UKC

Erika Shorter of Uniform Creative Consultants takes a look at the future of technology within climbing and other adventure sports. Does technology sanitise the outdoor experience, enhance it, or a bit of both?

So what is the right and wrong technology? These four technological advancements in climbing and alpinism showcase technology that is playful, responsible, respectful, empowering and community-oriented. In other words, the tech we, as climbers and alpinists, want to see coming into our sport. The tech that makes us better athletes, a tighter community and protects our place of play.

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In reply to UKC Articles:

The future of technology and climbing is ... our product. Well there's a surprise.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Aww snap almost got the high-tech consultancy buzzword bingo! I had internet of things, virtual reality or empowering. Only missed big data and cloud.

What is described is NOT virtual reality and the Internet of Things is only a word to sell stuff, that doesn't apply to any actual technical concept.

Yours truly, an other consultant

In reply to UKC Articles:

Why, if new words are added to the dictionary, do words have to be removed?
Is there a word limit?
All of those words listed at the start of the article are still in use in the english language so why doesn't the dictionary just get bigger?

Genuine questions from someone who knows nothing about dictionaries!

In reply to UKC Articles:

This just screams sponsored article.

In reply to Dom Bush:

They were removed from a children's dictionary which I guess has a limit to the number of pages, & hence of words

In reply to UKC Articles:
Is Erika Shorter of Uniform Creative Consultants anything to do with Uniform Creative that's number 4 on the list, or it that a different Uniform Creative?

Seriously, this article is ridiculous. UKC is honestly losing credibility with this stuff. It's a bullshit advert dressed up as an article. And you can't even hide behind the 'well it's titled Press Release' like usual.

In reply to JayPee630:

Surely it's a coincidence, just like the rockfax app being #1.

In reply to UKC Articles:

4 Grip.
.... Imagine you could pull a hold off the wall and spin it around in front of you ...

Don't need virtual reality for that, just go down your local wall

In reply to Lusk:



Or climb on chalk!

In reply to UKC Articles:

Can Grip make you forget that you're in a dismal unit with identikit boring panels?

In reply to UKC Articles:
I saw Alpinism in the title and got a little excited thinking about what the future technology might behold, ice axes with heated handles, smart crampons, that retract when you climb on dry rock! nada, nothing relevant to Alpinism not a bean, oh well back to the drawing board.

In reply to Andy Clarke1965:

If you log in with your adult username you can see the extra paragraph explaining how you can load up those VR goggles with porn for those cold Alpine bivis

In reply to UKC Articles:

'What I find most promising about the Rockfax App is its ability to democratise the experience of climbing and make it personal - tailored.'

That's a proper trendy tech phrase there, but its just an app that lets you look at topos and descriptions on your phone.

In reply to Red Rover:

It's also a total load of bollocks, it's 'ability to democratise climbing'. Seriously, what a joke, who writes this complete drivel? Oh, someone working in that industry who's plugging their product.

In reply to JayPee630:


yup. nowt wrong with guidebook apps, theyre not for everyone but have their uses. but "Guides are expensive, and with good reason," ? Yup, manys the time I'v stood with my nose pressed up against a shop window in the november rain, looking longingly at the guidebook display, so tempting yet hopelessly out of my reach, knowing if only I could afford a guidebook instead of spending all my money on gruel I too could be frolicking on a crag

In reply to pebbles:

Yup, apps are great, but cloaking them in this language is just such obvious bollocks.

Guidebook cost vs. smartphone/contract or PAYG fee/app fee/electricity. Hmmmm...

Not to mention a fair few people with disabilities won't be able to use the smartphone app. Democratise climbing, what bullshit.

In reply to JayPee630:

I would love to hear John Redhead's thoughts on this :p

In reply to UKC Articles:

Who do you think paid the people that designed and maintains your logbooks? And uploads your pictures or even allows you to post in here? This is a commercial site, not a charity. It's just like the Daily Mirror, if you don't like it don't read it. And by the way, Uniform doesn't sell anything, that's just a research product that they thought it was worth exploring. What's wrong with that?

In reply to Ramon Marin:


Of course they do: namely, their services. They're a business - just as is this website (as you correctly point out.)

In reply to Ramon Marin:

Hmmm. UKC readers through ads?

Nothing against UKC advertising for itself, but when the boundaries between information and advertisement are voluntarily blurred, it's fair to make fun of the terrible result.

On the other hand I am grateful to UKC to allow us to comment on this kind of things. And even more grateful for other genuinely interesting articles about women climbing in Iran, climbers with disabilities, etc. So it's not quite black and white, there are very good areas and some that could be improved (imo).

In reply to drolex:

Indeed, and one of the reasons I'm so critical is partly in defence of all the other really amazing and great stuff UKC does for us. It'd be a real shame for this kind of drivel to start making the other stuff lose credibility by association.

In reply to UKC Articles:

The comments on this article are dire. As much as it is an advert, it is still cool to showcase the work people are doing that is different. UKC forum proving once again that been a critic is much easier than actually going out, trying something new and having fun doing it.

In reply to t_stork:

Have certainly seen far worse than this on ukc, seemed fairly interesting and well-written. Didn't particularly come across as over-salesmanship.

In reply to Andy Clarke1965:

Eh? The article clearly says that Fatmap 'solves the critical question of logistics' for 'skiers, snowboarders and alpinists'.

Job done!

In reply to UKC Articles:

A point about the VR technology stuff. At its core it is simply a way of allowing climbers to watch a video of how to do a problem. But why do you need this virtual reality headset and RF technology in the climbing holds. Why no have a good climber go around and video themselves doing all the problems, upload it to a website, then have those QR code things on the starting tags of a problem. Scan the QR with your phone, watch the video and away you go.