Climbing · Worth knowing

The Sterling VR9 9.8 is rated as an excellent single-pitch crag workhorse climbing rope, featuring a thick 9.8mm diameter and DryCore treatment that provide superior durability and dirt resistance without compromising handling. The rope excels in handling despite its thickness and dry treatment, offering smooth feeding through belay devices and soft catches for leaders, though it is stiffer than thinner alternatives. Its durability stands out through objective testing showing effective pressure absorption and resistance to wear, with the DryCore treatment applied to core yarns rather than the entire rope, and it maintained near-pristine condition after intensive use in Yosemite. At 62 grams per meter, the VR9 is relatively heavy and best suited for single-pitch and gym climbing rather than multi-pitch mountaineering, though it can technically be used for the latter. The review recommends it for climbers seeking an affordable, durable rope for high-mileage crag days with heavy lead climbing, top-roping, and endurance sessions.

Chinese climber Taozhu Zhou completed two solo exploratory ascents in July in the remote Muz Tau area of northwest Xinjiang near the China-Kazakhstan border. He climbed Kertau/Tapkhan Peak and Sauyr Zhotasy/Muz Tau, both high-prominence border-range peaks with little documented climbing history. Muz Tau (3,840m) was regarded as possibly the world's most topographically prominent mountain without a documented main-summit ascent before Zhou's climb; he found evidence of earlier human visitation but believes his may be the first documented ascent. Zhou subsequently produced a 77-page report documenting the geographical and topographical details of both peaks, including route information, glacier conditions, and difficulty ratings—valuable documentation of these rarely explored mountains as part of his broader P2000 project focused on identifying and climbing significant unclimbed or poorly documented mountains worldwide.

Alexej Pinchuk's analysis of climbing grades and ascents reveals that while the US has 26 climbers with 9a+ ascents compared to Spain's 21, the US has only 13 such routes versus Spain's 78. Jonathan Siegrist and other experts suggest this discrepancy stems from stylistic differences: American routes tend to be bouldery and shorter, making them feel harder, while European routes emphasize endurance over pure strength. The statistics may also reflect that the US has historically lacked quality tall rock formations for hard sport route development, and fewer easily accessible hard climbing areas, leading many American climbers to travel to Europe, particularly Spain, to send high-grade routes.