Skip to content
Home » Archives for Derek Franz » Page 17

Derek Franz

Katie Bono trains at 13,500 feet on Denali, June 1, to prepare for her speed ascent on June 13-14 in which she set a probable female round-trip record of 21 hours, 6 minutes. That time is the third or fourth fastest time overall. [Photo] Savannah Cummins

Katie Bono sets probable women’s speed record on Denali at 21 hours, 6 minutes

On June 13-14, Katie Bono completed a round-trip ascent of Denali’s West Buttress in 21 hours, 6 minutes. This is likely a female speed record, and it is the third or fourth fastest known time overall. Bono made the ascent in difficult conditions with heavy wind and drifting snow that forced her to break trail on the way up and down, sometimes navigating in a whiteout. She sustained mild frostbite to her face.

Kilian Jornet points to Mt. Everest's shrouded summit while acclimatizing for his first speed ascent of the North Col route. [Photo] Sebastien Montaz-Rosset/Kilian Jornet collection

Kilian Jornet completes two fast and light ascents of Everest in one week

Spanish climber and ultra-runner Kilian Jornet completed two rapid Everest ascents without using fixed ropes or bottled oxygen on the North Col route in one week, on May 21 and 27. He pushed on through illness and windy weather, summiting in 17 hours and returning to advanced base camp in 28:30 on his fastest attempt. This story includes an interview with Jornet and a look back at some of the history of rare fast and light Everest ascents.

The book cover

Tommy Caldwell is honest and vulnerable in his autobiography ‘The Push’

Tommy Caldwell’s autobiography, The Push, is as daring as his multitude of world-class climbing accomplishments, which range from 5.14 and 5.15 sport routes around the world, and towering free ascents on Yosemite’s El Capitan–including the first free ascent of the Dawn Wall (VI 5.14d) in January 2015 with Kevin Jorgeson–to the first completion of the Fitz Roy Traverse in Patagonia with Alex Honnold in 2014. Caldwell’s writing is honest and vulnerable, which makes his moments of triumph even more inspiring.

With Yosemite Falls rumbling to his left, Jon Cardwell face climbs into the final 5.12 splitter crack on Pitch 13 of the Misty Wall (5.13, 1,700') during a free ascent with Sasha DiGiulian on May 27. Cardwell had previously freed the individual pitches with Marcus Garcia last autumn, but the recent ascent is the first time the route has been free climbed in a continuous push, which took about 14.5 hours. [Photo] Marcus Garcia

Legacy Restoration Project begets another high-end route: Yosemite’s Misty Wall (5.13)

The Legacy Restoration Project is an emerging program to clean up forgotten routes as a way to remind climbers of the potential that still lies beyond the obvious classics. The program has resulted in four new high-end free climbs in Yosemite Valley since last September, starting with the West Face of the Sentinel. The most recent addition is a 14.5-hour ascent of the Misty Wall (5.13, 1,700′) by Jon Cardwell, Sasha DiGiulian and Marcus Garcia on May 27.

The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the Outdoor Retailer at least one more time this July. [Photo] hakkun, Wikimedia

Outdoor Retailer winter trade show is merging with SIA Snow Show in Denver

Emerald Expositions–the company that owns Outdoor Retailer–announced May 24 that it has acquired the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show and that the winter OR trade show will now be held in conjunction with the SIA show in Denver in January. This announcement is an indication that OR is likely to leave Salt Lake City after July, though a decision about a new venue for the summer Outdoor Retailer has yet to be made.

The east face of the Ship's Prow with MantraMandala (VI A3+, 450m) marked in red. [Photo] Marek Raganowicz

Marek Raganowicz solos two new routes on the Ship’s Prow in Baffin Island

Though he intended to do some solo climbing, Marek Raganowicz hadn’t planned on spending the entire six weeks alone among the polar bears on Baffin Island between mid-March and May, but that’s what happened after his partner, Marcin Tomaszewski, had some problems with light frostbite on his toes and had to leave a couple weeks after they arrived at Sam Ford Fjord on March 3. His original hope was to complete a climb with Tomaszewski in March, solo in April, and then rendezvous with another friend for a climb in May.

The delegation of Colorado climbers walks through the rain from the House to the Senate while lobbying Congress in Washington, DC, on May 11 as part of the Climb the Hill event organized by the Access Fund and American Alpine Club. [Photo] Derek Franz

Climber delegation lobbies Congress on behalf of public lands

Approximately 50 climbers lobbied Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, as part of the Access Fund and American Alpine Club’s Climb the Hill event on May 11. Those in attendance included Quinn Brett, Tommy Caldwell, Peter Croft, Sasha DiGiulian, Caroline Gleich, Alex Honnold, Shelma Jun, Kai Lightner, Mikhail Martin and Libby Sauter. Virginia Senator and former Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Kaine gave an impromptu speech at the end of the day thanking the climbers for sharing their voices in support of public lands. “This was a watershed moment for climbers in terms of our political clout,” said Access Fund Executive Director Brady Robinson.