The Flash: Rock+Run Blog

Everything you need, all in one place. Lake District local, Andy McVittie's (AKA Process Physio), fantastic new book The Self Rehabbed Climber might just be the most comprehensive climbing physio guide we've ever seen and, not just that, but it's actually quite fun to read too.

A detailed review of the Sea to Summit Women’s Flame FmIII Sleeping System, incorporating the Flame FmIII Down Sleeping Bag, Ether Light XT Insulated Mat and Aeros™ pillow.

This week's video comes from the beautiful Buttermilks where Nina Williams made an ascent of Ambrosia V11 in 2017. First ascended by Kevin Jorgenson in 2009, Ambrosia stands at a positively massive 50 feet tall and watching Nina on this certainly gave us sweaty palms, partly through fear but mostly with psych. Enjoy!

Having been in the Evolv line-up for many years now, the Shaman could be viewed alongside other stone cold classics such as the La Sportiva Miura or the Boreal Joker. The Shaman originally entered the range way back when as Chris Sharma’s signature model, and there was a time when nearly everyone had a pair. Over time the design has changed (evolved?) slightly, but the shoe itself never lost the broad appeal and features that made it popular in the first place.

Super soft sensitivity - the all new Red Chili Sensor does exactly what it says on the tin with an unrivalled set of supple skills that dominate indoor terrain. But beware, this is no one trick pony.

Since 1992 – SOTO (which is translated from the Japanese for “outdoors”) have been creating some of the best stoves in the world. SOTO’s history goes back to 1978 when parent company, Shinfuji Burner Company, began manufacturing and engineering industrial burners. Founded by Hajime Yamamoto with the goal of creating products that produce the maximum sustainable flame in least amount of time, Yamamoto was dedicated to generating and integrating the “Blue Flame” into every flaming device conceived. Realising the wide ranging uses for their technology, Shinfuji expanded into other areas outside of industrial and agricultural use. Eventually SOTO was formed to cater for the outdoor market.

This week's video comes from HowNOT2, an American channel that put climbing gear to the test, pushing it till it breaks and comparing the results to the figures published by the kit's supplier. This time it's the turn of the Petzl Micro Traxion with the HowNOT2 guys testing it to find the point at which it strips the sheath from a rope. The results are certainly interesting. Beware of the big whippers! Enjoy.

This week's video is a quick training hit from Lattice Training. In this latest video, coach Josh takes us through 3 quick exercises on a training board. Each of the exercises are super easy to follow, targeting the core strength vital for tackling problems through this steep terrain. Check them out below and have fun trying them out during your next session at the gym!

This week's video is another masterpiece from the sport climbing mecca, Flatanger Cave in Norway. This time it's the turn of the French powerhouse Seb Bouin - without a doubt 2022's most successful sport climber. Here he takes on a huge project, tackling multiple pitches to climb through the belly of the cave and up the impressive, if slightly easier, headwall. Originally imagined by Magnus Midtbö, the cave's whole line defies belief. Enjoy!

This week's video comes from the very familiar boulders of Switzerland where we join Daniel Woods and Mellow for a tour of Fionnay. Having had some time out of the climbing limelight with the young gun likes of Shawn Raboutou, Aidan Roberts and Will Bosi stealing the big bouldering tick headlines, it's nice to have some time to enjoy Daniel Woods' again. As strong as ever, we're treated to a vintage masterclass from Daniel who takes down an array of superb boulders with the highlight being a V14 flash. 

As we look forward to 2023, we're taking some time to look back at 2022 - the year we became 8 billion, saw international tensions rise and watched our political system descend into chaos, sounds pretty gloomy, right? Well yes but, amidst the malay of madness, 2022 saw the release of some superb outdoor gear and in this article we're going to be celebrating the products that made a serious splash. From cutting edge innovation to subtle improvements that flew beneath the radar, here are 5 of our favourite bits of kit from 2022.