Our Favorite “New” Climbing Websites

It seems there’s no end of new climbing blogs popping up daily, but most follow the same unfortunate path. Start out strong for a little while, but when the reality of keeping regular updates sets in, the spark fades and the site languishes into obscurity. (Pimpin and Crimpin where did you go!?!?) There are, however, some great new sites I’ve come across recently, and here’s to hoping they can keep a good thing going. (And when I say “new,” I mean new to me, as some of these have been around for quite awhile).

Cragmama

As someone who someday wants to have kids, I’m increasingly intrigued by the people who have kept climbing after having children. What works for them, what doesn’t, what are the challenges? Do you ever really get to sleep? Erica Lineberry has a great blog going that details the adventures that she and her husband have with their child Cragbaby in tow. An excellent and revealing look into the world of moms who still pursue their passion, with the hope of passing along to their children an appreciation for the outdoor lifestyle.

Cruxn

These guys are trying to bring together a diverse group of bloggers from all over the country, so you can get your climbing blog fix all in one spot. While the content is currently a little southeast-centric, they are working to get more and more folks involved. We just got on board, offering up the classic My Day in the Life of a Woman Climber as our first post. The diversity is refreshing, and no matter what you are into you’ll find something interesting over there. Definitely want to throw this one in your feed reader.

Off Belay Podcast

We’ve already mentioned this previously, but they are putting out some great stuff. If you like sitting around the campfire, listening to a friend talk about climbing, then subscribe to this in your iTunes and check them out. From the ant-anti-crowd rant to the pros and cons of climbing couples, no topic is sacred, and Chris and Jamie Lynn bring a unique and humorous perspective to the climbing world.

ClimbIdaho.com

Another site I’ve known about for awhile, recently they’ve been diversifying their content, including a weekly series of videos called Weekend Choss. These are some great shorts that show ordinary people out enjoying climbing, in all it’s varieties. It’s a rare look at the “everyman” climber, and the simple joys we all get out of the this thing called climbing. I do spend a lot of time in Idaho (for someone who lives in Colorado anyway), so I may be a bit biased here.

JSTARinORBIT

I don’t follow many “pro” blogs, frankly most just aren’t that interesting. The exceptions, for me anyway, are Joe Kinder and Sonnie Trotter, and now I’ve added Jonathan Siegrist to that list.  He posts often, with great photos, and usually has something interesting to share. It probably doesn’t hurt that he spends much of his time gallivanting across the West at places I enjoy reading about.

Evening Sends

My friend Andrew is the Senior Editor over at Rock and Ice, and he recently created an online home for all his writing, a place where he can spread his wings a little more than at the mag. You’ll find a wealth of stuff on here, from past Tuesday Night Bouldering columns to his latest discourse on the role media plays in the climbing world. Hours of worthy bathroom reading on your iPad await.

Know of any others we should check out?