Skip to content
Home » free » Page 13

free

The author using the Trango Vergo to rappel down into the Zen Wall near St. George, Utah. [Photo] Catherine Houston

The Trango Vergo: Assisted braking made easier for belays

Mountain Standards Gear Review: IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide Mike Lewis announces that the Trango Vergo has replaced the Petzl Grigri in his kit, awarding the Trango Vergo five stars. He writes: “Having been a die-hard fan of the…Grigri for more than 20 years, I now proclaim that after less than three months of using the Trango Vergo assisted braking belay and rappel device, I am officially a Vergo convert. A light sadness trickles through my body in making this bold statement.”

Overview of Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll's solo Moonwalk Traverse (Fitz Roy massif, south to north: 5.11, 50° snow/ice, 4000m). [Image] Courtesy of Rolando Garibotti, PatagoniaVertical.com

Interview with Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll about his solo traverse of Patagonia’s Fitz Roy massif (the Moonwalk Traverse)

From February 5 to 10, Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll soloed Patagonia’s Fitz Roy massif. It was only the second time the technical, 5+ kilometer ridgeline has been traversed since Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold pulled it off in 2014, and O’Driscoll climbed it in the opposite direction, south to north. He dubbed his version the Moonwalk Traverse (5.11, 50° snow/ice, 4,000m).

Mikey Arnold leading the WI5+ curtain pitch on the Cascade de Bonatchiesse. [Photo] Rob Coppolillo

Edelrid Starling Protect Pro Dry 8.2mm Rope: Handles well, highly cut resistant

Mountain Standards Gear Review: IFMGA guide Rob Coppolillo has been testing a set of Edelrid Starling Protect Pro Dry 8.2mm Twin/Half ropes in Chamonix for the past several months. The Protect design adds a high degree of cut-resistance to the sheath, though it also adds some dollars and grams to the bottom line. After using the ropes on about 50 pitches of rock and 15 pitches on ice, in addition to some deliberate abuse on some sharp edges, he writes: “I think the Starling 8.2 makes a ton of sense on multipitch alpine rock.” Five stars.

K2 (8611m) is pictured here in summer. The Abruzzi Spur—the route used by all the expeditions this winter—follows the right-hand skyline. [Photo] Svy123, Wikimedia Commons

JP Mohr Prieto, Muhammad Ali Sadpara and John Snorri are missing, presumed dead on K2

Since the 10-person team of Nepali climbers completed the first winter ascent of K2 (8611m) on January 16, there have been two confirmed deaths and three other climbers have gone missing on the mountain. Atanas Skatov (Bulgaria) and Sergi Mingote (Spain) died from falls while descending from lower camps, on February 5 and January 16, respectively. Meanwhile Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto (Chile), Muhammad Ali Sadpara (Pakistan) and John Snorri Sigurjonsson (Iceland) have been missing since February 5, when they were last seen near the Bottleneck at approximately 8200 meters. They are presumed dead. So far there have been multiple helicopter searches while search teams on foot have been halted by adverse weather.

The north face of the Grand Teton with the approximate route of the North Buttress Direct drawn in red. The photo was taken from somewhere between Teewinot and Mt. Owen while on the Grand Traverse route a week earlier. [Image] Justin Bowen

Finding a new route on the Grand Teton: the North Buttress Direct (5.10+ R)

Justin Bowen’s dream came true this past August when his research confirmed that a potential route he’d been eyeing for years on the Grand Teton’s north face had somehow remained overlooked by other climbers. He enlisted his friend Mark Jenkins to make the first ascent of the North Buttress Direct (5.10+ R, 14 pitches). Here is his story of their climb and the realization of a long-held fantasy.

Corey Buhay leads East Vail Falls (WI 3/4) with the Grivel Dark Machine ice tools. [Photo] Erica Givans

Grivel Dark Machines: A specialist’s tool for steep ice

US Ice Climbing Team Member and Ouray Ice Festival gold medalist Corey Buhay has been using the Grivel Dark Machines all season, from Colorado to Cody, Wyoming. In this report, she tells us where the Dark Machines shone, and where they left her swinging for something better. “What a pity that the glorious ease of use existed only for Cody’s steeper pitches. For many of the area’s ice climbs, the crux sections are stitched together with lower-angle WI2-3 gullies and slabs. On those portions of climbs…the arched profile of the Dark Machines proved to be more of a liability than an asset….” 3.5 stars.

Cesare Maestri [Photo] Courtesy of Giulio Malfer

Remembering Cesare Maestri (1929-2021)

Cesare Maestri, one of the most legendary figures in climbing history, died January 19 at age 91. Many of the most famous questions surrounding his career have to do with a certain tower in Patagonia–Cerro Torre–and his expeditions to its walls in 1959 and 1970. Italian climbing historian Luca Signorelli helps us remember other parts of the life of the man known as the “Spider of the Dolomites.”

Kilimanjaro (19,341'), with the Western Breach visible, as seen from Shira 1 Camp at 11,500 feet. [Photo] Christian Pondella

The Fight for Workforce Equity on Kilimanjaro

In this Wired story from Alpinist 72–which is now available on newsstands and in our online store–Marinel Malvar de Jesus collects stories of local guides and porters on Kilimanjaro as they confront the inequities of the mountain tourism industry and the new challenges of a global pandemic.

Ron Kauk on top of Uli Biaho, 1979. [Photo] Courtesy of the American Alpine Club

American Alpine Club’s 2021 Benefit Gala and Awards will be a free virtual event

As the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic continues, the American Alpine Club’s Annual Benefit Gala and award presentation will once again be held virtually on February 20. The good news is that for the first time ever this will allow anyone with an Internet connection to have free access to the speeches and award presentations with some of climbing’s biggest names. This year’s honorees are Ron Kauk, Kai Lightner, Joanne and Jorge Urioste, author and co-founder of Gripped Magazine David Smart, former AAC president Glenn Porzak, Congressman Raul Grijalva, and AAC volunteers Rick Merritt and Nancy Savickas. The online event will also include many special guests, including Tommy Caldwell, Meagan Martin, Kilian Jornet, Emily Harrington and more.