The scientific literature is starting to point to endurance benefits for getting carbohydrates in our mouths - not even ingesting carbs - when seeking endurance sport performance benefits. Here's a snapshot of what we know and how we can take advantage on our climbs.

Canister stoves that allow us to invert the canister, move the fuel as a liquid to the stoves’ vaporizing tubes. That improves cold weather performance. But those stoves can flare if we don't watch out for flooding the stove with fuel. Here's a simple procedure to avoid that problem.

Winter and spring climbing often takes us to ridges where we can mitigate against avalanche danger by walking above the terrain hazard. But while on that ridge, we may be facing another danger: cornice falls. Here's some of the things to consider as we navigate loaded snow sitting on top of the ridge instead of below it.

Self arrest is a very necessary climbing skill if we are on moderate angled snow slopes like snow-filled gullies, or couloirs, or ridge walks above sloping mountain faces. That technique, at its best, demands proper use of an ice axe, but if we don't have or have dropped our axe, we shouldn't just give up. As a last-ditch effort to avoid having a slip become a fall, the full video gets into details on how and when to apply three techniques that don't require an ice axe.

Ice Axes, when made of metal, will conduct the cold from the snow and environment around us. There are options that are less conductive, like carbon fiber, but we may want to keep using a robust metal axe for use with certain techniques. So, what can we do to reduce the cold from that axe that is freezing our hands?

If you are new to winter climbing, you might be thinking about what type of ice axe you will need. Well, one major component of axe design is the curve of the pick. Downward curving picks stand in contrast to pick curves that start bending downwards and then reverse and curve back up at the end. Here's how those curves help and hinder different types of climbing.

When the snow has stopped falling in town, the mountains can still have considerable avalanche danger. Snow could still be falling up high. Winds could be shifting new snow onto loaded slopes. So, as we get out to snowshoe, hike, and climb, we will want to take seriously both planning routes that avoid the most dangerous slopes and also make sure we get educated about avalanche safety.

When we are out for more than a few days, backpacking or on expedition, our feet support each and every step. When it comes to foot pain, what starts out as minor discomfort can start a cascade of increasingly severe issues. So, while it may be tempting to hold off treating a minor issue, we never know when the minor issue can be a precursor to more inhibiting problems.

When we are climbing, camping, or hiking at higher altitudes, we want to do what we can to acclimatize well, helping our body adjust to the less oxygen we take in with each breath. According to respected physicians, like Dr. Peter Hackett, we want to avoid certain sleep aid medications that slow our respiration rate, making acclimatization even more difficult.

The quad anchor is traditionally done with a doubled over sling and produces two different double-strand master points. But with a little creativity, we can create a raised shelf that sits higher than the lower master point.

The quad anchor is traditionally done with a doubled over sling. Well, if we have a 240cm sling, we have enough material to triple it over before tying our load limiting knots, raising our master points higher and adding three two-strand, load-limited master points to the setup. Here's how to do it.

Ice climbers drill holes into the ice that connect at the back and then run cord or the rope through those holes to make "V-thread" anchors. While there are tricks to fish the cord, runner, or rope from the back of the tunnels, it is far easier to do with a "V-thread tool." Here's how to make a DIY version made from a wire hanger.

Ice climbers will build several different kinds of "threaded" anchors, drilling holes into the ice that connect at the back and then running cord or the rope through those holes. It may feel like the names are used interchangeably, but they can have specific meanings and each of those different anchor types have their pros and cons.

As a community, we climb, we succeed, we fail, we learn, we climb some more. And the techniques evolve as we learn. Those changes to tools and techniques sometimes include modifying what was once foundational skills. Here’s an example of a change to what used to be standard rappelling technique that has evolved to a new best practice.

While the flat overhand bend is typically considered the standard knot for joining two ropes and doing a double-strand rappel in a climbing context, there are times when it might not be the best choice. Here are a couple of situations when a different knot may be a better choice along with a how-to on tying two of those alternatives: the Half Gibbs and the Gibbs bends.

When we are rappelling (abseiling) in high winds, yes we have to worry about getting the ropes down the route, but we also need to consider which strand to pull as we take our ropes down after the rappel. If we choose the wrong strand, we might end up with a tangle that can get our ropes stuck and unretrievable.

When we are belaying from a Münter, we may have to turn that hitch into a clove once our partner is up and at the anchor. We can do so cleverly with two clips or with one. It is safer to only open the gate once, but that is only if this maybe more complicated method of tying the hitch is done swiftly and correctly each time. Tradeoffs.

If we've had the waist strap buckle on our backpack break, we can fix this in a minute using two carabiners we likely already have on our harness. It's enough to get you through the climb, or even the expedition, if you are away from the shops you need to get a replacement buckle.

When we bail from a single protection point on a rock climbing route, we can eliminate unnecessary risk by adding a prusik knot into our lowering procedure. Here's why.

In today's world of online ordering - or even if we have packaging that gets in the way of actually touching the product - it can be hard to tell if a ferro rod will be a softer material that throws bigger sparks or a harder material that lasts longer. Well, we can get a good clue from the specifications, but we need to do a little thought work, too.