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| Planet Granite Sunnyvale |
California based Planet Granite is expected to open a new location in NW Portland. The Portland location will be their largest gym at 32,000sq.ft. and is expected to open in 2014. Not only will the gym contain 55ft walls and bouldering, they are also planning to have yoga studios, a fitness area, and a steep training ramp. For more information and to track the progress visit their website.
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| Photo Courtesy Judson Hall |
Local Forest Service watchdog group BARK reports that the USFS is preparing a timber sale in the ZigZag Ranger District.
According to BARK, “The Horseshoe Sale” comprises 2000 acres of timber nestled between the Bull Run Watershed Protective Area and the Mount Hood Wilderness.
In addition to Frenches Dome, the sale could profoundly impact a number of popular hiking trails and campgrounds.
BARK views this sale as a worrying departure from the logging moratorium enjoyed in the ZigZag Ranger District since 1998.
A narrowed base provides passive “stopper” functionality from two angles instead of just one, and stiffened webbing makes reachy placements easier.
Source: CleverOutdoorGear
Marion Poitevin and Philippe Batoux on the spectacular, thousand-meter Davaille route near Chamonix.
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| La Madre Mountain |
In 2000, the placement of new bolts was banned in the La Madre Mountain and Rainbow Mountain sectors of Red Rock Canyon, effectively chilling the development of new routes within an area comprising 48,000 acres of the park.
Now the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which is overseen by BLM, is considering a change in the rules to open La Madre and Rainbow Mountains to bolting.
The BLM is currently soliciting comment on the matter, and is holding a series of public workshops for climbers to express their opinions. The comment period ends on November 18. Officials say the new rules could be in place in early 2014.
The USFS and NPS provide a number of webcams that show current conditions in your favorite places.
Columbia Gorge – looking southwest from Wishram
Mount Hood Wilderness – looking south to Mt. Jefferson
North Cascades – looking northwest from the Newhalem Visitor Center
Mt. Rainier – looking west from Paradise
Olympic NP – looking east to Mt. Baldy from Lake Crescent
Over the past five years, Google has taken its Street View maps to 43 countries, deploying cars, trikes, snowmobiles, and even a submersible to map 360-degree panoramas of the world around us. In June, the company announced a new initiative to bring the same seamless experience into the backcountry in a bid to create the world’s most amazing trail maps. Read More.
How to Sharpen Crampons from Climbing on Vimeo.
With her completion of Catharsis on October 20 in Shiobara, the 34 year old Japanese climber is the first woman to finish a confirmed V14. Catharsis includes about 15 moves across a virtually horizontal roof.