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Welcome to our Blog where you will find a large collection of informative articles and videos for new and experienced climbers, runners and outdoor enthusiasts.
We are particulary proud of our in-depth Product Reviews and associated Buying Guides. We have a series on The Basics, for those new to, or are interested in climbing. We also have a wealth of Product Information and Brand Profiles and much much more.
We know that there is a vast amount of belay devices available on the market, so we thought it may be helpful to outline the different types of belay devices on offer and give a brief summary of the individual belay devices that we stock. Hopefully this will give you a better understanding when either choosing your first belay device, or deciding you want to try a different type.
Will Bosi has been on another hard sport sending spree, this time at the mecca of British sport climbing – Raven Tor. Making the long-awaited second ascent of Steve McClure’s 1998 masterpiece, ‘Mutation’, on the 31st of October, Will clipped the chains on the long-standing open project, ‘Brandenburg Gate’, but a week later on the 7th of November. Bosi gave both routes a grade of 9a+, an upgrade for McClure’s Mutation which he originally graded 9a back in ’98. Brandenburg Gate was rumoured to be around the 9b mark having thwarted the likes of John Gaskins in the early 2000s, but Will managed to make the impressive ascent on his first ‘proper’ red point session.
As the night’s draw in and the temperatures plummet, adventures in the mountains transform through autumn’s glorious colours to winter’s snowy dustings. With the inevitable thrill of a wintery mountain landscape comes the need for a few specialist bits of kit to keep you safe, warm and happy in the cold. Here are 5 bits of kit we think you should consider for a wonderful winter.
This week’s video takes us back to September 2006 when a primed Chris Sharma made the first ascent of Es Pontás (9a+), an incredible line through the middle of a beautiful, free-standing limestone arch off the coast of Mallorca. The climb is defined by its huge, seven-foot dyno in the middle of the route.
In October 1986, Johnny Dawes made the first ascent of a climb which defined a generation, a pitch described by Paul Williams in his 1989 guidebook as being ‘of such appalling difficulty as to be almost beyond the realms of human comprehension’. The climb is, of course, The Indian Face E9 – a terrifying slab which claims centre stage on Cloggy (Clogwyn Du'r Arddu), a wall steeped in heritage, perched high on the sides of Snowdon. This short film proves a wonderful insight into the history of the route and the characters that ultimately shaped its story.
Want to know what it takes to climb boulders at the highest level? Well, this week’s video comes straight from Red Rocks where Mad Rock athletes, Matt Fultz, Ethan Pringle and Taylor McNeill get together to take down some of the area’s supreme lines. From first ascents to repeats of Red Rock’s sandstone classics, the trio approach their projects in a variety of styles, utilising a diverse range of tactics to send. Mimicking their different personalities, their distinctive approaches to projecting give us a great insight into what you need to climb at the very limit – patience, grit and a whole lot of determination.