From the category archives:

Trad Climbing

Trad Climbing Techniques, Tricks, and Tips

by Tom Markiewicz on June 24, 2009

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!Rick from Cremnomaniac has complied a nice list of trad climbing techniques, tricks, and tips.
Trad climbing has lost some of its appeal, or is a smaller blip on the radar. I still know plenty of folks that prefer trad, but [...]

{ 1 comment }

The Accessorized Trad Climber from Pimpin and Crimpin

by Tom Markiewicz on March 27, 2009

Pimpin and Crimpin has a hilarious post up on the accessorized trad climber. Check it out and I guarantee you’ll laugh!
Duct Tape: For some reason that I will never understand, trad climbers have an affinity for duct tape that is almost as creepy as a mustachioed man winking at five year olds. What they do [...]

{ 0 comments }

Pre-Equalized Anchors and the American Death Triangle

by Tom Markiewicz on January 22, 2009

The American Alpine Institute points out a series of videos by Canadian climbing guide Mike Barter on the pre-equalization on anchors:
There is a little bit of controversy over pre-equalized anchors. Some feel that one leg of the anchor will get more force than another, which means that such an anchor could never be fully equalized. [...]

{ 0 comments }

The Nuts Museum slideshow and history

by Tom Markiewicz on January 13, 2008

ChossMonkey.com points us to The Nuts Museum where enormous amount of old climbing gear is displayed in a slideshow.
Along with tons of pictures of old gear, the article that accompanies the slideshow contains a history of nuts and other types of pro.
In 1961, a blacksmith from Sheffield, John Brailsford, then a teacher of engineering technology, [...]

{ 0 comments }

Crack climbing technique

by Tom Markiewicz on December 7, 2007

You can never have too much insight from great climbers on their technique. Steph Davis has an article on her blog, High Places, discussing her techniques for climbing cracks (via splitterchoss.com).
The key to pure crack climbing, as with every type of climbing, is the feet. I like to start from the basics, which with cracks, [...]

{ 2 comments }

Rock Climbing A to Z series

by Tom Markiewicz on March 31, 2005

Shady Goings On has started a nice series of posts entitled Rock Climbing A to Z with the first on N for nuts.

{ 0 comments }

Ode to a Pink Tricam

by Tom Markiewicz on January 29, 2005

Charles Danforth has a witty poem entitled “Ode to a Pink Tricam” on his Pink Tri-Cam Fan Page:
Whether you love it or hate it, everyone seems to have some strong opinion of our little pink friends. That’s right, the size 0.5 Tri-cam from Camp! Personally, I love the little buggers. No climb is complete until [...]

{ 0 comments }