The Flash: Rock+Run Blog

This week's video comes straight from Sheffield where we're taken on a whistle stop tour through time alongside Adam Ondra and Magnus Midtbø. Embarking on this journey around some of the UK climbing scene's most significant spots with legends Jerry Moffat and Ben Moon, Adam and Magnus cut their teeth on some Sheffield classics. In this one we visit Pod's Wall, a tricky, pre-indoor brick wall testing ground found by Pete O'Donovan in the late 70's, and Moon's famous school room where board training was officially birthed. 

Organic pads have long been at the pinnacle of the bouldering mat market, becoming the premium go-to for keen boulderers everywhere with unique patchwork patterns and the unbeatable quality that can only come from a handmade product. But, are Organic pads still the best in the business? I've been test driving a full Organic pad set up with a Full Pad, Simple Pad, Slider Pad and the Muffin Protector and Load Flap accessories to find out just how good they really are.

This week's video comes from our backyard here in the South Lakes where supreme Scot, Will Bosi, takes on a host of the 8th grade classics. Taking in the quiet, woodland covered limestone of Woodwell and the crisp rhyolite of Kentmere, Bosi samples some of our favourite after-work venues - the only difference between our respective trips being the difficulty of the climbing!

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.

This week's video is yet the latest from climbing's best, Adam Ondra. Coming to us from the cave that has become synonymous with the pinnacle of the sport climbing scene, Adam shows us around his latest Flatanger undertaking - Project BIG. A monstrous line, Project BIG is the king line of the Flatanger cave and stands as the last great, unclimbed project there with Ondra having previously been intimidated by its huge presence. Rumoured to be harder than Silence 9c, Jakob Schubert (trying the route alongside Adam) says he's not sure a more substantial project exists. Check out these two climbing giants taking on their biggest project to date below.

This week's video comes from the Sender One gym in Los Angeles where renowned Italian climber, Stefano Ghisolfi, is taking a quick pit stop on the way to Bishop. This isn't a regular stop off for Ghisolfi however, who attempts to climb over 100 boulders in the gym inside an hour's time limit. Can he do it? Click below to find out.

Mellow are back with another mega bouldering line from Shawn Raboutou. Nestled in the Colorado trees, this long standing project got its name from a pet Chameleon and becomes the latest next level test piece that falls to the sword of Raboutou. Comprising of a punchy V15 start and finishing up TRON, V14, MEGATRON is only the fifth boulder ever to achieve the V17 grade - making Shawn the first climber in the world to climb two boulders at the grade. Check out the send footage below. Enjoy!

The Siurana rope is a keenly priced rope that I’ve been testing for the last few months. I’ve used it mainly sport climbing in the UK, with the occasional trad outing and a bit of top roping and indoor training thrown in. In a nutshell, the Siurana is a medium-diameter sport climbing rope that is suited to a wide variety of climbs. It clocks in at 9.6mm diameter, and comes in lengths of 30, 40, 50, 60 and 80 metres – a good range with something for everyone.

Sustainable excellence in a comfortable, breathable package - the Red Chili Ventic Air Lace is without a doubt the nicest climbing shoe experience I’ve ever had.

Like much of the competition, Red Chili have opted to make their latest all-rounder shoe with a knitted upper. Plucked from the big branded world of trainers, these softer knit fabrics have become synonymous with the comfy shoe in any brand’s line up. Promising a more forgiving fit on top of the foot and offering more breathability than the classic climbing shoe uppers, the benefits of this new material’s climbing shoe infiltration are clear. But, how will it affect performance and how will it stand up to the rigours of regular climbing? More on this below.

This week's video comes from Verzasca Dam in Switzerland, the site of Red Bull's recently held multi pitch climbing competition, the Dual Ascent. Our video pick follows Bouldering Bobat as they take on this insane challenge alongside a host of other professional climbers. At a daunting 220 metres in height, the dam is massive and consists of 6 pitches. During Red Bull's event, two teams of professional climbers race side by side up identical routes from bottom to top. Here, Bobat are on the warm up route and even this looks incredibly tough, check it out!