Photo of Yosemite by Kristian Birchall
Anyone who has seen the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind is familiar with Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. And, of course Mount Everest is known to people all over the world who have never been anywhere near Nepal. But expert climbers are aware of hundreds of (sometimes lesser known) […]

AMS, Frostbite and many other environment related issues are inherent features of certain climbs. Knowing what produces them can help you avoid their harmful consequences.
AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness)
The percentage of oxygen in air decreases with altitude. Breathing it has health consequences, one of which is various forms of AMS. The symptoms range from mild headache […]

Even in the 21st century, with over a hundred years of climbing experience and modern gear, avalanches still kill many each year. One of the reasons lies in something called, appropriately enough, catastrophe theory. The physics is complex, but the basic ideas are simple: avalanches occur abruptly and are extremely hard to predict.
Imagine an ordinary […]

If you want to learn to climb, there’s no substitute for taking a class from a knowledgeable instructor, one with deep experience in climbing. That class will be a combination of lecture and hands-on training. You’ll be guided in acquiring a wide variety of skills that are essential for safe and effective climbing.
Students will learn […]

Almost all climbs will require some kind of rope harness, ropes and a number of carabiners. These constitute the basic equipment for anyone doing anything other than a free climb.
Carabiners come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they’re almost all made of aluminum and are manufactured in two basic types: locking and non-locking.
Non-locking […]

One of the most important pieces of gear you’ll need for mountain climbing isn’t actually a single device, but a family: the so-called ‘pros’ or protective gear.
Cams are spring-loaded devices that the climber places into a crack or hole to provide protection against falling. They’re inserted, then pressure causes them to expand and grab against […]

One of the earliest lessons to absorb in a beginning climbing class is how to tie some basic knots. But far from a Boy Scout merit badge exercise, these lessons can save your life.
Figure 8-style knots are among the most common. As the name suggests, the rope is threaded to form a figure eight shape. […]

Ropes are essential to most styles of climbing and learning to select and use them is part of the basic education of any beginning climber.
Climbing rope is composed of a semi-elastic nylon material about 10mm thick. It’s designed to secure, but also provide some bounce in order to slow an accidental descent gradually. But apart […]

Climbing actually covers a wide range of different activities. Everything from bouldering, to free soloing, to sport, trad (traditional), aid and even alpine or ice climbing is enjoyed by those who all call themselves climbers.
Bouldering is one level of climbing. While requiring less gear and, to a degree, less training, bouldering may be relatively simple, […]

Images of climbing bring to mind ropes, pitons and other gear. But what the climber wears is also of vital importance - in the Latin sense of the word ‘vital’, meaning ‘life’. In climbing, clothes aren’t just a matter of style or comfort, they’re protective gear as well.
Climbing clothes start from those closest to the […]