or may not be possible for you is one of the most interesting ideas in climb-ing. We used to joke that if you can touch a hold, you can grab it, and if you can grab it, then you can stick it.

FACT: 61% of climbing gyms have seen an

increase in participation/membership by

adding TRUBLUE Auto Belays*

www.autobelay.com

877-565-6885

Designed for climbers, engineered for safety.

Scan the code above to see how Santa Barbara Rock

Gym incorporates auto belays into their facility.

Or visit http://www.autobelay.com/climbing-gyms/

Smackdown!By Andrew TowerHand vs. power: which drill to use on the rock

30 | february 2014

GeAr

t h e

g u i d efirst ascents

Category Hand drill Power drill edge

Size Much slimmer and more portable than

a power drill. Hammers typically wont

exceed a foot in length, like the popular

Petzl Tam Tam (10.4 long). The hand drills

narrowness and two-piece setup (hammer

and drill) make it as easy to stow as a

couple of cams.

At 12.25 long, a drill like the Bosch 11536C-

1 seems manageable when comparing its

length to a hand drill, but it is nearly as

large in width as well. The sheer bulkiness

of power drills makes them harder to pack

for long hikes to remote areas. (Imag-

ine lling three Nalgene bottles taped

together side by side.)

Hand drill

weight Can you say featherweight? Petzls

Rocpec drill kit with the Tam Tam ham-

mer barely registers on the scale at 1.6

pounds, about the weight of a No. 6

Camalot. Big bonus: Hand drills are much

less expensive than power drills.

The Bosch 11536C-1 tips the scales handily

at 6.25 pounds, which can overburden

your pack on endeavors to backcountry

crags. Some, like the Bosch, come with

a slimmer, lighter battery, but they typi-

cally have a shorter lifespan.

Hand drill

drilling Its almost barbaric in execution. Line up

your drill, and hammer it in. Twist a little,

and pound again. Repeat until youve

reached your required depth. The repeti-

tive beating is torture on your arms and

body, making continued use exhausting.

As bolting goes, it couldnt be simpler.*

Position the drill, pull the trigger, and

push steadily until the hole is sufciently

drilled. Because power drills weigh more,

its a little tiring, but its nothing compared

to the taxing movement of hand drilling.

Power drill

limitations Its biggest shortcoming is the energy

and time drilling by hand requires. By the

time you sink one route worth of bolts,

youll be so zapped that climbing the

damn thing will seem improbable. Plus,

its harder to create a hole as precise as

a power drills, and neater holes mean

stronger bolts.

Power drillYou need energy, and not the kind you

get from rest and a granola bar. Power

drills run on batteries, and if youre out

of juice, youre out of luck. Though bat-

tery technology is steadily improving,

drills still suck up power like a camel at

an oasis.

ben fullerton

*ThaT doesnT mean bolTing is a simple underTaking. if youre considering drilling, you

should consulT a seasoned veTeran for besT pracTices and local eThics.

Equipping a routE with bolts, no matter

the number, size, or type of hardware, is no

easy taskyou still have to drill a hole in solid

rock. what tool you use, however, can either

ease or aggravate the already-difcult task. we pitted the two

bolting options (hand and power) against each other to see

which drilling method is king of the mountain.

*we compared the specs for the petzl tam tam and rocpec

combo to the bosch 11536C-1 (only the rocpec is pictured) as

two standard setups seen in many rst ascensionists kits.

Category Hand drill Power drill edge

Speed Depending on the rock type, an average

hand-driller can spend upward of 30

minutes per hole.

With the right technique, you can power

through each new hole in about 45

seconds.

Power drill

learning Curve First-timers can expect some serious

arm soreness and likely some botched

holes. Plus, you might give up too early

(because its so tedious), and thus drill

too short a hole. (Never an issue with a

power drill: Braaapppppppp!)

Though its more involved than punch-

ing a screw through drywall to hang a

picture frame, the same principles apply.

A steady hand will yield clean bolt holes

right out of the box.

Power drill

acceptability If youre allowed to bolt in an area, then

youre always going to be able to use a

hand drill.

Many areas, including national parks,

ban the use of power drills within their

climbing zones, narrowing your options

if you want to place bolts.

Hand drill

durability Hand drills dont have moving parts or

batterieswith the simplicity comes

durability.

Power drills are no slouches on toughness.

Theyre made to withstand abuse, but like

anything mechanical, the moving parts will

eventually wear out and/or need replac-

ing. Proper care and cleaning will lengthen

the life of any drill.

Hand drill

Each method has its advantages. For a backcountry route deep in the wildernessand when youre bolting on lead

it's hand drill all the way. For an overhanging limestone cave, break out the power drill. Like anything in climbing, use the

gear that the situation requires. Be mindful of your neighbors and the rules, and respect the climbing area.

winner: Its a draw!

County of Inyo

Contact us at Inyo County Health and

Human Services at (760) 873-3305 or

www.inyocounty.us for jobs available in

social work, nursing, mental health and

many other related areas.

32 | february 2014

wisdom

To Bolt or Not to BoltKnowing when to drill permanent pro is half the battleBy matt segal

t h e

g u i d efirst ascents

SometimeS you Search

for rst ascents, and other

times rst ascents nd

you. In 2011, I traveled to

Liming, China, with the

purpose of establish-

ing new routes on the

amazing sandstone walls

outside the remote Chi-

nese village. (Read about it

at climbing.com/liming-

china.) Not knowing what

to expect, I had dreams

of establishing Chinas

hardest traditional climbs.

On our rst day climbing,

a route caught my eye,

and I knew it was the

one. It was a subtle crack

system that paralleled an

obtuse arte. Establishing

a new route is a creative

process, and I had found

my canvas.

For me, going ground

up is always ideal, but

often times a route needs

pre-inspection. Holds

need to be cleaned, gear

placements found, and

hard sequences solved,

especially if a route may

be dangerous. After

staring up at the line, I

came to the conclusion

that it would be possible

to climb the route using

traditional protection. I

spent a few days cleaning

and trying the route. Due

to the soft nature of

sandstone, some holds

and gear placements had

to be cleaned. I scrubbed

the red sandstone and

tick-marked all the crucial

climbing holds and gear

placements.

I was able to nd just

enough gear to protect

the route and make it

possible. Two nests of

microcams would protect

a blank 5.13+ section, but

it might be a little danger-

ous; the gear was small

but seemed good enough.

In retrospect, the allure

of creating Chinas hard-

est trad climb may have

clouded my judgment, but

the idea of placing a bolt

never entered my mind.

Eventually I was ready

to pull the toprope, and

with my trusted partner

Will Stanhope belaying, I

went for the lead. Stan-

hope has belayed me on

numerous sketchy leads

and knows the score with

tricky catches. I placed all

the gear effortlessly but

still entered the crux a

little nervous. The climb-

ing is extremely insecure:

pasting your feet on sandy

holds, slapping the slopey

arte with your right hand,

and bearing down on tiny

crimps with the left. I got

halfway through the crux,

which was about six feet

above my nest of two

small cams, when my foot

skated off a tiny foothold.

I was airborne and com-

pletely out of control. I

felt the rope catch me for

a millisecond, and then I

continued to fall and spin

around the arte where I

eventually ipped upside

down and fell head rst. I

ended up hanging upside

down about eight feet

off the ground. My fall

had yanked the gear so

violently that the rock

exploded. The fall was

around 45 feet, and if I

had fallen from any higher,

I probably would have hit

the ground head rst.

I was pretty whiplashed

from the awkward fall

but felt lucky to be alive.

Stanhope was in shock; he

had just recovered from a

terrible climbing accident

where he ripped gear out

of the famous gritstone

route Parthian Shot in

England. He hit the ground

from 60 feet, shattering

his heel, and belaying me

brought back some painful

memories. Completely

freaked out, he said I

should place a bolt, and

he wouldnt belay me if I

didnt.

Battered, I mulled over

the prospect of tainting

my dream of establishing

a 100-percent gear route

with a bolt. Finally, I real-

ized it wasnt worth risking

a 60-foot ground fall

where the nearest hospital

was who knows how far

away. I later sent the route

with the bolt, calling it Air

China (5.13+ R).

I operate under a

philosophy that routes

dont need to be repeated

safely, so I dont establish

them that way. The joy

in climbing routes like

these is all my own, and

I dont always feel the

need to equip routes

with the greater com-

munity in mind. Some

people might view my

approach as reckless and

feel a route like Air China

should actually have more

than one bolt. I always

try to have a minimalist

approach to establishing

new lines, but others place

a higher importance on

repeatability. To each his

ownbut its important

to think through your

bolting philosophy as a

rst ascensionist. Have a

reason to placeor not

placeeach bolt.

In the end, is this route

still far from a sport route

despite the bolt? Yes. Did

I enjoy the process of

projecting and eventu-

ally sending the route?

Yes. Did I personally nd

the process cheapened

because I added the bolt?

Yes. But some sacrices

need to be made so your

friends dont have to

scoop your brains back

into your head. John Dickey (4)

Matt Segal taking the terrifying fall from the crux of Air china (5.13+ R), Liming, china.

I S S U E 3 2 2

Building a quality approach shoe is an artand a science. Manufacturers take wildly different materi-als and delicately press, weld, glue, or sew them together into a cohesive unit that should get you from your car to your climb as ef ciently as possible. To better understand each com-ponent, weve broken down the layers and ex-amined how they work. Plus, we highlighted our testers top ve picks.

ApproachShoes

G E A RBEN FULLERTON (3); SHOE COURTESY LA SPORTIVA; MIDSOLE COURTESY FIVE TEN (INSET)

C L I M B I N G.C O M | 35

Upper This is the top part of the

shoe that adds support and guards

your foot from outside threats. The

upper can be synthetic, leather,

mesh, or some combination to

offer varying degrees of water

resistance, breathability, and

insulation.

Footbed Also called the insole,

it sits directly beneath your

foot. This foam insert comforts

and supports, molding to your

foots unique shape. If you really

love a shoe, but need more arch

support, for example, try an af er-

market insole.

Midsole As the middle layer between the

outsole and the footbed, this is the main

shock absorber that decreases impact

on your foot. Two common materials are

polyurethane foam (PU) and ethylene vi-

nyl acetate foam (EVA). PU is dense and

strong, with a longer lifespan than EVA,

but it isnt quite as sof . EVA is lighter

and cushier but less durable.

Drop This refers to the difference in stack

height (the measurement of material between

the bottom of your foot and the ground) at your

heel and forefoot. The smaller the drop, the

more minimalist the shoe, and the more youll

feel the ground beneath your feet, which helps

for approaches that demand precise scrambling

and technical movement. Hiking boots and tra-

ditional trail runners have higher stack heights

and drop, which provide more cushioning and

support for heavy loads.

Heel Wedge This midsole component, usually

a sof er foam, absorbs impact during initial heel

strike to provide a more comfortable ride.

Outsole Lugs, as seen on this shoe, dig into the dirt

for grip on trails. Some approach shoes have a shallow

dot pattern that creates more contact between the

rock and rubber, so they smear better on slabby stone.

Forefoot Plate This higher-density foam or

plastic piece provides additional support and

protection for the ball of your foot.*

*Midsold is not from the La Sportiva shoe pictured on this page.

36 | February 2014

Salewa Capsico$110; 11.4 oz.; salewa.com

None of our testers wanted to like this shoe.

Is this a Croc? one quipped. But after the

rst use, every tester was hooked. You can

tell the product designers are rock climbers

and understand exactly what we need in

an approach shoe for cragging, one tester

said. With sticky rubber, a tread pattern that

gripped trail and rock equally well, and a sta-

ble ride, these were excellent for scrambling

up loose gravel and dirt-covered trails to the

Optimator Wall in Indian Creek, Utah. At the

crag, testers ipped the rubber heel band to

the front and folded down the mesh back

to slip them on, giving their feet a break be-

tween routes. Its an approach shoe turned

comfy slip-on turned lightweight descent

shoe, said another tester who clipped the

stealthy package to her harness for multi-

pitch routes in Yosemite. Theyre perfect

for cragging, bouldering, and even long

routes. With a wide forefoot, tortured toes

and feet have room to expand and spread

out. A combination mesh and leather upper

proved highly breathable, and a sturdy toe

bumper wrapped up and around the front of

the foot for added protection.

ApproachShoe

Performance

Cons

Conclusion

Bottom Line

Get ThereBy Devon Barrow anD

Julie ellison

Patagonia Rover$125; 8.8 oz.; patagonia.com

Theyre so light and low-prole that it

seems these shoes couldnt possibly handle

a strenuous approach that gains 1,500 feet

over rock-strewn desert washes and slabs.

But thats where they shined for our Castle-

ton Tower tester on her hike to the base of

Kor-Ingalls (5.9). The climbing-friendly out-

sole gripped a sandy trail, dirty slabs, loose

ball bearings, and rock edges with aplomb,

and Patagonias proprietary rubber even

clung to wet granite while boulder-hopping

in Guanella Pass, Colorado. Testers lauded

the barely-there feeling from the four-

millimeter drop in the midsole. The thin sole

also boosted condence during technical

scrambling: It felt closer to my rock shoes

in performance than my other approach

shoes, one tester said after the tricky East

Ledges descent from the East Buttress

(5.10b) of El Capitan, Yosemite. A combo

of mesh, synthetic leather, and a beefy toe

rand offers protection and breathability. To-

the-toe lacing allowed testers to cinch the

shoes all the way down for security when

scrambling, and this system made them

perfect for low- to mid-volume feet.

Its no easy feat to build a shoe that offers support for long hikes, preci-sion and feel for technical scrambling, and comfort to keep feet happy. This year, we thought outside the box to see what we were missing in the realm of approach shoes. What we found was a host of light hikers that not only competed with our favorite approach-specic kicks, but a few that also offered more comfort and climber-friendly details at a lower price. After ap-proaching climbs in Canada, Utah, Colorado, Cali-fornia, Wyoming, Kentucky, West Virginia, and a few other locales, our testers were sold on each models individual perfor-mance. Whatever your environment, discipline, or budget, weve got a shoe for you. Testers Favorite Mighty Light

Have it all with these 5 approach shoes

G e a rThe big review

Tightened all the way down, the simple pull-

and-cinch laces provided a suitable t for

technical scrambling, but narrow feet may

still swim. Some smaller-footed testers felt

unstable on sidehills and the super steeps.

Get over the looks, and youll nd a comfort-

able, versatile, and highly trail-worthy shoe

designed for what every climber needs. Its an

ideal quiver of one for short approaches.

The mostly mesh uppers limit practical use

to summer and shoulder seasons in arid

climates. Long approaches and multi-day

loads may overwhelm the shoes svelte

undercarriage.

An impressive level of grip, stability, and pro-

tection for such a minimalist package. The

supreme breathability and technical-scram-

bling prowess made this an instant winner.

*All wEIghts ArE for A sInglE mEns sIzE 9 shoE, unlEss othErwIsE notEd.

climbing.com | 37

Ahnu Moraga Mesh$120; 15.7 oz. (size 10); ahnu.com

Dirty secret: Traditional approach shoes with stickier (read: softer) rubber compounds, shallow lugs, and thinner, exible midsoles generally dont make stable, comfortable trail shoes when youre hiking through mud or snow or carrying weighty loads. However, its these conditions where the Moraga excels. Our testers experienced instant comfort at rst wear with these light hiking boots. One tester donned them for the three-plus-mile hike through a rocky streambed to a fourth-class scramble to get to Reese Mountain in Wyoming and immedi-ately touted the plush and cozy feel. Its like combining a house slipper and a combat boot, with the weight of a trail runner, he said. I never worried about the rocks rolling over my feet on the loose trail. But the comfy ride isnt limited to hiking. This pair also stuck to rock just as well as my dedi-cated approach shoes, one tester said. The Moraga got the job done on granite slabs at Reese and sandstone blocks around Moab, Utah. Plus, deep lugs had traction on varied terrain, from hard-packed snow to oatmeal-like mud and everything in between.

La Sportiva Mix$100; 10.3 oz.; sportiva.com

When a tester chooses a shoe for alpine bouldering areas in Colorado and loose climber trails in Indian Creek and Moab, Utah, we know we have a candidate for a do-it-all approach shoe. Its great for nearly every type of climbing I do, whether my objective is big or small, one tester said. A huge wow factor for the Mix: Testers found the Frixion XF rubber was just as sticky as their favorite rock shoes. After my climb, I took off my rock shoes and put on my approach kicks. When I started the slabby descent, I realized I hadnt sacriced any stickiness, another tester said. Plus, an area of at (non-lugged) rubber on the outsole in the toe (front and outer edge) provided a larger climbing zone for edging and precision on scrambling approaches. A low-prole design gave these shoes a nimble feel when navigating boul-derelds and treading lightly up a crumbling cone of scree toward Washerwoman Tower in Canyonlands, Utah. The wide forefoot and narrow heel gave testers feet the comfort they needed after long days of climbing with the snug t and security they needed for tricky descents.

MAke eM LASt Delamination, one of the most common durability issues, is the breakdown of the glue between the outsole and the midsole. most shoe layers are bonded with an adhesive, typically a heat-activated glue held together by strong chemical bonds. The number-one cause of delam is heat, so dont leave your shoes baking in your car between climbing trips or in direct sunlight. And as tempting as it is, dont put your feet up right next to the campre or leave your shoes next to it to dry. The same goes for your rock shoes: As soon as you take them off, put them in the shade or in your pack at the crag. otherwise, the glue can weaken, disgure, and eventually delaminate. However, if you experience a wagging rubber tongue coming off the toe soon after purchasing or without much wear, it could be due to ineffective contact between the glue and rubber, which is an error that occurs during manufacturing (usually from not having the two surfaces perfectly clean when gluing). contact the company directly to get them repaired or replaced.

Comfy Armor Maximum Minimalist Sticky Workhorse

Despite a mesh upper, testers found breath-ability lacking in conditions that were sunny and 60F. The slightly clunky feel made them less than ideal for technical scrambling.

If you want ultimate stability without the weight of a full-on, over-the-ankle hiking boot, these are comfortable while offering maximum support and protection from roll-ing rocks and sliding scree.

The utility cordstyle laces tend to come untied easily. A bit pricey for a shoe without sticky rubber, but you do get Gore-Tex waterproong.

Great for long days on rough terrain where you want a nearly ideal combo of comfort, stability, and agility to navigate tricky scram-bles and short climbing sections. Perfect for damp climates, too.

One plank-footed tester felt pinched on steep downhill descents. Some testers expe-rienced more pebbles sneaking in the top of the shoe on scree-covered hikes than with other shoes in the test.

Sturdy, light, versatile, sticky, and durable: The Mix is your pick if you want a shoe that has struck a great balance between being technical and easy to wear all day.

Merrell Proterra Sport Gore-tex$140; 13.5 oz.; merrell.com

For minimalist-shoe fans who also go off-trail, the Proterra Sport is a perfect t. Our testers used them as a trail runner and ap-proach shoe, praising the pair in both ven-ues. Our barefoot-runner, hippie tester was smitten: I had a more natural gait on trails, he said. Plus, they stuck on my feet like glue while I was bumbling around the talus in the West Gully of Mt. Evans. I wouldnt classify them as purely minimalist due to a stiff upper and sturdier sole, but they do outperform their size. The Gore-Tex upper offers full waterproong, and the burly bottom is a 10-millimeter PU midsole (more rigid than other EVA-midsoled minimalists). These shoes performed especially well through wet weather. They kept testers feet dry during a very moist fall and winter in Colorado, and the M-Select Grip rubber on the outsole stuck to slimy rock during some fth-class scrambling around Boulder. The shoe is designed with pathways of smaller lugs to funnel the water out from under the foot. Hint: Get the non-GTX ver-sion for a more exible upper and a smaller price tag ($100).

38 | F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 4

Socks for climbersSWIFTWICK ASPIRECompression socks for climbing?

Believe it. After shivering for a few

hours on Castleton Tower near

Moab, Utah, one tester decided

to try the Aspires the next day for

Washerwoman Tower, and she was

immediately sold. It added a nice

layer of warmth in a thou