Are You Into Climbing Research? 18 Great Resources to Use
- Sophia
- Nov 7
- 4 min read
For me personally, getting closer to my goals means learning all I can about the who, the what, the where, the why, and the how.
It's important to have a wide variety of sources you look at, because that way you'll receive an array of different perspectives, opinions, and experiences. Also, don't worry too much if the source is reliable or not in terms of citing - after all, you probably won't be writing a thesis on this and climbing mountains isn't exactly something that PhD professors will write about. :)
So, this is my personal list of resources I use when I want to find information on a specific climbing-related topic. If it doesn't work for you, fair - but try giving these links a look anyways.
THE BLOGS:
#1: Steven's Peak Bagging Journey (Steven Song)
My absolute favourite climber-run blog of all time, and the first resource I go to. Vancouver-based backpacker Steven Song records his extensive list of summits all around the world, adding a life-saving (!!!) amount of photos to each trip report! Very detailed and informative!
#2: Francis Bailey's Summit Reports (Francis Bailey)
Climber and backpacker Francis Bailey reports all her summits around North America, with detailed photos and descriptions. Amazing blog! (This site is also linked to #1 above).
#3: Best Hikes BC (Andrew Knapman)
An amazing site run by a BC-based backpacker who blogs all about the best hikes and provides valuable gear reviews.
#4: Explor8tion (Vern Dewit)
An extensive record of summits and trip reports including images and GPX files. Really cool to scroll through, and really informative!
#5: A Walk and a Lark (Josy)
A blog run by a hiker who lives in BC and writes about backpacking around the West Coast, but also about other international hikes such as the UK.
COMMUNITY DATABASES:
#6: Climbing History
An incredible database containing records of summits, summit attempts, sends, and first-account reports. Amazingly detailed source containing "3,218 climbers, 6,201 climbs, and 16,156 ascents."
#7: Mountain Project
A favourite community forum and online crag guide with information on climbs and climbing areas all over the world. Sometimes known to lack photos, but otherwise very detailed. A free account allows you to log climbs and post info, but non-registered users frequently use the site as well. Also available as an app requiring iOS 15.0 or later!
#8: Peak Bagger
A site for "summit-focused hikers, climbers, and mountain lovers" containing detailed information on mountains, routes, and bigwalls all around the world.
#9: SuperTopo
A forum containing information on crags and ascents centred around the US, also including free topos and many photos. Climbers will also post must-know information such as rockfall hazards in specific areas, so it's a good site to check before you go. However, be careful trusting information from widespread forums like this, as false info is a major common issue.
#10: The Crag
A platform with information on crags, climbs, and route info. While this source is sometimes regarded as "less reliable," I think that often if you're looking for something specific, The Crag can still be helpful!
THE PRIMARY RECORDS:
#11: American Alpine Club (AAC Publications)
An excellent archive with hundreds of records on ascents all around the world by the AAC. I've found many interesting diary entries, hand-drawn topos, and more. Definitely suggest taking a look at this!
#12: Alpine Club of Canada (ACC)
Similar to the one above, this is Canada's official Alpine Club and their site's tab "CULTURE" has a couple detailed archive records. Look into their publications for a lot of good info on climbing and more.
#13: Yosemite Bigwall (Erik Sloan)
A Yosemite Valley-oriented database with information on bigwalls, routes, and topos. Good for Yos Valley geeks like me! ;)
OFFICIAL BRANDS/SITES:
#14: We Are Explorers
An Australian website with information on all the popular hikes, backpacking trips, and mountains. Very interesting to put on travel dream lists for me at least!
#15: Gear Junkie
A massive expert-led site featuring gear reviews, buying guides, and adventure stories on outdoor sports such as climbing, hiking, biking, and more. I've been impressed by their detailed array of reviews on expensive climbing gear, which has helped me lots in making decision of what to buy next and when. Also has an available newsletter!
#16: Section Hiker
Like Gear Junkie, this backpacking-oriented site features detailed reviews on the latest ultralight gear. Very informative.
#17: Gripped Climbing Magazine
Canada's official climbing magazine with weekly posts on everything from training to sending, latest comp results to climbing your next BC peak. All authors are climbers themselves and provide accurate dates and citations. Very reliable - definitely recommend looking into, if not signing up.
#18: UK Climbing
The UK's largest climbing blog, featuring an extensive list of interviews, FAQs, gear reviews, trip reports, and more. Probably the most extensive climbing/training/adventure site I've yet found. And interestingly enough, their info covers the entire world and every aspect of climbing there is, despite being based in the UK.
Just noting one last thing: there are hundreds, if not thousands, more websites and forums and blogs out there serving as climbing information resources. I'm not saying that the 18 on this post are "the best" in any way - I've just found them the most helpful to the research I do on a regular basis.
And hey, it's always worth going on a little adventure with your browser on a rainy day. See what there is on climbing, backpacking, and hiking - and you'll find more than you think.
Have fun!
-- Sophia
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