Vertical Life

Vertical Life is a climbing magazine in Australasia, available in both digital and print options. Here at Vertical Life we love climbing, be it beanied bouldering, clip-up sportclimbing, old-school daddy-tradding, big-wall suffering, alpine extremism, spandex-clad competition climbing, desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures buildering, the lot – if it involves monkey business we will cover it.

Vertical Life

Tying Back In

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

GALLERY

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A CLIMBING PHOTOGRAPHER? • The best climbing photographs don’t begin with a camera. They begin with a vision. Simon Carter reveals why knowing your direction matters more than your gear.

ROCK NEWS

CRACK SCHOOL • When Zalie Rowe convinced Australian crack climbing legend Malcolm Matheson to spend a weekend sharing his hard-earned knowledge at Arapiles, twenty RMIT Outdoors Club climbers discovered that the most intimidating style of climbing can also be the most addictive.

CRUISIN' FOR TENERE • Not every route with a fearsome reputation turns out to be a sandbag. But when one contender falls short, Tommy Hutchinson heads south in search of harder truths, only to find himself humbled once again by a legendary crack.

FROM TRAUMA TO TRIUMPH • FOR RIVER AHMAD, STANDING ON THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT EVEREST WAS NEVER ABOUT PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT. IT WAS THE CULMINATION OF A JOURNEY FROM WAR-TORN AFGHANISTAN TO AUSTRALIA, AND A POWERFUL TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN AND GIRLS STILL DENIED THE FREEDOM TO DREAM.

NO SHORTCUTS • As Everest becomes increasingly accessible, more climbers are arriving underprepared for the realities of high-altitude mountaineering. Allie Pepper explores why experience should not be viewed as an obstacle to the goal, but as an essential and rewarding part of the journey itself.

GYM COMMUNITY NEWS!

Andrew Burge • Speed climbing is the fastest-growing discipline in competition climbing, where athletes race head-to-head up the same standardised 15-metre route in a battle measured in seconds. At just 18, Andrew Burge is one of Australia’s brightest prospects, with his sights firmly set on the Olympic Games.

ALL CHALK, NO FRICTION • FORGET GUIDEBOOKS AND TICK LISTS. ARMED WITH LITTLE MORE THAN A PACKRAFT, LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND A HUNGER FOR DISCOVERY, SAXON HEADS INTO REMOTE NEW ZEALAND IN SEARCH OF UNCLIMBED DEEP WATER SOLOING AND FINDS AN ADVENTURE WORTH EVERY KILOMETRE.

Cowdogs & Rattlesnakes • A first encounter with rattlesnakes, runout sport climbs and one of the world’s most influential crags. Seb Ashton heads to Oregon’s Smith Rock to discover why the birthplace of American sport climbing still inspires climbers nearly half a century on.

CLIMBING FOR 2 Bouldering through pregnancy • For Molly Holmes, climbing through pregnancy wasn’t about proving anything. It was about trusting her body, setting her own boundaries, and staying connected to herself. In this honest reflection, she explores risk, identity, and intuition, sharing how bouldering all the way to 38 weeks became an anchor while preparing for motherhood.

BRIDGING THE GAP THE AUSTRALIAN CLIMBING HANDBOOK • In 2021, Brendan Flanagan set out to create a comprehensive climbing handbook written specifically for Australian climbers. Five years later, that vision has become a reality. Brendan, alongside three fellow contributors, reflects on the rain-soaked photoshoots, late-night editing sessions, countless revisions and hard-earned lessons behind bringing the Australian Climbing Handbook to life.

READ, WATCH, LISTEN

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