Posts Tagged ‘Chris Sharma’

Some months ago we talked about deep water soloing (extreme sport – Deep Water Soloing) and included it in a more recent article where we profiled Chris Sharma (chris sharma) and now our attention has been drawn to Natalija Gros from Slovenia, ranked 4th in the world with IFSC – the International Federation of Sport Climbing. We were sent the following film by Film IT newpartisancinema:

Film IT’s aim is to “merge the poetry of Film with the excellence of Information Technology.”

Kranj, the fourth largest city in Slovenia and known for its sporting facilities, hosted the final competition of the Climbing World Cup last weekend. Four Slovenians were in the finals. The usual flagships amongst the women were there: Maja Vidmar, Natalija Gros and Mina Markovič. And for the first time, Klemen Bečan made it in the men’s division. He won the first ever gold medal for the Slovenian men’s climbing team.

Slovenia’s womens’ climbing team  is probably the strongest in the world at the moment.

OK, so why are the Slovenians soooooo good at climbing? Could it be that their country offers some of the best climbing in Europe?

Well, I’m not sure if they claim that title yet as Slovenia is fairly new on the rock climbing ‘favourite place’ atlas, but they certainly have a great playground on their doorstep… In fact, there is no other country in Europe that packs such a variety of landscape, outdoor activities and culture into such a small area.

There are over 80 different crags in Slovenia offering more than 3,600 different routes all of which are sensibly bolted and solid. Climbing can be split into three main areas. The total offer of routes is tremendous, both for beginners as well as top climbers.

*  Around Bled and Bohinj
*  Around Osp, including Trieste in Italy and Istria in Croatia
*  Around Celje

Please note that Slovenia uses the French grading system.

Bled is in the Julian Alps in the north west of the country and is a spectacularly beautiful area.There are 7 main crags with 350 routes to choose from on limestone rock. All the routes are well bolted and are mainly single pitch with a good cross section of grades with the majority in the 6a – 7b range. The nearby region of Bohinj is highly recommended. There are various grades on offer and everyone will find sport climbing routes on the limestone rock that will fit their climbing level.

The ideal time to visit Bled for rock climbing is from Spring through to the Autumn.

Due to the country’s excellent road structure (and relatively small size) these crags are generally easily reached within an hour, offering a wide scope of routes to choose from, including some multi-pitch routes up to 440m high.

Osp is the most popular climbing region in the country with over 600 across-the-board routes. There are 3 main crags all within 4kms of each other – Osp, Misja Pec and Crni Kal. Osp is a veritable wall rising above the rooftops of the village…

Whilst Misja Pec, with its vertical walls and steep overhangs, is one of the finest crags not only in Slovenia but in the whole of Europe. The horseshoe-shaped overhanging crag shot to fame in recent years for the sheer number and variety of routes on offer. Stamina tends to be the name of the game, but short bouldery routes can be found on the overhangs to the left and right. There are about 175 routes here of which about 60 are above 8a, and only a handful of the 175 are easy. It is one of the best crags for rock climbers that are looking for steep quality limestone.

Crni Kal is about 5 kilometres from Osp and offers nice climbing on good quality limestone. There are a mixture of single and multi-pitch climbs – all well bolted. Although rock climbing is possible throughout the year here, the ideal time is Spring through to Autumn.

Being placed right in the bottom south western corner of Slovenia, Osp is sandwiched between Italy and Croatia. There is some great climbing to be found on either side of the border.

The third main region is Celje which is situated in the north east of Slovenia. Here there are 2 major crags, Kotecnik and Kamnik, and between them there are 350 sports routes on well bolted, limestone rock. The largest crag, Kotecnik, offers a good range of grades, while the rock climbing at Kamnik offers a wide selection of routes in the lower grades from 4 to 5c+. Both are situated within forests making them ideal rock climbing areas from spring to autumn, and are very popular in the summer.

A quick warning – out of season climbing, November to February, although possible, can be cold and wet and Summer can be very hot.

Natalija Gros climbing Misja Pic near Osp.

SQUAMISH – the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada”

Peaceful, calm, tranquil, romantic, sensationally beautiful… are all words that spring to mind when looking at this photograph – but how many of you out there know how much you can do in Squamish, British Columbia and how many adrenaline pumping sports are available to those of you looking for something different?

For starters the district of Squamish is home to an extensive network of single-use and multi-purpose trails for walking, hiking, biking, dirt biking, and horseback riding, skiing at nearby Whistler, kayaking and river rafting. There is also  wind- and kite surfing at the head of the Howe Sound which has awesome wind on many clear days during the summer. The name Squamish means ‘Mother of the Winds’.

However, our interest today lies in … ROCK CLIMBING and what sort of rock climbing is available in the area and, as some of you surely know, Squamish is probably the best known rock climbing area in Canada. Less than an hour’s drive north of Vancouver, it is home to the Stawamus Chief, the world’s second largest granite monolith, at 2,100 feet (640m). It is second in line to El Capitan, which stands at a massive 3,593 feet (1,095m) in Yosemite National Park, California.

It’s the huge granite faces of The Chief that attracts climbers from around the world. With over 1,500 routes it has something for everyone from casual beginner climbs to 5.14 test pieces.

The rock is exclusively granite and mostly of exceptional quality though it does range widely in texture, but it is possible to generalise: the climbs near the town of Squamish are cracks and slabs on monolithic chunks of granite, while further north, face-climbing predominates on more metamorphosed rock.

The 500 metre walls of the Chief offer some fine big wall climbing, ranging in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.13 as well as a number of aid routes. The Cheakamus Canyon, a half hour north of the town of Squamish has a number of sports crags with routes from 5.8 to 5.14, while Whistler has at least one decent crag.

There are enough climbs to keep the average climber busy for many many years with a wide variety of styles to choose from. Single pitch climbs include sport routes, cracks, friction slabs and boulder problems. Amazing climbs in lush old-growth forests or on bluffs overlooking the ocean.

But it’s the multi-pitch climbing that the Stawamus Chief is particularly famous for…  granite climbing routes for all abilities.  While it’s not possible for a beginner to climb to the top of the Chief (about 15 pitches—some are rated as high as 5.13 or more), it’s perfectly feasible to make it about halfway up by climbing “The Apron,” which is shallow multi-pitch slab climb that has excellent five to seven pitch routes in the 5.7 to 5.9 grade range. For those with more experience, a climb to the top of the Chief is entirely possible with many excellent 5.10 and 5.11 routes from which to choose and if you’re an advanced climber, and it’s sport climbing you’re after, then Cheakamus Canyon between Squamish and Whistler is the place for you.

Almost all the climbs at Squamish may be climbed with a standard rack of nuts and cams to about 2.5”. If you are thinking of tackling a more challenging route please check with the local climbing authorities or a guide book to see what you will need. Although you can have a nice easy day out clipping only bolts on a sports crag, the true Squamish experience is doing it all yourself although some of the older routes still have a few rusty fixed pitons for protection. For the aid routes, you will need lots of iron including a number of hooks, as well as heads and perhaps a few rivet hangers.

From May to September the weather is usually sunny, with the temperature in the low to mid 20’s (C). March and April have common dry spells, though some climbs may still be wet. The rest of the year is often wet, or else too cold except for the die-hards who will climb in any climate or those who look for routes uncluttered by other people.

There are more climbs further north and there is still plenty of potential for further development in the whole region.

Dreamcatcher is here – a mind boggling Cacodemon boulder conquered only by Chris Sharma (bigupproductions):

As far as I know this climb has not been repeated despite several attempts by other strong climbers. Correct me if I’m wrong please. The Dreamcatcher is a route that starts on a technical slab that wedges the climber against the start of the overhang. Then a dyno to a sloping rail leads to a bouldery traverse across slopers and incut crimps. The crux of the route comes at the end with a deadpoint to slopers and a jug.

If you’re inspired by this article and decide to take a weekend break to Squamish please remember that this is also bear country – so keep your eyes peeled!

Also, it is an area much loved by the locals who would prefer that you left nothing behind but your footprints. Leaving trash, particularly plastic, really is unfair. Leaving graffiti on the rock faces is unforgivable.

“I’m still a bit confused over the grade. It’s definitely harder than Papichulo and all the other F9a+ routes I’ve done in Spain but I’m not sure if it’s F9b… the resistant style of climbing on the route isn’t quite the best style for me and I can imagine other people being better suited… For now I’d say it’s hard F9a+”

Chris Sharma

I love rock climbing, and I love writing about it. Today I thought I’d draw your attention to, if you don’t already know, a really extreme rock climber – CHRIS SHARMA.

Here’s a weird upside-down video of a veritable spiderman redpointing La Rambla, brought to us by ezsraism

Sharma started rock climbing when he was 12 years old. At age 14 he won the Bouldering nationals. A year later, he completed a 5.14c climb, which was the highest-rated climb in the American rating system at the time. He has since established or completed a few routes thought to be 5.15, including La Rambla and Es Pontas (a deep water soloing project in Mallorca). In 2008 Sharma climbed the 250 ft line, Jumbo Love, at Clark Mountain in California, claiming 5.15b for the grade. He has just completed a new 9a+/5.15a project in Oliana, Spain called Pachamama.

Picking projects at your physical and mental limits means constant exposure to the reality of failure. But failure is a word that has no place in Sharma’s vocabulary.

In professional climbing talent burns hot and fast and a decade is a long time. The physical damage to the body can be huge – ankles snap, shoulders pop from sockets and fingers calcify. And if nagging injuries weren’t enough, climbers often falter beneath the mental pressure. But not Chris Sharma.

At 26, he is an athlete endowed with unparalleled physical strength and mental tenacity, dominating world sport climbing and bouldering for the last dozen years.

In his own words, Chris Sharma about himself (bigupproductions)

I’m on a roll…

Here’s another climbing site admirably suited to our extreme sports blog, Clark Mountain, 40 miles south of Las Vegas and 235 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The climbing here is about 300-500 feet high and about a mile long.

Clark Mountain is the high point of Mojave National Preserve and is a refreshing climb out of the desert. It is sport climbing in an alpine environment.

Geologically speaking, Clark is part of a long chain of limestone outcroppings that stretch through the Great Basin from Nevada and Utah into Wyoming and Montana.

This is Third Tier - “the most amazing wall in the USA” says Joey Kinder. Sheer white limestone for hundreds of feet, but it is hardly developed. Third Tier, also known as The Monastery, has 34 routes including Jumbo Pumping Hate and Tusk. It is some of the best limestone in the country.

Randy Leavitt originally opened up this area having scoped it for years from the highway. It took him, with help from Jorge Vissar, Ed Worsman, and Glen Svenson, 4 years to establish over 80 routes in the four areas of Clark Mountain all the while keeping their activities quiet so they could enjoy the solitude and the magnificent climbs before others moved in.

Jumbo Pumping Hate, a Randy Leavitt route, is a 5.14a climb. It’s long, involved and really exposed with juggy sequences and dynos.

As Randy Leavitt says: “The finest limestone on the planet can be found here. You’ll have to work to get to it though.” However, he continues, “the quality of rock more than repays your effort. Expect your legs to gain muscle weight from the hike in, but get ready for the most spectacular sport climbing this side of the Mississippi.”

The rock quality is exceptional. Features are not limited to one type. You’ll find it all — pockets, edges, slopers, pinches, underclings, and cracks. The climbing is always interesting. Each route is distinctive. The climbing doesn’t get repetitive or boring. But be careful – help is a long way away.

The climbing of Clark Mountain began in 1992 and Hole In The Wall was the first route established on the First Tier. Read My Lips was the first route on the 2nd Tier and Religious Man on the Third Tier or The Monastery.

The climbing area is 9 miles off Interstate 15 and 5 miles south of the Nevada border.

Most of the climbing is on the East Face of Clark Mountain. There is also one developed crag on the South Face known as the Baily Road Crag.

This is sport climbing bar none…