Has been a while

Ok, so its been a while since this thing was updated, my bad. I have been super busy and as I mentioned in my previous post, injuries which I had held me back from training to my full potential. However, the injuries seem to be clearing up and I have been able to train a bit more without feeling overly susceptible to more injuries. I have not got too much news though. I have not been able to get out on rock on a rope or bouldering, so no news there. I guess its just a random post so anybody who does check this site knows I am still alive and well. I only have a few weeks left in my degree until the whole thing is done with and complete, so I cant wait until that happens as I have been pretty busy with that lately. I would like to think that towards the end of the year I will be able to get back to the Gramps to do some more bouldering and routes, though at this stage nothing is locked in. I have struggled lately to come up with projects I want to put some effort into, though I have herd from the local boys about some projects within the area which need to be sent. So I think its time I apply myself to the local area. If I am completely honest, I don't think I have given the climbing up here a chance to impress me even though I have been here nearly 4 years!!!!! I guess when you grow up visiting Nowra and the Mountains on a regular basis anything short of the quality doesn't overly enthuse me. Though the times I have seen local things I have been impressed. The climbing crew up here is growing very rapidly, this is thanks to Pulseclimbing. The atmosphere there during the week is good with well syked people trying problems and making their own up. For some visual stimulation, the pic is of a bit of a blow out I had on my last trip to Nowra. Hmmmmmmmm............ doesn't look good huh.

Injuries injuries injuries

So its been a little while since I updated this thing. I have been busy with internship and other things. I have still been climbing a little, but I do have some injuries which are currently holding me back. I have injured both of my hamstrings and possibly my left LCL (Lateral Co-Lateral) ligament. Whilst I have not had a diagnosis I have had the same injury in my right knee so I know the feeling. Whilst it does not restrict me too much, everything I do feels dodgy. Even walking on it, it feels loose like my lower leg will just fly off. As I said, I've still been climbing on it and doing some surfing as well as running around at school, just nothing is done with full confidence and it does feel worse the more I do, but I can't just not do anything, it's not me. Anyway that's why its been quiet. I did manage to repeat Chest Rocketwell V10 & El Kooko V9 just before I somehow injured myself. So I guess until its better it will be a bit quiet. I was going to compete in this weekends bouldering comp but as I will be restricted pulling with my hammies I have decided to get through more paperwork for school and the DET. The pic is of some pumping surf we had a while ago, cool photo but about 8ft to big for me :)

A week in paradise!

One week in paradise (AKA The Grampians). I have just returned from a week in the Gramps. This was just a bouldering trip, no ropes, harnesses, draws etc. I have not been back to the Gramps since 2006 where I was able to get there 3 times that year. Since starting uni I have not had the chance to get back there as it academics and injuries have stopped me, so I am very grateful to have the chance to go back to such an amazing place. Once you don't do something for a while I think you easily forget how good it actually is until you go back and try or experience it again. Going back to the Gramps felt so good and I really felt blessed. Anyway enough of that now. I went there with my good friend Jim and another local Novocastrian future crusher Michael. All of us had a great trip, one I don't think any of us will ever forget. We stayed at the Mt Zero cabins, these are 6mins from Hollow Mountain car park, and have all the necessities. These cabins make climbing much more enjoyable especially in the cold winter months. Maybe I am just getting old and can't handle roughing it anymore? The Gramps is a 16.5 hr drive from Newcastle via Canberra as we had to pick up Jim, epic but totally worth it. We arrived Friday night, climbed sat and sun, rested Mon, climbed Tues, rested wed and climbed Thurs and Fri. This I think was optimal as we were able to perform and recover as best as we could without wasting additional days. I had been training for this trip for a while and was happy with my performance, usually I over train and either burnout a little or peak too late, or I peak to early. I think this was probably the first time everything has gone to plan. I think all 3 of us climbed well and we all left with sends under the belt and heaps more experience! Michael has only been climbing for 18months or something and has never been to any of the premier places in Australia. As climbing in Hollow Mountain cave and the like is such a different experience he did extremely well and I congratulate him. He managed to send Rave Heart V8 easily within a few shots, Silver hands V5, A horse is a horse V4 and came very close to numerous other blocs in the V7 range. No doubt he will do well the next time he visits the area. Jimbo managed to send Aphrodite V7, A horse is a horse V4, Spanking the monkey bars V8 and came really close to Rave Heart V8. I managed to do Cave Heart V10, Desire V8, A new? link-up at Kindergarten starting at the end of flash gordon with the double toe hooks, reversing it then going into Spankin the Monkey Bars coming in at V9, Amniotic World V9, Point and Shoot V11 and Dead Can't Dance V11. This last bloc was a surprise as I managed to injure my right hamstring on my last training sesh and could not do it when I first got there because of this injury. Luckily for me it healed enough by the second last day. I also got very close to "Amazing sounds of a she-male squealing v12" falling after the Sleepy Hollow crux 6 times! Hmmm, will have to go back for that one later in the year. Top two photos are of Michael on Amniotic World V9 (top), Rave Heart V8 and the lower two of me on point and shoot V11 and Dead Can't Dance V11 (bottom)

Movie is up.

Ok, so my movie is up on the "Pulseclimbing" youtube site. You can access it by following this address: www.youtube.com/user/pulseclimbing

Uni is done! Time to climb.

Chaos N Disorder v10

Well I am not sure how long it has been since I updated this blog, sorry about that. Funny thing is whenever you read other peoples blogs, generally they start the same way, apologising for lack of updates. I have been super busy finishing off my uni degree (University part). I have just completed my last semester of going to class and uni in general. A big step for an old boy like myself. Now its 10 weeks internship and I am done, awesome cant wait. However, I do have around 4 weeks to get out as much as I can. This actually began 2 days ago just before my last exam. Conditions were too good to pass up, so I headed down to Sydney to have a lash at a few blocs. I went straight to Crumbly, conditions were probably some of the best I have seen. However, this didn't help me out. I still got punished on Abacus! I have not really trained big open pinches which I think you need to be strong on if you want to send this bloc. Although I do heaps more hanging and I am 100% confident my fingers are stronger than they have ever been, I still struggle with this move. Considering the whole problem relies on this crucial pinch it has motivated me to even more so get strong and at least get some progress on this thing. I also tried the end bit of Phlegm v12. There was definite progress here and am confident with more anaerobic fitness I could link it together. Since the gym has opened here, I have really just been doing power training and fingers. I did this as I could not think of any power endurance blocs or routes for that matter I wanted to do in the short term. Now I do, so a change in training is to come. I have finished a little movie I have been working on over the past few months, I now just have to work out how to get it out. The movie has the following problems on it:

L'Homme Obu v11

Weak Ape Test Zone v7

Groove Terminator v11

Chaos n Disorder v11

Jug to Jug v11

Crenshure Boulevard 31

Ill put a link up when I have it up somewhere. In the next few wks I have many a trip planned. From Gramps to comps to Nowra to Sydney. Going to be epic and I cant wait to get out as I have felt a little withheld during the last few months.

Sydney Blocs

Groove Terminator V11

I was able to get down to Sydney once again on the weekend, this time I was off to the Wing Cave. I have been doing a little bit of training, but not overly too much really. I was going to compete in the Blocs bouldering comp on the Sat, however I figured why am I thinking about comps when I don't get out as much on actual things I want to send. I also had other commitments in the afternoon, so as the comp went late I would have had to leave early anyway. Turns out though I had a great day. After walking there with a few mats I finally figured out what the problem were and where they went. My friend Chris showed me the Wing Cave about 5 years ago. I remember seeing "Groove Terminator" v11 and thinking
WOW what a sick line. From then I wanted to do it. I had not been back since then! I am a bit renowned for burning out and then coming back. Ill be the first to admit that, no cover ups or excuses. I stayed in Sydney on the Friday night in the city and as morning broke, I found myself saying "Sutherland is a bit far south only for me to head north again in a few hrs, maybe ill just go back to Sissy or Crumbly". I then thought, maybe this is why I burn out, I sometimes go back to the same places repeatedly. So that's when I decided to go to the Wing Cave. I arrived to have a nice cool wind blowing through and nobody there, perfect! I could warm up, boulder, stop and read some study, climb again, read, you get the point. I started to work out the moves to Groove Terminator after warming up, I figured all the moves pretty quickly except 2. Anyway, I finally figured them out and thought I'd have a read on "the benefits of outdoor education" for my research project, then have a shot. I set up the video camera and to my surprise I was at the finishing jug in no time. Stoked! I tried a few other things that day then thought, ill do another lap, again I did it. The bloc is a little scary when you are the only one there and you are past your mats with the potential to have a bad fall. Anyway, I'd like to finish saying "The incredible hulk" v6! is way hard, but a sick bloc. I am slowly making a vid, this takes time as I dont get out too much. This will be on it so you'll have to wait. Chris mate, good luck with the up coming comp, ill be holding a banner saying "Go Chris". Cheers

Update on the Easter Break

Whats to come from Evolv in 2011.

The break has been a good one and well deserved by all. I managed to do quite a bit of travelling during the Easter break and sent a few things and almost sent a few more. Unfortunately, I did not manage to send anything too hard, but never the less chains were still clipped. Lately, as I have mentioned in previous entries I have been keen on the boulders. This Easter break has definitely rekindled my passion for routes. The is no other place like Nowra, the climbing brilliant, holds and friction excellent, can climb multiple days on and you still have skin to burn. How could this not get me keen for routes. Ok, firstly the Easter break started with a trip to the Blue Mountains. This was a quick day trip from Sydney as I still had an assignment to get finished before I had a few days booked in Nowra. We arrived at Katoomba to be at peace with the clouds. It was raining, cold and pretty miserable really, however with nothing else to do except eat scones and drink coffee we (my wife Tighan and I) thought we should check it out anyway and see if things would be dry. We walked in and warmed up on the classic "Jaws" at Wave Wall. Things seemed pretty grim, but I thought I would have a go on "Touch and Go" 28 as I have been bouldering a bit and thought conditions on the crucial pinch should be ok if it was not wet. To my surprise I did it whilst putting the draws on. It felt super easy, I did manage to be pumped directly after the crux though, boulderers huh. After that the day was getting worse so we started to head back down the mountain, I did not want a huge day as I would be in Nowra soon. Two days later I was in Nowra. I dont get to Nowra often these days, this should change soon though once I finish my degree and don't have assignments to do. We ended up at P.C as Rosies and Lott33 was wet wet wet. I wanted to do "Big, Thick and Powerful" 28 however in the new guide 29. This is one of the only routes at the crag I have not done yet so I was eager to do it. I put the draws on and managed to do it easily 3rd go. It should have been 2nd go but my hand got caught in the rope. I rested for the remainder of the day as I was eager to do some bouldering, on arrival in the afternoon though, it was still wet. We did still try without much success. The next day I tried a route called "Crenchure Boulevard" 31 at South Central. This is a burly route which involves many powerful under clings, monos and incut crimps with tiny footers. For such a burl fest route, it is also very technical. I had been on this route before without thinking I could do it. After becoming familiar with it though, I managed to do it a few times with only one fall, so indeed I am keen to send it this season. As my good friend Jim was working a route at P.C and we ended up there a bit, I figured it would be a good idea for me to do something I had not done yet. I wont say what the route is yet, but its a link up and is quite hard. It will be 30 when done but I am also sure if I can get back to it when I am fresh and its dry, it should go down. Although it was a disappointment to not send anything too hard, I am eager to train and work on what I need to in order to do these routes. I have one more day which I will be bouldering in Sydney then once again its back to the books and training centre until June. I will upload a few photos once home. Cheers.

Easter break

The Easter holidays are not too far away now, all the essays and reading will all of a sudden come to a holt. Its has been a busy start to the year, I have been training a lot. In fact, I don't think I have trained like this in years. That combined with work and uni has made me hardly have any spare time. I did get an infected finger which kept me from training as hard as I wanted to for a week or two, I am not really sure how I got it. I set a few super difficult problems at the gym up here in an attempt to increase my finger strength. These problems used some of the smallest holds I could find. I had my first session on them and the next morning I woke up and my finger was pulsating. You could not even touch it, I could not pick up a milk bottle or anything. I was concerned and did not want to stop training so I went off to the Doc. After 2 courses of Anti-biotics it seems to be clearing up. Still a little sore but manageable. I did however keep training, so I don't really think it affected my strength. I have organised to go to Nowra for 4 or 5 days just after the Easter break. I am pretty keen on bouldering at the moment so I will be doing that as well as some routes when I am not near the bouldering. For the last few years I have only been able to get to Nowra a couple of times a year, so I am super excited to get back down there and not have to think about literacy and metalanguage. I hope my training will pay off, only time will tell.

Here is a pic of a storm about to come down on Newcastle, not at all relevant but a good shot.

Working on a vid

Just a quick update. I have booked a trip with a good friend to Nowra just after the Easter break. I have a few ideas in mind on what I want to achieve and am working hard so I can have a good chance at getting them done. I did get down to Sydney on the weekend and managed to send L'Homme Obu which is V11. Some do mention they believe it is V10 but who knows. I did not find it too bad, although I did have quite a few shots on it. I kept falling hitting the final jug, I think becasue I was doing it statically and not just throwing. Probably thinking too much about it. Anyway I managed to send it easily once I was in the right head space. I got the send on vid which has inspired me to do a litle more filming. I will hope to repeat a few local (ish) Sydney blocks and take the camera to Nowra. I would like to think I will finish the vid a bit after Easter just before going back to uni. I hope this will pan out well. My uni degree is coming to a slow end and I am still thinking on where I want to go once finished. I would love to share the experience with someone so if there is anyone keen to go overseas and boulder, let me know. Until then, its back to uni work and training.

Training Training Training

Its been a long awaited 3years, that's right 3 years! The gym is finally open, whilst it did not take 3 years for the gym to be constructed, that's how long Ive been waiting for one to open up here in Newy. That combined with uni leaves me with the above title, training training training. I have put many problems up at the gym and I have seen good gains so far. I put some up in the early days of the gym which I thought would be quite hard, now I run laps on them. So no doubt, time to up the level a bit. I hope this converts to rock when I eventually see it again. I have got a few things on the cards in the weeks and months to come, but for now its thinking of variations in my training to keep me from getting bored, something which happens all to often. I have decided to concentrate on bouldering this year as there is heaps of stuff I haven't done yet which I am eager to send. Additionally, all the sport routes I would like to do are power based (except one), so by having lots of power, I'm hoping when the time comes to tie in they will feel much easier. I have had a chat to the guys dealing with Evolv and am super excited to get a feel of what is soon to be released (hopefully). They have some sic looking gear coming out which will have a dramatic effect on the climbing market.

Mr Stripey

Just a quick one as I updated this blog yesterday. Pulse climbing has put up a vid of the new gym with myself climbing a problem I set yesterday. Yes, I am aware this is indoors but as its a new AWESOME gym, I thought a shout out should be made.
Can be viewed at:
www.pulseclimbing.com.au and www.youtube.com/user/pulseclimbing#p/u

Cant wait for the season

Pulse climbing is nearly all finished. They held the reel rock tour there on Wednesday just gone. The turn out was excellent with heaps more people there than I had expected. This only got me even more keen to get training and have a great year. This year I would like to do many of the bouldering comps. I think this would benefit me as a climber and also give me a great focus point other than outdoors. This is my final year in my degree so no doubt I'll be busy but hopefully I will still be able to get my goals done. As this is my final year, it has also given me great motivation to think about where I want to go once Ive finished to celebrate. I have a few destinations in mind but am unsure yet. Some of the possibilities are;

*Bishop and Heuco

*Joes Valley

*Spain

*Red River Gorge

*Switzerland

There are others which pop into my head, though these stand out the most to me at the moment. I have started to really get back into form lately. I did a weekend in the Blue Mountains where I was able to test out where I'm at and how I'm climbing. I was also able to get to Nowra 2 days after that to do a few laps whilst dodging the mosquito's!!!!! (unsuccessfully). I have also been back on the hangboard and my wall until the gym opens on the 12th of March. I also was able to get down to Sydney to do some bouldering and become familiar with a few problems I want to do this year. This was partially successful and partially not. I did well on a problem called L'Homme Obu graded V10/11 but the weather was hot and skin came off easily. After that I went to Crumbly to try the moves of Abacus V12. This thing shut me down so hard. I didn't really rest, and whilst progress was made, the whole thing feels nails. This disappointed me as last yr when fresh I believed I had a good chance if I continued to work it. However, this motivated me more to get into form and hopefully later in the year it will be on the scorecard.

The photos above are me on L'Homme Obu and me training in my garage (previously newcastles best facillity).

Count Down

Well if you have looked at my page before, you will already know there is an amazing gym soon to be open here in Newcastle. I am so excited for this gym to be open. I cant wait to see how the sport grows up here in Newy and am eager to really start training in a fun way at a gym again. Since moving to Newcastle about 3 years ago I have not had any gym to train at. This makes it extremley hard to keep motivation levels at a high (being stuck doing essays is not good for motivation either). For me climbing is really about motivation and goals. If both are there then everything else is able to fall into place. You can tapper your training and good this will happen. I am proud of what I have accomplished since being here in Newcastle considering the above. My training consisted of lots of hangboarding, and some bouldering on my little 2 and a half panal home wall. I am greatful in a way that I did not have a gym to train at. My reasoning for this is that I now fully (well maybe not fully) understand the benefits of hangboarding and know the masive benefits gained from it if done correctly. A big thanks goes out to my good friend Chris Webb though. Most of the time he is away overseas, however when he is in the country he ALWAYS seems to motivate and pushes me to my limits. Good luck O/S mate, come back every now and then so I can get some stuff done. Whilst I did many trips to Sydney for both bouldering and training this gym opening will enable so many people to up their climbing skill and will be a massive contribution to the sport. What else could you ask for, amazing beaches, not overly busy traffic and a good climbing gym. Well you could possibly ask to be a little closer to rock, but if there is a group of super keen people to share the driving and get away thats ok.