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Scarpa North America Blog

Building Anchors and Placing Gear; How To Do It Right.

Aug. 17th 2017

By Rob Pizem

What is the best way to get good at building anchors and placing gear?

This is the most asked question that I get when I am teaching climbers at climbing festivals.
Here is what I tell my clients.

1. Know your rack. This means that you should (with practice) be able to eye a crack or placement up and be able to grab the proper piece of gear to place on the first try. This also means that you should have a system for placing your gear on your harness or shoulder sling (or combination) that you can visualize while blindfolded. If you struggle with the sizes and grab the incorrect pieces it can and will slow you down, pump you up and make the entire climb feel much more difficult than it actually is. Continue reading...

Posted in Athletes, Climbing, Gear, How to, Uncategorized | Tagged building anchors, climber, climbing, climbing clinic, hot to climb, placing gear, rock climbing | Leave a comment

South Africa Climbed and Uncovered

Jul. 7th 2017

By Paul McSorley

If you’ve ever considered climbing a trip to South Africa, no doubt you’re gunning for the legendary Rocklands, scenic Table Mountain or the enchanted Waterfall Boven. Right?

If you believe the hype, these zones are South African climbing, but look just a little deeper and you’ll realize this country is so stacked with amazing rock, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get to know it all, even if you spend a lifetime there. Continue reading...

Posted in Athletes, Climbing | Tagged Adventure, athlete, Capetown, climbing, Kloof Mountains, rock climbing, Rocklands, South Africa, Table Mountain, travel | Leave a comment

The Yoga of Climbing

Jun. 23rd 2017

By Alli Rainey

Do You Practice Yoga?
You may practice yoga already without necessarily labeling it as yoga.

A formal yoga practice can involve much, much more than just an asana (pose) practice, and practicing yoga does not necessarily include asana for all formal yoga practitioners. Additionally, it’s by no means a far stretch to consider a regular dedicated, inward-focused, rock-climbing practice a form of asana practice in and of itself.

The word yoga itself can be translated several ways. My preferred translation is simply “to unite.” We are striving to unite within ourselves, to cultivate and maintain a quiet equanimity within. Attaining a state of yoga involves letting go of the need for external circumstances or outcomes to match internal expectations or desires. Continue reading...

Posted in Athletes, Climbing, How to, Uncategorized | Tagged climbing, climbing training, SCARPA, training, Yoga, yoga for climbers | Leave a comment

SCARPA Athletes Win Cutting Edge Award

Jun. 16th 2017

By SCARPA

Deep snow, steep ice sheets, excessive heat, 18 rappels, and minimal food…sounds likes the recipe for a successful first ascent, right? Despite the imperfect ingredients, SCARPA athletes, Graham Zimmerman and Scott Bennett made their way to the top of K6 West. This month, they were recognized by the American Alpine Club for this incredible achievement.

On June 3, 2017, The American Alpine Club presented them with the 2017 Cutting Edge Award for their first ascent on the Southwest Ridge of K6 West, a 7,040-meter (23,097-foot) peak in the Karakoram.

Photo: Truc Allen Media Continue reading...

Posted in Athletes, Climbing, Uncategorized | Tagged alpine climbing, climbing, Cutting Edge Award, First ascent, mountaineering, Summit | Leave a comment

Multi Sport Mental Toughness

Jun. 12th 2017

By Joe Grant

Photo By: Fred Marmsater.

Initially, when I had planned to write this post, I thought that I would be discussing how to make a smooth transition from a winter of skiing to getting back to summer running. After a little more thought, it turns out that this transition has given me a greater insight into how multi sport mental toughness is the key to staying strong, both mentally and physically, while training and competing in more than one sport. Continue reading...

Posted in Athletes, Skiing, Trail Running | Tagged alpine running, backcountry skiing, racing, SCARPA, SCARPA Athletes, ski mountaineering, trail running, training | Leave a comment

Try Telemark Skiing with 22 Designs and SCARPA

Feb. 2nd 2017

By SCARPA

For the rest of the winter 2017 22 Designs, in partnership with SCARPA, will be crisscrossing the country with a fleet of new NTN telemark bindings and skis and SCARPA boots to spread the stoke of telemark skiing. It’s the perfect opportunity to try a new way to slide on snow at a ski hill near you.

Weston Deutschlander drops a knee in the Unita Mountains. Photo: Adam Clark Continue reading...

Posted in Events, Skiing | Tagged NTN demo tour, NTN telemark binding, telemark skiing | Leave a comment

Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide

Dec. 13th 2016

By SCARPA

If you’re like many of the folks here at SCARPA, this time of year is about scoring the season’s first powder turns and pitches of ice climbing. Holiday shopping tends to slip off the radar as physical activity provides an easy excuse for distraction. Thankfully, SCARPA has you covered with our 2016 Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide for every skier, climber, trail runner, and hiker on your list. Up your giving game and save a little money in the process. We’re offering free ground shipping on retail-priced orders through December 23.

Posted in Gear | Tagged backcountry skiing, climbing, Freedom SL, ice climbing, SCARPA Ski Boots | Leave a comment

Five Questions with Delaney Miller

Nov. 14th 2016

By SCARPA

From the quiet, well-kept streets of the north Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas, Delaney Miller has vaulted to national recognition as one of America’s top competition climbing talents. Her climbing accomplishments, which include seven sport climbing national championship wins (four junior, three adult) and two top-ten finishes on the World Cup Circuit in 2014 and 2015, have come alongside an impressive academic resume that includes valedictorian of her high school, near completion of an exercise and health science degree from Colorado State University, and a post-secondary Academy and team coaching program. After her busy final year in school in Fort Collins, Colorado, and globetrotting fall on the World Cup circuit, we’re incredibly excited to announce Delaney’s addition to the SCARPA athlete team for 2017. We caught up with Delaney to talk climbing, life transitions, and her new SCARPA partnership. Continue reading...

Posted in Athletes, Climbing | Tagged rock climbing | Leave a comment

SCARPA Phantom Tech: Unparalleled Performance

Nov. 9th 2016

By SCARPA

Welcome to ice season people. Time to sharpen your picks and crampons. Time to get out and chase frozen pillars. And if you’re current footwear is looking a little ragged, it might be time to upgrade your boots. The new SCARPA Phantom Tech offers a whole new paradigm of performance for mountaineers and ice climbers. Lighter, warmer, and stiffer than any one-and-a-half boot we’ve ever made, the Phantom Tech climbs with incredible ease, precision, and comfort. Tested around the world by SCARPA top athletes, like Will Gadd, Gord McArthur, and Ueli Steck, this boot is ideal for places like Ouray, The Daks, Bozeman, Cody, and the Canadian Rockies. Continue reading...

Posted in Climbing, Gear | Tagged ice climbing | Leave a comment

5 Tips For Early-Season Ice Climbing

Nov. 8th 2016

By SCARPA

It’s inevitable at this point, we’ve got many months of wintery weather ahead. The colder nights and shorter days of fall remind everyone that soon–very, very soon–we will be playing on the worlds coolest, natural ice sculptures. Some start the pilgrimage early hunting for those first ice flows and hoping the next bend will reveal a hidden gem that has yet to be discovered. Others head to the crag to hang like puppets off their tools in rock caves and faces in preparation for the overhead icicles that will soon loom from above. Once you’ve experienced the movement of mixed climbing or the feeling of a one-swing stick, you’re likely hooked, literally and figuratively. Ice and mixed climbing is contagious and spreading in a winter environment near you! Continue reading...