[comPiler]

test
25 April 2011, 11:11 am



Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Dusk Till Dawn E8 - Flash
26 April 2011, 9:46 am



The Bottom of Terminal Twilight looked like a river, which seemed to put an premature end to my plan of flashing the beautiful “Dusk Till Dawn”, an E8 established last year by Dave Pickford.  Hopeful that the slimy torrent was simply the result of rain before my arrival, I asked Dave about his experience on the route, only to find out he had been forced to wait until late summer for the beginning to dry in order to make his ascent.  Merde!

Dusk Till Dawn (traverse in from the above the orange thread on the left) and the full line of the project (begins from the low right chalk)

I remembered hearing a rumour about a potential direct start, so with some time to kill one day I decided to lower down the wall to look for myself.  After lowering past the existing section of DTD (I still had dreams to flash this route so trying it was off bounds), which looked even more beautiful close up, I began searching out the holds from the featureless rock and was surprised to find a complete sequence.  The route would begin up The Black Lagoon for the first 13m, and as the rock changes from murky grey into pinky white, move directly up the wall to join DTD at the end of its initial traverse, 10m above.  From here, one simply has to climb directly into the crux of DTD, without any of the bomber gear, and finish up this route to the top of the cliff.

The moves were hard but all possible, and the start was in slightly better condition than Terminal Twilight, making the whole line seem very possible given a little concentrated psyche and effort.  The only thing that held me back, was the fact I still wanted to flash DUD, and by devoting myself to this new line, I would be throwing away that chance.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that there was a serious runnout during the hard section, which would quickly turn out to be a very serious runout if the rusty old peg I planned to tie off turned out to be as unreliable as it looked.  Scary!

A few days passed and still no rain, I hoped and prayed that TT would be dry(er) but from the cliff top, all seemed the same.  I decided to lower in to the leap anyway just in case my long sight was deceptive, it wasn’t.  Water was still running down the cliff, but over enough “big jugs” that I thought things might be possible.  Caroline joined me at the bottom, this would be her first “real” experience of belaying hard trad and I wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible.  I gave her a quick briefing of what I planned to do, where I expected it to be hard, and where I planned to place protection, gave her a quick kiss and set off, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.

Copyright David Simmonite

Unfortunately, the bottom of the wall was still dripping from its recent submersion, and despite how positive the holds were, the 6b moves right off the floor came as quite a shock causing a few grunts to escape my lips.  After prolonged shuffling up the wet rock, which was a little spicy at one point due to the demise of 2 pegs , I finally found myself at the junction with Dusk Till Dawn, a good rest and bomber gear.

From here the route moves right for a few moves into the centre of the wall, after which it climbs directly to the top via a series of strange holds and good rests.  I tried to remember everything I had seen in the video of Dave Pickford (Psyche 2), internalising the sequence of moves whilst focusing on my breathing.  A quick thumbs up told Caroline I was ready, and I stepped right with a long move into a two finger pocket.  I will not go into too much detail, but will say the climbing on this section is some of the best and most enjoyable I had done for months.  Perfect holds, pleasant interesting moves, and bomber gear – the only thing missing (according to Caroline) was a section of steep tufa!  I guess you can’t have it all…

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Muy Caliente E10 - Flash, so close...
5 May 2011, 9:50 pm

Whilst it might have seemed to many people that I had dropped off the face of the earth (and I would probably include some of my sponsors, friends and family in those people), I was simply taking a step away from what I knew, and wondering how differently things would appear from another viewpoint.

Jacob Schroedel

I knew that things would change, they had to - the trouble was I just didn’t know quite how.  I wanted to better myself by training my weaknesses, but knew that since my strengths lay in trad, that is where I should eventually point my focus.  In the beginning, time seemed plentiful and I did not concern myself with the finer details of the future, but as weeks turned into months, months into years, I began to wonder what exactly this future would hold…

Then one day, not unlike many others, news reached me of Tim Emmett making the first ascent of “Muy Caliente”, Pembroke’s and Wales’ first E10, and all became clear.  I’m not really sure why the idea first came to me, as it was so far above what I had achieved before, so far above what anyone had achieved before, that it should have struck me as ridiculous and been dismissed immediately.  But there it was, planted firmly amongst my brain cells, and it began to grow - the idea to attempt to “flash” E10.

I knew I needed to develop many parts of my climbing, not only the obvious ingredient of my fitness, but also things like my mental approach, sequential memory, reactions under pressure etc. Things started slowly and became more structured as the time grew near.  It never felt too intense as I was never 100% focused on the goal, which may sound a little blasé, but was something I decided early on because of how improbable the goal was.  The chance of failure was so high for many reasons, and as with all flashes, you only ever get one shot!  The main goal, I told myself, was to go and climb the route.  This would be a big enough achievement, being one of only a few confirmed E10’s and far away from my previously preferred style – anything else would be a big bonus. After all the hard work was finished and all the planning had been made, all that remained was to try.

Before throwing myself in at the deep end, I decided to sharpen my trad skills with a few days of classic cragging.  “Ghost Train” (E6), “Hysteria” (E5), “Out of my Mind” (E5), and “From a Distance” (E7) were all ticked and I felt good – time to try something a little harder.

The first of the E8’s to fall on-sight was “Point Blank” (E8), a long and sustained wall climb with good spaced gear and big air potential.  The climbing is around Fr8a and so would normally be a fairly comfortable on-sight, but the lack of chalk and confusing nature of the rock made for an exciting time on the top wall.

Point Blank - David Simmonite

Next up was something at the other end of the spectrum, a bold E8 slab on the sandstone of Carreg y Barcud.  I flashed “Daddy Cool” (E8) after cleaning the route from my ab line, which I was especially happy with due to the nature of the climb.  The climbing is easy, but falling is not an option, and despite the danger I stayed cool and composed, making my 3rd E8 without pre-practice.

Daddy Cool - David Simmonite

“From Dusk Till Dawn” (E8) looked amazing!  A beautiful flowy wall of Pink and White Limestone, climbed via fun looking moves with bomber protection.  Unfortunately, the bottom 2/3 (Terminal Twilight) was wet, but fortunately, there were enough good holds to make it possible, and after a little fight I got stuck into the main event.  The moves were as good as expected, and I flashed the route with a big smile on my face.

Climbing “From Dusk Till Dawn” introduced me to my current  favourite route in Pembroke, the project wall that would soon become “Do you know where your children are?” (E9).  This smooth white wall would lead from the start of The Black Lagoon, directly into From Dusk Till Dawn via a series of hard reachy moves of exceptional quality.  From a good thread at 12m the climbing gets hard and you run it out to an old rusty peg.  Thread this with a nut, tell yourself it is solid, and commit to the remaining hard moves (crux) to join the pockets of Dusk Till Dawn, which after the moves below come as a pleasant relief.

I felt fit, I was climbing well, and felt completely happy climbing far above my gear – it was time to get serious.  The first stage of the process involved watching my friends climbing on the route and trying to remember as much information as possible.

They told me about the handholds, the footholds, how each move felt, and where they thought I might find hard.  I tried to process all their advice, re-arrange it into an understandable order and make it second nature.  Once I began climbing, any pause to try to remember a move would cost me valuable energy, any hesitation on a slappy move might break my rhythm, and any incorrect hold might make me fall, making all the hard work go to waste.

I woke up feeling nervous, the first time in a long time.  I warmed up feeling nervous, ate lunch feeling nervous and abed in feeling nervous.  It wasn’t so much the danger that was getting to me but the fear of failing, blowing my one chance at the thing I have invested so much in.  On-sighting and flashing are different to every day climbing as there is only ever one chance.  One shot, one opportunity, if you mess up you mess up forever.  Say the conditions are bad, the rock is greasy, a hold is wet, your too tired from the route before, your skin is sore, mentally tired... the list goes on, lots of things to think about!

Or is there?

One thing I keep hearing, and keep saying, is when you are truly climbing well, your mind is empty.  Almost as if you are temporarily existing on a different plane, you stop thinking and begin to flow.  Thinking about not thinking is an obvious contradiction, and so to help me out I called on a little mind and motivation control, some pounding Breakbeats for my ears.  I don’t usually climb listening to music, but regularly use it to help with motivation during training and figured it was worth a try.  I pressed play, entered a different world, and started moving up.

The lower wall flowed just like I hoped it would, a hard section of moves with small holds and bad feet did not faze me and I arrived at better holds knowing that I could rest a little before making the moves to place the gear.  It’s strange to be in such a dangerous place and not even think about the danger; 9m above the gear and 19m above the floor are not comfy numbers, these are the times when you need to be your most relaxed and do what is necessary to make yourself safe.

The nut was unobvious and a little awkward to place.  Even when seated well it just didn’t look right and I placed and replaced it several times.  When finally I was happy, I made the next awkward sequence to clip the thread and place the cam, and carried on directly towards the final boulder.  This is where it all came down to; this is where I had been focused on all along.

Muy Caliente - David Simmonite

The bottom section was generally simple and secure climbing, if you were strong and stated calm things would most likely be ok.  But the top, the top was a different story.  Technical, balancey climbing on awkward holds was not what I wanted to deal with after all the mental and physical effort below.

I was happy to find the two rest holds comfortable, allowing me to recover and focus on the section above.  Things felt good and I was happy, but as I looked down at the future footholds, worry started to grow inside me and I began to feel heavy.  The handholds were becoming greasy, recovery had stopped, I forced myself to move.

The left foot was small. I perched on it, reached the left sidepull, and was surprised by how small it was.  I tried to take it like Caroline had told me, but couldn’t find the position and decided to push on regardless.  The next foot was almost non-existent, but stuck with a little faith allowing me to move my left foot up to a small edge.  Here is where my planned sequence failed, I couldn’t find the body position so decided to “feel” instead.

I lifted my right foot to a very bunched position and suddenly realised I was in reaching distance of the finishing hold.  I almost couldn’t believe it and excitedly started moving my right hand towards the incut edge, surprised at how solid I felt.  As my fingers came close to the hold my body position shifted and I began to tip away, I quickly reached out for the hold, catching the very edge with my fingertips as my left hand exploded off the sidepull.  A tiny moment where I half believed I had caught the hold came and went.  That empty feeling in my belly told me I was falling.  I screamed and swore.  The dream was dead.

I felt the little Daemon growing inside of me.  I didn’t sleep well, and was distant to say the least during the next morning.  My mind was full again of thoughts...  What if I had rested longer, why didn’t I take the sidepull correctly, and what if I had slapped faster?  Whilst useful from an analytical point of view, these thoughts did nothing to change the fact that the flash had failed.  I needed to take the positive things and move forwards, learn from my experience and plan my next attempt.  Which is where things get complicated again, as I found the idea of getting back on the lead quite frightening.

I thought about taking a few days of rest to give my mind and body time to relax, but with every hour that passed the little Daemon grew, and I was well aware that he could grow to be quite a size by the time I returned.  I needed to get it out of the way, I knew I could do it, I just needed to be even more focused than before.  The new knowledge gained would be useful, but it was of the utmost importance not to be blasé.  The route would feel hard and needed respect, I expected this and was prepared to give.

My music went on, a different mix from Yesterday, Krafty Kuts – Fresh Kuts volume 2.  The first 10m passed as expected, the threads were clipped, I rested, next stop the top…

The run-out was fine, and I arrived at the gear pretty fresh.  Conditions were not great, but I compensated by climbing faster, moving quickly from hold to hold, not allowing the grease to build up.  The rest holds before the crux were soon in my hands.  I would have moved almost straight away but I needed to stay for a few minutes to allow a numb finger to regain feeling.  I looked at the holds, looked at the feet, but this time felt light instead of heavy and committed to the moves with fresh enthusiasm.

I took the sidepull as Caroline had suggested, this time my fingers found the correct place and my thumb pinched the vital spot.  My feet worked in the same way as before, and in no time at all I was back at the final move.  This time there was no hesitation, my body locked in position, my hand reached up to the edge, it was finished!

David Simmonite

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Do You Know Where Your Children Are? E9?
10 May 2011, 2:57 pm



This route escaped my day to day blogging from Pembroke... and so with a little time on my hands thanks to a Mello-enforced rest day, here it is.  Pretty good timing actually as the route saw its first repeat courtesy of Neil Mawsons last weekend.  Its always nice to see your routes getting attention, I hope more people follow in Neil's footsteps.

Picture from the first ascent - David Simmonite

Before I begin, I want to ask public opinion of the name of the route.  Do You Know Where Your Children Are? is quite an in-depth/obscure reference between friends, which I fear will be lost on 99.9% and may end up being thought of as just a bit shit.  Its closest contender was The Hangman's Daughter, which will be obvious to most as the prequel to From Dusk Till Dawn.  At the time I thought this was perhaps too cliché, but now I am starting to reconsider...

So there it is, Do You Know Where Your Children Are? or The Hangman's Daughter?  Where does popular opinion sit?

After the success on Dusk Till Dawn, I was ready to step things up, it was time to try the project.  I felt that if I could make it to the pockets at the start of DTD, I could climb to the top even if I was tired.  That meant simply being able to climb a wet E6/7 with rotting fixed gear, directly into a run-out fr8a+ - childs play ;)

We arrived in Huntsman’s a few hours after low tide and so the first few meters were almost dry after their last bath.  The same could not be said for the next part, which was badly affected by seepage.  Low down the protection was ok, which was a welcome relief as the moves were damn hard, at one point involving fingertip monos in both hands!  After this, the moves became a little easier and the gear disappeared – the remains of the shaft of a once proud peg looked apologetically back at me.

I arrived at the separation point, marked by a yellow thread.  I had been forced to replace this earlier that day after the original had ripped out in my hand.  This was a stark reminder of how we should always show caution with fixed gear on Sea Cliffs.  This thread is crucial, and without it, you are looking at certain ground fall from the moves above.  On first sight, it looked ok, and I could easily see how someone would have clipped it on an on-sight/flash – potentially setting themselves up for a serious accident.  This is probably not the right place to discuss the details of these complex issues, but I feel its important they are addressed soon, by the “correct” people, whoever they may be?

Picture from the first ascent - David SimmoniteI recovered quite well on a pair of steep jugs, and after fiddling in the 3 micro-wires (1 good, 2 questionable) felt in with a high chance of sticking the next section.  Long move, strange hold, bad feet, long move, strange hold, bad feet... you get the picture.  In the middle of this section you slap into a big fat sidepull, which due to being a bit better than the other holds, serves as a rest point before the final hard section.  From this sidepull you can also place some gear – a micro-wire threaded over an old rusty peg, and a decorative nut in your previous slopey left hand slot which has a tendency to fall out.

This gear is a bit of an unknown quantity as it was untested even with just body weight.  If it holds, you will be ok, it it fails, well, you might still be ok, but it would be a long and scary few seconds before finding out.  A few small crimps and more bad feet bring you to the redpoint crux.  After matching the footholds of the crux of DTD, you must toe-in on a high left edge and make a LONG rockover to the glorious pockets!

I almost began to relax, but fortunately realised that I was only halfway through the crux of DTD, with only one hand and low shitty feet.  A few more seconds of focus brought me to good holds and good gear.  I was significantly more tired than before, and as I collected my thoughts and was thankful to have climbed this section before as I now had familiarity with the holds and moves.  Knowing that the rest of the route should cause no further problems allowed me to really relax and enjoy the experience.  The climbing on the lower wall is superb, some of the best rock and moves I have climbed in a while, and I felt lucky to have been in the right place, at the right time, in the right shape to do it.

As for the grade of the route, which I’m sure will sadly be the first, and in some case only thing people are interested in.  My opinion is that the level of climbing is a step up from similar routes in Pembroke, and is a little more “dangerous”.  There is a medium run-out through the entire crux to reach the peg, which may or may not hold.  After this you climb a further few moves (redpoint crux) to join DTD, where you still have to climb the crux of this route to reach the next good gear.  Climb DTD to the top but without the bomber gear in the crack, which is not too much of a concern at this point.  If the peg rips, I have no idea what would happen – to be honest, I never thought I would fall so didn’t take the time to check the dimensions out.

I am certain someone could flash the route with relative ease, and if it had been an existing route, I would have given it a good go.  The climbing through the crux is complex and a little blind so would make for a difficult on-sight, but as ~8a+ is not exactly the living end, someone fit could hang around for a while to figure things out.  The main thing I want to stress is just how cool the climbing is, wouldn’t it be nice if for once people talked about how pretty it looks and how motivated they are to try it?  Maybe I spend too much time living on my little pink cloud, oh well, it’s nice up here, I think I’ll stay...Get down there and check it out.

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

5.10 Quantum
18 May 2011, 12:11 pm



My skin is dead after 3 days in Val Di Mello but all is not lost as for the first time in almost 1 week, I have solid, reliable internet access.  Many emails need to be read and written, but as I am lazy and have a short attention span, I decided on a break in the shape of this mini review of my favourite shoe, the FiveTen Quantum

So what shall I say, apart from the obvious point of being purple and downturned...  Hmmm, maybe this picture can explain a little... my Quantum collection, 3 sizes, boulder, routes, and big wall – these days they are all I wear.

Out of the box the shoes are already good.  A little “clumpiness” is expected for the first few sessions, but I was surprised by how quickly these shoes felt “broken in”.  The fit is snug, downturned but not too aggressive, and reasonably wide across the front.  

The heel feels a little low-cut at first and I was worried to have my usual “heel slip” issues, but actually they have turned out to be more than secure – great in fact.  Im not really that gifted with using my heels, especially on really technical placements, and whilst these heels will not work miracles, they have succeeded in surprising me on several occasions, by staying put in awkward and difficult hooks.

Now on to the business end!  The toe feels to me the most precise 5.10 toe I have used, and popping off holds unexpectedly is very unusual.  The shoe is a medium stiffness, a little too soft for me if I am honest, but stiffer than 5.10’s other recent offerings and so I am making them work.  At least with the downturn, the shape shoe holds your foot in place and so the lack of stiffness is not overly noticeable.  I mentioned before that I have several sizes of Quantums and that these are now (pretty much) the only shoes I use for all my climbing styles.  That last statement should give you an idea of precisely how much I rate these shoes.

Daddy Cool, E8 - Photo David Simmonite  Improvements – I have already mentioned that I would personally like to see the shoes a little stiffer, other than that, some rubber on the toe to help with hooks would be a nice little extra.  There is not so much that I would change, in general I’m pretty psyched J

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Caroline Ciavaldini - E8 ground-up!
20 May 2011, 11:38 am



With all the commotion after the Muy Caliente/Pembroke raid, followed by Melloblocco, and finally the wonderful Quello Che Non C'e - I almost completely forgot to write about Caroline’s own amazing trad achievement...

The World Cup season is on its way and so training for Caro is getting heavy, but she managed to find a little spare time to fly to England to support me.  After I finished with Muy Caliente and the good weather remained, she decided it was time for her to take the lead, and have her own Pembroke Traditional adventure.

Her first trad experience was the classic E3, Pleasure Dome. The climbing was easy and so she could concentrate on spending time to figure out the correct protection.  She waltzed along the route, her appearance of complete control only disrupted from time to time when pull-testing gear and a nut would pop out and hit her in the face. E3 is not cutting edge, but it far above the level of the average English climber and almost unimaginable by most as a first trad route - a good sign of things to come.

The next day she wanted to try something harder, and decided to take things to the top, choosing an E8 called Point Blank, that I had climbed earlier in the trip.  E8 is the highest level ever been climbed by a Woman in the UK, and on the 3 or 4 times it has been achieved, it has come after the common “headpoint” style of prolonged top-rope practice.

Random, but what better way to celebrate than a birthday game of Paintball - note the orange jumpsuit for our aiming pleasure!

Not only did Caro plan to climb an E8 as her second ever trad route, but she wanted to try it "flash" - first try without any pre-practice - something never before done by a Woman, and only on rare occasion by a few men.  Most people would probably think me crazy for letting her do this, but after climbing with Caro every day for the last year, I knew her style, her ability, and how strong her mental control; I was confident she could do it.

She prepared herself at the bottom, and calmly set off to tackle the 40m of hard and scary climbing above.  Climbing perfectly; calm and controlled, powerful when needed, relaxed when not, she placed her protection well, and soon was committed to the final hard movements.  Fr8a climbing, a long way above her last protection... she looked solid, perfect, but at the final moment just one move before a good hold she slipped from her feet and screamed!

15m in the air before the ropes held her secure.  As she spun around suspended in space I was happy she was OK and lowered her to the ground to tell her well done on an amazing effort.  The "french proudness" is still something that I don’t fully understand, and rather than be content with an incredible attempt which was so close to success, all Caro did was pull the ropes down and begin climbing again.  Even with the adrenalin of the fall making her shake, even with the fatigue in her muscles making her arms feel heavy, all she knew was that she had failed, that she should not have failed, and there was only one thing she was going to do about it.

Another Random - Festa della Placca

She finished the climb about 20min later, having stripped and re-placed all the gear on lead!  Her 2nd ever trad route and the first (AFAIK) ever female E8 without practice!  Amazing!  I was so proud.  Sorry for lack of relevant photos, I was too busy belaying, but Dave managed to snap a few.  Check out next months Climb for some crackers - I wonder if the lob-shot will make it in...

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Big, Scary, Monsters
25 June 2011, 3:12 pm



The 4th pitch roof of La CardaireThe next project is underway, and has already begun gathering speed.  I have started to become more and more intrigued by the world of hard multi-pitch and big walls and over the last few months have started to make my first visits to this world.

The eventual idea is to create something very long, very hard, and very scary, but this final phase is still quite a long way off in the future.  Now is the time to begin developing the necessary skills, by attempting and repeating certain existing routes, some classic, some obscure, in the style of the separate components of the master plan.

The first of the training routes fell a few months ago, in the form of La Cardaire, a semi-traditional, 4 pitch wall in St Guilhem.  The 160m route is capped by a big roof at the very top, and was first climbed as an route at A2, 6b, using only pitons for protection.  The route has aged a little, and in doing so the pitons are perhaps not as proud as they once were, but standards have also improved, and the route now goes free at 7a,7b,7c,8a.  

The 3rd pitch and questionable 2nd belay!!!  I took a mini trad rack with me during my on-sight of the route with good friend Nico, but It was not really necessary.  There is enough fixed gear in the wall to climb in relative comfort, granted some of it very old and far apart, but still enough.  Take a few slings for belay on the trees, and get ready for some exposure through the final roof!!!

The next part of the project was something a little harder, a 3 pitch route in La Jonte called Les Chemins De Katmandou.  Bolted by Laurent Triay and climbed by Sharma in 2002, the route packs quite a punch in its relatively short height of 100m.  A 50m 8b leads to a 20m 7c+ and finally a 30m 8b+ up the bulging headwall.  The climbing on the 1st pitch is great and is worth doing in its own right, but the climbing on the 3^rd pitch is simply exquisite – a contender for the best route I have climbed on limestone!

Caroline following the 3rd pitch  The 3^rd pitch is very dynamic; long move after long move on perfectly sculpted pockets.  After the first day on the route, I was not so hopeful about my chances of climbing it quickly.  I was struggling to do some of the moves on the headwall and didn’t quite see how I would be able to link it all together, especially after the addition of the first 2 hard pitches.

Caro and I returned a few days later, and thing could hardly have been more different.  After warming up, I climbed the 8b pitch on my 1st try, and the 8b+ pitch on my 2^nd, after a slight refinement of the method for the crux.  Caroline also made great progress on the route, despite several very long moves on the 3^rd pitch.  We will head back soon for her to make a try from the floor and probably shoot some pictures in the process.

Looking up the 1st pitch of Katmandou towards the 3rd pitch headwall!  It’s strange how your performance can change so drastically from day to day, something I must try to remember in the future when routes feel too hard for me.  I am happy to have got it done so quickly, and excited to begin the next part of the project... Newfoundland

Source: James Pearson

[Nibile]

 

[comPiler]

Caro's Katmandou
6 July 2011, 11:05 pm

She did it!!!  Hard work, determination, and a little helping of pride really do work wonders.  After the first session on Les Chemins de Katmandou, where she barely managed the crux move 1 in 5 tries, Caroline topped out on her ascent of the entire route early last week, 4^th ascent and 1^st female ascent (as far as I know), a fine effort indeed.

We headed back to La Jonte to meet up with Facancisco Taranto Jr for a photo shoot after the Millau Natural Games.  Caro had just finished a 3 day team training session in the French Pyrenees, meaning firstly we couldn’t arrive in the Cliff until 4pm, and secondly she was exhausted.  With little chance of a full ascent, we settled with fixing lines up the whole route for Francisco, and shooting on the top pitch with the evening light.  I surprised myself by climbing the top pitch again on my 1^st try of the day – its really quite amazing at how much more energy you have without climbing hard pitches to get there.  Caro had a play on the pitch and managed to figure out a new method for the crux; normally taking a 2-finger pocket as a mono would make things trickier, but in this particular case, the inverse seemed to apply for Caro.  Content with making one of her crux slaps static, we all headed down to the car and campsite, grabbed some of the local speciality “Aligot”, and went to bed, ready for yet another early start and an 8b for breakfast.

6am feels especially early after a shitty night’s sleep, but at least in France you are rewarded for such an unhealthy hour with warm, soft, freshly baked bread!  Conditions on the rock felt horrible and I struggled to second the first pitch.  Caroline had just dispatched it on her 1^st try of the day, complete with screams, wild slaps, and falls without falling.  Having now experienced the conditions for myself, I really understood why!

I joined her at the belay and climbed through to the top of the 7c+, not without a big fight I might add on the awkward final moves around the arête.  Caroline arrived perhaps 10 minutes later and seemed to be feeling good.  We arranged the belay, exchanged a few words, and she set off for round one.  Move after move, I was constantly amazed at how well she was dealing with the incredibly reachy and powerful climbing.  This pitch is her anti style, but she compensated for the long reaches by working her feet up very high, and on the few occasions where even this failed to provide enough, solved the problem with an all out jump!

She arrived at the mid-way rest before the crux and prepared for the upcoming intensity.  After a few moments she signalled to be ready and set off, fumbled her feet, missed the next hold and was off.  I joked with her not to worry as this move was one in every two, she tried her best to smile and joined me back in the belay.

One in two was right, as next try she cruised this move to arrive at the end of the crux section.  A long move with high feet from a one pad under-cling mono brought her to the intermediate edge.  After a small adjustment of the feet, all that remained was a 5cm bump (although at full stretch) to a good 3 finger pocket, and probable victory.  She paused a little too long, and fell with her fingers in the hold – merde!!!

One of my personal little tricks I have discovered over the last year is to imagine that a route continues after the top hold, or that there are harder moves still to come after the actual crux.  This helps me to deal with the “summit fever” – that sudden panicky pump that takes you by surprise when you excitedly realise the end is “right there”.  I told this idea again to Caro in the hope it might help in even the smallest way.  She was so close to finishing the route, but the sun was coming fast, she was getting tired, and all her hard work was close to becoming nothing.  Multi-pitch brings so many more elements to climbing – these extra elements make the final result all the more worth, but can cause quite a lot of heart ache along the way!  Caro set off, and from my perspective looked to cruise the route, moving fluidly, really flowing through the hard moves.  From her perspective, things were a little different... She admitted feeling tired and weak, the worst of her 3 tries of the day.  However, she knew this was to be her last try, her one and only chance to finish this journey and she needed to make it count.  She told herself the route was the final of just another comp, and whilst ultimately not important in the wider scheme of the world, it was of the highest importance in the “there and now” and she needed to find a way to make it work, to dig deep into the reserve tank and find a little magic.  The huge smile across her face as I joined her at the top told me just how happy she was with the result.

A magic day.

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Newfoundland Expedition Reports
5 August 2011, 5:08 pm



And we begin...

Wow!!! One month since my last post!  So what have I been up to?  Keep reading and find out...

Blow Me Down is 1,300 feet of granite rising directly out of the Atlantic.  Situated in Devils Bay, a wet and windy place indeed on the South coast of Newfoundland, Blow Me Down is several hours from the nearest road and civilisation, accessible only by boat.

Like my Chad Expedition from 2010, Blow Me Down was the brain-child of Mark Synnott, a very experienced American climber and alpinist.  Mark has climbed in more crazy places around the globe than I know exist and has a reputation for guaranteed memorable times, be it from epic or adventure.  I was psyched to travel again with him, and placed all my faith in his knowledge and experience, neglecting my own research figuring he would likely have everything covered...

Supplies...

I said before leaving that my main aim for the trip was to learn.  To learn from two of the most experienced big wall climbers in the world how to be fast, efficient, but above all else safe.  Mark and Alex are obviously wildly different climbers, with different focus’s, objectives and strengths.  I had climbed with them both in the past, but never in a big wall environment, and was excited by the prospect of watching them work and picking up some secrets.  

One of many unexplored cliffs in the area...  The next few weeks would turn out to be possibly the least productive of my climbing life.  Raging winds, torrential rain and perpetual fog would allow for only 2 full climbing days in 10.  The rest of the time was spent in base-camp, sat on our ass, staring at the sky and praying for it to clear.  Good weather was the one thing Mark couldn’t secure, but thankfully, as expected he nailed everything else.  The soggy grimness was much better than it could have been thanks to a TNF 2 Meter Dome and a plentiful supply of food.

Base camp scene... soggy :(

There are really not so many new stories to tell from the trip, instead I will re-post some of the expedition dispatches in case anyone missed them over at The North Face blog.  

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

New Dawn Fades
31 August 2011, 10:19 am

The difference between clean and dirty on this wall is immense, and should have been expected on an alpine wall of this exposure, parts of which rarely get wet.  I spent a long time cleaning the 4th pitch and checking out the moves, thankfully to find that it was not so bad.  Sure it is hard, sure it is a little scary, and there are parts where one must be very cautios with large chunks of rock.  However, there are holds – positive pieces to grab with hands and feet, success will be more dependent on personal strengths and stamina, than positive relations with the Onyx, god of friction.



The 1st pitch.  The end of the crux boulder leads into 30m of delicate and sustained finger layback/slab! (Photo Riky Felderer)

After feeling satisfied with Pitch 4, I returned in the evening shade to try Pitch 1.  The difference was noticeable from my earlier tries in the morning sun, nothing incredible, but enough that I could start making small links and better understand the subtleties required.  I worked out all the sections from bolt to bolt on the upper crack, and after a lengthy amount of time, solved my problem of the bottom boulder...

Read the rest of this post along with more pictures over at my new site - JPClimbing.com

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

I Remember Nothing
13 September 2011, 9:38 am

Time in Insbruck is training on the rock and in the gym, which always provides a nice balance of motivation and humiliation.  We began preparing ourselves for the next trip to Val di Mello, trying hard to pack well, taking the minimum amount of kit, for the smallest loads up that damn hill.  With 150m of static fixed in place and some food and supplies stashed from the time before, I was hopeful for a sub 30kg pack this time round.  The addition of a portaledge however played havoc with this plan, and we set off again with packs almost as heavy as before.



Testing our ledge (used to belong to Greg Child!!!) on the wall, thanks to Hansjorg for the kind loan

Free-climbing a hard multipitch route seems to be a lot about planning.  Firstly planning what you want to do, then how you want to do it, as the styles and ethics of the big wall world are more complex than I could have ever imagined.  Once you have set your goal, the planning then moves on to how best to achieve it – what training do you miss, what time of year to try (cool conditions but short days), what time of day to start, fast and light, slow and heavy, speed or comfort... the list goes on and on.

You can read the full post with more pictures over at jpclimbing.com

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Insight
19 September 2011, 10:26 am

The nights were a cold and uncomfortable time during my last visit, partly due to mistakenly bringing only a sleeping bag liner rather than a full bag, but mostly just because it was f@%king cold for August!  Not this time however - shivers were replaced with sweats, it was uncomfortably obvious we were in the midst of a little heat wave.

Chilly times during my first visit (Photo Riky Felderer)Today was supposed to be the first attempt at the “big push” but motivation was not super high as I rolled out of my sticky sleeping bag into the full morning sun.  Coffee did its usual trick of making the world seem a better place, and I started the preparations for later in the day, which essentially involved relaxing and eating as much as possible.  This is one part of big-walling that I really enjoy!  I usually try to watch what I eat – not quite counting calories, but certainly not eating to excess.  However, there are enough difficulties to pass on a wall without having to worry about an empty tank, so I take full advantage of the opportunity to “scientifically” stuff myself, all in the name of good preparation.

For the full post and more pictures go to JPClimbing.com

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

The Only Mistake
4 October 2011, 7:40 am

It was surprisingly easy to wake up at 5am.  The sun was still hiding behind the opposite hill, but the oppressive heat was instantly noticeable.  Breakfast went down and final items were packed in relative silence, words were not really needed, we both knew what to do.

The walk to the base of the wall was as horrible as ever, the uneven ground unbalancing you at every step, bringing your stumbling sleepy body uncomfortably close to some rather large drops.  The sanctuary of the ancient and crusty fixed lines allow a little relaxation and we prepare ourselves for the long day to come.  Chalk bag, quickdraws, mini trad rack, shoes... food... water... one last check... off we go.

I jumar up the first 30m and begin warming my body in the top of the first pitch.  Things go well, and after a short time I link the entire upper part from no hands rest to belay.  I take this as a sign that things are ready, and lower back to the base hoping the crux boulder passes just as well.

It doesn’t!

The first time I arrive in the hard moves, I am instantly aware that the small rough crimps don’t feel like they should.  The more I squeeze the slippery holds, the more spooge seems to ooze from my fingers, and the more I feel the tiny crystals eat into my skin.  I fall on the last move of the boulder, unable to control the delicate, stretched barn-door.

I lower down and try again, doing my utmost to hide the doubt creeping into my mind.  I fall lower than before, then lower, and lower, and lower.  With every attempt my skin disappears, and chances of overall success grow slim.  The doubt is no longer hidden, but staring me fully in the face, as far as I am concerned the dream is practically dead.

After a longer rest and a few well spoken words I try again.  I focus on perfection, each move must be executed just right, there is no point thinking about what comes higher until you succeed on that right in front of you.  The last move comes and goes, the boulder is done, just 20m of technical slab climbing to go, where I could really fall off any move.



Another look at the first crux... Photo Riky Felderer

A protruding quartz seam allows an awkward no hands rest – not comfortable, but enough to chalk my hands, wipe my shoes, and calm my nerves.  I know I can climb this section, i did it just earlier today, but now there is so much more at stake.  I begin moving through the now familiar sequence, the nerves make everything feel even more delicate than usual, but I force myself to keep moving, knowing any pause is likely to be a false friend.  The hardest section comes and goes, but I don’t ask questions, simply climb into the next.

I reach a positive quartz side pull, one of the few in cut crimps on the route.  From here I must place a high left smear and slap my left hand 1m higher to a good hold in the crack.  The move is scary because it is dynamic, forcing pressure onto the little vertical edge, which is worrying due to the fragile nature of this rock.  During the working process, I had inspected this hold and decided, despite its potentially delicate appearance, it was very solid.  It didn’t move, there were no cracks, nor did it sound hollow - everything pointed to green.  I took the hold, and prayed I had made a wise decision, raised my foot, slapped my hand, and caught the next mini jug. Relax!  Just a few more easier meters to the end...

SNAP!  The righthand sidepull broke off the wall!

Read the rest of this post with more pictures at JPClimbing.com

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Transmission.. Joy Division
14 November 2011, 12:25 pm

I can finally (so happily) say, that last month I made the first "1 push" ascent of Joy Division - The big wall in Val di Mello I have been working on all summer.  The story of the ascent is long, too long for right now as I am rushing out to go training, but thankfully, The North Face has just released an incredible video along with a small write-up and some pretty pictures.

You can find it all over at TheNorthFaceJournal

Thanks to all the people that made this possible, it was a journey I will never forget.



Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

The Source 8c+!
21 November 2011, 11:36 am

When I first moved to Innsbruck, The Source was known as “the Sprung project”, due to its crazy all points off dyno in the middle of the route.  I tried the project during my first visit to Schwarze Wand, pulling through the quickdraws to arrive in the jump, then failing miserably on the move, again and again and again, finally lowering off thinking it would be a damn hard route.

The infamous dyno! - Photo Riky FeldererTwo years later, and a lot has changed.  The project has become The Source, 8c+, and I find myself back at the black wall (Schwarze Wand) a little fitter than before.  After climbing up to, and sticking the dyno on my first red-point try, I fall in the next boulder just 2 moves above.  It turns out that the dyno is only the beginning of the troubles, and that from here to the top, the route is a series of continuous and varied boulder problems.

See the rest of the post with more pictures over at JPClimbing

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Le Blond, la Brute, et le Manouche - Video
13 December 2011, 2:05 pm

France, Italy, France, Italy, Greece, Italy, France, Austria, France, Italy, Austria, England, Austria, Itally, Switzerland, France, Spain, Mexico, France - My last two months...

This time of year is always hectic, it seems like the majority of my work and non climbing commitments all come at the same time, which is a good thing as it leaves a lot of the year free, but can sometimes be frustrating when climbing has to be put on the back burner, and you feel yourself growing fat from all the eating out and sitting on your ass in the car/plane.

However, decent rest can be just as important as decent training, and despite feeling lazy and unfit, your body may actually be happy for the R&R and excess calories, rewarding you now and again with little surprises on the occasional visits to the cliff.



Les Joncasses...

One of these surprises came last week at my local crag of Les Joncasses, a short, steep cliff of perfect compact limestone just 25min from our apartment in Grabels.  I was back from a few days of traveling and meetings, with one afternoon free before we had to leave again for the final round of the Lead world cup in Spain - not exactly a perfect scenario for climbing hard projects.  Still, it would be nice to get outside on some real rock, and good to re-familiarize myself with my projects, ready for more serious attempts next year.



The Pinch...

The route Le Blond, la Brute, et le Manouche was bolted last year by three friends of mine, Adrien (le blond), Nico (la brute) and Anto (le manouche) but was always too intense.  The route is very bouldery, with the difficulties beginning at the 2nd clip and continuing until the junction with "Progression" (an 8c to the left).  The moves themselves are very difficult, and clipping even more so, with the intensity building and building until the crux of the route arrives at strange horizontal collonet in a roof.  From here, a few powerful moves lead to a precarious, run-out clip, from an opposing sloper and heel hook.  Fluff the clip and the floor will be uncomfortably close, clip it and you are almost home... just the crux of Progression still to do!

At first try of the day I could not climb the individual moves, which was a bit of shock considering I had been attempting to redpoint on my previous visit just a few months before.  The holds felt too small, the moves felt awkward, but I accepted this was just the result of my crazy busy last few weeks.



The Crux Collo...

After a little rest I decided to make a try from the floor...

To read more, and see the video, head over to JPClimbing



Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

The Holidays Are Upon Us...
1 January 2012, 6:02 pm

...and where better to spend them than South East Asia.  Avoiding the cold and the snow, adventuring in the jungle, and eating  mangos on the beach - not forgetting a little climbing.

To make us appreciate the things to come even more, we spent Christmas and New year in a very soggy England, where there are definitely no Mangos - just a LOT of chocolate.  Its safe to say that right now I feel like quite the glutton, but luckily Christmas comes but once a year.

In addition to the usual orgy of Tonsai, we plan on visiting a lot of new, relatively unknown areas in Laos and Malaysia which look to hold great potential.  Throughout the trip we hope to send little "postcards" about the places we visit, back home to a few special people, including my mum, grandparents, UKClimbing, Caroline's sister, Kairn, and 8a.nu

Here is the first, courtesy of Caroline, about her opening thoughts on the grit.  Its all in french, but luckily, Google has your back...

http://www.kairn.com/article.html?id=2335

Toucher de Grit avant le grand saut…Dans la lignée de mes habituelles échappées hivernales vers le soleil, j’ai choisi cette année l’Asie… la belle ! Malaisie, Laos et Thaïlande pour ce mois et demi à voguer avec le courant. Nous avons pris les billets… et c’est tout ! Donc dans 3 jours, Sri Lanka Airlines nous téléporte à Kuala Lumpur depuis Londres. L’occasion de se préparer aux grandes vacances… par de petites vacances. James m’a promis mon premier toucher de Grit dans le Peak District !

Caroline "enjoying" the gritstone classic, Not to be taken away.  Photo - David SimmonitePremière virée, Stanage, une grande barre de grit pas bien loin de Chatsworth, le domaine du héro de Jane Austen (un peu de culture britannique voyons, j’ai reçu pour Noel un livre, deux films et trois audio books de l’auteur de « orgueil et préjugés »). Revenons à nos moutons, pour ce premier jour James a choisi un grand classique, des blocs majeurs bien qu’humides et mousseux… avec en hors d’œuvre : Brad pit !!!! Pour votre culture, pit avec un seul t signifie trou profond et sombre !!! Le célébrissime Brad pit est donc un 8B décoté à 7C+ par notre grenouille préférée Marc Le Ménestrel, qui, enfin (!!), a suggéré aux british une alternative à leur bourrinage en no foot : poser un talon dans la rampe de départ ! Quoi qu’il en soit, j ai essayé, pas trop insisté, ca semble chouette, surtout une belle histoire de triomphe français !Dans un autre registre, facile mais très, très haut, « Crescent Arête », et « Not to be taken away », sont l’occasion de tester mes qualités d’engagement : avec nos pauvres deux crashs pads, et mon pareur auquel je défends de se reculer pour la photo, j’ai bien compris qu’on me faisait faire mes gammes pour le Trad. La journée sera clôturée par un chocolat chaud au camion bar posé sur le parking des grimpeurs. Convenient isn’t it ?

Le lendemain, je continue mon apprentissage avec un footing aux Black rock, maison de "Gaia", La voie où Jean min Trin Thieu s’est cassé la jambe ! Bon… vu du bas… heu… ben …oui, certes, le rocher est pas mal, mais j’ai un peu de mal à saisir le concept du trad extrême, pourquoi n’avoir pas mis de spit si la voie n’est pas protégeable ? Mais parce que c’est la tradition, voyons !!!!

Ok, back to packing, but before I go, here is a video from one of the areas we will visit later on in the trip...



Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Postcards from Paradise - Green Climbers home
11 January 2012, 4:43 am

Can you see the Katana Lace up hiding in the picture?  I promise it is there!

Spot the Shoe... Photo - Caroline CiavaldiniI am lying on my back, half stuck inside a hole on this giant block of Swiss Cheese, trying to figure where to go next.  I squeeze upwards, or is it sideways, limbs twisted and inching slowly... then finally, there it is; the next quickdraw!  You would be forgiven I was caving, but no, this is just another strange and funky route in the mega roof of Pha Tam Kam, the newest discovery in Eastern Laos.

Green Climbers Garden is the creation of Uli and Tanja Weidner, a German couple who visited this area during a round the world trip, and never left!  Hidden away in the Pho Hin Boun NPA, just 12km from Thakhek, this little paradise holds several bungalows, a dorm, central restaurant/bar, as well as really great climbing.

Uli and Tanja are wonderful hosts, and the whole camp has a very relaxed atmosphere, exactly what you expect from Laos.  The best time to visit is November to March, when temperatures actually get quite low.  In December and January, it’s not uncommon to need long trousers and a jacket – essentially perfect conditions for climbing.

I never expected to see something like this!

The area in general is Tufa-central, it is quite similar in appearance to some of the cliffs in Southern Thailand, only with some friction, and without the crowds.  The main event however is the gigantic roof on the right.  20m of horizontal, gloriously featured Emmental.  Huge jugs and slopers, nothing sharp, nothing loose, nothing chipped or glued – this might be the best roof I have climbed in!

James on the finish of Monkey Trail.  Photo - Caroline CiavaldiniThe current hardest route is the spectacular Monkey Trail, 7c+ but much harder lines are just waiting to be bolted.  Having said that, it is not the hard lines that make this place really special, but the easy ones.  It is quite rare for routes in the 6’s to venture into steep terrain, but here you can find 6b’s that tackle almost the entire span, via wonderfully interesting and involved movements – 3D climbing at its best.

The perfect end to a great 1st day!  Photo - Caroline CiavaldiniGreen Climbers Home surpassed all my expectations.  If the rest of the locations we visit over the next few weeks are half as good as this place, we will be very happy indeed.  Tomorrow we will rent a couple of bikes and drive to Kong Lor Cave, where you can float 7km along an underground river, as well as explore some nearby cliffs developed by a French team a few years ago.

Sôhk Dee Deuh

James and Caroline

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Postcards from Paradise - Ban Nam None
16 January 2012, 7:29 am

Finally I find the way...  With the rope bag between my legs, and my backpack on my front, I can take a “comfy” position lay flat out of the wind, as I gun my little 50cc moped, full throttle towards the unknown.  The ease and tranquillity of Green Climbers home has been left behind; we are in search of adventure in the East.

The road is long... After 150km and 3 hours aboard my “hair-dryer”, my ass is numb, but spirits high as we enter the incredible cavern of Kong Lor.  A 7km long watercave, navigated in almost pitch black with a tiny longtail boat is an experience in itself – the incredible stalactites in a central chamber being the icing on the cake.  We leave the cave at just before nightfall with a new friend.  Our guide from the cave offered for us to sleep at his house and eat dinner with his family, which was quite a humbling and eye opening experience.

The next morning we are back on our bikes in search of the small climbing area we had come all this way for.  Ban Name None was opened a few years ago by a small team from France, who over a few weeks opened three new cliffs with around 30 routes up to 8b.  Arriving at the base of the cliff was surprisingly easy, as the thick jungle we had expected had been recently cut back by the local villages – we could drive our bikes directly to the cliff!

The reason for our good fortune turned out to be the local government, whom have recently decided to make the area an Eco-Park.  Climbing is one of the many activities they hope to offer to attract tourists, and work is well underway to make the area as accessible and safe as possible.  Its a good plan, and one I hope works – the next step will be to convince the villages to stop stealing the hangers off the first and second bolts, all of which are currently missing.

Wow!  Not so ugly...  Photo - James PearsonSteep routes on giant tuffas is the order of the day.  Some of the rock is very sharp, and almost all of it is dirty due to lack of visitors.  We would often have to aid the routes first with a big sweeping brush to clean off the spider webs, but after this little bit of effort, we were left with great routes with not a polished hold in sight.

James Pearson on the incredible tufas of Ca Baille Dur.  Photo - Caroline CiavaldiniThe best routes to seek out are Ca Baille Dur - a perfect 7b on glorious jugs and collo’s, and Gross Slame, 8b - one of the rare routes to breach the blank rock between the lines of Tufa (this one was even more memorable as I Flashed it, perhaps making the first ascent in the process?).  The rock continues for several hundred meters in either direction, with mega-impressive features just waiting to be climbed.  With time and motivation invested from the right people, this area could become something really special...

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Postcards from Paradise - Monty Pythons Flying Circus
29 January 2012, 9:12 am

Ben Grasser (mentioned in my last postcard) had recently escaped from Bangkok to open a climbing/adventure camp in the nearby jungle.  Located at Kaeng Koi, the Nam Pha Pa Yai camp is a haven for travellers, climbers, and adventurers, and would soon play host to a New-Year/1 year birthday party for a local climbing group.  The nearby climbing looked great, especially in the easier grades, and so, with a few days spare before flying to the south, and not being ones to turn down a good party, we decided to pay Ben a visit.

The "nerve center" of the opperation...Arriving late in the evening, we followed a rough dirt track to a dark and deserted camp.  Whilst wondering if we were in the wrong place, a head-torch appears through the black, and introduces himself as Ben.  He gives us the quick tour and explains a few necessary precautions, including what to do for a snakebite, and how to check for scorpions in the toilet block. After showing us to our tent, Ben disappears back into the darkness and I start to wonder where it is exactly that we have come.  Whilst falling to sleep, my mind is busy... not with thoughts of whether will we enjoy the next few days, but whether we will survive!

The next morning we join Ben for a visit to the Cliff.  Along the way he explains a little about his ideas for the place and the work he has already done – it is clear how passionate he is, and the amount of hard work and energy he is putting in to make it a success

After a few minutes’ walk, we arrive at a wide river, with the cliff on the other side and no bridge for miles around.  Bens solution is as crazy and exciting as the rest of his project – two giant zip-lines allowing visitors to quickly and easily fly back and forth.  We race across, giddy from the excitement, only to be stopped dead in our tracks by the sight of several huge, very hard looking, unclimbed overhangs.

After climbing the best existing lines on the cliff during the morning, the place begins to fill up with guests of the party, including a national Thai TV crew!  Seeking a little tranquillity among the madness, I hike to the top of the cliff in search of potential new lines to bolt through one of the main overhangs.  Moving around on this big cliff is hard work, but by the end of the day a few new bolts are in place – everything must have a beginning.

Its a tough job, but somebody has to do it!The next day would prove to be long... especially after the late night shenanigans of the party before.  Caroline had a crash course in bolting, and she helped me to finish our new line and project for the day.  On first impressions, the route looked easy, then after a little cleaning and a closer look, really really hard.  I was not overly confident of my chance of success, but fortunately managed to find several good kneebars, allowing me to shuffle my way through the overhanging madness, flashing the first ascent with a big fight.

Caroline in the beginnings of the upside down madness... Photo - Richard EdenCaroline followed with the second in a much more relaxed manner – I am always amazed about how comfortable she looks on overhanging collo’s.  I called the route Monty Pythons Flying Circus, and at 8b, is one of the hardest rotes in Thailand, outside of Krabi.  The name is not only a reference to the upside down acrobatics, but also the giant python who watched me whilst I drilled, cosily curled up in a hole just a few meters away.  You don’t see that every day!

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Postcards from Paradise - Ton Sai... too bad!
5 February 2012, 6:35 pm

I guess the good luck and permanent smiles could not last forever!  This week’s Postcard from Paradise is sadly a little more negative than the last few weeks offerings.  Perhaps we are difficult and ungrateful, perhaps the excellent places we have seen over the last 3 weeks have set our expectations too high?  Either way, if you don’t want to hear about the darker side of travelling, it might be best to skip this and wait until next week.  For easy laughs and a good feeling inside, click ...

This trip to South East Asia was always going to be more about exploration, but after a few weeks of jungle bashing and bolting, the idea of plentiful convenient cragging, and the chance to try some harder routes started to appeal.

We left Bangkok early one morning on a flight to Krabi, and by 10am were searching out a place to stay on a very crowded and smelly Ton Sai beach.  I had spent a few weeks here in 2007 during my first SEA trips, and I was sad to see how rapidly things have changed, and not for the better.

Hectic (usual) scenes at the Ton Sai Roof Ton Sai was never going to win any hygiene awards, but now things are getting grim, with piles of garbage and raw sewage everywhere - there are just too many people for the area to handle.  Terrible stories of contaminated water from neighbouring waste systems, and ugly infections from the dirty sea are common place.  It’s such a shame as the views and situation are breathtaking, truly magnificent – another sad case of paradise lost?

To read the rest of the post, along with more pictures, go to JPClimbing.com

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Postcards from Paradise - Truly Asia
13 February 2012, 9:07 pm

I said the adventure would continue, and boy, what an adventure it was!

We crossed the border to Malaysia, unbeknown to us too late for the last bus or taxi south.  We were stranded, stuck, and generally felt a bit stupid – thankfully, we would soon fall on one of the most helpful people of the trip, a local policeman who would drive us around and organise everything for our unexpected stay in this sleepy little town.



It turns out this kindness is not uncommon in this part of the world (except in taxi drivers) and the next morning we made the short trip to Bukit Keteri, still clueless but forever hopeful that fate, or luck would see us right.  Stopping at a small “cafe” just opposite the impressive Cliff, the locals greet us with a smile and a wave as we drop our heavy packs and sit down.

“Hello, 2 kopi ice please. Oh and do you know a place we can sleep?”

It is as simple as that!  Food, lodgings, and new friends – I am starting to like life in Malaysia.  The cafe is run by Liza, who along with her husband, brother, mother and children, makes us feel completely at home.  Lisa and the kids prepare us a perfect little nest in the shape of a mosquito net on a raised, covered gazebo, and after call us back to the Cafe for the first of many amazing meals. Food at the front, sleeping out the back, and an amazing cliff just across the road – what more can you ask for?Mmmmmmmmm... Me GurengThe climbing at Bukit Keteri is world class and very unique.  Bulging blank bellies of white limestone occasionally dotted with giant pockets and melting tufas make for very powerful and dynamic climbing.  Routes are often bouldery revolving around one specific crux section but there are a few slightly more pumpy offerings, although they are the minority.

The most striking route of the cliff is the amazing 7b+ Belly Button Window.  In addition to being fantastic climbing it is also the most obvious line I have seen in Asia – from the road it stands out like someone has marked it with a highlighter.  Obviously, we made a beeline for it on day one and its quality didn’t disappoint.

Read more and see some pics at JPClimbing

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Asia, England, France, Germany, Spain... Dont stop movin' even if the world stops turnin'
3 March 2012, 12:11 pm

So many things, so many places, and so little time sat in a coffee shop in Spain...  Time is running thin so I will do my best to keep things short and sweet.



Banff European Tour Premier in MunichWe returned from Asia a little earlier than planned to a cold and snowy England.  Training was to be the name of the game, that was until we found some luck in the shape of a white 2001 VW Transporter.  Owning a van has been something I had considered for a long time, but a lack of funds and time has always stopped me from pulling the trigger.

Training took a back seat, squeezed in as an afterthought at the end of each day as time was devoted to converting the back into the perfect little home on wheels.  Perhaps not perfect, but good enough for a winter and spring in Spain and Italy - Insulation, Heater, Electrics, Stove, Grill, Oven... Bed... and a few other little bits and pieces.  With the Van on its way to be finished, we caught the slow boat across the channel and after 2 days were back home in the sunny south.  Training at out local gym, the super steep Altisimo in Grabels, began again in the hope we would miraculously find some of our lost endurance before the imminent departure to Spain.

Oliana is to long what Altissimo is to steep and I was a little intimidated to say the least.  Suddenly the 3 routes a day we had been doing in Asia seemed rather poor groundwork, and dreams of floating up the never-ending tufa began to float away on the breeze.  We warmed up, which is actually an odd act in Oliana as the few routes in the 7’s tend to be less than 15m long – not perfect when the hard routes are all closet to 50m.



Despite my fears, Caroline seemed to be coping pretty well...

To read more, go to JPClimbing.com

Source: James Pearson

[comPiler]

Un Petit Update... Mind Control and Esclatamasters
4 March 2012, 7:08 pm

2 blog posts in 2 days... this makes a pleasant change.  This one will be pretty short but I just wanted to share a few excellent pictures from my friend Francisco Taranto Jr, who is here in Spain with Caro and I.

Approaching the rest on Esclatamasters 9aFrancisco is a freelance photographer who is living a lot "on the road" with his girlfriend Sandra, 2 beautiful children, and his cheeky dog Filipo!  Home for them is wherever some interesting action might be, so if you happen to see them at the cliff, or their giant 80's Mercedes Westfalia, make sure you say hi!  You can check out his website and blog at FotoVertical.org

The last few days have been spent trying a cople of harder routes, one of which got sent, others still a work in progress...  Topping out on Mind Control, one of the longer routes up the centre of Oliana was a nice moment indeed.  Mind Controll is famous for being one of the 8c+'s onsighted by Adam Ondra last year, and so it was interesting to finally see the route in person, and try to comprehend what onsighting something like that entails, especially in the wet.

The top tufa in Mind ControlWith Mind Control in the bag, I moved on to my planned "long term project" in the form of Esclatamasters at the little visited cliff of Perles...

To read more and see the pics, check out JPClimbing.com

Source: James Pearson