by todd | Sep 11, 2014 | World's Best Bouldering Areas
Buy Aaron’s Grayson Highlands Bouldering rakkup guidebook and save more than 30% over the Apple & Google in app price
here. Learn more about why you can trust Aaron’s bouldering beta
here.
Aaron Parlier on Flying Spaghetti Monster (V7), Olympus Boulder
Grayson Highlands State Park (GHSP) has been called a tonic for the mind, body and soul. I have heard this sentiment offered by a number folks who love the outdoors but have never avidly climbed, and it accurately describes the scenery that envelops anyone, climber or not, who visits the Appalachian Highlands of Virginia. Cascading mountain streams, lofty boreal forests of spruce and fir, fall foliage showing fiery sugar maples and dancing yellow big toothed aspen, wild ponies, expansive mountain top balds, high elevation bogs, and foggy morning hollows (read “hollers”) are just a few of my favorite attributes of this region of Virginia. The 1000 boulder problems scattered throughout GHSP make this place yet another reason to return, season after season.
Matt Bieljeski on Foot Kaput (V4), Lonely Boulder
With elevations ranging between 3,500 and 5,089 feet, and being at a more northern latitude than other Southeastern bouldering areas, GHSP is without question the best summer bouldering in the Southeast. It isn’t only due to the high-northern Appalachian aspect of Grayson that allows for wonderful summertime sends. The very nature of the boulders adds to this. GHSP boulders are steep (VERY steep) with shaded overhangs leading to -usually- juggy topouts. Bouldering in Grayson Highlands is frequently a powerful, fingertip oriented, 45 degree affair. Vertical or slabby boulders are quite rare. Atypical Grayson holds are in-cut crimps and flakes (it is unusual to find a crux move involving a fiction dependent sloper). Once most Southeastern boulderfields become too humid, overgrown, and bug infested, GHSP thaws out from the icy winter as the spring season kicks into high gear.
Dan Brayak on Moon Light Sonata (V3), Moon Light Boulder
Spring conditions are great in Grayson to be sure. Summer bouldering in GHSP is as good as it gets in the Southeast, but fall, as with every other Appalachian boulderfield, is the crown jewel for perfect projecting. Adding to the awesomeness of fall conditions, GHSP has without-a-doubt the best fall foliage in Virginia (and the literal bus loads of “leafer” tourists stand as testament). Crisp conditions, beautiful golden and red colors surrounding, and hundreds of boulder problems within a few minutes of the parking lot tend to spoil visiting climbers. With grades currently spanning from V0 to V12 (one boulder housing every grade from V2-V12), and with hikes ranging from 45 seconds to 30 minutes, what’s not to love?
Julia Statler on Indian Outlaw (V3), Picnic Area Rockhouse Boulder
Bouldering in Grayson Highlands unofficially began in the early 1990’s with clandestine sessions at outlier boulderfields by the likes of James Litz and several others out of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The total number of boulder problems likely didn’t exceed 200 until secure access and official approval of GHSP bouldering was gained in 2008-2009. Since then, open communication between climbers and park staff, careful development regarding recreational impacts and the park’s rare plant species, and volunteerism towards construction of approved access trails has opened many new GHSP boulderfields. The 1000th boulder problem was climbed in 2014. Now, with the full color Grayson Highlands Bouldering Guidebook and Rakkup’s mobile guidebook app, these wonderful areas, boulders, and problems in the most scenic section of Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains are even more accessible.
by todd | Mar 27, 2014 | World's Best Rock Climbing Areas
We’re proud to announce the release of New River Gorge Volumes 1 & 2 by Mike Williams, published by Wolverine Publishing. Mikey did a nice post about his guides and rakkup here and nailed just how we feel about the importance of both print and digital climbing guidebooks.
These New River Gorge books are the largest guides we’ve released to date. To get ready to show off all of Mikey’s great content we had to add a bunch of new features to rakkup this winter.
It became obvious as soon as we started this project that the rakkup of 2013 just wouldn’t do to properly showcase NRG. Endless Wall alone has over 500 climbs, bigger than lots of entire guidebooks! We had to add the ability to move up and down easily through a book’s “sectors” so a climber could easily browse the Endless Wall’s many sub-walls. We also added histograms to every wall, great charts that help you tell at a glance whether an area has trad, sport or bouldering in the difficulty range you’re looking for. In order to enable a climber to find the best routes from among over 1800 climbs, we added super fast searching and filtering. It now takes literally one second and a few taps to identify the two four star 5.8 sport climbs that are in the shade at NRG using rakkup’s new filter features, and see them on a map as well as in a sorted list. (Hint: They’re both at Bubba City.)
One more second, tap the “Go” button, and rakkup navigates you to those two sweet climbs, turn by turn. Best of all, every time you get a guide update icon (a small cloud) next to your NRG guide, you know that you’re a tap away from getting more great content from a trusted professional and Outdoor Research sponsored athlete, Mike Williams.
Thanks Mike and Wolverine Publishing. You guys helped us demonstrate what we mean when we call rakkup “Climbing guides, reinvented.”
by todd | Sep 17, 2013 | Rock Climbing App Reviews, Uncategorized
Thanks Verde PR for citing rakkup in your 10 apps to help you enjoy the outdoors!
by todd | Sep 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
Rakkup welcomes the American Alpine Club to Smith Rock for their first Craggin’ Classic. For more information on this event go to http://americanalpineclub.org/p/craggin-classic. The AAC is a great organization that unites climbers to advance the climbing way of life. Have fun at Smith this weekend!
by todd | May 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
It’s SpringThing here at Smith and we’re here to volunteer with everyone. SpringThing is an important day where the climbing community pitches in to give back to the park that gives so much to climbers like us. This evening we’ll have a booth where you can preview rakkup on an iPhone or an iPad, stop by and say hi. You can also receive a coupon this weekend as thanks for volunteering at SpringThing worth 50% off our already low introductory price. Look for us in the rakkup t-shirts and ask for a coupon.
We’ll also be watching Mark Hudon’s slide show tonight. Check out his awesome Yosemite pano pictures and tips here www.hudonpanos.com.
by todd | Dec 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
This week we’re camping at our secret lair, polishing our first app and getting it ready for the app store. It’s starting to feel really good and we can’t wait to get it in your hands. We got some new icon artwork from our artist, Peder, and we’re super-excited about the professional quality it lends to rakkup’s appearance.
Last week we hit the road and had some very positive discussions with a couple of amazing guidebook authors who are also savvy publishers. Look for rakkup data packs for some great new climbing areas in 2012, hopefully with the expertise of local climbing guides built right in. We can’t put the rope up for you or offer you a belay, but we’ll try to do everything else we can to make it just like you brought a local along for the day.
