Climbing | The Verteblog

Cloudveil Ambassador Craig DeMartino-Denver Post Video

July 29, 2009 8:42 pm \ Leave a Comment \ by admin

Cloudveil Mountain Ambassador Craig DeMartino’s video from the Denver Post. Check out the full article HERE.

Craig’s Ambassador Bio-I’ve been a climber most of my life, but in 2002 while climbing with a friend in Rocky Mountain National Park, I was dropped 100 feet due to a miscommunication. The fall resulted in the loss of my right leg, a fused back and numerous other life long injuries. After about two years of rehab, I was back to climbing at about the same levels of pre-accident, and in 2005 became the first amputee to climb El Capitan in under 24 hours. I love to ski and mountain bike with my family when I’m not scaling rocks.

Craig_DeMartino CLICK HERE to watch the video on DenverPost.com

Check out all of the members of Cloudveil’s Outdoor Ambassador Team here.

Posted in: Climbing, Interesting Read, Videos

Bill’s Phone

July 16, 2009 6:48 pm \ Leave a Comment \ by Penn

Bill Crouse works for Black Diamond doing international sales.

Bill spends a lot of time in the thin air – on planes and with his climbing as well.

Crouse guiding Everest 5th Summit

Bill rarely knows what time zone he is in – but still manages to sneak in quick mountain missions in between trips to Asia, Russia, Oz and locally.

Last summer I saw Bill in Switzerland, Germany, SLC and then at the Lower Saddle on the Grand Teton all in the span of 3 weeks.

Bill on Elbrus - his 7th Summit last week

Bill on Elbrus - his 6th Summit last week

In the last three days, I’ve gotten a couple of pics from Bill’s phone. Summit of Elbrus with BD’s CEO Peter Metcalf, Kolin Powlick, Ryan Gellert and BD’s Russian distributor Oleg Banar and at the Freidrichshafen OutDoor Show checking in on the new Award Winning Contact crampon.

Friedrichshafen today - BD Contact crampon wins OutDoor Gold Award

Life is tough for Bill’s phone.

Posted in: Client News, Climbing \ Tagged: Bill Course, Black Diamond

Ironmongery

April 24, 2009 4:40 pm \ 1 Comment \ by Penn

This past January, I was at the OR Show walking media through Black Diamond’s new line for Winter ’09. One of the highlights was the new BD stainless-steel crampons – the Cyborg, Sabretooth and Serac. The advantages of stainless over chro-moly are numerous – significant weight savings, durability, no rust, less snow balling and bad-ass look. Through exhaustive research BD was able to offset the quandary of higher expense versus performance gain and in the end has a product that will be priced right while raising the competitive standard.

BD Sabretooth Pro

The Cyborg and Sabretooth particularly drew ohhs and ahhs from core ice climbers, design mag editors and business writers alike. With spring mountaineering season upon us, I was looking forward on getting out on a pair of protos until I got an email from my friend Jon about a new crampon he stumbled upon in Parker, CO. Turns out the guys who were testing his new diesel for emissions have been doing some R&D work themselves. rumor has it they may sell these designs to one of BD’s competitors… Check it out!

Burly

ABS technology

Secure

Posted in: Client News, Climbing, Design, Uncategorized

The Crevasse-Street Painting

April 13, 2009 7:00 am \ Leave a Comment \ by admin

3014270_160x90 Every mountaineer should do this in their driveway.

Definitely one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time. Watch how it is made by clicking the link.
www.babelgum.com

Posted in: Climbing, Design, Interesting Read, Videos

It’s Not Everyday

March 23, 2009 10:25 pm \ Leave a Comment \ by Penn

Yes, we ski, climb, bike, run and fish. We also get our fair share of marathon sales and RnD meetings holed up in conference rooms.

So, at a recent BD RnD meeting – they sent us on a field trip. Lunch time Day 2 we hiked all the way past Design and Quality Assurance to check out the new Hot Forge, which is adjacent to the 50 ton press, which is next to the laser cutter.

Hot Rod Stock

It’s not everyday you get to see a 700-degree fahrenheit oven strengthening rod stock and getting mashed into super sleek, ergonomic designs.

A 50 ton press is actually pretty precise

Pretty cool to see current innovative product being manufactured and walk 100 yards, sit down and discuss the next generation for S’11.

Take your pick...

Posted in: Climbing, Design, Technology, Uncategorized

The NYTimes Will Never Die

March 17, 2009 9:54 pm \ Leave a Comment \ by admin

Why, you ask? Because of brilliant journalism such as this.

17swiss_600 Photo from Christoph Bangert

Click here for the link to the FULL STORY

APPENZELL, Switzerland — The Swiss like their secrecy, particularly in banking. At other times, they are more open. Take hiking.
Skip to next paragraph

In recent years, it has become fashionable for a growing number of Swiss and some foreigners to wander in the Alps clad in little more than hiking shoes and sun screen. Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers.

In September, the police in this mountainous town detained a young hiker, whose friends will identify him only as Peter, wandering with nothing on but hiking boots and a knapsack. But they had to release him, because in Switzerland there is no law against hiking in the nude. The experience alarmed the city fathers of Appenzell, pop. 5,600, who worried that the town might become a Mecca for the unclad. Like most remote mountain regions, this is a conservative area.

Continue Reading →

Posted in: Climbing, Interesting Read

Reality Revival

February 17, 2009 8:18 pm \ 1 Comment \ by admin

140x1051 As a twenty-something woman, I cannot help but notice the stellar reality programming that is aimed at my demographic on prime-time channels lately. The Bachelor, The Hills, that one with the celebrity addicts, and isn’t there still the show with Flava Flave trying to find love? I do kinda of like that midget family though, they seem fun. Anway, most reality tv is painful. What’s a girl to do when I decide to hang out at home and relax in front of the tube? Well, I found the answer. Its one part TGR Ski Porn, one part Jackass revival, a splash of Dukes of Hazzard, a twist of Evil Knievel, topped off with some good old fashioned eye candy (note attached photo) . Its called NITRO CIRCUS.

MTV’s new adrenaline-pumping stunt stars motocross and rally car superstar Travis Pastrana. His motley crew is made up of BASE jumper and Jackson local and Erik Roner, Scott Palmer of Jackass fame is Pastrana’s skydiving guru, and Jolene Van Vugt is the sole female who can hold her own on a bike among this crew.

Not to mention Streetbike Tommy Passamonte, Pastrana’s buddy, who is a construction worker with no extreme sports skill whatsoever but the added comic relief to make this show a hit. There are a few other cast members but whatever….

They base jump out of casinos, they hang from helis, they do backflips on tricycles. Its so much better than the Hills, I promise you.

The show is the perfect stop-gap solution when its too late to take another bcountry lap, and its too early to head to the bar.

Want a sneak peak? [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwLhhierkKE&hl=en&fs=1]

Posted in: Biking, Climbing, Musings, Skiing, Videos

Why Design Matters

October 7, 2008 5:00 pm \ Leave a Comment \ by Penn

Autodesk is a 2D and 3D software used for design, engineering, manufacturing, architecture, and entertainment. BD designer Paul Terry, whose previous work experience ranges from Porsche to Birdhouse skateboards, recently attended a display of various Autodesk creations in San Francisco. Included in the display, which runs through October at One Embarcadero Plaza , is the award winning BD carbon fiber Cobra ice axe and the hydroformed Viper.

BD Cobra and Viper ice tools

Other displays included work from Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Renzo Piano, Fuseproject, Boeing, Ford and Chrysler.

Proposed Design for the Cali Academy of Science

From Autos and Architecture to Wooden Surfboards

Posted in: Client News, Climbing, Design

Climbing Mount Olympus

September 4, 2008 5:21 pm \ Leave a Comment \ by admin

This summer I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Olympus in Washington with Summit for Someone, the fundraising arm of Big City Mountaineers. Below is an image of my friend Lane and I on the top. The trip was fantastic, and a great experience for anyone who wants to get out on a guided mountaineering trip while at the same time raising money for urban youth to get outdoors. Plus the bounty of gear provided by the program sponsors (including our own Black Diamond, Big Agnes and SOLE) was worth the fundraising effort! Read a more in-depth report on WildSnow.