BLOG.

Featured
The 10 most iconic grips in us bouldering
The 10 most iconic grips in us bouldering

“Dog bone”, “butterdish”, “trailer hitch”, “football”; while to most Americans these are things you might see in a West Elm catalog or a Budweiser commercial, but mention these to any rabid boulderer and you might get a soliloquy about how sick it is to find such unique grips on actual rock. Ever since the days of the sport’s pioneers like John Gill and the Verm, the most storied boulder problems in the US have been defined by unique features that just beg to be climbed on.

What makes a climbing hold iconic? There’s three primary ways for a grip to rise to the status of legendary. First, by being a defining feature of a historically significant boulder problem; think the bolt on Midnight Lighting or any of the holds on Full Service. Next, by being so unique and mind-blowing that one just feels compelled to grab it (i.e. the handle bar on No Substance.) Finally, and overwhelmingly based on your votes, by being a critical and memorable component of modern day test pieces.

Lets get into it — in reverse order, the 10 most iconic grips in US bouldering, assembled and voted on by Sickos like you:

MORE ARTICLES.

THE EQUATION
OPINION, FROM THE ARCHIVE Max Zolotukhin OPINION, FROM THE ARCHIVE Max Zolotukhin

THE EQUATION

Up to this point, general discussion on grades in the climbing blogosphere has been fairly limited. Jamie has opened the conversation up several times here and here, and while many interesting opinions were voiced, little consensus was reached. I have two things to contribute to this discussion that will hopefully add a little more objectivity (not to be confused with OBJECTIVISM) to the topic of bouldering grades. READ ON.

Read More
THE LIST
OPINION, FROM THE ARCHIVE Max Zolotukhin OPINION, FROM THE ARCHIVE Max Zolotukhin

THE LIST

Several of my friends and colleagues have created lists of the hardest boulder problems in specific areas such as Colorado, North Carolina and even the entire US. While these lists are fascinating in their own right, they cannot functionally be appreciated by 99.9% of climbing community. After all, unless you've done these problems, debating which of five V14s is hardest is little more than moot speculation.

Read More