In this issue

ROCK AND WAVES - THE WORLD’S BEST ISLAND CLIMBING.

HIGHBALLING VS. SOLOING - WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?..

ACROSS THE GLOBE - A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A CLIMBING PHOTOGRAPHER.

CALM YOUR MIND - SEND YOUR HARDEST.

TECH TIPS: SPOT BAD BOLTS | CONQUER YOUR FEAR | PROTECT YOUR BELAYER.

90+ TOP CLIMBING PHOTOS...

3-D Printing: The Future Of Climbing Holds?

FORCE CLIMBING, a Vancouver-based climbing-hold-manufacturing company, is ditching traditional hand-sculpting of holds in favor of 3-D printing. With advanced laser scanning and 3-D printing technology, Force is creating a bank of innovative holds featuring a range of unique textures. Many of the designs are scanned directly from classic outdoor climbs, allowing for replication of rock on plastic. This digital innovation led Force to partner with the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) in the holds category, earning the company a spot on the world stage of competition climbing. Force Climbing, conceived in 2012, will play a role in planning the Olympics through close work with the IFSC’s route setters and event organizers. The company hopes to provide all of the holds for the 2020 games. Terry Ziolkowski, president of Force and a route setter of 15 years, spoke about hold design, partnerships, and the future of indoor climbing.

2 mins

Kodak Courage

Are climbers taking more chances for the camera?

10 mins

Thunder Thighs

Thunder Thighs

2 mins

It's Not A Free Solo, It's A Highball, DAD!

OH. MY. GOD. Stop worrying! You and mom are such babies. I’m not going to “kill myself climbing without a rope” because that doesn’t even make sense. I’m a boulderer. You can’t boulder with a rope because then it wouldn’t be bouldering. Roped climbing is for losers: Do I look like I’d hangdog for an hour wearing orange pants and doing jazz hands so I can climb five more feet to the next bolt and then do it again? I know you saw Alex Honnold on 60 Minutes and suddenly you think you know everything about climbing. But, uh, actually? You don’t know anything. What I do is called HIGHBALL BOULDERING, not FREE SOLOING, and it’s completely different.

3 mins

Read all stories from Climbing

Climbing Magazine Description:

Leaders of the vertical world. For 40 years, Climbing has been the leading source of information about climbing and mountaineering, as well as the values and community that have grown around these sports. Reaching more than 130,000 readers with 10 issues a year, the magazine is known for its stunning photography, expert technical advice, and rich coverage of routes, crags, and mountain ranges all over the world. It’s also beloved for a long heritage of epic survival stories, exclusive accounts of first ascents, and deep portraits of the colorful personalities that make the sport so lively.