When he's not busy in the shop designing the next-generation of RUX products, you can usually find Chief of Product Design Tony Richardson scoping out the local crags. One of his favorite spots? The Stawamus Chief. Read on to hear how Tony prepares for a climb via Diedre to the Butt Face (5.9) and check out his packing list in the RUX app!
What are the gear packing essentials for climbing The Chief in a day?
Pretty much all of the climbing gear is essential. There are a few things you can improvise but it tends to make things either sketchy or just less fun or both. The worst is when you get to the parking lot and realize you have two left shoes. I really like my Arc’teryx harness (but I'm biased because I designed it). As for shoes, I pretty much always go with something Italian, Scarpa or La Sportiva, they just fit really nicely. I’m on my 3rd or 4th of the same Mammut Rope. It’s a 70m x 8.9mm. I pretty mush use it for everything from sport cragging to alpine ice and it just works and has a really nice feel.
Do you have any pro-tips for gearing up for this climb?
Pro tip? I love having colour matched carabiners for my cams. It just makes racking and finding the right piece so much easier.
How does the RUX fit into the picture? What makes it complement your climb?
I use my RUX 70L to collect all my gear for the day and I use a divider bag in the 70L to separate my personal gear from the group gear so that I don’t forget anything. The RUX 70L is so great because its big enough to fit everything in, plus some extra stuff that you may or may not need that day, and still see it all so you know you’re not forgetting anything.
What do you love so much about climbing The Chief?
Climbing the Chief is special to me because it never gets old. I’ve been up it hundreds of times and its still the most amazing thing when you top out and see down to the ocean and over at the other mountains. It’s world class.
Deep-dive into Tony's packing list in the RUX app here.
