Hi, I'm Bryce!
I recently have converted to living year-round in North Lake Tahoe after a few previous years of spending winters in Tahoe and summers in the North Cascades of Washington. I enjoy pushing myself while climbing and mountain biking during the months without snow, though I truly am a skier at my core.
Are you looking at your first climbing rope or trying to figure out if you should add that blue offset nut this climbing season? (The answer is yes!) Bring me your questions on climbing gear and we can figure out what will fit where in your rack!
My Story:
My mom had me on skis early on, and that helped initiate what would evolve into a deep love for snow and the mountains. I spent a lot of time in North Lake Tahoe growing up, and continued to chase new peaks and ranges as I grew older (I have yet to grow up).
I studied biomechanics in college in Washington, when I had my introduction to sport climbing in the Cascades. Throughout college I worked in outdoor education, and continued on to work as a climbing and mountaineering instructor with the Northwest Outward Bound School in the North Cascades after I graduated. I got hooked on trad climbing and alpinism in the Washington Pass area, and learned a lot from the people and mountains I have been fortunate enough to interact with.
Backcountry touring and ski mountaineering have become deep passions of mine, and I enjoy the never-ending progression of building skills and awareness that leads to the hunt for deeper powder and bigger days on skis. I look forward to continual inspiration from the mountains and the people who play around in them.
“Fast and light is great, and there is much more to experience than just hitting an objective. Sometimes you just have to embrace the suck and stash the makings of a good story."
My Top 3:
Petzl GriGri
The Petzl GriGri is the gold standard for modern belay devices for good reason. An incredibly versatile assisted braking device, my GriGri is on my harness in nearly all rock contexts. Top rope belaying is a breeze thanks to the pinch provided by the cam within the device, and lead belaying comes easily with a little bit of familiarity and practice as the technique is different from what you would use with a plate- or tube-style device. Belaying your partner up to you from above while on a multipitch climb is smooth as butter. The GriGri is also designed to be used with the thinnest rated dynamic single ropes, down to a diameter of 8.5mm.
La Sportiva TC Pro
I have more pitches with these shoes on my feet than any other pair of climbing shoes I have owned - I can spend hours climbing and belaying with them on without discomfort. The TC Pro is a fantastically well-rounded shoe for a range of climbing from techy slab to splitter cracks and all sorts of funky junk in between! This shoe provides great sensitivity when dealing with delicate foot placements, and the high ankle is helpful protection when you start wrestling with an offwidth. Can you spot the two Easter eggs on the TC Pro?
Black Diamond Guide BT
The Black Diamond Crag 40 is my go-to pack for (you guessed it) single pitch cragging days. This pack swallows gear. You can easily fit a double rack and a full rack of quickdraws plus snacks and water, with a strap to keep your rope secured on top. The full-length zipper makes it quick to unload when you get to the crag, and the bucket handles make loading up a breeze when you’re done with your route which means less time packing and more time climbing!
More Top Picks:
Petzl Attache SL Screwgate
Most of the locking carabiners I use rock climbing or in alpine contexts are the Petzl Attache. In this latest iteration, the wide side of the pear-shaped carabiner is round stock while the rest remains I-beam similar to the last version while shrinking the size slightly. The round stock side provides a smoother run for the rope when being used with a tube- or plate-style belay device or when utilizing a munter hitch, while the I-beam gives us some weight-saving. The Attache has great clearance when the gate is open so it is easy to clip and unclip, and the carabiner is spacious enough to receive all that you desire to attach(e) to it!
CAMP Locker Draw KS
Having a locker draw opens up an efficient and anchor option when sport climbing. Paired with a quickdraw at the top bolts so the bottom carabiners are opposite and opposed, you get the quick deployment of two quickdraws with the added security of locked carabiners in an anchor that you and your partners can feel comfortable top roping on. On the CAMP Locker Draw KS, CAMP’s lightest locking carabiner - the Photon Lock - is paired with the Nimbus Lock that has a particularly rounded shape for an HMS carabiner to provide smooth running for your rope.
Sterling Hollowblock2 13.5”
My Hollowblock does not leave my harness. It is the best sewn friction hitch that I have used - nice and grippy on any rope 7mm or thicker even if the weather comes in a few hours early (or you’re on the wall later than planned) and you’re rappelling on a wet rope. I use the Hollowblock tied in a prusik, autoblock, or kleimheist hitch as a third hand while rappelling, ascending a rope, or paired with a pulley as a progress capture device. A must-have!
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.