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Thinking of going to the mountains this summer? This article from Tom Livingstone is packed with knowledge and ideas for your first summer alpine climbing trip. Being in the mountains is great fun - just look at those views! - and very rewarding. There's extra skills and knowledge involved, but all of these hurdles are achievable to everyone. This article uses European alpine destinations and examples, but it can easily be transferred to the rest of the world.
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We recently reviewed the fourth edition of Hard Rock edited by Ian Parnell and were delighted to find the feel of the guide had been maintained with the same high quality imagery, in this article Ian takes a look at the process of shooting and choosing photographs for the new edition.
"First published in 1974, Hard Rock established itself as one of British climbing’s most loved and essential books. Its continuing popularity has been reflected by the regular demand for new editions, over the past four decades. Part guidebook, part literary compendium, Hard Rock was also one of the very first glossy coffee table expositions of the climbing art. Packed with dramatic full-page images the book was highly innovative for the time. When Vertebrate Publishing invited me to pull together a new fourth edition I knew its success would depend on matching the visual impact of the original, but also to do so in the much more visually competitive world that we have today."
Ian Parnell
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The range of belay devices has grown exponentially in the last few years, which means there’s plenty to choose from. Many devices have become quite use-specific, but they all follow the basic principle: the device will help you to control the flow of the rope, and therefore, help you to stop a falling climber.
A modern belay device (or ‘belay plate’) can be simple: the width of a credit card, with no moving parts and light weight. They can also be more high-tech: the size of a fist, with multiple parts, buttons and dials.
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Pete Edwards gives his thoughts on the latest technology to hit the cinemas - 3D technology. Does it do justice to popular films? And what should 3D cinematography really be used for?
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Ben Silvestre has written a deeply thoughtful and inspiring piece, describing his year of alpine and trad climbing, complemented with some classic bouldering. The momentum gained from climbing regularly, and slowly pushing yourself further, is a special feeling, and it's a treat Ben has shared his story with us. He also talks about his new route, The Dispossessed, which is quickly becoming a new and tricky classic in the Ogwen Valley. Enjoy Ben's discussion on why we climb, the risks we take, and our exploration of the mind.
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This guest article comes from Clipping Chains, a website predominately for US climbers. Chalkbloc were asked if we wanted to explore the topic of financial security in climbing, and we thought this perspective might be of interest to some. Read on to find out more.
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Holdbreaker is a climbing company run by women, designing gender-specific products for all forms of ascent. In this article, they discuss the issue of climber's physique, how climbing shapes our bodies, and specifically, what that means when you're looking at the Holdbreaker X (their new climbing bra). Holdbreaker are also building a community, where beginners and experienced climbers can get together to teach and learn, to encourage one another and feel inspired.
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Sam Farnsworth and Will Nicholls (of Gaia Adventures) shares their thoughts about avalanches - in particular, how to interpret and understand avalanche forecasts.
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Ben Silvestre writes about his recent trip to Patagonia with Pete Graham, in January/February 2019. The pair enjoyed the typically Patagonian experience - a successful route on Cerro Fitzroy, a fickle weather window on Cerro Torre, and an opportunity to have some 'Type 1 fun' (climbing which is pure joy, whereas Type 2 is only fun afterwards. Type 3 is never fun!)
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Tom Livingstone writes about the perils of a trad climbing road trip around the UK. With changeable weather, the cafe is never far away...
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James Monypenny recounts a wild expedition to the Ladakh region of India with the late Cory Hall. The pair quested into an unknown region, with no base camp team, and set about climbing the best things they could see...
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Murdoch Jamieson writes about avoiding FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) - by climbing a stunning-looking new route at Carnmore, in the wilds of North West Scotland.
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The process of passing the Mountaineering Instructor Award takes time, commitment and sacrificing other goals, in this article Alexander Kay gives us an insight on his journey to a successful pass...
"My reward was passing well. More importantly, I positively reinforced the fact that success is no accident and I will put this mindset into everything else that I do."
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We lay around listening to the wind swirl the fresh snow around, unsure if our plan was foolishly optimistic or a lucky guess of conditions. The door was open and from our beds we could look down to the lights and pizzerias of Courmayeur. We lay around chatting about life and anything else we could think of to pass the time. We talked about waiting for another day in the hut because of all the fresh snow but in the end Kim said
“I can’t face sitting festering here for another day, let’s go see what happens”.
