Speed Climbing: An interview with four-time X Games silver medalist Chris Bloch at The Outdoor Weblog

PART ONE Speed climbing is a different kind of sports activity. It combines many of the traditional aspects of rock climbing, but adds a competitive and "fast-twitch" vibration that etches out its own unique niche in the world of climbing. Some consider it to be the "ugly stepsister" of the climbing world. It has opponents who do not respect the sport and frown upon it, but I would argue that most [...] Read More


Speed Climbing: An interview with four-time X Games silver medalist Chris Bloch at The Outdoor Weblog

PART TWO My best memory of watching your travails was seeing you hit the big red button on top and floating down with your arms above your head and your fists pumping after another victory . . . Give me your defining moment of four plus years of competition and broadcasting at the X Games in speed climbing? SAN FRANCISCO WAS SWEET BECAUSE I REMEMBER KNOWING IF I WAS WINNING THE RACE OR NOT. THERE WAS THIS [...] Read More


Speed Climbing: An interview with four-time X Games silver medalist Chris Bloch at The Outdoor Weblog

PART THREE Is there politics involved in the sense that maybe speed climbing does not necessarily have the "cool" label as far as kids are concerned compared to, say, skateboarding or snowboarding? THERE ARE NO TRICKS YOU CAN PULL IN CLIMBING. IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT. YOU GO UP, YOU COME DOWN, YOU GET STRONG. THE REALLY GOOD CLIMBERS MAKE IT LOOK SO EASY THAT WATCHING PAINT DRY CAN BE SLIGHTLY MORE INTERESTING. THE X-GAMES [...] Read More


Climbing Hawaii's Mauna Kea at Hidden Travel Gems

Sure, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, if it measured in the the traditional sense (height above sea level). But, if height below sea level is counted, Mauna Kea, on Hawaii's Big Island is king. That is because the dormant volcano's base is almost 20,000 feet beneath the waves, meaning the height from base to summit is almost 33,000 feet, 4,000 more than Everest. Of course, it [...] Read More


Climbing Kilimanjaro at Hidden Travel Gems

Ernest Hemingway's famous Snows of Mount Kilimanjaro are still a major draw for alpine enthusiasts. At nearly 20000 feet, the major peaks of Africa's highest mountain are snow-covered year round. Because its shape is typical of volcanoes (no extreme steepness) it is one of the world's easiest high peaks to reach. There are numerous routes, the easiest being the Marangu Route, which takes advantage of Kilimanjaro's shape to make its [...] Read More