Black Diamond feed on broadbandsports.com

Chris Schulte, What's Left of the Bottom of My Heart (8B?), Poudre Canyon, Colorado

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:12:05 -0700

Poudre Canyon holds one of the best boulder garden scenes around Colorado, with a short, flat approach and a good concentration of problems on dense, quality granite. It’s a good place to visit on the edges of the winter season; summertime is too hot and buggy, winter can be ridiculously inhospitable. Herman Feissner and Blake Rutherford steered me towards this project, sitting right next to the Sharma Lunge on the same block. I put in a couple of days last fall, and after a couple more in the spring, I connected five delicate but rowdy moves into the finishing mantle. It’s not so much a small problem as a distilled one, with every move deciding the chances of the next. Named for the heart shape of the boulder, it’s a true bloc, and a good little problem worth solving.

Kevin Jorgeson, Matt Segal and Alex Honnold send big on British grit

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:08:15 -0700

In late October/early November 2008 a trio of Black Diamond athletes, Kevin Jorgeson, Matt Segal and Alex Honnold, traveled to sample the famed British gritstone where runouts, groundfalls and surgical technique are all part of the game. Between rain showers and squalls, the trio managed a host of quick repeats of some of the country's hardest rated testpieces, sparking amazement and grading debates throughout the UK.

All said, the trio had one of the most impressive visits the gritstone has ever seen and watched more movies while waiting out the weather than any of them thought was humanly possible.

Hayden Kennedy on the Bachar/Yerian (5.11c R/X)

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:02:02 -0700

Hayden Kennedy is one of Black Diamond's grassroots athletes and he's a straight crusher, having 5.14s and El Cap free ascents on his resumé. Here's a clip from an upcoming film by Kevin Jaramillo of young Hayden and Yosemite icon Ivo Ninov on the famed Bachar/Yerian (5.11c R/X) in Tuolumne Meadows, California. Follow this link to read Hayden's thoughts about the climb and the recent death of John Bachar

How to use a Black Diamond AvaLung Pack

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:58:37 -0700

Get the run-down on Black Diamond AvaLung pack features, fitting and proper use.

Alex Honnold sending in Indian Creek, Utah

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:52:55 -0700

Humble, reticent and strong as a bull, Alex Honnold is a crack climbing machine. Check out this video of Honnold crushing it in world-famous Indian Creek, Utah on everything from 5.13 footless tip-jam campusing to inverted offwidthing.

Renan Ozturk and Zack Smith in Alaska's Ruth Gorge

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:47:10 -0700

Black Diamond athlete Renan Ozturk teamed up with Zack Smith and traveled to Alaska in late June 2009 to attempt a variety of climbing objectives, keeping their options open to the whims of weather, conditions and their stoke. Below is an excellent video the duo filmed during their ascents (a rarity in the world of alpine climbing where lightweight and speed typically take priority over documenting the adventure with video and photos).

The Big LePowSki 2009

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:43:51 -0700

The First Annual Big LePowSki USA was held in the legendary Wasatch Mountains of Utah on February 26-28, 2009. A weekend-long ski bonanza, the Big LePowSki USA was blessed with perfect early-spring snow, tons of prizes, booked-out clinics and blowout parties. The weekend began on Thursday night with the Winter Wildlands Alliance's Backcountry Film Festival at Brewvies—an evening of backcountry skiing films and beer that got everyone ramped up for skiing on Saturday. Friday night participants flocked to the Black Diamond Store to register for their on-snow clinics and mingle with pro skiers such as Chris Davenport, Andrew McLean, Jenn Berg, Brett Crabtree and others who would be hosting the clinics.

Avalanche Burial with Black Diamond AvaLung

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:30:55 -0700

On a heli-ski trip out of Haines, AK in April 2008, experienced backcountry skier Chris Cardello was prepared and knew the risks. He was also wearing a helmet cam. This footage is an intense first person perspective on being caught in an avalanche, riding it to burial, breathing through a Black Diamond AvaLung and being rescued by trained professionals. Be safe out there!

The Black Diamond AvaLung allows you to breathe fresh air directly from the snowpack, buying you precious time during a rescue. Rebreathing exhaled air when youre buried causes suffocation because the air becomes oversaturated with carbon dioxide and depleted of oxygen.

Black Diamond - Titan Lantern

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:55:51 -0700

new from black diamond for spring of 2010, the titan lantern features 360 degrees of light, a dimmer switch, and 170+ hours of burn life.

Black Diamond - Launch Series - Octane Pack

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:42:23 -0700

New from black diamond being released in the spring of 2010, the octane pack feature the new ergoACTIVE technology