Hello! Facebook continues to be a pain, so I thought it would be best to publish the Information Package and the two waivers (the Alberta Government and SABA waivers) here, where they're easily accessible. The Information Package, both waivers, and the 2022 TdF Poster (featuring Will K. on New Cartel (V11ish)) can be found HERE - enjoy! It will help us out tremendously if you print off the waivers and fill them out prior to coming to the event; it'll make the lineup move incredibly quickly. See you there ..read more

Every year, I half-expect to find that my previous year was my last good year of climbing. The last year where I climbed reasonably hard things, or visited new areas, or became a better climber. Fortunately, this year wasn't that year! I did a lot of interesting things, a few projects, and worked away at my new guidebook. Here are some of the new things that pushed me forward in 2021!  (1) Progress on the new Frank Slide guidebook! The guidebook marches forward, though I put it on hiatus for a few months while I worked to finish some home renovations (somewhat ironically, in that a new w ..read more

Ah, yes! 2020! The year that has been so widely reviled and debased! The broad spread of the coronavirus responsible for COVID19 resulted in a number of governmental responses (both in Canada and abroad) designed to limit the epidemic. These policies may have helped limit mortalities, but certainly put a damper on the travelling plans of climbers across the globe. For example, I was in Roy, New Mexico when the initial restrictions were announced, forcing me to return home (quite) prematurely.   For myself (and MANY other climbers), this trend continued throughout the year. Spring bou ..read more

In the last few years, the number of boulder problems at Frank Slide has continued to grow.  I first estimated that Frank Slide 'probably' held more than 1000 problems (it certainly does!), then later declared that it would 'probably' have a maximum of about 1500 problems.  So far, my 'probablys' have been wrong, as the problem count at The Slide has likely passed 1700 problems, and is headed to a number somewhere around 2000 problems. With such an overwhelming number of problems to choose from, many visitors to the Slide find themselves a bit overwhelmed.  With the resources a ..read more

Even after decades of being immersed in the world of climbing, I am still pleasantly surprised that new adventures and challenges continually crop up.  Lots of exciting things happened in my climbing life this year, and as always, I've written up a "Top Ten Climbing Things That Happened" List for 2019.  So here's a look back at 2019, and a bit of a look forward into the future. 1.  First Ascents!  As always, my drive to climb new problems and routes defines much of my climbing life.  There's something about doing a first ascent that excites me in ways that repeat ..read more

In the early 1990s, at the age of 20, I learned to climb in Edmonton at the (now defunct) climbing wall located in the corner of the Butterdome at the University of Alberta.  I had wanted to climb for many years, but growing up in the farmland of northern Alberta precluded any mountain adventures.  After a winter of indoor climbing, I ventured forth to climb the rock faces and canyons of Jasper, first with my brother Wayne and then with a growing family of like-minded climbing folk.  Climbing was less urbane and sedate then, and with a genuine sense of adventure we explored the ..read more

Several years ago, the Tour de Frank was conceived by fellow Frank Slide 'local' Mark Derksen and I during one of the long drives home from Frank Slide after a day of bouldering in the enormous field of limestone blocks.  Initially, we thought it would be fun to keep a running tally of the most difficult problems climbed by all the Frank Slide regulars in a season.  That idea, of course, was not particularly practical.  Fortunately for the climbers of Southern Alberta, the idea was  eventually reborn as the Tour de Frank Bouldering Festival – an inclusive event th ..read more

It's almost here! The 2019 Tour de Frank Bouldering Festival will be held this Saturday, from 10:00 until 5:30.  The Tour de Frank is structured like an outdoor climbing competition, but the emphasis is on enjoying the climbing in Alberta's biggest and best bouldering area, and connecting with climbers from across the province (and beyond)! This year the Tour de Frank will be staged out of the Frank Slide Interpretive Center at the west end of the Slide.   To get to the area (if approaching the Slide from the east, i.e. from Calgary or Lethbridge) drive westward across the Slid ..read more

This spring, I returned to the Boulderfields above Kelowna in June to attend the 2019 Rock the Blocs Bouldering Festival.  I've been coming back to the Boulderfields in late June annually for several years to climb in Rock the Blocs, and it gets better every year!  Huge props once again to Andy W., Jay, Jessica, Loic, Garrett, Braden, Quentin, and all of the rest of the Okanagan Bouldering Crew (there are certainly more than I've listed!) for running yet another great event.  Instead of the usual writeup, I've decided to have a photo edition of The Climbing Life instead! The ev ..read more

NOTE: I found this unpublished blog post from 2018 (!) on my laptop today.  A bit out of date, but a nice write-up nonetheless!  I returned to the Boulderfields for the 2019 Rock the Blocs as well, and - spoiler alert - won the Masters' Category again (for the fourth time :) ).  Anyways, read on about my 2018 Boulderfields exploits!  - - -  My June* trip to the Boulderfields (near Kelowna BC) seems to have become a de facto tradition in my climbing life. As June approaches, I step up my training and start to mentally list all the problems I'd like to try - and hopefu ..read more