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

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

SPRING Sends

Read • SEEKING THE LIGHT: CLIMBING ALL 24 OF NEW ZEALAND’S HIGHEST MOUNTAINS

BROAD PEAK AND K2 • When we caught up with Allie Pepper last issue, she was beginning her attempt to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks, without supplemental oxygen and in record time. We were blown away by Allie’s insights and reflections on life in the mountains, and since publishing the feature, our readers have said the same. In Updates from Altitude, Allie shares the reality of pursuing her goal, and gives us an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of life on the edge. In this issue, she shares her story of summiting Broad Peak and facing a treacherous night on K2.

MOUNT COREE: A QUINTESSENTIALLY CANBERRA CRAG • Welcome to our Local Lore column, where we drop a pin on the climbing map and ask locals to give us the beta. From local climbing legends and lore to must-do-routes and historical deep dives, we’re letting our favourite locals loose on these pages to tell us how we should be spending our time in their backyards.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT BALANCE

CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND • VANESSA’S CLIMBING SKILLS HAVE TAKEN HER TO SOME USUAL PLACES, AND NOT JUST AS A CLIMBER—SHE’S USED HER SKILLS TO GATHER CONSERVATION DATA FROM SOME HARD-TO-REACH PLACES. IN 2017, SHE CLIMBED BALLS PYRAMID AS A CITIZEN SCIENTIST WITH THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM TO SURVEY AND CAPTURE STICK INSECTS. THIS YEAR, ON A CLIMBING TRIP TO KAPUTAR NATIONAL PARK, SHE WAS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ROCK SKINKS.

REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT • CARS, STARS, BARS, GUITARS

INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR

THE LOCALS • With three films from our own backyard making the tour lineup this year, there’s something for everyone to be excited about. “The Totem Pole” gives us pause to reflect on the added layers of meaning climbing and adventure give all of us, while “A Stirling Mission: A Western Australian Highlining Story” showcases the joys of a developing community doing what they love. Like you’ll read below, “A New Line” takes us on an inspiring roadtrip in the iconic Blue Mountains, with equally iconic, Lucy Stirling.

FROM ABROAD • Accompanying our three local films, are three films from the global climbing community that will have you packing your bags and scrambling to find your passport. “If It’s Easy, It’s Not Fun” takes us to Jordan’s extraordinary Wadi-Rum on an adventure that combines climbing, paragliding and photography, while “Aiguille du Midi Operation: Electric Avenue” sends us on a quest for new lines in Chamonix, France. In “Transcendence” we head to The Cascades in Washington, USA, on a journey that’s as much about climbing exploration as it is personal exploration.

IF IT’S EASY, IT’S NOT FUN • One of the things we love most about the Climbing Film Tour is that each year, it takes us on an off-the-beaten-track climbing adventure that leaves us rethinking our travel itinerary. In 2021 we followed athlete, entrepreneur and climbing guide, Peter Naituli, on his quest to become the first climber to ascend Point John (4883m) on Kirimaara, the name that his people, the Meru, give Mt. Kenya. In 2022 we joined Tom Randall in his mad dash to link together two of England’s toughest endurance challenges, culminating in 24 hours of solid trail running and rock climbing. Just as both of these films inspired us to look further afield to find...