FREE AS CAN BE Jordan [left] and Mark [right] summoning Ben Moon in the traditional fashion, Samuel Crossley Congrats on the film, I really enjoyed it!  Mark: Yeah I think it turned out well, I was really happy. You know, I’m just in it, Sam really put it together so I was super happy with the way he did it. Samuel: It was nice working with Mark because I could mostly just have fun. When I was filming I was pretty serious if I knew I needed something to make sure the film was good, but most of the time we were just out there having fun and I was just tagging along. the harder filmmaking t ..read more

Simon Madden looks at the newest of the Big Climbing Films Warning: this article contains big time spoilers, if you don’t want to know what happens in the film The Alpinist then do not read it. ‘I don’t want to sound grim or fatalistic’, Marc-André Leclerc is standing in a hostel kitchen in El Chalten, Argentinian Patagonia, ‘but it is undeniable that every time you go to the mountains, it could be your last time.’ He is answering the question of what he eats for his final meal before a big climb. ‘So all these things that you love, you have to appreciate. Whatever dinner you would want to pos ..read more

Simon Madden on slaying your spirit guide The Child’s right hand slaps again and again at the blunt ledge, hoping for a better hold, failing to see the big side-pull above, too pumped in mind and body to make good decisions, failing to throw a heel up, too afraid  to commit for the vision of pinging off and cratering into a wall that has been responsible for more than a few limps and cracked skulls. The Child’s grimace sours even more, he makes a skittering move back towards the spike jug halfway across the traverse. Then whoosh, the blur, he is off. It was then that he, Oedipus, slayed m ..read more

Anna Deng reviews the new Australian anthology, More Than it Hurts. At turns poignant and conversational, the new anthology More Than it Hurts edited by Wendy Bruere and Emily Small, celebrates stories of womxn that capture a universal sense of suffering, belonging and fulfillment from their exploits in the mountains and beyond. Drawing deeply from different formative experiences spanning continents, pregnancies and deaths, this anthology gives voice to diverse accomplishments that are appealingly honest and vulnerable in their struggles. In “The Hardest Project to Send”, Coz Fleming intima ..read more

The Sydney Bouldering Series kicked off this last weekend, this is a short preview of what it’s all about and how you can get involved. What is the Sydney Boulder Series? The Sydney Boulder Series is a premier pumpfest competition across five rounds and featuring five gyms. Climbers will compete at each gym on separate dates and log their scores into the Fingercomps App. This will summit in an exhilarating finals event at Nomad Bouldering for Open A and Open B competitions. How does the boulder series work? Each round runs in a pumpfest format. This means you’ll have three hours to climb your ..read more

Parks Victoria released its new draft management plan for Gariwerd/Grampians last year. We take a look at the draft from a climbing perspective. What does the Greater Gariwerd Landscape Management Plan mean for climbing? It vastly decreases the opportunities for roped climbing – particularly hard, quality climbing – and it basically eliminates bouldering.  We truly believe that the cultural and environmental values of the park need to be protected, because they are the very things that make us want to spend time in Gariwerd. We support Traditional Owners as co-managers of the park, we’d b ..read more

Moves are afoot to initiate a climbing peak body in Victoria. Sport Climbing Victoria (SCV) in conjunction with Outdoors Victoria (OV), and with support from Sport & Recreation Victoria, has just released a draft report investigating the options for the form the peak body may take. We speak to Phil Goebel from Sport Climbing Victoria, and Andrew Knight and Chris Ali from Outdoors Victoria about the report and its recommendations, and how climbers can give their feedback. Why does Victoria need a climbing peak body? Participation in climbing has grown substantially in recent years and this ..read more

Simon Madden looks at the newest of the Big Climbing Films Warning: this article contains big time spoilers, if you don’t want to know what happens in the film The Alpinist then do not read it. ‘I don’t want to sound grim or fatalistic’, Marc-André Leclerc is standing in a hostel kitchen in El Chalten, Argentinian Patagonia, ‘but it is undeniable that every time you go to the mountains, it could be your last time.’ He is answering the question of what he eats for his final meal before a big climb. ‘So all these things that you love, you have to appreciate. Whatever dinner you would want to pos ..read more

Simon Madden looks at the newest of the Big Climbing Films Warning: this article contains big time spoilers, if you don’t want to know what happens in the film The Alpinist then do not read it. ‘I don’t want to sound grim or fatalistic’, Marc-André Leclerc is standing in a hostel kitchen in El Chalten, Argentinian Patagonia, ‘but it is undeniable that every time you go to the mountains, it could be your last time.’ He is answering the question of what he eats for his final meal before a big climb. ‘So all these things that you love, you have to appreciate. Whatever dinner you would want to pos ..read more

Simon Madden on slaying your spirit guide The Child’s right hand slaps again and again at the blunt ledge, hoping for a better hold, failing to see the big side-pull above, too pumped in mind and body to make good decisions, failing to throw a heel up, too afraid  to commit for the vision of pinging off and cratering into a wall that has been responsible for more than a few limps and cracked skulls. The Child’s grimace sours even more, he makes a skittering move back towards the spike jug halfway across the traverse. Then whoosh, the blur, he is off. It was then that he, Oedipus, slayed m ..read more