RoCkLands, South Africa !!!

I can't wait to start pulling down hard on rock again. Been couped up in the gym for the last 6 months. The euthusiasm is also partly due to the fact that this is probably one of the few times i'm fairly fit, injury free and ready to rock and roll. Plus Peter and Weida will be joining me in the beginning of July. YEAHHHHHH !!!!!!!!

Looking back, i realise that this is only my 2nd bouldering trip(last one was 2 weeks in fontainbleu during the summer of 2005) though i would like to explore some nearby climbing crags such as Oudtshoorn.

here are some videos to get psyched !!

Rocklands.... part 1 from Grimpeabloc on Vimeo.

Here's a list of some climbs which i really want to check out and get onto:
1) Caroline
2) Ulan Batar
3) John Denver
4) Pinotage
5) Barracuda
6) Splash of Red
7) Green Mamba
8) Shoshaloza
9) Ray of light
10) Black Shadow/Brown Shadow
11) The hatchling
12) Derailed
13) Panama
14) Paula Abdul
15) Sky

By the way i'm on the frontpage of the 4th edition of Dyno !!! Shameless self advertisement.....thats what it is. Hah!

Here's a link to the full interview http://sgclimb.com/dyno?p=1004#comments

Mental Wings...

It took me some time to dig out these 2 really old sheets of 'worthless' papers which i compiled about 8 years ago. This is basically a condensation of what i thought would be useful for me having read Eric J. Horst's book "TRAINING FOR CLIMBING". At one point or another, i am sure any serious climber would have read or even bought his books in their own personal quest to evolve and grow as a climber.

When i first started competing long time ago, i knew i had to work on my mental aspect on top of training very hard physically. It was clear to me from the very start that being strong mentally is as important if not more than being physically strong itself. As such having read the book, i began to systematically identify and write down the things which can help me improve mentally. This resulted in these two 'worthless' papers which i pinned up on my board but have since taken down a long time ago.

The first paper basically identifies my step-by-step approach to climbing a route/boulder. Of course subtle changes should be made in accordance with what you are doing. eg competition, onsighting on rock, doing a hard redpoint etc. Do not underestimate the power of visualization. It helps to hardwire your motor skills (moves and sequences), increasing memory and fortify confidence. Studies have shown that the brain is not always capable of distinguishing between something that actually happened and something that was vividly imagined(Kubistant 1986). Therefore, repeated visualization can trick the mind into thinking that you have been there and done that before. It is important also to ensure that visualization should be as detailed and as accurate as possible (i even count the number of shakes i give each hand at a rest point during a hard redpoint) as uncertain sequences can result in failure during your climb.

The importance of visualization was highlighted once again to me during my recent climbing trip back to Krabi. I blew past my previous high point on Greed easily on my first redpoint attempt. I could never do the particular move no matter how hard i try during the 2 weeks i was there a couple of years back. This was a result of me constantly fiddling around with 2 sequences at that section as i was unsure what to do (both felt equally hard) and did not believe that i could link it from ground up. Thus i had subconciously ingrained the belief that i will fall everytime at that section. In climbing terms, rather than engramming the move, i was engramming the fall.

Looking back, i don't think i was a lot stronger physically this time round. It was simply a result of me being prepared to do the move even before i touched down in Thailand. Let me explain how this came about. I did a self analysis of why i kept falling at that section on Greed after my trip in 2006 and came up with a simple answer.

I did not visualise my success in doing that move from ground up which came about as a result of me not believing that it was possible for someone of my height. This was proven wrong during my last few days there when a HK friend of mine did that move easily and he is of the same height as me. The days leading up to this 2009/2010 krabi trip was occasionally spent visualizing my success in doing that move, so much so that i never fell of that section again on this trip in EVERY of my redpoint burn. Amazing ain't it?

The above answer i stated brings me to my second 'worthless' sheet of paper, in particular point number 4, "STOP NEGATIVE THOUGHTS. THE BODY WILL NOT GO WHERE THE MIND HAS NOT GONE FIRST". This point holds true for me and i believe for many people out there as well. This is evident in my encounter with other climbers in the gym. More often than not, i find that most will choose not to believe that a route is possible(they will usually whine that a move is too hard or too far) and within their capabilities until someone else of the same height or physical strength does it first.

These 2 documents work hand in hand and have done wonders for my progression in climbing. Here's a picture of me on Baa Baa black sheep 8c/+ at Ceuse, a route made famous by Dave Graham in 2001 when he did the FA. A route i felt i was capable of doing physically but not mentally last year, having fallen off the last hard move numerous times. I'll be back for it someday, thats for sure.

Manado

Here are some photos from my recent dive trip to Buanaken, Manado during the CNY period. Had my first taste of underwater photography and i'm glad to say it was fun! One experience that really put me off was the occasion when almost 15 divers literally waited motionlessly at 1 location less than the area of 4m by 4m for 45min just to take pictures of mandarin fishes mating. I was like 'oh man.....guys GET A LIFE!'

In my next post, i'll like to share abit on how mental training can be more important than being physically strong itself during a climbing competition and how it can also relate to climbing on natural rock. So stay tuned...

Sneak Preview !!!

Here are some awesome shots i got from Q. Can't wait to see the rest !!!

his works can be found here http://www.jamesqmartin.com/

After thoughts on climbing in Krabi...

All in all it was a pretty good trip to Tonsai. On top of finishing Greed, i went around climbing and repeating loads of easier stuff from 7a - 8a+. Most of the climbs in krabi were polished beyond belief but i was glad that there were a few crags notably Cat Wall that are still ok for now.

Repeating many of the routes on tonsai roof and falling off the new Tidal Wave on my first go was another memorable experience!!! Its hard for its grade now, requiring quite a bit of body tension after the huge jug located right in the middle of the route broke off. Tantrum 8a+, which was my first climb in the 8th grade also felt harder and requires a completely different sequence at the slopey shelf as Yi Chuan had broken off a crucial jug the year before. Thankfully i didn't fall off this climb =D

I also had the good fortune of meeting up with Bjorn and his wife on this trip who generously offered me the chance to snag the FA on his new line to the right of gaengsompla. Athough there are still some loose rock, this should clear up as more people get onto it. This awesome line goes at 7b+ and is more technical than it looks due to the severe overhanging nature of the line akin to tidal wave. Here's a pic of Bjorn working hard(bolting!!!) and his wife on the line (Speak No Evil, 7b+) a couple of days later...

Plus i was obliged to take some photos of Kenneth since he belayed me a couple of days ago for 2 hours under the scorching afternoon sun on Greed as Q wanted some good photos of me climbing. You can find his works here http://www.jamesqmartin.com/. Will post up pictures as soon as he sends them to me. Meanwhile here are some shots of Kenneth on Gaengsompla, 7c+. In addition, he send Phaet Mak 7c+ in a few goes. Big Ups to him !

Now that Greed is in the bag, many people have asked me if i would still be coming back to Krabi to climb. The answer is a big YES! There are still so many routes left undone plus Ao Nang is starting to see new development and has the potential for many beautiful lines. Plus its way cheaper to stay and travel around Krabi and Ao Nang than at Tonsai/Rai Lay.

Anyway here's a couple of climbs which i really wanna do

Definitely Makes You Whinge, 7C (rebolted end 2008)

This beautiful line is located between the 2 climbers on the wall. And yes, the photo was taken donkey years ago with Han Ping on Strider 7a+ with Assad belaying.

Sissyfuss 8b/+

This superb line by TJ features excellant rock with minimal hand and footholds. Anyone attempting it will required EVERY single part of his body to work his butt into the crux and out of it. I had a go on it and will be back for this 5 star route!!!

GREED 8c/+

It's been a long time coming but finally on the 7th of Jan 2010, i send my first 8c/+ in Thailand. Here's a little history of the route itself - Greed was the hardest route in Thailand for 5 years until 2002 when another 8c was bolted to the right of it(Hot Spring). However due to the numerous broken holds on the route itself, it was rendered impossible until someone told me the bolter glued the holds back towards the end of 2008.

I first tried the bottom moves on Greed back in 2004 after sending Jai Dum 3 days after the terrible tsunami and was immediately hooked onto the bouldery moves at the lower section. There were numerous pockets, a couple of monos (for rest points !!!) right up to the 6th quickdraw. The upper half of the route gets even better and consist of sustained climbing all the way to the anchors, with tufas lining up the last 4 metres. Returning in 2006 with much better fitness having worked my ass off on campus rungs and finger boards, i spent the 1st 4 days of the trip just putting up all the quickdraws onto the route, highlighting the fact that i'm still a long way to go. (i did not suss out all the holds on the entire route in 2004). During the 2 1/2 weeks, i did not climb higher than the 4th quickdraw, constantly falling off a dyno move to a slopey handhold.

It was a completely different story this time round. After putting up the draws and cleaning the holds on my first day, i gave it a go and surprised myself by climbing past my previous high point easily. Although i was really happy, i was still unsure if the route would go as that was only 1/3 of the entire climb. The subsequent 2 weeks were spent trying to climb the rest of the route as efficiently as possible, tweaking my sequence especially towards the top. In the process i managed to reach my next high point, which was a metre away from the last quickdraw. The last 10 days were a series of heartbreaks after heartbreaks as i kept falling way low right after the 6th quickdraw, off this reachy move from a pocket to a slopey sidepull which is the only decent rest in the middle of the route. I fell there more than 10 times and was resigned to going home without sending it even though i was literally running laps on the upper half.

I gave it another redpoint burn the day before leaving for home and fell at the same spot yet again. Thankfully a friend who had tried the route and seen a video on it suggested there and then to try a different way of holding the pocket. Even though i felt drained, i gave it a 2nd go and fought all the way to the anchors, almost falling off the LAST move, just as the sun was setting. (Thanks to Gaz for the beta and Som for belaying !!!)

Ironically before this trip, i did not train much but was consistantly bouldering and climbing hard indoors. I guessed this helped tremendously plus the fact that i had spent 3 months climbing in europe did wonders to my mental state, having fallen off the last hard move (stupid dyno) on Bah Bah Black Sheep 8c/+ at Ceuse, France countless times and not sending it before going home. I'll go back for that climb someday for sure...

Anyway here's a video of my climb. This isn't my redpoint attempt but one of the best i've got and has been painstakingly stitched together by Kelly Woo. Many thanks !!!

Greed 8c from Jay Koh on Vimeo.