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Build My Own FeedThe Journal is dedicated to the sports and people that make Black Diamond what it is.
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BD employee Adam Smart shows off his blisters. Warning: PG13 image....
You want a good journal post? This is what climbing a slab in 100 degree weather with the sun beating on your heels and then hiking to Lone Peak the next day might do to you (see pic). I am unfortunately sitting with the consequences here right now. Have at it if you can use it. Thanks Adam Smart [READ MORE]
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ski testing in Saas-Fee, Switzerland
July 2009 Saas-Fee, Switzerland 3500m above sea level The glacier high above Saas-Fee finally began to regularly freeze and the summer ski season went into full-swing just after the 4th of July. And while most of the skiers up there were eyeing the kickers in the funpark or the gates on the race course, Black Diamond Europe's own Thomas... [READ MORE]
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Winger For The Weekend #3
Our photo editor Sandra somehow stumbled into this video of a crackpot mother and her terrified overweight son on a slingshot ride at what looks to be a strip mall parking lot and forwarded it to us. (What was Sandra doing, Googling "scared fat kid" or something?) No matter how she found it, she found it and it's hilariously twisted (or is... [READ MORE]
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BD Wallpaper: Hot-Forged Biners
No, those are not Polish sausages. HotWire biners emerging from the Black Diamond hot forge oven. Choose a size to download: 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024 [READ MORE]
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Nico Favresse——Baffin Island Expedition UPDATE #3
Black Diamond athlete Nico Favresse is on an expedition to Baffin Island with the objective to establish new free routes in the Weasel Valley. He and partners Sean Villanueva, Olivier Favresse and Stephane Hansens will spend two months in this very remote part of the globe and hope to discover amazing first ascent possibilities.... [READ MORE]
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How-to Video: Adjust Boot Canting and Forward Lean
Boot canting and forward lean are two underutilized adjustments that can make a huge impact to your skiing comfort and performance. You may not realize you need these critical adjustments until you experience the lateral precision of our Triax Frame construction and feel that you can no longer just smoosh into a comfortable flex axis. Once you... [READ MORE]
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Black Diamond Completes Multiple Projects to Increase Efficiency
July 20, 2009 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., a global leader in the climbing and freeride ski markets, announces the completion of multiple projects that will increase global efficiency and brand growth. “The difficult economy only underscores the need for proactive management maximizing efficiency,” explains... [READ MORE]
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Winger For The Weekend #2
A friend emailed us this video a couple days ago with the subject line: Punk is not dead . Now, we're normally not ones to watch BMX vids, but we'll make an exception for this guy Colt Fake. Our hats go off to you, Colt, you two-wheeled warrior of the urban wasteland. Anybody who can take those kind of savage, nut-bustin', skull-crackin'... [READ MORE]
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Tommy Caldwell's 5 Favorite Pitches on El Cap
My body hangs limply in my harness, eyes drooping shut, hands bleeding, feet swollen; buffeted by the wind in a cold shady corner, 2800 feet off the ground. For 19 hours I have been fighting, screaming, falling and pushing my mind and body—hard—all in the name of free climbing another route on El Cap in a day. This time it’s... [READ MORE]
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ROCKLANDS: Nalle Hukkataival visits South Africa's famed boulders
I woke up when the plane wheels hit the tarmac. The flight captain announced over the intercom: "Welcome to Cape Town, the most beautiful city in the world" After picking up my rental car I hit the chaotic morning traffic. Driving on the wrong side of the road definitely made things interesting, along with the fact that the only driving... [READ MORE]
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Winger For The Weekend #1
Mr. T singing about mothers?! A mega-classic video of the man himself ( First name: Mister. Middle name: Period. Last name: T!) getting his moves and grooves on. The short shorts, the gold, the mohawk, the rings, his sweet-swinging "mothers" singing backup... you gotta love it. If anyone has a clue where or why this was filmed, please,... [READ MORE]
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QC Lab: How Sketchy Is a Rope-Worn, Sharp-Edged Carabiner?
I’ve yanked a lot of worn, sharp-edged biners off of routes, and I’ve tested a lot of them and It’s not the ultimate strength of a rope-worn biner that makes me the most nervous; it’s the risk of cutting a rope. As the biners get grooved or “trenched” from rope wear, a sharp edge begins to form on the sides—and the rope runs... [READ MORE]
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BD employee Chris Thomas sends big in Alaska on Mount Huntington
Besides being Black Diamond's Warranty Manager, Chris Thomas is a prolific climber. In a building full of climbers, Chris is one of our most stoked and accomplished. Ice, rock, mixed, bolts, trad, boulders... whatever the style or discipline Chris is sending it at a high level. He sent us the following email from Alaska where he had another... [READ MORE]
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New baby girl for BD Sales Rep Roger Strong
Our main man up in the Pacific Northwest, Roger Strong, welcomed his new baby girl, Maya Karena Strong, into the world on June 20. The proud papa (and BD Sales Rep) sent us the following announcement. From: Roger Strong To: Black Diamond Subject: Maya Karena Strong Date: June 22, 2009 4:37:19 AM MDT Howdy folks…Merridy... [READ MORE]
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BD employees step it up in the Clear the Air Challenge
Anyone who has driven down from one of Salt Lake City’s many ski resorts in January or February has most likely gotten a really good look at an unfortunate phenomenon: weather inversions. Because SLC is caught in a geographic bowl between the Wasatch and Oquirrh Mountains, our pollution tends to get caught in the middle. In the winter, this... [READ MORE]
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Orbit wins 2009 Backpacker Magazine's Editor's Choice Award!
The Orbit Lantern won the 2009 Backpacker Magazine's Editor's Choice Award. Check out the video below to get the full review and accolades. Thank you, Backpacker ! [READ MORE]
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Conrad Anker in PBS documentary about climate change
Check out the video clip below from a PBS documentary on climate change that features our own Conrad Anker. The following was copied from PBS website: Seventy-five percent of the world's fresh water is stored in glaciers, but scientists predict climate change will cause some of the world's largest glaciers to completely melt by 2030. What... [READ MORE]
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Chris Schulte crushing in Boulder(ing) Canyon, Colorado
BD athlete Chris Schulte sent us the following update and video after a recent string of unique bouldering first ascents in Boulder Canyon, Colorado. Impressive to see the canyon is still yielding FAs after all these years! For years, Boulder Canyon has hosted the cutting edge creations of several generations of traditional and sport... [READ MORE]
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QC Lab: Autoblock Misuse
Lately I’ve been getting quite a few questions on the use of the Black Diamond ATC-Guide and/or similar “autoblock”-style belay devices—and another installment of QC with KP was born. I’ve seen some curious/scary autoblock uses/misuses out there and I had the boys in the QA lab test a couple of the setups I’ve seen, which were: a)... [READ MORE]
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QC Lab: Can I Use a Sharpie to Mark the Middle of my Rope?
Here’s the question I get asked/emailed probably more than any other: “Can I use a Sharpie to mark the middle of my rope?” My answer: “I don’t know.” Years ago the UIAA published a warning (and I even remember it being written up in one of the climbing mags) that using a Sharpie to mark your rope probably isn’t a good idea.... [READ MORE]
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QC Lab: Worn Anchors
Whether it’s at the local gym or a dreamy vacation cliff in the Mediterranean, we’ve all been there: You finish a sport climb and are ready to clip your rope through the anchors (e.g., cold shuts, leaver biners, chain links, etc.) when you notice that countless lowerings and top roping have left gnarly rope grooves in the anchors. Will... [READ MORE]
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Solo Expedition Video - Mike Libecki in Greenland
During the past few years Mike Libecki has spent literally months seeking out tall, luscious, virgin big walls and climbing them... usually completely alone. Lucky for us his favorite traveling and climbing partner is a trusty mini-DV cam that provides hours of unique footage... [READ MORE]
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Video Tour of Black Diamond HQ
Black Diamond Equipment found a home at the foot of the Wasatch range, in Salt Lake City, after moving from Ventura, CA in 1991. Since moving in we've gradually adapted a Bavarian-style commercial complex of retail shops, offices and grocery store into a state-of-the-art facility for the design, testing and manufacturing of climbing/skiing... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: Lantern Technology
Get the scoop on Black Diamond's line-up of lanterns straight from our product designers. From the super compact Orbit to the versatile Apollo to the super-sized Titan, there's a powerful, efficient lighting solution for every trip into the backcountry. [READ MORE]
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Easy Rider Via Ferrata Set Receives I.D. Magazine 2009 Design Review Award
The Black Diamond Easy Rider Via Ferrata Set received I.D. Magazine's Design Review Award for Consumer Products. Check it out in their July/August 2009 issue on newstands now. Congratulations to Black Diamond's design team, especially Industrial Designer, Jeremy Saxton, and Design Engineer Brendan "Perky" Perkins. From I.D. Magazine:... [READ MORE]
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IN LOVING MEMORY: Long live Micah Dash and Jonny Copp
Black Diamond deeply mourns the tragic loss of Jonny Copp and Micah Dash who, along with filmmaker Wade Johnson, were killed in an avalanche on Mount Edgar (6818 m) in southwestern China in late May 2009. Jonny and Micah lived every day to its fullest, drinking in gulps from the cup of life, adventuring for first ascents in impeccable fast... [READ MORE]
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Nico Favresse——Baffin Island Expedition UPDATE #1
Black Diamond athlete Nico Favresse, his brother Olivier, and friends Stephane Hanssens and Sean Villanueva are off for a multi-week free-climbing expedition to the big walls of Baffin Island, Canada. According to Nico, they plan to walk up the Weasel Valley and climb anything that looks good. Mount Asgard is one of the spots where they are... [READ MORE]
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Nico Favresse——Baffin Island Expedition UPDATE #2
Black Diamond athlete Nico Favresse has just left on an expedition to Baffin Island with the objective to establish new free routes in the Weasel Valley. He and partners Sean Villanueva, Olivier Favresse and Stephane Hansens will spend two months in this very remote part of the globe and hope to discover amazing first ascent possibilities.... [READ MORE]
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WELCOME TO THE NEW BlackDiamondEquipment.com
In 1972 Chouinard Equipment published a catalog that redefined the sport of climbing—a printed piece that changed the way climbers approached their sport with the gear that Chouinard created. Today, July 8, 2009, Black Diamond Equipment has launched a new website that will redefine the sports of climbing and freeride skiing...... [READ MORE]
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R.I.P. John Bachar 1957-2009
The climbing world lost a legendary icon of boldness on Sunday, July 5th, when John Bachar fell while free soloing at the Dike Wall near Mammoth Lakes, California. The 51-year-old Bachar, a key member of the 1970s Stonemasters of Yosemite, cemented his legendary status with countless ahead-of-the-curve free solos throughout California and... [READ MORE]
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What GIVING BACK Means to BD
Since our DNA took root as Chouinard Equipment in 1957, we’ve been supporting organizations and initiatives that are critical to the survival of our sports. Moreover, we deeply care about the preservation of our natural world as the source of our own lifeblood. We lend a hand with more than just significant financial support, including... [READ MORE]
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Give me all the Black Diamonds!!
Funny thing happened the other night as Black Diamond's night shift was wrapping up after a long week of forging carabiners and assembling crampons... our night manager was making his final sweep of the entire Black Diamond complex and ran into a dude with an ice pick looking for jewels and precious metals. Apparently he had been laid-off... [READ MORE]
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BD employee Corey LaForge goes choss-oneering on massive limestone face
One of our QA Managers, Corey LaForge, headed out to one of Utah's greatest adventure walls, the 1800-foot north face of Notch Peak for some high-quality choss climbing on Book of Saturdays (IV 5.11- R) a week ago. Below is the email Corey sent us last Monday morning along with some photos from the adventure. Fun for the whole family!... [READ MORE]
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Patxi Usobiaga wins World Championship!
Our man Patxi Usobiaga is in top form once again, this time claiming the World Championship in Qinghai, China against the world's top competition climbers. Congratulations, Patxi! Check out the entry below that Patxi posted on his website and the video of him sending the finals route (check out the leg-shaking, fist-pumping stoke!).... [READ MORE]
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Peter Metcalf and fellow BD employees climb Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus
In June 2009, Peter Metcalf , Black Diamond's CEO and co-founder, and fellow BD employees Ryan Gellert ( Managing Director of Black Diamond Equipment Asia), Bill Crouse (International Sales Manager) and Kolin Powick (Director of Quality) teamed up with BD's Russian distributor, Oleg Banar, to climb the highest peak in Europe, Mount Elbrus... [READ MORE]
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Dave Turner returns from two-month solo mission to northeastern Baffin Island
Black Diamond athlete Dave Turner has just returned from another highly successful solo big wall expedition, this time from the frozen wonderland of Baffin Island, Canada. After spending more than two months alone in the Arctic, Turner had quite a few tales to tell and sent us the following email and photos shortly after he returned home.... [READ MORE]
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Sam Johnson makes FA of Mount Balchen's Alchemy Ridge in Alaska
Sam Johnson is one of our grassroots climbing athletes and he recently teamed up with Matt Klick for an impressive first ascent on the north ridge of Alaska's Mount Balchen, where they battled heinous winds to make summit. Below is the post and photos he posted on his blog. Here are a few pics from my two-week trip to the Hayes Range... [READ MORE]
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VIDEO: Greenpeace activists get busted climbing Mount Rushmore
On July 9th, 2009 a group of Greenpeace activists went climbing... on the face of Mount Rushmore, which is, uh, pretty much totally illegal. The crew climbed the famed American icon, rapped down next to Lincoln's face and hung a massive banner to raise awareness for global warming. Despite getting Peter-Pan'd around by the banner as it blew... [READ MORE]
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16th Annual International Climbers Festival in Lander, Wyoming
The 16th Annual International Climbers Festival in Lander has come to a close for 2009. This year proved to be a great success with almost 450 people showing up in Lander, Wyoming for a weekend of climbing, slideshows, slacklining, crate stacking, beer drinking, pizza eating and dancing. The event started out Thursday night with the annual... [READ MORE]
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THE ALPINE PRINCESS: Zoe Hart learns the rules of mixed climbing in Scotland
Before Max and I leave for Scotland, various ex-pat Brits and Scots stop by our apartment with concerned looks on their faces, wondering if I know what I’m getting myself into: terrifying cornices, Specters hammered into frozen mud, bashing Hexentrics into flared cracks, vertical snow, spicy run-outs, double layers of waterproof clothing, and... [READ MORE]
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THE MARTINIS INVADE GRAUBÜNDEN: Martin Webrant and Martin Söderqvist ski epic powder in Switzerland
Pow, more pow and even more pow! Every freeriders wet dream: a winter with fresh cold snow on big mountains day in and day out. A dream you seldom get to live, but for us this winter the dream came true. After looking at snow-reports and webcams troughout the fall and beginning of the winter, there where no doubts that there was tons of snow... [READ MORE]
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Winger For The Weekend #4
Todd Morrey, one of guys behind Black Diamond's IT department, flipped us this "bread making" video, calling it a "retro classic" and heralding it for Winger of the Weekend status. At first, as we watched the stuffy British lady warble on about bread, we weren't sure what Todd thought was so Winger-worthy about the clip. 16 seconds in, however,... [READ MORE]
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