The New Year provides a great time to reflect on the previous season’s climbing goals and equipment. After enough time climbing, the rubber on climbing shoes wears thin, ropes become frayed, and harnesses become worn. Identifying a hole in the shoe or a soft spot rope provide an easy way to know when to retire […]
Every year, hundreds vow to change their lives with the New Year. In January, the number of new members at the Touchstone gyms increases greatly as people fight off the holiday weight. Exercising more and losing weight are two of the most common New Year’s resolutions. Achieving these resolutions can be easier by remembering a […]
Everyone wants to improve at his or her passion. Michael White, a Berkeley resident and Sydney Australia native, began his climbing career during Christmas of 2009. Though a new climber, White wanted to perform better at climbing. He wanted stronger fingers but worried that excessive hang board training would damage the tendons and pulleys in […]
Daniel O’Shea joined the GWPC community 2 years ago with the intent (like many others) to change his life and get healthy. For him, the means to this end was CrossFit. Since starting CrossFit in February 2011, Daniel has dropped 80 pounds, and more than doubled his strength gains. He recently performed a strict pull-up […]
Picture being alone on a sea of granite for over a week. Climbing one of the world’s largest granite formations by yourself is an intimidating prospect, and for Alice Ng, a Berkeley Ironworks member, it was quite the adventure. Over 10.5 days in the end of September and early October, Alice Ng made her second […]
Every year young climbers from across North America, from Canada, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil and the USA gather together for the Pan American Championships. This fall, a number of talented bay area climbers traveled to South America for the competition. On November 22nd until the 25th, Touchstone’s Zero Gravity youth team members, as part of […]
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Lyn Barraza made the arduous hike to the Druid Boulders in Bishop, California. After warming up with a highly attentive spot from her husband Paul, Lyn fired Brother Law, an aethestic V3 arête near the Skye Stone. The technical problem required hours of effort from the other climbers at the boulders… and […]
For Justin Alarcon this fall has been a very good season. On October 27th, he married his long time love Becky Trafecanty. Then on October 29th, the Giants swept the world series. A week later, he went to Kalymnos, Greece for a honeymoon sport climbing trip. And upon his return, Touchstone announced that Alarcon had been […]
Picture one of California’s best climbing areas. A place with nearly a hundred routes, that is climbable through rainy winter days, and features some of the most difficult climbing in the state. Now, imagine the access to that amazing crag was in trouble of being closed. For nearly 20 years, Jailhouse Rock has struggled with […]
On the weekend of November 11th, Studio desk staffer Cheyenne Sukalski and Thomas Gibson traveled to Yosemite National Park to climb the South Face of Half Dome via Snake Dike, a 5.7 friction climb. Cheyenne wrote a trip report about her ascent, which involved heavy amounts of Type II Fun. Type II Fun: Fun only […]
