New Mixed Climbs on Norway’s Senja Island
Senja Island, the second largest island in Norway, is a spectacular and pristine land that faces the open Norwegian Sea on the country’s ragged northwest coast. The coastal region, with its fickle winter weather, is perfect for mixed climbing protected by trad gear.
Tools for Climbing in Avalanche Terrain
Andrew Councell reviews Ortovox’s trifecta of avalanche-rescue equipment: transceiver, probe and shovel. “In the States last year alone, avalanches claimed the lives of seven climbers. It’s clear that we are not immune,” he writes.
Specialized and Complicated–Omega Pacific’s Link Cam
I love watching my own mind make back flips, and it has put on quite an acrobatic show since the release of the Omega Pacific Link Cam in 2006: Early on, I remember looking at these crazy one-size-fits-all cams and thinking, “Yeah great…or how about just learning how to correctly place gear?” Later, I came to understand that recognizing the Link Cam’s crazy genius is only a matter of the appropriate application.
The Call
Lately I’ve been missing the quiet wilderness of Argentina and have been feeling the pull to return to the simplicity of those windy peaks on the edge of the Southern Hemisphere. In 2002 I visited the smoking mountains of El Chalten and entered into perhaps the most powerful flow state I’ve ever experienced. The Call describes this vague process. I don’t understand it any better today than I did back then, but every moment I’m pursuing my arts is an attempt to further the deepness of these elevated states.– Dean S. Potter