In early 2010, Petzl welcomed Chris Blakeley as the new director of V.axess, the Petzl Institute. V.axess is a training, information and research department of Petzl, designed to bring together the ideas and aspirations of mountain, rescue, and industry professionals to develop the vertical-access techniques of tomorrow. Blakeley brings many years of experience as an engineer, caver and climber, rope-access technician and trainer to V.axess. Blakeley will help Petzl get the most out of the innovative V.axess facility.

Emily Harrington and the Artist's Proposal, Part 2

Continued from The Artist’s Proposal, Part 1

When I was 11 or 12 years old, I cared a lot more about grades than I do now. I was more (outwardly) competitive, especially around other strong kids my age. I think I said some pretty stupid and egotistical things back then. Luckily I can’t remember what they were.

This is the third installment of Beth Rodden's Long Road to Recovery. Read Part I here and Part II here.

This is a story about opportunities. Specifically, an opportunity presented to me this past April while I visited Antalya, Turkey. I was there for a month-long climbing trip sponsored by The North Face. I was excited, motivated to climb, and ready for an adventure. After Turkey, Sam Elias, Boone Speed and I planned to visit central Europe for another month: Slovenia, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and wherever else we decided to go. Then, one afternoon in Turkey, I received a strange email.

Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Located on the southern slopes of the Alps, it enjoys a sunny, mild climate during the summer months and offers many water-based activities, including canyoning. The last ice age ended some 12,000 years ago and in its wake it left a multitude of fine, deep, smooth and fascinating granite gorges that today make Ticino one of the most renowned canyoning destinations in Europe.

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The second edition of the book “Mont-Blanc, 5 routes to the summit” is available since the end of July. In this guidebook, François Damilano gives you the keys to enjoy this wonderful summit in all its alpine splendor.

Note: This is a continuation of an earlier blog. To read Part 1 of Caroline George's blog post, click here.

The hammer was for the bolts and pins. It was only by chance we used it on the dirt. It was only by luck.

Becoming a full International Federation of Mountain Guides Association-certified guide has long been a dream of mine. A few years back, I took a friend up the beautiful Forbes Arête on the Aiguille du Chardonnet in Chamonix. This friend had never climbed any mountain and I was in charge of the whole outing. I loved how taking someone up and down a mountain required so much problem solving: What time do we need to start? How do we get to the base? What are the hazards and how do I manage them? How much rope should be out on the glacier, on a steep snow section, or on a rocky ridge?