This past weekend, over 115 climbers descended on the Boulders Climbing Gym in Central Saanich to participate in the last local bouldering and first local speed and difficulty competitions of the Sport Climbing BC (SCBC) calendar. Affectionately called the “triple-header” the event was conceived as a way to get athletes to try a climbing discipline they may not otherwise compete in. The event, running from January 10-11, used an on-site format for the competitive/ranked categories for difficulty/lead and bouldering, and the world record format for speed. Results were taken from qualifying rounds, making it easier to fit the three different disciplines in to one weekend.

Spectators looking down at the action. Photo courtesy of Ken Chow ©.

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It has been an exciting two weeks in the climbing world. A renewed faith in the impossible and a testament to the love we have for our sport. Watching Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgenson top out today while texting those who were cheering them on was a special moment for climbing. Here are two (one and two) on the latest from the New York Times that we enjoyed the most.

European climbing does not always get a lot of local coverage in North America. Often, we hear all about the big players in the game but rarely do we keep tabs on those individuals who continue to push the limits in their local areas.

This spring, I had the opportunity to hang out with Manuel Brunn in Joe’s Valley, Utah. Manuel Brunn is a climber from Germany who has lived in the Frankenjura area for the past 15 years. First, and foremost, Manu is a really fun guy to hang out with and always up for a laugh. He is a major proponent of time off from climbing and values new experiences above all other pursuits.

This being said, Manuel Brunn is no stranger to difficult climbing. Manu has had multiple ascents of difficult routes and boulders, including The Essential (9a), The Elder Statesmen (9a), and Montecore (8c) in the Frankenjura. He recently sent From Dirt Grows the Flowers (8C) in Chironico. Squamish Climbing Magazine had the chance to ask Manu a few questions about his recent send, his philosophy around rest, and future plans. Here is what he had to say.

Manu on Baroness (8c) in the Frankenjura. Photo by Markus Bauer ©.

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For those of you who have been in anticipation of the Vancouver International Film Festival, the committee just released the films they will be showing this year. The film festival takes place from February 13th to 21st, 2015. There are a few notable nights for climbers and we have listed them below.

Monday, Feb 16th, 2015 – VIMFF Climbing Show

This one should be on everyone’s calendar, as it is the first time (that I know of) that Adam Ondra has spoken in Vancouver. This night also includes the films Project Mina and African Fusion. For those who missed our review of Project Mina, you can still find it here.

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015 VIMFF Raw: Rock, Air, Water

This night features Jim Martinello and is really worth a look. Although rather elusive, Jim has played a major role in the development of climbing in the Sea to Sky corridor. I am sure he has a lot of interesting things to say about his adventures. He will be presenting a four part series featuring an adventure that includes the likes of Tim Emmett, Sean Leary, Jimmy Marginally and Trevor McDonald.

Saturday February 21st, 2015 VIMFF Finale

The final night of VIMFF features the always entertaining Sonnie Trotter along with a number of climbing films Stone Free and Sufferfest II: Desert Alpine. This one will also be worthy of a good night out!

Stay tuned for more on the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival from Squamish Climbing Magazine. The full list of the event can be found here.

Nalle Hukkataival has made a repeat of The Nest (8C) in Red Rocks, Nevada. This problem was first discovered by Kenny Barker. Source: UKClimbing.

The Dawn Wall push continues to go well, with a report of Kevin Jorgenson being two pitches away from the Wino Ledge, where everything seems to get easier. Source: Rock and Ice.

This weekend, the Tour De Bloc made its way to Elevation Place in Canmore, AB. With competitors from across the country, the Canmore stop for the Tour de Bloc was a time for new faces to appear and for the old guard to show their stuff.

Birds eye of Elevation Place. Photo courtesy of Pam Eveleigh.©

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Thanks to Andy White, Squamish Climbing Magazine is pleased to be a part of this exclusive teaser release of a new bouldering film featuring the Okanagan Valley. Over the past few years, the Okanagan bouldering scene has come alive. The following is a teaser for the feature film ‘Out of the Shadows’ by Clayton Amall and Andy White.

Here are the final results for the Lead (Difficulty) disipline of the Sport Climbing BC Triple Header this weekend.

Women’s Open

1. Delany Miller
2. Alannah Yip
3. Allison Stewart Patterson

Men’s Open

1. Ryder Hoy
2. Ben Hughes
3. Matthew Wellington

Again, special thanks to Gavin Johnson for reporting the results of this weekend. Congratulations to everyone who competed. Look for our post comp coverage on Tuesday. For those who are interested, Open Boulder Provincials will be taking place at The Edge January 31st, 2015. For information, please check this link.

For those who don’t know James Lucas, he is one of a kind. A long staple in the North American climbing scene, James is the last standing ‘dirtbag’ (although looking at his current pedigree, he may be living indoors more than we think!). James lives in and around the Bay area for part of the year but most likely you can find him anywhere from Yosemite Valley, CA to Squamish, BC. If your really lucky, you may find him at your local Yuk Yuk’s making people laugh. James was an original contributor to Squamish Climbing Magazine and we thought it would be cool to get his take on Yosemite Valley right now.

Photo courtesy of Michael Pang.

You were in Yosemite all week. What was it like there with all the hoopla?

The Valley’s pretty empty and quiet except for El Cap meadow. The tourists buses park next to the meadow and throngs of camera toting visitors point their cameras at El Cap looking for the climbers. Most people point their cameras in the wrong direction.

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