top of page
OPENING NEW LINES
Articles
Newsletter
About us
Manifesto
Search
Donate
Kalymnos: One Death, and Big Questions
A fatal anchor failure exposed the hidden cost of keeping Kalymnos safe.
Society
Why Were Climbing Crash Pads Strapped to an Isar Aerospace Rocket Launch Tower?
A baffling crossover between bouldering gear, launch hardware, and a delayed mission.
Products
Climbing Science and Its Gender Bias
A major review shows elite climbing research still treats male bodies as the default.
Society
Laura Pineau: “I Decided to Stop Showing People a Perfect Version of Me”
A crack-climbing standout opens up about pressure, ambition, and finally showing the cracks.
Culture
SOCIETY
Kilter–Aurora: The Truth Behind the App’s Disappearance
Based on documents and direct exchanges, here’s our reconstruction of what happened.
Society
See all articles
PFAS, Gore-Tex, and the End of Technical Innocence
Society
U.S.: A Legendary Climbing Area Is About to Be Swallowed by a Mine
Society
Squamish: Climbing Brings In $25 Million a Year
Society
The Myth of the Rebel Climber Is Dead (And That’s Good News)
Society
CULTURE
Jean-Luc Marion: “Climbing Is Something No One Else Can Do for You”
In La Raison du Sport, the philosopher argues that effort reveals the self.
Culture
See all articles
The Mountain and the River: Why Climbing Is Better When It Holds Together
Culture
Alain Robert: A Punk’s Revenge
People
Alain Robert: Revenge of a Rock
People
“On Not Climbing Mountains”: Refusing the Fantasy of Masculine Conquest
Reading
COLLECTIONS
Our Investigations
Investigating what climbing would rather keep hidden.
Alain Robert XXL
The monumental story of the french Spider-Man
Profiles
The profiles that matter.
Sociology
Climbing’s morphology through the lens of social science.
Sciences
Because climbing doesn’t have all the answers.
This is art
The climbing world is filled with artists. It was time to honor them with a collection of their own.
COMPETITIONS
USA Climbing: Athletes Step Up to Defend Their Future National Training Center
Why Team USA says the Salt Lake City center is a necessity, not a luxury.
Competitions
The Business of the Climbing World Cup: Anatomy of a Sport in Transition
Ce que les comptes de World Climbing disent d’un circuit encore porté par sa tournée.
Competitions
Indonesia: Eight Athletes Accuse National-Team Coach of Sexual Harassment
A national program faces scrutiny as an internal probe begins.
Society
United States: Trans Women Barred From Women’s Climbing Competitions
A federal order reshapes U.S. climbing’s women’s field overnight.
Legislation
See all articles
ADVICE
Climbing Style: What Science Reveals About Fluid Movement
Why expert climbers seem to move before the next move even begins.
Advice
Is the Climbing Gym a Dopamine Machine?
What keeps climbers coming back isn’t just pleasure—it’s the power of almost.
Training
Muscle Memory: Your Brain Climbs Better Than You Do
When your body climbs better than your brain: a clever explanation of a surprising phenomenon.
Advice
Getting Better at Climbing with a Rubber Duck
Can a rubber duck help you send? Try explaining your beta out loud.
Advice
See all articles
EVENTS
See all articles
La Sportiva Takes Its Climb World Tour 2026 Back on the Road
A road trip linking Europe’s gyms, crags, and the climbers moving between both.
Events
Alex Honnold on Netflix: “This isn’t climbing. It’s a circus.”
A livestreamed skyscraper solo sparks sharp debate across climbing.
Events
ICE Climbing Écrins: Can a Festival Stay Cool Under Pressure?
New organizers, tight budgets, and thinner winters test a 36-year ice gathering.
Outdoor
PRODUCTS
Scarpa Drago XT: 43 sessions to learn that precision wears you out less than brute force
A precise, aggressive shoe that rewards clean footwork over brute force.
Products
Osprey Transporter Duffel: The Duffel That Actually Carries Like a Backpack
A carry-friendly duffel that makes hauling heavy gear surprisingly manageable.
Products
Black Diamond Women’s Momentum: Comfort First, Progress Faster
A breathable, forgiving shoe built for long sessions and steady progression.
Equipment
Petzl WHISPER: 170 grams for a real rock-and-alpine harness
Ultralight yet fully featured, built for real racks and long days out.
Equipment
Black Diamond Capitan E Helmet: A Climbing Helmet Built to Last
Durable design with added side and rear coverage for real-world climbing days.
Equipment
See all articles
FOR PROFESSIONALS
Climb Up CEO Resigns as an Unprecedented Nationwide Strike Shakes France’s Biggest Climbing Gym Chain
How a local walkout exposed a deeper crisis inside France’s biggest gym chain.
Society
See all articles
The Roof Climbing Gyms: Inside a Sturdy Cooperative Model
Market
Belay Devices: Are Tube-Style Belay Devices on the Way Out?
Equipment
Sydney: A Fatal Auto-Belay Fall, and About €250,000 in Fines
Society
Comfort Activism: When “Engagement” in Climbing Never Really Risks Anything
Society
MOST READ
“He’d leave me behind…”: What “alpine divorce” reveals about couples in the mountains
When pace turns into power, a day out can become something far more dangerous.
Society
See all articles
Belay Devices: Are Tube-Style Belay Devices on the Way Out?
Equipment
Jean Rouaux, or the Art of Not “Cheating”
People
Alex Honnold on Netflix: “This isn’t climbing. It’s a circus.”
Events
Chalk: What If We’ve Been Getting It Wrong All Along?
Advice
bottom of page