Google Street View Takes Us to the Dawn Wall

In January of this year, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captured the attention of the world with their free climb of the massive and iconic Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park. We all watched with baited breath as the two men struggled for days on a rock face that is incredibly smooth, difficult, and terrifying. And when they eventually finished the herculean task that they had set before themselves, we all cheered their efforts mightily.

Most of us will never get the chance to attempt the climb it for ourselves, as the Dawn Wall is definitely not for the faint of heart or those lacking in world class climbing skills. But, thanks to the magic of Google Street View, we can all experience what it was like for Tommy and Kevin.

Using high tech cameras that capture images in 360º at the same time, Street View takes us to pitch 15 on the Dawn Wall, which many argue is the toughest section of the entire climb. Through this technology, you'll gain even more respect for what Caldwell and Jorgeson were able to accomplish just by getting an up close and personal look at their obstacle without ever having to leave the comfort and safety of your own home.

The most striking thing about these Street View images for me are just how few hand and footholds there are for the climbers to use on their way up this pitch. But on top of that, being able to pan the camera around and see how far below the Yosemite Valley actually is has to be incredibly nerve wracking as well. This is a good way to put the climb into perspective for non-rock climbers for sure.

Check it out for yourself by clicking here.

Climbing Team Completes First Ascent of the Mirror Wall in Greenland

A few weeks back I posted a story about a team of climbers that were attempting to become the first to complete an ascent of an impressive rock face in Greenland known as the Mirror Wall. At the time, the squad had just launched their expedition after spending more than year planning its logistics, and weeks just getting to the mountain. But after spending 12 nights on the massive face, the group was able to reach their objective, topping out in the middle of a snow storm.

The team was led by British rock climber Leo Houlding, who was accompanied by Joe Möhle, Matt Pickles, Matt Pycroft and Waldo Etherington. They managed to ascend the 1200 meter (3937 ft) wall in 25 pitches, 23 of which were free-climbed.

The remote and massive north face of the Mirror Walls has been compared to the iconic Dawn Wall in Yosemite that drew so much media attention earlier this year. But unlike the Dawn Wall, the this climbing challenge is very remote, requiring the team to be flown into their starting point, and later retrieved by helicopter. It is also taller than the Dawn Wall, with a similarly smooth rock face that is guarded by snow and ice seracs.

Despite those difficulties however, the team managed to reach the summit at 4:20 AM local time on July 22. Inclement weather didn't allow them to enjoy their success for long, as they also had to find a safe way to descend and get back to Base Camp in time for their scheduled July 28 pick-up. Fortunately the were all able to get down safely and have now started their journey home.

You can learn more about their adventure, and read the archives of their dispatches, on a website created specifically for the climb that is hosted by Berghaus, the major sponsor of the Mirror Wall expedition. It looks like it was quite an excursion.

Video: Climbing the White Mountain in China

With this video GoPro takes us to the White Mountain of China, where we meet climber Ting Xiao and her boyfriend Abond. Both wear GoPro cameras as they scale the rock faces of the White Mountain along a rock climbing route that is estimated to be a 5.14B in terms of difficulty. Of course, the clips gives us an up close look at the challenges of the climb, which this former city-girl works hard to overcome.

Mammut's #Project360 Takes Us Up Iconic Mountains Without Ever Leaving Home

An ambitious new undertaking from Mammut is giving armchair mountaineers an opportunity to climb some of the most iconic mountains in the world without ever having to leave those armchairs.

The gear company sent top climbers up major peaks such as the Eiger, El Capitan, and the Matterhorn while wearing specially built camera systems that captured their routes in full 360º images. Those images were then stitched together and placed online, allowing us to take a virtual expedition up those same mountains from the safety of our homes.

Dubbed #Project360, the website hosting these virtual climbs is now online and accessible by the general public. In addition to the mountains listed above, it also offers a virtual climb of Mt. Elbrus – the tallest peak in Europe – and Rübezahl, a massive frozen waterfall in Switzerland. The Mönch – another iconic European peak – is listed as "coming soon."

These virtual climbs work much like Google Street View in that it gives viewers the opportunity to move up and down these mountains, and pan the camera around 360º to get a better view of the landscapes. The result is an opportunity to see what these climbing routes are like, and just how high up they actually are, to better appreciate what climbers must overcome on the way to the top.

This is definitely a fun and impressive way to kill some time on your computer without fear of altitude sickness or vertigo. You can check it out for yourself by clicking here. And if you want to know more about how the project was created, watch the video below.

Video: Climbing Poumaka with Mike Libecki and Angie Payne

This past February, climbers Mike Libecki and Angie Payne spent 16 days climbing a 1500-foot (458 meter) rock spire known as Poumaka. Located on a remote island in French Polynesia, the tower proved to be an 8-pitch challenge that involved heavy rains, slick surfaces, and plenty of mud. This video takes us behind the scenes of that climb, as 3 Strings Productions looks to document the expedition. The result is a great look at an amazing climb, and a sneak peek at what goes on behind the scenes to capture these adventure films. Great stuff.

Video: Conrad Anker and David Lama Complete New Route in Zion National Park

25 years ago, climbing legend Conrad Anker attempted a new route in Zion National Park, and while partially successful, he was unable to complete his intended line. Recently, he returned to that iconic setting with David Lama in tow, and the two men were able to finish that ascent at long last. They called it Latent Core, and this video shows you what it is all about. Truly spectacular.

Video: Emily Harrington Climbs El Capitan's Golden Gate Route

El Capitan is arguably the most iconic climbing wall in the entire world, drawing in the best rock climbers from across the globe. That includes Emily Harrington, who visited Yosemite National Park to attempt the difficult Golden Gate route, which features a rating of 5.13 VI. It took her six days to complete the 40 pitches, but eventually she conquered the route. You can follow her efforts in the video below, which gives us an amazing look at the rock face, and the spectacular valley below.

Climbing Team Begins Ascent of "Arctic Dawn Wall"

A talented team of climbers has set their sights on an incredibly difficult and remote wall in Greenland which has been dubbed the "Arctic Dawn Wall." The team – which includes climbers Leo Houlding, Matt Pickles, and Joe Möhle, along with filmmakers Matt Pycroft and Waldo Etherington –  departed for a seldom visited region of Renlan where they will attempt a climb of a massive granite peak known as the Mirror Wall.

At 1200 meters (3937 feet) in height, the rock face of the Mirror Wall is even taller than the famous Dawn Wall in Yosemite. It is said to be incredibly smooth and difficult, with an approach that is guarded by snow and ice seracs. The team has scouted a route to the summit, but will have to inspect it to ensure that it is safe and that it will provide the access that they expect.

Just getting to the Mirror Wall is an adventure. Located in a remote region that is only accessible by helicopter this time of year. Before they could begin the expedition, the team had to first ship all of its gear and supplies to Iceland in June, and than have it airlifted to what would become their base camp by light aircraft. The men followed on earlier in the week, and have started working on establishing their BC before starting the ascent of the wall.

The expedition is sponsored by Berghaus, and regular updates will be posted to a special section of the company's website that can be found here. Unfortunately for those of us who live in the U.S., that site is redirecting to the local version of the Beghaus website, which does not have the updates just yet. I'm told they are trying to work out this issue, so hopefully we can follow the progress directly soon. In the meantime, updates are also being posted to Facebook as well.

According to recent reports, Leo and team have experienced some bad weather to start their adventure. That weather is disrupting communications to a degree, and preventing them from launching their climb. Hopefully conditions will improve soon, and they can start their ascent.

Video: The Constant Gardener - Climbing Cathedral Rock in Yosemite

Everyone knows that Yosemite National Park is one of the greatest rock climbing destinations in the entire world. But that sentiment is reinforced with this video, which follows climbers Cheyne Lempe and Ethan Pringle as they attempt an ascent of Cathedral Rock, one of many numerous challenges that can be found in the valley. This short film introduces us nicely to that climb, and provides some amazing shots of what it is like to climb in Yosemite. Due to its level of challenge, Cathedral is rarely climbed, but as you'll see it is a classic line.

The Constant Gardener from Mountain Hardwear on Vimeo.

Video: Chris Sharma Climbs a Giant Redwood

We all know that Chris Sharma is one of the most talented climbers on the planet, but just in case you needed further proof, check out this video of him free climbing a giant redwood in California. The tree in question stands 252 feet (76.8 meters) in height, and was specifically selected because it lacked many lichens and moss growing on its trunk, and it was fire scarred from a natural fire that occurred in the past. Before making the climb, Sharma first consulted with biologists at the University of California, Burbank to ensure that he wouldn't damage the tree in anyway. With those hurdles cleared, he set out to make the ascent. As you'll see below, it was pretty spectacular.

Video: A Speed Ascent of El Capitan

Zenyatta Mondatta is one of the iconic climbing routes on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. It is often used as a challenging introduction to aid climbing, and is a test piece for taking on some of the other more difficult routes that El Cap has to offer. Back in October of last year, three climbers – David Allfrey, Skiy Detray and Cheyne Lempe – made the 16-pitch ascent and filmed their efforts. The result is this fantastic 9 minute short film that documents their speed ascent of line. This is definitely a good way to wrap up the week, and send us into the weekend. Enjoy!

SPEED ASCENT ZM from Alpinist Magazine on Vimeo.

Outside Profiles Graham Hunt - Dean Potter's BASE Jump Partner

The headlines this week have been filled with stories about Dean Potter, the climbing legend who lost his life in a fatal wingsuit accident in Yosemite National Park last Saturday. A number of those stories offered only a passing mention of Graham Hunt, Potter's companion on the ill-fated BASE jump. But Outside Online looks to rectify that by posting an article that profiles the Other Man in this tragic story.

The 29-year old Hunt is described as someone who was known within the BASE jumping community, but not so much outside of it. He had very little online presence, and did almost nothing to promote the dangerous stunts that he was gaining a reputation for. That meant that when news of his death broke, there was little information that would come up in a Google search. That helped the narrative of the story to become "Dean Potter died, and there was someone else with him."

But Outside says that those who knew Hunt well describe him as a man who had a lot of confidence in his own skills, which were considerable to say the least. He was known for being incredibly calm and reliable on the walls, and someone that other climbers wanted to have with them, particularly in Yosemite. That probably shouldn't come as a surprise considering he was climbing and jumping with Potter, who was known to be selective of the company he kept on his own adventures. The pair made an epic jump of the Eiger back in 2013, although Dean was the one who made headlines, while his partner remained characteristically in the background.


Through quotes from friends and snippets of news on Graham, the Outside profile gives us a better understanding of who the "other guy" truly was. By all accounts, he was an excellent climber and BASE jumper himself, but perhaps even more so he was a good person and friend. His death hasn't gotten nearly the same attention as Potter's, but from the sounds of things, that is exactly how he would have wanted it.

Meanwhile, Outside is also reporting that video footage from Potter's GoPro camera has been recovered as well. It likely holds some clues as to what went wrong on this flight, and what ultimately cost the two men their lives. Preliminary reports say that Hunt may have hit a rocky outcropping and that Dean swerved out of the way to avoid a collision, only to hit another rock on the other side. The two men were jumping from Taft Point in Yosemite and were attempting to navigate through a narrow slot in the rocks when the accident occurred. It now seems likely that they both hit part of the rock face, causing them to crash to the valley floor below.

Obviously  the investigation is ongoing at this time, and more details are likely to be known in the future.

Video: Patagonia Dreamin' - Climbing the Torre Massif

This short film takes us to Argentina with climbers Jason Kruk and Marc-Andre Leclerc as they take on the legendary Torre Massif in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The 8-minute documentary feature some fantastic climbing, as they two talented individuals show off their skills in amazing locations. The video is actually about a year old, but I hadn't come across it before. It is so good, I felt that it was definitely worth sharing. Fans of climbing films will certainly find a lot to love here.

Video: Trailer for The Great Shark Hunt - Climbing in Greenland

Last August, a trio of climbers – Matteo Della Bordella, Silvan Schüpbach and Christian Ledergerber  – traveled to Greenland to attempt a new route on a peak called the Shark Tooth. Prior to their expedition, the 900 meter (2952 ft) rock face had only been climbed one other time, and this team hoped to do it in alpine style without fixed ropes. On August 18 they managed to reach the top of a route that they named "The Great Shark Hunt."

The video below is a trailer for an upcoming documentary of that expedition. As you'll see, the men had to travel on foot, and by kayak, just to reach the mountain itself. Then, they faced a challenging climb on a sheer face that required skill, strength, and daring to overcome. The views along the way are spectacular, the climbing phenomenal, and the outcome inspirational. Everything you'd want out of a good adventure film.

Video: A Profile of Dean Potter

You're likely to see a lot of videos featuring Dean Potter in the days ahead. His tragic death is going to leave the climbing community in state of mourning for some time. This video is a profile of Dean, and his desire to push the envelope to achieve bigger and better things. It shows not only his climbing ability, but adventurous spirit, which will be missed greatly. If you're not aware of Dean's contributions to that community, this clip will help to put it into perspective.

Climbing Legend Dean Potter Dies in Yosemite

There was incredibly sad news in the climbing world this past weekend as the story broke that climbing legend Dean Potter died in a BASE jumping accident in Yosemite National Park. The 43-year old Potter was known as much for his free spirit and sense of adventure, as he was his incredible climbing and athletic skills.

The details of what exactly happened still aren't clear, but on Saturday evening Potter was making a BASE jump with with Graham Hunt from Taft Point in Yosemite. Hunt was killed int he accident as well, and when neither of the two men showed up at a rendezvous point following the jump, their ground support crew didn't panic. It was thought that they might have made their way out along a different route, or may have been arrested. BASE jumping is illegal in Yosemite, but the two men had made hundreds of jumps in the past, and were very experienced in the sport.

By Sunday, friends and family began to worry about the Potter and Hunt's whereabouts, and a search and rescue operation was mounted in the national park. Their two bodies were discovered later in the day. Both men had fallen to their deaths without opening their parachutes, which only deepens the mystery.

Potter was a well known figure in the climbing and BASE jumping community. Back in 2006 he made a controversial climb up Delicate Arch in Arches National Park which drew the ire of many. He also raised eyebrows when he made a video of a wingsuit flight with his dog – Whisper – last year. But he was incredibly well respected for his fantastic climbing ability that allowed him to free solo some of the toughest routes in the world, and his athletic prowess was displayed only recently when he set a new speed record on Half Dome.

It is impossible to overstate just how much of a luminary Dean was in the adventure sports community. He has been a fixture in the Yosemite climbing scene for decades, and was known for pushing the boundaries of the activities that he loved, which included slacklining as well. To say that he will be missed will be an understatement, and my condolences go out to his friends and family. Dean's ability to follow his own path, pursue his own dreams, and accomplish great things along the way was unmatched. We may never see the likes of Dean Potter again, and the climbing community has lost one of its brightest stars.

Video: Climbing the Bugaboos with Alex Honnold

This all-too-short video takes us to Bugaboo Provincial Park in British Columbia,  Canada where we join free soloist Alex Honnold on an incredible line up a mountain there. Sadly, the short clip only teases us with the amazing scenery, and Alex's fantastic skills, although it is enough to understand that he is climbing in a beautiful setting. The clip comes our way from National Geographic, which has launched a new adventure video of the week series. If they're all like this one, they'll certainly be worth watching.

Video: Defined by the Line - Fighting to Protect the Bears Ears in Utah

This short film is brought to us by the fine folks at Patagonia and the Bears Ears Coalition, a group that was formed to protect a region in the state of Utah that holds particular cultural and historical significance. The site, which features breathtaking landscapes, is also home to Native American dwellings and artwork that date back as much as 12,000 years. The video below gives us a glimpse of that place, and the efforts of climber Josh Ewing to try to save it from careless visitors and oil drilling on nearby lands. The 7+ minute documentary is filled with gorgeous landscapes and amazing archeological sites that have to be seen to be believed. The video is worth watching for the eye-candy alone, but the message it conveys is an important one too.

Defined by the Line: A Film About the Fight to Protect Bears Ears from Patagonia on Vimeo.

Video: Mountain Biking the Spitzkoppe in Namibia

The Spitzkoppe is a group of rocky mountain peaks located in the African country of Namibia. The name actually means "pointed dome" in German, and the location is sometimes referred to as the "Matterhorn of Namibia" as well. In this video, a group of mountain bikers travel to the Spitzkoppe where they are faced with some challenging rock climbing up its granite face, as well as some incredibly daring riding back down the mountain. It all makes for a fantastic short film that is fascinating to watch as they tackle some unbelievable lines that seem unrideable. That is, until they actually do ride them.

Video: Urban Adventurers Scale 660 Meter Tall Shenzhen Tower in

While we often marvel at the efforts of climbers who go up a sheer rock race, there are so impressive climbs being done in urban environments as well. Take for example the one shown in this video, during which a couple of daring urban adventurers scale the 660 meter (2165 ft) tall Shenzhen Tower in China. While this is certainly a very different climb from what we're use to seeing, it is none the less a challenging feat to reach the top of this building in what is certainly an illegal manner. The views from the top are pretty impressive though, and while I wouldn't necessarily condone these types of activities, I can respect those who do them, and bring us great video footage of their efforts.