Vertical Life

Vertical Life is a climbing magazine in Australasia, available in both digital and print options. Here at Vertical Life we love climbing, be it beanied bouldering, clip-up sportclimbing, old-school daddy-tradding, big-wall suffering, alpine extremism, spandex-clad competition climbing, desperate-times-call-for-desperate-measures buildering, the lot – if it involves monkey business we will cover it.

Vertical Life

OFF THE RECORD AND ON BELAY

LETTER OF THE SEASON

ROCK NEWS • THE LATEST STORIES SHAPING AUSTRALIAN CLIMBING!

GALLERY

THE ART OF CLIMBING PHOTOGRAPHY • Award-winning Australian climbing photographer Simon Carter shares practical tips for taking better climbing photos, from choosing the right angle and lens to thinking like an editor. Drawing on decades of experience behind the camera and selecting images for guidebooks and publications, he explains how a few considered decisions can make all the difference.

MIKE LAW’S CLASSIC SANDBAGS • SENSATIONALS AND BAGS 3

Beyond BELIEF • The Wide Boyz came to Australia in September 2026 with their sights set on one of Jacques Beaudoin’s testpiece cracks, Beyond Belief. But for Jac, the story of this brutal Newnes Plateau line began long before their arrival, with years of exploration, gear-hunting and getting intimately acquainted with some seriously rough rock.

BOULDERING THE CAPE TO CAPE • A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE MARGARET RIVER REGION

DARK ARTS OF SPEED AID • Hard Aid is difficult enough without adding a stopwatch. Oliver Tippett joins the race up El Capitan, pushing hard-aid speed climbing to its limits while chasing records on some of Yosemite’s toughest walls.

Thalay Sagar 1997 (Round 2)

ICE CLIMBING DOWN UNDER • When one of the world’s best ice climbers heads down under in search of frozen waterfalls, the adventure is anything but straightforward. Ben Sanford’s latest film follows Will Gadd into Australia’s unpredictable alpine environment.

A ROUTESETTER'S Mindset • What goes through a routesetter’s mind when they face a blank wall?

CARLIE LEBRETTON • Six-time Australian National Champion, international competitor and one of Australia’s most accomplished route setters, Carlie LeBreton has spent more than two decades immersed in climbing. From setting at the para world championships to co-founding Elevate Climbing Gym, she has played a major role in shaping Australian climbing.

JACK MASEL • Climber, route setter, coach and hold designer, Jack Masel has spent nearly two decades immersed in climbing. From designing holds and setting competitions to hosting the Climbing Curated podcast, he has carved out a unique career in the climbing industry.

Community NEWS

ON THIN ICE • On Iceland’s Sólheimajökull, two highliners rig a 57-metre line into ice - turning a glacier’s annual retreat into a crossing that may never be repeated.

5 6 IN 10 CHALLENGE • FIVE CANYONS. TEN HOURS. ONE MORE FOR GOOD LUCK. IN OCTOBER 2020, CANYONING GUIDES RICHARD STUBBS AND TIM WATSON SET OUT TO TACKLE THE BLUE MOUNTAINS’ INFAMOUS 5 IN 10 CHALLENGE, ADDING JUGGLER TO A LINE-UP THAT ALREADY INCLUDED CLAUSTRAL, GRAND, FORTRESS, BUTTERBOX AND EMPRESS. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

DAYGIN PRESCOTT’S HOW I GOT THE SHOT • Daygin Prescott shares the story behind his epic solar eclipse highlining image and the importance of putting yourself out there, ready to capture the moments when everything falls into place.

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BITE-SIZED BETA

NEW GEAR

INSELBERG AXIOM HARDSHELL JACKET

KATHMANDU XT SERIES • Following on from Kathmandu’s first XT Series range earlier this year, the Spring/Summer collection features some of the lightest yet still fully functional hiking gear...