Knowledge Articles

Why Go Fast and Light?

Fast and Light Petzl Athlete Colin Haley beautifully argues the freedom of being lighter. Lighter is always better, right? Perhaps not, and you’ll be surprised to know it’s not for reasons you may think.

Skin Care Guide

The issue that troubles the majority of sport climbers and boulderers is tip skin. It can kill the psyche immediately if when you pull off the ground for the first move your tips are screaming in pain. So let's talk about how to best deal with that as well as touch on a few techniques for dealing with pockets, cracks and some other skin ruining monsters.

Glacier Travel Kit
Gaining access to routes guarded by snow and ice often leads climbers to learn the nuances of glacial travel. The importance of knowing self-rescue becomes evident when standing in front of a gaping crevasse or while walking a sagging snow...
What's Your Approach?
The intent of this article is to showcase some lighter weight gear options, demonstrate how to shave off the grams, and demonstrate an attainable pack weight for 3 different styles of approaches to climbing in the Bugaboos.  We hope this list demonstrates examples of clothing to keep you comfortable and gear to keep you safe at weights that add up to a little less, so you can enjoy moving through stunning mountain terrain without enduring a crushing approach
The Goat Whisperer
Author: Eric H Luc Kennedy takes in the thank god hold after completing the crux of P6. All that remains above is cruiser 5.10. Photo: Alex Ratson Inspiration... What drives climbers to seek out a first ascent? The idea of hanging...
Helmet Buying Guide
Whether you need help deciding on your first one or if that old hand-me-down bucket of yours needs replacing, we break down everything you need to know about helmets for the 2023 climbing season from how to fit, what materials go into protecting your head, what helmets are (and aren’t) certified for and what we’ve got in shop.
Squamish Bouldering Circuits
Climbers are obsessed with lists, they're everywhere with books and websites dedicated to them. Sendage.com and 8a.nu are giant lists of your own climbing accomplishments and tick lists.
Train with Precision

There is an overwhelming mass of information on how to progress your climbing; but it's usually generalized protocols written for everybody, that are best for nobody. To begin building your map to stronger climbing, you need a way to cut through the noise and understand your own unique climber profile.

Climbing Reflections - 2023
In 2023, we first started journeying through interwoven climbing narratives and thought-provoking musings. Armed with captivating imagery and poignant stories, we navigated a wide tapestry of ideas, and concepts across climbing disciplines, literature as well as a few philosophical thoughts....
An Understatement of Ice

No matter how you describe the amount and quality of ice climbing in Quebec, it will be an understatement. While the Canadian Rockies often receives admiration and visits from around the world for its ice lines, the Quebec ice community plays on hundreds of quality lines that reliably form every year.

La Sportiva G-Tech Mountaineering Boot Review

The evolution of ice climbing and mountaineering gear has been focused on light weight ice screws and technical tools that can handle steep terrain. The demand for technical boots that can perform in highly technical terrain has increased and La Sportiva has responded with the G-tech.

Striking a Balance

Striking a balance between when to go and when to stay is never easy. The reassuring "thunk" of a secure ice tool above your head lures you into having the confidence to step upwards again and again. While the cold seeping into your puffy jacket at each belay reminds you you're getting further away from home.

Alpine Favourites
Our “home hill” in Squamish is the Sky Pilot group. It's a tiny group of relatively small mountains, but, the terrain that's packed in there, combined with the easy access, is incredible. Because the rock in the area is a mix of granite and metamorphic rock that's much younger, it has a different characteristic than much of the Sea to Sky...
Waking Up in the Alpine

Waking up to witness mother nature's beauty as the first light makes the mountains glow is one of the most memorable alpine climbing moments. Sunset or sunrise light makes the mountains burst with red light and capturing these moments in images is a passion of Lukas Mann.

The Humble Sling

The humble sling is a simple piece of webbing that every climber has used since day one of their climbing career. Every climber owns at least one sling, and for good reason. This amazing, versatile tool, with a bit of knowledge, can perform many different roles in your climbing systems.

Tent Gear Guide
Since the Golden Age in The Valley, manufacturers have been refining their products and are now offering a wide range of tent options for a spectrum of activities from car camping to high altitude climbing. The abundance of options can make the buying process complicated, so we wanted to offer some insights into the world of tents.
Climbing Harness Review 2022
All the harnesses in this review will perform beyond your expectations which is why they were selected; however, we will look at the differences and explain their unique features.
Carabiner Gear Guide
Carabiners come in a variety of shapes and sizes, are designed for different purposes and have become very specialized over recent years. This guide is designed to help the reader understand which carabiner is best suited to which application and to help them make an informed purchase. 
Mountain Boots Gear Guide

So you're looking for a pair of mountain boots. Maybe you want to summit Denali or maybe you want to tackle the famous WI5+ La Pomme d'Or. Maybe you just want to have a shot at Garibaldi next summer. If you have already started shopping, you've likely noticed the numerous designs available on today's market, but might be confused by the abundance of options.

Moving Through Mountains: Nick Elson
Explore the process and mindset of sponsored athletes that break records — Nick Elson and Jessie McAuley — and what they went through to complete the full Tantalus Traverse.
Ice Accessories
Ice climbing is a gear intensive sport with two technical axes, double boots and crampons as part of the basic kit. Swings in temperature & moisture require a good layering system. Trips start before dawn and often venture into remote avalanche terrain. All these factors require more gear!