[galpinos]

when I clipped the anchors and lowered, I tried not to vomit

Ball Nuts and Big Bros: Conquering No-Fall First Ascents in the Desert Top article on headpointing a sketchy first ascent on dodgy desert sandstone by gnarly-US-tradster-I-had-never-previously-heard-of Molly Mitchell

Whole article unfortunately totally undermined by all the "super empowered" gibberish spouted in this video:



I enjoyed the article but the video had me cringing.....

[cowboyhat]

I like that Missoni sweater.

[SA Chris]

Not chuffing as such, but good words

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=8744

It’s a rare combination, pretty much a cross between geocaching and powerlifting.

[Duma]

I like this bit:

What's next for you?

I’ll probably head out blackberry picking with Rhona when she wakes up.

[cowboyhat]

That picture with Dan and his daughter seems to be missing the credit; whats that sweater he's wearing?

[SA Chris]

Peephole Pringle

[slackline]

Refreshing....

Undiscovered: The Isabelle Faus Profile

[36chambers]

Refreshing....

Undiscovered: The Isabelle Faus Profile

Since hearing she was going out with Chad Greedy I always assumed she was mid-late 30s and was currently at her peak. At 23, it sounds like she's only going to get better. 

[SA Chris]

sponsorship companies would rather put money into cookie-cutter Barbies and CrossFitters.

Meow.

She trains and cross-trains, with at least four days a week of climbing and some other activity almost every single day—usually cardio, yoga, or opposition exercises.

Does cross training not make you cross fit?

[36chambers]

sponsorship companies would rather put money into cookie-cutter Barbies and CrossFitters.

Meow.

She trains and cross-trains, with at least four days a week of climbing and some other activity almost every single day—usually cardio, yoga, or opposition exercises.

Does cross training not make you cross fit?

Depends on how many instagram followers you have.

[BID]

Refreshing....

Undiscovered: The Isabelle Faus Profile

It's glorious to read that. I understand the whole sponsor whoring yourself out thing, always having a over-caffeinated sugary drink company can with the logo facing outwards stuff, but I can't help but feel a little bit violated every time I see it.

Get her a 40 degree board, screw on some micro crimps, get her doing a bit of god bothering and a new messiah could be born.

[Duma]

Balls. For all that I think Faus is awesome, making no effort to put yourself or your acheivements out there and then complaining sponsors aren't interested is nonsense. (I know we've been over this before, and I also think the other extreme is bullshit too. Refusing to play the game is fine, cool even, but to then complain you didn't win is pretty naive at best.)
(And I do think she's fucking great)

[jwi]

Ability vs sponsorship has been hashed out many times here. Here's Nalle's view

Good to see one of the best female climbers in the world finally getting a bit of acknowledgement in the media. Shouldn't someone at the cutting edge for women be all over the news? Good question, to which the answer is - not necessarily in 2016.

“I know I’m one of the best and anyone who really likes climbing knows that too,” she said, “but when it comes down to it, sponsorship companies would rather put money into cookie-cutter Barbies and CrossFitters. I’m a rock climber and I don’t fit into their box, so they simply aren’t interested.”

That's something that's going on in the climbing industry at the moment. There are climbers doing impressive, ground-breaking ascents and barely getting any coverage, while media favorites are making headlines for all their publicity stunts.

Who it's really affecting are the up-and-coming young climbers with a dream of becoming a pro. Often I get asked for advice on how to actually become a pro, and sadly the best advice I can give them in 2016 is to put climbing aside and go to a marketing school. It's become so much about the spray and much less about the content.

This trend is killing off professional climbing for the new generation. Where it seems to be headed, we'll just have climbing models - some who climb relatively hard and some who aren't even really into climbing.

There is great marketing value in top level climbing, like any other sport, but we live in a precarious moment where many companies find it more convenient to tap into the sex appeal aspect. The companies get to decide who they want to sponsor, but ultimately it's you as the consumer who has the power to let them know what you want to see more of.

A picture of a pretty girl climbing a V4 in a bikini is going to pop out more than a grainy photo of someone climbing 9b in the dark. But am I going to walk into the store and buy the pair of shoes she was wearing? Not anytime soon.

Is this just supply and demand - what people want to see? Or merely a direction the climbing industry is swaying towards? Any thoughts?

[submaximal gains]

I nice article from Mark Anderson about sieging a route in Rifle

https://rockclimberstrainingmanual.com/2016/09/26/mark-anderson-sends-shadowboxing-5-14d/

[cheque]

That was really good. I've zero interest in sport climbing or projects at the moment and I still really enjoyed reading it. I must go to Rifle one day.

I’m told hangboarding doesn’t cause forearm hypertrophy. Someone please tell my camera.

He knows full well that crossing your arms like that makes your forearms look massive. 

[SA Chris]

I must go to Rifle one day.

During the process I (or others) broke at least seven holds that I can remember

Really?

[jwi]

Consensus in sport physiology holds that isometric exercises cause hypertrophy

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

[remus]

I must go to Rifle one day.

During the process I (or others) broke at least seven holds that I can remember

Really?

Sounds mint. Just like the tor, except taping rubber to your body isn't frowned upon (acceptable, even!)

[cheque]

Really?

I imagine the routes I'd be climbing will have cleaned up a bit more than the 9a he did.

I've just always liked the idea of Rifle- I'm drawn to "take the rough with the smooth" kind of places for some reason, the situations look spectacular, the history of the routes is interesting, I like the US sport climbing scene atmosphere and I'm told that the style (again, probably more the 11s and 12s than the 14s) would suit me.

[dave]

I nice article from Mark Anderson about sieging a route in Rifle

https://rockclimberstrainingmanual.com/2016/09/26/mark-anderson-sends-shadowboxing-5-14d/

Nice article, than he drops this punchline at the end.

It wasn’t an experience I enjoyed....

[guypercival]

"At my moment of greatest doubt, although not uttered particularly loud, I heard clearly, as though he were standing next to me, Dave Graham* calmly urge “Allez”.  I can’t explain it.  It wasn’t the word but the way he said it–like he was talking to himself, and sincerely wanted me to do it.  That was the difference, and in that moment I chose to do it.  I slapped up and stuck it."

Brilliant reading stuff like this makes me want go out and siege. I remember quite a few years ago when I was having some Redpoint goes on a project and I happened to have that poster of Rich Simpson on A Muerte (I think it came with one of the climbing magazines) in my bag. I placed it on a boulder at the foot of the climb hoping it would inspire me and give me the edge.
Unfortunately it didn't and I didn't get the route.

[Fultonius]

Dave Graham must be an inspiration to climb with. Objectively weak as, but very, very happy for others to climb hard in hi presence (no ego as far as I'm aware) and mind-blowing wizard skills to learn from.

[moose]

Objectively weak as

That's a stern definition of weak you have...

[Fultonius]

Objectively weak as

That's a stern definition of weak you have...

Ha.... true!   "Weak as" meaning way, way stronger than most mortals but still a good bit behind many other top boulderers in the pure power/strength stakes.

[slackline]

Games Climbers Play by Lito Tejada-Flores