Trip Report: Neon Canyon

During the first weekend in July I was given an impromptu invite to go down to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument to descend Neon Canyon. Neon is a beautiful sandstone gorge that starts deep in the canyon country of Escalante and finishes spectacularly with a drop through triple arches into the Golden Cathedral, an amazing room with curved walls.  The highlight of the room is a ceiling of arches and light reflections that dances off the water. The cathedral itself is awesome enough that most visitors to the canyon are only going to see the room without ever venturing into the slot canyon above.

Our morning started late by canyoneering standards due to a late-night drive but we were on the trail by 8:30. The hike into the canyon is a very easy descent given that fact that we are plowing straight down slick rock slopes.  We knew that this was going to make the exit very miserable in the July heat. 

We reach the Escalante River and hike past Native American Petroglyphs on the walls of the canyon. Once we reach Neon canyon we hike along the rim until we reach our entry point.

The canyon is fairly dry and most obstacles are easily by passed.  We took our time in the canyon not wanting to skip an opportunity to practice our keeper-pot escape skills.

As we get closer to the golden cathedral we are finding more water and begin having to swim through some of the final pot holes.

The final obstacle is an 80 foot rappel through the sandstone arches into the cathedral.  The perfect encore to a remarkable canyon.

We spend time enjoying the Golden Cathedral in all its glory and prepare for the three-hour ascent out of the desert bottom in afternoon temperature.  The hike out is long and taxing and uses up all of our remaining water but is worth every bit of it.

My Gear List:

Camelback Crux Reservoir 3l Great for hydration on the go. Just remember to make sure you put the bite in your mouth when you enter a nasty pot hole of water and filth.

Nalgene Wide Mouth Canteen 32 oz. Great because is rolls up small for packing once the water is used up and I have yet to puncture one.

Overboard Pro-Light Clear Tube  I like the flexibly and pliability of the TPU. The bag stretchy and making it easy to take camera bags in and out without much trouble.

Five Ten Guide Tennie My go to canyoneering shoe.  The climbing rubber soles are perfect for canyon environments.  I also size my shoes so that I can get a neoprene sock in it.

Edelweiss Canyon rope 9.6mm x 200’ The water retreatment keeps your rope from becoming water logged.  

Grivel TAU Wire Lock  As much as I like the twin gate carabiners for sandy canyon environments this may become my new favorite as it does not require that I retrain my hands to a new carabiner opening sequence.

Kong OKA Multi Descender  Easy to add friction on the fly, a must for skinny canyoneering ropes.

Singing Rock Garnet Harness My dedicated canyoneering harness, not too bulky but beefy enough to handle the abuse of sandstone rock.

Cypher 3 Stripe Tubular Webbing I always take 50 ft of webbing. Great for using as a handline when down climbing and for building anchors

Christian Weaver is a father of five, canyoneer, and business analyst at Liberty Mountain.
____________

Share this article with a friend:

Gear Review: Edelweiss Curve 9.8mm

Sean Smith, a climbing guide at Denver Mountain Guiding was able to test out the Edelweiss Curve 9.8mm rope on a few recent trips to Eldorado Canyon and the Flatirons. The Curve is a versatile rope suitable for many styles of climbing in a variety of environments. The 9.8mm diameter allows for a skinny-rope feel without compromising safety.

From Sean's review: "The Curve offers great handling and knotting, and runs through gear like a dream, while not being a significant weight at the end of long pitches."

Read the full review here

Gear Review: Edelweiss Curve ARC

Photo: Gearographer Review

Shannon Sollitt and the gear team at Gearographer recently had the chance to try out one of the most versatile ropes from Edelweiss, the Curve 9.8mm. The Curve is part of the Perform3 family (meaning that is has been engineered with the ideal balance of durability, handling, and performance) and is a great option for climbers of all skill levels. The 9.8mm diameter is light enough that it can be carried with ease on long approaches, but also durable enough to handle 8 UIAA falls and abuse for years to come.

The rope reviewed by Shannon was the ARC model featuring a bi-pattern weave to help easily identify the rope's middle and a bright green color that looks great in photos. She says that the rope is "easy to handle, light to carry, and feels mighty trustworthy to climbing partners on either end of it" and calls it the "perfect single-rope companion for sport and trad climbers of all abilities."

Read Shannon's full review here

Gear Review: Edelweiss Curve 9.8MM

The folks over at Climbing Zine recently reviewed the Edelweiss Curve 9.8MM rope, a high performance and dependable rope perfect for sport or trad climbing. The Curve comes in three different lengths (50M, 60M, and 70M) and is available with Unicore technology, an ARC bipattern option, and Supereverdry treatment for top level water repellency. This rope is ideal for progressing climbers looking to improve their skills and climb harder.


Reviewer Drew Thayer describes his criteria in looking for a new cragging rope "It doesn’t have to be fancy, or particularly light, just something durable that my partners and I can take a thousand falls on and never worry about it. There are lots of options out there, and the Curve 9.8 mm rope stands out as a good one."

Thayer goes on to say "I don’t know how Edelweiss pulled this off, but they managed to build a durable, 9.8 mm rope with a high fall rating that catches as softly as Beal’s super slinky Opera rope…that’s 8.5 mm thick. If you like soft falls, but are looking for a long-wearing workhorse, cragging with this rope is like cheating: you get both."

Read the full review here

The Ideal Canyoneering Kit

Canyoneering is amazing, beautiful, and challenging. With the right gear, knowledge, and skill set, you'll be able to confidently descend the most picturesque canyons around. Christian Weaver, a Liberty Mountain employee, shares his list of what makes up the ideal kit for canyoneering:

Gear Review: Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore

Climbing Magazine acclaims that the Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore is a “next generation smart rope.”

Edelweiss Scorpion Climbing Harness - Featured in Climbing Magazine

Climbing Magazine features the Edelweiss Scorpion climbing harness in the 2015 Spring Gear Guide.

Continue Reading...

Edelweiss Scorpion Climbing Harness - Featured in Climbing Magazine

Climbing Magazine features the Edelweiss Scorpion climbing harness in the 2015 Spring Gear Guide.

The Edelweiss Scorpion climbing harness is featured in Climbing Magazine’s 2015 Spring Gear Guide. Not only did they praise the Scorpion for its sleek profile that does an amazing job at distributing the load to eliminate unwanted pressure points, they were impressed with the new adjustable leg-loop design.

The Scorpion—available in a unisex and female model—is one of Edelweiss’ newest harnesses that uses the Web-Core process that keeps the harness sleek and thin while providing optimal comfort and load distribution. The Scorpion features two waist-belt buckles, adjustable dynamic leg-loops, and four gear-loops.

Web-Core - In order to distribute pressure on both hips and thighs as evenly as possible during a fall or a hanging belay, Edelweiss uses Web-Core to minimize the effects of any impact force. Web-Core is a broad, yet thin and light piece of webbing that is laser-cut to match the ergonomic shape of the harness and then laminated - at high temperatures - to both the interior and exterior of the harness. The benefits of this innovated design provides a thin and compact harness that delivers optimal load distribution without pressure points where it comes in contact with the body.

Double-Buckle Waist-Belt – With two buckles, the harness will provide a properly centered fit in all situations, i.e., more or less clothing is worn or a change in body mass.

Dynamic-Fit Leg Loops - The Dynamic-Fit leg loop adjustment system allows quick and highly precise adjustments of the leg loops without the use of a metal buckle. Once adjusted, they remain stretchy without compressing the user's thighs. The Dynamic-Fit system is an excellent extremely lightweight alternative to traditional metal buckles.

Kar-Aside Gear Loops – The Kar-Aside gear loops provide plenty of clearance from the body for racking gear, making it easier and quicker to clip gear.

"The Edelweiss Scorpion harness is one of the best midweight harnesses I have ever used. It’s super light and comfortable."  

--Cheyne Lempe, Edelweiss athlete and seasoned big wall climber.

Ditch your old and tattered harness today and upgrade to the Edelweiss Scorpion harness at your closest Edelweiss dealer.

Edelweiss is one of the many brands exclusively distributed in the U.S. by Liberty Mountain. Visit LibertyMountain.com or contact the Liberty Mountain Sales Team to become an Edelweiss dealer today.

_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

The Gear That Made It Happen With Cheyne Lempe

Edelweiss athlete, Cheyne Lempe has been jumping between Yosemite and Patagonia for the last few years. He's been setting some records and snagging first ascents on some phenomenal walls. In all of these adventures, he's kept one thing pretty consistent...his rope. Here's what he has to say about the Edelweiss Energy 9.5mm:

In the past few years, I have used the Edelweiss Energy 9.5mm climbing rope on more big routes than anything else. The rope has an incredible durability-to-weight ratio, and is a true workhorse. Dragging the rope through miles of abrasive granite down in Patagonia or grinding it up the huge walls of Yosemite, the rope has always been a crucial factor in my success.

The following images were taken during significant ascents while using the Edelweiss Energy rope:

The North Pillar Sit Start (5.11, C1, 2000m) - Fitz Roy Massif - Patagonia, Argentina - First ascent. Photo by Cheyne Lempe.

Monos Al Cielo (5.11, 400m) - Aguja Guillaumet - Patagonia, Argentina - First Ascent. Photo by Scott Bennett.

The Shortest Straw (5.9 A4) - El Capitan - Yosemite, CA - Speed Record (12 hours 20 minutes). Photo by Tom Evans.

The Care Bear Traverse (1900 meters 5.10 C1) - Fitz Roy Massif  - Patagonia, Argentina - Reported 4th ascent of route. Photo by Cheyne Lempe.

Octopussy (A2+ 5.9) - El Capitan - Yosemite, CA - First one-day ascent (18 hours 8 minutes). Photo by Cheyne Lempe.

The Triple Crown Linkup (El Capitan, Mt. Watkins, and Half Dome) - Yosemite, CA - Third party to climb linkup (22 hours 59 minutes). Photo by Cheyne Lempe.

_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

Liberty Mountain Hires Ascension Sales Group to Represent Beal and Edelweiss in the Rockies and Great Plains

Liberty Mountain, a leading independent distributor of technical outdoor products and climbing brands in the U.S. has added Ascension Sales Group to it’s outside rep roster.

New Smart Rope: Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore

Climbing Magazine acclaims that the Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore is a “next generation smart rope.”

Continue reading...

_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

Gear Review: Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore

Climbing Magazine acclaims that the Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore is a “next generation smart rope.”

What is a “smart rope?” According to Climbing Magazine, a smart rope “incorporates features that significantly increase safety, boost durability, or tailor it for a niche use. “ They also said that smart ropes encompass more than just a simple dry treatment and/or tighter sheath weave.

Here are the features that make the Edelweiss Performance 9.2mm Unicore a smart-rope:

• Unicore: The sheath is bonded to the core to eliminate sheath slippage, bunching, and fraying. More info here. “I view it as a top-notch lead line by itself, and then the added security of Unicore is like extra icing on the cake.” –Climbing Magazine
  
  
• UIAA Water Repellent: With the Supereverdry treatment, the Performance absorbs less than 1.5% water. More info here.
• Triple CE and UIAA Certification: The Performance works safely as a single, half, and twin rope.
• Lightweight: “At 53 g/m, the Performance is one of the lightest [single] ropes on the market.” –Climbing Magazine
• Thin Diameter: The Performance is a slim 9.2mm, offering great handling and keeping the bulk down when packing it.

We asked Edelweiss athlete, Scott Bennett to chime in and offer his opinion about the rope:

“The Performance is my favorite cord! Before I started climbing on the Performance, I'd always thought that there was a direct trade-off between weight and durability. The skinny ropes that I'd used were haggard after just a season of use. With the Performance 9.2, however, I've realized that a well-built rope can be trustworthy over multiple years, regardless of the diameter. I climb on an 80-meter line. At 9.2 mm, it doesn’t weigh that much and allows me to link multiple pitches to get my climbing done faster.” 

More about Supereverdry
With Edelweiss's Supereverdry treatment every filament of the sheath and core is treated with a water repellent chemical before the rope is manufactured. This chemical covering is polymerized at a high temperature, making it last for a very long time. The outstanding durability and water repellency of this treatment makes it so that any treated rope absorbs less than 1.5% water, making it a certified UIAA Water Repellent Rope. The benefits of a Supereverdry treated rope is: limited weight gain in wet conditions, no bloating in wet conditions, decreased friction and abrasion on carabiners, belay devices, and rock.

More about Unicore
With Unicore, the sheath and core are bonded together to prevent sheath slippage and bunching. If the sheath is cut or torn, the core and sheath remain bonded together, preventing the core from being overexposed and allowing for a safer escape. With any standard rope, the sheath slips, unravels, and bunches when cut by abrasion over an edge—a frequent occurrence in the mountains—making it impossible to pass the damaged zone by ascending or descending. Edelweiss is one of two companies that construct dynamic climbing ropes with Unicore.

More about UIAA Water Repellent
For any rope to be certified as a UIAA Water Repellent rope, a sample must be subjected to some light abrasion over it’s entire surface, equivalent to a few days’ use. It is then soaked in water for 15 minutes following a precise procedure. The amount of water absorbed must not be greater than 5% of the sample’s weight. Edelweiss's Supereverdry treated ropes easily pass this test and absorb less than 1.5%. For comparison, a non-treated rope absorbs around 50% of water in this test while , and current ropes on the market labeled as "dry” but lacking adequate treatments absorb between 20% and 40% of water. Edelweiss is one of two companies that have UIAA Water Repellent certified ropes.


Edelweiss is one of the many brands exclusively distributed in the U.S. by Liberty Mountain. Visit LibertyMountain.com or contact the Liberty Mountain Sales Team to become an Edelweiss dealer today.












_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

Water Repellent Ropes: A New UIAA Certification

UIAA sets a new standard for water repellent ropes. Edelweiss Supereverdry ropes and Beal Golden Dry ropes have passed the test.

Continue Reading...

_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

A Rock Climber’s Christmas Wish List

A Day in the Office/Mountains

Liberty Mountain’s Marketing Director, Nathan Smith illustrates what it’s like to work a day in "the office” when employed in the outdoor industry. Photos by Liberty Mountain's Photo Editor, Aaron Schwendiman. Click on the photos to view them larger in the Lightbox Photo Gallery.

It's catalog season here at Liberty Mountain and we have deadlines looming over us for lots of projects. One of those projects has been the recent addition of Outdoor Designs to our collection of in-house brands.

With our recent acquisition of Outdoor Designs and the November deadline for good winter images, we had to scramble to get some shots and quickly. Luckily the 2013 winter has already begun in Utah and we knew of just the spot to go to get some ice climbing photos for the workbook.

The only hitch is that it would be a four-mile hike up Mt. Timpanogos to reach the ice. Meeting at 5:00am at Liberty's Salt Lake headquarters was a small group, two climbers and our newest in-house photographer and photo editor, Aaron.

We drove the 45 min to the Aspen Grove trailhead in sleepy darkness, psyched to be going out on work time but still somewhat wishing we were still in bed. After gearing up at the trailhead, we set off on the trail by headlamp. The cold concentrated into a small circle of blue light in front of us.

Gradually the sky lightened, replacing our lamps as we passed the 1st and 2nd waterfalls and numerous switchbacks. Finally the sun's early morning rays broke through, painting the hillside orange in beautiful light.

Continue Reading....





_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

Just Got Back From The Idaho Mountain Festival

There we were, kicking it with over 250 people at Castle Rock State Park. Hundreds of tents lay scattered across the grass while the gorgeous granite domes loomed over us from behind. In the morning we were fed and educated. During the day we climbed. In the evenings we were fed and entertained, only to repeat the pattern the next day.

 

Continue Reading...

_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

Edelweiss Toplight Featured In Climbing Magazine

The Edelweiss Toplight 10.2mm dynamic climbing rope was featured in the September 2013 issue of Climbing Magazine.

The gear testers had a lot of great things to say about the Edelweiss Toplight 10.2mm:

“This rope has the durability of a fat rope with the feel of a skinner cord.”

“Top performance at the right price.”

“Four of [our] testers haven’t bought or used a rope above 10mm in a few years, and they all agreed they would purchase this 10.2 lifeline.”

The Edelweiss Toplight 10.2mm is an all-around workhorse rope with a great mix of durability and rope handling. A low impact force of 8.3kN is the envy of the competition while also offering top performance at an incredible value.

• Weight: 65 gram/meter
• Impact Force: 8.3 kN
• UIAA Falls: 8
• CE and UIAA Certified: Single Rope
• MSRP: $119.95 (50M), $139.95 (60M), $169.95 (70M)

The Toplight is one of three ropes—Rocklight 9.8mm, Flashlight 10mm, and Toplight 10.2mm—that make up Edelweiss’ Essential Line, which was introduced to the market at the beginning of 2013. The Essential Line consists of three single dynamic ropes, all varying in diameter, that are classic, simple, and affordable while offering the essentials needed for climbing.

The Edelweiss Toplight 10.2mm, as well as the Rocklight and Flashlight, is available for purchase at your favorite Edelweiss dealer and at www.libertymountainclimbing.com.

If your retail business desires to carry the Edelweiss Toplight, please contact your sales rep or place an order on our new website.

_________
Subscribe to our RSS feed for future articles. SUBSCRIBE NOW.
Like what you read? Share it with a friend.

Gear Review: Edelweiss Toplight Climbing Rope

The Edelweiss Toplight 10.2mm dynamic climbing rope was featured in the September 2013 issue of Climbing Magazine.

The Evolution Highway of Outdoor Gear

They say that in a jungle everything is alive. The complex and beautiful nature of a jungle is a bi-product of evolution. You can walk through a jungle a thousand times and never see it all. In fact, a jungle is always changing. There is always something new, something fresh.

During the first weekend of August, we found ourselves in a proverbial jungle surrounded by gear, gear and more gear at the bi-annual Outdoor Retailer trade show in Salt Lake City, UT. Our booth resembled a mini-trade show in and of itself as we showcased products from Vaude, Grivel, Trekmates, Beal, Edelweiss, Outdoor Designs, Cypher, Nalgene, Singing Rock, Cypher, Omega Pacific, Peregrine, Trangia, Olicamp, and a few others. The OR show is an exciting time for us as we are able to not only represent these brands, but also unveil their newest and freshest gear.