JuanJorge

Existing undocumented problem, +/- 6a

 

Existing undocumented problem, +/- 5

 Existing undocumented problem, +/- 5 

Existing undocumented problem, +/- 6a

Projects above a very boggy landing (who's up for a bit of cleaning?)

Do you feel the pain?

How many times have I come back in bits after a long session outdoor? Why is it that my body aches so much after just a few problems? More interestingly, why does it ache so much more than it would after a similar - or more intense - indoor session?

I’ve often wondered and attributed this pain to the consequences of various factors: 

1. Conditions

It’s cold outside. Colder than inside. So my muscles contract more, hence more pain the next day. That and Her Ladyship, Ms Dampness. The humidity factor definitely has an impact on the repeated intensity when working on a problem. Don't you know the famous Irish saying "it's getting dampish, pull harder!" 

2. Focus 

I tend to push myself more when outside because I really want to send those (un)established problems while I don’t really care about indoor pink resin problems that will eventually be stripped from the climbing wall. Furthermore, I’m not distracted when outside because there’s no music on, no other people to watch, no clock on the wall, no signs of human presence - or so much less. 

3. Shock absorption 

I don’t notice it but I hurt myself when outside. I keep knocking my elbows and my knees. I have a mat but it’s very small compared to the big blue bed laying at the bottom of an indoor climbing wall - why is it they are always blue? - which means that in the end, added together, all these little outdoor jumps represent a bigger resistance force applied to my body structure than that of those indoor jumps, because less shock absorption is taking place.

But it actually hit me. It’s not that, it’s the rock itself. 

When I pull on resin, the overall elasticity of the body+climbing wall system is bigger than that of the body+rock system, because there is a lot of elasticity taking place in the connections between the resin hold, the screw, the wall timber panel and the wall structure.

Whereas the rock, well, it’s not known for being particularly elastic (apart from that flake at the start of Superswinger, but that’s an exception really).

(I thought I could sketch these properly in 3D on computer but I prefer to use my spare time for climbing sessions these days)

So, in the case of rock-climbing, as opposed to resin-climbing, more of the elastic absorption is done by my muscles and my skeleton. Hence the pain.

It's kind of obvious now that I think about it and I’m sure this must have been studied somewhere by someone but my climbing readings are scarce at the moment. 

So anyone feeling the pain? 

Sand Bay, Ross & Cromarty

Spent Easter weekend in Ross and Cromarty. Added two cool problems to Sand Bay's MOD boulder.

Neolithic Orangeman direct, 6c, sit start

Red Cuillin, 6b, sit start (this one actually tops out)




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Bare hand climbing (AKA the real thing)

The editorial director of Le Monde diplomatique, recently lamented the threat that cheap news represent for serious journalism. Truth is, serious journalism is a rare thing these days. With the death of French climber Patrick Edlinger, cheap news titles were inevitable. You know what I’m talking about - “bare hand” climbing (escalade “à mains nues”).

Guess what? They all fell for it:

Le Monde “Patrick Edlinger, pionnier de l'escalade à mains nues” ( 23/11/2012)

Libération “Patrick Edlinger, mains nues ciao” (18/11/2012)

L’express “Patrick Edlinger, qui avait effectué à mains nues et parfois même sans être assuré...” (17/11/2012)

L’humanité “On l'y voyait vivre totalement sa passion, l'escalade, évoluer dans les gorges du Verdon sans corde, à mains nues, en solo intégral.” (17/11/12)

La Croix “Patrick Edlinger, pionnier de l’escalade à mains nues, est mort” (17/11/12)

We all remember La Vie au bout des doigts (if you’re my age or over that is...), a documentary by Jean-Paul Janssen, featuring Edlinger when he was not yet a legend. This film changed him into a real star in France (forget climbing gear sponsors, French biscuits LU made millions using his charisma). More importantly, climbing reached a wider audience thanks to Edlinger.

It’s almost thirty years since La vie au bout des doigts was released ; thirty years since Edlinger became a legend ; thirty years since climbers started to seriously promote climbing for all. For thirty years France has seen climbing walls flourishing in city parks, schools, and even at nurseries... Climbing walls for all! Nowadays, even the French leaving cert candidates may choose climbing as sports exam - yes, we do have a sports exam for the leaving cert, the so called “education physique et sportive”.

In 1985, surfing the Edlinger wave, French climbers founded the French Climbing Fédération, who merged with the French Mountaineering Fédération a few years later, to become the FFME, a organisation who participated in the birth of the climbing World Cup and who’s now campaigning for the integration of climbing in the Olympics.

And yet, thirty years later, journalists keep talking about climbing “with bare hands”. It makes you wonder if they do any investigation on the topic before writing their papers.

How about gymnastics, or swimming with "bare hands" ?

PS: We'll miss you sorely Mr. Edlinger.

A Perla negra (II) - Tirán (Neno do Curvo, Moaña)

"O que se pode ver en Neno do Curvo son rocas de dous tipos: unhas de natureza aceda e cor clara (as granodioritas e granitos) e outras de natureza básica e cor verde escura, ás veces case negro (gabros, cuarzodioritas e tonalitas)."

(La Voz de Galicia, 22/05/2007)

1. 5, arista, sentado
2. Groovy, 4, sentado
3. 4, sentado
4. La Barrera extension, 6a, sentado, travesia hacia la izquierda, salir en Groovy.
5. La Barrera directa, 6b, entrada sentado, salida directa.
6. La popa de la Perla negra***, 6a de pies, 7a sentado
7. 6b, mantel, sentado
8. Abordaje, 6b, de pies
9. 5+, de pies
10. La proa de la Perla negra, 5 de pies, 7b, entrada sentado

A Perla negra - Tirán (Neno do Curvo, Moaña)

 La popa de la Perla negra, 7a, SS (sentado)

La proa de la Perla negra, 7b, SS (sentado)

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Bulder Pedra Rubia - Mougás (II)

Zoiber, 7b, SS (sentado) 

Guide book: Bulder Pedra Rubia - Mougás by César Álvarez

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Bulder Pedra Rubia - Mougás

A cova de Xinxan, 7a+, SS (sentado) 

Guide book: Bulder Pedra Rubia - Mougás by César Álvarez

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Cabo Udra (I)

Pousa, pousa, 7a, de pies/standing start
(Entrada sentado: proyecto)

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Praia de Limens - Barreiras

 The worst spotter ever, 6c+, sentado (SS)


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