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Article Staying Alive! Climbing and Risk

These days, climbing is often lazily described as a sport and sponsored climbers glibly branded as athletes. While competition climbing certainly is a sport, there's a lot more to climbing than competitions alone. Many climbing disciplines involve significant risk. Getting it wrong may result in serious injury – or even death. So how do you avoid getting it wrong? Mick Ward asks...

42 9 Jun

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Interview Q&A with Bronwyn Hodgins on her Free Ascent of Golden Gate

4 7 Jun

Mind and Matter - Climbing and Body Image

While researching for this essay I watched 'LIGHT', a film by Caroline Treadway. The film depicts the dark underbelly of body image in rock climbing. Within it, she articulately depicts how a few dirt bags drinking beer and making visionary first...

2 3 Jun

Millican Dalton - The Professor of Adventure

Iona Glen tells the story of Millican Dalton (1867-1947), a self-styled 'Professor of Adventure' who lived in a cave in Borrowdale and led camping and climbing trips in the vicinity of Keswick. Photos by kind permission of the Fell and Rock...

16 20 May

Mountain Plants in the UK – Undervalued and Under Threat?

Upland ecologist Barbara Jones writes about the mountain plants that can be spotted on UK...

14 18 May

We've Got History

Jules McKim writes about those who've climbed before us...

17 13 May

Rockfax Digital Deep Dives Rockfax Digital Deep Dives Part 1 - The Data Pipeline

Our developers go into some of the technical aspects of how Rockfax Digital works under the...

13 12 May

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Destinations

Scrambling Lake District Scrambles: 10 of the best

John Fleetwood, author of Cicerone's two updated Lake District scrambling guides, lifts the lid on some of his favourite hands-on routes on the fells.

19 Apr

Avalanched on the Lancet Edge - a Cautionary Tale

Mountain rescue expert Dave 'Heavy' Whalley recalls a serious incident in the early 1970s, a time when avalanches in Scotland were poorly understood. These days we have far more information to help make safe decisions - if we choose to use it.

12 Nov, 2020

South-West Sport Climbing

September heralded the fast approaching end of the summer climbing season with many praying for an eternal Indian summer to get that last project clean. However, truth be told, the deteriorating weather can turn many crags into a dank seeping mess within...

27 7 Oct, 2020

Scrambling Classic Scramble - The Dubh Ridge

With acres of perfect slabs in a stunning island location, the Dubh Ridge isn't only one of the longest rock climbs in the UK, but...

5 24 Aug, 2020

A Guide to Climbing Trips in Europe by Train

Train travel enthusiast Amy Underwood Thompson shares some tips for planning and enjoying more...

63 22 Jul, 2020

Chamonix Jams

John McCune takes us on a tour and relives his experiences on the best of Chamonix's jamming cracks. As mixed climbing conditions become...

16 24 Jun, 2020

Stoney Middleton - Historical Relic or Overlooked Gem?

Stoney's legendary polished walls have been a forcing ground for generations and many...

63 8 Jun, 2020

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Climbing Skills

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Bouldering Sport Trad Alpine Winter Indoor Training Mountaineering

Montane Alpine Preparation Alpine Preparation - When To Travel and What's Open

In this video, Rebecca Coles details when best to plan your alpine trip. Seasons play a crucial part in...

5 7 Jun

Strength-Based Yoga and its Benefits for Climbing

Climber, yoga teacher and wellbeing coach Tiffany Soithongsuk outlines the transformational benefits of strength-based yoga movement on climbing development, with some take-away exercises...

7 Jun

camping Camp Cuisine - five energy packed dinners for better-fed backpacking

Too many people who eat hills for breakfast don't pay much attention to what they eat for dinner afterwards, says food writer and hillwalker Fliss Freeborn. Using proper ingredients, with no recourse to dehydrated mush, these...

12 19 May

camping Environmental Etiquette - the dos and don'ts on hills and crags

From fires and litter to traffic and transport, Carla Broom examines the ways that walkers and climbers can minimise their impact at a time when our beauty spots have never been busier.

26 Apr

How to Get Back to Grips with Climbing Post-Lockdown

As we return to outdoor and indoor climbing following a long lay-off, our physical and mental state likely differ from what they were in the pre-pandemic days. To avoid injury, frustration or burn-out, it's important that we ease ourselves...

4 20 Apr

Using Boards for Training Mindset & Technique

Using Boards for Training Tactics and Planning

Using Boards for Training Training Methods

Ballet Exercises for Climbers

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In Focus

A Brief History The Ghost of Bonatti - A Brief History of the Petit Dru Rock Scar

8 27 May

Culm Dancing Bumbly Exploration on Culm Adventures

3 17 May

Culm Dancing Culm Ice Memories

6 13 May

Out of this World The Rough Guide to Climbing in the Solar System

24 6 Apr

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Trip Reports

Post-Lockdown Alpine Antics

George Ponsonby recalls post-lockdown adventures in Chamonix... 19th March 2020. Matt and I were packing up to leave Chamonix to head back to Ireland. The hope that this virus thing would only last for a couple of wee...

10 25 May

British First Ascents in Patagonia

In the hazy, distant past before the current pandemic, a team of Brits enjoyed their own form of isolation in a remote valley in central Patagonia. In January 2020, Simon Smith, Alasdair Fulton, Graham Dawson and Rob Lovell travelled to the Sierra de...

3 20 May, 2020

Runnel Vision – An expedition to find adventure in Brazil

James Taylor reflects on a trip to Brazil in 2019 where a strong team aimed to free climb a new route on the south face of Pedra Baiana; an 800m granite monolith.

9 21 Apr, 2020