jilli cluff

outdoor + adventure journalist, gear tester, copywriter, and editor with 2.5 years of SEO experience and 8 years of formal legal + technical writing experience

for freelance and project inquiries, please email jilli.editorial@gmail.com

published work

GearJunkie

For First Time Ever, IFSC Youth World Climbing Champs Come to US

Two Texas climbing gyms will host the premier international youth climbing competition later this month.

From Aug. 22 to 31, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Youth World Championship will take over Dallas. It’s the tour’s first-ever scheduled stop for an IFSC Championship event, adult or youth, in the United States.

More than 400 of today’s most promising young climbers will unleash on the “DFW” burbs to compete in bouldering, lead climbing, and speed events. The IFSC spli
Explorersweb

Chorizo Centauri? Award-Winning Physicist Trolls Media With Image of Sausage

Award-winning French physicist Etienne Klein has issued a public apology for presenting a photo of a slice of chorizo sausage as an image of Proxima Centauri taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

In his retraction, Klein said that he did this as a satirical way to inspire broader, healthier skepticism over the validity of astronomical images before accepting them as fact.

“I come to present my apologies to those who may have been shocked by my prank, which had nothing original about
GearJunkie

Steepest 5.13a in the States? Jordan Cannon Climbs ‘Countdown to Ecstasy’

In this brief, send-y footage, the accomplished big-wall climber grinds out an epic, bolted roof in the Vegas hills.

Jordan Cannon is no stranger to styling some of the most heroic rock climbs in the States. Though many know him for his high-octane performances in Yosemite Valley, the truth is that JCann is one of today’s finest all-around ascensionists.

In this stripped-down edit from Arc’teryx, Cannon spiders his way across “Countdown to Ecstasy,” a powerful, primarily horizontal sport route
Explorersweb

Two Ambitious Bike-and-Climb Expeditions Officially Underway in Europe

Young British climber Anna Taylor aims to summit 100 routes all over the UK, while Germany’s Stefan Glowacz and Phillip Hanns hunt down multi-pitch first ascents in the Alps. All three climbers will access each destination by self-propelled, or “fair,” means.

Last year, Lake District climber Anna Taylor made waves as the first woman to complete the UK’s 83-route Classic Rock circuit. By the end of the challenge, she had climbed more than 10,000 vertical metres and cycled more than 2,500km.

Now
GearJunkie

Crash Pads & Crack: Pete Whittaker Tries the World's Hardest Crack Boulder

In this footage, the lean and mean crack king attempts to wrangle the third ascent on a burly V13 boulder problem established by his Wide Boyz co-conspirator.

At V13, the jammy test piece is the world’s hardest crack-style boulder to date. So, it should come as no surprise that Wide Boyz‘ own Tom Randall is responsible for authoring it back in 2015. Plenty of folks have tried “The Kraken,” but only Alex Waterhouse managed to repeat it.

So, can good ol’ Pete pebble wrestle his way to a triumpha
GearJunkie

Dojo Mojo: Adam Ondra, Martin Stráník Simulate World Cup Climbing

Two of the world’s best professional climbers show us how they prepare for the highest level of competition.

Pro climbers Adam Ondra and Martin Stráník have held their own in IFSC World Cup tournaments since before they could drive. Consistently shelling out strong performances on the world stage, as both athletes continue to do, requires a devout and effective training regimen.

In the days leading up to a Lead World Cup, Ondra and Stráník get to work under conditions that precisely mimic IFSC
GearJunkie

Alex Megos Claims First Ascent of Chris Sharma's 'Rastaman Vibrations': 5.15b?

It took the German rock jock 9 days’ work to become the first climber to finish a route the legendary Sharma bolted 10 years ago.

Pro climber Alex Megos is proving himself productive this summer, especially in France. Soon after claiming a World Cup medal in Briançon last week, Megos beelined it for Ceuse to work on his most recent project, “Rastaman Vibrations.”

On Sunday, July 31 — just 2 days after his return to Ceuse — Megos cashed in. He celebrated his first ascent of the long-silent rout
Explorersweb

Eight Left: Man Will Climb All 282 of Scotland's 'Munro' Peaks — in His 80s

Nick Gardner of Gairloch, Scotland, is 82 years old and nearing the end of a considerable challenge: bagging all 282 Munros. “Munro” is parlance for any Scottish mountain 3,000 feet (914m) or more high. At the time of writing, the former physics teacher is only eight peaks away from a complete ticklist.

The circumstances that inspired Gardner to undertake such a massive project make his story all the more remarkable.

In mid-2020, he and his children made the difficult decision to move his wife
GearJunkie

Paragliding Over Switzerland With the X-Alps Academy

Need a quick pick-me-up? This edit from the POV of a Swiss paragliding master should do the trick.

Christian ‘Chrigel’ Maurer may be the most decorated paragliding pilot of all time. To date, the athlete’s won seven Red Bull X-Alps events, four X-Pyr races, three Paragliding World Cup Association events, and 11 World Cups.

When he isn’t busy crushing hike-and-fly races around the world, he runs paragliding clinics at the X-Alps training academy.

In this short video, Maurer takes us along for
GearJunkie

Red Bull Athletes Swarm The Nines With Pops of Color

What happens when you equip some of the world’s best winter athletes with a rainbow of smoke flares? Red Bull’s creative team had to know.

To find out, the team headed to Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where The Nines was in full swing. Once there, it recruited freeskiers and snowboarders to unleash a multicolored arsenal of smoke flares on the sugary white terrain.

Some flares decorated ski poles and helmets; others flocked the sides of boards. A few pros even strapped extra flares to their glov
GearJunkie

Specialized GEN-S: Young MTB Crushers in Training

Meet the first class of Specialized’s exciting youth development program, a pack of super-stoked kiddos from all over the world.

Launched in summer 2022, GEN-S pairs tweens and teens with some of the best mountain bikers in the biz. The goal, according to Specialized’s mission statement, is “to develop the next generation of passionate riders by merging the past with the future.”

This edit introduces the program’s freshman set of young badasses and their MTB senseis, Loic Bruni, Manon Carpente
GearJunkie

IFSC World Cup Climbing Rules & Scoring Explained

Perplexed by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC)’s scoring system for World Cup climbing competitions? Here’s how to decrypt Boulder, Lead, and Speed stats and rankings.

For anyone unfamiliar with IFSC competition scoring, decoding the climber’s scorecards is like playing chess with your eyes closed. So, we put together an earnest attempt to simplify the IFSC’s scoring process, clarify any quirks in its rulebook, and break down competition jargon.

The IFSC holds World Cup eve
GearJunkie

‘Why We Go’: Hydro Flask Looks Through the Lens of an Astrophotographer

The latest installment in Hydro Flask’s adventure series follows shutterbug Joram Young on his quest for dark skies and bright cosmos.

As far as lonely vocations go, astrophotography is up there. A night photographer’s schedule not only goes against the modern grain, it often requires the practitioner to venture deep into the wilderness, away from light pollution.

So, why choose it over any other form of outdoor photography? “If there’s something that makes you feel a little uncomfortable, the
GearJunkie

Hiking in Sandals Isn’t New, But the Chaco ‘Canyonland’ Sneaker Is

Chaco-heads rejoice! Today, the sandal brand offers up its first all-terrain hiking shoe.

According to Chaco HQ, the all-new Canyonland sneaker prioritizes breathability, support, versatility, and water readiness.

We look forward to testing a pair out, but until that time, here’s what we can tell you.

Chaco flirted with toe-coverage before, but it’s kept to casual-slash-urban categories until now. With the Canyonland, the company offers buyers an amphibious hiking shoe geared toward a broader
GearJunkie

Small Cabin, Big Jumps: The Humble Home of an MTB Legend

This short film from Shimano gives us a glimpse into the big rock candy mountain life that MTB pro Kurt Sorge has created for himself.

As far as freeride mountain biking goes, Kurt Sorge is a legend. Over his long and respectable career, the MTB master has won all the medals, sent all the things, and even designed a world-class training ground in his own backyard.

These days, though, he just wants to stay home. Maybe years in the public eye have worn down his proverbial tires. Maybe introversi
GearJunkie

Bear Spray and Blizzards: Misadventures of Pro Kayaker Nouria Newman

When the U.S. denies your visa because being a pro kayaker isn’t ‘a real job,’ what do you do? Pack up your paddles and head north to battle fierce, virgin rapids in Canada, obviously.

Nouria Newman couldn’t get across the United States border, and absorbed a shot of MACE as a result. But contrary to what you might think, she was the one who delivered it.

This short film from Red Bull is a retelling account of an epic misadventure in the British Columbian wilderness by the kayaking G.O.A.T. he
GearJunkie

Hawaiian Surfer Malia Manuel on Hula, Waves, and Going With the Flow

Follow the professional surfer around her home island as she rides, hula dances, and talks about the joy of movement.

Malia Manuel was just 14 years old when she won the 2008 U.S. Open of Surfing. Fast-forward through 15 years of elite wave riding, numerous titles, and you’ll find that she continues to crush it.

The Hawaii native has traveled the world and ridden every kind of wave you can think of. But she has always returned to the culture-steeped Kauai shores that raised her.

In this brief
GearJunkie

Trans Cyclist Blake Hansen Shreds Desert Trails, Talks Advocacy

For one Specialized mountain bike pro, ‘equality’ and ‘inclusion’ aren’t just buzzwords.

Blake Hansen is one of just a few well-known trans women in competitive MTB. According to her, racing and chasing world-class lines is great — but it’s all meaningless without a strong, supportive community.

And that’s why the pro rider focuses her efforts on uplifting the next generation of women through the sport.

Learn a bit about Hansen’s philosophy and drop into the dreamy, send-y shots in this quick
GearJunkie

'Girls Gone Wide' Strike Again in Buddy-Style Climbing Sufferfest

Crack climbing specialists Mary Eden and Kaya Lindsay crank hard on a spicy multipitch route deep within Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP).

“Screaming Sky Crack” is a 5.11, R-rated crack climb on GCNP’s Zoroaster Temple wall. The “R” rating indicates how dangerous a route is. In climbing, it doesn’t get much spicier than that.

But the hardcore Girls Gone Wide duo and their trad racks are up to the task, per usual.

“It is what it is and it ain’t what it ain’t, and it ain’t gonna be easy,” Eden
GearJunkie

$60 Frame, $90 Chain: Rider Pranks Bike Mechanic With Heinous Order

Will a professional mechanic oblige one debased customer by installing state-of-the-art components on a POS bike? Yeah, but he won’t like it.

In this prank video, a passionate bike mechanic gets a soul-crushing service order: update a cheap, 30-year-old Walmart MTB with a host of custom parts and SRAM AXS wireless shifting.

“Oh god, it feels so wrong,” the unwitting victim mutters to himself.

Seth of Berm Peak is the evil genius behind the caper. “We got [the bike] for $60 off Facebook Market
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gear reviews & guides

a collection of personally tested product reviews and buying guides

Explorersweb

MODL All-in-One Bottle: Adaptable, Packable, Indispensable

MODL (pronounced maw · dohl) is a modular all-in-one bottle that’s light, packable, exceptionally tough, airtight, and — to borrow from MODL Outdoors cofounder, Justin Guld — it isn’t simply a water bottle, hydration pack, filter bottle, etc. It’s “an entirely new category of gear: the utility bottle.”

The MODL system is adaptable and grounded in the startup’s “flexible design philosophy.” What might sound like an overly ambitious product is actually an intuitive and conceptually simple multito
Explorersweb

Quick, Not Dirty: The Best Filtered Water Bottles of 2022

Water is everywhere. And it touches everything. Recent events and studies have shown us that even once-safe water sources (like your friendly municipal water treatment plant) may be harbingers of dissolved lead. I don’t care if you’re a suburban Jones or a rugged adventurer, your biological imperative for potable water is one thing you can’t change. The fastest, most cost-effective way to survive and conquer unsafe drinking water? A well-engineered filtered water bottle.

Lucky us, there is a we