Latest News
17th Sep 2010 Fingerboard training 'The Lowdown' by Ned Feehally
Wild Country sponsored climber, and British Bouldering Champion twice over, Ned Feehally, has put together an essential beginners guide to safely starting to use that most devilish of devices: the fingerboard...
And as most budding leaders know one huge part of getting better is to improve each part of ones climbing and if you can improve your finger strength with some simple exercises big gains will come quickly.
However, like all tools the fingerboard can bite back if not used correctly so it's great to make sure you start of on the right path - and avoid injury and boredom with some solid advice.
Neds advice accompanied by videos and downloads can be found at the link below:
Click here to see Ned Fehally's Fingerboard guide...
Click here to see Ned Fehally on Carless Torque
Click here to see Wild Country's Boulder Pads
Click here to see Wild Country's Pure Chalk range
17th Sep 2010 Pete Whittaker new E6 6C on Stanage...exclusive pictures..
Pete Whittaker seems to have declared the grit season open with two ascents in quick succession, one at Stanage and one at the Roaches, and as usual with Pete the routes look great.
Pete comments about the Stanage route:
"I called the route 'Common Misconception,' (as I think people think that there is nothing left to do on grit), whereas, yes, I suppose it is nearly worked out, but I think you just have to look (maybe climb) harder.) As for the grade I think I'll stick with E6 6c, although it did feel a bit more spicy on that top arete with that wind, haha!"
Photographer Richie Patterson added:
'This was the first time I actually thought I was going to see Pete back off as the wind was ferocious and he made that classic 'quick glance' down that all leaders with a really committing move ahead do. Luckily he realised that trying to reverse would be grim and the fall was too big to jump and so he ploughed on...it was a good one to watch!"
You can see exclusive images from this ascent here..
Pete wears the light and lithe Vision Men's harness for his hard grit ascents...see it here..
Pete chooses the Rock Lite helmet for his head protection...see more here..
17th Sep 2010 Hazel Findlay E7/8 Crack in Squamish...
Wild Country climber Hazel Findlay has bagged another hard trad route with her ascent of 69 (5.13b/c F8a/+) on the Leviticus crag in the Murrin Park area of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.
Leviticus crag is small granite outcrop, a stone's throw from the road and with a rake of hard crack testpieces. Hazel described the route of 69: "It's an intermittent crack line that doesn't really climb like a crack, it has some technical face moves and a bouldery crux that involves slapping and laying-away off slopers above a nut."
The 30m route is protected by small cams and wires and has two distinct crux sections which would rate V7 and V6 as stand alone boulder problems. The V7 crux runs straight in to the V6 sequence with no rest. A route of this physical difficulty, with runouts and small gear would equate to E7/8 in the British scale. "I was pleased to do it, because I am not very good on slopers or bouldery moves. It took me 5 days."
Last year Hazel also visited Squamish and onsighted the 5.12+/13a undercling pitch of The Free Grand, a 10 pitch route on the grand wall. This year Hazel completed the whole route, which has a crux slab pitch of 5.13b (F8a).
See the womens Vision harness that Hazel wears here..
