Ripley Boulianne

Photo: Jaden Lojik " Be safe, but not too safe" is something I've started telling my friends before they hop on something big and scary. And is an attitude I've tried to commit to more and more in my own climbing. I mean, it’s written all over your gear: “Climbing is dangerous”. Might as well embrace it. This tradition of boldness used to be such a big part of our sport, just look at all the old trad routes around the UK, the alpine routes in the Alps and the big walls of Yosemite. Boldness gave birth to alpine style climbing. Which pushed the standards to where we are now. And so I strive to follow in these steps, focusing on style in an effort to learn from the older generation of climbers and alpinists. To learn what it means to really go for it and live through these intense moments of complete focus that are so meaningful to me. Pre-approach with our 90 pounds packs Guide shorts and way too much gear. Photo: Jaden Lojik In the summer o...

Sunrise on the Patagonia ice cap. Photo: Ripley Boulianne Last September , after having had the best season of my life climbing in Yosemite, Canmore, the Bugaboos and Squamish, I was sitting at Zephyr cafe trying to come up with a way to maintain this momentum I had created. I could go down to Moab for a month or two of splitters and gobies. Oh yeah, but I don’t have a car so it might end up being a bit tough to try and go get lost in the desert. Okay. I could go back to the Valley, that would definitely be my best option. Though with the 128$ to my name it’s probably not the wisest of decisions. I enjoy dirtbagging but I do also enjoy eating. Alright, FINE, I’ll go back to Quebec, prove to my parents that I am indeed alive and pull on plastic until the ice starts to form. Plus it’ll probably be pretty nice to not sleep in a tent after 5-6 months. And so I booked a flight to Montreal for the end of October. Which, if it ever stops raining for more than 5 minutes, wou...