Capris pants might not seem likely the manliest of pants, but in this “in-between” cool and warm weather, some rock climbers might want more of their legs covered without constricting movement. The Patagonia Men’s Rock Craft Capris will do the trick, as these are made of lightweight stretch-woven nylon with moisture-shedding DWR (durable water repellent) finish and feature 40-UPF sun protection. They cover more of the leg but still provide plenty of movement.
Tag: rock climbing
Mountains to Climb
We never really expected the mountain to come to Mohammed; hence Mohammed had to go to the mountain. After all mountains go to no man – or can they? A German company is looking to build artificial climbing structures that are much more than just a climbing wall.
Those walls in the gyms looking nothing like the terrain found in nature so Climb Up!-Kletterwelt is now creating a man-made mountain that eliminates the needs for colored holds. Instead it offers crevices, ledges and protrusions that climbers can expect to find in the real world. Unlike the real world however the Climb Up mountains will feature integrated safety cables bolted to the climbing surfaces that can be used with a ferrata clip harness so there is no need for a belayer.
CLIMB UP! – Kletterwelt is looking to build the mountains as part of a park near Berlin, and recently it launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to raise the mountain. Continue reading Mountains to Climb
The You Pad
The Iceman cometh with the Evolv Iceman Crash Pad, a specially designed padding for those partaking in the sport of bouldering – which is one that involves short climbs without ropes or other protection. Since these can involve falls onto the hard ground the crash pad is a must.
The Iceman Crash Pad features 1000D and 500D cordura nylon fabric that can stand up to quite a bit of abuse, while the closed-cell dense foam will be able to absorb climbers in many, many landings. What goes up must come down and for those who lose a grip it is better to come down on this crash pad.
Over Yonder
If you’re looking to head over yonder and see the world, then load up the iPhone with the free mobile Yonder App, which makes it easy to find great outdoor destinations. Users can further track their adventures with geo-tagged video and images, follow other users, and share experiences with the Yonder community and other social networks.
Yonder automatically identifies a user’s current location and displays a feed of nearby places to explore. Users can filter the feed by one of 18 different activities including hiking, biking, rock climbing, kayaking and more.
Weekend Reading List (08.17.2013): Wall to Water, Electric Charged Up, miWay
Wall to Water
From Gear Junkie: Climbing Comp: A 50-ft Wall, Only Water Below to Catch Your Fall…
Last weekend in Park City, Utah, some of the best climbers in the world competed in an event unlike anything else in the sport.
The Psicobloc Masters Series was the first major deep-water soloing competition held in the U.S. Climbers competed head-to-head on identical routes up a 50-foot wall, no ropes or harnesses, just a massive swimming pool below to catch their fall. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (08.17.2013): Wall to Water, Electric Charged Up, miWay
Triple Protection
Those who partake in multiple sports know that the same equipment doesn’t always cross over, but the new Cébé Trilogy helmet might just live up to its name. This helmet doesn’t actually offer triple the protection, but it can provide protection for three sports. It was designed to meet European standards for mountain biking (CEN 1078), skiing (CEN 1077) and mountaineering (CEN 12492).
Since a winter helmet isn’t the same as a summer helmet, the Trilogy’s modular design allows it to adjust as the season’s chance. A visor can be added for summertime mountain cycling, while ear pads and vent plugs can be used when skiing or snowboarding, and with a few change outs be ready for anything in between.
Weekend Reading List (03.16.2013): Climbing Tower, Back Country Dangers, Mad Snacks, Charlie Don’t Surf
Climbing Tower
From GearJunkie: Industrial Wasteland Transformed into Climbing Paradise (in Buffalo, NY)
Buffalo, New York, isn’t a climbing hot spot, but it appears that could be about to change. A project dubbed Silo City Rocks is renovating a 100-year-old grain elevator on the Buffalo River into one of the largest and most unique climbing facilities in North America. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (03.16.2013): Climbing Tower, Back Country Dangers, Mad Snacks, Charlie Don’t Surf
Climbers Glass
Those who enjoy rock climbing maybe inspired to grab one of the glasses from CruzMugs. Each one features an artificial climbing hold. While it could actually make it harder to get a grip on the glass we’re sure those who frequent climbing walls might like it.
Treadmill on the Wall
This past summer we noted the Climblock Rotor Wall, a rotating climbing wall that was ideal for those with big bucks and bigger space. While the Climblock could see its way to gyms and fitness clubs it just won’t work in most homes.
But the Treadwall could be the answer. This machine offers a 4 foot wide climbing area and works much like a treadmill – except that it is vertical instead of horizontal obviously. It is still 10 feet tall, so probably not ideal for those with low ceilings. The M4 Base model comes as a vertical only unit that is affordable but can be used against a wall, while the M4 PRO even offers a +5 to -20 degree angle to up the challenge.
Outdoor Retailer Show Preview: Climbing Helmet
When climbing the last thing you want is extra weight, but sometimes having a helmet is a good idea. Fortunately SIROCCO from Petzl has a compromise in mind with an ultra-lightweight brain bucket that is just 165 grams. It is features a monobloc construction that takes advantage of expanded polypropylene (EPP) to minimize the weight while still being able to provide excellent impact resistance.
And since having a free hand is a lot to ask for, and two free hands is often a luxury many climbers don’t have, the helmet’s magnetic buckle allows the chinstrap to be attached with one hand.
Forget Camping in the Woods, Try Camping in the Trees
Camping is typically done in the woods (albeit many kids probably do “camp” in the backyard), but now a German adventure mountain is offering campers the chance to actually spend the night hanging off the tree tops! Waldseilgarten in Pfronten, Bavaria hosts adventure nights out during the summer months, where guests can sleep in a portaledge that hangs off a cliff or from a tree. The hanging tent system si the same that is used by rock climbers on multiple day climbs and features a fabric-covered platform supported by a metal frame and is suspended from a secured single point. Guests can only ascend or descend with rope assistance, so planning ahead for nature’s call should be considered.
Guests receive rope climbing training before getting to call it a night in the trees, and trained staff are on hand to aid guests. In the winter months hardly campers can even build their own igloo and sleep near the summit. Whether in the summer or winter months, Waldseilgarten certainly seems to take adventure camping to new heights.
Waldseilgarten Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Extreme Camping in the Trees]
MotionSports Adrenaline Gets Momentum on Xbox, PS3
Ubisoft just released MotionSports Adrenaline for the Xbox 360 Kinect and PlayStation Move for the PlayStation 3. The game takes advantage of the motion-sensing controls to encourage movement. MotionSports Adrenaline has a number of extreme activities such as wingsuit, mountain bike, rock climbing, kayak, kitesurf, extreme skiing.
Continue reading MotionSports Adrenaline Gets Momentum on Xbox, PS3
Virtually Climbing Your Way to the Top
Most games played on the Nintendo Wii require the user to stand and move around. This is likely to be true for the upcoming HardGrip from Human Soft. HardGrip is an extreme rock climbing game for the motion-based system. Using the Wii MotionPlus grip players will grab on, take a foothold, and rock faces in exotic locales. The game is expected to include competition with play against other opponents, and include races and scores for technical climbs. HardGrip will first be released for the Wii, but the game developer said Human Soft is working on versions of the game for additional, upcoming motion-based game systems.
Developer: Human Soft