Climb On • 13th September 2023

It’s Time to Get Your Shoes Resoled, and Positive Resoles is There

When the small rip starts threatening to become a hole, and your big toe starts feeling extra exfoliated as it sticks out and brushes against every hold you climb on, you must come to terms with the fact it’s time for a resoler to work their magic. It’s a tedious task of shipping those shoes out, but that process gives way for the beautiful excuse of buying a new pair!


As my Scarpa Instict VS’s started showing signs of wear with only a thin sliver of the rand rubber left, I turned to Positi...

Climb On • 23rd July 2023

Reflections on Climbing

Tucked in my journal, written on December 24, 2022:


My time back in Sacramento this winter has allowed me to revisit myself. 


Frequent December hours climbing at Sacramento Pipeworks has seemed to soothe any anxiety caused from my sudden change of pace in my life.  Coming from school and reentering my old home life, I’ve gained this newfound perspective of myself, seeing more clearly what truly makes me me.


Days getting lost in books, making weird art collages, curating my style and a...

Climb On • 5th May 2023

A Night With Mo

Climber or not, we all have something to learn from her story.


The sport of rock climbing is as much a physical and mental activity as it is a mentor. Teaching lessons applicable to one’s life off the rock, it ingrains the notion of hard work and determination, quick and adaptive thinking, and most importantly, it opens the gate to what one may think achievable for themselves, encouraging them to push the limit of what’s deemed possible.  


Coming to San Luis Obispo, as part of her national...

Climb On • 20th March 2023

The Mountains Are Calling

A story of a Dutch climbing enthusiast and her alpinist adventures in the mountains of the French, Swiss and Austrian Alps.


“It’s just the adventure,” Marije Linders recounted as she pondered her growing love for alpine climbing and why it has brought so much light into her life. “Being out there with yourself, off path, doing something other people can’t do,” as Linders said, are unique feelings that arise when thousands of meters up a mountain, somewhere in the Alps.


Having grown up in...

Climb On • 9th March 2023

With Climbing Comes Community

A tale of how two girls came to be great friends, brought together through their shared passion for climbing and love for the outdoors.


While at its core, climbing is an intensely personal sport, with it ultimately coming down to just you and the wall, your mind and body connection to the rock, the sense of community and collaboration that derives from the sport is very special. From belayers and coaches to teammates and friends, the diverse climbing community can instantly connect and bond b...

Climb On • 21st February 2023

A Meditation on the Complexity of a Climbing Session

For seasoned climbers who spend hours each week at the climbing gym, the act becomes a unique ritual. From slowly warming up one’s body and fingers with floor stretches and easier routes, to climbing hard and pushing oneself, to finishing a session training on tension and hangboards, many value their methodical routines, allowing them to destress, connect with others and get strong.


While my climbing sessions tend to vary depending on busy schedules or finding rides, I can always look forwar...

Climb On • 6th February 2023

Iranian Climber Makes History– But It Came At A Cost

Stepping out onto the competition floor, gracefully and decisively floating through the moves on the IFSC Asian Championships finals route, Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi showcased her raw strength and calculated technique.  Yet getting lowered to the ground and finishing in fourth place, Rekabi’s feat would be quickly overpowered by the intense backlash of her actions– climbing without her hijab.  


Mounting safety concerns regarding Rekabi, 33, followed in the succeeding days after her violati...

Climb On • 24th January 2023

Cal Poly Climbing Team Reaches New Heights

While 8pm on a Wednesday night for many students may entail last minute studying or a movie in bed, for the Cal Poly Climbing Team, the night of training hard, chalked holds and calloused hands has only just begun. 


These weekly practices held at the indoor rock climbing gym, The Pad SLO, bring together Cal Poly’s climbing enthusiasts of every grade level, who all share love for the sport, a drive to improve their climbing abilities and interest in competing.  And for coaches and older team m...