July 10, 2006

Climbing Mt. Dickey, Alaska

Wes Napier, manager of our downtown Chattanooga store, recently returned from a month in the Alaskan wilderness. I've been bothering him for pictures ever since he got back, and here are a few to share with you.

Here's the quick story in Wes' words: "The 2 climbing pictures are on Mt. Dickey, one going up, one on the way down. we climbed the west face route on the west ridge variation.... visability was shit so we hugged the true ridge on some steep and somtimes really exposed snow climbing. climbing a small ridge knowing the ground to your side is about 4000' away can get a little interesting to say the least.

the other is just me hanging out in the Ruth bundled up after rock climbing for the day.... the sun is hot, the shade is cold. You will be racing for your shade hat, sunglasses and suncreen in a short sleeved shirt.... if a small cloud covers up the sun, you immediately run for the puff jkt. there is a learning curve to climbing in AK."

We're glad Wes made it back safely, and look forward to seeing more from the trip. We'll post more as we hear some details from Wes.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 2:05 PM | TrackBack

June 16, 2006

New RSS Feeds for this Site

We have officially rolled our RSS Feeds live, and I'd like to provide a little explanation here in case you're not familiar with RSS or Really Simple Syndication.

Step 1: Get an Aggregator

First, you need an RSS aggregator or Firefox browser; these will allow you to save several feeds in one place and every time a feed is updated, the new information appears on your newsreader or on the bookmarks list in Firefox.

If you don't have Firefox, you can get it now. It's free for download. It's a great Web browser and you can set up live bookmarks (RSS Feeds) to show in the sidebar with your other bookmarks.

For Mac OS X users, Vienna has been reccomended. It's an open source program available freely for download.

There are many more aggregators, and you can even use Google's personalized homepage to show feeds. You can add the entire Climbing Gear Blog with this button:

Step 2: Get Some Stuff to Aggregate!

You can start with the Climbing Gear Feed. We have Atom XML feeds available in several categories, or you can subscribe to all new posts and you won't miss a beat:

All New Posts:

Sales & Promotions:

Announcements:

Environmental:

Events:

Monthly Contest:

If you have any questions, feel free to contact mmcknight [at] climbinggear.com and I'll do my best to help you out. Enjoy!

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:07 PM | TrackBack

April 5, 2006

Ski Mountaineer Legend Doug Coombs Dies in La Grave Accident

It saddens us here at Rock/Creek and ClimbingGear.com to report that the legendary ski mountaineer Doug Coombs has passed away in a tragic accident while skiing in La Grave. Doug visited us for a slideshow back in November and he was a pleasure to have around. He will be missed.

Doug is survived by his wife Emily and young son David, and the Doug Coombs Memorial Fund will help provide for them during this time of mourning and in their future.

Pistehors.com has more details.

(Photo c. Marmot/ Ace Kvale)

Posted by Mark McKnight at 4:22 PM | TrackBack

February 6, 2006

Update on Triple Crown Fundraising Efforts

2 February 2006

Update on Triple Crown Fundraising Efforts:

In the Fall of 2005, in an unprecedented effort to raise money for direct access, Chaco Sandals “teamed up” with RockCreek.com, Alabama Outdoors, and The Triple Crown Bouldering Series.

Long recognized as a major contributor to environmental causes, Chaco, in conjunction with Rock/Creek Outfitters and Alabama Outdoors provided unique Custom Performance Sandals for competitors to purchase at the 2005 Triple Crown. The sandals were developed using a custom strap and also had the new Stealth Diamond Pattern Sole. Ultimately, over $4,000 was raised through the sale of the Chaco sandals!

Proceeds from the sandal sales were earmarked for donation to Rumbling Bald. However, during the course of the Triple Crown series, negotiations between the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition and the State of North Carolina secured access for the future to this fantastic bouldering/trad climbing area. Rumbling Bald will become a State Park!

With the serious concern that has developed in regard to the CCC’s purchase of Laurel Knob located in Jackson County NC, a decision was made to re-direct the Chaco Sandals donation toward the purchase of this fantastic crag. For a full update on the massive efforts to gain access to this resource, see the CCC homepage. http://www.carolinaclimbers.org/

The Triple Crown and The Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition want to take the opportunity to say a huge thank-you to Chaco. These guys have quietly gone about the business of gaining and maintaining access for outdoor recreation for years. With the help of regional retailers like Rock/Creek Outfitters, Alabama Outdoors, The Great Outdoor Provision Company, and others, Chaco will put close to $20,000 into direct action causes in 2006 here in the Southeast alone. Thanks Chaco for supporting access to the many outdoor resources here in the Southeast and throughout the United States.

-Chad Wykle

Posted by Mark McKnight at 12:35 PM | TrackBack

January 20, 2006

2006 Chaco Sandals Now in Stock

We're psyched to announce that the new 2006 Chaco sandals arrived yesterday and are available for purchase right now. We still have more on the way, but a good number are available immediately.

Highlights of this year's line are the new ZX/1 and ZX/2 Performance Sandals, featuring two narrow straps rather than one wider strap, allowing the sandal to more accurately conform to the curvatures of your feet. The security of the toe loop, combined with the contoured Z-style footbed, provides unmatched performance and security making these sandals ideal for use in conditions that demand an extra measure of forefoot stability. Inspired by Chaco's classic basket weave, the ZX/1 and ZX/2 are attractive additions to their Performance line. Long the gold standard with river guides and outdoor professionals, Chaco's Performance line continues to transform first-time wearers into lifetime believers with durability, BioCentric" comfort and incomparable fit.

Chaco raises the bar again this year with the introduction of dramatically lighter polyurethane midsoles and two new performance outsoles. To create the new Uniweep sole, Chaco combined the most intelligent features from their previous Colorado and Terreno soles. With Vibram® durability, the Unaweep outsole is a great combination of slip resistance, traction and light weight. The lug pattern and spacing makes this sole virtually self-cleaning.

Be sure to read the Performance Sandal adjustment guide in order to properly fit your new sandals.

Click here to shop our Chaco store now.

Chaco sandals are approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:46 AM | TrackBack

January 17, 2006

New Gregory Packs Added

We recently added some new 2006 Gregory Packs to the site. Among the newcomers are:

The Baltoro: Designed for the backcountry adventurer seeking multiple pockets and zip-thru access points, the Gregory Baltoro, part of Gregory's Escape Series, satiates with 4300 cubic inches of highly organized backpack.

The exclusive response-suspension technology of the Baltoro automatically delivers a custom fit and compression stiffening panels stabilize the load. Buy Now.

The Deva 60 is Gregory's bestselling pack: redesigned and face-lifted for 2006. Updates include new response suspension, increased capacity, front pocket and redesigned side pockets. Features Gregory's precurved, women's-specific 3D harness.

This new dual density precurved harness and waistbelt is designed to “wrap” around your body's contours without wrinkling, eliminating abrasions and blisters. Hypalon weight transfer panels help distribute weight across the entire padding surface. Buy Now.

The Palisade: Past recipient of Outside magazine’s Best Value Rating, the Palisade Backpack by Gregory is a classic long trail pack that offers incredible capacity and load-carrying comfort at an amazing price.

The Palisade is a part of Gregory's Adventure Series, ideal for trips 5 days or longer. This year Gregory has complimented the top- and bottom entry points with a zip-through front pocket that provides additional access to the main pack body. Buy Now.

We also have a few other new packs and a couple messenger bags in our Gregory Store.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 5:06 PM | TrackBack

November 28, 2005

Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia Founder, on Tavis Smiley Show

Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia, will appear on the Tavis Smiley show tomorrow, November 29th. Says Smiley's Web site: "Yvon Chouinard is a surfer, fly fisher and world-class mountaineer. He’s also founder of Patagonia, Inc., an outdoor clothing company that he built into a $230 million company without taking it public. On the premise that green business is good business, he devotes 1% of annual sales to grassroots environmental organizations. Chouinard is also a noted writer, on climbing issues and ethics and, in Let My People Go Surfing, relates his core philosophies that are simultaneously common sense and radical."

You can find info. on the book at the Patagonia site.

Outside Magazine published an excerpt from the book on their Web site.

Patagonia products on ClimbingGear.com.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 4:07 PM | TrackBack

November 14, 2005

Introducing Crumpler, Messenger Bags with Attitude

Crumpler bags bring a new attitude to ClimbingGear.com. Designed by Stu Crumpler in Australia, made of DuPont Cordura, and sent out with quite a bit of silly fanfare, Crumpler bags will get you and your stuff wherever you need to go.

All Crumpler bags are waterproof, highly abrasion resistant, full of padding, and fun to carry around. They'll last forever and make you look cooler than you really are.

Shop our selection of Crumpler bags now at ClimbingGear.com's Crumpler Store.

In fact, be sure to check out their Web site as well. It's, um, well, just go see: Crumpler Home Page.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 4:04 PM | TrackBack

November 11, 2005

Get What You Want with Wish Lists

Tired of socks? Get the gifts you want this year by using ClimbingGear's Wish List. Simply look for the "Add to Wish List" graphic to the right of the product photograph on each paage. If you have not already set up a wish list, you will be prompted to do so. When you find all the things you want on your list, you may e-mail it to all your buddies and family members. Then, get what you want this holiday season!


Click here to enlarge photo.

We had a fun time shooting these photos yesterday. Travis from our downtown Chattanooga, TN store was a great sport and the perfect model for the shoot. Thanks Travis! By the way, that's peanut brittle with the socks, which isn't that bad a gift actually. But the climbing gear will last longer.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 3:51 PM | TrackBack

October 21, 2005

New Product: Retro Tennie from Five Ten

We just added a great shoe from Five Ten to the Web. Face it, with the brown "X" on the side and the sticky rubber, these are about the coolest shoes to hit the market in a few years. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Five Ten is releasing a limited edition of their classic Five Tennie. The original Five Tennie was the first technical approach shoe.

Five Ten's Retro is modeled after their original fast and light approach shoe, with a full leather upper and mesh siding for breathability. The Retro has an EVA midsole, Dotty Tread S1 rubber soles and is built on the performance Guide Tennie last.

These are a limited edition, so come pick one up today at ClimbingGear.com.

[Update: 25 October 2005] For a limited time, get a free Five Ten chalk bag with the Retro Tennie. Only while supplies last.

Posted by Mark McKnight at 1:41 PM | TrackBack

June 13, 2005

ClimbingGear.com's New Blog!

Welcome to the new ClimbingGear.com blog, where the men and women behind the curtain step out and reveal the inner machinations of the raddest climbing site around. Yeah, we know it's a little cheesy, but this should be fun.

And as always, don't forget to visit www.climbinggear.com

Posted by Mark McKnight at 10:45 AM | TrackBack