Consumed by climbing.
Climbing is Christian's profession, hobby, lifestyle and focus 24/7.
Route: Spy Fiction, 5.14c
Special Thanks to Kalene Asato
Video: Eric Fallecker
]]>29 year old French Bouldering star Mickael Mawem is the younger brother of Speed climbing star Bassa Mawem. When the two discovered climbing, Mickael and Bassa pushed each other and soon came onto the radar of the French National team.
Although Mickael has been a mainstay of the French Bouldering team for many years, his looks and attitude deceive you into believing he is younger than he is. Maybe it is his dynamic, flowing bouldering style and comfort with modern dynamic movement which tends to more be the domain of the next generation of climbers.
It comes as a surprise to many as well that Mickael has never won or even medaled at an IFSC World Cup. He has however performed exceptionally well in many events, including taking the victory in the 2019 European Bouldering Championships. This along with the social media presence of the brothers “Les Frères Mawem” pages (managed by Mickael) means that Mickael is a well-recognized figure in competition circles.
The biggest highlights of Mickael’s career so far all seemed to come in the second half of 2019. With the aforementioned European Champs victory, and of course the big one, qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics at the Hachioji World Champs.
Until the European Championships in 2020, 20 year old Mad Rock athlete Viktoriia Meshkova was a name unknown to many outside of Russia.
To the experienced viewer though, Viktoriia was a name that arose regularly in European and World Youth events, as well as in the Russian domestic competitions. With a 4th place finish in the 2019 Youth World Championship in Lead, and a silver medal at the European Youth Championship that same year, it was clear that Viktoriia is a climber of great potential. Potential that was realized with her incredible run of success in the 2020 European Championships, where she walked away as European champion in Lead, Boulder and most importantly Combined, the last title securing her one of the last sought after Olympic berths.
Originally from Yekaterinburg, an industrial city deep within central Russia and not known for it’s climbing, Viktoriia moved swiftly through the domestic youth ranks, earning her first World Cup start in 2017. In her first World Cup outing she secured a spot in the semi-finals in Briancon, a sign of the potential the young star had.
Following that strong start, Viktoriia displayed the patchy form we are so used to in youth competition, alternating between strong results and moments of anonymity where she would be buried deep in the results sheet.
It wasn’t until she came under the tutelage of Russian competition climbing legend Dmitrii Sharafutdinov that the youthful inconsistency began to be ironed out. Along with the experience of being a 3 times World Champion in Bouldering, Dmitrii is also a superb physical and mental coach and it is no doubt that his programs were incredibly beneficial to Viktoriia as she was forced to train through a long period of lockdown due to Covid-19 in the lead up to the 2020 European Championships.
In short, Viktoriia Meshkova is an incredibly talented young climber who will be one to watch in the Olympics and beyond.
Words and Images by The Circuit Climbing
]]>Alexey Rubtsov is a legend of the competition climbing world, known for his rapid ascent into the elite ranks of global bouldering. Coming into the sport as a 17-year-old, Alexey was Bouldering World Champion at 20, a feat that may never be repeated!
Coming up through the hard training Russian system, Alexey was lucky enough to begin training with established World Cup legends like Rustam Gelmanov. Although these training relationships would not last it was great for giving Alexey an insight into the training required to be a member of the world elite.
The outcome of this hard training and hard climbing philosophy was that Alexey became one of the preeminent competition boulderers of the last decade, a constant threat in World Cup finals.
Then, just when it looked like the stars would align for Olympic qualification it all went wrong for the Russian legend. Mid crux on a problem in finals at The Rock, Ljubljana in 2019, Alexey tore his bicep tendon away from its attachment and it looked like the Olympic dream was over.
In a strange twist of circumstance the global outbreak of Covid-19 caused the postponement of many of the qualification events and that allowed Alexey the time he required to rehabilitate and get back into the physical condition he needed to be in with a chance of qualification. It was a chance he took with both hands, securing an Olympic berth by winning the European champs, his last opportunity to qualify.
Now Alexey can focus on training for what may well be the swansong of his illustrious career, putting in the hours in his gym in Moscow, aptly named Climb In Tokyo.
Words and images by The Circuit Climbing
]]>Bassa Mawem - France
Jan Hojer - Germany
Micky Mawem - France
Victoriia Meshkova - Russia
]]>German Mad Rock star Jan Hojer occupies a rarefied position in the ranks of competition greats. Although still in his 20’s, Jan has achieved iconic status in the sport due not only to his string of strong results, but to his friendly, approachable demeanor. Indeed, Jan’s approach to competition and the status success brings could be blueprinted and given to up-and-coming elite climbers under the title “How to achieve greatness without losing your soul!”
The above may come across as a little sycophantic, but it is truly a reflection of Jan’s approach to the sport and a legacy of how well he has managed to blend the two sides of being an ambitious, competitive athlete with being a grounded and friendly human being. Something athletes in every sport face as both themselves and the sport they compete in, grow in stature.
Despite being a multiple World Cup winner, a World Cup season overall winner and an Olympic qualifier, Jan has remained a grounded human, working hard as an ambassador for climbing and always there to cheer his competition on.
Sure, Jan knows how to play the game and during an event his gamesmanship is often clearly visible, indeed he is probably on a very short list of top climbers who can play the mental side of climbing competition as well as the physical. Watching Jan Hojer in his prime is watching a professional who knows his limits. Where to push, where to back off, what is required to optimize his performance on the day. Any fan of competition climbing will remember times when Jan has walked away from a problem (sometimes not even attempting it) to conserve energy when he is sure he has done enough to progress on from a round. Fans will also remember when he has gone all out to complete a problem, once attempting a dyno 16 times in four minutes before his 17th attempt was successful and secured him victory in that World Cup.
With his experience and tactical nous Jan is definitely one to watch at the Olympics and beyond!
Words and images by The Circuit Climbing
]]>Hard trad climbing is what first drew me to Mad Rock hardware. I was developing and projecting some gear-protected climbs at the Oak Creek Waterfall, near Sedona, Arizona. I wanted a perfect quickdraw for extending cams and clipping nuts or other small gear, something light, low profile, and reliable.
The Ultra Light Wire Draw was the perfect draw for the task. They have the right balance of attributes for a trad and multipitch quickdraw. They are light and low profile for racking up on a long pitch but still large enough for good handling. The action on the wire gate carabiners is excellent and stays that way over time, unlike other lightweight quickdraws I’ve used.
Gemini Dragonfire 5.13R First Ascent. Screenshot from Progression Part Three, credit Blake McCord
As I continued doing first ascents and developing new areas, I started using some Mad Rock Sentinel Hangers and XL Steel Screw Gate carabiners. I’ve used hundreds of the stainless steel Sentinel hangers for new sport climbs, multipitch routes, and anchors on trad first ascents. I also started equipping anchors with the XL Steel Screw Gate carabiners. It feels great when I reach an anchor and clip a huge steel locker for the belay or lower off.
As I began to spend more time clipping bolts, I picked up a set of the Bottlenose Quickdraws, and these have become my all-time favorite draw for sport climbing. Even Carrie, my main climbing partner and wife, who is admittedly quite particular about her gear, abandoned her long-loved Petzl Spirit draws in favor of the Bottlenose. They are a robust, great handling, thick-boned quickdraw with subtle features like the spine ridges, which make stick-clipping much easier than with other draws.
The Bottlenose Quickdraw in action on Super Vector 5.13c, Flagstaff, AZ. Photo Rob Miller
The most recent additions to my kit have been the Lifeguard belay device and Safeguard device. The Lifeguard is an assisted-braking belay device with great rope feeding action, a low profile, light weight, and all metal construction for durability. It has become my go-to belay device and using it is an easy transition for climbers who have experience with other assisted-braking devices like the GriGri. Mad Rock’s Gemini Carabiner is a great belay carabiner to pair with the Lifeguard. It is the most intuitive and easiest to use dual-action type carabiner I have used.
The Safeguard device is a springless Lifeguard’; this feature makes it quickly and reliably grab the rope to stop feeding or descent. This makes it perfect for a single rope rappel device for route development and rope work. I quickly got used to the secure rope grab and handling of this device and it is my favorite for developing work. It really is a pretty unique device and makes work on a single line considerably easier than any other assisted-braking device I’ve used.
To round out their line of climbing gear, Mad Rock has started offering dynamic lead ropes. I had a chance to try the Lite 9.4 Climbing Rope in a 70 meter length. Out of the box it has a smooth, tight weave, and a great feel. The Lite rope is right in the middle between supple and stiff, and to me has the perfect feel for a lead line. I have not put enough pitches on the rope to speak to its durability, but the tightness of the weave and the hand-feel suggest to me that it will be a very long-lasting rope.
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Soon however Bassa’s attentions were turned to Speed, the discipline where he found his calling. A 5 x French Speed champion and 2 x IFSC Speed World Cup overall champion, Bassa had found his place in the sport. Then, when the opportunity to qualify for the Olympics arose, Bassa broadened his training to encompass Lead and Boulder as well as Speed. A choice that paid off when he secured his qualification through the Olympic qualifying event in Toulouse, joining his brother Mickael in completing the French quota.
Within his chosen discipline of Speed Bassa is known for his smooth consistent style, loping up the 15-metre route with controlled efficiency. His economic style will be all important in the Olympics as in timed qualifying it takes a different mentality to knock out racing, and Bassa’s consistency will pay dividends.
At 35, Bassa is the oldest climber qualified for the Olympics and one of only a couple who has a child. Yet Bassa has managed to balance fatherhood with work and training, finding his greatest success in competition as he has matured. Indeed even at the age of 35 he is looking forward to the Olympic games in Paris as the time to sign out, not the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo.
Words and images by The Circuit Climbing Media
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The pandemic has changed the lives of everyone, and many of the stories and situations are negative. Social distancing, face masks, elbow bumps, no school……. What happened? My family was no different when it came to the pandemic and making changes.
Each of my three daughters had to make a decision about how they wanted to attend school this year. Two of my girls chose to return to in-person classes when they became available. So while school was still closed, they had zoom classes every hour, meetings with teachers, and a bunch of accountability. My climber kid, Lilly, decided to stay online and go to Chandler Online Academy. This means she has no zoom classes, no teacher meetings-- only has to connect to wifi to do her homework, turn it in at the end of the week, and log attendance.
I started thinking- WE COULD GO CLIMBING! But we are in a pandemic...How? Where?
Living in the Southwest and a climber of 27 years, Hueco Tanks has always been our winter go-to crag. I became a commercial guide for Hueco Tanks 3 years ago since I was spending too much paying guides for private tours just so I could go climbing with my friends. Now, I have an easy way to take my daughter out climbing in the back country without anyone else on our tour. With Hueco as the plan, I contacted Gleatherland- a nearby property with yurts and RV’s for rent while staying and climbing at Hueco and a place we have stayed many times before.
Thinking of being sensitive to pandemic conditions (El Paso was starting to explode with COVID cases at this time in early Nov.), I made reservations for the NOMAD, one of the larger trailers. This trailer made the trip possible, Lilly had her own space to spread out and do homework, and I was able to stay on top of operations for my gym, Focus Climbing Center. Armed with an obscene amount of hand sanitizer and face masks we left PHX. We stuffed as much foam as we could carry, and groceries/snacks for every meal, every single day into my truck. Eliminating the need to go into ELP for any food or supplies throughout our trip.
Lily prepping meals in the NOMAD
We went to Hueco for about two weeks before Thanksgiving, and everything was empty. Gleatherland had one other car while we were there, and the park was a ghost town. No lines at the front gate, no cars at HQ, and maybe 4-5 cars at Pond Parking. While we were climbing, I would hear radio traffic of 2-3 other tours out climbing. It wasn't until the weekend before Thanksgiving that we actually saw another tour in the backcountry. Seeing another human besides my daughter at this time was quite exciting.
Our typical day started around 6:50am- then heading out the door to drive into the park by 8:20am. Again, no cars at the front gate, and no line at HQ. The park HQ streamlined commercial tours for checking in, so there was very little personal contact with the rangers or other climbers while checking in for tours. From HQ, we would drive to either the front side of East Mtn, or the East Spur, only to find empty parking lots. It was the start of the high season at Hueco, and there was NO ONE THERE.
We would load up our pads- each of us would carry two- and we would head out for the day. While out on the rock, we never had to wait for another tour to leave the spot we wanted to go as we had the park to ourselves. In fact, one afternoon we went in to try and take down a project. As we drove by HQ, the park ranger who took our tour form said “keep an eye out there for us, you two are the only ones on the mountain.” I have never seen the birthplace of American bouldering empty. In a way, it was eerily awesome.
How is Hueco so empty? One, the self-guided mountain (North Mtn) only allows for 70 people per day, so no massive crowds. If you want to see the other 2.5 mountains, you must hire or arrange for a guide to take you out on tour. Most guides head to Hueco for the winter to climb and make money guiding by taking out tours of 6-10 people. With the pandemic, guides are only taking out select friends/family. Without the opportunity to make an income this season, many guides haven’t even shown up.
What about the climbing?- because this is what we really want to hear about. Most of the days we were chilling in jeans and a hoody. The sun was warm, and shady rock would get chilly as soon as your climbing shoes were off. Overall, great temps for sending without freezing. Lilly had an exhaustive list of mega classic test pieces: Eckstein, Full Service, Sunshine, Glas Roof, Bushleague, and The Egg were some of the problems she wanted to tick off. For me, I wanted to climb on some new problems without getting stuck chucking laps for 2 weeks. I’ve climbed in this park for 12 years over the past 20 , and have eaten most/all the low hanging fruit in the park. Most of what I have left to climb are problems not suited to my style, problems above my ability zone, or anything new that I haven't seen. Needless to say, I still have a lot to do.
Lily Czerwinski on “Full Service” V10 in East Mountain
Since I have been there so much, I would let Lilly pick the spot to climb that day, then we would head out. Most of the problems she wanted to climb were really hard for her, so there isn’t much progress at times. As a climber of 27 years, I love watching Lilly work on her projects. Systematically going after each individual move with focus and determination until she would get it. If she was getting shut down, her relentless attack of the move would not stop until she felt “progress”, which could be the slightest of movements within a move. Sometimes negativity would take over, and I was not sure she would pull out of it. But sure enough, she finds that sliver of hope which keeps her going, finding a way to keep believing in what seems impossible.
Joe Czerwinski on ‘Gatecrasher”, a recent Jason Kehl addition in West Mountain
I noticed a dramatic difference in her climbing and mine, and I don’t know when this change in me happened, but it did happen. I have forgotten how to project. I have forgotten how to try hard, and be OK with not getting a move. I have grown into a climber that is very impatient and intolerant of my own lack of execution, especially when I am trying at my limit. It makes me lose perspective on what I’m there for, and what I’m trying to accomplish and provide for my kid.
Separately, I am thankful to spend so much one-on-one time with her that I would never have if life was “normal”. All of the small jokes and conversations that would take place throughout the day are things I never get at home- only because we are living in a trailer for 2 weeks. Getting to see her grow as a climber and learn about life was an invaluable experience that a classroom could not provide. Going out to climb, appreciating where we were, and the beauty and history around us, was something we will have long after this pandemic is gone.
BIO- Joe has called himself a climber for almost 3 decades and has been part of the Mad Rock Climbing family for over 15 years. He shares his passion for climbing through his bouldering gym, Focus Climbing Center, which he opened in 2013. His love for the sport is only matched by that of his family.
]]>Fueled by White Claw and Cheer, pro athletes Matt Fultz and Taylor McNeill sample as many classic boulders that Joshua Tree National Park and Black Mountain have to offer in just three days!
Problem Highlights -Iron Resolution -Planet X -Scatter Brain SDS -Allegory of the Cave (Approachable?) -Allegory of the Cave Left Variation (FA) -Dark Horse (Approachable) -Man is the Bastard -San Soleil
#climbingisourpassion #definedbypassion #padtalk
Recorded Jan 2020
Video by Three Peak Films
]]>High adventure on low quality rock is the essence of Sedona’s climbing history. While I dabbled in climbing the red rock classics, they never grabbed me or kept my attention for long. After nearly a decade of climbing elsewhere in Northern Arizona, I have returned to Sedona to seek out hard climbs on good rock. Could they exist?
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Until recently, climbers knew Sedona, Arizona mostly for vortexes, Pink Jeeps, and chossy climbing.
Low angle, high adventure.
Sedona mud cracks at their finest
High adventure on low quality rock is the essence of Sedona’s climbing history. While I dabbled in climbing the red rock classics, they never grabbed me or kept my attention for long. After nearly a decade of climbing elsewhere in Northern Arizona, I have returned to Sedona to seek out hard climbs on good rock. Could they exist?
Zach Harrison on the hero headwall of Dickel’s Delight. Photo Blake McCord
In recent years, the story of Sedona climbing has been rewritten by a handful of local climbers. I’ve jumped in with the leaders of the new-wave push, Blake McCord and Zach Harrison, and added several of my own first ascents.
Two of the finest new routes I’ve opened with Blake are The Cousin of Death(5.13+, 5 pitches) and Dickel’s Delight (5.13c, 6 pitches).
Bouldery laybacking on The Cousin of Death. Photo Blake McCord
The tenuous stemming on The Cousin of Death. Photo Blake McCord
Both of these routes climb the Coconino sandstone, a harder rock layer better suited for climbing than the red rock of many of the Sedona classics. The rock quality of the Coconino is excellent for western sandstone and forms splitter cracks, clean corners, and sculpted crimps.
The Cousin of Death is an incredible new free line with three crux pitches; a technically demanding and grueling 40-meter stemming corner, a tips crack roof featuring ‘ballistic laybacking’, and an overhung splitter seam and finger crack.
The right shoe for each pitch was key to my success. The original Remora was perfect for the desperate smearing and insecure stemming of the corner pitch, while the Drone LV edged perfectly on the tiny chips and small crack holds of the splitter seam.
In Spring 2020, during quarantine, I began working on freeing Dickel’s Delight, an aid line established by Brian Smith and John Govi in 1997
The Dickel’s Delight buttress.
The route turned out to be an incredible free climb with a 45-meter crux pitch featuring thin seam layback and double-crack compression cruxes.
Twin-crack compression on Dickel’s Delight
The Drone LV was my go-to not only for the technical seam climbing of this pitch but the entire route.
Rope soloing on Dickels Delight
Once lockdown restrictions loosened, Blake joined me on the wall and we were able to open the route as a free climb.
Each pitch of the route is unique and excellent.
The thin seam crux on Dickels Delight. Photo Blake McCord
The excellent rock, beautiful setting, and intricate movement of these new climbs makes them truly special.
Sedona’s climbing story is changing slowly, and these new difficult and excellent routes are just the beginning.
Creative stemming on Dickel’s Delight. Photo Blake McCord
If you are interested in learning more about these climbs, visit grassroutesclimbing.wordpress.com or check out @joelunema on Instagram. Feel free to contact me for more information.
Huge thanks to Mad Rock Climbing for supporting development by providing hardware and footwear to make these new lines possible.
Thanks also to Blake McCord, my climbing partner, and incredible photographer and videographer. Check out his work at www.mccordmedia.org.
]]>My first V16 and longest project Hypno was established by Daniel Woods in 2010, and has gained a reputation as one of the hardest and crimpiest lines in the world.
This is the 4th ascent after DW, Rustam Gelmanov, and Dave Graham
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To hear more about Matt Fultz's send and tactics used, check out The Nugget Climbing Podcast. Click the link below:
]]>Sitting on the mats below the bouldering wall at my local climbing gym, I shout words of encouragement as I watch fellow climbers hurl themselves up the wall. As I am observing, in envy, I notice something that I have never recognized before. Some climbers' shoulder blades shift away from their spines into what closely resembles bird wings as they reach above their heads, and their necks disappear as soon as they match their hands on a handhold in a desperate attempt to set up for the following sequence.
]]>June 2020
Sitting on the mats below the bouldering wall at my local climbing gym, I shout words of encouragement as I watch fellow climbers hurl themselves up the wall. As I am observing, in envy, I notice something that I have never recognized before. Some climbers' shoulder blades shift away from their spines into what closely resembles bird wings as they reach above their heads, and their necks disappear as soon as they match their hands on a handhold in a desperate attempt to set up for the following sequence.
Six months Earlier: January 2020
After completing nearly three hundred hours of physical therapy and developing genuine hatred toward exercise bands and anybody who uses the words, you, should, and rotator cuffs in the same sentence, I tried to climb again. It was great at first - I worked my way up the V-ladder very quickly. There was only one issue: it hurt. I practiced single hard moves that forced me to twist my shoulder in awkward positions, then, "Pop!" I am on the ground again and again with a dislocated shoulder. "Why does this keep happening?" I thought, "I rehab and work out every damn day!" How many of us have asked ourselves similar questions and felt frustration from our efforts not translating to sending harder climbs?
Well, I later learned the answer for me was quite simple: I was training hard in all the wrong ways. I was doing exercises that reinforced my bad habits without realizing it. Such a lack of body awareness repeated over many years caused me to get stuck in the same patterns that eventually resulted in a labral tear in my shoulder.
Above: Pre-injury training session at VRG, Honolulu, HI. Photo by Ryan Colle
Exercise: 1-3-5-9 on campus board. Another example of overused traps and lack of core activation.
February 2020
I cried a lot more than I ever want to admit and consulted more physicians and physical therapists than I could afford. Then an athletic trainer referred me to Dan Hislop, the strength and conditioning coach for football and swim & diving at the University of Nevada, Reno. He offered to work with me, not on rehab, but strengthening.
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
(Right) Dan Hislop, strength and conditioning coach for football and swim & diving at the University of Nevada, Reno.
On day one, we completed a series of bodyweight exercises to assess my level of fitness. I realized within the first five minutes of my session with Dan that I had my work cut out for me. He had me crawling on all fours focusing on core activation and scapular protraction. I felt beads of sweat dripping down my face after completing only ten feet of what ended up becoming the most challenging drill of my life.
Phase 1, Day 1: Back to the Basics
*Pre-workout |
Forward Crawling: 2x10 yards |
|
Serratus Supine Reach: 3x10 second hold |
|
Scapular Protraction and Retraction: 3x5 |
Exercise A1 |
Neutral Grip Pull-up: 3x3 **Tempo: 3/0/x/2 |
Exercise B1 |
Goblet Squat: 3x5 Tempo: 5/0/x/0 |
Exercise B2 |
Deadbug: 3x8 each side |
Exercise C1 |
Chest Supported Row: 3x5 Tempo: 0/0/x/2 |
Exercise C2 |
Front Plank: 3x20 seconds |
Exercise D1 |
Barbell Romanian Deadlift: 3x5 Tempo: 3/0/3/0 |
Exercise E1 |
Kettle Bell Carry: 2x30 yards |
*Left column indicates the flow of the workout. Do all exercises in each alphabetical category in order. If there are multiple exercises per alphabet, complete the exercises as a superset, or one right after another. **Tempo: Time under tension. · The first number represents the number of seconds it takes to complete the start of the movement (up or down). · The second number represents the number of seconds in a pause at the end of the first movement. · The third number represents the number of seconds it takes to complete the second movement of the exercise (up or down). X denotes an explosive motion. · The last symbol represents the number of seconds to pause at the end of the second motion. |
Dan designed the workouts in phases. This phase was to help me reset and to teach myself how to engage the muscles that I have not been using all this time. Each exercise is a part of a progression and can be altered for increased difficulty over time.
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Deadbug with medicine ball. Deadbugs can start with no weight and eventually progress to include bands and weight for increased resistance.
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Barbell Row
May 2020
"Shoulders back, show the rack," repeated in my mind like a ceremonial chant as I worked my way up a V0. I calculated each move, pulled my shoulder blades back, shifted my weight, moved my feet, and suddenly I felt like I was floating up the wall. It felt effortless, and I was finally climbing how I'd always dreamt of climbing. I feel strength and elegance all at the same time, and I owe it all to weightlifting and Dan's instruction.
Above: Base Camp Climbing Gym, Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Post training climbing session. Notice the shoulder blades are pushed back and down.
Phase 2, Day 2:
Pre-workout |
Kneeling Serratus Anterior with PVC Pipe: 3x6 Tempo: 0/0/x/5 |
Exercise A1 |
Hang Clean Pull: 4x2 |
Exercise B1 |
Goblet Reverse Lunge: 4x5 each side |
Exercise B2 |
Deadbug: 3x5 |
Exercise C1 |
Neutral Grip Pull-up: 4x2 (increasing weight each set) |
Exercise C2 |
Single Arm Dumbbell Bench Press: 4x5 Tempo: 0/2/x/0 |
Exercise D1 |
Goblet Lateral Lunge: 3x5 each side |
Exercise D2 |
Back Extension: 3x6 Tempo: 3/0/x/5 |
Exercise D3 |
Single-leg Squat to Bench: 4x6 Tempo: 4/0/x/0 |
Exercise E1 |
Goblet Carry: 3x30 yards |
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Kneeling Serratus Anterior with PVC Pipe. Function: Lower trap activation.
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Neutral Grip Pull-up
June 2020
I learned that weightlifting is a skill. It requires close attention to form, and it isn't always possible to notice our shortcomings. Having a trainer helped me understand the ways I compensate movements and recognize the cues to complete exercises with proper form. I also learned that I had developed a motor pattern throughout my years of climbing that most likely caused my shoulder injury. It was my lats or latissimus dorsi to be exact, but where were they all this time?
Dan reminded me over and over to push my shoulders down and engage my lats. He continued to tap my mid-sides (near the shoulder blades) during exercises to cue me to use previously neglected muscles. Then, after about a month, it clicked. Those pull-ups that always gave me pain no longer hurt. My shoulders were more stable on the climbing wall than they have ever been. The best part of it all was that my body awareness increased, and I can now identify the muscles that are not activating when they should be during specific movements on the climbing wall.
Above: Base Camp Climbing Gym, Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Post training climbing session.
I didn't start to notice a difference in my climbing until phase 3 of my training plan. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, I continued to train three days a week, which included facetime sessions with Dan. I saw a significant change in the positioning of my shoulder blades, and it was all happening naturally.
Phase 3, Day 1:
Pre-workout |
Lateral Bear Crawl: 3x5 yards each side |
Pre-workout |
Wall Ball Rotation: 3x10 seconds each side |
Exercise A1 |
Hang Power Clean: 2x3 and 2x2 (increasing weight after each set) |
Exercise B1 |
5 Position Front Squat (quarter, half, full, half, quarter): 4x3 Tempo: 0/2/x/0 |
Exercise B2 |
Hard Roll Hold: 3x3+3 breathes each side |
Exercise C1 |
Pull-up: 2x3 and 3x2 Tempo: 0/0/x/1 (increasing weight after each set) |
Exercise C2 |
Hollow Rocks: 4x15 |
Exercise D1 |
Single-leg Romanian Dead Lift: 4x4 each side |
Exercise D2 |
Bat Wings with kettlebells: 4x15 second hold |
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Front squat starting position
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Front squat lowered position with corrections from Dan.
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Single-leg RDL with kettlebell
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Exercise: Hard Roll Hold
Above: Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Dan demonstrating front squat form and elbow positioning for power cleans.
Power cleans taught me more than just how to lift weights into the air. It taught me an unimaginable amount of body awareness. It may not be immediately apparent as a relevant exercise for climbing, but to be honest, this exercise was a game-changer for me. It is a full-body explosive motion that taught me how to generate power from my legs while maintaining a strong core and shoulders. It also changed the way I approach moves in climbing. Before, I often opted for a "whatever it takes" approach to stick the move. Now I can identify every muscle that needs to engage and its approximate percentage of capacity before I set foot off of the ground.
Above: Base Camp Climbing Gym, Reno, NV. Photo by, Kyle Ray
Post training climbing session.
Many climbers have given me varying advice for climbing harder. Climb more, hang board, campus board, yoga, calisthenics, you name it. These may all be very true, but I believe the key to my climbing was the development of my mind-muscle connection. Weightlifting enabled me to complete challenging repetitive movements and having a strength coach allowed me to develop the correct patterns of movement.
Above: Kirkwood, CA Photo by, Laure Saint Georges
Keep in mind that I am not an expert in exercise physiology, nor am I certified to give anybody medical advice. I am writing this blog to reflect on how I changed my cross-training methods over the last six months and how it affected my climbing.
I can say with confidence that training with a professional strength coach was the best investment I have ever made for my health. Learning how to perform exercises with correct form was not only good for my shoulders but it also significantly improved my knowledge of body positioning. Now, as I sit below the bouldering wall observing fellow climbers, I pay particular attention to their intricate movements beyond the simple positioning of their limbs. I can see very clearly, the activation of specific muscles and how it propels them to move up the wall.
Above: South Lake Tahoe, CA Photo by, Kyle Ray
For more information about training with Dan Hislop, contact dhislop@unr.edu. Dan offers in person one-on-one sessions, small group sessions, individualized workout plans, and online face-to-face workout sessions.
Autobiography
When I’m not planning my next climbing trip or looking for new rock around my hometown of Boone, NC, I am a flooring installer for Futurist Climbing and climbing wall builder for Wallsmithclimbing. You could call me a gym developer. Haha
This gig work-related lifestyle allows me to have big chunks of time to go climb, without having to ask off work. It’s a lot of time in a hotel or airplane, but it's worth it!
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Corona-cation
This trip was one to remember! Between epic lines, snowstorms, COVID-19 making its way into the United States, and an earthquake the last day of the trip, I honestly don't know where to begin. What started as a Joes Valley trip, turned into a Utah tour with friend and teammate, Taylor Mcneill. Bruce, aka Threepeakfilms was amped to come along and document the trip!
I had planned this trip around a work gig in Salt Lake City. After work, I'd have a week or so to climb in Joe's Valley before heading home. Rolling into Joes, the first place we went to was Right Fork. I had to see Taylor's mega project! Spanner compression, thuggy climbing out a perfect swooping arete, right by a creek! It looked amazing! I was barely able to span the moves, but barely means you can do it! I knew this one would take up all of my time if I let myself get sucked in though. So, after grabbing grips and making sure I could span it, while Taylor sprayed me down, we jetted over to a classic Jason Kehl line called Counter Clockwork(V11). This one was wild! It reminded me of how arbitrary grades are. Sometimes a climbs fits you and sometimes they don't. That's what makes bouldering so fun! We all get to enjoy the same fight, whether its V2 or V15. Being a little taller, Taylor ran laps on Counter Clockwork, while I struggled to span everything. After Taylor did a longer version that follows the arete to a spicy ending, and I started regressing on the tensiony toe hook section, we moved down the road to another one called Simple Twist of Fate(V10). One of my favorites from the trip! It climbed out a perfect bulge on some of the coolest grips I've ever grabbed. Truly, a compression climbers dream!
Simple Twist of Fate(V10) - Photo by Threepeaks
Another highlight of my time in Joes was trying Trents Mom(V10). I'd seen a video of this climb on an old media website from the early 2000s called norope.com. I'd always wanted to try it! Bullet, black sandstone, up a 18-foot face, made up of jump moves on crimps and a hard drive by off one of the weirdest pockets I've ever had to use. It was just as sick as the video from my childhood. To see Taylor smash it, go to Madrock's youtube channel!
After a rest day and some sleep, we got word of snowstorms in Joes Valley, and decided to check out the Ogden/27th street boulders, just outside Salt Lake City. It was both of our first times to the boulder. Taylor and I both did the classic cave line Pins and Feathers(V11) pretty quickly and decided to try Spiritwalker(V14). We managed to piece together most of the moves and made some ok links, but it was kind of warm and we started getting tired. To finish the day, we did a cool line on the right side of the cave called Blood and Fire(V10) and decided it was time for pizza!
Last move of Pins and Feathers(V11) - Photo by Threepeaks
Setting up for last move of Blood and Fire(V10) - Photo by Threepeaks
We were planning on camping out in Joes Valley the next night, but with the rising severity of COVID-19 we decided it'd be smarter to hang around the house in Salt Lake and take it easy. I had a lot of things I wanted to do on this trip. I wanted to get back to Trents Mom(V10) and Counter Clockwork(V11). I also wanted to see The Last Great One(V13). It's a bummer the trip was cut short but public safety is more important than my own selfish wants. Regardless, I was psyched to sample some of the best stone in Utah. Can't wait to get back!
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It was the night before my attempt of Sendero Luminoso with my sister Maddy. It would be my second big wall, and definitely the hardest one I’d ever attempted. Looking up, there was just enough light to see the top of one of the largest climbable mountains I’ve ever experienced in my life – 1500 vertical feet.
I ducked my head into the two-person tent. Carefully avoiding Maddy as I worked my way into my sleeping bag, I lay in bed looking up at the concealed stars and brightness that comprise our universe. I thought about Brad. Luminoso, I had found out that night, was where his accident had occurred. I thought about what it must be like the night before you die. If he had known, how would it affect his decisions? Would it change the goals that he set himself throughout his life?
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I led the first pitch. It had crack climbing on it. It was vertical. When I reached the top of the 130-foot pitch, I looked up. It was as if I had covered no distance at all – nearly 1400 feet to go. I set up a grigri and started yarding up our second, blue rope. As I flaked it left, then right, some of the coils fell, and I had to restart. Then, as I belayed Maddy on our red rope, I flaked it on top of the blue one. By the time she got to me, she was horrified.
“Jes, this is a mess!”
The blue and red ropes had started blending together, and they tangled as we pulled them apart.
“Give it to me, I’ll do it,” she said.
We continued onto the second pitch, this time a 12D with intricate moves up the vertical face. Just smears for feet. I got to the second anchor. It was already hour 2, and it looked like we had still barely moved on the massive wall. I started the flaking process. Blue, then as Maddy climbed, red, careful not to mix them this time.
It was better - but, once again, we had to untangle them. The clock was ticking.
We continued smearing, jamming, wiggling our way up the unrelenting giant stone. It took us a little over an hour to get through each pitch. The climbing was slow, but the hauling and rope management proved all the more time consuming.
By pitch 4, the inevitable happened. I had to go BOOM BOOM. Maybe it was my colitis, maybe it was all those bean tacos for the last 7 nights in a row. But there was nothing to do. A party was below us, waiting for their turn – for sure not wanting to be defecated on. On top of pitch 5 is a ledge where you can stop, not sit in your harness, and pack your fecal matter off the climb.
Pitch 5: one of the most painful and challenging 12A’s I’ve ever had to do. I really had to go!
I made it to the ledge. Shaking. Just barely making it. The sun already starting to make its decent. Maddy soon joined me on the ledge, also relieved for a chance at relief. We both looked up, longing to continue. But we didn’t have to say much to know what the smart choice was. We had a snack looking out across the city of Hidalgo and the mountains in the background and started packing.
I’m used to working at something until I’m able to do it. And the only thing that’s always kept me from succeeding is my physical ability. Luminoso was different. The reason I didn’t complete it was not because of my strength, but because I wasn’t fast enough, or experienced enough. I didn’t haul our pack correctly, and my ropes got tangled. That extra time pushed my stomach too far. I bailed because it was safer for me and my partner.
Sure, the climbing community hasn’t looked at coming down after getting half up a route as a success. But I’m learning more and more that a different kind of success is what I’m proud of. It was more of a test of my character to rappel off that climb than any 5.14 I’ve tried.
I went into the day wanting to onsight the hardest multipitch I’ve ever tried in my life. But it was feeling humbled, getting to spend time on the wall with my sister, and getting to try a new style of climbing that made that day worthwhile.
As I landed on the ground, I couldn’t help but think about Brad again. My fortunateness in being able to continue to dream and set goals.
I’m lucky to have more big walls in my future. For now, I’m proud to have onsighted the first five pitches, better learned my systems, and come out on the other side unscathed. And with clean pants - I’ll be back.
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Above: Starting up the unclimbed spire with the 1,000-foot high Savandurga in the distance.
On our climbing trip to norther India in July/August 2019, we met Mohit Oberi, who did many of the early first ascents around Bangalore (also known as Bengaluru) in south-central India. Mohit raved about the quality of climbing and almost unlimited potential for new routes around Bangalore. Mohit connected us with his friend, Dinesh Kaigonhalli ("Dini"), a climbing who lives in Bangalore and owns the Indian outdoor gear company, Wildcraft. As we researched visting Bangalore, i also made contact with Sohan Pavuluri, the area guidbook author.
Given encouragement from Mohit, Dini and Sohan, Donette and I decided to visit the Bangalore area during the prime climbing time, December. As we were flying from California to India on Thanksgiving Day, we got emails from Mohit and Sohan that some local Bangalore climbers had just been stopped by Indian Forest Service officials while climbing. The climbers were ordered off the rock and all of their climbing gear was seized. As we were already enroute, there was little we could do but continue to Bangalore and hope we would get to climb somewhere.
When we arrived, we met with Dini, Sohan and another local climber, Pranesh Manchiah (“Prani”). Prani and Dini had both worked for the National Outdoor Leadership School (“NOLS”) and thus had experiences similar to Donette’s from her time with Outward Bound. They told us the Forest Service was declaring the cliffs on the land they manage as off limits to climbing. Since the seizure of the gear just days before, the Bangalore climbing community had been trying to work their way up the Forest Service chain of command to discuss the legitimacy of climbing, but no real progress had yet been made.
Mohit had arranged for us to stay at a beautiful farm just outside of Ramanagara, a city about an hour south of Bangalore. We rented an SUV and with white knuckles, drove to the farm on December 1st. The following day, Dini and Prani were kind enough to drive us around and show us a dozen or so non-forest climbing areas. We also visited a silk worm farm in a small village.
Above: Dinesh, Pranesh and Donette examining the Bangalore area guidebook
Above: women sorting silk worm cocoons in a small village near Ramanagara.
As we stopped at each climbing locale, Prani and Dini recounted various first ascents and told of their encounters with leopards and sloth bears. While sloth bears may sound slow and unproblematic, the source of all true knowledge, Wikipedia, paints a different picture: “...Sloth bears are one of the most aggressive extant bears and, due to large human populations often closely surrounding reserves that hold bears, aggressive encounters and attacks are unfortunately relatively frequent. Going on raw numbers, this is the species of bear that most regularly attacks humans. A single Indian district seems to report a roughly equal number of fatalities for humans each year from sloth bears as do the entire circumpolar range of brown [grizzly] bears...” We did some additional reading about other potential hazards (rarely a good idea) and found the Ramanagara area was also home to cobras, elephants and tigers.
December is indeed a perfect time to visit the cliffs around Bangalore. The vegetation is lush and green, with many plants flowering. Butterflies are flittering everywhere and birds are happily chirping. This all sounds wonderful, until you start bushwhacking through waist high grass in an area known for cobras... Luckily, we didn’t encounter any, but every time we entered the brush, we thought about cobras, bears and leopards (oh my). As we tried to approach one cliff that held an area classic, we found ourselves crawling through dense brush. Under a huge boulder, was a circular depression in the dirt – later confirmed by Sohan as a place where a sloth bear had recently been sleeping.
Over the course of our trip, we climbed at eight different areas, repeating classic routes and establishing five new climbs (we also ate a ton of fantastic Indian food). One weekend we attended the annual Bangalore climbing festival, known as “the Romp.” This event was organized by Sohan and held at a cliff north of Bangalore called Varlakonda. This fantastic crag currently has dozens of routes and potential for a hundred more. On Donette’s birthday, we completed a new route at Varlakonda with Jayanthi (“Jay”) Kuru-Utumpala, who in 2016, became the first citizen of Sri Lanka to stand atop Mount Everest.
Above: Gearing up with Jay from Sri Lanka below Varlakonda. Photo by Praveen Jayakaran.
While driving around with Dini and Prani on our orientation day, we saw an unclimbed 150- foot-high free-standing rock formation. A couple days later, we returned to the area with Prani to check out the cliff up close. We spoke with the owner of a big greenhouse operation in front of the rock and he said it was not forest land and okay to climb. A few days later, Donette and I returned, intending to climb the spire. As we were parking, we met a farmer tending his field below the rock (and adjacent to the greenhouses) who spoke English. We told him we wanted to climb the rock. He confirmed it was okay and told us how to approach.
We started climbing and in short order, some local villagers showed up to watch. Everyone seemed happy and we showed them gear, offered snacks and joked around. As I got back down (but still had rope and gear to the top of the spire), a police officer arrived. He wasn't in uniform, but had a meter-long riot baton as a symbol of authority. The officer demanded to see our governmental permission letter allowing us to rock climb. When I said we didn’t have a letter, he said we must immediately come to the police station with him. I told him this wasn't forest land, that two different local landowners had said it was okay to climb and that climbing had occurred in the area since the 1970s, but none of that mattered.
Eventually I got Dini on the phone, who talked to the officer and convinced him that a permission letter was not needed to rock climb in India. The result was we just needed to leave so the officer could save face in front of the villagers. While Donette was setting up a rappel to get off the spire, one of the older villagers, who I had shown gear to and shared snacks with, told me that he was the owner of the rock. He was there the whole time the police officer was there. I asked the man if it was okay to climb and he said yes. With a smile, he offered his hand and we shook. When Donette got down, he wanted his picture taken with us and told us we were the first people ever to attain the top of the rock. He was happy we had reached the summit and curious about what was up there.
When we got to our car, a reporter wanted to take our picture and the policeman was in the photo, all smiles. At the very end, the officer asked Donette for a "gift." Using her best elementary school principal demeanor, she told the officer that giving gifts to police was wrong and he should be ashamed. He gave a weak smile and left.
On our final day in Bangalore, we attended the Asian Youth Climbing Championship. This event was attended by climbing teams from 13 Asian countries. We sat with Prani and watched the speed climbing finals. Four Indians ultimately won awards – a proud day for Indian climbing.
During our visit we learned there is a vibrant climbing community in Bangalore and they have a lot of work ahead of them to secure climbing access for the future. We hope to someday return and share additional adventures with our wonderful Indian friends.
Above: Some of the Romp participants below Varlakonda. Photo by Praveen Jayakaran.
Above: Mad Rock gear on The Frolicking Yak (5.10+).
After talking with a friend of ours in Bishop, California, Andy Selters, we knew the Rongdo Valley was a place we should check out. The valley, which is located in northern India, had all the attributes we love – an exotic country, obscure location and first ascent potential.
Andy was a part of the first western expedition into the valley in 2012. He was so struck by the beauty and friendly local residents, that he has been back twice. The valley is located in the northern province of Ladakh and sits very near the contested borders with China and Pakistan. As such, permits are required for foreigners to enter the area. Andy provided us with all sorts of logistical information and showed us some of his pictures of the area. Prior to our visit, only five western teams had ever visited the valley and all were focused on virgin summits. Our trip would be the first to explore the rock climbing potential.
My wife, Donette, and I flew into India’s capital, Delhi, and then took another flight to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Leh is located at about 11,000 feet in elevation and it is there that we met the staff of our expedition outfitter, Rimo Expeditions. After a couple days getting organized, our expedition of four (Donette, me, Nepali cook Dhan Kumar and Nepali cook’s helper Basdhan), left Leh on the 7th of July and drove in two jeeps over an 18,000-foot pass and down into the Shyok Valley. That afternoon, we arrived in Rongdo Village, at the confluence of the Rongdo and Shyok Valleys. We off-loaded our gear in a meadow by the village and after setting up tents, went in search of the villagers who knew Andy.
Above: Barley fields in Rongdo Village.
Nine families and a total of about 55 people live in Rongdo Village. The village has been inhabited for perhaps 2,000 years and only those roughly 40 or younger have ever been out of the Shyok Valley or to Leh. This is a remote area and the Rongdo villagers have not yet been fully exposed to western culture. The villagers flourish by growing barley and other crops and herding cattle, goats, sheep and yaks. We quickly found villagers who knew Andy and in short order, we were invited into homes for tea.
Our outfitter had arranged for the villagers to use their donkeys to haul all our equipment and food from Rongdo (elevation 10,000 feet) to our basecamp at 14,000 feet. Ladakh is very arid and unless you are right near water or looking up at snow-covered peaks, you could easily think you are in Death Valley. The two-day hike up the Rongdo drainage felt like we were in the desert in June – it was wilting. Our first night was spent at a summer herding camp called Daksa at 13,000 feet. When we awoke the next day at 6am, the sun was already blazing. A couple objectives that we had seen in Andy’s photographs were in the sun by 7am and it was obvious they would be too hot to climb on.
Above: The summer herding camp of Daksa in the Rongdo Valley.
I spent a day examining the various cliffs in the valley. While it is true that the valley holds a huge amount of rock, much of it is very fractured and most (at least in early July) is in the sun. The cliff we choose as an objective was solid and in the shade until about 10:30am. We were able to position our basecamp only about 300 yards from the cliff, making the daily commute fairly painless. On July 13th (12 days after leaving California) we actually set foot on rock. By choosing the solid, compact rock over the flaky, exfoliated sections of cliff, we knew we were going to be placing a lot of bolts. Doing this on the lead above 14,000 feet takes some effort. Over the next three weeks, we established two 500-foot routes. Because of the heat, most days we were cooked by 1:30pm. During our stay in the valley, we had four days of heavy rain, a few days of afternoon showers and three days of perfect High Sierra weather.
Above: Donette on pitch 4 of The Cavorting Kid (5.10).
The first route we completed, The Cavorting Kid (5.10), was named after a small goat we saw in Daksa. The second and fourth pitches of the route yielded fantastic Tuolumne-like bolted face climbing. Our second climb, The Frolicking Yak (5.10+), had equally great face climbing and a namesake in Daksa. Both routes are safely equipped with Mad Rock bolt hangers. A dozen or so quickdraws, a light rack and perhaps an oxygen bottle should get you up either route!
Following our stay in Rongdo, we met a crew of local climbers at the small climbing gym in Leh. They took us to their local crag in nearby Shey, where we repeated some excellent lines and did a few new routes. Donette and I then did a week-long road trip generally to the south of Leh, checking out other areas for rock climbing potential. We drove about 500 miles (most of it on gravel roads) and found some areas with great potential. A second trip to Ladakh would definitely involve developing the areas we found on our recon trip!
Our final week in India was spent in Delhi. We visited some truly incredible cultural sites like the Taj Mahal and Red Fort. We also met some local climbers and visited a brand new, state of the art climbing gym. One of the great folks we met, Mohit Oberoi, owns a climbing shop in Delhi, Adventure 18. Mohit started climbing in the late 1980s, represented India at a World Cup event in 1991 and has climbed at about a dozen areas on both coasts of the US. He and his family were a delight to spend time with.
This was our first trip to India. We can’t wait to go back!
Above: Donette and local villagers checking out the climbing gear.
Special thanks to our Mad Family who made all of this possible!!
]]>A few days ago, our Pro Athlete Miky Mawem earned a ticket for the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo. On his way back home, we asked him some questions.
HOW WAS IT TO PARTICIPATE AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN TOKYO? HOW WAS THE ATMOSPHERE DURING THE 10 DAYS COMP?
We were at the WCH with four other French guys. I was thrilled to be able to fight against the best climbers in the world! A 10 days comp is long. You need to keep your concentration for a long time.
During a competition, I prefer to be on my own with my brother for the perfect focus. So we did. Only at the end of such an event, we were together with all French athletes and staff, which was nice because we are all friends from each other.
DID YOU EXPECT TO EARN A TICKET FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES?
Yes, of course! I am a competitor, so when I go to comp, it's for the win! For doing my utmost! I want to fight all the time! It's hard to compete. You need the right mentality, and I think I had it this time.
WHAT DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOU GOT THE TICKET?
My first emotion was; I can't realize this happened. I have my ticket for the Olympics. I called my family, my mother, my father and my sister. My second emotion was; it's indescribable. My family is very proud of me, and that is one of my goals!!
YOU ARE IN THE PLANE NOW ON YOUR WAY HOME. WHAT'S NEXT?
I'll go home, will have a 4 days break, and after this short break, I'll go back to training. The season isn't finished yet. The European Championship and 2 Masters are coming. After these comps, I maybe take a one week holiday without climbing with my girlfriend, and after this, I will go back to train to become stronger for the Olympics!
WHAT DID IT MEAN FOR YOU TO BE AT THE WCH TOGETHER WITH YOUR BROTHER?
We complement each other very well. It's perfect to go to comps together. It makes life easy. You want to eat the same things, feel the same things and go to bed and wake-up at the same time. It's very familiar if you do everything the same and of course, my brother is my best friend!
Congrats Miky! And thank you for your performance and sharing this with us.
We left Wadi Rum in a rainstorm (our timing was perfect) and headed north to the Dead Sea. In addition to bobbing in the sea, Donette smearing mud all over herself and being pampered by hotel staff, we also went climbing on a very fun limestone slab not far above the Dead Sea (but still well below sea level; the Dead Sea is about 1,440 feet below sea level [Badwater in Death Valley is 266 feet]). While there, we ran into a group of “youth at risk” that were being taken rock climbing as part of their intervention program. We talked at length with the Jordanian climbing guides about the program and that Donette had done the same work for Outward Bound.
]]>Above: One of the facades carved into a sandstone cliff at Little Petra (note the stairs at left).
Our last bulletin was written in a hotel room in rainy and snowy Wadi Musa. Once the weather cleared, we went to nearby Petra, Little Petra and did a beautiful drive north from Petra to a Neolithic village site. The walking approach to Petra via the siq (slot canyon) is as impressive as any of the narrow canyons in Zion National Park in Utah. Generally 20-40 feet wide and hundreds of feet deep, it makes for a very awe-inspiring approach to the carved stone facades of Petra. Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is of course immensely popular, but despite the hordes of people, it’s still amazing and should be on everyone’s life list. The carved stone facades are mind-blowing when you think that they were done without power tools (imagine Mount Rushmore times 100, being done solely with stone and iron tools). Wow.
From Petra, we returned to Wadi Rum for six more days. We stayed five more nights out in Khaled’s desert camp and established three new routes on the wall directly above his camp. The routes went up this wonderful, varnished wall that looked like Swiss cheese. We spent over three weeks at Wadi Rum and could easily have spent three more.
We left Wadi Rum in a rainstorm (our timing was perfect) and headed north to the Dead Sea. In addition to bobbing in the sea, Donette smearing mud all over herself and being pampered by hotel staff, we also went climbing on a very fun limestone slab not far above the Dead Sea (but still well below sea level; the Dead Sea is about 1,440 feet below sea level [Badwater in Death Valley is 266 feet]). While there, we ran into a group of “youth at risk” that were being taken rock climbing as part of their intervention program. We talked at length with the Jordanian climbing guides about the program and that Donette had done the same work for Outward Bound.
Above: Donette rappelling down the wall by Khaled’s camp where we did three new routes.
Above: One of Jordanian teenagers giving Donette a drink and cookie at the Dead Sea slab.
From the Dead Sea, we headed a bit north to another World Heritage Site, the location of Christ’s baptism by the River Jordan. The site was quite interesting, in that the river is only about 25 yards wide and on the west bank (in Israel), it’s highly developed. On the Jordanian side, signs are posted prohibiting anyone from going in or near the water; on the Israeli side, lots of folks were in the water being baptized or re-baptized.
From the baptism site, we drove north up the Jordan River Valley, which became more and more verdant. We ended the day in Jerash, the site of an ancient Roman city that we toured the next day. Not too long ago, archaeologists at Jerash discovered what is the oldest known machine in the world – a water powered stone saw. The machine was built circa 550AD. As we were going to dinner in Jerash that first evening, we were stopped on the sidewalk by two Jordanian men, who very much wanted us to know that they were Muslims and good people. They emphasized that bad actors like members of ISIS were the tiny minority of Muslims and that they (and Jordan) loved America. This interaction was typical of our encounters in Jordan. Local residents would ask where we were from, say “Welcome to Jordan” and make some comment about liking America. This, despite the hardships they have endured from the wars in adjacent Iraq and Syria.
After Jerash, we continued to the very northwest corner of Jordan to another archaeological site, Umm Qays. The drive was beautiful – trees, hills covered in grass and copious wildflowers; so much so, that you could easily think you were in northern Italy or the Central Coast of California in spring. We really liked Umm Qays – it was a cool mash-up of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture where each successive group re-utilized building materials from the previous occupants. From the hilltop site, we had wonderful views of the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee. Both were a short distance away.
To get to our lodging for the night, we drove along the border with Jordan, Syria and Israel, passing through four military checkpoints and one police checkpoint. Everyone was friendly and our basic Arabic phrases of “hello” and “thank you” brought smiles to all the men manning the posts.
We had planned to climb at a few cliffs in northern Jordan with some local climbers, but the weather was rainy, so we headed back south to the Dead Sea for our last days in the field. On our previous trip to the Dead Sea slabs, we spied a great looking crack right off the road. One of the guides with the youth at risk group had told us the crack was unclimbed and encouraged us to go do it.
On the 30th, we went to the crack. I was about 2/3 of the way up when the police and a couple men from a nearby adventure center showed up. An adventure center guy told us it was illegal to climb on the cliff because of hiking fatalities that had occurred in the area in the past.
I was mid-route and Donette (while still belaying me) tried to explain the easiest thing to do was for me to get to the top so we could clean our gear. The adventure center guy said the army, more police and "the entire government" were on their way and would be there in five minutes to make sure we came down.
Donette then said we'd need to put an anchor in to get down and the adventure center guy said that was ok. Since I was mid-cliff, Donette explained an anchor on top would be better than one mid-face - less people would see it.
The guy doing all the talking said I was to put in an anchor where I was and come down immediately. So, I drilled an anchor and rappelled off, cleaning our gear from the crack. The rock was great, the crack pure and in the future, folks will wonder why the anchor is just below a ledge at 2/3 height.
We were then invited to tea at the adventure center, where we got to see the four sport routes they guide on. While it’s true that the terrible events they mentioned occurred, we're still unsure if there's actually a ban or if this is the adventure center protecting its turf. The police on scene left the talking to the adventure center guy and all was very amicable once I got down.
The next day we climbed a new route on the slabs near the Dead Sea and then went to a very impressive castle in the town of Kerak. From the Dead Sea we went out to the east of Amman, toward Iraq, to see the World Heritage Site of Qasr Amra. This and another nearby historic building were very cool and worth the drive. Both were apparently built along the ancient caravan route across the desert from the Mediterranean to Iraq and were in use roughly 1,000 years ago. It was then on to Amman, to turn in our rental car and visit the city.
Above: The ancient structure at Qasr Amra, in the desert to the east of Amman.
We did a day of sightseeing in Amman, visiting the Citadel, Roman Theatre, Museums of Folklore and Traditions and the Blue Mosque (reportedly the only mosque in the city that non- Muslims can enter).
Our six-week trip to Jordan was hugely memorable. We will always cherish our time with Khaled and his family, climbing with friends far out in the desert and interacting with the wonderfully friendly people of Jordan.
Above: Camels grazing at Wadi Rum.
Above: With Khaled at Wadi Rum.
Above: Donette and Marin at the base of Desert Rats in the Shade (5.10+).
Our friend from Bulgaria, Marin, arrived in Aqaba on the evening of March 3rd as planned. He had a direct flight from Sofia to Aqaba on Ryan Air for nine (9) Euros! The following day, we returned to Wadi Rum for more climbing. On this portion of the trip, we stayed in Khaled’s house in Wadi Rum village with his wife, Enzela, and their three sons (Zaid [7], Hamad [4] and Eiad [18 months]). It was a truly special experience to eat meals with the family and play with the boys. In most homes, we would never see the wife, let alone interact with her. We saw Zaid off to primary school each day, batted balls back and forth with Hamad and played peek-a-boo with Eiad. At one point, we shared a video of Olivia—our amazing grandbaby—with the family. Eiad took Donette’s phone and spoke to the video of Olivia, saying “baby, baby” over and over. At one point he kissed the phone!
Each evening, we sat in the living room and talked at length with Khaled about a host of topics. Enzela would sit with us if she wasn’t too busy. As an example, from Khaled’s perspective, Saddam Hussein was a tyrant, but Iraq and Jordan benefited greatly from his rule. Under Hussein, Jordan received very inexpensive fuel, free university schooling and access to cheap materials and goods. This all ended after the US invasion and the Jordanian border with Iraq (and Syria) subsequently became extremely dangerous. Speaking of Syria, Jordan is currently housing more than one million (!) refugees from the war there.
Khaled and Enzela and many of their siblings live in the village, but Khaled’s mom and Enzela’s parents prefer to live in their camps in the desert. They live in traditional goat-hair tents, tending their animals and enjoying a more peaceful (and spartan) life. The kids keep rooms in their houses for their parents and visit them often, picking up goat milk, bringing out water and supplies. Enzela made us a wonderful meal with some of the goat her mom supplied that day. Enzela also has a stand-alone 5-gallon yogurt maker that she uses to process the elder’s fresh goat milk into cheese, milk and yogurt. We ate those products frequently.
We also talked about wildlife with Khaled, trading pictures of the various birds, mammals and snakes in Wadi Rum and Joshua Tree. I showed Khaled and Marin pictures of jackalopes and totally had them on the hook before eventually revealing the joke. We laughed so hard we cried.
Each day we went climbing. A few days were spent at the big cliff near town (Jebel Rum), but most days were far out in the desert – the real reason to visit Wadi Rum. One day, we went to a classic climb called Desert Rats in the Shade, which is located about 24km south of Wadi Rum village. From the end of the 4WD track, we hiked about 45 minutes up to the route and did some very fine climbing (including a new two-pitch route).
When we returned to our gear at the base of the wall, we discovered that Marin’s wallet and phone were missing. We were in a really remote place and the theft was inconceivable. We triple checked all of our gear looking for Marin’s stuff, because it made no sense that someone would steal anything, let alone just his wallet and phone when ours were there too. As we hiked back to where we had been dropped off, we found some fresh footprints in the wash, so we knew that someone else had been in the area.
When Khaled returned to pick us up and heard the news, he went into a frenzy. In his world, the theft was completely unacceptable and he vowed to get Marin’s property back. We then drove all around the area - checking washes for footprints, questioning Bedouin who were gathering firewood or grazing animals and stopping at the sole Bedouin camp for miles around. It was fascinating to watch Khaled’s interaction with the camp occupants. While a multi- generational Bedouin himself, to the herders who lived in a tent in the middle of the desert, Khaled was a village dweller. Khaled stopped short of the camp, exited the vehicle and waited for the elder herder to approach him. They then formally greeted each other and sat down to tea before Khaled broached the theft. The case was unresolved by nightfall and Khaled informed us that we would return with his brother and track the thief.
The next morn, we returned to the area with Khaled’s brother, Hassan. We hiked back to the cliff and identified tracks, which we then all tried to follow for a couple of hours. From a saddle a mile or more beyond the cliff, Hassan spied a herder in the distance and took off after him. The rest of us returned to the truck and drove around the entire mountain to rejoin Hassan. Hassan caught up with the herder, who was a 17-year-old boy, the grandson of the elder that Khaled had met the previous day. According to Hassan, the young man was mentally deficient and despite Hassan’s interviewing efforts, would not admit to knowing anything about the theft.
Above: Donette Swain climbing Bedouin Camel Boys
We returned to the village and climbed nearby that afternoon, convinced Marin’s belongings were gone forever. The next day we did the excellent 500- foot (Bedouin Camel Boys) near the village of Disi. When Khaled returned at the end of the day to transport us home, he had Marin’s wallet and phone! During the day, Khaled revisited the Bedouin camp to speak again with the elder. The elder had spoken with his grandson and searched his belongings to no avail. Khaled then applied his interrogation skills to the youth, who eventually admitted taking the items. Once the confession was obtained, Khaled, the young man and the elder went back toward the climb to look for the items, which the 17-year-old had stashed under a rock. After two hours of searching, the items were found! No money was missing and the phone was in working order.
On our last day at Wadi Rum, Marin and I did a great hike with Khaled. He took us to an area on the Saudi Arabian border, about 27km SE from the village. We hiked around looking for mushrooms (Khaled found three in the sandy terrain shown below; the mushrooms form underground and rarely reach the surface), eating various edible plants and enjoying the scenery. Khaled also brought the ubiquitous teapot and made Bedouin tea.
While Marin and I were hiking with Khaled, Donette returned to Aqaba and went scuba diving in the Red Sea, a day that had been on her bucket list since she started diving. Her PADI Dive Master was a hijab-wearing (even in the water), Ray Ban sporting, rap sing-along, rock star gal named Wa’ed (“Promise”). When we reunited at the hotel in Aqaba, Donette was beaming.
On the 14th, we went snorkeling in the Red Sea. The coral reef and sea life were great. I did a second snorkel over a Cold War era tank and C-130 airplane that had been purposely sunk by the Jordanian king as underwater attractions.
We rented a car in Aqaba and will have it for the remainder of our time in Jordan. After some food shopping and a visit to a hardware store for climbing supplies, we drove to Petra yesterday afternoon. We are now in a hotel sitting out a cold, rainy day. We’ll spend 2-3 days here at Petra, then head back to Wadi Rum to put up some new routes that we discovered just before we left. From there, it will be north to the Dead Sea, some historic sites and Amman.
This is yet another great trip for two of the very luckiest people there are.
Above: Mad Rock Athlete, Sonomi Imagawa at Washoe Boulders, NV.
Photo by: Nathan Ferreira.
January 2018:
Climbing on oversized volumes and dual-tex holds seem to be all the rage this year. Being 5'2" with a close to negative ape index never was an advantage for me on comp style climbs. But come on...who isn't up for a challenge? Climbing in my local gym one evening, one particular problem caught my eye. Starting on a low bat hang I contorted my body, stabilizing myself with a solid heel hook above my head. With a deep breath to calm my excitement, I cranked my upper body up and over the volume, leaving my left heel behind to maintain stability. I reached for a far left-hand Gaston, which I managed to tag with the first pad of my middle finger. As I crawled my fingers up the volume, I turned my right arm into a palm press. I was so focused, so determined, to get at least three fingers on this far left hold. Just then, my right hand slipped as pain exploded from within my shoulder.
I fell to the ground, "BAM!" immediately I knew this wasn't just another fall. Unable to move my right arm I lay motionless, trying to contain the pain radiating from my shoulder, and tears of frustration mixed with sorrow. Having experienced a subluxation of the same shoulder before, it was obvious I was dealing with an injury much worse than anything in my past.
As the issue for most other young adults in America, I was broke and covered by less health insurance than that hospital gown on the old man trudging down the hallway with his IV stand in hand. So, like many other twenty-somethings of this world, I sucked it up, neglecting to pursue any answers regarding the extent of the injury at my shoulder. And maybe similar to some of you, I was overconfident in my body's ability to quickly recover without the need for rest.
Resting is definitely not in my nature. How many of you are the same way? Busybodies who cannot seem to sit down without their leg shaking, or become anxious at the thought of missing a workout. I spent hours in the gym each day, not climbing, rather occupying myself with core, ring, and bar workouts. I punished myself with leg lifts, sit-ups, squats, and any exercise that I could manage to do with my one good arm. I used my workouts as a means to drown out the voices telling me that I may never be able to climb again. I wanted to climb, I wanted to send harder routes...I let my impatience get the better of me - acting incredibly immature and reckless with regards to my recovery process.
August 2018:
My confidence level was shot and spiraling into a nosedive, as my shoulder was nowhere near even 70% of its pre-injury state. Adding to my angst, the desire to leave Hawaii in order to explore new climbing areas began to take root in my mind. The thought began to grow, and grow...it began to consume me...all I wanted to do was escape from this rock in the middle of the ocean. I was a prisoner in paradise. And then...as if the world itself felt my despair, an answer! One so crazy, the only response from family and friends was, "why?" My gut told me otherwise as I knew I had to regain my sanity. Just like that, I bought myself a one-way ticket to Reno, NV.
"Reno?! You left somewhere as beautiful as Hawaii for Reno?!" I'm sure a few of you are asking yourself whilst shaking your head. As it turns out, though, there are climbing areas galore, both established and being developed, around Reno. Not to mention the endless outdoor activities including skiing and snowboarding, trail running, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and so much more! And, to top it all off, the pristine Lake Tahoe. I digress...back to climbing. The landscape is gorgeous as granite structures grab your attention driving down the I-80 highway, hiding a myriad of climbs just waiting to be discovered. It's no surprise since Lake Tahoe, alone, has more guidebooks than variations of the Bible.
The highlight of my move, hands down, had to be the opportunity to work the sickest job, ever! I landed a position as a staff member at Basecamp Climbing Gym where I have the privilege of being a route setter. Did you know Basecamp is recognized by Guinness World Records as having the tallest artificial climbing wall in the world? Never have I seen an artificial multi-pitch wall. Immediately the sense of the "Keep the Country, Country," mentality from the local climbers reverberated with me. Their goal and desire to protect the climbing areas from getting trashed by visitors and want to preserve the area's natural landscape spoke volumes to me. Coming from Hawaii, where a similar way of thinking radiated with the residents, it was an easy adjustment for me that made me feel as if I was still at home.
Above: BaseCamp Staff, 2018 Halloween Competition at BaseCamp Climbing Gym.
January 2019:
At this point, I've managed to embody the typical Asian lady driving, in a foot of snow. I quickly learned that I did not like the snow. Having driven over black ice and nearly launched off of a bridge, I'd say I've experienced a few close calls. It was after nearly dying that I realized not all trucks are created equal. My non-4wd Tacoma had not only been a rear-wheel drive but a ONE wheel drive! She has thus earned the endearing name: Negative Traction.
The Reno winter also brought along dangers outside of a motor vehicle. One night, after finishing a gym climbing session, in a desperate attempt to escape the bone-chilling cold I decided to make a run for the car upon leaving the gym. Let's just say there's a reason I remain physically active on a wall rather than on a track, as I rolled my ankle resulting in a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of my left foot. The whole incident was quite anti-climactic. I took three quick steps, rolled my ankle, tripped, and landed on the ground with the full weight of my sport-climbing pack against my face. Needless to say, I was not happy when I found out I had to dawn a less than stylish air-cast boot. I didn't wear it well, to say the least.
March 2019:
"Doyle is choss...it's overrated" -- common opinions of locals who unfortunately take such a beautiful place for granted. Yet to others, these opinions are terms of endearment expressed as sarcasm - an "inside joke" so to say. In my opinion, I identify with the latter group of individuals. Yet, it's difficult to write a blog about how awesome the climbing is around Reno without feeling a bit guilty that it may initiate the Bishop effect. Is it okay to rave about a climbing spot and say it's totally rad knowing the boulders may end up looking more like a Bruno Mars concert? The worst part is that if a popularity explosion occurs these bouldering areas will be completely trashed at the end of each season. This is an all too common occurrence with any popular climbing spot. This begs the question, is it possible for the climbing community to establish a common standard for maintenance and upkeep? Why do we even need to ask the question of whether or not people can clean up after themselves, anyway? So I ask you, the reader, what do you think? What do you think is the solution? Or is there even such a problem, in your opinion? I want to know what the vibe is within the climbing community.
Reflections:
Reno was the best thing to happen to me. Before moving, I was insecure, lacked confidence, and felt I was losing my identity as a climber because I wasn't climbing as hard as I was pre-injury. Now, I train and climb with people to achieve common goals: get outside as often as possible, climb as hard as our bodies allow us, and most importantly to have FUN. No judgments, no competition, no drama. I cannot thank the friends I have made here enough for helping me enjoy the path less traveled; a path toward appreciating and honoring my body's process.
It took over a year to recover from these injuries (shoulder and foot) mostly due to mental blocks. Yet here we are again, overcoming self-imposed barriers, training my body to endure physical hardships, staying psyched with help from awesome friends, and looking forward to future seasons, each bringing new challenges to be conquered.
For those currently recovering from injuries, I hope you too are able to take the path less traveled. Knowing that regardless of how hard you train there still may be a possibility you'll never climb again is a difficult pill to swallow. It's tedious, it's mundane, and finding the motivation to get to the gym may feel like the hardest part of your day. I'm not trying to foster the change in your life or be the reason you decide to become instantaneously motivated. No, I want to share my story as a "thank you" to those who have helped me to quit feeling sorry for myself, and to take control of my life by challenging and pushing me. I want you to reflect upon those in your life who you have looked to for help, for support, for that extra push that got you over the hump. Thank them for their efforts that made you who you are. And if you are still dealing with adversity, reach out...make a new friend...you never know who may be the spark to light your flame.
]]>Above: Mad Rock UK Athlete, Duncan Bottrill
In September I was lucky enough to take a trip to the USA specifically Los Angeles. While here I visited the Mad Rock HQ to pick up some of the newly released Haywire shoes. To say I was excited to get to try these was more than an understatement.
My personal preference for a climbing shoes is something that is super soft, delicate and technical. I want to be able to feel every bump and indentation in the rock or hold while climbing. This is why my favorite shoe has always been the Mad Rock Remora. They are soft and precise but lack a strap which makes it far from ideal for competition climbing or anywhere that requires a technical heel hook.
Introducing the Haywire!!!!
At a first glance the Haywire has everything you need from a shoe and it lives up to the exceptions massively. The one piece molded sole is super flexible in the midsole meaning that you get amazing precision, help build mid-foot strength and you can sizes it down to get a perfect fit. I went 1/2 a UK size down from my Remoras.
The toe shape is kind of no edge. This is great, I find that the optimum time for a shoe usually is just after the really sharp edge has worn off. It is basically like the shoe has already been worn in. This massively helps with the precision of the shoe. Not having a direct edge means that you can get a more precise fit for the get go.
The fly knit upper is stretchy breathable and super comfortable. Having such a stretchy upper on the shoe ensures that the shoe fits perfectly on any foot shape. This is something I have struggled with in the past with other shoes where they were either too narrow or too wide and you have to make a compromise somewhere. The fly knit upper is super adaptable making it a perfect choice for all width and sizes of foot.
The heel is basic but perfect! It cups your heel well to ensure a secure position. This is exactly what you need in a shoe like this as it works great on all hold types. This along with the single strap holds the foot securely in place meaning no slippage at all!
So overall the Haywire? Well personally I love it, I’ve been climbing in it for the last month now and have seriously been wondering where it was before!!! I can’t image using anything else currently. The perfect match between comfort and precision!!!
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We flew from Palm Springs to Salt Lake City on February 19th, the first leg of our journey to Amman, Jordan. Ultimately, our flight onward from Salt Lake City was delayed 24 hours due to a mechanical issue. As a result of the delay, we were also rerouted, which included an additional stop in London (Salt Lake-Paris-London-Amman). We arrived in Amman late on the 21st, sans one bag of climbing gear. The hotel we stayed at in Madaba, not too far from the airport, had graciously changed our reservation and we were greeted at 1am and shown to our room. The next morning, we met up with Henry Barber, an old friend from New Hampshire, who had spent the previous day touring the town because of our delay.
On the 22nd, we did the four-hour trip to Wadi Rum, and upon our arrival, were met by a local Bedouin, Awwad Sabboh. We stayed the next two nights at his house in the village of Wadi Rum. His compound has a main residence, a communal living room, a guest tent and a guest room. Adjacent to the guest room and tent is an enclosure with a dozen goats and sheep. About 100 yards away, is the mosque, which broadcasts the call to prayer morning and evening. The morning call to prayer causes the dogs of the neighborhood to whimper and the broadcast echoes off the huge sandstone walls.
Why Wadi Rum? Watching the movies Lawrence of Arabia with Peter O’Toole or more recently, The Martian with Matt Damon will provide the answer, whether you are a climber or not. The Wadi Rum Protected Area (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) has sandstone towers that shoot up out of the flat desert a thousand or more feet in height. The area is a climber’s paradise.
Above: Typical Wadi Rum scene taken near Lawrence’s Well (as in Lawrence of Arabia).
Awaad’s family has lived in Wadi Rum for many generations. When we arrived, Awaad and his wife had four children and his wife was nine months pregnant. He asked us to guess how many siblings he had. I choose six and he replied “What do you think I am, European?” Awaad had 30 siblings from one father and three wives. We were told that in Bedouin culture, a man can have up to four wives and as many children as they can adequately care for. In querying other Bedouin, it seems the current generation is choosing to have one wife and three or four children.
Narrator switches to Donette’s voice: Awwad’s wife went into labor our second night there. As is done, he called the ambulance that comes from Aqaba, 45 minutes away and started driving toward Aqaba. His wife was transferred to the ambulance and Awwad followed to the hospital. His wife and baby son, Muhammad (Hammad for short) came home the next morning. That afternoon, Awwad and his extremely energetic 4-year-old daughter, Rose, came and asked me if I’d like to meet his wife and newborn. I was brought into the family’s gathering room, similar to many traditional Arab living rooms, a large carpeted rectangle surrounded with four-inch cushions and back rests on the floor, serving for gathering, dining, and sleeping. It was a bustling, happy, women-only scene! As I entered, all 20 or so women rose to greet me—even the new mom! (I somehow convinced her to not get up.) She and all the women were properly, festively dressed—no loosening of headscarves even in a women-only setting. The room was joyous, filled with chatter and children—three or four nursing at a time, the rest intent on chasing, playing, or snagging the candy-filled paper we were all presented with. Women came in throughout my hour there. Everyone stood for older women who joined us, even mom. At each entrance, the new visitor moved around the room, greeting one another with many kisses. I was serendipitously seated next to the village’s English teacher! She explained to me some of what I was seeing. The time for prayer came and most women left for the courtyard for a few minutes. The teacher told me that women on their period were not expected to pray as it wasn’t good for them. One of the older women, for whom getting up and down on the floor had been difficult, was brought a prayer rug and cushion and she quietly prayed in place. Everyone came back into the room and smartphones were lit up sharing pictures and jokes online, conversations taken up and the 2-year-old boy who had been eyeing my candy successfully absconded with it. I left as more women entered. This visiting was to go on for two days.
Back to Todd’s narration: Our first day climbing was on a rock formation near Awaad’s desert camp. The camp was a 20-minute drive out into the desert from the village. We did two first ascents on this cliff (a 200-foot 5.8 crack and a short 5.6 corner) and saw potential for more climbs. The next day we climbed on the massif that looms directly above the village, Jebel Rum. We did a highly recommended route called Goldfinger (5.9) and were really underwhelmed. I thought if this was the best Wadi Rum had to offer, what do we do for the next few weeks?
We then shifted our lodging to a desert camp run by another Bedouin, Khaled Aodh. He had been recommended to us by friends from Portland, Oregon and did not disappoint. Khaled was a climber and hence, knows where the remote climbs are located. On the 25th, we drove to within three kilometers of the Saudi
Arabian border to do a climb called The Haj (5.9, 600 feet [pictured above]). Once Khaled drove away (promising to return at 4pm), we were enveloped in the vastness of the desert. We were far enough from camp that if Khaled didn’t return, it would be a challenge to make it back alive. This setting was why we came to Jordan. As we ascended the route, we saw Bedouin goat herders moving their flock into Saudi Arabia (the Bedouin carry their passports with them and are allowed to wander back and forth across the border as they have done for generations). The descent from the climb was technical, involving dicey scrambling along narrow ledges and multiple rappels.
Khaled’s desert camp is one of perhaps 50 that have been established for tourists. It seems that most folks spend a single night and that we were the exception spending four. These camps have a series of small sleeping tents that surround a central dining/gathering tent. The camps also have a concrete block toilet building with flush toilets and solar heated showers. The experience is pretty nice; we’d call this “Glamping” (glamorous camping) in the US.
Staying with Khaled at his desert camp was peaceful and highly enjoyable. Each day we drove far out into the desert to a new climbing spot and on our return to camp, were taken to see natural arches, rock inscriptions (below) and other things of interest. Scattered throughout the desert are Bedouin living traditional lives herding camels, goats and sheep.
Above: 2,500-year-old rock art left by ancient caravans passing through Wadi Rum.
Above: Climbing Merlin’s Wand (5.10).
The forecast called for a big storm that was to include rain and possible snow. We returned to the village on the afternoon of the 28th by doing a great hike down through Rakabat Canyon. By the time we reached the village, the wind was howling and dust filled the air. The sandstorm was exactly what you have seen in the movies – very limited visibility, like a snowstorm in the Great Plains. We dropped our gear at Khaled’s house in the village and while waiting for a taxi, met his wife and four young boys.
We then took a taxi to the city of Aqaba, which is located about 45 minutes south of Wadi Rum village on the Red Sea. Henry left for Petra on the 29th and we have explored Aqaba, gotten laundry done and caught up on other errands. Our friend from Bulgaria, Marin Zagorchev, arrives in Aqaba this evening (March 3rd). We’ll return to Wadi Rum tomorrow for another ten days of climbing.
Above: Mad Rock Ambassador, Kailey Kermath
On any ordinary day in Breckenridge, Colorado I will typically wake up to fresh snowfall. In that moment, I had the choice to go out skiing or to go bouldering. That particular day, I chose to boulder. When I arrived at the gym, I followed my routine as follows; beginning with my warm up and stretching to ensuring I have all of my proper equipment for the day. Once I am confident in myself and my tools, I began my boulder “around the world” and hangboard.
After I completed all of my essentials, my friends and I decided we would play add on. In that moment of add on, we completed a move which was an inverted dyno not only was one of my favorite types of climbing/bouldering but also the cause of my fall. I slipped off the chalky hold 10 feet up in the air. Once I hit the ground I heard the loudest, most disturbing crunch in my ankle. Instantly, after I landed I began screaming in pain, thinking “this isn’t real, this can’t happen to me.”
With all my friends surrounding me, not knowing what to do, other than to call 911, medics were on their way in no time. Once I arrived to the Emergency Room, the doctors ordered x-rays and with no time, I was pleased yet surprised to hear no broken bones. After I was discharged, I thankfully went home to rest. As more time went on throughout the night, the swelling got puffier and the pain became heavier. Furthermore, after getting no sleep, I chose to get a second opinion from other doctors to tell me the same thing. A week went by and the pain and swelling had not gotten any better, so my family decided to fly me home to have University of Michigan Medicine look at it. After 3 hospitals, 6 doctors, a month and a half with no answers, 5 x-rays, MRI, and a CT scan the doctors finally disclosed to me that I had 4 breaks and 3 torn ligaments.
Once the doctors identified the problem, I knew I had a long road of recovery. From being told nothing is wrong with you, that “it’s a minor injury”, to needing surgery, and won’t be able to walk for another two months caused me to be an emotional roller coaster. My two biggest passions have been skiing, and rock climbing. With an accident like this, I was certain knowing I would be done for the season; thankfully throughout this whole incident I have had an extraordinary support group.
For anyone who is or has been injured and out for multiple months, it will get better. The best thing I can say to anyone, is workout. Get those endorphins released. I have been going to the gym religiously to keep my upper body strong. Whether it’s lifting weights or climbing. With being in a cast, non-weight bearing, I have learned that shouldn’t stop anyone from their dreams of becoming a stronger climber, or whatever your dream may be. As for myself recently, I climb on one leg, sometimes I challenge myself to only using my upper body. Getting out of the house, and breaking a sweat has helped me tremendously. After all, surgery was this past week January 18th, 2019 and I already have plans to go climbing with the Mad Rock team, as well as my friends in Breckenridge. It’s been a drawn out process with lots of emotion but in the end, it will make me a stronger person, mentally and physically.
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It starts out just like any other day going to the crag. I’m tired, didn’t sleep enough the night before. I fall asleep in the car. When I open my eyes, we’ve just taken exit 26 off 93 North and have 30 minutes to go. I scroll through endless videos of me falling off the same move. A precarious foot hop that looks more like a party trick than the most efficient way to free the toughest climb I’ve ever taken on. As we pull down the road to Rumney, the clouds gray and rain starts to trickle down onto our front window shield, disobeying the sunny weather forecast from the day before. Bummer. Well, hopefully I can really just dial in the bottom section today.
We meet Joe Klementovich at the parking lot as we’re heading up. In his bag, there’s a box containing a drone that will take the key shots that Ruth, the videographer for the project, has so desperately been wanting. Twenty minutes of hiking later, we turn the corner, and there it is – Jaws II. To an outsider, it would seem like a mid-sized cliff that you could pass by without much thought. To me, it’s a majestic white-striped wall with complexities beyond what I thought was possible for so few moves. It’s as though one foot of wall unwinds into tens of feet of intricacies. How will my right foot land on that dime-sized edge or how will my pinky skin slightly fold under my index finger?
One thought from my coach Randi crosses my mind: “If you don’t think you can do it you won’t. Period.”
***
When I was in middle school, working on my 5.11 gym project, I first heard about Jaws. It was supposedly one of the hardest climbs on the east coast, and, more than that, it had only been completed by a select few people whom I admired. This was a climb only professional climbers could do. “It would be cool to try one day,” I thought.
Flip forward to 21-year-old Jesse, and I’ve been working on Jaws for nearly two years – more time than I’ve put into anything in climbing. It has two hard parts - lower and upper. When I first tried it, I wasn’t close on either. But I had never projected anything for more than about a week, and this seemed like an opportunity to see what I was capable of. I cared about it, but not that much in the beginning. It was just a side project that, one day, I hoped to work out the moves on. I had never had a long-term project and the fact that it had been in the back of my mind since I was little enticed me to keep trying it. My excitement towards it grew into an obsession. It became a self-fulfilling goal where, the more work I put into it, the more important it became. To spend 21 days examining and trying a single rock face takes a different kind of desire that I was used to. I thought about it while going on runs, while daydreaming in class, or before falling asleep.
I would get one day a week to try it, maybe two, depending on my school schedule and the weekend weather. It’s hard showing up, knowing that, if you don’t do it today, it’s back to another week of exams, projects, and papers until next time.
When I first tried this process, I wasn’t sure why it was so important to me. I imagined fellow students laughing about that wild kid in their class who always seems to be spending weekends up in New Hampshire. I wanted to show myself what I was capable of if I put in the work and opened myself up to the possibility of failing at something I cared so much about. That was Jaws.
***
When I come back, Joe’s drone is in hand. Before this season, I had done everything I could to eliminate phones and other tech while being outside. Now it seems like that idea has turned upside down. As Joe lets the flying machine rip, it sounds like a swarm of wasps fills the air. I step up to the pedestal and approach Jaws. Regardless of how I do today, I know that we will accomplish something. We’ll have angles and shots of this climb never seen before.
My first three burns fly by. They’re much worse than my tries on previous weekends. And on my third burn, a small muscle on my back spasms. Fifteen minutes pass. I still feel my back, but my excitement levels have peaked. This will be my last realistic try to send it. The weather doesn’t look good in future weekends – this really could be it.
I step onto the wall taking a deep breath. You can do this. I get to the third bolt and stare down the undercling – the first crux. My muscle spasm fades into the background as I grab the V-shaped notch, driving hard with my feet. I stick the undercling and twist my hips open. Pause.
Photo: Ruth Castillo
I lift my left foot, and as I bring it down on the hold, my right leg swings off – the perfect foot dyno. I just did the hardest part of the climb! I can feel my mind rushing – keep moving. The next holds are more decent. I keep it together making it to the only rest on the climb.
Slow your heart rate. My right leg starts to tremble. I imagine I’m in yoga – in through the nose, out through the mouth. I feel the Beat, Beat, Beat. Reduce to beat..beat…beat. I look up. From the rest, I see a three finger crimp three feet above my head that I will soon have to jump to.
***
When I first tried this second crux, I didn’t even get close. I’ve always struggled with moves that are high commitment from an awkward position. The hardest part is that, if you have any doubt in your willingness to do them, you won’t. I’m typically a slow climber. I like locking off to things and endurance-centered climbing. Jaws defies this technique with several low percentage moves stacked on top of one another. And this, I realized, was why sending this climb was so important to me. I wanted to do it because it challenged the type of climber I am.
Sending this climb, was about more than just a grade, this climb became a symbol of having an impossible-seeming goal, and still being able to maintain the perseverance and dedication to accomplish it. Whether you’re climbing 5.11 or 5.15, the path to success is the same. The process is all about learning how to stay with a goal, even if you never thought it was possible in the first place.
***
My hands on the rest that were awkward before now feel like they were properly molded into the holds. Despite my leg shaking up and down I can feel my body ready for action. Minutes have passed. I move my right hand and reposition my feet with a little dance. I let out the scariest yell I’ve ever made in my life. I actually can’t believe it – that small hold is no longer three feet away. I’m holding it. I glide my way to the finish. I’ve just done Jaws! I hug my knee into my chest. Little Jesse would be so proud!
I’d like to thank Ruth Castillo, for filming my progress on this climb and supporting me until the send. I’d also like to thank Randi Goldberg for helping mentor me through the mental and physical challenges. Thank you to the many friends for the belays, and a special big thank you to my community for supporting my efforts with this climb. I think it’s hard to open yourself up to so much failure, but having people that support you makes it all the more manageable.
]]>In Matt Bush's latest film he explores the South African coastline, Llandudno; where thousands of granite boulders have been formed over over the years creating a unique landscape that provides a chance to discover new lines and climbs in the most incredible surroundings.
This is not Rocklands, but every bit as beautiful and a magical place to go bouldering, showing the beauty of what South Africa has to offer. 'Its essential for me to have a balanced mind and body....to be present...focused...in the moment...and I've got to make it to the top.' Matt Bush
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