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Madaleine Sorkin climbs by headlamp on Scenic Cruise in the Black Canyon on October 29. [Photo] Henna Taylor

Update: Scientists study loose flake in Black Canyon while Sorkin and Harlan climb for the Grief Fund

Madaleine Sorkin and Mary Harlan raised awareness for the Climbing Grief Fund by climbing two routes in the Black Canyon in a day on October 29. Their intentions to climb a third route were thwarted by rain. In May, a loose flake had resulted in a climbing closure that ended their earlier plans for a “24 Hours into the Black” linkup. Since then, the National Park Service has been studying the flake on South Chasm View Wall, and results are pending for December at the earliest. The flake is currently estimated to have a volume of 3,800 tons, which rivals the massive rockfalls that happened on El Capitan last year.

The author biking on Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park. [Photo] Zach Zehr

Suunto 9: A computer for athletes in the form of a wristwatch

Longtime climber and endurance athlete Quinn Brett tested the Suunto 9 wristwatch and found it to be mostly user-friendly, offering a wealth of data to assist mountain go-getters. Her main criticisms about the watch are its bulky size and some difficulty synchronizing the watch with her phone. Four stars.

Smith at the belay on Cyber Pasty Memorial (WI5+ M7+), Icefields Parkway, Alberta. [Photo] John Price

Alpinist story receives Best Mountaineering Article Award at Banff Book Competition

For the second year in a row, an Alpinist story has been selected for the Best Mountaineering Article Award in the Banff Mountain Book Competition. Alison Criscitiello’s story from Alpinist 59, titled “Contraindications,” was selected for the top prize in this category out of four finalists. “Contraindications,” is about Criscitiello’s close friend Anna Smith, who died at age 31 during an expedition in the Indian Himalaya.

Szu-ting Yi crosses Bonney Pass, with Mt. Helen (13,620') in the background. [Photo] Dave Anderson

Ride the Wind; Wind River Range, Wyoming

In this On Belay story from Alpinist 63, Szu-ting Yi recounts an attempt she made with her husband Dave Anderson to traverse 100-plus miles of the Wind River Range while climbing all 43 of its peaks that rise along the Continental Divide (and that are named in 2015 USGS maps). What started as a whimsical project for Yi soon transformed into a deeper search for independence as a woman and a climber.

[Photo] Mandi Franz

Climbing Addicts Chalk Blends In

A review of Climbing Addicts “Yosemite Gray” and “Wall Street Gold” Chalk prompts a treatise on climbing chalk by Alpinist Digital Editor Derek Franz. He found the camouflaged chalk to be as effective as anything else he’s used, and the grey and brown varieties blend in well with a range of rock types, including limestone, granite and sandstone. Five stars.