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22 Articles

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Vertical Life acknowledges that we live, work, recreate and climb on stolen land, and that sovereignty was never ceded. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians across Australia and Aotearoa, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise the continuing connection of all First Nations peoples to Country and Culture across all lands and waterways since time immemorial, and reaffirm our commitment to reflection, reconciliation and solidarity. Issue #44 of Vertical life was printed on Wangal Country.…

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

During the dormancy of winter, from the forest floor to the emergent layer of the canopy, the environments we climb in have been busily creating new things for us to discover once the weather warms. Spring brings an explosion of new life to our crags, and with it, a reminder to slow down our pursuit of the send, and take a minute on the walk-in to stop and smell the roses, or the wattles, if you will. So in the spirit of celebrating the start of a new season, let’s revel in the wonders of spring climbing by taking a collective deep breath in, to enjoy the sweet scent of springtime at the crag… The familiar, sharp aroma of new eucalypt leaves is gently released by slow-melting morning dew, as seas…

Many climbers choose to climb as a way to immerse ourselves in some of the most magnificent, lesser-explored parts of the world. Wānaka-based mountain guide Gavin Lang has not only climbed some of New Zealand’s highest mountains and remotest peaks, but as an adventure photographer he’s captured their beauty too. In his recently released book, Seeking the Light, Gavin shares his journey to summiting all 24 of the highest mountains in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Gavin’s book is a colourful chronicle of determination, creativity and immense talent, both as a photographer and a climber. While small in pages, its contents have an impact both visually and through his storytelling prowess. Precise and considered, the images are breathtaking, accompanying Gavin’s almost poetic writing. He describes peaks in intimate detail and rather…

BROAD PEAK AND K2

Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa and I began our summit push for Broad Peak (8,051m) from Camp 3, which lies 1,000 metres below the peak. It became the longest summit push of my life, taking us 24 and a half hours to reach the top and return to the camp. As I climbed along the seemingly never-ending ridge towards the summit, I understood why the mountain was called Broad Peak. When I was 50 meters from the summit, I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it. I would take 10 steps, stop, and sit down and fall asleep. Lakpa and I were tied together; he would tug on the rope to wake me, and I would stand up and take 10 more steps. I repeated this process for half an hour until finally we…

BROAD PEAK AND K2

MOUNT COREE: A QUINTESSENTIALLY CANBERRA CRAG

SHARONA LIN UNLOCKED HER LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS WHEN SHE MOVED TO AUSTRALIA’S CAPITAL AND QUICKLY DECIDED MOUNT COREE—NAMED AFTER THE ABORIGINAL WORD FOR MOTH—WAS THE CRAG TO CLIMB, ESPECIALLY IN SPRING. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHY. Around about every August, I start to wonder what I’m doing with my life. Why don’t I feel fulfilled? And what are we all even doing on this planet we call Earth, anyway? Then the September sun comes out, and I realise that all that existential dread I’m feeling is probably just because of the Canberra winter. Canberra winter has downsides other than the casual existential crises—the cold, dry weather makes local climbing pretty hard. Not impossible by any means, of course, but not easy. But as soon as things start warming up in the…

MOUNT COREE: A QUINTESSENTIALLY CANBERRA CRAG

HOW I GOT THE SHOT BALANCE

As the Managing Editor of VL, I get sent a lot of climbing photos. So many in fact, that in the weeks leading up to our print deadline, I frequently joke that my email inbox starts to look like a digital kid’s picture book… but for vertically-minded adults. I really do look forward to my quarterly pre-print picture book sessions, but when Mike sent me his shot of “Freedom” (30, Organ Pipes, Kunanyi/Mt Wellington), I knew we needed to include the story of how and why he shot it to do it justice. Here, Mike talks us through how he balances impressive landscapes with equally impressive climbing, and demystifies the very real effort behind shots that look effortless. -Coz (VL’s Managing Editor) As climbers, we're lucky to spend countless hours in incredible…

HOW I GOT THE SHOT BALANCE

CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND

I’m laying on top of Corrunbral Borawah, a rocky peak also known as the Governor, in Kaputar National Park with my right eye pressed almost to the ground. My phone in my hand, as I try to see into a finger-sized crack. A reptilian eye stares back at me and I slowly back off, trying to lure the large skink towards the patch of sun it was just enjoying. It emerges a little, enough for me to snap a picture with sufficient detail to identify whether it is a critically endangered Kaputar rock skink (Egernia roomi), a more common White’s skink, or a spiky tailed Cunningham skink. I move back a few more metres and grab my camera with a zoom, hoping to capture a full body shot. We have driven the…

CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND

REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT

Charlie Creese remembers close his friend and '80s/90s local climbing legend, Andy Pollitt, who died aged 56 in November 2019. Andy was undoubtedly a rockstar of the climbing world, having made a large impact on both the British and Aussie climbing scenes–in fact, his rainbow tights still hang watchingly over The Lactic Factory today (along with his signed portrait of Kylie Minogue). Notable ascents include ‘The Bells! The Bells!’ (E7 6b onsight) at Gogarth, ‘Rage’ (29) on Taipan at the Grampians/Gariwerd, and of course his famous battle with Punks in the Gym (32) at Arapiles/Dyurrite. This piece was originally published in March of 2020 via our friends at UKClimbing.com, following the unfortunate passing of Andy Pollit in November 2019. Along with Charlie, we felt it was important to immortalise Andy’s legacy…

REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT

INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR

Four years ago, the VL editorial team and our publisher, Adventure Entertainment, worked together to launch the very first Vertical Life Film Tour (VLFT). The goal was to bring people together through a stunning visual celebration of what it means to live life vertically. Combining the stories of our own local legends and those of underground climbers globally, over the years VLFT has brought an entirely new and exciting film offering to thousands of international audiences in over a dozen countries. This year the tour is back with the same passion for bringing the global climbing community together, albeit with a suite of six epic new films, and a new name that reflects a high point in the tour’s evolution. For Adventure Entertainment Founder and CEO, Toby Ryston-Pratt, the new name…

INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR

A NEW LINE “When I look at a climb outdoors, it’s the scariest, most intimidating lines which excite me the most. Not scary-dangerous but scary because they're beautiful, awesome and look unimaginably hard. By staring up at the route, and even trying it for the first time I catch a glimpse of a wild, obsessive journey ahead. That glimpse is terrifying, yet nothing excites me more.”—Lucy Stirling A New Line takes us on a one month long trip through the Blue Mountains with competitive climber Lucy Stirling as she embraces the outdoors. After 15 years of prioritising comp climbing, Brisbane-based Lucy is on a journey to discover exactly where her passion lies. Filmed and produced by multi-award-winning adventure photographer and filmmaker, Nathan McNeil, we see Lucy let loose on the outdoor routes…

AIGUILLE DU MIDI OPERATION: ELECTRIC AVENUE Why we love it The world knows that Chamonix, France, is an iconic climbing destination on paper, but the cinematography and clever narration in this film serve as great reminders as to why. Narrator Nathan Cooper’s opening line perfectly sums up why we love this film; “Ah, good ol’ rock climbing…the hardest possible way to get somewhere you have no business being in the first place”. Who hasn’t found themselves contemplating the same thing mid-route at least once before? The film follows Bulgarian climber Emiliyan Kolevski & French climber & mountaineer Victor Varoshkin as they establish a new route on the Gendarme des Cosmiques, with endearing and oftentimes entertaining commentary, and brilliant cinematography and sound design, making this film a great watch for climbers and non-climbers alike. TRANSCENDENCE Why…

IF IT’S EASY, IT’S NOT FUN

This year, our travel plans are turned upside down yet again as we join climbing world champion Liv Sansoz, paraglider and guide Zeb Roche and adventure filmmaker and photographer Aurelie Gonin as they paraglide and climb through Jordan’s awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wadi-Rum desert. So folks, it’s time to dust off your passports, pack your rack (or two) and your favourite broad-brim hat, 'cause’ we’re going to Jordan! While there is certainly some chatter about Jordan’s sandstone massifs and adventurous trad routes amongst some global climbing circles, its climbing still remains for the most part, relatively undocumented. Though once you’ve seen “If It’s Easy, It’s Not Fun”, you’ll be left just like us–wondering why that’s the case while feeling totally awe-struck, and drafting an annual leave request to your…

IF IT’S EASY, IT’S NOT FUN

A Novel IDEA FOR A CLIMB

IN PHIL’S WORDS… Firstly, give us a run down of the books. It’s turned into a trilogy! Protagonist 13-year-old Ashley lives with her mum and older brother in an Australian country town. Through climbing she begins to uncover family secrets… and realises that her climbing may pave the way to finding the answers no-one wants to give her. The books are coming of age novels, where climbing plays a central role in both the plot, and Ashley’s own growth. The first two books—Climb and Climber Harder—are already written, and I’m in the final stages of editing book three, Climb Dirtbag. Even though they’re novels, the cover illustrations and occasional black and white images throughout the books help show the vision I had of the characters. Luckily my climbing partner Kat is also a…

A Novel IDEA FOR A CLIMB

BECOMING MY OWN Hero

I have been in awe of mountaineers since I can remember. These incredible explorers who venture higher on the earth than was long thought humanly impossible, who navigate such extreme weather and constant risk of avalanches and icefall. I admired their rugged faces and purposeful, solemn expressions so often depicted in photos. Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, Reinhold Messner, Brigitte Muir—brave and intrepid adventurers. Towards the end of my fifth decade, I decided I did not want to simply read another tale of mountain climbing, I wanted to live the next one. Why now, in middle age? At 46 years old I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Living with MS, there is always uncertainty, knowing that at any point in time a new lesion in the central nervous system may impact…

BECOMING MY OWN Hero

Jacinda BOULLY (SHE/HER) BRISBANE

How did you first find yourself at Frog Buttress, the crack climbers’ destination of choice in southern Queensland? I grew up on a huge sheep, cattle and cropping property in a tiny town called Hebel, in southern Queensland. When I did work experience with the snowy hydro in Kosciuszko National Park I had friends who dragged me into outdoor pursuits, including climbing. We climbed in Canberra and Victoria which was RAD. I loved the personal growth along with being out in nature! I moved to Brisbane in 2015, and I wanted to make friends, so I bought all of my own equipment and began learning. Frog is my absolute favourite single pitch trad crag in the world and I get there as many weekends as I can. And how did the Froqs (aka…

Jacinda BOULLY (SHE/HER) BRISBANE

Tales OF THE TIGER

Tiger Wall has been the scene of thousands of glorious climbing adventures over the decades. Currently out of bounds at the request of the Traditional Owners, it is the highest cliff at Dyurrite (Arapiles) and home to many moderate long classics that trad climbers aspire to lead. Bristling with bulging rock and beetling overhangs, Tiger Wall has also seen its fair share of epics and several emergency rescues. One such emergency call-out occurred at four o’clock on a fine April afternoon. Two climbers, Milly and Russ, were stuck halfway up Tiger Wall. Earlier that day, they had climbed the classic grade 11 multi-pitch route, Phoenix. Russ was new to outdoor climbing, and Milly, the more experienced climber, was leading every pitch. By mid-afternoon, they’d made it to Flinders Lane, and were preparing…

CLIMBING AND THE CREATIVE MINDSET

People often think of a typical climber as a hippie, car-living dirtbag kinda person—one who would eschew the comforts of conventional life in order to attain more of what they love most—rocks, walls, crags and heights. This perception isn’t necessarily wrong, but it is incomplete. We all know (or even are) climbers who work 9-5 Monday to Friday and spend evenings at the climbing gym, who don suits during the week and harnesses on the weekends. But despite appearance and lifestyle differences, all climbers tend to have a few things in common—not least of which are their heightened cognitive skills and creative ability. We all feel the physical benefits of climbing, but did you know that a body of research has pulled apart some of the cognitive skills required in climbing…

CLIMBING AND THE CREATIVE MINDSET

SO ILL STAY RRP $269.95 If you’ve tried So iLL shoes in the past, then forget everything you thought you knew about them, because the new Street and Stay are built on entirely new lasts that have been hand-shaped by Fred Nicole and Jae Jung—not Aquaman! The Street sports a slightly downturned split sole design, with a semi-soft midsole for smearing and stiffer toe edging, making it a super versatile “do anything” type shoe in the gym and on rock. Meanwhile, the Stay sports a slightly more downturned and much softer split sole design, meaning it will smear, paste, and smedge (smear/edge) like nobody’s business! Both shoes feature a fully vegan microsuede construction, reinforced heel tabs, and are wrapped in 3mm of tried and true Vibram Grip1. These shoes are both regular…

At VL, our gear obsession knows no bounds, and is fuelled by a burning desire to assist you to find the perfect piece of kit in alignment with your preferences and priorities. To help us do that, you can expect this column to provide unfiltered reviews of the gear we use ourselves and are genuinely excited about, and gear that ultimately, we believe climbers want to know about. Unlike New Gear, this segment is dedicated to kit we’ve personally tested (and loved), so we’d like to extend our thanks to the generous brands who have sent review units as supporters of our quest to help you make the best purchase for your goals. Our philosophy is simple: "buy once, cry once" and, to remind you not to assess a fish…

PROPER PORTABLE ESPRESSO THE WACACO PICOPRESSO

I would describe myself as quite a varied climber. I enjoy an array of climbing styles (Sport, Trad, Bouldering, Crack, Sub-Alpine) all of which I’ve amassed over the years, often finding myself in phases where I’m completely fixated on any one of them–with the exception of comp style dynos! The same pattern applies to my coffee addiction. I’ve spent the last decade on a quest to crack the perfect outdoor brew and in the process, I've consistently flip-flopped between both filter and espresso, meaning I’ve also amassed a collection of (almost) every portable espresso maker on the market. I’d initially expected brewing the perfect cup of send-spresso outdoors to be an onsight at best or a redpoint at worst, but somewhere along the way it turned into a nemesis-project. So after…

PROPER PORTABLE ESPRESSO THE WACACO PICOPRESSO

Even though this column has traditionally been about recipes, I'm not going to give you a step-by-step guide on how to brew espresso…there simply aren’t enough pages and I’m not allowed to do an Australian-wide VL climbing coffee road-tour…yet. So instead, here are a few helpful tips to get you started. Get a good grinder: Filter brewers like the Aeropress are very forgiving of poor-quality grinders, espresso brewers are not! Get yourself a good quality espresso hand grinder. Start coarse: The hardest part of using any espresso maker is getting the grind right, once you’re in the ballpark it’s much easier to tweak and adjust. I’d strongly advise starting with a coarser grind size and adjusting finer until it starts tasting good. Taste the failed shots as you go and you’ll learn more about…

Campfire shakshouka

Food plays a larger role in climbing than simply fueling our bodies or driving performance—food is laughter with friends celebrating sends and comfort after another shut down on the proj. Through food, we connect, share stories, and pass on wisdom (and small bits of chalk), so it makes sense that the recipes that bring us together should be shared too. From Adelaide climber Paolo Grasso’s camp kitchen, we’ve been treated to his trusty shakshouka recipe—a tasty feed of protein and carbs, that can be whipped up on campfires anywhere. A recipe that I've made countless times at bush camps in the Grampians, the Pines, Moonarie, the Bluies, all around Tassie, and even during my recent travels around Europe, is a hearty bowl of shakshouka—eggs poached in a rich sauce of spicy, tomatoey…

Campfire shakshouka

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