Tag Archives: rock climbing

Audi AI-Climber with a flying rig for pitching tent on steep cliffs is bliss for rock climbers

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Rock climbing as a sport challenges the limits of human endurance to the extreme, and enthusiasts have to ensure everything is in place to make the exploits in the outdoors. Having an exciting journey in the mountains while being ultra-safe is important for every rock climber, and who would have thought an off-roading vehicle could do more than just ferry you to the base camp.

The Audi AI-Climber is a concept targeted specifically for rock climbers who want to challenge themselves and break through the limits of exploration. Car design student Xiqiao Wang has conceptualized this rugged off-roading set of wheels for outdoor rock climbing lovers by envisioning the vehicle for three different modes.

Designer: Xiqiao Wang

The first one is the obvious ‘Driving Mode’ to ensure incredible off-roading experience on any kind of terrain, the second one is the ‘Protector Mode’ to full-proof the safety of climbers in the Rockies, and the third one is ‘Resting Mode’ for comfortable sleep during the night time in the safety of the four-wheeler or even being suspended from the rock wall.

In the Protector Mode, the car turns into an intelligent belayer for solo adventurers who don’t have the liberty of a human belayer. There’s an elastic fall buffer wherein the climber can pull the rope in case of emergencies – as the climber falls down slowly to avoid any injuries. Also, there are two kinds of climbing protection options – the Lead climbing protection, wherein the rope is connected at multiple protection points, and the Top climbing protection, where the rope goes around the anchor. The vehicle itself is loaded with the mechanism to provide single rope, twin rope, or half rope, depending on the climber’s needs.

The most interesting bit of the geometric Audi AI-Climber is the Resting Mode, in which the rear part loaded with a hanging tent detaches and is capable of taking flight solo. The whole rig flies to the anchor point on a steep cliff and anchors to the rock. Thereafter the tent deploys automatically, and the daring rock climber can enjoy the perfect night from the perfect vantage point. For the less daring climbers, the rig can be pitched on solid ground too.

Other highlighting bits of the niche off-road vehicle are its terrain-adaptable tires with retractable treads, which can be employed in case more traction is needed. The interiors are designed for two travelers to comfortably sit back and enjoy the ride to the ultimate destination before the daring rock-climbing feat is undertaken!

The post Audi AI-Climber with a flying rig for pitching tent on steep cliffs is bliss for rock climbers first appeared on Yanko Design.

This playful bar stool uses rock climbing hand grips as foot rests to meet your feet wherever they fall!

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12 Steps is a cushioned chair design that features a system of footrests in the style of hand and foot grips on a climbing rock wall.

It’s no secret that stools are usually more functional than they are comfortable. With a hard seat rest, stools aren’t built for long sitting periods, and depending on your height, your feet are either swinging midair or only just touching the floor below.

Built as a whimsical alternative to the traditional stool, 12 Steps is a new cushioned stool from HaYoung Yoo that comes with built-in footrests designed like rock wall climbing steps so that people of varying heights will have a place where they can prop their feet.

HaYoung Yoo’s 12 Steps stool is built on a six-sided wooden pillar that’s punctuated with climbing holds more commonly found on rock walls. The climbing holds that fill up the stool’s wooden pillar are placed so that users can use them as footrests.

The stools also feature a rotating seat designed similarly to traditional bar stools so that the positioning of the footrests can meet users where their legs fall. The footrests can also function as hand grips for when you might want to move 12 Steps around the room. Ideal for a kid’s classroom or whimsical art studio, 12 Steps was built for comfort, functionality, and playfulness.

Designing innovative chair designs is a tough ask–they’ve been around for as long as any of us can remember. Innovation in new chairs might come through with their multifunctionality, adaptability, or simple comfort. 12 Steps reaches for all three, with an adaptable footrest system, rotating seat rest, and cushioned top.

Designer: HaYoung Yoo

Your next climbing shoe could be completely 3D-printed according to this Dyson Award-winning footwear company

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Now I’m not much of a climber (I just about take the stairs), so I’ll defer to the experts at Athos who highlight how problematic current climbing shoes are. Designed specifically for being able to grip onto rocks, ledges, and the tiniest of cracks in a very vertical surface, climbing shoes are made for traction, not comfort, which is why a lot of climbers end up with foot aches and injuries after wearing climbing shoes for too long. When climbers buy shoes, they always look for the tightest fit (for better performance), often wearing shoes that are up to 2 or even sometimes 4 sizes smaller than their actual size, resulting in bruised or sometimes even disfigured feet in the long run… Athos’ solution to this? 3D printing shoes that are designed to perfectly fit your feet.

Started as a project at Spain’s ELISAVA institute, the designers were searching for innovative applications of additive manufacturing. Being avid climbers, their eureka moment came when they realized that additive manufacturing (or AM for short) could easily help create the perfect climbing shoe. By using AM technology, the designers were able to custom-build out each shoe considering inputs like the wearer’s foot shape, needs, and type of performance.

The Athos shoes are made from two broad materials – a flexible, foot-hugging body made from 3D-printed TPU, and a two-part outsole crafted from vulcanized rubber. The TPU acts almost as a second skin, flexing with your foot’s movements while staying breathable (thanks to a unique perforated design), while the vulcanized rubber gives the shoes their signature traction and grip, allowing you to easily hold onto small ledges and rocks while you climb. Each shoe is custom-made to fit the wearer, making them unique. The additive manufacturing technique also helps dramatically reduce the number of processes and materials by more than 50%.

The Athos workflow has 4 steps: 1. Feetscan of the user, done within the Athos app. 2. Personalization and customization: type of shape, style of climbing, color, name, etc. 3. Printing out the shoe’s body, post-processing, and assembling parts. 4. Delivery to the user.

The shoes are on track to be prototyped and tested out by 10 professional climbers in January 2022. If everything goes according to plan, Athos hopes to secure SEED funding by March and start building climbing shoes for regular consumers across Spain by the end of next year.

A National Winner of the James Dyson Award, Athos now progresses to the international round of the award program, with the results being announced on October 13th.

Designers: Team Athos

Rock Climbing Mug Replaces Handle with Climbing Hold

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Because why shouldn’t I spill my coffee all over myself first thing in the morning, this is the Rock Climbing mug made and sold by Climbergoods on Amazon (affiliate link). Each 12-ounce ceramic mug is handmade and features an authentic climbing hold in lieu of a handle. I can already feel myself trying to blot coffee out of my work khakis.

Available with a variety of different climbing hold colors, the mug is the perfect way to let coworkers know you’re a rock climber, without actually having to say you’re a rock climber, or chalking your hands and trying to ascend the side of the building on your lunch break.

I’ll be honest, I’m not confident enough in my grip strength to think I’ll be able to use this mug without shattering it on the floor. I can barely hold a regular mug with a handle, and if it wasn’t so frowned upon I’d drink my coffee out of one of those red beer helmets you see crazy people wearing at sporting events.

This toolless, sustainable hangboard lets you train for rock climbing while staying fit from home!

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This pandemic has got us all feeling like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place but we can turn that metaphor around into a fun stay-at-home activity with the Manuva board – climb those rocks and lift yourself up out of a hard place! Staying indoors for our safety is important but it also has been challenging because we are now working and living in the same place – there is no outlet for our energy or a change of scenery to give ourselves a break. While gyms have opened up, they still aren’t the safest place compared to working out outdoors. Some of us may be lucky enough to live in places where hiking trails or rock climbing is accessible, but everyone doesn’t have that option but the Manuva board brings it to them – why should you have to sacrifice the joy of outdoor activity because of where you live?

The best part about the Manuva board is that it doesn’t need any fixtures and hangs freely, so you can use it in your rental apartments too without losing that security deposit. The hangboard brings rock climbing and training to the comfort of your home without any renovations or permanent changes to your interiors. It was designed to make rock climbing accessible to everyone and to facilitate daily training at home because it is expensive to always pay for your sessions in recreational sports arenas. “We aimed to deliver a product that was simply designed, reliable, durable, and most importantly something we loved using,” says the team.

When you aren’t able to get to real rocks, hangboarding is one of the best ways to maintain and increase your grip strength and upper body power. Every athlete knows that daily training is how you reach your full potential and also keep it at that level. Its range of holds goes from 15 mm to 60 mm with two 20-degree slopers at the top that let you take your training up a notch with incremental progression. Even if you are not an athlete, the Manuva board is a great way to release stress and switch up your exercise routine with something challenging and different. It is extremely easy to install with no drilling, screwing, or permanent fixturing so you can take it along with you anywhere you even on extended trips. It is fully adjustable and has been made to fit a variety of door widths (so it doesn’t matter if you ever move from America to Japan, it will work!), all you have to do is use the quick release clamp to set the desired width and tighten the rear screw to lock it in place.

It has a modular frame crafted from anodized aluminum (an eco-friendly metal that can be 100% recycled!) which can be separated to make it portable as well as easy to store. The rest of the Manuva board is made from Poplar wood which keeps it lightweight and strong. Poplar also makes it visually appealing because it has a consistent grain texture throughout and a warm, minimal aesthetic. It is also a fast-growing tree that needs significantly less water which makes it a sustainable choice for wood-based product designs. In fact, Poplar trees are known to be a carbon sink because they can absorb up to 140 liters of carbon dioxide from the air – the effects are carried on even in a finished Poplar wood product. Overall the hangboard has a natural and organic finish which is also gentle on your skin to reduce the chances of hand blisters. It also has eco-friendly cork pads installed on the back to protect your walls

To wrap it up – literally – the Manuva board comes in a sustainable packaging design made from recycled cardboard and molded paper pulp. We love a design that is mindful about your home, your body, and the environmental impact.

Designers: Robert Moore, Jacob Griffiths & Hugo Martin of WMP Creative

Click Here To Buy Now: $130 $160 ($30 off). Hurry, less than 24 hours left! Raised over $115,000.

Manuva Board

The Manuva Board is a first of its kind, fixture free hangboard that makes training for rock climbing easier than ever before.

Easy Installation

The patent-pending design is quick and easy to install and just as simple to take down, requiring no drilling, screwing or permanent fixturing.

Adjustable Fit

Designed to be fully adjustable, the Manuva Board can fit a wide range of door widths. Set it to your desired width using the quick release clamp and tighten the screw at the rear to lock in place.

A range of holds from 15mm through to 60mm, plus two 20º slopers up top, allows for incremental progression in your training.

Thoughtfully Designed

Made from Poplar wood, the Manuva Board is lightweight and strong, as well as having a consistent grain throughout, allowing for a hand-sanded finish that delivers a natural feel whilst also being gentle on your skin.

Eco-friendly cork pads installed on the rear help protect your walls from any marks. And the durable frame is made from aluminum, designed to stand the test of time as well as deliver an incredible strength to weight ratio.

Click Here To Buy Now: $130 $160 ($30 off). Hurry, less than 24 hours left! Raised over $115,000.

One prosthetic leg by Klippa on the rocks please!

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We usually find our way around doing the everyday things despite any hurdles, emotional or physical, that we face. But some of us can miss out on the things we actually want to do, things that aren’t a part of daily routine but an escape from it! For those special people who want to climb rocks, Klippa is here to move mountains with its unique prosthetic leg.

Although it is still just a concept, Klippa has created a prototype prosthetic leg with a biometric approach for amputee rock climbers. It was inspired by the documentary Higher Ground which films 11 veterans climbing Himalayan Mount Lobuche to heal from their war experiences. Research also revealed that between 2010 and 2013, more than 600 American veterans were amputees and most amputees take up physical activities like rock climbing to rebuild their strength – Klippa was born for serving exactly that very audience so that they can enjoy their life with a prosthetic designed keeping all their non-daily needs in mind.

Amputees face a lot of challenges like loss of strength, no control over the ankle, no grip and no feedback from their foot. Klippa addressed all of the above by making sure to add 5 types of foot techniques to increase toe strength, custom sizing, advanced articulation with springs, shock absorption and extra pivot points. The design has a human and biometric approach inspired by mountain goats which is the reason behind its hoof-like sole! Klippa’s prosthetic leg is ergonomic, adaptable and will be your rock throughout your journey.

Designer: Kai Lin

This Helmet is a Walkie-Talkie for Your Noggin

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When it comes to climbing, communication is just as important as having the right gear. The Triumph helmet ensures enthusiasts are always prepared with both. Integrated into the strap is a 2-way radio system that bridges that gap between climber and belayer. Whereas many climbers today carry an additional radio kit that adds weight and requires a hand, this built-in unit works almost entirely hands free and can be activated with just a single push button. As for looks, it puts the “tri” in Triumph with a pattern of interconnected 3-point stars that allow breathability, stability and enhanced comfort.

Designer: Arun Kumar Singh

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Rock Climber Scales Tall Building Using Vacuum Cleaners: Vacuu-Girl or Spider-Woman?

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LG Korea wanted to prove how hard its Zero Code vacuums suck, so it hired rock climber Sierra Blair-Coyle to strap a pair of its cordless K94SGN vacuum cleaners on her back and scale the 140m tall (~459 ft.) glassy façade of a building in Korea. The climber wore two of the vacuums with the hoses routed to a large suction cup on each hand.

lg-vacuumzoom in

There were straps connected from her feet to the suction pads so she had a foothold on the sheer surface. LG says that between the climber and the gear, the vacuums had to support 70kg (~154 lb). The vacuums are cordless and powered by lithium-ion batteries.

She didn’t scale the building trusting her life to vacuums alone, she did have safety lines as well. Those lines were to prevent her from splatting on the concrete below where more than a vacuum would be needed to pick her up if the suction failed.

[via LG]

Hang Out Gecko Style!

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The unique ability of geckos to scale walls and suspend from ceilings has attracted the interest of naturalists for ages. Now that modern technology has unlocked the secret behind the lizard’s perplexing mobility, synthetic materials like Geckotape and Geckskin give us humans increased mobility in a variety of scenarios like rock climbing! Stellio is one such device that utilizes these adhesive materials to supplement climbers’ safety. Attach it to a carabiner clip to help cling to near-vertical surfaces without compromising hold.

Designer: Anupreeta Agate

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(Hang Out Gecko Style! was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Star Wars Rock Climbing Accessories Might Help You Escape the Rancor

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Some people think that rock climbing walls are fun, but to me it sounds as mundane as a game of golf. In one, you hit a ball, go find the ball and hit it again. In the other, you just… climb. It doesn’t sound like a great time to me. But these Star Wars rock climbing accessories might help make it more fun.
death star climbing wall
They come from UK-based Hang Fast Adventure Structures. Instead of grasping onto a rock shaped thing, you can now hoist yourself up using the Death Star or R2-D2′s head. If I had a whole wall of Droid heads and Death Stars, I might actually want to climb it.

R2D2 Death Star

They also have some triangular pieces, one of which has the Millenium Falcon on it, but it doesn’t look so hot in that shape. A Star Destroyer would have been better. If you are a rock climber who is also a Star Wars nerd, you might want to check them out here.

[via Geeks Are Sexy]