Journal



The Journal is dedicated to the sports and people that make Black Diamond what it is.

  • Tuesday, October 2, 2012

    BD athlete Nico Favresse redpoints Speed (8c+) at Voralpsee, Switzerland


    Black Diamond athlete Nico Favresse has traveled the world, climbing new multi-pitch routes in exotic locations. But Nico also has an eye for the iconic climbs that may not be in far-flung locales but are true classic lines. Such was the case with Speed , an incredibly sustained line at Switzerland's Voralpss crag. Below is the quick email and... [READ MORE]

  • Wednesday, October 3, 2012

    GROUPS WE SUPPORT: Rocky Mountain Field Institute


    We take a large amount of pride in our history of outspoken advocacy for conservation and access causes (locally, regionally and globally), as well as in our efforts to support conservation, education and recreation groups that are on the front-lines of protecting and preserving the wild lands we love and... [READ MORE]

  • Friday, October 26, 2012

    VIDEO PROFILE: BD athlete Kévin Aglaé climbing in Buoux, France


    Living in Nice, France, Black Diamond athlete Kévin Aglaé has no shortage of climbing to choose from—Ceuse, Gorge Du Loup, St. Leger and numerous other world-class crags are within a close drive. So it's no surprise that this 21-year-old crusher, who started climbing when he was 10, has redpointed routes up to 9a, stood atop the podium in... [READ MORE]

  • Monday, October 8, 2012

    BD athlete Hayden Kennedy reports on new route on K7's east face with Urban Novak and fellow BD athlete Kyle Dempster


    Black Diamond athlete Hayden Kennedy spent the summer in Pakistan, and scored new routes on two 7000-meter peaks, K7 and The Ogre. Below is Hayden’s compelling report on his ascent of K7’s east face with Urban Novak and fellow BD athlete Kyle Dempster . Next week we will post Dempster’s report on he and Hayden’s new route on The Ogre... [READ MORE]

  • Wednesday, October 17, 2012

    EMPLOYEE FAVORITES: Chris El-Deiry, South Face of Petit Grepon (5.8), Rocky Mountain National Park, CO


    Here at Black Diamond, the inspiration to innovate is driven from within. When we're not at the office, our dedicated crew of employees is out cranking at the crags, putting in miles on the trails and questing around the mountains in search of untracked descents. In this ongoing series of posts on the Journal, we'll be highlighting some of our... [READ MORE]

  • Wednesday, October 10, 2012

    QC LAB: Can a hot belay device melt my rappel slings?


    Before any piece of Black Diamond gear makes it on to the shelves, it spends months, sometimes years getting put through the wringer by our Director of Quality, Kolin Powick, and his team of Quality Assurance engineers. Through extensive and meticulous testing, both in the lab and in the field, KP and his team help ensure that you can count on... [READ MORE]

  • Friday, October 12, 2012

    Black Diamond's 19th annual Utah Avalanche Center fundraising party raises $66,000


    Last month Black Diamond Equipment hosted the 19th annual fundraiser party for the Utah Avalanche Center , bringing out a record number of supporters from the Utah ski community. The beautiful Thursday evening in September provided a great atmosphere for the unofficial kick-off party for the 2012/2013 ski season and helped to raise $66,000 in... [READ MORE]

  • Monday, October 15, 2012

    BD Sales Rep Matt Ginley reports from the 2012 Hound Ears Bouldering Competition


    Aside from enjoying a long history and kicking off the Triple Crown Bouldering Series , the Hound Ears Bouldering Competition is notably unique in the fact it is the only time each year climbers can access the rock at Hound Ears near Boone, North Carolina. The world-class boulders sit on private land in a gated community/country club and the... [READ MORE]

  • Thursday, October 18, 2012

    BD employee Andy Anderson reports from the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell


    Tucked away in the rolling, forested hills of the Ozark Mountains, Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, near Jasper, Arkansas, is home to not only a fully operational dude ranch, but one of the biggest concentrations of sandstone sport climbing in the state. For one weekend each fall, HCR is fully invaded by climbers for the 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell, a... [READ MORE]

  • Friday, October 19, 2012

    BD athlete Jasmin Caton reports on her summer expedition to Canada's Waddington Range


    Black Diamond athlete Jasmin Caton is a rock climbing guide in Squamish, British Columbia during the summers, and this year she took a brief summer vacation from coastal granite to sample the big mountains and epic alpine climbing in Canada's Waddington Range. With big glaciers, danger from avalanches and serac fall, and unpredicatable weather,... [READ MORE]

  • Monday, October 22, 2012

    VIDEO: BD athletes Cedar Wright and Kate Rutherford climbing Ariana (IV 5.12a) on the Diamond of Long's Peak


    Black Diamond athletes Cedar Wright and Kate Rutherford teamed up this past summer for a trip to the impressive Diamond face on Long's Peak, in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park. Situated entirely above 13,000 feet, the Diamond is home to some of the best (and hardest) alpine granite routes in the US, including the striking Ariana (IV... [READ MORE]

  • Wednesday, October 24, 2012

    PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Revert ski


    Innovation is what drives everything here at Black Diamond. If we're not making gear better, stronger, lighter, faster, more durable and easier to use, then we're not doing our job. In this ongoing series of monthly posts, we'll be giving you an inside look at some of our most innovative products through one-on-one interviews with our team of... [READ MORE]

  • Monday, October 29, 2012

    VIDEO: BD athlete Andy Houseman climbing the Slovak Direct on Denali


    Black Diamond athlete Andy Houseman, along with his partner Nick Bullock, made a trip to the Alaska Range this past June where they made the sixth ascent of the massive and infamous Slovak Direct route on the south face of Denali. The route, put up in 1986 using fixed lines over the course of 11 days, is over 9,000 feet tall—making it one of... [READ MORE]

  • Wednesday, October 31, 2012

    Black Diamond stands with more than 80 outdoor and local businesses in opposition of Utah SkiLink


    Black Diamond, along with a coalition of over 80 snowsports and outdoor brands and local Utah businesses, today announced its formal, united opposition to the Utah SkiLink—a proposed gondola that would connect Canyons Resort in Park City with Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon. The proposed project would require the US Forest... [READ MORE]