I’m 39 this year, and although certainly not ‘old’ by most standards, all the realities of aging and the impacts of that process on my high-performance climbing capabilities and training journey are starting to become evident. I’ve had some pretty big ups and downs over the past few years, which I talk about in some…
Rock Climbing on Yamnuska has a well-deserved reputation for being terrifying, with Yamnuska itself having a reputation for being a bit of a horrifying choss pile. Even some of the easier routes offer a pretty harrowing experience in some cases with complex route finding, tricky gear, and no shortage of loose rock. Dreambed is a…
The Stanley Headwall is a wildly impressive limestone big wall located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies which has become increasingly popular as a July & August rock climbing destination
The Alt-Left is a 5.11b A0 big wall multi-pitch climb located high above the Town of Canmore. This route is a modern mixed climb featuring all the best climbing that the Bow Valley is known for.
Arch Enemy (5.11d, Stanley Headwall) is what I would consider the ultimate modern classic. A simple approach, straightforward climbing, and well-protected, short cruxes in one of the most epic locations imaginable. This is like Takkakaw Falls on steroids, but far better rock, far better climbing, and even better views.
Minotaur Direct (5.11+, IV) – is a serious, but world-class 16-pitch alpine granite rock climb located on the East face of Snowpatch Spire in Bugaboos Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. This climb was first established in 2016 by Jon Walsh, Colin Moorhead, and Michelle Kadatz. Sadly, the original https://alpinestyle.ca website has disappeared from the web…
In 2019, I made the decision to commit to putting in the effort I knew would be required to send my first 5.13b. Over the years, I had attempted several – including The Hood at Acephale, Blue Jeans, and Army Ants (13c). Despite my attempts, I had not yet come to the conclusion that I…
Hangboarding is one of those training tools that is extremely effective, but it is tricky to get right in terms of intensity, frequency, and balance with other forms of training and climbing. When I first started hangboarding, I had just sent my first 5.13 which at the time felt like the absolute limit of my…
In my last post, I talked about my journey from my first days climbing at Wasootch, to my first 5.10a later that season in 2012 to my first 5.12b and 5.12c in 2014 and 2016. This post covers the training season leading up to my first 5.13a in June of 2018. Toes in the Water…
Bow Valley Climbing Photography from 2018. My best of photo list from the season.
