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Emma Twyford

Sends 5.14d

Emma Twyford sent The Big Bang 5.14d at Lower Pen Trwyn in the U.K.

The powerful route was first climbed in 1996 by Neil Carlson and Twyford’s is only the third ascent. With the tick, she becomes the first British woman to climb the grade.

David Smart Wins Summit of Excellence David Smart, editorial director of Gripped Publishing was awarded the 2019 Summit of Excellence from the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival.

New Mount

Athabasca Routes

Ryan Patteson and Grant Stewart climbed the East Chimney, a 300-metre WI3 M5 on the West Buttress of Mount Athabasca on the Icefields Parkway on Oct. 12. The 190-metre route tops out meeting the top of The Slawinski/takeda, a classic moderate alpine route.

Shawn Raboutou Upgrades to V16

Shawn Raboutou, who previously has done two V16 boulders, repeated Nalle Hukkataival’s Livin’ Large in Rocklands and upgraded it from

V15 to V16.

Top Climbers Pass Away Legendary climbing writer Al Alvarez and Miguel Riera, known as the godfather of psicobloc (deep water soloing), passed away this fall.

New Vancouver

Island Gym

The new climbing gym

Wip opened in Courtenay, B.C., this fall. It’s the brainchild of the some of the co-owners from Bolder Climbing in Calgary and Gneiss Climbing in Kelowna.

New Big Peru Route Czech climbers Marek Holecˇek and Radoslav

Groh made the first ascent of a new route up the centre of the eastern face of Huandoy Norte (6,360 m). Marek and Radoslav named their 1,200-metre-long route Boys 1970.

Tim Emmett on

Mount Everest

Top trad and ice climber Tim Emmett attempted Mount Everest in the fall with a team of climbers from Mountain Hardwear. Extreme objective hazards, including hangers seracs, forced Emmett and his team to bail. Emmett said he’ll be returning in the spring.

Festiglace

Quebec’s legendary ice climbing festival returns in February 2020. Festiglace will take place at Pont Rouge and will feature clinics, parties and gear markets.