Climbing
Huck’s guide to Kendal Mountain Festival 2025
Share the Adventure — From film premieres to late-night parties, here are our circled events over the jam-packed weekend.
Written by: Huck
Inside the shadowed, stomach-churning world of night climbing
Don’t look down — For nearly a century, the secret Night Climbers society have scaled and traversed Oxford’s dreaming spires in search of freedom. We meet members under the cover of darkness to hear about their love of the twilight sport.
Written by: Sam Mumford
The blind climber scaling new heights
Taking on rock faces takes skill, trust and perfect communication for Jesse Dufton, the world’s leading blind climber.
Written by: Soraya Abdel-Hadi
The Alpinist is a nail-biting & heartbreaking climbing doc
New heights — In 2018, the alpinist Marc-André Leclerc died after climbing an ascent in Alaska. Amid the release of a new film tracing his legacy, climber Brette Harrington looks back on what made Marc, her boyfriend of six years, such an extraordinary figure.
Written by: Rhys Thomas (interview)
The Londoner who had no idea you could climb in his city
Merrell 1TRL x Huck — Timi Oladeji thought climbing was a sport done in remote, faraway places by people who didn’t look like him. But when a friend invited him to an indoor session, he got hooked, and now he wants to inspire others to make the same move
Written by: Sam Haddad
The climber welcoming LGBTQ+ people to the wall
Merrell 1TRL x Huck — Karl Ludvik is a strong and talented gay climber. Throughout his youth contest career, he’s sought to challenge the narrative that only straight men get to be tough. And now, he wants to help others do the same by tackling the underrepresentation of LGBTQ+ people in climbing.
Written by: Sam Haddad
Climber Kathy Karlo is on an all-conquering journey
The Outsiders Project — In this series, we crash someone’s personal space in a bid to find out why it means so much to them. Here, we catch up with the climber and podcast host at The Red, Kentucky – the latest stop on her perpetual American road trip.
Written by: Niall Flynn
What is crack climbing – and why is it different?
In partnership with Kendal Mountain Fest — At this year’s Kendal Mountain Festival, we spoke to renowned crack climber Pete Whittaker about his new book – a definitive guide to the specialist discipline.
Written by: Steph Pomphrey
Pakistan’s young mountaineers are blazing a trail for women
Beyond boundaries — In a remote corner of Pakistan, a wave of female climbers are conquering monumental peaks for the first time – overcoming social barriers and setting records in the process.
Written by: Meghan Davidson Ladly
At just 17, Ashima Shiraishi is climbing's fastest-rising star
Huck x The North Face — She began bouldering aged six, started smashing records at 11 and can outclimb her peers regardless of age or gender. Is Ashima Shiraishi the revolution that rock climbing needs?
Written by: Jessica Holland
Meet the wild climbers of the North York Moors
A dangerous game — For over a decade, Franco Cookson has been roving the treacherous crags and cliffs of the UK national park – pushing himself, and trad climbing, into dangerous new realms.
Written by: Rachael Healy
The daredevil climber risking his life for breathtaking views
Above the clouds... — Vitaliy Raskalov overcame his fear of heights by scaling the world’s tallest buildings, ignoring any need for safety. But now that he’s reached the top of his game, the 24-year-old adventurer wonders if the real goal has been right in front of him along.
Written by: Cian Traynor
