Throughout the 1980s, Alan Watts and other climbers rebelled against traditional climbing ethics of leaving the rock undisturbed, choosing to instead bolt new lines in Smith Rock in Oregon. This began modern American sport climbing as we know it. Then, in 1989, Watts bolted a line on the iconic freestanding tower, the Monkey, but he couldn’t climb it cleanly. For the last 36 years, that project has remained unsent. Even local crushers who had sent one of Smith’s hardest lines, Just Do it (5.14c), couldn’t string together the moves.

In June, Kyle Higby, a relatively unknown young climber, finally grabbed the first ascent, naming the route the Tailbone and grading it 5.14a. The story of the Tailbone is a classic one. It starts with  the early development of sport climbing, takes us through changes in the sport’s center of gravity, and concludes with the unlimited potential of the unknown dirtbag.

A new route for the cameras

For those in the Smith Rock community, Alan Watts needs no introduction. Watts, along with other locals, went rogue and bolted lines that couldn’t safely be trad climbed at the famous state park in Oregon. In 1983, he put up the first sport climb in America, Chain Reaction (5.12c), which many will recognize from the front of a Clif Bar. In today’s climbing world, where sport climbing is the norm, it’s easy to forget just how bold and controversial Watts’s bolting practices were at the time. Smith Rock quickly garnered fame as a cutting-edge climbing spot.

The origin of the Tailbone lies with, of all things, a now-defunct NBC television show called Sportsworld. For one episode in 1989, producers wanted Watts, along with Wolfgang Güllich and Ron Kauk, to bolt and send a new line within three days. They originally bolted Just Do It, but realized that the 5.14c was too hard for them to send that quickly.

As a replacement, Watts bolted the line that would become the Tailbone. The route consisted of the bottom 40 feet before the Backbone, a 5.13a that begins on a large ledge. The trio had always been drawn to that part of the Monkey tower.

“The Monkey’s face is almost 400 feet high. The Backbone is just one of the most amazing looking lines you could ever see,” Watts says.

The Tailbone also proved too hard for Watts and the other climbers. “We had to put on a TV show that couldn’t just be us falling on the same sequence over and over again,” he says. For the show, they ultimately ended up doing what Watts admits was “a stupid traverse.”

The original line posed many challenges: “It was an obtuse arête, so you couldn’t really pinch it the way you would if it was sharper,” Watts says. “It’s just really small holds, bad feet … It was the sort of thing where it was just hard to hold onto the rock at all.” The line represents what Smith Rock is known for: technical, precise climbing that demands top-tier footwork.

In the intervening years since 1989, several local crushers have attempted the route. Drew Ruana, who sent Just Do It at just 15 years old and later established The Assassin (5.14d), the area’s hardest route, couldn’t make it work. Neither could Ryan Palo, a strong climber who also sent the famed 5.14c, along with To Bolt Or Not To Be (5.14a), another Smith Rock classic. The route was not only technically difficult, but also mentally demanding: Getting through the sustained crux meant skipping a clip. A fall after that point would mean taking a 30-foot, albeit “safe” whipper.

According to Watts, as sport climbing became more widespread, Smith Rock and its unsent lines faded from the center of the climbing world. Climbing began to embrace the steep, juggy, knee bar kind of climbs at crags in Colorado and Spain, and the techy vert style of Smith fell out of favor. 5.14s became small potatoes as elite climbers sought to FA the first 5.15a and harder routes. Watts’s line sat dormant, waiting for the right climber to come along and be inspired by it.

Kyle Higby enters the scene

Kyle Higby, 25, started climbing when he was 19, and quickly fell in love with the sport. He visited Smith Rock for the first time during a summer break during school, and immediately felt drawn to it.

Higby loved the people of Smith Rock and its unique vibe. “Out west, people cherish time to be outside,” he says. Compared to the gray and dreary skies of Rochester, New York, where he was living at the time, sunny Smith Rock was a welcome change.

When he graduated college, Higby decided to embrace the dirtbag lifestyle, packed up his stuff in a van, and booked it out to Smith Rock. Like many climbers seeking to test their skills, he sent several technical testpieces on the Monkey, including Spank the Monkey (5.13d PG-13). Watts, ever the salesman, talked up the unsent project to Higby. The young gun took a look, put up a top rope, and was quickly hooked.

Higby describes the 30-meter route has having three distinct 10-meter sections. The first chunk he calls hard 5.12c; the second 10 meters holds the crux.“The strain is continuous, so you barely get to stop to clip, let alone chalk up,” Higby says. “The feet are really difficult to use. They’re either tiny or sloping the wrong way … You’re just doing all these moves on the same terrible feet and you could just pop off.” Survive this series of hard moves on poor feet and the route ends with another 10 meters of slightly runout slab climbing.

Higby describes the main challenge not as fighting a typical forearm pump, but rather bodily exhaustion from sustained compression. “You’re squeezing so hard to keep tight for some of the positions. I would suddenly fall because I couldn’t hold tension anymore,” he says. “It was almost like muscle fatigue.”

He admits that the climb required him to commit to the bit. “You clip a draw at the start of the crux, and then you have 20 more moves before you’re at the next draw,” he says. He pulls the route’s hardest moves about 10 feet above his last clip.

Throughout his time in Smith Rock, Higby gave the Tailbone 10-20 redpoint burns. On the last day before he was scheduled to leave Smith, Higby tried the Tailbone more time and took a huge, upside-down whipper. He was utterly exhausted by that burn, but after an hour of rest, he decided to give it one more go and ultimately sent it.

“Doing that route, it was one of the only times I’ve ever been emotional getting to the chains,” Higby says. Years ago, doing any route on the Monkey felt like a pipe dream. “It’s very inspiring. It was always something I looked at like ‘I’ll never be on that level.’”

Watch Higby climb the Tailbone:

A Smith Rock renaissance? 

Watts hopes the FA of the Tailbone returns climbing’s collective consciousness back to this iconic crag. Smith Rock doesn’t have a 5.15a yet, but Watts thinks there’s one out there and that Higby is more than capable of doing it.

“It’s been a long time since I got a phone call talking about some new route at Smith Rock from Climbing Magazine,” Watts says. “It’s fun to have a new generation that is interested not just in repeating what was done a long time ago, but actually doing new routes and cleaning up old projects.”

The post Kyle Higby Frees Smith Rock’s Longest-Running Project appeared first on Climbing.

In 2021, pro climber Cedar Wright published a grand eulogy in Climbing proclaiming the death of the dirtbag. Wright—never one for just sitting around—decided to take action. So a year later, he founded the Dirtbag Fund to financially support climbers who were low on resources but big on dreams.

These days, the Dirtbag Fund is just one of several climbing grant programs that helps up-and-coming climbers accomplish their objectives. Here’s everything you need to know about these three grant programs, including their goals and scope, and how ambitious climbers can apply.

The Dirtbag Fund

While recovering from an accident that resulted in him breaking his neck, Wright contemplated his own mortality and his legacy in the climbing world. He thought back to the formative decade he spent in Yosemite, living in his Toyota Camry. Then he decided that he wanted to help others do the same. “Maybe I’m not the cutting-edge climber that I once was,” Wright says. “But by supporting those young up-and-comers, I can be a part of that and still be part of the community.”

That idea morphed into the Dirtbag Fund, which officially became a nonprofit in 2024. It gives out around $20,000 a year to climbers and filmmakers, supporting projects like the first female team to do the Yosemite Triple Crown, as well as a major first ascent in the Himalayas. Generally, individual grants range from $1,000 to $2,000.

Wright encourages anyone with a goal to apply for a climbing grant—and you don’t have to aim to send the first V18 to get some cash. “We’re at this sort of point of ‘send fatigue’ in the climbing world,” Wright says. Even if you can send a V17, Wright wants more. “Do you have some sort of depth about you? Do you have creative output? Are you giving back to something?” he asks.

In addition to the climbers themselves, the Dirtbag Fund also emphasizes supporting photographers and filmmakers who document climbing projects. “It’s hard as a creative to break into the industry,” Wright says.

Dirtbag Fund applications are typically due in April. Find more information here.

Grit & Rock Expedition Award

Since it began, climbing has been a boys’ club, and perhaps no discipline still suffers from that culture more than alpinism. Masha Gordon is on a mission to change that. After setting speed records on the Explorer’s Grand Slam and Seven Summits, Gordon started Grit & Rock, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women in alpinism. Since its first award in 2017, the program has given out over $100,000 to female mountaineers at various stages of their professional development.

There are three award categories—performance, exploration, and apprenticeship—to support everything from sussing out new big wall routes in Argentina to attempting ambitious traverses in Alaska. “The apprenticeship is to give women the opportunity to go on smaller expeditions, but gain confidence, and then progress in their alpinism,” Gordon says. “Performance is destined for women who are elite athletes. Even the very best alpinists are short of funding for expeditions.” Only two women have ever received an award from the Piolets d’Or, the Oscars of mountaineering. But if Gordon has her way, that won’t last long.

Grit & Rock accepts applications every spring. Find more information here. 

American Alpine Club Climbing Grants

The American Alpine Club (AAC) offers multiple grants to help climbers accomplish ambitious goals—and to make the world a better place. Its Live Your Dream Grant, in partnership with The North Face, funds everything from ski mountaineering to bouldering.

“We are looking for individuals who have a personally ambitious climbing goal, a desire to take their abilities to the next level, and want to share the power of exploration with their communities,” the AAC website says. Past recipients have used funds to bolt new lines, summit peaks in Peru, and climb mountains in Washington.

The Catalyst Grant focuses on supporting historically underrepresented groups with climbing objectives in the United States. And for alpinists with humanitarian goals, the Zack Martin Breaking Barriers Grant challenges applicants to climb mountains, while also teaching local climbers, improving local climbing infrastructure, or supporting local communities in some way.   Past recipients include a 12-year-old who summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and established a solar energy project in an orphanage.

The deadline for all three American Alpine Club grants falls in the spring. Awards for the Live Your Dream and Catalyst grants typically range from $200 to $1,000. Winners of the Breaking Barriers Grant usually receive $5,000. Find more information here. 

The post 3 Ways to Get Someone Else to Pay for Your Next Big Climbing Trip appeared first on Climbing.

We’ve all heard of a pulley injury—the most common and most feared finger injury for climbers. But the second most common, capsulitis, can be just as disruptive to climbing and training.

Capsulitis, a type of synovitis, is the chronic inflammation of the membrane that lines the fingers’ joint capsules. It’s a particular type of synovitis that causes stiffness and pain, and it accounts for 6 to 10 percent of all climbing injuries. To understand how to identify, prevent and treat capsulitis, we talked to Dr. Tyler Nelson, founder of Camp4 Human Performance, a rehabilitation and training program aimed at climbers.

Check out the video below to watch Nelson explain capsulitis, or keep reading for more information.

What is capsulitis and how is it different from other finger injuries? 

Throughout our bodies, we have synovial joints: Think our knees, hips, shoulders and, yes, fingers. “Any joint that has a capsule with fluid in it and cartilage on both sides of the joint is a synovial joint,” Nelson explains. Synovitis is a broad term that refers to inflammation of any of these joint capsules. What climbers often experience in their fingers is capsulitis, or intra-articular synovitis, which leads to swelling, pain and stiffness.

Compared to other climbing injuries, capsulitis often is less dramatic and can be harder to diagnose. Often, people with an A2 or A4 pulley tear will report hearing a distinctive “pop” at the moment they sustained the injury. Capsulitis is a chronic condition that develops over time. Since it’s the result of inflammation, and a tendon or pulley rupturing, there won’t be the same “tell-tale” moment of trauma that there is with tears. Lumbrical tears, which often occur with pockets, will usually present pain in the palm, while capsulitis will present pain in the joint of the finger.

Tenosynovitis, also common among climbers, refers to inflammation of the sheath that protects and lines tendons. Both tenosynovitis and capsulitis are similar in that they’re inflammatory responses, but a distinguishing factor is range of motion. Capsulitis will frequently mean that climbers can’t fully flex or extend the injured finger.

Causes of Capsulitis

Repetitive, excessive stress on the fingers from full or half crimping on small holds is the number one cause of capsulitis. Crimping places a high degree of compression and force across our joints, and when done repeatedly or at a high intensity, it can produce inflammation. In an effort to recover, our body will produce extra synovial fluid to compensate.

Nelson most commonly sees clients with capsulitis in the middle two fingers. “If you think about a crimping position on a flat edge, the middle fingers get stressed and bent the most,” he explains. “If we load [the finger joint] again, it stays inflamed,” Nelson says. That negative feedback loop will lead to the joint membrane getting larger due to the chronic pressure, resulting in swelling.

How to Prevent Capsulitis

To reduce the likelihood of capsulitis, Nelson advises managing load = and varying climbing grips. Instead of full and half crimp grips, Nelson recommends that his clients use a three-finger drag so they can use it to generate force without putting too much stress on the fingers.

The campus board can be particularly risky for finger health. “The campus board requires you to half crimp a lot of stuff. It’s high pressure with a lot of high force,” Nelson says. Reducing climbing volume and avoiding climbing on back-to-back days can also help give your fingers adequate time to recover.

Identifying and Treating Capsulitis

If you start to notice symptoms in your fingers like persistent soreness, swelling, and stiffness, especially when flexing, consider cutting volume or reducing training.

“[Climbers with capsulitis] need to back off climbing for three weeks, sometimes six weeks, depending on how bad it is, and then they need progressive loading,” says Dr. Nelson, “and then slowly rebuild tolerance back in the joint.” He understands that climbers have a hard time staying off the wall, so he encourages active rest; if you’re going to climb, keep it a low volume, and stay away from jugs and crimps. Climbing on jugs or performing pull-ups can worsen capsulitis due to the compressive pressure these activities put on the joints.

When reintroducing load back to the fingers, Nelson prefers that his clients with capsulitis use an unlevel edge rather than a traditional, flat-edged fingerboard, which stresses and bends the middle two fingers, further aggravating capsulitis. By comparison, the unlevel edge matches the height of the edge to the length of the finger, leading to a more even load on the fingers. He also likes the Ninja Balls from Atomik because they allow climbers to strength train by squeezing, instead of flexing, their fingers.

Nelson says that typical recovery time for capsulitis can be 8 to 10 weeks, but if clients keep their climbing volume too high, they can experience flare ups again. The specialist frequently sees clients’ capsulitis reemerge when they’re hitting training hard for an upcoming comp or an outdoors trip.

“They just need to understand [what] things to do that are going to put less pressure on the joint,” says Nelson, “and be patient as hell.” It’s important to keep a long-term view and understand that recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. “It’s gonna look a little different for every person, but you have to be patient and stick with it for a couple of months, and you’ll make meaningful progress,” he says.

Tyler Nelson is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with a Master’s Degree in exercise science. With Camp4 Human Performance, Nelson seeks to apply the science of rehabilitation and training to climbers. For more information, visit camp4humanperformance.com.

The post Fingers Hurt, But No Pop? You Might Have This Sneaky Finger Injury appeared first on Climbing.

As someone whose regular climbing partner weighs 70 more pounds than me, I was no stranger to the Edelrid Ohm, a piece of gear that was necessary, but full of drawbacks. Until now, the Ohm represented the only real choice for a brake assistant on the market. Also called an assisted-braking resistor, a brake assistant is used in addition to a belay device. When a climber weighs significantly more than the belayer, a device like the Ohm adds friction. This essentially helps make the belayer “heavier,” reducing the size of whips and keeping the belayer on the ground during a fall.

Edelrid’s new brake assistant device, the Ohmega, performs leaps and bounds better than the Ohm, to the extent that any climbing duo with a weight difference should invest in one. The Ohmega recently hit the market and is available in select gear shops and at REI. While the Ohmega officially dropped weeks ago, it quickly sold out of shops like EpicTV and HowNot2.

How the Edelrid Ohmega works

The Ohmega essentially acts as a camming device attached to a small sling made out of Dyneema. Users open the cam with a button, then place the rope inside the cam. Then you attach a carabiner to the sling, and clip the carabiner into the first bolt of a climb. Note that Edelrid only recommends using the device on sport routes, and isn’t designed for trad climbing. The sling offers three different levels of braking assistance, depending on the weight difference between climber and belayer. In the event of a fall, the cam breaks the fall. This ensures that the belayer won’t get sucked up into the wall, and that the climber enjoys a soft catch.

I tested the Ohmega with two climbing partners outside and in the gym. In Jackson Falls, my regular partner Morgan Miller took several whips off the first bolt and up to the third bolt. These falls ranged from around five-foot to 25-foot falls. Given our 70-pound weight difference, his whips often yank me up the wall, even with an Ohm.

With the Ohmega, I barely left the ground, and Miller commented on how soft the catch was. Even on falls at the first and second clips, Miller and I didn’t come close to touching each other—nor did he come close to touching the ground. The adjustable levels of braking also make a substantial difference. On one whip, we changed the setting from most assistance to least assistance, which resulted in Miller and I smashing into each other.

As far as durability goes, after using the Ohmega on 50 routes, I only noticed minor cosmetic scratches to the plastic coating on the outside of the device. Edelrid says the Dyneema sling element of the device will be replaceable, but details are not yet clear on how users can go about replacing their sling.

In the gym, I used the least level of assistance with Jonah Ramirez, since we only had a 30-pound weight differential. Both Ramirez and Miller commented on how smooth clipping was. The Ohm commonly ends up shortroping a climber. The rope easily gets stuck in the cam, requiring the climber to wiggle and pull hard on the rope to clip. This occurs even when there is plenty of slack in the system. This is particularly a problem on overhung routes. But with the Ohmega, the rope fed through the cam like butter, even on the most overhung routes at Climb Iowa in Des Moines. “Clipping with the Ohmega is a breeze. I never felt like I was fighting against the device to clip at any point,” Ramirez says.

Belaying with a standard Ohm on the wall takes a deft hand and an added layer of skill that the Ohmega does not require. Normally with an Ohm, I can avoid getting the rope caught in the cam while my climber clips by positioning myself closer to the wall, directly under the Ohm. If my climber has been hanging on the rope and wants to resume climbing, I usually need to jiggle the rope to release it from the cam so they can continue. Belaying with the Ohmega does not require these subtle techniques. Miller observed that the Ohm “lowers the belayer skill barrier, a big plus for climbers and belayers alike.”

Edelrid Ohm vs. Edelrid Ohmega

Last year, Edelrid released a revised version of the Ohm—but the Ohmega is better than even this new Ohm 2.0. The Ohmega and Ohm work in essentially the same way: In the event of a fall, the cam inside the device adds resistance and friction, reducing the size of the whip. The cam shape of the two devices, however, differs slightly; the Ohmega is rounder, making for a smoother belaying experience.

The Ohmega weighs just 6.7 ounces, in comparison to the Ohm’s 16 ounces. Of course, the Ohmega requires the use of a quickdraw, but even with this weight addition, it is still notably lighter. It also takes up much less space on a harness and in a gear bag. The Ohmega and Ohm vary slightly in the ropes with which they are compliant. Ropes with diameters of 8.6 to 10.5 mm can use the Ohmega, while ropes ranging from 8.9 to 11 mm are compatible with the Ohm.

Not only does the rope feed through the Ohmega more smoothly, but the device also made belaying a much more pleasant experience. With the Ohm, I still bore a lot of Miller’s weight and constantly fought getting pulled into the wall. When he was projecting or if I was lowering him as he cleaned a route, my back and arms would feel sore. The Ohmega, however, turned out to be a game-changer. I didn’t have to dig in my heels and lean back to keep Miller at his same position while resting on the rope. While lowering Ramirez in the gym, I didn’t need to death grip the rope to prevent it from getting sucked into the Grigri as he lowered. It was like I was belaying a child instead of a heavier-than-me adult.

Miller likens the differences between the two devices to the differences between an ATC and a Grigri. “The Ohm and Ohmega both do the job, but the latter represents significant advancement, which for most climbers improves safety and overall quality of experience,” he says.

Final conclusions

Climbers that should use an Ohm with me as their belayer often refuse because it can be clunky and shortrope them. But with the Ohmega, they won’t have that excuse, leading to a lower likelihood of collisions. This increases safety for all involved. With smooth rope handling, adjustable levels of assistance, and soft catches, the Ohmega is the best brake assistant device currently available.

For some, it might be hard to swallow the cost of a new belay assistant if they have already spent money on an Ohm. Ultimately, however, it is a safer and more effective tool that benefits both climber and belayer.

Shop the Edelrid Ohmega Brake Assistant 

The post Edelrid’s Ohmega—Game Changer for Partners of Different Sizes—Is Finally Available appeared first on Climbing.

If you visit Bluestem Boulders, a small gym in the 65,000-person town of Ames, Iowa, on any given evening, you’ll likely run into one of the nation’s best board climbers: Sean Houchins-McCallum. Not only does this 20-year-old former comp kid consistently top the Tension Board 2 leaderboard with over 600 sends, he’s also redefining what is possible in board climbing.

Houchins-McCallum’s climbing journey began as many of ours did: As an eight-year-old, he visited his local gym, Climb Iowa, for a birthday party, and was immediately hooked. He soon joined the climbing team, and at comps, he was drawn to the boulders with big laches and burly overhangs. “[During practice,] all I really did was make up random dynos, so I got really good at giant dynos and momentum generation,” Houchins-McCallum says.

For someone who now is obsessed with board climbing, Houchins-McCallum ironically hated the board the first time he tried it as part of a climbing team workout. Initially, it seemed boring and repetitive, but it soon became a necessity when his abilities surpassed what his gym could offer. Today, he says that the permanence and accessibility of the board are its greatest appeals: His project won’t be going anywhere, and there’s no travel or approach required.

When Bluestem Boulders opened last year, he got access to a Tension Board 2 for the first time. In a mere month and a half, Houchins-McCallum completed all 527 “classic” climbs up to V13 on the board. According to him, the team at the Tension company will deem a climb a “classic” if “it’s a good quality boulder, if the movement is good, and it’s solid for the grade.” Since his initial burst, Tension has added another 53 classics, which Houchins-McCallum has all sent in quick succession.

There are over 16,000 climbers on the logbook for the TB2, and Houchins-McCallum has been on top of the leaderboard for months. For context, he’s ranked above Olympians like Kyra Condie and Jesse Grupper, elite boulderers like Zach Galla and Noah Wheeler, and people like Will Anglin, a Tension employee who has set many of the board’s classic problems. The leaderboard is ranked by how many classics climbers do, so unless Tension adds more of them, Houchins-McCallum can do nothing but wait for other climbers to catch up. After our interview, in fact, another climber, Erik Cmiel, also put down all the classics, putting him side-by-side with Houchins-McCallum at the top.

Houchins-McCallum has also set and FA’d some of the board’s hardest climbs, including Non-Euclidean (V14 at 55°), Kronos Banished (V14 at 50°), and Evil Twin (V14 at 55°). His resume includes 40 V13s and 6 V14s. None of the V14s that Houchins-McCallum has FA’d have been repeated. A video of him twisting, spinning, and jumping through the air on Kronos Banished produced Instagram comments like “Dislocated both my shoulders watching this,” and “Sean has to be studied – how does one become this strong?” His distinctive gymnastic style features double clutches—dynoing to a hold and then immediately moving off of it to another hold—and cartwheeling 360s.

There is no V15 yet on the Tension Board app, but he’s got one in the works: You’ve Seen the Butcher. Houchins-McCallum is confident that at 65°, it is a “solid V15,” and definitely much harder than any V14 he’s done on the board.  Butcher has eight ascents as a V13 at 55°, so he thinks adding ten more degrees of overhang will up the difficulty two grades. “It feels like just a huge step up from anything I’ve done,” he says. “I’ve tried it by far the most out of any TB2 climb, about 500 attempts, and I still feel like I have a lot of strength gains to make before I actually send it.” He’s done it successfully in two parts, and if it goes, it will establish a new level of difficulty in board climbing.

Houchins-McCallum is part of a growing culture of climbers who don’t climb on boards just to train or get stronger for outdoor climbing. “I board climb to be better at board climbing,” he says. “Even if a move on the board is never gonna be outside, I still think it’s cool.” For Houchins-McCallum and other board fanatics, outdoor climbing is a worthwhile style, but it’s not the be-all and end-all in climbing.

There is a whole corner of Instagram devoted to board climbing. For Houchins-McCallum, unsurprisingly, it’s the only thing that pops up in his feed. He regularly posts his sends—and fail compilations—to his 7,000 followers. “There are a lot of board accounts on Instagram now. I’m in multiple group chats with really strong, psyched board climbers,” Houchins-McCallum says. “Every day, we send each other clips of us doing random climbs to the chat.”

The universality of the board helps create connection: A climber in California, for example, can share and talk about a certain problem with a climber in Japan, as long as both have the same Tension Board 2. When Houchins-McCallum posts a video of him first ascending a V13, his board friends across the world can instantly throw it up on their board in their gym and give it a try. In April, when Houchins McCallum posted a video of him FAing 10,000 Days (V14 at 55°) in April, his comment section was filled with disbelieving athletes from around the world: “This boulder literally looks like someone said, ‘How many V10/V11 crux moves can we do in a row?’” (Ben Stanley, Oklahoma), “Hardest board climb, period? Gawwwwd damn,” (Jake Scharfman,  British Columbia), and “Fame’s getting to his head. Put this man on some slab now,” (Elmir Ganibegovic, Iowa).

While board culture is boundary-pushing, Houchins-McCallum insists that there’s no boulder bro, agro-type energy. “It’s not really competitive at all … Every time someone sets a new boulder, it’s not a race to do it next or anything, it’s just like, ‘Oh, that’s another cool climb that we all want to do,’” he says.

If you were in doubt about just how devoted Houchins-McCallum is to board climbing, how he spends his weekend will convince you. The day after we chatted in May, he drove down to RoKC in Kansas City (a three-hour-drive each way) for the day just to climb on a Kilter Board. He only has access to a Tension Board 1 in Des Moines and a Tension Board 2 in Ames, and he relishes the chance to try other boards. For Houchins-McCallum, it’s totally normal to spend six hours in a car to try to climb one specific project on a board. (His Kilter Board project was Jellyfish (V14/V13 at 40°) and, yes, he sent it.)

This summer, Houchins-McCallum will take part in an essential component of board culture: Board Lord videos. This video series, produced by Tension Climbing, features strong climbers throwing down at Tension’s world-class facility in Denver, Colorado. It’s been compared to the Reel Rock for board climbers, and past participants include V16 and V17 boulderers Noah Wheeler, Colin Duffy, Zach Galla and Nathaniel Coleman.

Outdoor climbing isn’t the ultimate goal for Houchins-McCallum, but it’s definitely on his mind. As a full-time college student, he struggles to schedule outdoor trips around classes, particularly because living in Iowa means good, hard boulders are at least a day’s drive away. Over the last two spring breaks, he’s managed to visit Red Rocks and the Northeast, and now boasts quite a tick list: a single-session send of Echale (V14), Meadowlark Lemon (V14/V13), Child of the Storm (V13), Halcyon (V11), and a flash of Confident Man (V11). At the moment, his dream lines include Paint it Black (V15) and No One Mourns the Wicked (V17), both located in Colorado.

“Paint it Black really just looks like a board climb on a roof, which is my whole thing. It’s at 65°, maybe steeper, and only three or four moves,” he says. “It suits me pretty well.” Houchins-McCallum has one year left at Iowa State University, and once he’s graduated, it won’t be surprising if we see him go on a tear through some of the West’s hardest boulders.

For those who have never touched a Tension Board, trying it for the first time can be quite intimidating. It takes time to learn to attune your body to the board: how to best grasp the holds, where to place a toe on a foot chip, and how the different angles affect the required body tension. Houchins-McCallum is the ultimate advocate of just getting on the board, no matter what grade you climb. “There’s a perception that it’s just for boulderers, but I think sport climbers would really benefit from the board as well,” he says.

His biggest piece of advice is to moderate expectations and find small wins. As with any new style or training tool you try in climbing, there’s a learning curve. “If you’re climbing a lot lower grades on the board than you are in the gym, that’s fine. It would probably be weird if you weren’t. If you start board climbing and you climb harder than you did last week, or you do a move that you couldn’t do last week, that’s really good.”

The post Meet the Board Lord, Sean Houchins-McCallum appeared first on Climbing.

Our Thoughts

Red Chili’s Voltage 2 had been my go-to gym shoe for years, so I was excited to test the brand’s first-ever slipper. Crafted for optimal sensitivity, the Clue features a single-strap closure and an aggressive, moderately asymmetrical downturn. Red Chili describes it as “the ideal choice for bouldering problems, slabs, and demanding overhang climbing,” and our testers agree that if you are looking for a performance gym slipper, the Clue is a solid choice. “The design of the shoe creates a noticeable tension, achieved through the midsole, without employing stiff edging rubber. This tension provides decent edging without causing discomfort to the Achilles tendon,” says Logan Dirksen.

While the Clue’s Vibram XS Grip rubber performed passably on slabs, steep volumes, and dihedrals, testers said they preferred the feel of Vibram’s XS Grip 2 compound. This higher performance rubber, which is only available in Scarpa and La Sportiva shoes, felt anecdotally stickier than the Clue’s XS rubber.

Across the brand, one of Red Chili’s strengths is the design of shoe’s tongue (the Voltage 2’s polyester knit tongue is a standout), and the Clue continues this trend. The elastic, webbed fabric allows for ample ventilation and slight cushion should you cinch the closure strap extra tight for a send go. The strap and buckle avoided any pain points that testers experienced with other single-strap slippers.

In Climbing‘s yearly review of the best new shoes, tester Justen Sjong—a climbing coach and impressive all-around climber who has established 5.14 big walls on El Capitan—noted the shoe’s great grabbing ability—an 8 out of 10—thanks to its ample flex (you can manually sandwich the Clue both upward and downward) and sticky, and half-length sole. “This is a great shoe for the intermediate to advanced climber who climbs in the gym 80 percent of the time and 20 percent outside on 10-degree or steeper rock,” said Sjong. The semi-stiff midsole also offered some edging/jibbing bite, enabling us to climb indoors up to V7 and 5.12+ on semi-small to small jibs.

Comfort

The comfort level of this shoe is highly dependent on your foot’s shape. Testers with average or wide, square feet found the Clue painfully narrow. “Even though I tend to downsize my shoes quite aggressively, the discomfort on the sides of my feet emerged before any pressure on my toes did,” Dirksen says. The thin layer of rubber on the heel also makes it difficult and uncomfortable to heel hook securely. “The heel cup is very tight and shallow; it’s the worst part of the shoe for me,” tester Ozzy Vega says. We can only recommend the Clue to people with pointed, slender feet.

Sizing

Size down from your typical Red Chili size. I wear a 40 in street shoes, a 41 in the Voltage 2, and a 39 in the Clue. Our testers found that they wore the same sizes in the Red Chili Clue as they did in La Sportiva’s Katana and Theory.

Buy the Clue on Backcountry.com for $165.

The post Should Red Chili’s New Clue Be Your Next Gym Slipper? appeared first on Climbing.

If there is one piece of gear that will make or break your mood during a long day on the wall, it’s your harness. Sitting in a hanging belay in an uncomfortable harness is a surefire way to squash stoke. In an effort to find the best available, we put a range of climbing harnesses—from fast-and-light alpine options to feature-heavy big wall offerings—to the test this year, taking them on trips from the cold Canadian alpine to the steep walls of Devil’s Tower to overhung sport routes at The Red. After plenty of whips and hours spent projecting, six emerged as the most comfortable, functional, and breathable climbing harnesses currently available.

Updated April 2025: We added three new picks to this list, including our new favorite all-around harness, the Arc’teryx AR-385a/AR-395a. We also updated info and pricing on previously tested harnesses that we still highly recommend. 

At a Glance

• Best All-Around: Arc’teryx AR-385a/AR-395a ($160)
• Best Value: Ocun Twist Tech Eco ($80)
• Most Inclusive Sizing: Petzl Corax ($80)
• Best for Projecting: Mammut Sender ($90)
• Best for Redpointing: Arc’teryx Skaha ($180)
• Best Big Wall Harness: Singing Rock Dome ($120)
• Other Harnesses We Tested
• How to Choose a Climbing Harness
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Testers

Don’t miss: The Best Climbing Shoes of 2025

Best All-Around

Arc’teryx AR-385a/395a

$160 at REI (385a) $160 at REI (395a)

Weight: 13.9 oz (women’s)
Size: XS–XL (men’s and women’s)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Great back support
⊕ Versatile
⊗ Expensive, like most Arc’teryx products

The Arc’teryx AR-385a (women’s) and AR-395a (men’s) is a do-it-all harness that can handle sport climbs as well as gear-intensive trad and ice projects thanks to four large, oblong gear loops and four ice clipper slots. While the AR-385a looks pretty barebones—it has no padding whatsoever—it’s remarkably supportive and comfortable thanks to its Warp Strength Technology, which equally distributes weight from edge to edge. The waistband, which is thicker in the rear, perfectly contours to the small of your back. One tester wore it for 12 hours straight during Horseshoe Hell, an endurance climbing competition, and reported she didn’t experience any uncomfortable rubbing or pinching.

The biggest downside to this harness is the price. Like most Arc’teryx products, the AR-385a/395a costs a pretty penny and was one of the most expensive options we tested. But you get what you pay for: I’ve worn this harness four days a week for eight months straight during gym training sessions and have noticed next to no wear or tear (I am 5’6”, weigh 140 lbs, and regularly belay climbing partners 40 to 80 lbs heavier than me).

A note on fit: Some male testers (who normally wear a small or medium harness) tried both the 385a and 395a, and preferred how the women’s version fit their waist and hips, so we recommend trying it on before you buy.

Best Value

Ocun Twist Tech Eco

$64 at EpicTV (Women’s) $80 at Amazon (Men’s)

Weight: 14 oz (men’s M/L) / 13.4 oz (women’s M/L)
Size: XS-XL (men’s) / XS-XL (women’s)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Sustainably made
⊕ Comfortable
⊗ Flimsy belay loop
⊗ Heavier than other harnesses

Ocun’s Twist Tech harness, made from 82 percent recycled and bio-based materials (including recycled polyester and polyethylene and bio-based Dyneema), proves that sustainability does not have to come at the expense of performance. Testers caught whips from climbers 50-plus pounds heavier than them, and found that the substantially thick and padded waist belt supported their lower backs well.

Despite being rubbed against rough sandstone on chimneys and off-width climbs in Jackson Falls, the Twist Tech showed no noticeable signs of wear and tear. One ding: The thin belay loop got twisted when testers were tied in while wearing personal anchor systems. Trying to thread rope through chains and untie a figure 8 knot with a belay loop that shifts or turns in on itself made cleaning routes a challenge.

Still, if you’re looking for a solid, all-around harness at a reasonable price, the Ocun Twist Tech Eco is a safe bet: It’s supportive enough to be a projecting harness, but light enough to wear on redpoint attempts.

Most Inclusive Sizing

Petzl Corax

$80 at REI $80 at Backcountry

Weight: 16.5 oz (size 1)
Size: 1 (25-38″); 2 (30-42″) (unisex)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Highly adjustable
⊕ Fits a range of body types
⊗ Not very breathable
⊗ Heavier than most other harnesses

Many brands fail to offer well-made harnesses for larger bodies. Petzl’s unisex Corax, however, has one of the widest, most inclusive size ranges of any harness we tested. As someone whose body and waist size can change depending on whether I’m training endurance, strength, or power for my sport project, I appreciated how adjustable the Corax was. Two buckles—one on each side of the waist—meant I could dial in the fit on this harness like I would on a backpacking pack. With substantial padding on the leg loops and waistband, the Corax was also extremely comfortable. I appreciated how evenly the harness distributed weight while I sat and hung as my much-heavier climbing partner worked his beta on a project.

That said, the Corax isn’t the kind of harness you wear for projecting at your limit: All of its cushy padding and buckles means it weighs 3 to 8 ounces more than most other harnesses we tested. We also dinged it for its lack of breathability: The recycled polyester and extra padding tended to trap back and leg sweat even when we climbed on cloudy, 60-degree days in Colorado.

But thanks to its adjustability, this harness would be a great choice for younger climbers who are still growing. The Corax’s hard and soft points (the parts of the harness that receive the most strain and force) feature thick, reinforced nylon for enhanced durability, so it will also last younger climbers for years to come.

Best for Projecting

Mammut Sender

$90 at REI $63 at Backcountry

Weight: 11.3 oz (M)
Size: XS, S, M, L, XL (unisex)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Available in wide range of sizes
⊕ Comfortable to hang in
⊗ Only available in one color

Mammut’s Sender harness offers a surprising amount of support for its low weight. The blend of nylon and elastane is flexible and moves with you, and the padding on the waistband is soft and slightly spongy, but still comfortable to hang in. The laser-cut, mesh-like fabric also makes it extremely breathable even in warm temps.

All this makes it a great choice for climbers who have big projects on their to-do list. Tester Benjamin Rathbun practically lived in the Sender last fall when he was working on his project in Rifle, Colorado—a place that’s know for steep, cryptic sequences and a lot of hanging in one’s harness. He appreciated how much this harness supported his hips and lower backs during long periods of dogging.

“I likely spent around four hours of active weighted time in the Sender, and I’m so glad it wasn’t any other harness,” he said. Rathbun finds that his lower back and thighs often start to chafe when he’s in a harness that long, but that wasn’t the case with the Sender. Other testers agreed. Tester Becca Stephens, head routesetter at Climb Iowa, said it was so comfortable that it became her go-to harness for forerunning.

Normally, I’m skeptical that harnesses with nonadjustable leg loops will fit me right, but these had the most stretch and give of any nonadjustable loops we tested. It’s worth noting that it only comes in the color—safety orange—which is just as loud and bright as it sounds; this can be a pro or con depending on if you want to look like a traffic cone on the wall.

Best for Redpointing

Arc’teryx Skaha

$180 at REI (Women’s) $180 at REI (Men’s)

Weight: 10.5 oz (men’s M) / 10 oz (women’s S)
Size: XS-XL (men’s) / XXS-XL (women’s)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight and breathable
⊕ Expansive size range
⊗ Pricey
⊗ Non-adjustable leg loops

The pared-down Skaha is the best of both worlds: a lightweight harness for hard sends, with enough support to wear while projecting at your limit. “It’s surprisingly comfortable for a lightweight harness, especially during lead falls, with great weight distribution,” said Logan Dirksen, director of marketing at Climb Iowa in Des Moines. I used the Skaha as my go-to gym harness for over a year, wearing it on plenty of whippers, and it looks as good as new.

The Spacemesh liner allows for substantial airflow; while climbing in humid 95 degree temps in Illinois, testers stayed cool and noticed minimal sweating on their backs and legs. The non-adjustable leg loops, however, tended to shift and move around. Tester Lucie Hanes took issue with the fit of the leg loops: “I think they are a bit too large for the sizing of the rest of the harness.”

Although it’s one of the most expensive products we tested, the quality and comfort of the harness are well worth the price.

Best Big Wall Harness

Singing Rock Dome

$120 at Singing Rock

Weight: 1.4 lbs (M/L)
Size: S, M/L, XL (unisex)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Plenty of features
⊕ Highly adjustable
⊗ Not enough padding
⊗ Not breathable

Featuring two waist buckles and adjustable leg loops with a wide berth, Singing Rock’s Dome harness can accommodate a variety of body types and allows users to get their ideal fit. “I love the double-sided adjustment on the waistband and that the legs are so adjustable,” Hänna Hagen, a Devil’s Tower enthusiast, said. Testers also appreciated the proprietary Rock&Lock waist buckle, a quick-release system that makes for easy on and off.

Not surprisingly for a big wall harness, it was not the most breathable harness we tried, with testers noting heavy back and leg sweat during air-conditioned gym sessions. And, while it is certainly better padded than an average sport climbing harness, for a big wall model, testers felt it could have given them more support. “When it comes to comfort, it falls a bit short compared to others known for their versatility and comfort,” said Dirksen.

The Dome may not be the most comfortable big wall harness on the market, but it is a solid value (up to $50 cheaper than most comparable offerings). This feature-rich harness—which includes two belay loops, seven gear loops, and a rear haul loop—would be overkill for sport climbers, but trad and multi-pitch climbers may still appreciate the features and the comfort of the Dome.

Other Harnesses We Tested

• Wild Country Mosquito Pro ($130): This lightweight harness is advertised as a versatile all-arounder, but testers found that it lacked back support. They also struggled with the fit—testers wearing extra-small and small sizes couldn’t tighten the leg loops enough around their thighs.
• Petzl Corax LT ($70): Compared to the Corax, this harness is slightly lighter, but at the cost of losing the high level of adjustability that we loved about the original Corax we included in our top picks.
• Petzl Sitta ($175): This performance- and alpine-oriented harness can carry a ton of gear, but it’s expensive. The Arc’teryx AR-385a/AR-395a is a slightly more affordable workhorse.
• Wild Country Flow 2.0 ($85): This harness has a hard, inflexible waistband that made it uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time. If you’re looking for a do-it-all harness in the $80 price range, the Mammut Sender is a better pick.
• Edelrid Moe 3R ($70): This harness is made with partially recycled materials, which is commendable, but that doesn’t make up for its faults. The material is scratchy and abrasive on the skin, and it’s only available in three unisex sizes (which run extremely small). If you’re looking for a sustainability-made harness in this price range, go with the Ocun Twist Eco.
• Black Diamond Zone ($110): While this harness is relatively affordable, it didn’t impress us in the fit, breathability, or comfort departments. If you’re looking for a lightweight redpointing harness, the Arc’teryx Skahai is a better pick.

How to Choose a Climbing Harness

How should a climbing harness fit?

Fit can vary greatly from brand to brand, so it’s best to try on a harness before purchasing. Whether a harness is unisex or gendered can also make a substantial difference in feel and fit, so keep that in mind. Regardless of gender, the harness should fit snug on your waist; you should be able to slide a couple fingers between your body and the harness, but no more. Leg loops should be tight enough that they don’t shift around easily, but not so tight that they hinder movement. The best way to know if a harness is for you is to suit up and spend a day tied in.

What’s the difference between a women’s and a men’s/unisex climbing harness?

Harnesses often come in women’s and men’s/unisex models. Brands produce gender-specific harnesses because women tend to have different waist-to-leg size ratios than men. Typically, women’s harnesses sit higher on the waist and have larger leg loops than men’s/unisex versions.

What are the different types of climbing harness?

Harnesses will often be marketed for different disciplines. A sport climbing harness tends to be lightweight and streamlined; a trad climbing harness is usually sturdier with more gear loops; and a big wall harness tends to feature even more padding and include more features, like a second belay loop.

How much does a climbing harness cost?

Depending on the features and brand, climbers can expect to pay between $60 and $200 for a harness. On the low end of the price scale, you’ll find basic, all-around harnesses like Black Diamond’s Momentum; at the top, you’ll find high-end brands like Arc’teryx and specialized harnesses like Misty Mountain’s big wall offerings.

How long does a climbing harness last?

Like all climbing gear, the lifespan of a harness depends on how much it gets used. If you’re a casual climber who only hits the gym a few times a week, a harness can last anywhere from five to seven years. If you’re exposing the harness to the elements and climbing outside frequently, a harness will likely last around two to four years. Many harnesses come with wear indicators (thread that will change color as it gets worn down) on the belay loop or tie-in points , so users know when it’s time to replace it. If you notice that the buckles don’t tighten anymore, or see fraying on the belay loop or tie-in points, or structural damage or rips in the waistband, it’s time to shop for a new harness.

How We Test Climbing Harnesses

• Number of testers: 15
• Number of products tested: 21
• Number of pitches climbed and belayed: 500
• Longest single period on the wall: 4 hours

We evaluated each harness based on comfort, durability, breathability, freedom of movement, versatility, and ease of use to determine its overall performance, while also taking price point into account.

A minimum of two testers tried each harness for at least five climbing sessions, both inside and outside. The team took harnesses from the gym to crags in Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, California, Nevada, Arizona, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Missouri, climbing sport and multi-pitch routes on limestone, granite, gneiss, and sandstone in temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 90s.

Meet Our Lead Testers

We assembled a multi-faceted team of testers to put these harnesses through their paces. Lead tester Mary Andino is a PhD, editor, and writer whose residence in Iowa dictates that she regularly travels across the Midwest to climb. Primarily a sport climber who loves technical sequences on vert, her favorite crag is Jackson Falls in southern Illinois.

Our weekend warriors included self-described giant Morgan Miller (6-foot-four, 220 pounds); Benjamin Rathbun and Claudia Szczepaniak, both regulars at the hard, overhung routes in Rifle, Colorado; and Hänna Hagen, a big wall enthusiast.

Experts included Anthony Walsh, senior editor at Climbing; Matt Samet, a regular contributor to Climbing and Outside with decades of climbing experience; and Logan Dirksen, comp climber and director of marketing at Climb Iowa in Des Moines.

More Gear Reviews

The Best Climbing Shoes of the Year
The Best Ropes for Rock, Ice, and the Gym
The Best Climbing Helmets

The post The Best Climbing Harnesses of 2025 appeared first on Climbing.

Whether you’re a climber who always wears a helmet or a climber who eschews one, there’s no debate that helmets are the best defense against rock fall and other unexpected hazards you encounter while climbing outside. While helmets seem like a pretty straightforward purchase, it’s worth researching to find one that is comfortable, light, breathable, and fits well, because actually liking your helmet will encourage you to regularly wear it. Our robust team of testers did the work for you, taking 12 helmets to crags across the country to find the best on the market. Here are our six favorite climbing helmets of 2025.

Updated May 2025: We added two new helmets to this list, including our new “Best All-Around” pick, the Black Diamond Vision. We also updated pricing and info on other helmets that we previously tested and still highly recommend. 

At a Glance

• Best All-Around: Black Diamond Vision ($100)
• Best Value: Petzl Boreo/Borea ($70)
• Most Durable: Wild Country Syncro ($100)
• Best Ultralight: Black Diamond Vapor ($170)
• Most Sustainable: Edelrid Zodiac 3R ($70)
• Best for Small Heads: Trango Halo ($100)
• Other Climbing Helmets We Tested
• Helmets to Avoid
• How to Choose a Climbing Helmet
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Testers

Don’t miss: The Best Climbing Shoes of 2025 

Best All-Around

Black Diamond Vision

$100 at REI $100 at Backcountry

Weight: 7.6 oz (S/M)
Size: S/M, M/L (unisex)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Breathable
⊕ Good value
⊗ Hardshell portion scratches easily

The Black Diamond Vision offers the best of both worlds when it comes to comfort and weight. Made from mostly foam, with a plastic, ABS hardshell covering a portion of the top of the helmet, the Vision is impressively light at 215 grams. We tested lighter helmets, including the Edelrid Salathe Lite and the Black Diamond Vapor, but these cost $40 to $60 more than the Vision, and that extra money only shaved off a few ounces.

Testers commented on the easy adjustability of this helmet. It has a ribbed, horizontal plastic piece that rests on the base of the skull; you adjust it by notching a piece of plastic on both sides onto the ribs. The ribs are so close together that the fit is highly customizable, so you can get the helmet just where you want it.

The Vision also impressed us with its breathability thanks to the large, oblong vents that cover most of the sides of the helmet. We wore the Vision in 90-degree-plus temperatures in Jackson Falls, Illinois, and noticed minimal excess sweating. While we brought four helmets to test on that climbing trip, we reached for the Vision on a send burn because it was the lightest and most comfortable of the helmets in our quiver.

Tester Claudia Sczpeaniak found the Vision so light and airy that she forgot she was wearing it, even during 10-hour climbing days in Rifle, Colorado. “I could wear it all day and didn’t notice it on my head at all,” she says. While light, the Vision doesn’t skimp on comfort: The soft, removable mesh padding on the forehead and crown of the helmet adds cushion.

One con: The hardshell top got scuffed up easily, as one tester found while tossing her helmet off after a particularly sweaty burn. These are only cosmetic damages, but they do make the helmet look older than it is.

Best Value

Petzl Borea/Boreo

$70 at REI $70 at Backcountry

Weight: 10.8 oz (W’s S/M); 330 g (M’s M/L)
Size: women’s S/M; men’s S/M and M/L

Pros and Cons
⊕ Comfortable
⊕ Affordable
⊗ Women’s version only comes in one size

The transition from climbing in the gym to climbing outside comes with an avalanche of costs, but your helmet doesn’t need to be one of them. Petzl’s Borea (women’s)/Boreo (men’s) was our favorite offering under $70, a category that mostly consists of hardshell helmets weighing more than 8 ounces.

Considering its affordable price, the helmet proves surprisingly comfortable and breathable. Strategically placed padding on the forehead and in the crown not only offered plenty of cushion, but also made it so the foam of the helmet didn’t touch the skin. As someone with sensitive skin, it’s a pet peeve when a helmet’s rough, scratchy foam rubs against my forehead, ears, or neck all day. The Borea/Boreo also has 14 vertical slash openings in the rear and on the sides, which allow for ample airflow.

Depending on your head size, the gendering of the helmets might not be an accurate indicator of which one to purchase. The women’s helmet, which only comes in one size, fits heads with a circumference of 20.5 to 22.8 inches, while the men’s S/M fits 18.9 to 22.8 inches and the M/L fits 20.9 to 24. The adjustment mechanism in the back of the helmet involves latches on both sides that you press to slide back and forth across a horizontal piece of plastic. This design wasn’t very sensitive; the latch is slow to click into place, so users can only make large adjustments to the sizing. It was hard to adjust the helmet into just the fit we wanted.

Another plus: Compared to ultralight helmets, the Boreo/Borea extends slightly lower in the back and on the sides to offer greater protection. And after several outdoor sessions, we only noticed a few light cosmetic scratches on the hardshell, but no other wear and tear. If you’re a new trad or sport climber looking for a basic helmet that ticks all the boxes, the Boreo/Borea is a great choice.

Most Durable

Wild Country Syncro

$100 at Backcountry $100 at Amazon

Weight: 9.2 oz
Size: One size (56-61 cm)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Good coverage
⊕ Durable
⊗ Single size offering
⊗ Difficult to adjust while wearing

Despite its lightweight design, testers found Wild Country’s Syncro helmet to be the most durable of the bunch. Climbing guide and big-waller Matthew Pinheiro wore it for over 100 pitches during a 24-hour climbing marathon and reported it survived the adventure unscathed even after a few bumps on overhanging rock. The polycarbonate hard shell is reinforced with a top plate for extra durability. Pinheiro also appreciated that the helmet’s foam is surrounded by a smooth plastic, giving it a finished look for a softshell. Sarah Reynolds, a trad and sport climber from Salt Lake City, liked that the ample ventilation—10 cutouts surrounding the helmet—kept her head cool under Utah’s summer sun.

While the Syncro features a thicker construction, it didn’t weigh testers down. One negative: This helmet only comes in one size, and a few of our testers who usually wear a small found they couldn’t cinch the Syncro tight enough.

Best Ultralight

Black Diamond Vapor

$170 at REI $170 at Backcountry

Weight: 5.5 oz (S/M)
Size: S/M, M/L

Pros and Cons
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Breathable
⊗ Expensive
⊗ May not be suitable for those with smaller heads

Black Diamond’s Vapor is one of the lightest helmets on the market, which takes away the biggest excuse climbers have to not protect their noggins. The 18 triangular cutouts provide superior breathability, with one tester, Anthony Walsh, senior editor of Climbing, finding it comfortable enough to wear on 12-mile glacial approaches in British Columbia. Most helmets have a piece of adjustable plastic that sits on the base of the skull; the Vapor has straps and thin cords instead. This design means you can get a snug, tight fit without plastic pressing into the back of your head.

Tester Claudia Szczepaniak, however, noted that she constantly felt the straps behind her ears and experienced some chafing. “This could be due to having a smaller head and those straps sitting down lower,” she says. If you have a smaller head, it might be worth trying out the helmet in store before purchasing. And of course, the lightweight nature of the Vapor comes at a high cost; at $170, it was one of the most expensive models we tested.

Best Sustainable

Edelrid Zodiac 3R

$70 at REI $70 at Backcountry

Weight: 12.8 oz
Size: One size (55-61 cm)

Pros and Cons
⊕ Sustainably made
⊕ Comfortable
⊕ Easy to adjust
⊗ Only comes in one size and one color

Each year Edelrid releases a revised Zodiac 3R, it’s always a few grams lighter than the prior model. But what’s unique about the 3R is that it’s made entirely of recycled materials—the outer polyamide shell is sourced from rope production leftovers, and the inner shell is also made from recycled material. Testers noted that the buckle was easy to manipulate, even with gloves on. We also liked the Wing Fit system, a dial on the back of the helmet that made it easy to adjust the helmet to exactly the size we wanted. That said, the one size might not fit everyone, especially those with smaller heads.

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Columbia Utilizer Polarized Sunglasses

Learn More

From basecamp to the crag, Columbia’s Utilizer Polarized Sunglasses are engineered to keep your eyes shielded no matter where your climbs take you. Grippy rubber temple tips and snap-in rubber nose pads keep these shades secure, while a lightweight design provides all-day comfort. Polarized lenses and 100% UV protection help reduce glare and eyestrain. Plus, a full rim wraps around the entire lens for durability.

Best for Smaller Heads

Trango Halo

$100 at Backcountry $95 at Amazon

Weight: 7.8 oz (S/M), 225 g (L/XL)
Size: S/M, L/XL

Pros and Cons
⊕ Comfortable
⊕ Good ventilation
⊗ Magnetic buckle can be fussy

Tester Natalie Bladis thought the S/M size of the Halo was the best fit she’s ever found for her small, 54-centimeter head. With 20 vents, it’s also the most ventilated helmet we tested, and the 10 mm nylon suspension gives it a barely-there feel on the head. Tester Claudia Szczepaniak appreciated that the adjustments she made to the helmet’s sizing and straps stayed put, even after hours on the wall. “It didn’t loosen over long periods of time on the wall, like some helmets do,” she said. There was debate among testers about the magnetic chin clasp: Bladis and Szczepaniak found it frustrating to use, while Benjamin Rathbun thought it was easy to use with gloves.

The hardshell helmet performed well on the wall, providing Bladis peace of mind on a traverse pitch directly below a roof on the Jelly Roll Arch at Donner Summit. “I was super grateful to have a well-fitting, lower-profile helmet as I crouched below the roof traversing,” she said.

Other Climbing Helmets We Tested

• Mammut Haute Route ($140): This versatile helmet is certified for climbing, biking, and winter sports, making it a good buy if you’re the athlete who does it all and wants to save space in your gear closet. But with a weight of 12.4 ounces, we found ourselves reaching for lighter helmets on long projecting days.
• Singing Rock Hex ($80): This simple hardshell is an adequate basic helmet, but for the same price, we preferred the padding and ventilation of the Petzl Boreo/Borea.
• Petzl Sirocco ($135): This comfortable ultralight helmet (6 oz) will no doubt appeal to climbers who count each and every gram. However it’s 2024 redesign made it less comfortable for those with large heads.
• Black Diamond Half Dome ($60): While this hardshell helmet is one of the cheapest on the market, testers reported fit issues and complained about the lack of padding.

How to Choose the Right Climbing Helmet

Hardshell vs. Softshell

The main two categories of climbing helmets are hardshells, with a foam core that’s fully wrapped in a layer of hard plastic, and softshells, which are mostly foam to shed ounces. While they can weigh about half that of hardshells, softshells tend to be more sensitive to abuse. Meanwhile, a hardshell is tougher and generally lasts longer, but can feel heavier and may get sweaty on hot days if the venting system isn’t well designed.

Budget and Weight

The main buying considerations are your budget and how you intend to use the helmet. Hardshells start around $60 and can be thrown around the crag, while softshells are generally more expensive and require some extra care. While you can use either type for your preferred style of climbing, softshells really shine where weight matters—long alpine days or projecting sport routes at your limit.

Feature Set and Fit

Other aspects to keep in mind: headlamp clips for climbers that start early or stay out late; how the helmet fits over a beanie for climbing in cold temps; and, of course, whether it’s the right shape and size for your head.

How Long Does a Climbing Helmet Last?

All climbing helmets will come with a sticker inside that states the manufacturing month and year. Helmets generally last 10 years, but the sun’s UV rays degrade the materials in a helmet, so if you climb outdoors frequently, it likely won’t last that long. Any helmet that has been involved in an accident or suffered damage should be retired and replaced immediately.

Can You Use a Climbing Helmet for Biking or Other Sports?

Generally speaking, climbing helmets should not be used for biking (and vice versa). They are constructed to do different things: A climbing helmet protects you from objects falling from above, while a biking helmet protects you from impact to hard, planar surfaces. A biking helmet requires much more rear and front protection than climbing helmets provide. Additionally, most biking helmets will have far superior ventilation than those made for climbing. If you’re looking for a multi-sport helmet, find one that’s tested and certified for those activities. Options include the Mammut Haute Route (certified for climbing, biking, and skiing) and the Petzl Meteor (certified for climbing and ski touring).

How We Test

• Number of testers: 14
• Number of helmets tested: 14
• Number of vertical feet climbed: 20,250
• Number of pitches climbed: 650

Our testers come from a variety of climbing backgrounds, from trad to sport to big wall climbing. Together, we put these helmets through their paces on walls in Canada, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, and California. We asked testers to evaluate how each performed in terms of durability, comfort, breathability, adjustability, as well as taking price into account. At least two testers tried each and every helmet.

Meet Our Lead Testers

We assembled a multi-faceted team of testers to put these harnesses through their paces. Lead tester Mary Andino is a PhD, editor, and writer whose residence in Iowa dictates that she regularly travels across the Midwest to climb. Primarily a sport climber who loves technical sequences on vert, her favorite crag is Jackson Falls in southern Illinois.

Our weekend warriors included Matthew Pinheiro, a big wall veteran, and Claudia Szczepaniak, a try-hard sport climber located in Rifle, Colorado.

Experts included Anthony Walsh, senior editor at Climbing; Logan Dirksen, comp climber and director of marketing at Climb Iowa in Des Moines; and Jude Coleman, a self-proclaimed retired dirtbag and frequent Climbing contributor.

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The post The Best Climbing Helmets of 2025 appeared first on Climbing.

For many years, in the public eye and in her own self-perception, Beth Rodden didn’t exist: There was only “BethandTommy.” Shortly after meeting, in 1995, Beth Rodden and Tommy Caldwell became attached at the hip, in every personal and professional sense. Now, in her new memoir, A Light Through the Cracks: A Climber’s Story, Rodden gives us an intimate look into her complex process of disentanglement and self-actualization. She tells her narrative on her own terms, as “just Beth,” sharing glimpses into her own flawed humanity and that of the community at large.

Rodden grew up in Davis, California, and began climbing in 1995, quickly rising in the competitive ranks. She also rapidly ticked noteworthy climbs, including Country Boy (5.13d) and To Bolt or Not to Be (5.14a). While on a climbing trip in Kyrgyzstan in 2000, she was kidnapped with Caldwell and two other climbers; they were held hostage for six days before escaping. The event cemented their relationship in climbing and in life. In 2005, they became the third and fourth climbers to free The Nose. Three years later, Rodden made the first ascent of Meltdown (5.14c) in Yosemite, one of the hardest trad lines in the world. Her other notable ascents include Lurking Fear (5.13c, first free ascent with Caldwell), Book of Hate (5.13d), and The Optimist (5.14b). Rodden and Caldwell divorced in 2009; in 2012, Rodden married Randy Puro and the couple had a son in 2014. In more recent years, Rodden has devoted herself to writing and advocacy in the sport.

A Light Through The Cracks is divided into three parts. The first covers the years 2000 to 2003, from the kidnapping to Rodden’s marriage to Caldwell. The second, from 2005 to 2008, spans the pair’s ascent of The Nose to the FA of Meltdown. In part three, from 2008 to the present, Rodden reflects on her divorce, marriage, child, and the current state of her career. The book reads as if we are peeking into Rodden’s diary entries, experiencing those past events from her perspective at the time. In part one, the dates flip back and forth between during and after the kidnapping; the latter parts adopt a more classic narrative flow.

Throughout, Rodden is unflinching in her portrait of herself, freely and viscerally putting her raw emotions on display. When she recovers at a military base after escaping her captors, we are there with her while she tries to shower and remove her underwear, stained from days of having her period while in captivity. “The blood had dried and it was stuck to my pubic hair. Again, I felt like a child in my body, thinking there was something I should have known or done differently … I was standing on one side of a dark-green cloth divider in the middle of a military base thinking I was going to have to employ the rip-off-the-Band-Aid strategy because I couldn’t bear the thought of slowly peeling away each inch,” Rodden writes.

This brutal honesty extends to Rodden sharing her own flaws. After the kidnapping, when she sees people of color and South Asian descent, Rodden admits to rushing to judgments and feeling paralyzing fear; she becomes anxious at the sight of a mother in a hijab at a playground. Rodden fully demonstrates the effect the kidnapping had on her mental state and how it warped her thinking, without using the trauma as a justification for her behavior.

A Light Through The Cracks compellingly captures the challenges that came with being a pro female climber in the early 2000s and the profound sexism of that era. In her early years, Rodden was constantly worried about losing sponsors and felt intense pressure to perform. She writes: “I’d count up my Rock and Ice covers, setting my total against the handful of other female climbers, I always, back then, saw as my competition for a seat at the boys’ table. Would this climb get me another cover? Would it get me a raise?” There was no room for female connection in her world; female climbers were competitors—not friends. There was often only one woman sponsored by each major brand, and none of them received the multi-year deals or high pay that men did. Rodden, who garnered attention for her many first female ascents, interrogates the concept of the FFA. “First female ascents were a double-edged sword: they got me accolades and raises from my sponsors, but I also knew they would always carry an asterisk. In the end, I would be judged against the accomplishments of the men, and I needed to do things none of them had ever done to be recognized among them.”

Whatever room Rodden had carved out for herself in this male-domianted sport disappeared as news of her divorce from Caldwell became public. “A lot of people, the industry acquaintances who’d always been quick to get in touch and praise my latest send, just disappeared from my life … I felt as though I’d been marked with a scarlet letter and cut out of nearly all the old social and professional circles I’d known,” Rodden recalls. But out of this isolation, Rodden unlearned her internalized resentment of women, and she formed strong bonds and friendships with other female climbers like Steph Davis and, later, Becca Caldwell. She embraced a role as a writer and an advocate for change in the sport, particularly around body image, eating disorders, and motherhood. Rodden’s ability to change her perspective and embrace female solidarity speaks to the sport’s potential to change—and for it to change us.

Rodden’s writing skillfully transports us, placing us alongside her on the wall. Any climber with a project can relate to Rodden’s descriptions of her hanging on a rope for hours, attempting to decode Meltdown, searching for the smallest of nubs to use as a foothold, and trying to hold onto polished nothingness. Rodden painstakingly details just how tenuous her ascent was. “I took two deep breaths and then reached up with my right hand to the worst hold on the route. It was a quarter of a finger pad deep…I weighted my right fingertip and pulled with my arms. As I reached up I had only a second before my body would start to succumb to gravity and pull me backward, off the wall.” Her recollection on her failed ascent of Magic Line (5.14c) blends the technical aspects of the route with deep emotional weight. Rodden saw the route as her “declaration of independence” after her divorce; a public statement declaring that “just Beth” could still succeed. She captures the wrenching agony of falling on the last move of a route: “I wanted him [my belayer] to tie me off to a tree and just leave me there, a spectacle for all the tourists hiking by. Beth Rodden: could have been someone, but she wasn’t, so here she hangs in infamy.”

Part three is the most captivating and emotionally resonant portion of the book. Earlier on, we have witnessed Rodden become inextricably linked to Caldwell—and her trauma—and here we get to see Rodden step into her own and find her identity. Her new marriage and her child do not provide the answer to the question of who she is; only Rodden can discover that through therapy, introspection, and self-love. “I had trained myself to lock Kyrgyzstan away, and facing those memories one by one felt like a kind of training project too … But instead of finding a sequence that successfully led up a blank rock wall… the gains were gradual, less tangible… As my thoughts became less frightening to me, less shameful, that meant I could loosen my rigid control over them. I could be kinder to myself. I could be myself.” Rodden’s capacity to break her destructive patterns, to unlearn her coping and controlling mechanisms resulting from her trauma, and to finally divorce her self-worth from her climbing is as awe-inspiring as any of her ascents.

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The post Beth Rodden was a Visionary Yosemite Climber. Now, She Introduces the Rest of Herself appeared first on Climbing.

You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2023 here.

Kyle Rott, 36, November 25

A well-traveled ice climber and guide, Kyle Rott found joy and fulfillment in the mountains and landscape of Montana. After beginning climbing in high school, Rott fully embraced a simple lifestyle, working to live and living to climb. “He talked about climbing with incredible knowledge and passion,” his sister Sydney Chapman said. “He was so excited about it all even when it was not his turn to climb.”

Born February 11, 1987, in Denver, Colorado, Rott grew up in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In 2005, he moved to Missoula, Montana, where he quickly fell in love with climbing and became part of the local community. He loved Hyalite Canyon, the best ice climbing spot in the state and one of the best in the nation. His other favorite places to climb included the Black Hills, Yosemite Valley, and Devil’s Tower. 

Rott built his life and work around his love for the sport. “He was homeless by choice for the majority of the last two decades in order to live the way he did and pursue his passions in climbing,” Chapman said. “He rejected the norms of our current society and wanted to live simply and freely.” His various jobs included farm and nature conservancy work, guiding, and working with animals. The siblings grew up visiting an uncle’s farm in South Dakota, and it was one of Rott’s favorite places. 

Chapman described Rott as curious, kind, and quiet, with a thirst for knowledge. “He loved learning about everything. He had a deep respect for a person’s craft,” she said. His interests were broad, ranging from bluegrass music to gardening to backcountry skiing.  

We all know the type of climber who is more excited to get people on the wall than they are to send, and Rott was one of those gems. “He was involved in so many people’s climbing experiences,” says Chapman. “He made it possible for people to climb who otherwise wouldn’t be able to. He believed in people.” Chapman has been heartened by the sheer number of people who have contacted her to share how Rott was a special part of their climbing journeys. “Many people have said to me that he felt like part of their family. It takes a very special person to make so many people feel so loved and cared for,” she said. 

On November 25, Rott passed away from a head injury he sustained after he fell while climbing near Grotto Falls in Custer Gallatin National Forest in Montana. He will be missed by his mother Janet Rott, his sister Sydney Chapman, his grandmother Janice Rott, and his many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, as well as the climbing communities in Bozeman and Yosemite Valley. “The impact he had on masses of people is evident,” Chapman said. “I think his legacy will live on in the people he impacted and the kindness he showed those people.”

The post A Climber We Lost: Kyle Rott appeared first on Climbing.

You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2023 here.

Elisabeth Lardschneider, 20, July 26 

Elisabeth “Lisi” Lardschneider was a young and up-and-coming Italian sport climber whose potential alpine career was just beginning. 

Born December 30, 2002, Lardschneider grew up in Ortisei in Val Gardena, in Italy’s Dolomites. A climber since childhood, she quickly established herself as one of Italy’s best young sport climbers, ticking her first 5.13d, Menhir, in the Dolomites at age fourteen. Her other notable sends include Camillotto (5.13d) and Maltamaschine (5.13c) in the Dolomites and Le chirurgien du crépuscule (5.13d) and Born to Lose (5.13c) in Céüse, France. She entered international competition at age 16, beginning with the European Youth Cup and European Youth Championships.

An active member of the South Tyrolean Climbing Club, the Dolomites were undoubtedly Lardschneider’s favorite place. “Elisabeth was at home in many places, but she loved her local Dolomites the most. These are the mountains where she grew up and where she found her passion,” friend Patrick Tirler shared. “She was particularly fond of the places that, despite their beauty, are rarely visited, as only few take the effort to get there.” 

In her local climbing community, Lardshneider was known as a hard-working, adventurous spirit. “I knew Elisabeth to be a very calm and warm-hearted friend, who was enthusiastic about every experience and who could hardly be put off by any idea, no matter how crazy,” Tirler said. If someone in the group needed to carry an extra rope or the heavier bag, she would always be the first to volunteer. Lardschneider was humble and modest, with a deep passion in her soul for the mountains. 

More recently, Lardschneider took an interest in alpinism. Last year, she climbed the west face of Pik Odessa (15,781 ft) in Kyrgyzstan. In July, she traveled with Markus Ranalter and several other members of the South Tyrolean Climbing Club to the Himalayas. Lardschneider and Ranalter were the first to climb a new route up Jamyang Ri, summiting after six days of climbing on July 21. They named the 1,838-foot line Nubru Duk Lam, which means special valuable line, and graded the 18-pitch route VIII A1/X-?. “Every pitch had a surprise in store for us,” Ranalter said. “The route pushed us mentally and physically to our limits, but rewarded us with many 5-star pitches, beautiful climbing days, overnight stays on the portaledge, and many other wonderful moments.”

Along with Moritz Sigmund, Tirler completed a first ascent on another line of Jamyang Ri this fall; he had scouted Lardschenider and Ranalter’s route, but deemed it too difficult to attempt. “Lisi and Makke did not give up on their vision, showed extreme determination and extraordinary skills and finally managed to reach the crack through the whole wall up to the summit,” Tirler wrote on Instagram. “In six days of climbing, they completed the first ascent of this amazing wall, opening a true kingline and establishing an incredible free climbing project.” 

As a duo, Renalter and Lardschneider were the perfect combo. “Lisi was the better climber and I was better at rope handling and technical climbing. So we complemented each other quite well,” Ranalter said. He remarked that they continually learned from and pushed each other, with a trust built on many days spent together climbing the Dolomites. 

Shortly after this triumph, an unexpected tragedy struck. On July 26, Lardschneider slipped on the snowfield of Chanrasik Ri and died after a 150-meter fall. She and Ranalter were on the approach to the wall when the accident occurred. The close-knit small town of Ortisei deeply felt the loss of Lardschenider, who dreamed of becoming a member of the Catories, a special unit of mountain guides and rescuers in her native Dolomites. She is survived by her parents Egon and Martina, and her siblings Katharina, Amalia, and Jonas. 

“Elisabeth’s legacy is the fire that she planted in our hearts,” Tirler said. “She spread an incredible energy and inspiration.” To many, she was the face of the next generation of Italian climbing. 

The post A Climber We Lost: Elisabeth Lardschneider appeared first on Climbing.

In July, Italian climbers Elisabeth “Lisi” Lardschneider and Markus Ranalter completed a first ascent of a new line up Little Jamyang Ri (18,372 ft) in the Himalayas. They named the 18-pitch, 1,838-foot route Nurbu Duk Lam, meaning Special Valuable Line, and graded it VIII, A1 (X-?).

Shortly after this triumph, an unexpected tragedy struck. On July 26, Lardschneider slipped on the snowfield of Chanrasik Ri and died after a 150-meter fall. She and Ranalter were on the approach to the wall when the accident occurred. Lardschneider, who had been competing on the international stage since age 16, was an up-and-coming sport climber for Italy. In 2019, she placed 24th in the lead Youth World Championships. 

Natives of the Dolomites in Italy, Lardschneider, age 20, and Ranalter, age 23, met while climbing the high peaks as part of the South Tyrolean Climbing Club. The duo traveled to the Himalayas as part of a larger Italian team. As soon as they saw the northwestern face of Little Jamyang Ri, they were hooked. “It impressed us from the first moment, as it looked so steep and difficult. The attraction of climbing this wall aroused a huge fire in all of us,” Ranalter said. 

Completed over the course of six days, the ascent presented many challenges. The first pitch was dirty and chossy, so the pair made slow progress their first day. Ranalter considered pitches four, five, and eight to be the most difficult. “Pitch four is a slab followed by a narrow ramp … We were forced to hit a few spits with the hand drill, where the obligatory climbing difficulty is still 7a (5.11+),” Ranalter said. This pitch alone took almost three full days. Pitches five and eight demanded more technical, difficult crack climbing. The pair could not free climb pitch five and considered it even harder than pitch four. Ranalter estimates that the most difficult climbing on the route lies somewhere around 5.13c. 

Patrick Tirler and Moritz Sigmund completed a first ascent on another line of Jamyang Ri this fall; Tirler had scouted Lardschenider and Ranalter’s route, but deemed it too difficult to attempt. “Lisi and Makke did not give up on their vision, showed extreme determination and extraordinary skills and finally managed to reach the crack through the whole wall up to the summit,” he wrote on Instagram. “In six days of climbing, they completed the first ascent of this amazing wall, opening a true kingline and establishing an incredible free climbing project.”  

As a duo, Renalter and Lardschneider were the perfect combo. “Lisi was the better climber and I was better at rope handling and technical climbing. So we complemented each other quite well,” Ranalter said. He remarked that they continually learned from and pushed each other, with a trust built on many days spent together climbing the Dolomites.

Lardschenider had dreamed of becoming a member of the Catories, a special unit of mountain guides and rescuers in her native Dolomites. To many, she was the face of the next generation of Italian climbing. 

You can read the full tribute to Climbers We Lost in 2023 here.

The post Markus Ranalter and IFSC-Veteran Elisabeth Lardschneider Completed New Himalayan Line; Then Tragedy Struck  appeared first on Climbing.