It seemed like there was no end to the awesome videos this week, here’s our pick of the best:

Cold weather got you down? There’s always Thailand:

But the change of seasons really are beautiful:

Sixteen year old climbing phenom Enzo Oddo working on a futurisitic line at Ceuse, courtesy of Sterling:

Keller Rinaudo tearing it up in Rifle, by Tobin Sanson:

Like offwidths? There’s a new bad boy in town, Century Crack, 5.14b. The Wide Boyz show how it’s done:

Join Glenwood Climbing Guides and AMGA-certified guide Tracy Wilson for a weekend of learning and climbing fun in world famous Rifle Mountain Park. This clinic is perfect for beginner to intermediate climbers with a wide range of skills or experience levels.

Highlights include:

• “Climb like a girl!” Learn climbing movement and technique from a woman’s perspective.
• Learn safe lead climbing and belaying, empowering you to confidently climb on your own.
• Develop new skills in an intimate setting, with a guide to client ratio of 6:1 or less.
• At night, join us at the group campsite for more stories and fun around the fire.

Call 970-309-4795 for information or visit the website.

View more photos here.

I had good intentions. All of my appointments would be in the morning and early afternoon, leaving the evenings free for some climbing. Somehow the OR Show just has a way o f taking over, however, and climbing didn’t happen. We did get to check out a lot of the latest and greatest coming out next year, and here’s a look at our top picks. There’s a ton of gear at these shows, but this was the stuff that made us say, yeah, that’s cool, I want one.

Five Ten

It seems like these guys crank out new shoes year after year. They had quite a few offerings this show, but a few really stood out from the rest. Most climbers spend their time on vertical to slightly overhanging terrain, and the Quantum was designed with these folks in mind. It resembles a downturned version of the Anasazi pinks. Of all the Five Ten shoes I’ve had, the pinks are still my favorite, so throw in an aggressive toe and it sounds like a winner to me. It also features Stealth Mystique rubber, an S-lacing system, and a low volume heel cup.

The Supermocc is a beefed up version of the tried and true Moccasym. The key feature is the split toe rand, designed to give you more power from your toes. It’s also got a better heel cup, and they’re white, the most stylish climbing shoe color around. We have a tried and true Moccasym fan on our staff, so it’ll be interesting to see how these stack up.

Petzl

Yeah, yeah, the Gri Gri 2 is rad, but so are the new CORE batteries for their Tikka 2 and Zipka 2 headlamps. This is a rechargeable battery that will save an estimated 900 batteries from going into a landfill over the course of it’s lifetime. And if that wasn’t cool enough, you can program it to your desired output. Say you are doing an endurance race and want steady light for 7 hours. No problem, just connect it to your computer, change the settings via their simple software and you are good to go. Definitely a little dorky for most, but I think some folks are going to find this super useful.

And then there is the Gri Gri 2. It’s everything you could have wanted improved on the old Gri Gri. It’s smaller and lighter, which will probably prompt more folks to take it on multipitch routes. It lowers better, so they say, and gives you even more fine control over how much rope you are letting through the device. And of course, my favorite, it’s now certified to work on single ropes down to an 8.9mm. While many have been using ropes under 9.8mm with the old Gri Gri for years now, you definitely felt like you were maybe getting away with something. Now you can rest easy knowing it’ll clamp down on the skinniest of ropes as your partner lobs off their project…again.

Mammut

Gri Gri’s are an incredible tool, but they aren’t the right one for all applications. To that end, Mammut is introducing the Smart Alpine, which works just like a Reverso, but locks up in a fall both in normal and seconding belay modes. It’s not a certified autolocking device, as it actually allows some rope slippage to dissipate the fall forces on your gear. I got to play with it a little, and it seems to feed easy, and lock up well. It’s designed as a go anywhere, do anything device, and it’ll be fun to see how it works in the real world.

Rab

We love Rab. They are everything most clothing companies in the US aren’t. They build gear that works, and there is no lifestyle fluff. That being said, the new Boreas pullover is right off our dream list. You’re out cragging for the day and want a light pullover, with a hood, that you can throw on at belays, and that’ll keep you warm in a light wind and dry in a light rain. The Boreas does all that, as it’s got the functionality of a jacket but wears like a shirt. Very cool.

Camp

I love the trend of everything getting lighter, but I’m not so psyched on smaller. At some point it becomes hard to work with gear that is really small, especially under winter conditions. Enter the Camp Photon, a full size wiregate that weighs in at only 29 grams, which is about the same as the Black Diamond Oz, and the crewgate version that clocks in at a scant 42 grams. (By comparison the Petzl Attache 3D is 55g.)  Now that’s something I can get excited about.

Black Diamond

Climbers like to talk a lot about redundancy in our systems, but belaying is one place where we are relying on a single piece of gear. That being said, several companies have tried to address the matter of preventing a cross loaded belay ‘biner during a fall. BD’s solution is the Gridlock, which attaches to the belay loop on your harness via a unique system on the end of the carabiner, and it doesn’t involve any bulky plastic pieces.

An honorable mention on this list is a program that Beal has instituted with their ropes. Each cord has a unique code on it, which you can register on their site. It will then send you email reminders about the age of your rope, so you know when to replace it. No more wondering, did I get that last year or the year before?

There was a lot of other stuff out there, including new shoes from Sportiva, fun stuff from Metolius and much, much more. At the heart of it, though, are all the great folks that work in the industry, and friends that we’ve had for a long time. It’s these connections and the friendly faces that really keep us coming back year after year, and why we’d go even if there wasn’t any of this fun shiny stuff to look at.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and keep an eye out in the spring for another chance to win some great gear from Petzl!

Submission #1 – Humor – 3rd Place Winner

From the submitter: Seriously, my Gri Gri IS NOT SAFE. No one want’s me belaying them with this. And just look at the wicked callus, I’ve obviously put this device to the test.

Here’s why I should win.

1 – I was not irresponsible by letting my gear go beyond the point of safe use.
2 – It’s clear I can’t afford proper equipment.
3 – Calluses negatively affect my Hand Modeling career.
4 – If I don’t win this contest, I’m entering your “How Bad are Your Nuts” contest…did you just picture it?

Pick me.

Submission #2 – 2nd Place Winner

Rick’s Take: This Grigri isn’t just worn out, it’s broken and needs to be retired.

It’s impossible to tell from the picture what exactly is wrong with the handle. Is it completely free spinning, or can it still disengage the cam when lowering a climber? There are mainly things that could be wrong, but here are just a couple of reasons why you wouldn’t want to use this Grigri.

The problem with a free spinning handle is that the belayer loses the fine control provided by the handle, and is likely to open the cam suddenly.

If the handle can still disengage the cam, the concern is that this handle can get caught on a loop of rope, your hand, a jacket, etc., and accidently open the cam.

Oh and there’s also a significant amount of wear to the attachment point, fixed side plate, and rope friction plate. FAIL!!!

Submission #3 – 1st Place Winner

From the submitter: My poor old reliable belay device “Bessie” is definitely in her final death throes. In fact, I was not suprised to see that she fits practically all of Petzl’s criteria for a FAIL. Most of the sheet metal edges have been sharpened to a “Ginsu-like” keenness. The cam surface has only a few more uses til daylight peeks through from the other side. The scariest thing about my old lovely Gri-gri is that she still works. Just Barely. Every time I belay or am belayed with this device feels like I am playing with house money. Ropes slip steadily through the locked device without a strong lockoff. Only seasoned veterans can negotiate ropes through the maze of her razor surfaces. I wanted to retire her long ago, but my poorness and the theft of her replacement several years ago have kept her on the frontlines. This contest is my last hope. Please help me send my Bessie to greener pastures. Please.

Rick’s Take: The submitter is right on when it comes to Bessie’s condition. When the friction bearing surfaces are worn to this point, it’s time to let the old girl go. I know times like this can be tough, but it’s best to be strong and do the right thing for your climbing partner.

Disclaimer: A complete inspection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as a belay device cannot be performed without a thorough visual and functional inspection. As such, a thorough inspection cannot be completed based on these images alone. Opinions regarding the condition of this device are based solely on the images provide, and are offered as guidelines only. If there is any doubt about the condition of your device, return it to Petzl for a complete inspection.

We got out for an early season mission on Saturday and it was one of those magical days where it all came together perfectly: hundreds of feet of ice in a stunning location with good friends, laughing and enjoying it the whole way. A couple photos from our ascent:

(As for the rest of the Crystal River Valley, the ice is as good as it’s been this early in years, with many climbs already in decent shape.)

So send in your photos, or just send us a link to the photo you’ve posted elsewhere online, like Flickr, etc.

Good Luck!

Come join Rock and Ice as we celebrate the Redstone Winterfest, February 5, 6, 7. Demo the latest ice gear from Black Diamond, Petzl, CAMP, gear from Omega Pacific, La Sportiva boots, and gear from Mammut and hop on topropes set on a variety of mixed and ice routes from WI 2 to M 10.

Or, just show up, climb and enjoy brews and brauts with us. Between routes, check out Will Gadd and Sam Elias as they project a new M12 up Coal Creek.

Saturday night, at the Redstone Inn, you can attend an exclusive advance screening of the new film North Face, the story behind the competition to first climb the Eiger’s North Face.

The Winterfest will also include cross-country ski and snowshoe races, a chili cookoff and, of course, a beer tasting. See you there!