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.

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Back before climbing went mainstream (Olympics, gyms, Hollywood documentaries, , yippee!), we climbers were known for our social awkwardness and unapologetic penury. The community was an eclectic mix of rule-following problem-solvers (e.g., mathematicians and engineers) and barely functioning societal dropouts who survived on peanut butter and ramen while sleeping in caves, stripped-down cargo vans, or passenger cars with plywood 鈥渂ox springs鈥� in lieu of seats.

So perhaps a good joke, playing off the classic riff about engineers, might have been:

Q: How do you know when a climber likes you?

A: She stares at your rock shoes instead of her own when she鈥檚 talking to you.

With such an oddball crew, there were (and remain) Yet the good news鈥擨 guess?鈥攚ith the sport鈥檚 recent boom is that there are more of us than ever, expanding the pool of eligible single climbers.

This also means that there are now at least 10 reasons why dating a climber might possibly be a good idea.

1. Climbers Are Low-Cost/Low-Maintenance

Climbers have traditionally been non-materialistic; the thinking was that we鈥檇 rather be poor and have the free time to climb than labor away earning enough cheddar to slurp consomm茅 alongside tiny-fork bluebloods at some Michelin-starred snob-hole. On the one hand, this is great news. Our low-overhead minimalism makes us cheap dates. Want to stage a 鈥渞omantic鈥� 鈥減icnic鈥� with a moldy loaf of French bread, spray-can cheese, and gooey tomatoes harvested from a dumpster听 (鈥渋t鈥檚 caprese!鈥�) while watching pirated Netflix on a phone using the free Wi-Fi in the McDonald鈥檚 parking lot? We鈥檙e all-in鈥攁nd easily impressed鈥攁s long as it doesn鈥檛 overlap with good condies.

The con? Any money we do have鈥攐r that we siphon off you鈥攗sually goes right back into the sport: These days, most climbers easily drop a few thousand bucks a year on gym memberships, shoes, chalk, pants, cams, ropes, pads, fingerboards, fans, travel, and skin care.

2. We Like to Travel (To Rocks)

Another thing traditionally associated with climbers: wanderlust. And since travel is the glue that binds many a relationship, we鈥檙e a catch. The only caveat is that there needs to be rock (or a gym) at our destination or we go full 鈥淭orrance,鈥� like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. For instance, if you told me I had a once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid trip to Fiji, where I鈥檇 be taught surfing by Laird Hamilton, my first question would be, 鈥淚s there any rock in Fiji?鈥� And my second would be, 鈥淥r at least a doorjamb in the bungalow for my hangboard?鈥�

As a further example: years ago, after a month of Eurail touristing around Europe, I landed on the Greek isle of Paros (where the Euros gaily tan and windsurf during their August holidays). At that point, I was so hard up to touch rock that I did pointless traverses in a crumbly beachside cave right where everyone takes a dump鈥� in the 100-degree heat. Talk about a 鈥渟hitty鈥� landing鈥攁nd a near-psychotic desperation to clamber.

3. We鈥檙e Fit

Climbers must be some of the most training-obsessed athletes around, even at the amateur level where literally nothing is at stake. Witness the endless training ateliers, podcasts, apps and tools, and our obsession with etc. We end up with toned, attractive, eminently datable physiques, even if all we鈥檙e doing is eking out sad, expensive, barely noticeable one-percent gains after months of self-flagellation. The downside: We are so rigid about our workouts that we do weird things like fingerboard while riding as passengers in cars, or even 鈥渃ar-king鈥�: ARC endurance training by squeezing a grip ring while driving.

4. We Know How to Do Proper Pull-ups

Unlike CrossFitters, whose half-assed 鈥減ull-ups鈥� make them look like fish death-flopping in a dinghy (see video below) and will never get them stronger, our rizz us up with sexy, well-defined shoulders and backs (see reason No. 3).

Also, I may be biased (I probably am), but I feel like our sport is smarter than CrossFit: We need to execute complex, choreographed beta under the pressure and duress of facing a fall, whereas all CrossFitters need to do is figure out how to roll a tractor tire around an office-industrial parking lot without getting rhabdo.

5. We鈥檙e Good at Communicating

At least on a rope, since we need to be clear with our belay commands in a life-or-death situation. How well we express our needs off the rock will vary. Everyone鈥檚 different! Plus we tend to forget that the non-climbing public won鈥檛 always understand our lingo. So if your climber boo says, 鈥淢y feelings for you are deeper than the anchor jug on 厂颈濒别苍肠别,鈥� they love you. But if they say, 鈥淗anging out with you is worse than a front-team double split on a greasy Bishop afternoon,鈥� they hate your stupid face.

6. We鈥檙e Really into Skin Care

Other than models, actors, and perfectly complected skinfluencers, climbers might be than anyone on Earth. If you date a climber, you鈥檒l never need to buy balm, salve, lotion, ointment, emery boards, nail files, tape, Band-Aids, or nail clippers again. We have all that stuff stashed in multiple spots鈥攎edicine cabinet, cragging pack, gym pack, and cars. It鈥檚 not all designed for making your face radiant and free of age lines, but you will most definitely have the best finger and palm skin in town.

7. You鈥檒l Be Plugged into an Instant Community

Just as , , usually from our apparel, veiny forearms, and chalky, hands. In this way, we tend to bond quickly, forming communities and networks both large and small. So if you pair up with a climber, you will be plugged in to a big family, which is great if you are a social person, but perhaps not so great if you鈥檇 rather not see your guest room turned into a hostel for a rotating cast of aromatic vagabonds who range from lost skatepunk bouldering kids, to dreadlocked Germans chain-smoking Drum cigarettes, to penny-pinching bro-grammers soaking up all your Wi-Fi while they work on rest days.

8. We鈥檙e Youthful and Free-Spirited

Climbers are often accused of hiding from real life by being out at the rock all day, which is 100 percent true. But this carefree lifestyle also keeps us young at heart and fun to be around. Thus, while some might call us immature, I prefer to think of climbers as youthful.听

Take it from me. At age 53, I can spend all day bolting choss, stop in at the gym to train, come home and pop in a frozen pizza and wash off some baby carrots for the kids like the 鈥淲orld鈥檚 Greatest Dad鈥� that I am. Then trade wiener, butt, and fart jokes with my boys at the dinner table much to my wife鈥檚 chagrin. And still wake up the next morning with enough energy to put in a two-hour workday and then MoonBoard. I mean, if I were single, I鈥檇 be a major catch!

9. We Always Know the Weather

No one is as obsessed with the weather as rock climbers, who schedule our lives around when it鈥檚 ideal to climb. Condies are king, and we stay up to date鈥攙ia multiple apps and websites鈥攁t least a week out on the weather, including wind, humidity, chances of precipitation, etc. So, if you never want to have to check the forecast again, date a climber.

10. Lots of Us Are Secret Trust-Funders

Despite our and our apparent poverty (worn, soiled clothing; blown-out rock shoes; guerilla camping; etc.), many of us are actually secret trust-funders. I mean, how else do you think that buddy of yours who never works somehow manages to spend three months a year in Spain and three months at Rocklands while also basing out of a high-end condo in an expensive mountain town and shopping exclusively at Whole Foods? It鈥檚 because he has a secret income he might be ashamed to talk about, e.g., a trust fund. If you play your cards right, you, too, can share in that bounty, trading the stress and tedium of work for the delicious apathy of鈥� 鈥渘ot work.鈥�

Matt Samet is a freelance writer and editor based in Boulder, Colorado. He is the author of the and the memoir 听

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Austrian powerhouse Barbara 鈥淏absi鈥� Zangerl has stunned the climbing world, becoming the first person in history to successfully flash a route on El Capitan. Zangerl blitzed the 3,300-foot granite monolith via the iconic Free Rider听route over a four-day ground-up push from November 19 to 22, all without falling. Zangerl was supported by her longtime partner鈥攐n and off the wall鈥擩acopo Larcher, who was attempting a flash as well, but had a single fall.

Free Rider, a Huber-brothers variation to the Salath茅 Wall, is one of the most famous routes in Yosemite Valley. It鈥檚 perhaps best known as the route Alex Honnold climbed in the film Free Solo.

For years, 36-year-old Zangerl has proven to be one of the most versatile climbers in the game. She鈥檚 bouldered V13, , and has made rare free ascents of both high altitude climbs like the Nameless Tower鈥檚 , the Eiger鈥檚 Odyssee, and iconic Yosemite lines like The Nose, El Ni帽o, Zodiac, and . Zangerl was also the fourth person (and still only woman) to complete the 鈥�,鈥� entailing three 5.14 multi-pitch routes in the Alps: Des Kaisers neue Kleider, Silbergeier, and End of Silence.

There are few climbers with such an appetite for long, big, bad routes, and Zangerl鈥檚 eyes aren鈥檛 bigger than her stomach. She puts it down. Now she鈥檚 become the first person to flash a route on the Big Stone.

Zangerl said for her friend Kolin Powick had spent years trying to convince her and Larcher that they should have a go at Free Rider, but she didn鈥檛 really believe a flash was possible. 鈥淚 had really low expectations,鈥� she said.

It鈥檚 worth noting that in 2014 Pete Whittaker also , but with two caveats. First, after he and partner Tom Randall鈥檚 first day on the wall, they descended to the ground to escape heavy traffic, so the ascent was not completed in a continuous, ground-up push. Second, he fell on the 鈥淏oulder Problem鈥� and then pivoted to the alternate 鈥淭eflon Corner,鈥� which he sent without falling. C茅dric Lachat 鈥渇lashed鈥� the route under similar circumstances in 2009. And Adam Ondra attempted to鈥攂ut he fell above the Boulder Problem, on the Salath茅鈥檚 鈥淗eadwall鈥� pitch.

Zangerl took us through her climb. 鈥淭he Freeblast was quite tricky,鈥� she said, speaking of Free Rider鈥檚 initial 10 pitches, which go at 5.11 and are often completed as a route on their own. The climbing isn鈥檛 as physically demanding as some pitches higher on the route, but it鈥檚 techy, footwork-intensive climbing that demands full concentration. 鈥淭here are a lot of pitches where you don鈥檛 have good handholds, and you鈥檙e standing on quite bad feet. It鈥檚 a lot of insecure climbing, smearing on slippery holds, there are so many chances to make a mistake and fall.鈥�

 

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Another crux sequence, for Zangerl, was the 鈥淢onster Offwidth,鈥� which she led first. As the name suggests, this is a sustained offwidth crack, requiring an arsenal of jams. 鈥淭he Monster was a real fight for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not really good at offwidth climbing.鈥� She wore two shoes (one La Sportiva TC Pro inside another TC Pro) on her right foot during this pitch to lengthen her feet while heel-toe-camming.

A last-minute meeting with Alex Honnold just before they climbed may have saved the day. 鈥淎lex told me when it鈥檚 getting super exhausting on the Monster, I should lean out to the right, jamming my left leg, so I can rest,鈥� Zangerl explained. 鈥淭his was really helpful for me. There was a moment when I felt I couldn鈥檛 go any further, I was so exhausted, and then I leaned out of the crack like [Alex] told me, and it worked.鈥�

The infamous 鈥淏oulder Problem鈥� was the overwhelming crux, Zangerl said. Larcher took the first lead on this sequence, a tenuous, friction-based pitch that ends with a desperate 鈥渘inja kick鈥� out to a dihedral, and this is where he took his fall, ending his flash attempt.

When Zangerl set off on lead, she quickly realized she was too short to use the same footholds as Larcher. She downclimbed to a rest and weighed her options. 鈥淲hen I found my own way, and got to the ninja kick, it was just completely out of control,鈥� she explained. At the same time as Zangerl kicked her foot out, her left hand peeled off. 鈥淚 thought I was falling,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut at the very last moment, I stuck the foot on the other side,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was extremely insecure. I was really lucky.鈥�

鈥淭he further up we got, there was more and more tension,鈥� she explained, 鈥渁s I began to think maybe it was possible.鈥� Zangerl said that topping out with a flash left her with an incredible feeling. It was a feat she hadn鈥檛 really believed she could accomplish. But it was also tainted by the fact that her partner came up short by just a single move. 鈥淚 was sad for Jacopo,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd, really, this was a team effort. We did this together. I could not have done this without Jacopo.鈥� The duo has been climbing together for 11 years, and most of her hardest climbs, like Eternal Flame, have been completed with him on the other end of the rope. Zangerl admitted she also had an advantage over Larcher on the Boulder Problem, as he led the pitch first and provided real-time beta for her to consider.

Larcher offered some insight into his own experience . 鈥淚 briefly felt relieved [after falling,] as now I could just climb the rest without pressure鈥� but after topping out, feelings changed. I won鈥檛 lie. This one meant a lot to me and failure is, and will be, hard to accept. We had an amazing time up there and I couldn鈥檛 be more proud of Babsi and her achievement!鈥�

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Sasha DiGiulian is busy. When she鈥檚 not training at the gym, traveling around the world to climb, or walking her good boy, Moose, near her home in Boulder, Colorado, she鈥檚 working as the CEO of , her plant-based nutrition bar company that she co-founded in 2022.

Because of her packed schedule, DiGiulian, a three-time U.S. National champion with more than 30 first female ascents under her belt, looks for convenience in the products she uses. Think: creams that moisturize and protect her skin听from the sun at the same time or face wipes that hydrate and clean.

Even her company鈥檚 bars fall into this category. DiGiulian wanted a convenient food to grab on the go that also fulfilled her health needs.

鈥淪end Bars are how I get my greens and fuel when I鈥檓 at the crag, biking, or hiking,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here is so much health washing on the market, and I just want clean, real food with no refined sugars, preservatives, or unnatural flavorings鈥攖hat tastes really good.鈥� It doesn鈥檛 hurt that she can throw one in a bag on the way to the airport, either.

国产吃瓜黑料 of her tried-and-true bars, here are the products this busy climber swears by.

Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes

Ursa Major’s 4-in-1 Essential Face Tonic is made with superfood-sounding ingredients, like radish root ferment, rosemary, and willow bark extract. It also features witch hazel, green tea, and aloe vera, to name a few, for a formula meant to clean, exfoliate, soothe, and hydrate. These individually-wrapped wipes are easy to toss in a pocket or bag for a quick way to freshen up on any adventure. “I like to keep these bamboo face wipes in my pack to clean and hydrate my skin after a sweaty and dirty day out climbing,” says DiGiulian.

They’re sold in packs of 5, 20, or 40 wipes.

Sun Bum Lip Balm

DiGiulian relies on this 30 SPF lip balm to protect her lips from wind and sun when she’s getting after it outside. The product features eight percent zinc oxide for sun protection and shea butter and vitamin E, which, she says, soothe and repair her lips.

Suntegrity 5-in-1 Tinted Sunscreen Moisturizer

The climber applies this tinted sunscreen moisturizer before spending any time outdoors or even just running errands. It’s made to protect skin听from the sun with 30 SPF, as well as hydrate and add a hint of color as it goes on. With ingredients like aloe vera, cucumber extract, and sunflower seed oil, it’s also free of fragrance, cruelty-free, and vegan. “I鈥檓 big on sunscreen, and I find that this is also a nice tinted one to smooth out blemishes and bring a little color to my face,” she says.

Love from Yours Sunny Side Up SPF 30 Mist

DiGiulian uses this mist as a way to re-up her sunscreen on big outings. “Normally, my days are pretty long outside,” she says. “So I like keeping a mist like this with me to maintain the protection.”

She also loves that it doesn’t go on oily or shiny and can be applied over her makeup without feeling caked on or like it’s clogging her pores. Plus, it鈥檚 cruelty-free.

Olive and June Nail Polish

Just because she covers her hands in climbing chalk for a living doesn’t mean DiGiulian doesn’t like a good manicure. She uses Olive and June’s tab press-ons when she’s going from the crag to dinner, she says. She appreciates that the tab variety doesn’t require glue, which saves her from the strong scent鈥攏ot to mention everyone else听around her when she’s applying them on a plane or in a car.

“They go on and pop off so easily that they鈥檙e perfect for post-adventure meetups where you want fun nails,” says DiGiulian.

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Outdoor adventures haven鈥檛 come easy for James Lawless, a career firefighter who discovers that being a Ford Bronco owner provides free access to the action-packed Bronco Off-Roadeo experiences located across the country. So a trip to provides a timely escape. Lawless tackles the rugged terrain outside of Las Vegas, then teams up with Bronco Ambassador , who leads him up his first rock climbing route. Watch the rest of 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 three-part series with Ford, profiling unique, overworked individuals who find outdoor adventures as the antidote for their unhealthy work lives.

is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company鈥檚 Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty.听

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If fans were craving more heart-pounding tension after yesterday鈥檚 nail-biting , they got it this morning as the women鈥檚 of the Combined discipline funneled into the Lead climax. Slovenia鈥檚 Janja Garnbret was leading the field, but just barely鈥� some struggles from Garnbret on the last boulder (and, worrisomely, a potential finger injury) meant that other competitors were within striking distance on the scorecards. Team USA鈥檚 Brooke Raboutou, for example, was only trailing Garnbret by 0.4 points after the Boulder portion; the quartet of Australia鈥檚 Oceana Mackenzie, France鈥檚 Oriane Bertone, Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice, and Austria鈥檚 Jessica Pilz were all hovering around 59 points apiece and still in the mix too. Such close scores set a story in motion for a that will be remembered and revered for years to come.

Here are the highlights.

Chaehyun Seo Sets an Early High Point

Someone had to set the early standard on the lead route of black boomerangs, white hexagons, and blue half-sphere volumes, and South Korea鈥檚 Chaehyun Seo did so with aplomb. In fact, even before she set the high point, she confidently cut feet several times to cheers from the crowd. She eventually cruised onto the headwall and fell with a route score of 76.1 (out of 100); it would stand as the mark to beat on the wall for several subsequent competitors鈥� attempts.

The Combined Scores Come into Play

Great Britain鈥檚 Erin McNeice was not able to reach Seo鈥檚 robust high point鈥擬cNeice fell significantly lower on the wall while attempting a right-hand cross-move. But McNeice鈥檚 attempt, even if inferior to Seo鈥檚, gave everyone a reality check, of sorts; it reminded us all of the unique scoring of the Combined event, since McNeice surged to first place on the scorecards when her 68.1 Lead mark was added to her Boulder points (59.5). It鈥檚 unlikely we will see this unique Boulder and Lead Combined format ever again, but McNeice鈥檚 performance throughout the finals was a perfect example of why it鈥檚 an exhilarating way to structure a competition.

The Crowd Provided a Big Home-Court Advantage

It鈥檚 worth acknowledging how much the crowd of 6,000 spectators added to the vibe, which was also evident in the men鈥檚 final yesterday. Take, for example, the way the crowd clapped rhythmically in support of Oceana Mackenzie, or the way they chanted in unison for Oriane Bertone鈥斺�淥r-i-ane! Or-i-ane! Or-i-ane!鈥� Sure, both Mackenzie and Bertone probably would have liked to crank a little higher on the lead route (each fell below the headwall), but a highlight for each of their performances was the vociferous support from the audience. It鈥檚 not something normally heard at World Cups鈥攁t least not to such a loud and unified degree鈥攑erhaps because the Olympic crowd was comprised of just as many 鈥渃asual鈥� climbing fans as hardcore fans. Whatever the reason and impetus for such enthusiastic crowd noise, it was really cool.

Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori Proved Her Lead-Climbing Prowess

It鈥檚 hard to pick a single highlight for Japan鈥檚 Ai Mori. At a pure entertainment level, she fell while launching for the top hold鈥攖he closest that any finalist would come to sending the route. But by the numbers, such a jaw-dropping performance (a) established a new high point on the route by a significant margin and (b) gave Mori the lead on the Combined scorecards. It鈥檚 probably best to package all of that together and say that Mori鈥檚 attempt on the lead route was one of the most memorable parts of the women鈥檚 final. And it鈥檚 worth noting that if Lead was it鈥檚 own medal event鈥攚hich it may well be soon鈥攕he would have taken Gold.

The Final Showdown

One could make an argument that the last 20 minutes of the final鈥攚ith the successive attempts of Brooke Raboutou, Jessica Pilz, and Janja Garnbret鈥攚ere among the most thrilling and intense moments in the history of the sport. That鈥檚 not a statement that should be made lightly, but consider how everything transpired:

First, Brooke Raboutou took a commanding lead on the Combined scores, her attempt on the lead route only coming to an end when she tried to stabilize and match on a hold in order to clip on the headwall.

Second, Jessica Pilz, in electrifying comparison, was able to make that tricky clip on the headwall, but was not able to overtake Raboutou in the Combined鈥檚 arithmetic of points.

Finally, Janja Garnbret came out and climbed masterfully鈥攈er finger, perhaps tweaked, seemed fine, and her nerves, perhaps rattled by some bouldering woes, seemed as calm as ever. She did not quite send the route; she fell when her fingertips sloughed off the edge of a hold a few moves shy of the top. But her Combined score resulted in a gold medal鈥攎aking Garnbret the sport鈥檚 first back-to-back Olympic gold medalist. Raboutou and Pilz earned silver and bronze, respectively.

It felt like a storybook ending after a long week of toil and drama, highs and lows, happiness and heartbreak for so many competitors. And for the three women atop the podium at the end, it was a surefire passage into comp climbing鈥檚 storied history.

Women鈥檚 Combined Boulder & Lead Sport Climbing final results

1. Janja Garnbret (SLO): 168.5 (Boulder: 84.4, Lead: 84.1)
2. Brooke Raboutou (USA) 156.0 (Boulder: 84.0, Lead 72.0)
3. Jessica Pilz (AUT) 147.4 (Boulder 59.3, Lead 88.1)
4. Ai Mori (JPN) 135.1 (Boulder 39.0, Lead 96.1)
5. Erin McNeice (GBR) 127.6 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 68.1)
6. Chaehyun Seo (KOR) 105.0 (Boulder 28.9, Lead 76.1)
7. Oceana Mackenzie (AUS) 104.8 (Boulder 59.7, Lead 45.1)
8. Oriane Bertone (FRA) 104.5 (Boulder 59.5, Lead 45.0)

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Early today, accomplished California climber and guidebook author Charles Barrett was sentenced to life in prison for the rape of a woman in Yosemite National Park. The ruling, made by U.S. District Court Judge John A. Mendez, comes after a weeklong February trial in which a jury found Barrett guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact. All of the case鈥檚 proceedings were held in Sacramento.

鈥淏arrett鈥檚 long history of sexual violence supports the imposition of a life sentence,鈥� said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert in statement released shortly after the sentencing. 鈥淗e used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community, and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation. This case is a testament to the courage of the victims who reported these crimes.鈥�

When given the opportunity at today鈥檚 hearing, Barrett declined to make a statement to the court before his sentencing was delivered.

Barrett, 40, has been in federal custody since August 2022, when he was arrested for sexually assaulting a fellow climber identified as K.G. in court documents. K.G. testified during the trial that she initially connected with Barrett through Instagram in 2016, when he offered her advice on a weekend hiking trip she was planning in Yosemite.

After completing a solo day hike on August 13, 2016, K.G. met Barrett and his friends in Tuolumne Meadows, where he was working for a Yosemite concessionaire and living in park housing. She agreed to accompany Barrett to watch a meteor shower, but instead of rejoining the group of friends as she had expected, Barrett led K.G. into a remote forested area, where he pushed her to the ground and strangled her. According to a May 15 sentencing memorandum filed by the prosecution, Barrett 鈥渇orcibly raped鈥� K.G. that night and then again the next day in an employee-housing shower. She was 19 years old at the time.

Barrett鈥檚 February trial not only involved testimony from K.G. but also from three other female climbers who had been sexually assaulted by him. These assaults were not charged by federal authorities because they occurred on lands outside federal jurisdiction, but they were introduced at the trial to demonstrate Barrett鈥檚 pattern of predatory behavior.

An extensive investigation that I wrote for 国产吃瓜黑料, published shortly before the trial, detailed how Barrett stalked and harassed his victims, causing them to fear for their lives. My story also chronicled how Barrett used his notoriety in the climbing community, which was bolstered by his relationships with well-known professional climbers, to prey on women and mask his criminal behavior.

Over a 14-year period, nine protection or restraining orders were filed against Barrett for incidents that involved the harassment or assault of at least six women; these included death threats, trolling on Instagram, and impersonating a police officer. Since Barrett鈥檚 conviction, two additional female victims have been named in court documents.

In K.G.鈥檚 victim-impact statement鈥攕ubmitted to the court before sentencing鈥攕he described in graphic detail what she experienced during the assault, when Barrett not only raped her but strangled her to the point that she had trouble breathing. 鈥淚 realized he wouldn鈥檛 hesitate to choke me to death if he decided it was in his best interest,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚 could feel it in his grip鈥攖hat he would not only kill someone, but he would do it with his bare hands.鈥�

The prosecution鈥檚 sentencing memorandum also describes how J.V., another female climber who testified at the trial, was 鈥渟trangled and raped鈥� by Barrett 鈥渙n the first night she met him.鈥�

Data on men who assault women show that strangulation is a primary indicator of intent to kill, increasing the victim鈥檚 chances of death by.

A legally mandated presentencing investigation conducted by a federal parole officer, which involved interviews with Barrett and a full tally of his criminal history, advised the court that, based on federal guidelines, Barrett should receive a sentence of 40 years. In the prosecution鈥檚 sentencing memorandum, however, attorneys petitioned for a life term, stating that Barrett was 鈥渋ncapable of acknowledging wrongdoing,鈥� and that incarceration would be the only way to protect his victims鈥� safety.

A supplemental May 28 memorandum from the prosecution described recorded calls Barrett made from jail during the past several weeks that showed 鈥渁 mentality of victimhood that cannot be rehabilitated.鈥� In conversations with family members, Barrett said his case was the result of a 鈥淣ational Park Service conspiracy鈥� and that 鈥渢hey have it out for me.鈥� As a result, he said, he feared for his life. He also stated in the calls that he was writing a book about his experience, which would include claims that he鈥檚 a victim of the #MeToo movement. During a May 13 call to an uncle, Barrett described the trial鈥檚 testimony as 鈥渞andom girls saying whatever they wanted.鈥�

Barrett鈥檚 two public defenders, Timothy Hennessy and David Torres, petitioned the court in a May 7 sentencing memorandum, asking that Barrett not serve more than 15 years. After today鈥檚 hearing, Torres told 国产吃瓜黑料 that they plan to pursue an appeal.

While Barrett was convicted on sexual assault charges, the primary fear expressed by his victims was that he would eventually carry out his threats to kill them.

鈥淭he trauma of being raped is extensive, as is the re-traumatization of being a victim in a rape case,鈥� K.G. wrote in her statement. 鈥淏oth are secondary to living under the threat of murder.鈥� She added that the threat 鈥渨as so alarming and foreign to those around me that I hid the central conflict of my life from almost everyone.鈥�

In another victim statement written for the court, Stephanie Fort茅, who was sexually assaulted by Barrett in 2010, detailed how he terrorized her for five years. Barrett鈥檚 campaign of revenge against Fort茅 began in 2017 after she privately petitioned management at her Las Vegas climbing gym to ban Barrett in order to protect the safety of women at the facility. Like K.G., Fort茅 found little support from a disbelieving climbing community or a criminal justice system that seemed to downplay the danger Barrett posed to his victims.

According to court records, Barrett told a male climber friend in 2018 that he planned to kill Fort茅. The friend did not report this threat to police; he later told National Park Service investigators that he didn鈥檛 think Barrett was serious. But in January 2022, when Barrett announced to staff at the hospital in the nearby town of Mammoth Lakes that he wanted to kill Fort茅, he was arrested by Mammoth Lakes police on two felony counts: stalking and making criminal threats. He was then released on bond the next day and continued to harass Fort茅, according to court records.

In her statement, Fort茅 described the financial and health impacts caused by Barrett鈥檚 violent and ongoing threats on social media. 鈥淗e crafted a narrative of being my victim,鈥� she stated. 鈥淗e told his followers I was stalking him. I wasn鈥檛 safe anywhere because the internet and Mr. Barrett were everywhere.鈥�

Meanwhile, the Mono County deputy district attorney handling her case struck a plea deal with Barrett and reduced the two felony charges to a single misdemeanor count of threatening with intent to terrorize. The stalking charge was dismissed.

In a conversation following the February trial, Fort茅 told me that the Mono County District Attorney鈥檚 office never investigated her case by interviewing witnesses. And she was not informed of the plea deal with Barrett until nine days after it was finalized; nor did the DA鈥檚 office facilitate restitution as required by, which protects victims鈥� rights. Additionally, when Fort茅 was granted a protective order against Barrett following the January 2022 death threat, she said Mono County refused to include online harassment as part of the order.

Bonnie Hedlund, who was assaulted by Barrett in front of witnesses at a popular California climbing area in 2008, had a similar experience with the state鈥檚 justice system in Inyo County. In her victim-impact statement submitted to the court for the recent Yosemite case, Hedlund described how Barrett had been charged with felony domestic violence for the attack against her. But she was informed by the Inyo County victim鈥檚 advocate that the district attorney planned to reduce the charge to a misdemeanor. Hedlund quickly drove four hours from her home to the DA鈥檚 office to demand that they not reduce the charge, because doing so would threaten her safety. She was successful, but, according to her statement, she was also 鈥渦nnecessarily demeaned.鈥�

鈥淭he Inyo County DA鈥檚 staff said disturbing things to me,鈥� Hedlund wrote. 鈥淭hey included: 鈥榃ell, I heard he is a great athlete.鈥� 鈥楬e is a great climber.鈥� And 鈥業f you are so afraid [of him], then why are you here?鈥欌��

No court documents had been filed by the defense at press time to reveal what the arguments for an appeal might be. However, the defense will not be able to employ the same legal strategy used by attorneys for Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, whose 2020 rape conviction was overturned in February by the New York Court of Appeals, on the grounds that testimony from other victims interfered with a fair trial. A foundational strategy used in prosecuting Barrett鈥檚 case was , which allows the testimony of uncharged victims in sexual assault crimes. The rule applies to all federal sexual-assault cases and is also allowed in 16 states. But it is currently not codified in New York state law.

In a statement released shortly after today鈥檚 hearing, Yosemite National Park superintendent Cicely Muldoon said Barrett鈥檚 life sentence 鈥渟ends a clear message about the consequences of this criminal behavior.鈥� She also noted that 鈥渋t makes Yosemite a safer place for the climbing community, park visitors and our employees.鈥�

As for Barrett鈥檚 victims, who testified at his trial, several told me they hoped their speaking up about what they experienced would help prevent a future serial predator from being able to embed himself in the climbing community the way Barrett did. For these women, the life sentence is a hard-won and bittersweet victory.

鈥淭he life sentence is a relief,鈥� Fort茅 said after today鈥檚 hearing. 鈥淏ut it does not undo the damage Barrett caused. The life I鈥檇 built crumbled under the weight of years spent living in fear of being killed while people looked away. I hope both the local jurisdictions that failed his victims and the climbing community will see this case as an impetus for change.鈥�

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Ahead of the 2024 season, the International Federation of Sport Climbing has released a to prevent eating disorders among competition climbers. The policy, developed by scientific experts based on the findings of an International Olympic Committee, marks the first time any international federation has taken an active step to limit the pervasiveness of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. Ultimately, it will require athletes to submit to several questionnaires and tests before competing.

鈥淭he new system underscores our commitment to the health of our athletes,鈥� stated IFSC President Marco Scolaris in a press release. 鈥淭he policy will not only help us determine which athletes are most at risk, it will also help raise awareness of the issue, provide help to those who need it, and ensure the rights of each athlete are protected.鈥�

The topic of eating disorders is a long-standing issue within our community. In this very magazine, the topic was addressed by . Fort茅 was likely the first American woman climber to write about the topic. In a follow-up email conversation with her two years ago, she wrote: 鈥淚f I wrote that essay today, the ending would not be tied up in a bow. The impact of an eating disorder on my life has been far-reaching and multi-layered.鈥�

It鈥檚 been nearly 30 years since Fort茅鈥檚 article, and many more climbers have since raised their voices regarding the issue. While it鈥檚 hard to know the exact number of climbers impacted, it鈥檚 clear that the problem is simply not going away. Consequently, many have demanded that the IFSC institute regulations which would enforce healthier standards. Last year, demands reached a boiling point; in July, IFSC Medical Commission President Dr. Eugen Burtscher and IFSC medical committee member Dr. Volker Schoeffl , reporting frustration over the body鈥檚 prolonged inaction. Furthermore, several of the world鈥檚 top climbers, including Janja Garnbret, Alex Megos, and Alannah Yip, also critiqued the IFSC鈥檚 inaction on social media,

鈥淲e have to ask ourselves: what kind of message do we want to send to others?鈥� Garnbret said in an interview at an IFSC Summit. 鈥淒o we want to raise the next generation of skeletons?鈥�

RED-S occurs when an athlete is not consuming enough calories for their activity level. It is a syndrome that may occur unintentionally and go unnoticed by athletes and coaches alike.

The IOC subcommittee noted, 鈥淸RED-S] may be unintentionally exacerbated by 鈥榮ports culture鈥� due to the perceived short-term performance gains from limiting calorie intake.鈥�

Over time, a person with RED-S may have an increased risk of bone fractures or early-onset osteoporosis. They may have a slowed metabolism or exhibit a slower heart rate, both of which may lead to long-term organ damage. Sex hormone production may also decrease; men may experience lower levels of testosterone, while women may lose the ability to menstruate. Thinking can also slow. Studies show malnourished individuals lose gray matter, the brain鈥檚 outermost layer. Additionally, myriad psychological effects may occur as well, and individuals may become irritable, anxious, or depressed.

The default methodology for flagging RED-S is BMI, which is low-cost and easy to apply. However, no singular test, questionnaire, or vital sign may diagnose RED-S. 鈥淭here have been calls for BMI to be used as a yardstick for RED-S, but on its own, a simple BMI test does not provide an accurate picture of a person鈥檚 health and, importantly, would also not be legally defensible,鈥� said IFSC General Director Piero Rebaudengo. 鈥淚n addition, BMI varies greatly from one country to another. Excluding athletes from competition based only on a BMI reading would, therefore be a gross violation of their rights.鈥�

The new policy, therefore, requires various data points from each athlete to be used in initial health assessments. National Federations work in tandem with the IFSC to collect the medical information. To receive their annual international athlete license鈥攚hich is a requirement for participation in any IFSC-sanctioned event鈥攁thletes must submit two questionnaires (one on low energy availability and another on eating disorders) and provide their height, weight, BMI, heart rate, and blood pressure.

Athletes who present signs of an eating disorder or RED-S, named 鈥淎thletes of Concern,鈥� are identified by the following criteria:

• RED-S Questionnaire scores: If an athlete鈥檚 score on either or both questionnaires is equal to or higher than a specific value, it could indicate a problem.
• BMI (Body Mass Index):
  • Males 18 years and older: BMI < 18.5
  • Males 15 鈥� 17 years old: BMI < 18
  • Females 18 years and older: BMI < 18
  • Females 15 鈥� 17 years old: BMI < 17.5
• Heart Rate:
  • 18 years and older: Resting heart rate < 40 bpm
  • Under 18 years old: Resting heart rate < 50 bpm
• Blood Pressure:
  • Blood pressure < 90/60 mm Hg

After being identified, athletes of concern will be required to submit to further testing, including for bone mineral density, total or free testosterone for males, total or free triiodothyronine, total or LDL cholesterol, and, for those under 18, a review for abnormalities of their growth chart. Using this additional data, the athlete will be assigned a final score. Athletes classified as green (no or very low health risk) or yellow (mild health risk) will then be granted a competition license. Athletes classified as orange (moderate to high health risk) will require further evaluation and treatment by the National Federation medical personnel before IFSC events and throughout the season. Those athletes classified as red (very high health risk) will be ineligible for participation in IFSC events until they have demonstrated sufficient recovery and have been cleared to participate by National Federation medical personnel.

The IFSC will also perform random health screenings before events. These screenings may also be used to identify athletes of concern. All athletes of concern will ultimately be reviewed by an external commission composed of two medical doctors with RED-S expertise and one health professional with specific expertise in Climbing.

The full policy may be found . It will be fully implemented for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic Qualifier Series.

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Vivek Puri first noticed the symptoms in 2012. Instead of hanging or swinging by his side as he walked, his arm curled inward and up, his wrist hanging right around his belt buckle. It was strange, he remembers, but subtle enough that he simply adjusted his stance and moved on.

But then the 38-year-old Northern Virginia-based businessman began experiencing more symptoms. His typing suffered. His fingers would stiffen and jam. Eventually, a neurologist diagnosed Puri with neuropathy. But, after months of physical therapy with no improvement, he found himself back in the exam room.

鈥淚 remember saying, 鈥楤y the way, I鈥檝e noticed that when I walk, my right hamstring cramps up,鈥欌�� Puri recalls. 鈥淭he color just drained out of his face. I saw this visible shift in his demeanor.鈥� The neurologist immediately arranged for Puri to see a specialist.

And so, on the morning of September 27, 2012鈥攋ust 24 hours after he and his wife welcomed their third child鈥擯uri rushed to an appointment at Georgetown University Medical Center鈥檚 Movement Disorders Clinic in Washington D.C. Less than an hour later, he was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease. 鈥淚t was surreal,鈥� he says.

Determined to slow the disease鈥檚 progression, Puri experimented with different therapies and exercise regimens. One day, after a prolonged struggle to find the right fit, Puri spoke with his physician. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業 know a guy you need to talk to. He has Parkinson鈥檚, but he鈥檚 done so many things. He rides bikes in the Rockies and goes rock climbing, all kinds of stuff.鈥欌��

The man was Jonathan Lessin, a retired physician whose efforts to mitigate his Parkinson鈥檚 symptoms catalyzed a program that would turn a climbing gym into a research facility.

***

Of the small handful of certainties and commonalities surrounding Parkinson鈥檚 treatment, perhaps the most widely understood is the critical role of exercise in slowing the disease鈥檚 progression. Not just any activity will do, however: Addressing the tremors, muscle rigidity, and neurological effects of Parkinson鈥檚 requires exercise that blends (among other things) balance, aerobics, flexibility, and strength training. This is exactly what Lessin was seeking.

A former cardiac anesthesiologist from Chevy Chase, Maryland, Lessin began experiencing symptoms at age 33, though he wouldn鈥檛 receive a diagnosis for another five years. He retired soon after, concerned about the risks his condition posed for patients.

Like Puri, Lessin struggled to find an exercise that not only worked, but that he enjoyed. The standard recommended therapy bored him to an extreme. Trapeze lessons proved too painful and risky. He enjoyed hiking and biking, but often found himself exhausted mid-journey with several miles left to go.

Lessin needed something with big movements that engaged his body and his brain. He also needed a safe, protected environment close to home. A climbing gym, it occurred to him, might offer both.

He wanted one-on-one instruction, preferably at a low-traffic time. No one, after all, enjoys an audience watching as they Elvis-leg their way up a beginner-level climbing wall. But the first gyms he called either wouldn鈥檛 work with him or wanted him to participate in group lessons. Eventually he called SportRock Climbing Centers, a chain of gyms in the Washington, D.C., metro area. Then-manager Molly Cupka answered the phone and agreed to work with him.

鈥淢y arms were very pumped,鈥� he recalls of his first session. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥楾his is going to be great for me.鈥� You鈥檙e making big movements on purpose. You鈥檙e safe because you鈥檙e tied in, and you鈥檙e never far from home.鈥�

Best of all, it appeared to work: Within a few months, Lessin began seeing and feeling a noticeable difference. Soon, he was climbing up to four times a week.

***

By the time she met Lessin, Cupka was regularly working with aspiring climbers as a private instructor. Lessin, however, was her first client who hoped climbing might mitigate the impact of disease.

The improvement in Lessin鈥檚 symptoms was remarkable enough that his physical therapist eventually joined one of his climbing sessions, eager to gauge what made it so effective and whether it might benefit other patients. Impressed by what she saw, the physical therapist published a newsletter write-up and placed it in the clinic鈥檚 waiting room. Before long, Cupka had a growing clientele of Parkinson鈥檚 patients hoping to emulate Lessin鈥檚 results.

Cupka did her research, learning about Parkinson鈥檚 and searching for any information about the benefits of climbing for patients, but there wasn鈥檛 much to find. 鈥淚 just couldn鈥檛 believe no one seemed to know about it,鈥� Cupka says. 鈥淎nd Jon was like, 鈥榃e have to tell people about this.鈥欌��

At first, Cupka and Lessin recognized that his outcomes could be anomalous. But then a second client showed improvement, followed by a third, fourth, and fifth. Calling themselves the Fidgety Five, the group began climbing together, with each member experiencing marked improvement.

By 2013, the group had grown to 25 participants and adopted the name . In the years since, the group gained 501c3 status and spread to other gyms in Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio. Its membership has also expanded to nearly 80 members, ranging in age from late 30s to mid-80s. Many of them compete in paraclimbing, including Puri.

鈥淵ou would watch them, and there were just these moments that you saw each of them experiencing the same benefits as the others,鈥� Cupka says. 鈥淎nd you start to realize that it鈥檚 real. It鈥檚 an actual thing, and it鈥檚 actually making a difference.鈥�

***

Given the difficulty many Parkinson鈥檚 patients encounter just walking from one room to the next, watching them climb can, at first, be astonishing. On the mornings when Up ENDing members meet, it鈥檚 not unheard of to see someone enter the gym using a walker or a wheelchair and then begin ascending the wall with seemingly less difficulty than they experience doing comparatively less strenuous tasks, like opening a carabiner or getting from one route to the next.

鈥淚 have patients who will bring their walkers into the gym and then spend 30 minutes climbing a wall,鈥� says Virginia-based neurologist Drew Falconer, who frequently refers patients to the program. 鈥淚 mean, it鈥檚 crazy. It just defies any sort of expectation of what you think is possible.鈥�

While the disease doesn鈥檛 always shorten life expectancy, Falconer explains, it can take a drastic toll on quality of life. The average age of diagnosis for Parkinson鈥檚 is around 60 years. Men are 1.5 times more likely to develop it.

鈥淪o, you have this group of people who鈥檝e worked their entire lives, and now they鈥檙e retiring and going to do the things they love,鈥� Falconer says. 鈥淭hen they鈥檙e told they have Parkinson鈥檚, and you think, 鈥楧amn. That sucks.鈥� But it鈥檚 also paired with the realization that it鈥檚 not terminal. Their life expectancy is the same. So, they fight back against it, and do everything they can to live well, because it鈥檚 not going away.鈥�

The neurological impact of Parkinson鈥檚, Falconer continues, limits the body鈥檚 ability to ambulate through space, turning seemingly simple tasks鈥攍ike tying shoes or dialing a phone number鈥攊nto much greater challenges. 鈥淐limbing, in and of itself, engages so many different aspects of how our bodies move,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e talking strength, coordination, core muscles and balance. It鈥檚 almost the ideal exercise for someone with Parkinson鈥檚.鈥�

***

As the program鈥檚 grown, so has Cupka鈥檚 desire to validate its outcomes. A long-time climber, she first began working at SportRock more than 16 years ago, eventually assuming her current role as director of the gym鈥檚 location in Alexandria, Virginia. Having studied neurobiology and neuropsychology at the University of California Irvine, she often considered a career in research, even as she ascended the ranks of leadership at the gym.

That education鈥攃ombined with the efforts of several well-connected group members鈥攁llowed Cupka to venture into relatively unusual territory for someone who鈥檚 spent much of her career in the fitness industry: researcher.

Several years after meeting Lessin, Cupka worked with George Washington University to conduct a small study examining the impact of climbing on a small group of Parkinson鈥檚 patients. The results proved compelling enough to gain the interest of two other researchers: Andrew Guccione, a retired professor from George Mason University, and Julie Ries, a professor of physical therapy at Marymount University.

Together, the three launched a larger study in July 2023. By January 2024, they had enrolled 28 patients with the possibility of more. Registered with clinicaltrials.gov, the study is expected to conclude May 2024.

Cupka envisions a reality where climbing is recognized as a valid form of physical therapy for patients with Parkinson鈥檚 and other movement disorders.鈥淚 want insurance to cover this,鈥� she听 says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a no-brainer.鈥�

***

If Mark Twain was right, and there truly is no such thing as a new idea, then someone, somewhere has also connected climbing and Parkinson鈥檚. But if they鈥檙e out there, they鈥檙e maintaining a low profile.

鈥淚 think Parkinson鈥檚 and climbing just seem like such an unlikely pairing that people just don鈥檛 put the two things together,鈥� Falconer says. 鈥淢aybe in some cases it comes down to bias: When we think about Parkinson鈥檚, there鈥檚 nothing about it that seems conducive to climbing a rock wall.鈥�

Even as the benefits of climbing for Parkinson鈥檚 appear increasingly more concrete, there are limitations. The gains that appear so soon after participants begin climbing can subside just as quickly. That makes consistency crucial鈥攕omething Puri learned soon after an injury forced him out of the gym for two weeks.

鈥淲ithin just a few days, I found myself needing more medication,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚 was less mobile, less everything. There were clearly benefits that I wasn鈥檛 getting because I wasn鈥檛 climbing anymore.鈥�

While the physical impact of climbing is critical, Falconer says, so are the psychological and emotional effects for people with Parkinson鈥檚. Because the disease affects areas of the brain that produce dopamine and other mood-regulating chemicals, patients commonly suffer from depression, making it difficult to maintain motivation and hopefulness.

鈥淚 think one of the coolest parts about climbing with Parkinson鈥檚 is that it gives an outlet for these people who are struggling every day to live with what they鈥檝e been given,鈥� Falconer says. 鈥淚t allows them to prove to themselves that they can do it. And there鈥檚 nothing more inspirational than that.鈥�

The post How a Climber with Parkinson鈥檚 Started a Movement appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

At midnight Mountain Time on January 30, the public comment period closed for two proposals from the National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) that would ban fixed anchors (bolts, pitons, snow pickets, slings) in America鈥檚 Designated Wilderness areas.

I鈥檝e written a lot about and around this subject; so if you want a full treatment, read But here are the three essential facts you need to know about the proposals and their implications:

1. Fixed anchors would be banned unless individually proven otherwise.听

By leaning into a clever bit of legalese, the NPS and USFS are trying to re-classify all 鈥渇ixed anchors鈥� as 鈥渋nstallations.鈥� Since 鈥渋nstallations鈥� are explicitly banned from wilderness areas unless deemed otherwise on a case-by-case basis, all fixed anchors would be banned too. This essentially inverts the formula that the NPS and USFS had previously used to manage fixed climbing hardware: Previously, climbing anchors were considered legal unless there was some reason (generally archeological or environmental) to disallow them; now climbing is illegal unless the park goes out of its way to decide otherwise.

As Erik Murdock, Interim Executive Director of Access Fund, told me several months ago: 鈥淚f this proposal passes, all fixed anchors will be considered illegal until they are provided an exception. The wilderness administrator can provide that exception. But they may not if they don鈥檛 want to.鈥�

2. This is not simply a problem for sport climbers.

The term 鈥渇ixed anchors,鈥� as defined by the Forest and Park Services, does not just apply to bolts. Instead, it includes all forms of permanent or left-behind protection. In addition to bolts and rap rings, it includes slung trees, stuck nuts, snow pickets, pitons, and any safety gear a climber happens to leave behind鈥攅ven in retreat. A ban on permanent gear would effectively ban getting down off of thousands of cliffs and mountains around the United States.

To look at the potential implications of this, just look at North Cascades National Park, where anchors are banned in order () to 鈥減reserve a wilderness experience that reflects a raw style of mountaineering in a range that has changed little since Fred Beckey made first ascents of now-popular peaks.鈥� What that means, however, is that descending climbers are generally forced to avoid rappelling clean rock faces and instead descend via steep, avalanche-prone couloirs鈥攁nd without the legal right to leave behind snow pickets as protection even if they deem it necessary.

3. Opposing the proposed ban does not mean supporting grid-bolting.听

The vast majority of climbers have historically been great advocates for wilderness spaces; indeed, climbers and climbing organizations almost uniformly agree that the placement of anchors鈥攅specially bolts鈥攊n wilderness ought to be overseen by land managers. But climbers think that anchors are compatible with the wilderness areas we have helped to create.

Lifelong rock climber and former Colorado Senator Mark Udall, for instance, helped bring federal wilderness protections to huge swaths of Colorado, including parts of Rocky Mountain National Park, and when he did so he considered climbing a legitimate use of that wilderness. For that reason, he has outspokenly opposed the NPS and USFS鈥檚 attempt to twist the language of the Wilderness Act to ban climbing.

In an article published by this past November, Udall wrote: 鈥淎s the primary sponsor of the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness and Indian Peaks Wilderness Expansion Act, I want to be absolutely clear: Nothing in those bills was intended to restrict sustainable and appropriate Wilderness climbing practices or prohibit the judicious and conditional placement of fixed anchors鈥攎any of which existed before the bills鈥� passage. I used fixed anchors to climb in these areas, and I want future climbers to safely experience profound adventures and thereby become Wilderness advocates themselves.鈥�

And there you have it: even the people who created these wilderness areas are opposed to the USFS and NPS鈥檚 attempt to manage them.

You can read Access Fund鈥檚 guidance on these issues .

Learn more about how you can support the Protecting America鈥檚 Rock Climbing (PARC) Act

NOTE: The deadline for public comment period has now passed. But you can still support wilderness climbing by supporting the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, which is currently in congress and includes language overtly protecting wilderness climbing and fixed anchor use.

鈥擲teven Potter

The post The Park Service Wants to Ban All Rock Climbing in Designated Wilderness appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.