Every few minutes the helicopters whirred overhead, back and forth, bringing loads of water to quench the wildfire that burned in Colorado鈥檚 Clear Creek Canyon. I was cat-sitting for my friend whose apartment sat right at the mouth of the canyon, separated from the Goltra Fire only by a highway and a river. By all reports, the wildfire was smoldering, not raging, along the south-facing hillsides that flanked the canyon鈥檚 mouth, but I knew wildfires could flare up in an instant. Topher, the cat, seemed unphased despite my constant nervous glances out the window. I knew the crags Skinny Legs, Bumbling Stock, and Stumbling Block were in the burn zone, and as the buzz of the helicopters went on incessantly, I couldn鈥檛 help but wonder: Once we stop the flames, then what? What happens to crags after a wildfire?

Ultimately, the Clear Creek crags would only flirt with the wildfire. No lives lost, no evacuations or threats to human structures, and these crags only remained closed for a few months. As I dug into the scattered history of wildfires impacting crags鈥攕omething that is becoming ever more common in the U.S. and around the world鈥擨 found that the Goltra Fire hardly registered as significant. But as I talked to land managers and developers, one thing remained true regardless of a fire鈥檚 size鈥攖he climbing community and public land managers often don鈥檛 really know what to do in their aftermath. But ask the right people, and dig through decades of Mountain Project forums, and the scattered community knowledge starts to piece together.

***

In the last 25 years, fires have left their mark on both iconic crags and beloved neighborhood zones. Some fire-affected crags quickly became climbable after cleaning spalling rock with a pry bar, including at the Ghost Town Crag and Sinks Canyon, both near Lander, Wyoming, and the local sandstone crags near Santa Barbara, California. Other crags have suffered from extensive closures after their natural landscapes were laid to waste, including Ten Sleep, Granite Mountain, Washington Pass, the South Platte, Queen Creek Canyon, Lover鈥檚 Leap, Poudre Canyon, and Echo Cliffs. Other crags鈥攍ike Elephant Knob in the Sierras, and parts of Cochiti Mesa, New Mexico鈥攁re permanently unclimbable, even decades after the fires ravaged the area. But this isn鈥檛 just happening in the West. Rumbling Bald burned in 2016 and the north gorge of the Red River Gorge closed in 2020 due to fires. And, of course, one particular fire shook the international climbing world when in 2022. That fire wasn鈥檛 just flirting when it brushed up against the crag that housed La Dura Dura (5.15c), one of climbing鈥檚 hardest testpieces.

After the 2024 Goltra Fire in Clear Creek, I talked to a land manager at Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS) about how they evaluate and rehabilitate crags after a fire. Like most land management agencies, JCOS does not take on liability related to climbing鈥攊t鈥檚 up to the individual to survey our hardware, and any risk is our own. But as climbing areas get busier and busier, land managers have begun partnering with climbers to share expertise and coordinate resources. JCOS in particular has proven to be one of the most progressive organizations in this space, yet even they do not have a formal framework for addressing wildfire impacts on crags. However, Eric Krause, visitor education and relations interim manager at JCOS, says that no matter how wide the burn area, or how hot the fire, there are three areas of concern for crags: natural hazards, rock integrity, and hardware integrity.

Natural Hazards

The most common impact of wildfires is the natural hazards they leave behind. One stand-out example is the Caldor Fire that ravaged Lover鈥檚 Leap in 2021. The fire burned for 69 days before it was fully contained, covering 221,835 acres and destroying 1,003 structures. The rock in Lover鈥檚 Leap was largely unaffected due to the absence of large trees beneath the walls. However, the rock quality isn鈥檛 the only thing that impacts any given climbing day. First you have to get there鈥攁nd in Lover鈥檚 Leap, the approaches were now a mess.

Petch Pietrolungo, owner of Lover鈥檚 Leap Guides and local living in Strawberry, California, since 1993, was one of the main community members leading the post-fire recovery. Bushes had been razed from the earth, and fallen trees blocked paths in all directions. The Forest Service had begun to clean up official trails鈥攂ut climbing approaches weren鈥檛 considered part of that domain and they were stretched for funding anyway. Pietrolungo and other locals took it upon themselves to rebuild the approaches, removing debris and lining them with rocks to discourage social trails.

But the fire鈥檚 effects still linger. Pietrolungo says that, now, the major hazard at Lover鈥檚 Leap is falling old growth trees. During strong winds, these massive tree trunks are snapping 20 feet up. Pietrolungo estimates these trees could be a hazard for the next five to 10 years.

Wildfires can also cause significant rock fall, erosion, and even landslides. While land management agencies have the expertise and experience to address natural hazards鈥攁nd indeed are required to on official trails鈥攄ue to staffing and funding limitations, natural hazard mitigation can result in extended closure periods.

And then there is the intangible. Wildfires can result in what New Mexico climber Josh Smith calls a barren 鈥渕oonscape.鈥� Not only is the plant life gone, but so too are the animals who depended on it. More than safety concerns of falling rock or crisped corpses of trees, the barrenness can lend itself to a certain existential horror.

Rock Integrity

In 2022, the world-famous climbing in Oliana, Spain, suffered one of the worst fires our community has ever seen: the wall of sculpted, featured warm-ups were reduced to flaky choss, and classic testpieces like Crimptonite (8b+), T1 Full Equip (8b+), and Mishi (8b) were all so damaged developers didn鈥檛 know if they could ever return to their original brilliance. Oliana鈥檚 destruction was due to thermal spalling鈥攖he limestone had gotten so hot that weak features of rock (which are generally the protrusions that make for the best handholds and feet) had flaked off.

A study published in 2023 by Pablo Yeste-Liz谩n and fellow researchers compared the fire impacts in Oliana to another 2019 fire in Spain that damaged a granite crag near Madrid called Cadalso de los Vidrios. The extreme level of spalling that happened in Oliana, and indeed how high up on the routes this mechanical change to the rock was found, was very unique. According to the study, 鈥淭he climbing walls [in Oliana] are located on the top of a steep slope with upward winds. This generated a 鈥渃himney鈥� effect during the fire, which projected a hot stream toward the upper parts of the wall, so the effects of thermal spalling appear higher in the wall, up to 30 to 40 meters high.鈥�

Despite how dire it seemed at first, climbers can be extremely resourceful. After I heard of Michaela Kiersch鈥檚 impressive onsight of Crimptonite in 2024, I had to check back in with Chris Frick, one of the climbers leading the recovery effort at Oliana. Was Crimptonite climbable again?

Frick reported that the original line isn鈥檛 possible anymore, at least not at 8b+/14a. Jorg Verhoeven bolted a variation by using the bouldery start of T1 Full Equip (miraculously unaffected) and traversing into Crimptonite. Kiersch onsighted this variation. The original start has had its hardware replaced, but due to missing holds it is considered 鈥渁n ugly project at a very high level.鈥� No one has cleaned or re-bolted the warm-ups, and they remain unclimbable.

The extensive level of rock damage is also related to the very nature of the rock. Yeste-Liz谩n鈥檚 study notes that 鈥渓imestone may be more impacted by fire due to the conversion of aragonite to calcite, the thermal degradation of organics, and the expulsion of water.鈥� In other words, limestone quickly heats up, loses water, and flakes off.

But other rock types can be affected by high temperatures caused by wildfires as well. According to the same study, while granite can be more resistant to fire, it too can lose strength, change in color, and peel or crack. And during the Las Conchas Fire that swept through Cochiti Mesa, New Mexico, in 2011, various desert face climbs, composed of a soft stone called Bandelier Tuff, were made utterly unclimbable. Local climber Mike Tritt went on a scouting mission after the fire, and reported on Mountain Project: 鈥淭he fire was hot enough to separate the layers of patina from the rock. Without the patina I doubt there is anything solid enough to climb.鈥�

Hardware Integrity

How wildfires can and do impact hardware integrity is the trickiest and most specialized consideration after a wildfire鈥攁nd the knowledge out there is sparse at best.

For Bobby Hutton at , a gear retailer known for its extensive break-testing videos, his main concern with bolts, of any kind, that have been through a wildfire is not how high heats might impact the bolt鈥檚 strength, but rather how such heats could obliterate corrosion resistance properties鈥攎aking fire impacts a long term problem for hardware, rather than an immediate risk. Hutton has experienced the dire impacts of wildfires himself: 鈥淭he Caldor fire in 2021 burned my home and many of the crags I love. Of the 15 or so crags [where] I鈥檝e done development or rebolting, 12 have been affected by wildfire.鈥�

After his home burned, he recovered several brand new hangers that had been exposed to heats estimated at above 1763 degrees Fahrenheit. When he tested these rusted hangers, they performed well under pull tests, breaking at forces well above what they were originally rated to fail at. But he still had concerns about the long term corrosion resistance of the bolts. What good was the strength of the hanger now, if it would rapidly corrode in a few years?

In the real-life example of Oliana, when Yeste-Liz谩n and fellow researchers anchor-tested bolts on various parts of the affected wall, the results showed the bolts鈥� strength to be in good condition, despite oxidation. Of greater concern was how rock spalling and weakness interacted with hardware integrity. In several instances, rock immediately around or behind the bolt had chipped and spalled off, leaving some of the bolt itself exposed, and the hanger no longer flush with the rock.

Watch route developers in Oliana assess the flaky, burnt stone with wall hammers. Video courtesy of Chris Frick.

Frick certainly noticed these concerns, and his rebolting effort was comprehensive. Though he prioritized oxidized hangers and any bolts with spalling nearby, he also took no chances: 鈥淚f you start to rebolt, you do the whole line.鈥�

The question of whether glue-in bolts can melt at high temperatures is also not fully settled. Hutton reports that some types of adhesive used by climbers are rated to deal with fire. Others don鈥檛 have that rating. Until fully tested, and when the type of glue used is unknown when inspecting a wildfire-affected glue-in, it is better to be safe rather than sorry. As Hutton says, 鈥淚n bolt replacement there has been a long term theory that you could use a torch to soften the adhesive and remove the bolt. We have tested it and it is possible with certain types of glue, but far from practical鈥攚e saw lots of damage to the rocks before the heat penetrated deep enough to weaken the glue. So wildfire damage to glue-ins is possible but I would expect to see rock damage first.鈥�

With the 2011 Las Conchas fire at Cochiti Mesa and surrounding areas, another consideration was the fire damage to traditional anchors, like trees and existing webbing. After the Lover鈥檚 Leap fire, Pietrolungo found a handful of gear that had been dropped from climbs into the now nonexistent bushes, all burnt to a crisp, and evidence that fixed or stuck gear would also dramatically change in character after a fire.

In the relatively minor case of the Clear Creek crags in the burn zone of the Goltra Fire, the JCOS team asked an anonymous local route developer to do an unofficial evaluation of the hardware at the affected crags. While the generous volunteer did not see any damage obvious to the naked eye鈥攍ikely meaning that the fire did not get hot enough to oxidize any of the hangers or cause spalling of rock鈥攚ith no standardized process, the evaluation was inherently limited and informal. Perhaps it鈥檚 time for more than that.

***

Wildfires are an increasing risk to gateway communities and the crags we love. One 2016 study found that fire burn area in the US has doubled in the last half century, in large part due to climate change and legacies of fire suppression. While fire mitigation strategies have been extensively discussed elsewhere, fire recovery processes in the specific context of climbing and safety have not. Because climbing causes so many tricky liability questions for land managers and climbing communities, there is also frequently a division or confusion about who is responsible for evaluating crags after a wildfire. While most climbers I talked to about this topic had positive relationships with rangers and land managers, they weren鈥檛 interested in giving already underfunded land agencies any further burdens in exchange for a more regulated fire recovery process. But then these other elements of crag safety are left to the climbing community to address on a volunteer basis. As with Oliana, the recovery of specific climbs might be left to the whims of volunteers. And what if no volunteer rises from the ashes?

It left me wondering: with scraps of knowledge buried in the brains of our generous developers, gear testers, and the local crag rat, what would it take to formalize a framework, conduct more comprehensive testing, collect scattered knowledge, and better equip our communities?

The post What Happens to Crags After a Wildfire? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The International Olympic Committee Board announced this week that it plans to split up the lead and boulder climbing disciplines in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Compared to Paris 2024, the 2028 Olympics will admit nearly 12% more climbing athletes鈥�76, instead of 68鈥攁nd offer three additional climbing medals.

Sport climbing鈥檚 Olympic presence has come a long way since its 2021 debut. In the Tokyo Olympics, the three disciplines of lead, boulder, and speed were awkwardly combined into one super discipline that required athletes to compete across all disciplines. The combined format proved a massive challenge for some specialized climbers. For example, in Tokyo, Adam Ondra took second in lead, but placed fourth in speed and sixth in boulder. For a moment, it looked like Ondra would win gold, but was such that Alberto Gin茅s L贸pez took the gold by placing first in speed, seventh in boulder, and fourth in lead. (Scores were determined by multiplying the scoring results of each discipline.)

In 2024, things improved: the IOC separated the hyper-specialized discipline of speed climbing, but kept lead and boulder lumped together. The climbing community鈥斺�攕till felt that none of these disciplines ought to be grouped together.

According to the , the International Olympic Committee (IOC) explained that specific athlete quotas for the 2028 Games across the three events will 鈥渂e finalized in the Olympic Qualification System.鈥� This will also clarify whether climbers can compete in multiple events.

鈥淚鈥檓 really excited about the news that all three disciplines will be separate at the 2028 Summer Olympics,鈥� says Natalia Grossman, who competed in the lead/boulder event in 2024. 鈥淔rom the very beginning, the community has been pushing for three sets of medals鈥攁nd now we鈥檝e finally got them!鈥�

Jesse Grupper, who also competed in lead/boulder in the 2024 Games, felt similarly. 鈥淪ince climbing first became a discipline in the Olympics, this event has always pushed athletes to conform to the disciplines decided on by the Olympics,鈥� says Grupper. 鈥淭his marks a new era where the core disciplines of climbing are determining what happens at the Olympics and not the other way round. As an athlete with a focus in lead, I鈥檓 over the moon to have an opportunity to vie for a spot to do what I love on the biggest stage in the world.鈥�

Another exciting development in Olympic climbing is the at the 2028 Games. Significant groundwork has already been laid in establishing classifications for the rollout of paralympic climbing in Los Angeles.

In addition to its announcement regarding the new climbing format on Wednesday, the IOC revealed a number of other changes for the LA 2028 Games. of these changes is to achieve better gender parity. For example, the number of women鈥檚 football (soccer) teams increased to 16, while the quota for men鈥檚 soccer teams decreased to 12, swinging the gender imbalance in the other direction. The IOC also announced a new weight class for women boxers, and added five new sports, including cricket, flag football, and lacrosse.

The post Finally! Climbing Will Have 3 Medal Categories at 2028 Olympics appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

On April 8, just a day before her 24th birthday, American rock climber Brooke Raboutou made history by climbing one of the hardest routes in the world.

颁补濒濒别诲听贰虫肠补濒颈产耻谤,听the 40-foot route in Northern Italy is steep and notorious for its difficulty. Over the years this pitch has defied some of rock climbing’s strongest athletes. But Raboutou鈥檚 climb wasn鈥檛 just a big deal because the route was hard. Within the world of rock climbing, Excalibur is graded 9b+/5.15c. Raboutou has now become the first woman, ever, to ascend a climb at that grade.

鈥淔rom the start, I was drawn to you,鈥� Raboutou . 鈥淪ome days felt like effortless harmony; on others, we fought, our voices raised 鈥� You forced me to confront my fears, detach from expectation, and feed every flicker of belief I could find. You taught me to argue with doubt until it began to doubt itself. You asked for everything, but gave me even more in return.鈥�

Here’s what to know about her historic feat:

Who Is Brooke Raboutou?

Raboutou hails from climbing royalty. Her parents, French climber Didier Raboutou and American Robyn Erbesfield, were both world champion competitive climbers. Her older brother, Shawn, is one of the world鈥檚 strongest boulderers鈥攁 subset of climbing focused on short, powerful moves close to the ground.

With her听superhuman family, Brooke Raboutou has been making waves in the world of hard climbing since she was a child. She climbed a boulder graded V10 when she was just nine years old, and at age ten and then 11, became the youngest women to climb routes graded 5.13d and 5.14b, respectively. Long story short: Even before she hit high school, Raboutou was stronger than 99 percent of climbers on the planet.

Raboutou has also had an illustrious competitive career. She attended both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics. In Paris, she earned a silver medal, becoming the first American woman to medal in Olympic sport climbing. I interviewed Brooke right before her Olympic success.

What Does the Grade 5.15c Mean?

In the United States, roped rock climbs are graded on a scale called the Yosemite Decimal System (YDS), which used to run from 5.0 to 5.10, with the latter rating reserved for the toughest routes. In recent decades, as climbs have become harder, new levels (5.11, 5.12, etc.) have been introduced, with letters (a, b, c, d) tacked onto the end of the number to denote different arrays of difficulty within each number grade.

Today, 5.15c is the second-highest grade thus far.听The first-ever 5.15c was ascended by Czech climber Adam Ondra 2012鈥攖he route, called Change, is in a cave in Flatanger,听Norway. In the 13 years since then, only ten people (Raboutou included) have climbed routes at that grade. Less than a dozen routes graded 5.15c exist in the world.

But not all 5.15 routes are alike鈥攖he rating does not specify a rock’s angle or hold-size. Some 5.15c routes, like Excalibur, are short and steep, and require a climber to pinch microscopic holds up an essentially blank wall. Others 5.15c routes, like La Dura Dura in Spain, are four times as long, but require a climber to perform dynamic movements and diverse techniques to get to the top鈥攁 climbing style that favorites endurance over raw power.

One higher level (5.15d) technically exists, but there are only three routes in the world that have been proposed听to be that grade, and none has been repeated. This is noteworthy because climbing routes receive their grades by consensus. For example: if I am the first person to climb a route, I will tell everyone how hard I think it is, but then other climbers who climb the same route will听chime in with their respective opinions, and so-on. As time goes on, a general opinion within the climbing community emerges about the route鈥檚 grade. Perhaps my initial grading wasn’t entirely accurate鈥攖he climbers who repeat my route will set the story straight.

Of course, this means that assigning grades to the hardest routes is difficult, since only the very best climbers can complete them and then offer their respective opinions. The fewer climbers who are actually able to climb a route, the more weight each individual opinion carries.听For routes like Excalibur, which are among hardest in the world, this number is slim. Only two other climbers鈥擲tefano Ghisolf听and Will Bosi鈥攈ave been able to complete the route.

So, while 5.15c is technically the second-hardest grade in the world, it’s the hardest grade that multiple climbers have been able to complete and then verify.

What Do We Know About听Excalibur?

I鈥檝e reported on Excalibur by Ghisolfi, who hails from the town Arco where the route is located, in 2023. The route鈥攚hich is named for a sculpture of a sword-in-an-anvil placed near its base鈥攊s shorter than most other 5.15c climbs. However, it is steeper, and as a result, each move is individually harder.

The wall Excalibur ascends is overhanging at an angle of 40 degrees. Imagine climbing up a pyramid, but from the inside. The route is only 40 feet long and entails approximately 18 individual movements. To the layperson, this wall would appear essentially blank and completely devoid of hand or footholds. In truth, there are holds, but they are scarcely bigger than the cracks in the surface of听a brick wall.听Climbers have ascended听Excalibur using tiny pinches and 鈥渃rimps鈥濃�攃redit card-like edges in the rock that are sometimes only a few millimeters deep鈥攁nd shallow pockets, which can be grabbed using only a couple of fingers.

To get an idea of what Excalibur entails, I suggest of Ghisolfi making the first ascent.

In outdoor climbing, Raboutou has specialized in bouldering, like her brother Shawn, which also makes her ascent of Excalibur noteworthy. She has never climbed a route in the 5.15 zone, so her jump to a 5.15c is extremely impressive.听Excalibur, although it is a roped climb, is right up Raboutou鈥檚 alley.

What Did Brooke Raboutou Have to Say?

Raboutou said her ascent of听Excalibur听was different from those of the men who have previous ascended it. Raboutou is just 5 foot 3 inches tall.

“I knew a lot of the general beta used by Stefano and others when I first started trying听Excalibur, but I had to find my own methods and strategies that fit me,” she said. “My dimensions and climbing style are very different from theirs.”

Raboutout also said the climb required patience. Early in her attempts on the rock she made quick progress and she felt strong. But the variables that come with outdoor climbing鈥攁nd not in a rock gym鈥攎ade the going slow. “When I first started trying this climmb I felt really good on it really fast and kind of surprised myself. With that came an expectation that I could come it and fast,” she said. “That wasn’t the case. I had to detach from that expectation and be patient for things to line up: good weather, my skin to heal, my muscles to recover, and work toward a mental state that allowed me to execute physically.”

All of that focus didn’t prevent Raboutou from having some fun with the sword sculpture at听Excalibur’s base.

Where听Excalibur Places Brooke Raboutou in Climbing History

In 1993, American climber Lynn Hill made the first free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite. This 3,300-foot route, graded 5.14a, is the world鈥檚 most famous rock climb. Prior to Hill, it had never been climbed by anyone, male or female, without using artificial aids to get around some of the more difficult, blank sections.

Throughout much of rock climbing’s early decades, the sport was male-dominated. In recent years, that has changed. In 2024, Austrian climber Barbara 鈥淏absi鈥� Zangerl to 鈥渇lash鈥� a route on El Capitan鈥攖his means she climbed the route on her first try, without a single fall.

The first woman to ascend a route rated 5.15 was , who scaled a 5.15a route in Spain called La Rambla in 2017. The same year, Austrian climber Angela 鈥淎ngy鈥� Eiter became the first woman to climb 5.15b by ascending a route in Spain called La Planta de Shiva.

In the eight years since then, other women have climbed routes graded 5.15a and 5.15b, but none have completed a 5.15c. With her Olympic medal last year, Raboutou proved herself one of the world鈥檚 leading indoor climbers. With Excalibur, she now stands at the pinnacle of outdoor climbing as well.

The post American Climber Brooke Raboutou Just Made History. Here鈥檚 What to Know. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Sometimes, we go to Mountain Project for the beta. But sometimes, we go for the chat. And sometimes, the chat is funny. We鈥檝e seen brawls break out over bolts and grades. Stoke-spangled reviews鈥攁nd ho-hum appraisals of testpieces. Crusty cameos. Sketchy ethics. And non-sequiturs that add to the lore of the classics.

Here are 19 of the funniest Mountain Project comments on classic routes in Yosemite.

Note: All comments are only very lightly edited for grammar to retain the casual forum feel and the voice of each commenting climber.

鈥淗ow many days does this take most people. I can preaty [sic] much do a 5.10 blind-folded.鈥�
鈥擲cott Morrison

鈥淕reat route. Few people know that the name comes from the Gogol short story. A man loses his nose, only to find out it had been baked into a loaf bread and subsequently masquerading around town as a local official.鈥�
鈥擲endasaurus Rex

鈥淭his is it folks. The grand-daddy of all shit shows. Score Instagram content as you stand in ladders on perfect hand cracks. Witness behavior that can only be comparable to that seen at the airport on Thanksgiving day. Lastly, make sure to stroke the ego of NIAD鈥檈rs as they go by.鈥�
鈥擲un Dawg

鈥淒reams Transcending!! The Force is strong with this one!鈥�
鈥擬ike Holley

鈥淭his seems like an absurd route. I watched the movie and it looked awful and not fun at all.鈥�
鈥擥iancarlo Rhodes

鈥淚 thought this climb sucked. I hope the rest of is better. We did Beggars Buttress and the Rostrum on the same trip. Both were way better. Maybe my expectations were too high for Freeblast, but considering the location and history you can understand why. Most of the climbing was forgettable awkward or just plain blah.鈥�
鈥擧别辫辫苍别谤诲

鈥淩oute is much easier if you hire a mule to carry your stuff up to the rock. Some may call it cheating. I call it smart.鈥�
鈥擲ean Cobourn

鈥淎fter years of having wet dreams about this route, I was finally offered a chance to make a push for the summit on my 26th birthday. May 2nd, 2015. The spring is running strong and is the best and coldest water you will ever taste. I promise.鈥�
鈥擬isterCattell Cattell

鈥淚 climbed this 27 years ago. I brought my bagpipe up with me and I think I played Bonnie Charlie from the top. They say it was heard in the valley. Note I am not Celtic. Anyway the climb was fun if a lot of extra hiking up and down. I think with all the traffic, someone soloing might get knock off by the crowd.鈥�
鈥攄驳别濒尘补苍

鈥淲ow, there are a lot of redundant comments. Here鈥檚 a new one: **Don鈥檛 piss in the hole you heathens! Traversing over a few feet and peeing on blank rock that no one touches would be better than filling the hole at the belay.鈥�
鈥擪ristoffer Schmarr

鈥淚 got a severe off-the-couch ass-whipping on this one in the early `80s despite being pretty solid on Yosemite 5.9 of the time on hexes and stoppers and yarded and rested on any and everything I could. Was jello by the end of the second day (originally was rated Grade VI, 5.9 A4/5 (?) one of the first in Yosemite). Still a testpiece no matter how you get up it by all recent reports.鈥�
鈥擪ing Tut

鈥淚 took Stefan Glowacz here early `90s and he couldn鈥檛 touch it. He rapped off by threading the rope through a bolt hanger (!). I belayed on the FA and he was doing shit with his feet I didn鈥檛 understand.鈥�
鈥擩oe Hedge

鈥淩ap rings on the summit? C鈥檓on, John Muir soloed up and down it with clogs made of granite. Okay it was leather boots, but still, if an old Scot can do it without sticky rubber, I think you can do it with sticky rubber.鈥�
鈥擩iggs Casey

鈥淥hhh my Buddha! Just did this route, late March 2016, and it was truly an epic and educational experience to say the least. Long approach, which is made much more grueling with haul bags. Essentially, every single pitch was seeping with water (some even mistakable for waterfalls) and the slippery wet exposed third-class top-out was most terrifying (with haul bags on back)! The 11c pitches were pretty stout, had to pull through gear on most cruxes 鈥� To make life much simpler I would totally recommend doing this route in a day if possible. Climbing is climbing though and overall it was still fun as biscuits!鈥�
鈥擬ike Holley

鈥淭his spike of adrenaline due to wasp nest makes the climb significantly easier and may consider as use of doping. I propose to change rating of Waverly back to original 10c, while wasp is active.鈥�
鈥擜lexey Zelditch

鈥淵ou are so right about the ants. :< I almost got eaten alive 鈥� my partner had to basically use me as a punching bag for over 10 minutes just to get all the ants off me 鈥� I think the ants got out some rage on me 鈥� It鈥檚 funny that some actually made it up to Dinner Ledge with me in my draws and they seem to know when you鈥檙e making a hard move.鈥�
鈥擠wook Nicholson

鈥淧artied on Dinner Ledge for my birthday a couple weekends back (weekend of 4/15). 12 fucking people up there! We drank tequila and beers, smoked some herb, watched Ryan lead the Kor Roof at night. It was fucking awesome!鈥�
鈥擬ax McKee

鈥淲ow 鈥� just super major woooooooow 鈥� if I could rename this route I would call it 鈥渨hat even is this life?鈥� I was just that impressed with this climb. It really is so crazy how accurate it is that everyone I talk to about this route says it鈥檚 probably their favorite route ever. Every Yosemite climber needs to climb this route.鈥�
鈥擜ndrew Upchurch

鈥淧itches like this almost make me believe in a higher power.鈥�
鈥擲keletor 69

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Nevada is full of new and unexpected experiences at every turn. To fully embrace the adventures and quirks of southwest Nevada, photographer Paulina Dao hit the road with her cousin, Jessica Phung. Together, they traveled the Extraterrestrial Highway, in search of the state’s most out-of-this-world attractions.

Read more in 10 Ways to Get (Way) Out There in Nevada.

We鈥檙e听鈥攜our official resource for exploring the Silver State鈥檚 sometimes surprising, always exciting towns, cities, and public lands. With travel tips and inspiration straight from the heart of Nevada, we鈥檝e got you covered. All you need to do is get a little out there.

The post Get a Little Out There in Nevada appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

This story was updated with an additional section below entitled 鈥淎n Update From YOSAR鈥� on February 25 at 8:30am MT.听

Nate Vince, the suddenly famous Yosemite locksmith who lost his job as a result of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)鈥檚 recent slew of layoffs, texted me while hanging off the side of El Capitan on Saturday afternoon: 鈥淵eah, Buddy, we鈥檙e up here! The teamwork to get this done was unreal.鈥�

I reached out to Vince as a friend of a friend from my own days working for the Yosemite Bear Team and as a white carded EMT during the 2011-2012 seasons. With many other seasons working for the Mountaineering School and High Sierra Camps鈥攁s well as dirtbagging and climbing with members of the SAR Site鈥擨 felt hit hard by the news of the cuts to听听and other park staff. To get to the bottom of how DOGE鈥檚 actions were impacting my favorite community, I reached out to Vince and others to find out how they were reacting.

The Upside-Down Flag on Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall

On Saturday, February 22, Vince and a crew of six friends and ex-coworkers鈥攁ll current or past National Park Service (NPS) employees鈥攈auled a 30脳50-foot American flag up El Capitan鈥檚 East Ledges and unfurled it down the headwall between the climbing route Zodiac听and Horsetail Fall (also known, this time of year, as the ).

The flag was donated by a current NPS employee (and veteran), and the crew took care to respect it.听Hauling and rigging the flag wasn鈥檛 easy. The wind was whipping up the face and causing the flag to behave like a giant sail. 鈥淣one of us had ever climbed El Cap with a 50-foot flag before, so it was all new,鈥� Vince told me once he was down. 鈥淚n the interest of safety, we pulled it back up and spent a couple of hours on top, waiting for the wind to die down before trying again. It wouldn鈥檛 have been worth it if anyone got hurt.鈥�

The flag-hauling climbers released the following statement to various news outlets on Saturday afternoon:

鈥淭he American flag is a symbol of unity, pride, and honor. The flag represents the ideals, values, history, and people of our nation, and we recognize and understand the importance of treating the flag with respect and dignity. The upside-down flag is used as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.听

The purpose of this exercise of free speech is to disrupt without violence and draw attention to the fact that public lands in the United States are under attack. The Department of the Interior issued a series of secretarial orders that position drilling and mining interests as the favored uses of America鈥檚 public lands and threaten to scrap existing land protections and conservation measures. Firing 1,000s of staff regardless of position or performance across the nation is the first step in destabilizing the protections in place for these great places.鈥�

After a couple hours, Vince and his crew carefully raised the flag, folded it correctly, and packed it into their haul bags for the hike down. They could鈥檝e left it up. It would鈥檝e been tough for anyone else to retrieve it. But they鈥檝e worked for the National Park Service, and visitor experience was on their minds. 鈥淲e wanted to give people a chance to get their firefall pictures without the flag. It was a beautiful evening for it,鈥� Vince explains.

How the DOGE Layoffs Hit Yosemite

If you haven鈥檛 heard the full story, Vince, aka Yosemite鈥檚 only locksmith, got fired on Valentine鈥檚 Day鈥攅xactly three weeks shy of completing his one-year probationary period. He was great at what he did, receiving numerous awards and glowing evaluations. 鈥淭hen on Valentine鈥檚 Day, I got this generic email with my name pasted into it,鈥� Vince says. 鈥淚t said I didn鈥檛 fulfill the knowledge, skills, or abilities for my job. Now Yosemite has no locksmith.鈥�

 

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You might not know it, but Yosemite has over 1,000 structures that use a lock-and-key system, including many historic buildings, archives, and housing. So by stating that they no longer need his position, the government is essentially saying they don鈥檛 need locked doors in the park.

While working as a seasonal mechanic during the last government shutdown, Vince witnessed what happened to Park structures when they were understaffed: 鈥淗istoric structures got broken and damaged鈥攁nd these are important places. They鈥檙e part of what makes America cool. And when they aren鈥檛 protected, people go to Joshua Tree and cut Joshua trees down, or they go to the Ahwahnee and steal hotel signs. And what鈥檚 worse? What happens if there鈥檚 a rescue situation and YOSAR can鈥檛 get into the SAR Cache? You can鈥檛 break that door down. The rescue ain鈥檛 happening, and lives are in peril.鈥�

Of course, the layoffs aren鈥檛 only happening in Yosemite. Alex Wild鈥攁 former Yosemite wilderness ranger who climbed The Nose with Vince last fall鈥攚as dismissed from his job as an interpretive ranger and the only EMT at Devils Postpile National Monument. He got the email on February 15. 鈥淢y immediate boss advocated for me, telling people, 鈥楬ey, don鈥檛 fire this guy; he鈥檚 our only EMT,鈥欌�� Wild says. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 how sloppy it all is. Maybe they didn鈥檛 mean to fire their only EMT, but they did.鈥�

Devils Postpile averaged one or two rescues per week the previous season. 鈥淛ust about every Saturday,鈥� Wild says of their typical rescue cadence. 鈥淧eople get hurt here, but it鈥檚 nothing like Yosemite.鈥�

In Yosemite, YOSAR handles 911 calls for high-angle injuries, water rescues, and just about any other issue that occurs off pavement. Highly trained permanent and seasonal rangers staff YOSAR. But a specialized group known as 鈥淪AR Siters鈥� have been part of YOSAR since the sixties, when the Park Service realized that the surging popularity of rock climbing called for expert climbers to assist with high-angle recoveries.

SAR Siters get paid as 鈥淎D hires,鈥� which basically means听as needed. They get called out for emergencies and are paid by the hour. On February 14, YOSAR sent out an email to all returning SAR Siters announcing a hiring freeze. 鈥淲e will not be able to hire emergency SAR personnel for the summer season,鈥� the email stated.

In 2024, YOSAR responded to roughly 250 rescues鈥攁 typical incident volume that steadily rises year after year. SAR Siters take the lead in nearly every rescue. Not only is confidence on the sharp end of Yosemite鈥檚 most difficult routes a prerequisite for being a SAR Siter, but so is being an EMT, Swiftwater certified, highly skilled at rigging, and proficient in short hauling. SAR Siters must also know how to work with Yosemite rescue chopper 551. These are not activities that a recently hired seasonal ranger would just be able to pick up.

If DOGE believes that leaving our national parks unlocked, unprotected, and unsafe is the smartest way to balance our nation鈥檚 books, then perhaps the interns crunching the numbers need to go back to school.

Or maybe there鈥檚听. As of last year, national parks constituted less than .05% of the federal budget. And for seasonal rangers, only a tiny sliver of that is congressionally allocated. Climbing rangers, for instance, are funded by grants alone.

鈥淧eople are making huge sacrifices to live this life,鈥� former Yosemite climbing ranger Eric Lynch says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not like seasonal or AD hires have any ability to cheat the system. Rangers were repeatedly and consistently abused by the system as it was.鈥�

What do the YOSAR cuts mean for climbers?

Without a full SAR team in Yosemite this year, the climbing community is already contemplating the impacts on the upcoming climbing season.

鈥淚n Yosemite, I think the biggest thing is to be prepared to help your fellow climbers,鈥� Lynch says. 鈥淭he likelihood of being out climbing and running into an issue that you then have to step in and assist with is going to increase substantially.鈥�

鈥淓xpect to self-rescue,鈥� Wild adds. 鈥淭here is so much uncertainty about the SAR teams and personnel that climbers need to go into this assuming that an EMS response either won鈥檛 be there or will be severely delayed.鈥�

There will still be rangers in Yosemite working for YOSAR. But the search and rescue team and its resources will be more limited. Two rangers can鈥檛 carry a tourist with a broken ankle down the Upper Falls trail, for instance. Let alone rig a short-haul mission off of Half Dome.

Will There Really Not Be Any SAR Siters this Season?

鈥淣o,鈥� an anonymous source in Yosemite EMS tells me. 鈥淭his community is too strong. People are committed to the team and providing that role to the Park. But it will be barebones.鈥�

Right now, the Yosemite community is figuring out how to take care of people.听It makes sense that the climbing community is figuring out how to keep climbers and tourists safe, even without government support, because that鈥檚 what a community does.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the community that exists in Yosemite that makes people want to work here,鈥� Lynch says. He knows that visitors value the community of Yosemite, too鈥攊t鈥檚 part of the experience in the Valley. But he cautions that they will be impacted by the cuts to YOSAR and park staff: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a trickle-down effect, and they鈥檙e going to feel it.鈥�

As for Wild, he may pivot to guiding for the season. While he鈥檚 less concerned about his own professional prospects, he is quite worried about the absence of rangers in the park. 鈥淪omeone needs to have that job,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t needs to exist 鈥� How do you get rid of so many of us without any real plan?鈥�

I contacted the Trump administration via email to pose Wild鈥檚 very question and didn鈥檛 receive a response by the time of publication. I also phoned the public information office for Yosemite National Park. As I poked my way through the phone tree, the assistant to the superintendent happened to be one of the options. The phone rang until an automated voice picked up and said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e sorry, this position is currently vacant. This voicemail box will not be monitored. So please do not leave a message.鈥�

An Update from YOSAR

After publishing this article, I heard back from a longtime, respected Yosemite law enforcement ranger, who I had originally reached out to as a source. He works closely with YOSAR and Yosemite EMS鈥擨 knew him during my time in Yosemite鈥攁nd he spoke with me anonymously.

This anonymous source wants the public to know that YOSAR is currently well-equipped with experienced permanent and seasonal law enforcement rangers, paramedics, climbing rangers, EMTs, and wilderness rangers. He strongly believes that Yosemite is still prepared to respond to search and rescue emergencies, even with the recent layoffs and AD hiring freeze. He also wanted to emphasize that the experience of YOSAR鈥檚 permanent law enforcement, wilderness, and EMS staff in rigging, high-angle rescues, helicopter rescues, and leadership is unmatched.

The SAR Siters are instrumental in rounding out the YOSAR team, but YOSAR is confident that they will step up to the challenge until they can welcome all SAR Siters back鈥攈opefully, in time for the summer season.

What Can Climbers of Yosemite and Beyond Do Next?

If you鈥檇 like to weigh in with your insights or experiences at Yosemite, you can contact representative , who presides over California鈥檚 5th Congressional District where Yosemite is located. You can also reach out to to advocate for public lands in your home state. Yosemite is far from the only park affected.

When visiting public lands this season鈥攁nd until appropriate staffing levels at our public lands are restored鈥攑lease tread even more lightly than usual. Pack out what you can and practice preventative search and rescue measures. And whether you鈥檙e climbing in Yosemite, Joshua Tree, the Black Canyon, Zion, or any other national park, be prepared to help others out, too.

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Search and rescue crews in Las Vegas continue to have a busy start to 2025.

On Wednesday, February 6, members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s search and rescue squad saved a woman who had fallen from a climbing area in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

According to a , the woman, who was not named, had fallen while climbing near the White Rock Hills hiking and climbing area. She landed in a boulder field and was unable to hike out.

“The victim fell while climbing and was unable to move due to a back injury,” read a statement from the department.

White Rock Hills is located in a remote corner of the park, approximately 6 miles past the park entrance, down a dirt road. The area is ringed by a four-mile trail that takes climbers to several different climbing routes.

Rangers from the Bureau of Land Management hiked in to the area and made contact with the victim, but they were unable to bring her to safety on foot. Officials decided to send an emergency helicopter to the area. According to the release, three search and rescue officials flew in on the helicopter and helped the ground crews move her to a suitable extraction point.

Dramatic photos showed the helicopter removing the injured climber. According to the release, she was taken to a ground ambulance.

The rescue was the third major lifesaving mission in Red Rock Canyon this year involving rock climbers. On Saturday, January 18, crews responded to near the Pine Creek area of the park.

One rescue involved four climbers who became stranded on the “Cat in the Hat” climbing route after their ropes became entwined. The four were preparing to rappel the route when the incident happened, and they retreated to a ledge. One of the climbers, Joe De Luca, was able to call rescuers from his cell phone.

As De Luca was waiting for rescue crews to reach his party, he witnessed the other incident 100 or so yards away. A climber named Micah Manalese, 30, fell from a route and hit the rocks approximately 130 feet below.

鈥淚t was evident to me that the chance of life was zero, or at least very low, if we didn鈥檛 do something quickly,鈥� De Luca told Climbing.

De Luca called rescuers after the fall occurred, but they were unable to save Manalese.

Her partner, Robert Hiett, for听Climbing.听

“With her training, she somehow still managed to squeeze in time with her family and friends. She could do it all,” Hiett wrote.

Red Rock Canyon is one of the most popular outdoor destinations in the Southwestern U.S., and climbers and hikers flock to the destination in the winter and early spring, before temperatures begin to soar in late April. The canyon’s famed Navajo Sandstone formations are traversed by several dozen climbing routes.

The post Rescue Crews Saved Another Climber in Nevada鈥檚 Red Rock Canyon appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

听excels at a number of outdoor pursuits, from surfing big waves to climbing exposed peaks. But it wasn鈥檛 until after meeting听鈥攁 fellow surfer, accomplished rock climber, and runner-up in Max鈥檚 inaugural season of the reality competition听The Climb鈥攖hat his skill and love for sport climbing grew to new heights.

鈥淲e鈥檝e come so far working together,鈥� says King, who鈥檚 originally from Detroit. 鈥淎nd now I sport-climb in all parts of the world. I鈥檝e done things I didn鈥檛 think I could have done.鈥�

Both King and Barry are drawn to aesthetically beautiful climbs, which they find on the Shark鈥檚 Fin Arete in California鈥檚 Alabama Hills wilderness. They鈥檙e reminded that being a solid climbing partner goes beyond the obvious belayer-climber dynamic that鈥檚 inherent to climbing. It鈥檚 knowing exactly what to say and when to say it鈥攐r saying nothing at all鈥攁nd ultimately bringing each other home safely.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be able to see these things on your own, but when you get to bring people you care about into these spaces and see how it affects them, it just makes it that much better and that much more profound,鈥� Barry adds, noting a shared desire with King to inspire the next generation of climbers.

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On Monday, January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump to rename Alaska鈥檚 20,310-foot Denali, the highest peak in North America. The mountain鈥檚 name will revert to Mount McKinley, named for William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was assassinated on September 14, 1901.

The decree undoes the work of former President Barack Obama, who, in 2015 officially changed the name from Mount McKinley to Denali, the peak鈥檚 traditional name from the Koyukon Athabascan language, which is spoken by Alaska’s Native inhabitants. Denali translates as 鈥渢he high one鈥� or 鈥渢he great one.鈥�

The name change will take effect within 30 days. The name of Denali National Park and Preserve, where the mountain sits, will not change.

Policy wonks (and ) know that there has been infighting in Congress about the name of North America鈥檚 highest peak since at least 1975. That was the first year the state of Alaska petitioned to use the local name Denali instead of McKinley. Lawmakers from Ohio, McKinley鈥檚 home state, pushed back.

But how do the people whose lives and livelihoods depend on the mountain feel about Denali鈥檚 name change? We asked some of Denali鈥檚, er McKinley鈥檚, most prominent athletes, guides, and rangers.

Why Alaskans Prefer the Name Denali

The guides and mountaineers who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料 for this story expressed dismay at the name change.

鈥淚t鈥檚 worth mentioning that the President suggested doing this about six years ago,鈥� says Mark Westman, an Alaska resident and former ranger on the mountain. 鈥淎nd he was told by Alaska’s two senators鈥攂oth of whom are Republicans and both who are still the current senators鈥攏ot to do that.鈥�

Indeed, on Monday, January 21, Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, : 鈥淥ur nation鈥檚 tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial.鈥�

Guides and climbers echoed Murkowski鈥檚 sentiment鈥攖he importance of the name Denali lies in its connection to Alaska鈥檚 precolonial听history, they said.

鈥淭he name Denali reflects a local cultural heritage here that predates the United States,鈥� Westman says. 鈥淭he name McKinley was an arbitrary name given for someone who had never even set foot here. He was from Ohio.鈥�

Conrad Anker, who began climbing in the Alaska Range in 1987, said he was overjoyed when the peak鈥檚 Indigenous name was officially restored in 2015. Changing the name back, he said, makes no sense to outdoor enthusiasts, local Alaskans, or the region鈥檚 Indigenous population.

鈥淚t was fitting to honor the people of Alaska with the rightful name,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 worth noting that the vast majority of peaks in the Himalayas have local names.”

Guide Melissa Arnot Reid, the first American woman to ascend and descend Everest without supplemental oxygen, said that precolonial names such as Denali enhance a visitor鈥檚 connection to a place. That鈥檚 why she encourages her climbing clients to refer to peaks and regions by traditional names.

鈥淒iscovering what the local people call a place, and why, enhances our connection to that place,鈥� she says.

Does Anyone Even Use the Name Mount McKinley?

Even before the 2015 name change, climbers and guides frequently used the peak’s Native name, guides told us. Westman, who first came to the peak in 1994, said that while the names were used interchangeably by locals back then, the preference was to call it Denali.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been a difference in the name Denali for, well, forever,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ative Alaskans were calling it Denali for thousands of years before anybody else came here. In the climbing community, it鈥檚 almost universal鈥擨 almost never hear anybody call it McKinley.鈥�

In the days following the announcement, many Alaskan residents appear to agree. On Tuesday, January 21, the group asked 1,816 adults in Alaska about the proposed name change. The survey found that 54 percent opposed it, while just 26 percent supported the change.

Ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers, the first person to hike and then ski the Seven Summits, pointed out that even Alaska鈥檚 political leaders have used the name Denali publicly for decades. 鈥淲ith Denali, the traditional name has been the choice not only of Alaskan Native people, but also of the entire state including its political leadership since at least 1975,鈥� she says.

Dave Hahn of RMI Mountain Guides, who has ascended the peak 25 times, said that the mountain is 鈥渂ig enough to handle however many names you want to throw at it.鈥�

But he stressed that Denali felt like it was always the appropriate title within the climbing community. 鈥淚 never felt that McKinley was wrong鈥攊t honored a president that was assassinated while in office,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I think that Denali is truer to where the mountain is, and who the people around the mountain are, recognizing that it鈥檚 an Alaskan mountain and not a Washington D.C. mountain.鈥�

Most People Will Still Say Denali

The sources who spoke to 国产吃瓜黑料 for this story agreed on one thing: they will continue to call the peak by its Native name going forward.

鈥淚 intend to continue to refer to the great mountain as Denali for as long as I鈥檓 alive, and I encourage every other climber to do the same,鈥� wrote author听Jon Krakauer听in an email. 鈥淭rump might be able to officially rename it, but he will never be able to force me to call it anything except Denali.鈥�

Ultrarunner Jack Kuenzle, who in 2023 set the fastest known time for ascending the peak, echoed the sentiment.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine anybody will be actually utilizing McKinley,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e never heard it called that.鈥�

Keith Sidle, who teaches mountaineering courses with the Alaska Mountaineering School, said the only thing he expects to see change is how the mountain is named on maps and signs. Sidle said his climbing buddies are already saying online that they will continue to use the Native name.

鈥淚t鈥檚 changing a name on a piece of paper, it鈥檚 not changing the mountain,鈥� he said. 鈥淭o the people that it really matters to, it鈥檚 not changing anything.鈥�

The post Trump Just Renamed North America鈥檚 Highest Peak. These Climbers Will Still Call It 鈥淒enali.鈥� appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

My whole perspective on 鈥渂elaytionships鈥� (and how to improve them) changed when a friend referred to the task as a 鈥渟acred duty.鈥� It鈥檚 common to view our turn on the ground as nothing more than filler time between pitches, or worse: a burden that we must bear in exchange for the joys of climbing. But belaying is more than just a necessary evil. The special relationship between belay partners is what elevates climbing from a myopic pursuit of personal excellence to a reciprocal experience. Supporting someone else on their journey toward the send can feel just as powerful as making that journey ourselves.听

The best belaytionships have respect for both sides of the equation. Not only that, both parties put in the effort to learn and implement what their partner needs from a belayer to feel safe and secure while climbing. That鈥檚 no easy feat, considering how vulnerable the act of pushing limits high off the deck can leave a climber. The barrage of emotion often amplifies our fears and needs far beyond what they would be on the ground. A strong belaytionship takes all the havoc in stride.听

But it doesn鈥檛 happen overnight. Just like in any other relationship, climbing partners have to go through their fair share of struggles in order to reach a state of mutual respect and support. Learn from some of the most long-standing belaytionships in the sport about how to weather the storms that plague even the most dynamic of duos in the sport, and foster the kind of partnership that will last as long as your love for climbing.听

1. Prioritize the Person

Yes, your project is important. It鈥檚 what motivates you to crawl out of your cozy bed in time to catch the cool morning temps, stay out late until the sun sets over the cliff, and dedicate every spare hour to deciphering its coded messages. But we鈥檇 all do well to remember one thing: it鈥檚 still just a rock.听

鈥淎t the end of the day,鈥� says climber Andy Salo, 鈥測ou鈥檙e going home with your partner鈥攏ot your project. Whatever emotions and stresses you鈥檙e dealing with as a result of your project bounces off on your partner, and they have to carry that.鈥�

Salo and his partner Whitney Boland have been climbing together for over a decade. They鈥檙e able to support each other best when the one on the wall exercises enough restraint to keep their worst wobblers in check. A charged reaction to what happens on your project may not be a personal attack on your belayer, but it sure can feel that way to them. Taking their presence for granted will inevitably push them away. Rocks are great and all, but they鈥檝e got nothing on real live human beings. No project is worth losing your partner over.听

2. Let It Go

That being said, wobblers will happen. Even the most restrained among us isn鈥檛 immune to the frustrations involved in climbing. When your partner鈥檚 feelings come out in a big way, stay grounded. Maggie and Chuck Odette, Maple Canyon legends who have been steadfast partners in all things climbing and life for the past 14 years, suggest 鈥減utting up a force-field鈥� when emotions run high.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 not about ignoring the other person鈥檚 feelings,鈥� Maggie clarifies, 鈥渂ut more about protecting your own emotional state. It鈥檚 basically an agreement that just because I鈥檓 having a low-confidence or less-than-optimal day, I don鈥檛 expect you to join in!鈥澨�

In that sense, belayers might have to take one for the team sometimes. Pick your battles. Some things are worth addressing with your climbing partner for the sake of improving your dynamic. Other gripes might be better kept silent if they鈥檙e more likely to cause trouble than good once they鈥檙e out in the open. In the wise words of good ol鈥� Dr. Phil: Do you want to be right, or do you want to be together?听

3. Trust Their Tactics

It鈥檚 not just the climber that experiences heightened emotions. Belayers often go through their own emotional rollercoasters, especially when they鈥檙e in charge of protecting someone they care deeply about. You want to support them in their efforts鈥ut you also want to get them back down to the ground safely. And in a sport like climbing, where there are very real risks involved, the two don鈥檛 always mix.

Salo and Boland emphasize the importance of trusting your partner鈥檚 instincts. 鈥淲hitney learned that if I felt confident enough for a scary lead, she could trust that I was going to be as safe as possible doing it鈥攅ven though that was nerve-wracking for her,鈥� says Salo. 鈥淎ny fear she felt for me was best kept to herself,鈥� he explains, because the expression of it would throw off the focus and confidence he needed to climb safely.听

Trust is the foundation of any stable relationship, belaytionships included. Talk to your climber ahead of time about their expectations for the route and affirm your belief in their ability to make sound decisions. Address any concerns before they ever leave the ground. Then, when they鈥檙e off, follow through with that trust. It鈥檚 key to ensuring their safety.听

4. Plan Ahead

Just because you鈥檙e climbing together doesn鈥檛 mean that your agendas will always align. Be careful not to assume that you and your partner have the exact same plan in mind. The Odette鈥檚 learned early on that they don鈥檛 tend to wake up at the same pace in the morning. Rather than let that turn into a chronic disagreement, they make sure to make a game plan for what the next day will look like before going to bed the night before.听

Do your best to line up your ideal day with your partner鈥檚. If possible, find climbs that are close enough to each other at the crag so that you can both have equal time on your projects. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 impossible to hit both in the same day,鈥� adds Salo, 鈥済ive up one weekend day to your partner and trade off the next day. You might not send as quick, but you鈥檒l keep from burning out your belaytionship.鈥�

5. Fail Together, Send Together

鈥淎lways remember that even though you and your partner are in the same place, at the same time, doing the same thing, it鈥檚 not very likely that you鈥檙e experiencing it exactly the same way,鈥� says Odette.听

To find common ground, treat climbing as a team effort. 鈥淢ost of climbing is failing,鈥� Odette reminds us. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to fail in front of anyone, your person is the best choice. And when one of you sends, it鈥檚 a win for the team!鈥澨�

Put yourself in their shoes. Take on their failures and celebrate their sends. You might not know exactly how they鈥檙e feeling, but the effort goes a long way. Ask them about their experience and absorb every nitty-gritty detail. The better you understand their emotional state while climbing, the better you can share in their journey and tackle each pitch in harmony.

6. Nurture the Relationship

鈥ot just the belaytionship. Salo firmly believes that 鈥渃limbing will expose any shortcomings in the relationship between belay partners as a whole.鈥� Whether you climb with your life partner or a close friend, your connection extends beyond the crag. Even if you only see your belay partner during climbing sessions, I鈥檓 willing to bet that your conversations between pitches go much deeper than 鈥渂elay on, climb on.鈥�

With that in mind, problems in a belaytionship often stem from elsewhere in the relationship. 鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 figured out how to support your partner in other avenues of life, it likely will not happen in climbing either,鈥� warns Salo. Dissect the conflicts that crop up with your partner while climbing. Are they really about the amount of slack in the rope or what your partner said while they were cruxing? Or do they have more to do with something going on at home? Try as you might, you can鈥檛 separate the two completely.听

In the short-term, aim to resolve any outside disputes before you get to the crag鈥攐r at least press pause. The physical and emotional demands of climbing will only escalate those struggles until they鈥檙e worse than they were before. In the long-term, pick up on the patterns that dictate your crag conflicts. What do they say about more serious insecurities or disagreements plaguing your relationship? Get to the root of the issue. Nurture the relationship to save the belaytionship.听

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