Rockland Climbing Magazine

ISSUE

Gear review: Best of 2019

Rockland

Mecca of Bouldering Rocklands SA

Because it’s there

ALEX HONNOLD CLIMBING'S HIGHEST ACHIEVER ON REACHING THE PEAK OF HIS POWERS

royal robbins the father of yosemite aitor borreguero emerging spanish talent free solo the documentary

2

Experience the jewel of Africa 3

EDITOR’S NOTE Very big welcome to our first issue of Rockland, the magazine for climbers and adventurers published by climbers and adventurers. This is a mountain we have been planning on climbing for the past two years and we are very proud to share our first and hopefully many more issues with like minded people like you.

Our main goal here at Rockland is to share what is happening currently in our community, whether it may be great new accomplishments or praising previous amazing feats and challenges that has been overcome in the past. We want to share new amazing locations with our readers so that we can play our part in helping you plan future adventures as well as showcase new and innovative gear released on the market in our Field Notes section to ensure the comfort and safety of each and every one. Starting with this issue, the equipment that you find in Field Notes has been put through hell—50 pitches or 50 days’ worth. Perhaps more, never less. We have always used gear in the field and we will base our comments on real performance, our new testing protocol will provide feedback on how well gear holds up to use. An important point gear isn’t getting any cheaper. Fifty days or 50 pitches of use will also reveal the nuances that separate the great stuff from the good.

As climbers, we want you to know that our gear reviews are thorough, and hope you find Field Note more useful and more valuable than ever. We will also showcase the best talent in the world as well as up and coming new movers and shakers in the climbing universe.

In our first issue we will feature a group of very talented people who have shoved climbing into the world spotlight by producing the first ever Oscar winning movie about the world of alpinism and climbing by recording the superhuman achievement of Alex Honnold and the first ever Free Solo ascent of El Capitan. As well as the movie we will feature a intimate piece on the man himself, Alex Honnold and the road that has lead him to becoming a household name and first worldwide rock climbing sensation.

We will also look back at one of the pioneers of climbing and what impact he has had on the community.

We here at Rockland have and open door policy and we welcome any and all feedback as well as sharing of adventures from our readers. We know that together we can make a magazine with all the relevant content and top quality images you would be proud of.

— Pierré Swanepoel

4

N°Ø1

5

Staff

6

of

Table Contents

08 10 17 18 20 30 32 36

The Father of Yosemity Royal Robbins

Alex Honnold Reaching his peak

Free Solo

The documentary worth an Oscar

No More Combined

New rules for Olympics in France

Nine Wonderwoman of Climbing Legends and new generation of female climbing

The Mecca of Bouldering Rocklands South Africa

Fieldnotes

Gear review spring 2019

Aitor Borreguero Emerging Spanish talent

7

The

Father

of Yosemite

Royal Robbins: The Father of Yosemite’s Golden Age

CLIMBING AS WE KNOW IT would not exist without Royal Robbins.

The way we move, behave and even think is, 30 years after the end of his Yosemite reign, shaped by Robbins. He was the first climber to treat the sport as a lifestyle with a piousness that bordered on fanatical. He was among the first to boulder in Camp 4, where the Robbins Mantle (5.11) on the Columbia Boulder remains a prize even today. His competitive drive was the impetus for Yosemite’s Golden Age, a period of such progress that may never be matched.

8

In the Granite Crucible, Robbins forged the sport with a relentless, unfiltered vision that demanded climbing on the rock’s terms. He free-climbed hard and pure, and actively promoted using nuts over pins, a novel concept in the late- 1960s. He abhorred drilling, and took a natural, almost spiritual, approach to the rock. On Half Dome, a monolith he could rightly have claimed to own, he established five routes, including the world’s first Grade VI, the Northwest Face, in 1957.

Robbins was the first to solo El Cap (the Muir Wall in 1968). The laundry list of firsts stretches around the globe, but most remarkable is the Salathé Wall in 1961, a serpentine, natural line that he, Tom Frost and Chuck Pratt pioneered in semi-alpine style with just 13 bolts—a hole count that remains El Cap’s lowest. Beyond the granite of Yosemite, Robbins made equally broad and bold strokes. There’s the first one-day ascent of the Diamond on Longs Peak, the first ascent of Wyoming’s big north face of Mount Hooker, the remote Grade VI Mount Proboscis in Canada’s Northwest Territories and, near Chamonix, France, the American Direct on the Dru with Gary Hemming in 1962.

His competitive drive was the impetus for Yosemite’s Golden Age, a period of such progress that may never be matched In 1971, in the twilight of his lengthy career, and outraged by the 328 bolts Warren Harding had used to establish the Wall of Early Morning Light, Robbins decided to erase the blight with a cold chisel. After hacking out just two pitches’ worth of bolts, however, Robbins found the climbing bold and hard, and put away the chisel out of respect. Nevertheless, this incident ushered in yet another new tactic: chopping bolts you don’t agree with.

Despite the climbs, Robbins left his largest mark off the rock. A gifted author and instructor, he penned climbing’s first how-to book, Basic Rockcraft, in 1971. Today, Basic Rockcraft remains the most classic climbing manual ever written, followed closely by Robbins’ own follow-up book, Advanced Rockcraft. Among the hundred of thousands of us who “learned everything from Basic Rockcraft” was a mop-headed California teen who picked up a copy in the early 1970s, memorized its principles, “made my own nuts,” then hit the crags and quickly became a legend in his own right. The climber? None other than John Bachar. ∆

The road less traveled 9

10

CLIMBING’S HIGHEST ACHIEVER ON

HONNOLD ALEX REACHING THE PEAK OF HIS POWERS

by Aitor Borreguero

ALEX HONNOLD IS having the best climbing year of his life, having achieved a dream that for him was a decade in the making. In June, Honnold became the first and only person to have free soloed El Capitan, ascending all 3,000 feet of this granite monolith in Yosemite National Park without a rope or gear to protect him in the event of a catastrophic fall. This feat crowns Honnold’s already impressive resume of big-wall free solos around the world and cements his legacy as perhaps the greatest free soloist of all time.

Honnold’s uncanny ability to control fear while climbing has been the subject of countless videos and articles. He even graced the May 2011 cover of National Geographic. He is also an outspoken environmentalist, vegetarian, and atheist, whose charity, the Honnold Foundation, has worked on solar energy and other sustainable projects around the world.

He still lives out of his van.

11

El Capitan is at the centre of the rock climbing world.

Photo: Jimmy Chin

ANY DOUBTS AS to whether Alex Honnold was the greatest rock climber of all time were doused when the American did something that no one thought was humanly possible.

In June 2017, the 33-year-old became the first person to climb Californian granite monolith El Capitan without any ropes -- a skill known as free soloing.

Situated in Yosemite National Park, USA, the gargantuan rock face soars 3,200 feet into the air, standing almost 500 feet taller than the Burj Khalifa -- the world’s tallest building. There is simply no room for error. If he slips, he falls. If he falls, he dies.

“When I know what I’m doing and I’m climbing well, then it feels meditative, kind of relaxing and beauti12

ful,” Honnold told Rockland.

His achievement has since been immortalized in a breathtaking BAFTA-winning National Geographic documentary “Free Solo,” which won Best Documentary at this year’s Oscars.

DEATH OR PERFECTION Free solo climbing is a high-stakes game. It’s either death or perfection.

But in moments of such risk, adrenaline is often the enemy.

“The important part of being able to climb El Cap was for it to feel slightly normal, for it to feel slightly business as usual,” he said, remembering the moments he began the climb.

“For me to look up at the wall and to think I’m just going to climb this like I usually climb this, even

though I don’t have a rope on.”

Honnold’s seemingly blase approach to such death-defying challenges can be disconcerting at first but scratch under the surface and you understand it’s an attitude built on a foundation of hard-work and preparation.“If I don’t know what I’m doing and I hesitate then it can be a nightmare,” he warned. El Capitan is at the centre of the rock climbing world.

The truth is that every move is choreographed. Each foot hold has been mapped out months in advance, every thumb grip visualized hundreds of times.The trick to not falling, isz training your mind for every possible outcome.

“It’s definitely a bigger mental challenge than it is physical,” he said, explaining that he and many others

have climbed the rock face multiple times with harnesses attached.

“But the idea of doing it without a rope is a step further it seems.”

A risk he is willing to take.

“

A bigger mental challenge than it is physical Alex Honnold

BOULDER PROBLEM Honnold chose to climb the southwest face of the wall, a familiar route known as Freerider, which is split into 30 different pitches.

But this particular route included a perilous sequence which spooked the seemingly unflappable Honnold -- the Boulder Problem.

The section involves a number of intricate movements with Honnold clinging onto pea-sized ledges 2,000 feet above the meadow below.

It culminates in a vertigo-inducing karate kick to an opposing wall, 13

“

My confidence was soaring, I felt great Alex Honnold

14

Every move of the climb has been choreographed.

Photo: Jimmy Chin

the hardest climbs Honnold had ever attempted, but nothing was going to stop him now.

“My confidence was soaring, I felt great,” he said. “Conditions were perfect and I kind of knew I had it.”

As he approached the summit, the realization of what he was about to achieve started to break through his steely-eyed focus.

The final stages of El Cap got easier and easier. What to many would seem terrifying became a “beautiful experience” for Honnold, who sprinted toward the finish, lifting himself over the summit after just three hours and 56 minutes of climbing.

“It was incredible,” he laughed. .

where his life depends on whether he makes contact with a toe-sized ledge.

“I think if that section of the route hadn’t existed [...], I probably would have soloed El Cap several years sooner,” said Honnold, who had practiced that particular section 60 times with ropes -- falling on a number of occasions.

However, the very thing that made this section so daunting turned out to be an advantage because by the time Honnold had reached it he had found his rhythm. He was confident.

“I had done so much climbing, I was so deeply in the zone,” he said, talking through the delicate sequence of moves SPRINT FINISH .

“I was performing so well that by the time I got there I felt incredible and I just executed it perfectly.”

After successfully navigating the near impossible Boulder Problem, Honnold started to breathe a little easier but he still had a long way to go.

The final stretch represented one of

WHY WITHOUT ROPES? The unfathomable climb was nearly 20 years in the making.

Growing up in the Californian suburbs, Honnold had started scaling indoor climbing walls at a local gym as a child.

In many ways, it was a sanctuary.

Honnold struggled with socializing as a youngster but was able to express himself through climbing, gradually transitioning to outdoor climbing as he sought out new challenges. Moving on to free soloing -- climbing without ropes -- was a natural progression.

“It was an important part of rock climbing for me,” he said. “It wasn’t all of climbing and never has been to me. It’s just one part of climbing but it’s free soloing, it’s awesome, it’s fun.”

Living and traveling in a small van, Honnold spent his days climbing -getting better and more confident with each step. He started completing increasingly impressive feats but El Cap was always at the back of his mind.

Ascending the monolith is regarded as the pinnacle of rock climbing, so making history by becoming the first person to scale it without ropes certainly appealed, but he also simply wanted to experience it.

“I’m sure every astronaut wants the opportunity to walk on the moon but if you’re the first human to ever go to the moon, it’s an incredible thing,” he said.“But I’m sure the tenth astronaut is just as excited in their own way.”

Some of Honnold’s friends have died tackling lesser challenges.

It’s a stark reality that doesn’t sit well with his girlfriend, Sanni McCandless, 15

who left Honnold alone in the days running up to the climb.

“It just seemed like the right call for both of us. We never really had to talk about it,” he said.

“It was useful for me to have empty time to just lay around by myself and visualize or imagine and just emotionally process what was to come.”

MIND AND BODY When you consider the mental fortitude required, it’s easy to ignore the physical strain such a climb puts on a body.

On one section of the wall, the Monster Offwidth, Honnold squeezes his body into a vertical crack and wriggles his way up a 200-foot-tall crevice. No flashy gym or high-tech equipment can ever prepare you for such a task. Instead, Honnold’s physique has been etched by thousands of hours of climbing and his hands strengthened by days clinging onto rock faces. Standing at a little under

6 feet tall, and powered by a mainly vegetarian diet, Honnold’s body is conditioned solely for climbing.

Honnold lives and travels in a small van for much of the year. His mind has also adapted accordingly.

During the documentary, Honnold undergoes an MRI scan which shows his amygdala -- the part of the brain which processes fear -- is not stimulated in the usual way.

Honnold believes he’s become desensitized after so many years of climbing but is open to the suggestion that he’s innately less susceptible to fear.

“I found free soloing scary when I first started but I also found it exhilarating in the right way,” he said.

“Possibly, other people find it way scarier and less satisfying so they are never really willing to put the time and effort into it because the ratio is not right.”

He likens it to his previous fear of public speaking. As a young man, Honnold struggled in front of large groups and the thought of doing a

“

I found free soloing scary when I first started but I also found it exhilarating in the right way Alex Honnold

media tour would have previously “horrified” him.

But just like climbing El Cap, Honnold found a way to overcome negative thoughts.

A film crew documented Honnold’s incredible feat Photo: Jimmy Chin.

16

THE DOCUMENTARY

FREE SOLO Directed by award-winning film-makers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, “Free Solo” follows Honnold for more than two years as he prepares for the climb of his life.

However, keeping the cameras at a distance was imperative in order to keep Honnold safe and allow him to have the experience he was craving.

“When I passed the cameramen on the wall, it was just really nice to be able to see my friends up there and celebrate with them,” he said.

“Most of the filming is up high on the route so I had already finished most of the harder sections.

It really did feel like a celebration.”

Despite the global success of the film, the achievement will always be a personal one.

“When I’m an old man and I sit in El Cap meadow, below the wall and I look up at the wall, I’m going to feel the same satisfaction knowing that I’ve had a dream for so many years, put a tonne of work into it and eventually was able to accomplish it,” he said. ∆

17

Czech Republic’s Adam Ondra will seek to become the first athlete in recent IFSC history to win three consecutive lead world titles when he competes in Innsbruck ©Getty Images

No more combined!

Well, the Combined format would mostly be gotten rid of.

Bouldering and lead one comprise one event, and speed the other. Fingers crossed it gets the green light!

All of you grumblers out there that have been griping for the past two years about the Olympic climbing format (lead, bouldering and speed climbing all bundled into a single event) seem to have made your displeasure heard: Word comes this morning that the Organizing Committee for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris has proposed the inclusion of climbing once again, but has suggested splitting the current Combined format into two distinct events—a combined lead and bouldering competition, and speed as the other.

Should Sport Climbing make the cut for Paris 2024—as is expected—this adjusted format will also mean more medals and more athletes. (“Sport Climbing” is the official term used by the IFSC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to describe any competition climbing; 18

that means lead, bouldering and speed are all Sport Climbing.)

A press release on the IFSC’s website explains the changes that the new proposal would bring: “Paris 2024 plans to enrich the Sport Climbing event in 2024 by expanding from one to two distinct competitions, six to twelve medals and 40 to 72 athletes in total. Under the proposal, 16 women and 16 men would compete for six medals in the Speed discipline; 20 women and 20 men would compete for six medals based on the combination of results in the Bouldering and Lead disciplines.”

But no use counting chickens before they hatch. First, Sport Climbing has to be pitched to the IOC Executive Board in late March. If all goes well there, in late June the IOC will decide whether or not to include climbing in Paris in 2024. ∆

19

The Nine Wonderwoman of Climbing From Lynn Hill’s iconic ascent of The Nose on El Capitan to Angela Eiter’s route up La Planta de Shiva 25 years later, these women and their legendary climbs are among the best ever.

By Maria Canton

20

The Legends

Catherine Destivelle Nationality: French-Algerian At the same time Hill was doing her thing in America, Catherine Destivelle was hitting the walls in Europe, becoming the first woman to climb the Eiger’s North face solo in 1992. And she did so in less than 15 hours.

Destivelle learned her skills bouldering in Fontainebleau and climbing in the Alps, and was one of the most prolific Female First Ascent baggers.

Her notable climbs included Chouca at Boux and Trango Tower, but it wasn’t until doing the Eiger alone that she gained the respect she deserved.

“After Trango, one or two people said Jeff (her male climbing partner) led all the way,” she recalled. “It wasn’t true, but back then people still said ‘you’re a girl so go second’. For the Eiger, I climbed alone so there could be no doubt.”

21

Junko Tabei Nationality: Japanese Junko Tabei was a mountaineer, not a pure rock climber, but she was making her mark well before Hill’s giant wall ascent, becoming the first woman to reach the summit of Everest in 1975.

Despite growing up a frail child in a time when gender stereotypes were strong and restrictive, she became a climbing pioneer and founded the Ladies Climbing Club in 1969, because many men refused to climb with her.

She climbed Everest as part of an all-female Japanese team, all of whom escaped being buried alive by an avalanche on the way up. “I didn’t intend to be the first woman on Everest. I just simply climbed a mountain,” she said. “But the environment around me changed so much, just because I was the first woman.”

In 1992, a year before Hill climbed The Nose, Tabei completed the Seven Summits (Messner list), putting her firmly amongst the world’s greatest mountaineers.

22

Lynn Hill Nationality: American A pioneer of free climbing in the 1980s and ‘90s, Lynn Hill was the first woman to really make a mark on big walls, and what a mark it was – the first ever free ascent of The Nose on El Capitan.

“We tried to do routes that required us to make decisions about risk,” she said. “I don’t actually remember backing off from any climb, I just did whatever necessary to do climbs that I thought I could do.”

Hill was 14 when she took up the sport, but in just four years she’d sent the hardest route ever free climbed by a woman to that point, the Ophir Broke in Colorado, rated at 7c (5.12d).

She climbed The Nose in 1993, taking four days, and then astonished everyone by doing it again in just one day the following year. These climbs made her a superstar, appearing everywhere from Sports Illustrated to the David Letterman show in the United States.

23

Beth Rodden Nationality: American Originally an competition climber, she shifted to the outdoors to complete a route called To Bolt Or Not To Be and met Lynn Hill, who invited her to join her climbing in Madagascar. When she went back to America, she moved to the walls of Yosemite, met fellow free climbing prodigy Tommy Caldwell and they became climbing’s golden couple.

Together they were the first to free climb El Capitan’s Lurking Fear in 2000, and then, after being kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan and falling out of love with climbing for a year, she and Caldwell followed Hill as the second and third to free climb The Nose in 2005.

In 2008, Rodden sent Yosemite’s then toughest climb, an 8c+ (5.14c) that had defeated many climbers, including Ron Kauk. She named it Meltdown, and nobody has climbed it since.

24

The New Generation

Sasha DiGiulian Nationality: American Often touted as one of the best free climbers in the world today, Sasha DiGiulian has made more than 30 first female ascents, and eight significant first ascents.

Inspired by Hill, she started climbing aged seven and by 18 became the third woman, after Spain’s Josune Bereziartu and Charlotte Durif of France, to ascend a 9a (5.14d) route in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.

“First ascents and first female ascents are historical benchmarks in our sport,” she says. “Both should be highlighted. Clearly, if women can do more first ascents, in general, this is ideal.”

DiGiulian has done just that, travelling the world to pick off big climbs, including the first female ascent of Magic Mushroom on the North Face of Switzerland’s Eiger in 2015, and the first ever ascent of The Misty Wall in Yosemite in 2017.

25

Anak Verhoeven Nationality: Belgian Although more recognised as a competition climber, Anak Verhoeven laid a huge outdoor marker last year when she became the first woman to claim a first ascent of a 9a+ (5.15a), on Sweet Neuf in France.

She began climbing with her parents at just fouryears-old, but focused on competition climbing, only climbing her first 9a (5.14d) route, Era Vella in Spain, in 2015, having been inspired to try it

by Sasha DiGiulian. In total, she’s now done 34 routes at 8b+ (5.14a) or harder.

26

Angela Either Nationality: Austrian Top competition climber Angela Eiter hit the headlines outdoors in October 2017, when she became the first woman to climb 9b (5.15b) on La Planta de Shiva. Only two climbers – Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma – have gone harder.

Eiter started climbing at school aged 11, won her first world title at 17, and went on to make her first outdoor 8c+ (5.14c) ascent, Claudio Café in Italy, when she was 21-years-old. She stepped up to 9a (5.14d) in 2014, with ascents of Hades and Big Hammer in her native Austria, and Era Vella in Spain a year later, when she first began trying out on La Planta de Shiva.

27

Margo Hayes Nationality: American Margo Hayes raised the bar when she pushed the highest grade climbed by a woman to a 9a+ (5.15a), on La Rambla, Spain, in February 2017.

She held the record for nine months, before Angela Eiter took it up to a 9b (5.15b).

Hayes competed in national level gymnastics at the age of eight, but discovered climbing two years later, and honed her skills with Boulder’s Team ABC. In the year building up to La Rambla, she completed 14 routes of 5.14a and harder.

“When I clipped the chains on La Rambla, the flood of emotion surprised me,” she said. “I immediately started to weep. I think it was a combination of joy and disbelief. I will never, ever forget that moment.”

Hayes had taken 17 attempts over seven days to complete La Rambla, and quickly followed it up with ascent of Realization/Biographie.

28

Ashima Shiraishi Nationality: Japanese-American The youngest of the new generation, Ashima Shiraishi logged the second female ascent of a 9a/9a+ (5.15d/5.15a) route at just 13-years-old, and is currently touted as the best teenage climber out there.

She began climbing Rat Rock with her father in Central Park aged six, and excelled in bouldering before making a major mark with the youngest ascent of a grade 8c+ (5.14c), on Southern Smoke at Red River Gorge.

In 2015, Shiraishi climbed her first 9a (5.14d), on Open Your Mind Direct, potentially the hardest climb ever by a woman. She went a notch better on the same trip, when she became the second woman to scale a 9a/9a+ (5.14d/5.15a) on Ciudad de Dios, and it’s highly possible that one day she’ll be the one to raise the climbing bar beyond the current level.

29

Albert spent 20 days working on it. Like all of his hard ascents, he did not wear shoes. ©Getty Images

Barefoot Climber At Fontainebleau in France Charles Albert, climbing barefoot, has established No Kapote Only, a boulder problem he believes to be 9A. It’s only the second 9A boulder in the world.

After years of attempts, Nalle Hukkataival made history in 2016 by climbing Burden of Dreams in Finland. He graded the problem V17 (9A), making it the first climb of this difficulty in the world. Meanwhile, Charles Albert, of Fontainebleau, France, was putting up some wildly difficult blocs in his home area… and all barefoot.

Now, Albert has made the first ascent of the world’s second V17, No Kpote Only in Rocher Brûlé, Fontainebleau, France, sending it in only 20 sessions, and, of course, doing it without shoes.

Albert told the French website Fanatic Climbing that No Kpote Only, “starts in the 8B [V13] located on the left-hand side of the boulder, climbing a crack. You have 3 traverse moves around 8A+ [V12] followed 2 extremely hard moves before reaching the undercling that is 30

the stand start of “Gaia” 7C [V10].”

He went on, “You need to hold a crimp left hand going to a good right foot hold , before a hand-foot match and a dyno in a far two-finger pocket again with the right hand. Then you need to cross in the underclings of the stand start of “Gaia” and finish on it. Except for the 2 extreme moves, the holds have been hammered but it’s not too uncomfortable to climb.”

The 20-year-old Albert’s barefoot style has made him a novelty in the climbing world, not least because of how hard he sends. His ticklist includes impressive problems like Monkey Wedding (V15) in Rocklands, Le Pied à Coulisse (V16) in Fontainebleau, and the first ascents of La Revolutionnaire (V15), La Revolutionnaire Extension (V16) and Hypothèse assis (V16), all in Fontainebleau.

Book Review

‘The Impossible Climb’: Available Now ©Getty Images

The Impossible Climb Want to know the secrets behind Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Cap? Or what happened behind the scenes during ‘The Dawn Wall’ or the Golden Age of climbing? A new book, ‘The Impossible Climb’ by Mark Synnott, tells all.

Mark Synnott ©Clayton Boyd

“The Impossible Climb” starts out with Synnott’s early years with The North Face. He first made a name for himself by exploring the east coast of Baffin Island. There, he established numerous big-wall first ascents, including the 4,700-foot Polar Sun Spire. For that ascent, he needed to spend 36 nights on the wall in port-a-ledges.

Synnott’s accomplishments are impressive, but for a book with Alex Honnold on the cover, it’s just not what I was expecting. I was caught off guard when Synnott went into his personal climbing history.

But after a few dozen pages, I was OK with reading about Synnott’s climbing escapades. It was then I realized how much more expansive this book was than one historic climb.

Synnott certainly covers Honnold’s climb in depth, but to build up to this accomplishment, Synnott goes way back.He tells history about El Cap and climbing in Yosemite. He

gives a behind-the-scenes look at what Royal Robbins was like in the valley. And Synnott details what really happened when Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson finally topped out on the Dawn Wall after 19 days on the wall. But that’s just to name a few of the book’s chaptersAnd throughout Synnott’s retelling, he provides plenty of first-person accounts.

During his time on The North Face’s team, he’s climbed alongside Alex Lowe, Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Alex Honnold, and many more famous climbers. It was fascinating to hear about how these climbers behaved in camp on expeditions. Or what happened when first ascents went south in remote locations.

Between the history, Synnott’s own experience, and the first free solo on El Cap, “The Impossible Climb” is a very well-rounded look at climbing’s landmark accomplishments and the culture that surrounds the sport.

31

The

Mecca

of Bouldering Rocklands has been hyped by professional climbers already for years and this had led to more and more climbers to find their way to this bouldering paradise. When arriving to this place and gazing over the sea of rocks, you’ll immediately realize why so many climbers fall in love with this place.

The bouldering area is located in a remote semi-desert setting around Cederberg Wilderness Area. The varied red sandstone offers something for everyone and the style resembles indoor climbing with steep walls and athletic moves. If you climb 7A and up you will be spoiled in Rocklands but luckily with more than 2900 routes you’re guaranteed to find something for everyone. The approaches vary from 5 minute walks to 1h hikes and the GPS trails in rockland.com make sure you’ll find straight to the right place. You’ll find more information about each sector from the Rockland Magazine webpage.

There’s multiple guesthouses and campsites close to the bouldering area and you can find them all marked in the map below. Remember to book your accommodation early as many places get fully booked months before the season starts!

As always, respect the nature by leaving no trace nor harming the vegetation. In addition, don’t forget to get the climbing permit from Traveller’s rest, de Pakhuys camping or online - this also supports the correct development of the area.

Topos are made by Daniel Hidalgo, one of the developers of the area and the author of Rocklands Bouldering guidebooks. In case you open new problems in the area, help Daniel to keep the topos updated and contact support@ rockland.com with the information about the problems.

Since Rocklands area has limited internet, we highly recommend downloading the topos in the app for offline use in advance. ∆

32

Fred Nicole added testpieces such as Monkey Wedding (8c) ©Getty Images

The World’s Best in Rocklands, South Africa

33

Spring Edition

FIELDNOTES Gear Review

Hybrid Refuge Hooded Jacket Outdoor Research® While technically an alpine piece, the Refuge had such mad style with its muted colors and trim fit that you can wear it anywhere. This is among the most climbing-friendly hybrid shells I’ve worn, striking a perfect balance between light weight (18oz size L), warmth (thanks to OR’s new VerticalX insulation), water resistance (great in a surprise wet blizzard), and stretchiness—you can really climb, whether wearing the Refuge as a top layer at the crag or midlayer on an alpine route. It’s also built with the mobile climber in mind, with three zip pockets, two internal stash pockets, elastic cuffs (with amazing pull loops) a hood, and a drawstring hem.

€130

outdoorresearch.com

Monkey Endurance Climbing Rope Fixe/Roca 9.0® The latest iteration of the Nomic improves on a tried-and-true design. The new Nomics come in at the same weight (about 21oz), but by shedding a few grams from the handle, Petzl was able to add their Mini Marteau hammer to the head, plus a stainless-steel spike to the bottom. Other improvements include a wider handle for a more comfortable grip, a glass-filled nylon overmolded upper grip (no more need for tape), pick weights shaped to better slot in cracks, and an insert in the head that prevents wobble in colder temps. The new Nomic excelled on vertical ice, where the included Pur’Ice pick both penetrated deeply and removed easily thanks to the 3mm tapered steel point. The Nomic is ideal for those looking for one tool that can do it all

€190

fixehardware.com 34

Spring Edition

AND WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND? 35

Spring Edition

FIELDNOTES Gear Review

Sharpa Instinct SR Sharpa® The shoes in the Instinct line—especially the “orange slippers,” the original Instinct S—have for a decade been my redpoint weapons for vert and overhanging terrain, both bouldering and sport. I have a high-volume foot and climb short, highstepping and driving my toe onto holds to extend my reach; with their mild downturn and hyper-precise edging (odd for a slipper, but it’s true—I’ve climbed 5.13 slabs in them), the Instinct S suited my style. The new SR keeps the same Bi-Tension active rand that funnels power into your big toe but steps things up big time in the heel and toe departments, adding a built-up, lower-volume heel and extending the toe-hooking patch over the forefoot—think of the SR as a “slipper-plus” jessery machine. As such, your former size may be hard to get on, but I’d go with it and size small for max precison—embrace the break-in pain.

The 3.5mm XS Grip 2 sole was plenty sensitive, and as for overall performance—well, this new version of an old friend climbed better than ever on everything I threw at it, from sandstone thin face, to gym steeps, to slippery Eldo boulders.

€115

sharpa.com

Petzel Nomic Petzel® The latest iteration of the Nomic improves on a tried-and-true design. The new Nomics come in at the same weight (about 21oz), but by shedding a few grams from the handle, Petzl was able to add their Mini Marteau hammer to the head, plus a stainless-steel spike to the bottom. Other improvements include a wider handle for a more comfortable grip, a glass-filled nylon overmolded upper grip (no more need for tape), pick weights shaped to better slot in cracks, and an insert in the head that prevents wobble in colder temps. The new Nomic excelled on vertical ice, where the included Pur’Ice pick both penetrated deeply and removed easily thanks to the 3mm tapered steel point. The Nomic is ideal for those looking for one tool that can do it all, performing on every angle of ice and capable on rock, though if your focus is hard mixed, the Ergonomic will better meet your needs.

€230

petzel.com 36

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

SUMMER 2019 ONLY ON NETFLIX

37

EMERGING SPANISH TALENT

by Pierré Swanepoel

AITOR BORREGUERO

I wanted to know more about Aitor and asked if I could interview him. He agreed, and here are his answers to my questions.

Tell us a little about yourself, where you were born, where you grew up and where you live now?

Born in Madrid and grew up in Alcalá de Henares, also in Madrid area. Now I live in Manzanares el Real, north of Madrid. I rent a house with my wife and dog at the feet of La Pedriza, one of my very first, and favorite climbing areas.

When did your interest in climbing start, and at what age?

It started when I was very young by seeing the “Al filo de lo imposible” documentary series. I remember running on a Sunday evening back home to see it. Then, I found an old bridge near the train railway with rocks glued to it, the local climbing community has developed it for training. I used to go there several times a week to climbing with my running shoes. Falling of the wall was more dangerous than in the mountain, the floor under the bridge was covered with broken bottles and sharp stones.

How long have you been climbing?

Just over twenty years.

38

39

“

If you succeed with one dream, it’s not long before you’re conjuring up another, slightly harder, a bit more ambitious, a bit more dangerous Aitor Borreguero

Aitor Borreguero will become the first Spanish climber to have climbed the big seven on all the continents ©Getty Images 40

41

“

Mountains are not the stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion Aitor Borreguero

Which is your favorite activity eg, mountaineering, rock climbing, bouldering?

It depends, I used to love mountaineering and ice climbing, now I do more sport climbing, and next year I’ll probably go back to alpinism. I think that changing disciplines really keeps me motivated. Never been a boulderer tough. I enjoy it but I prefer the tenseness of climbing with a rope.

Who is the climber/alpinist who influenced you the most and why?

Probably Walter Bonatti. His fierce ethics about the style in the mountain during those years and the first ascents he did still today are truly amazing. I’ve read the book “Mountains of my Life” maybe five times.

What has been your favorite climbing trip of all time?

Wow! Many of them, last year´s trip to Patagonia was eye opening, many years trying to go there, and finally seeing Cerro Torre was mind blowing. Perú is also an amazing place to climb with endless routes and plenty of good weather, but you don’t have to go that far to enjoy amazing climbing places. For me going to the Alps every year is like a religion now, or even Galayos, 2 hours drive from Madrid are places full of power and energy. Really liberating to go there to climb and sleep in the wild for days.

You are the boss of your own climbing guides company, when did you decide to start the business?

We started Guías Zona Centro after many years working with different companies. After trying different businesses with other partners that didn’t end well, I found two partners with the same vision than me, 42

to offer tailor made trips, specially designed activities for each of our clients.

Which services do you offer?

We design different activities for every person that comes looking for a climbing or hiking experience. We have guided climbs to famous, and the not so famous, peaks in Spain and all over the world. We do hiking trips to America, Asia, Europe.

Climbing days for foreigners in our loved Pedriza and many more activities.

What is your most and least favorite part of running your business and where do you hope to be in 10 years time?

I hope to be in a position that allows me to climb and travel 80% of my time. Our goal guiding in the mountain is to work less and be paid enough to live well and climb. It’s hard work that requires all your attention and dedication because a mistake can be fatal for both the client and yourself. The balance between work and climb has to be always on the sided toward climbing.

As a personal goal where will be your next private climbing trip?

No doubt about this one. 2019 it’s Yosemite year!

What are your opinions on the current state of Everest and the amount of traffic it receives?

Do you think that is a positive or negative influence on climbing as a whole?

I don’t even think that it is climbing at all, at least not how the commercial expeditions work. During the current season Cory Richards and Esteban Topo are trying a new route on Everest north face and the media hasn’t said anything about it, for me that’s climbing, but hey! Dollars rule as in every sport.

Do you see more interest in climbing as a sport now that social media has made it possible for more people to peak into this world?

Of course, we have more demand of people wanting to do climbing courses. Some people try it and decided it’s not for them, but many of them keep climbing. It’s a sport you can start with any age or condition, it doesn’t distinguish between sexes

Aitor Borreguero at home on the cliffs of Galayos ©Txema Ramos

as technique and the mental aspect it’s much more important than raw power. Also nowadays it’s really easy and cheap to buy your first climbing rack. When I started it was really expensive, as it was only few brands and shops selling gear, but now with the Internet everything is more accessible.

Do you think that the inclusion of climbing in the Olympics will bring more people into your business?

The model of climbing in the Olympics will bring more people to indoor climbing walls. Some of those people will try outdoor but the majority of them will not. Years ago indoor climbing walls where dark, gloomy places similar to cellars to train for the rock projects but now indoor climbing walls are huge business with colorful and attractive walls for people to learn. They are more similar to gyms than rock areas, and many people that use them are not interested in the mountains at all.

They finish work, go to the climbing gym, do some bouldering or top rope and that’s it. It’s becoming a different climbing activity now.

If you can choose any destination in the world to go and climb

where will that be and why?

I will say Patagonia in Argentina, but as I have already been there I think that my next destination will be USA. Indian creek for crack climbing and Yosemite for big walls.

For alpinism I will love to try a first ascent or new route to a high peak lost in China.

What advice would you give to people looking to get into the world of climbing regarding where to start and things take into consideration?

With no doubt about it. Safety. The best way to start is doing a course with qualified guides. If you start doing the basics wrong you have a big chance to have an accident. Climbing, despite what it looks like, it’s a very safe sport, safer than football I will say, but as long as you learn the basics properly.

Second advice is to have fun, forget about numbers and grades, enjoy nature and the trips with your friends and don’t try to progress fast, climbing shows you many aspects of yourself that you can’t find in any other sport, and if you rush through them you are missing the magic. It’s not about the summit, it’s all about the path to it. ∆ 43

GUIDE DIRECTORY Contact us to list your service

SENECA ROCKS MOUNTAIN GUIDES Tom Cecil PO Box 223 Seneca Rocks, WV 26884 304-567-2115; 800-451-5108 www.senecarocks.com climbing@senecarocks.com Seneca Rocks • Western USA Nelson Rocks • Spain • Thailand ADVENTURE CONSULTANTS PO Box 97 58 McDougald St. Wanaka, New Zealand 64-3-443-8711 f. 64-3-443-8733 www.adventureconsultants.co.nz info@adventure.co.nz New Zealand • South America Himalaya • Seven Summits Antarctica • Artic ALPINE ADVENTURES, INC. R.L. & Karen Stolz P.O. Box 179, 10873 Route 9N Keene, NY 12942 (518) 576-9881 www.alpineadven.com mail@alpineadven.com Adirondack Mountains, New York and destinations worldwide ALPINE ASCENTS INTERNATIONAL 121 Mercer St. Seattle, WA 98109 206-378-1927 f. 206-378-1937 www.AlpineAscents.com climb@AlpineAscents.com 7 Summits • Alaska • Cascades Ecuador • Mexico • Mongolia COLORADO MOUNTAIN GUIDES 373 Bonanza Dr. Nederland, CO 80466 303-258-0630 www.cmtnguides.com rock@cmtnguides.com Boulder, CO • Southern Arizona Joshua Tree, CA • Red Rocks, NV 44

AVENTURAS PATAGONICAS PO Box 11389 Jackson, WY 83002 307-734-5201 888-203-9354 www.patagonicas.com summit@patagonicas.com Aconcagua • Bolivia • Alps Chile • Patagonia • Antarctica ALPINE WORLD ASCENTS instruction, guiding, expeditions in rock, ice, alpine, ski/snowboard, avalanche safety PO Box 1013 Boulder CO 80306-1013 800-868-5429 303-485-1511 www.alpineworldascents.com contact@alpineworldascents.com Boulder area Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and throughout CO • Red Rocks Devils Tower • North Cascades, Alaska • Canada • Europe Mexico • Ecuador • Peru • Bolivia Argentina • Chile • Africa Himalaya MOUNTAIN SKILLS CLIMBING GUIDES PO Box 206 Arroyo Seco, NM 87514 505-776-2222 www.climbingschoolusa.com climb@climbingschoolusa.com Taos, NM Red Rocks, Las Vegas, NV Africa, Antarctica HIMALAYA INCORPORATED Climb with Daniel Mazur, leader of 23 Himalayan Expeditions Box 123 Lakebay, WA 98349 360-570-0715 www.summitclimb.com summitclimb@earthlink.com Seven 8000 metre summits including: Mt. Everest • K2 • Ama-Dablam Pumori Cho-Oyu • Mustagh-Ata

CHICKS WITH PICKS All women’s ice climbing clinics PO Box 486 Ridgeway, CO 81432 970-626-4424 www.chickswithpicks.net kim@chickswithpicks.net Ouray, CO • North Conway, NH SIERRA MOUNTAIN CENTER PO Box 95 Bishop, CA 93515 760-873-8526 f. 760-873-8526 www.sierramountaincenter.com info@sierramountaincenter.com Sierra • Mt. Whitney • Patagonia Alaska Dolomites • Europe HIGH ALPINE MOUNTAIN GUIDES (Specialists in the Alps) Michael Silitch, UIAGM/AMGA Alpine, Rock and Ski Guide Chalet Fatima 1885 Chesieres, Switzerland 011 41 24 495 1948 www.high-alpine.com michael@high-alpine.com Chamonix • Zermatt • Grindewald HIGH PEAKS MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES 331 Main Street Lake Placid NY 12946 518-523-3764 email@highpeakscyclery.com www.highpeaksma.com Upstate New York SOUTH FACE GUIDES, LTD. 446 Patterson Rd. Dayton, OH 45419 937-626-6283 f. 937-396-0573 www.SouthFaceGuides.com SouthFaceGuides@msn.com South America Mt. Washington Winter Climbs Everst Base Camp Treks Cascades Custom Trips Intro. to Ice Climbing

PURE. CONVENIENT. SUSTAINABLE A pure simple choice to help our planet. Change the way you think about packaged water and you’ll see why Boxed Water Is Better®.

46

built to endure

1973

47

Rockland Because it’s there

ESPEKTRO MEDIA