Chalk is chalk, right? Sometimes this can feel like a truism, particularly when most of us would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between different brands of chalk. However, truisms are only true until they’re wrong or, more relevantly, you run into some truly terrible chalk. While testing chalk by simply climbing doesn’t feel particularly scientific, we can report that Tokyo Power Industries (TPI) chalk is not terrible – in fact, we would say it is amongst some of the…
In the aftermath of the widespread climbing bans in the Grampians/Gariwerd, a new group dubbed the Gariwerd Wimmera Reconciliation Network (GWRN) has formed with the express intent of starting the process of reconciliation with Traditional Owners (TOs). According the GWRN’s first press release, it was ‘formed in response to concerns about the relations between Traditional Owners and recreational users of Gariwerd (Grampians National Park) and Djurite (Arapiles-Tooan State Park).’ Claire Evans, a climber, Grampians/Gariwerd resident and spokesperson for the Network,…
NSW climber Michael Tonon recently climbed a new hard line at Blackwall on the Central Coast that he’s dubbed Fourier’s Proof (V14). We had a chat to him about the ascent. Tell us a bit about the new line, what’s it like? Fourier’s Proof makes about 17 moves through a roof, the last of which is a dyno off some bad holds to a jug with your feet tucked way in under the roof. From this jug you get a…
In the latest issue of VL, no 30, we’ve run an obituary for Ian ‘Foxy’ Ross by Chris Dewhirst, however, we were actually sent a number of short recollections of Ian by other friends, and so we thought we’d publish online so that people can read them here. For those that don’t know Ian Ross, he was one of the early climbing pioneers of Victorian climbing, and the popular Black Range crag, Black Ian’s Rocks (better known to local Aboriginal people…
Did the Australian Climbing Association Victoria (ACAV) succeed in taking control of the Victorian Climbing Club (VCC) at last night’s AGM? Yes, and no. Last night at the VCC held its AGM upstairs at a pub in Fairfield. The number of attendees was comparatively very high, with people packing out the room and choking the doorway. There were around 75 attendees in person, 15 or so dialled in from Natimuk, five were on the line from Sydney and a few…
As we write this, the third regular print issue of Vertical Life is hitting mail boxes and preferred stockists’ shelves around Oz. As usual, it’s packed to the gunnels with killer content, from bow to stern, including: – On the cover, Danny John Flanagan on Disco Non-Stop Party (25), Pierces Pass, Blue Mountains, as captured by Phillip Booth. – VL Editor, Simon Madden, reflects on the nature of ethics vs style. – ‘Big Dave’ Brailey & Jake Bresnehan froth about…
