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It’s no secret that if you want to send during climbing season, you have to find ways to train in the cold, winter months. In western Washington, most climbers escape the rain by retreating into their local climbing gym or home gym. However, when pulling plastic gets old, and the itch to get outside creeps up, there are a few accessible winter crags in the state that can satisfy the need to touch real rock again. Here’s a list of four crags in Washington state (plus one bonus crag!) that stay relatively dry and warm in the winter months. Frenchman...

­Unraveling the Mystery Our gear holds our lives in our hands, and our rope sits at the heart of that web of safety. With such a crucial piece of gear, being inundated with fancy terminology, a range of applications, tables, data, and countless brands, it can quickly become overwhelming. --“What rope do I buy?” -- Whether this is your first rope or your tenth rope, I seek to guide you through many of the ins and outs of finalizing that purchase. I’ll give my take on what data is important, and provide some knowledge to evaluate a rope yourself. Unfortunately,...

  The American Alpine Institute is pleased to announce the 2021 Guides Choice Award Winners! The Guides Choice has been a highly valued award for over 20 years and long coveted by manufacturers and industry insiders. A core group of AAI guides thoroughly test products in a variety of demanding conditions across 6 states and 16 countries. This year four winners have been selected.   Hilleberg Niak Tent   Guides need something that is reliable, since they go out constantly and not always in the best conditions. So when you are selling a lot of one item to Guides unprompted,...

This has been a wild year in the backcountry, no matter how you look at it. We've seen a surge in users, record avalanche deaths, and multiple persistent week layers span from the Rockies to the Cascades. Now more than ever, is a great time to evaluate your touring practices and partners, so that you can continue to have fun in the backcountry for decades to come! In the past year, I have toured with over 30 different partners, and would like to pass along the 5 Things I've Learned Touring. Hopefully these tips will help you dial in your crew, stay safe, and have...