Category: Climbing

  • The Dawn Wall film

    Reading Time: 3 minutes One of the reasons for which this film is so powerful is that it’s written in the way that Heinrich Harrer wrote about the Eiger. It’s documenting not just a single attempt but the entire process. In doing so we get to know the people well. It gives us some context…

  • A Return To Climbing

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Last night after about a year without climbing I finally returned to the sport and I saw a familiar face but I couldn’t remember why. Eventually, I remembered that it was Cedric Lachat. I remember him from some climbing videos I watched. I also saw many of my climbing friends.  On the…

  • Improved Belaying – perfecting our technique

    Improved Belaying – perfecting our technique

    Reading Time: 3 minutes Belaying is a core climbing skill. With good belaying a climber can climb as fast as he is comfortable to climb, as if without a rope and yet have his fall cushioned at be safe at all times. The belayer needs to be active. He needs to observe and be attentive.…

  • The Drapel Climbing wall near Aigle

    The Drapel Climbing wall near Aigle

    Reading Time: 2 minutes The Drapel Climbing Wall near Aigle is a nice place to climb. When I was there yesterday we were in the shade of the trees unless we were climbing. The temperature for this week is at around 25-27°c daily which is nice. These are almost summer temperatures, at last. The parking for…

  • Interval training and climbing are a good combination.

    Interval training and climbing are a good combination.

    Reading Time: 2 minutes If you were to look at the graph below you would clearly see that it’s a form of interval training but you’re at a loss to know which sport it is from. With running and cycling you would see 2-3 minutes of hard effort and then two to three minutes of…

  • The Great Wide Open – Episode 5

    Reading Time: 2 minutes The Great Wide Open is a different climbing video than I am used to because it discusses history, culture and American identity. It speaks about the American Independence day and watching fireworks from “Devils tower“, a laccolithic butte. This is an interesting rock formation. The rock has vertical cracks that are…

  • Climbing in Bramois

    Climbing in Bramois

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Climbing in Bramois is a pleasant and practical experience. This is a climbing area with numerous walls and routes. There are single and multipitch routes ranging from 3-4 up to 7 and 8. The climbing area is within a gorge with nice rock on both side and a river running through the middle.…

  • Strava Now Has Rock Climbing, Hiking And More

    Strava Now Has Rock Climbing, Hiking And More

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Strava now has rock climbing, hiking and many more sports. Sports tracker, movescount and other applications already allowed you to do this but it is nice to see one more network provide us with this option. Up until now I had to make sure to go for a bike ride or…

  • Negotiating Overhangs

    Reading Time: 2 minutes Negotiating overhangs is physical, fun and sometimes scary. It is for this reason that the Via Ferrata de Thônes via ferrata section is such fun. It gets your adrenaline pumping as you fight to keep hold and clip and unclip in the relevant sections. It forces you to overcome your fear…

  • A Climbing Two year Old

    Reading Time: 2 minutes A Climbing two year old is ordinary. They try to climb on to chairs, they climb to stand up. They climb up the stairs and the swings. What is less ordinary is for a two year old to rock climb like a grown up. As I watch the video below what…