Links from around the climbing web - Released, discovered or remembered this week.
An excellent interview in Alpinist. I'd never previously heard of Edmund February but what an oversight that now feels like.
"All through the 1970s, the Mountain Club actually had it clear that the members were not allowed to play with me, period. I was well-known in the community. When you’re climbing the hardest routes around, then you can’t not be known. [In] the ’80s, [the Mountain Club] mellowed, but nobody really was climbing with me, and anyway I didn’t want to climb with them. I was playing my own game, my terms, and it was all good. In the ’70s, I wanted to play their game and they didn’t want me. [By] the ’80s, I’d reinvented and was playing my own game. In the ’90s, they came to me and asked me if I [would] play with them… "
Wedge Climbing in Finland
Sam Lawson of Wedge consistently produces incredible films, but when there's opportunity to tell more of a story, such as in this mini series, is when they really stand out. Hard climbing, beautiful landscape and
Long form writing may be the thing most lost in our modern climbing media landscape - that won't stop Chris Schulte or The Climbing Zine though. Print may be king but the online Climbing Zine archive has some gems too, including this piece on climbing hidden dragons/dark horses
Too Close to the Sun - One extraordinary day of Polish bouldering
My self promo for the week, you may not trust me but just look at that line! Worth watching just for that and the music - Jimmy Cliff, Palace, Alpha Wann (French rap), Alt-Jx Little Simz and The Kinks. I think of Ikar (8A+) as Poland's version of 'Mandala' (8A+) in Bishop, a big highball arete - Maybe only improved by slightly better rock (Mandala has broken a lot of the years I believe). Wściekła Krówka (8A+) also has a Bishop equivalent - 'Spectre' (8B). It's certainly a much dumpier version and far from one of the best lines in the world but certainly there's similarity in the movement - massive throw, match in and throw again.
A bunch of beautiful topos, well worth a look through just to admire, even with no intention of climbing El Cap or Mont Blanc anytime soon.
Careless Talk is surely going to be a regular feature on Link-ups. While I'll try avoid recommending them every week this conversation with Bernd Zangerl is well worth a listen. A bouldering legend talks developing classic areas such as Ticino and Magic Wood and how lessons learnt there are informing his work in Rakchham, a stunning Granite climbing area in the Indian Himalaya - check out www.rakchham.com. Bernd seems like someone deeply intrinsically motivated, truly trying to improve the climbing community and who happens to also be ridiculously strong, +30kg on 4mm anyone?
Patrick Edlinger showing sport climbing perfection
A five minute tracking shot of 'Le Blond' flowing up Conception (8a+) in Cimai. Spaced bolts, a cicada soundtrack not an ounce of unnecessary strength used - beautiful.
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