5. Hot Aches Previewed Their Latest Film
In climbing filmmaking there are perhaps no more adept hands than those of Paul Diffley and Chris Precott of Hot Aches. Practically every film released by the Scottish duo is met by an answering cry of adulation from the climbing community and, more often than not, awards. They have a knack for finding the story in the individual’s climbing journey and are well-practiced at getting that across on screen. Their new project entitled ‘Transition’ promises both their signature storytelling and some truly compelling climbing footage as it tracks Natalie Berry’s progression from sport climber to all-round mountain athlete as she takes in trad, winter climbing, alpinism and skiing under the guidance of Britain’s best-known all-rounder, Dave MacLeod. This teaser video features Dave and Natalie making the first ascent of 'Toast' (E7 6c) on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.
4. Jimmy Webb Returned To ‘Livin’ Large’ (V15/8C)
There’s a strong contingent of US boulderers in Rocklands right now making the most of the Southern Hemisphere’s cooler season. Amongst them is Jimmy Webb who has returned to his long-standing project ‘Livin’ Large.’ The colossal V15 arête was established by Nalle Hukkataival in 2009 and is still awaiting a second ascent. A combination of the route’s highball style, technically challenging moves and the difficulty of finding good temperatures have prevented repeats thus far. Jimmy has experienced all of these so far and despite some 4:30am starts to catch the best temps, he has fallen off three times post-crux. With only a few days left in Rocklands, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it all comes together for Jimmy very soon!
3. Black Diamond Cams Got A Whole Lot Lighter
This week Black Diamond unveiled their latest range of gear set for release in the 2016 season. While many of their new products focussed on catering to the growing demographic of urban indoor climbers looking to make the transition outdoors, there was one important announcement for the traditionalists too. The ever-popular Black Diamond camalots now have a lightweight cousin, the Camalot Ultralights. Although details of the new design are thin on the ground at the moment, Black Diamond have stated that the design will “incorporate sculpted lobes and a patent-pending continuously looped Dyneema® core to replace the cable stem..." This Dyneema® core apparently helps contribute to more than 25% in weight savings, putting these new cams among the lightest on the market.” We’re excited to see how these new cams measure up and we hope to bring you more details from Outdoor 2015, taking place in just a fortnight’s time in Friedrichshafen, Germany. (To check out details of the current Camalot design, follow the link in the sidebar).
2 – The Women’s Boulder World Cup Got Decided Early
The penultimate round of the Bouldering World Cup took place in Haiyang, China this last weekend and, in taking second in the event, Akiyo Nguchi also scooped the overall title for the season. There is still the Munich round of the competition to go, but with an unassailable lead, Akiyo is assured overall victory while the remaining athletes must settle with competing for the remaining podium spots. Beating Akiyo to first in Haiyang was Petra Klingler who topped the podium for the first time since her days as a junior. Britain’s Shauna Coxsey finished off the women’s podium in third. Meanwhile in the men's draw, things are still undecided. Korean Jongwon Chon took gold in Haiyang ahead of Rustam Gelmanov in second and France's Alban Levier in third. In the overall standings, this puts Jongwon in first, narrowly ahead of Adam Ondra, Jan Hojer Nathaniel Coleman and Alban Levier. With all five men capable of making the overall podium depending on their performance at the final round in Munich, things look set for a truly nail-biting finish come August 15th. Who will take the title? Answers on a postcard please…or in the comments.
Ueli Steck sur le Matterhorn | EpicTV
1. Ueli Steck Summited The Matterhorn
For the world’s most accomplished alpinist this might not seem like such a big deal, after all he has climbed the Matterhorn many times before. However, this climb marks Ueli’s 36th summit in almost as many days as he continues on his 82 summits project; attempting to climb all of the 4,000 metre peaks in the Alps using a combination of walking, climbing and pedal-ower. You can keep up to date with the project by following the hashtag #82Summits on social media or by checking into Climbing Daily every Tuesday for regular updates from the man himself.
