Warming Up

Here’s an article on warming up before climbing which is something I do not like doing. I didn’t come to the climbing area to warm up – I came to climb. But this is good advice:

“…the first route you do should be so easy that as soon as you lower off, you can take a TR lap on it right away, correcting any mistakes you made the first time up, and putting yourself in the proper mind set and flow for the day. If the first route is too hard to do a second lap on without taking a rest in between, then it’s not a proper warm up.

…you should start on a route that is 2 to 4 number grades below your redpoint goal for the day. So if you are aiming for 12a, that might mean your first route is a 5.8 or 5.9. Andrew Bisharat says your last warm up should be about a number grade below your project level, his recommend progression for someone working 12b would be something like 10a, 10d, 11b.”

But this is impossible for me to do:

“And then comes a crucial part, take some rest! I usually wait about twenty to thirty minutes after warming up before getting on anything harder.”

A 30 minute wait! That is a long time. But I guess I could climb while I am waiting to recover. So it won’t seem so long.

P.S. I like this comment:

“Does a lion warm up before he tackles a gazelle? No.”

Swim To An Iceberg And Climb It

Sounds like these two Canadian have invented a new sport.. Here’s an interview with them about swimming to icebergs in a Newfoundland bay, climbing them and then swimming back.

A Lake, A Bike, And A Ramp

Buddy and I were walking by the lake yesterday and we noticed some guys on bikes with a ramp. Here’s what we saw. Looks like fun. Except the water was so cold, the biker didn’t even say anything until he got out of the water.

Finals Of VEM Competition

Quite a combination of moves at the business end of the finals. It’s a swing off a chain after a bat hang. The best part starts at the 2:30 minute mark.

Our Blades Aren’t Great, They Are…

Just watch the video to see how great these razor blades are.

Evaluating Anchors

Chauvin Mountain Guides has lots of good info on anchors and on escaping the belay here. I like the way he charts out a way to evaluate different anchoring methods as shown below.

So You Arrive At The North Pole And There’s A Wedding

A solo traveler finally arrives at the North Pole and is surprised to see a wedding. Details here.

A

0 To 12 In 2:45

From birth to 12 years of age, a father takes a video of his daughter every week for 12 years.

Celestial Lights

Shot in Norway, Finland and Sweden over the last few months, this is quitea stunning time lapse of Aurora Borealis.

Liz At Joshua Tree

Here’s a photo of Liz and Seth at Johsua Tree with a report of their trip. (At least, he’s wearing red.)

 

Verdon

They’re filming a movie about climbing in Verdon for Arc’Teryx. Some great photos and details here.

Don’t Skip This Activity

Watch as “The Skipper” explains the new craze sweeping the nation. (Sometimes I lose faith in humanity. And then I see someone like this, who believes so much in what he’s doing, that he doesn’t mind looking weird, and my faith is restored.)

He does need some marketing help to make this popular. He needs a shoe designed for skipping and some skipping socks. Then specially designed skipping shorts/pants and a skipping soft shell jacket.

Dispatch From Nepal On The Way To Everest

A video report from a North Face climber on his flight into Nepal and start of the trek into Everest.

Home Of The Redpoint

A trip report from the home of the “redpoint” in Germany. Here’s how they mark the route – just paint it on the rocks. Could you imagine the horrified people if they tried that here in the US? Mountainproject link here.

 

 

 

 

It’s no wonder that this crag is one of the most popular. You can almost belay from the car.

“Much To The Horror Of My Sport Climbing Mates”

He’s using trad gear on an overhanging sport route. And his sport climbing mates are horrified to see some of his gear pop out.