April 22, 2008

hey ford australia; import these!

i would so buy one

Posted by yankinoz at 09:10 AM | Comments (0)

April 08, 2008

gaby mayo busting a move on manic (17)

Posted by yankinoz at 09:36 AM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2008

climbing update

this is starting to turn into a climbing blog :) well I won't be climbing outside for the next two weeks - heading back to the USA to spend some quality time with Amy.

This past weekend I went climbing with the intention of climbing a grade 22 (5.11b) which would equal an old personal best which dates back to 1996 - I still have that goal of climbing a 24 by August and 22 is the next stepping stone.

Tim, Gaby and I stayed local on Sunday at a little crag in Narrabeen. There's a group of three 22s there that share a common start. After warming up on a couple of easy climbs Gaby and Tim wanted to do a traditional route called 'Common Origin' - this was when Jo arrived and I was like - perfect timing! Jo can belay me on one of the 22s called 'Show Us Your Ticks.'

Well the common start was definitely the crux! the on site attempt ended in a small and very safe fall (nice catch Jo! thank you!) and several (half dozen i suppose) attempts didn't get me much closer to the big holds above the very blank budging face. I eventually pulled up on gear to gain the second bolt and clip it. lowered back down the the crux and gave it another half dozen tries.... sigh. I actually said out loud "I don't think I can do this" pulled back up on the gear and climbed the rest of the route - which was, as it turned out, a very fun climb.

With the rope set up from the top, Jo wanted to give it a go. I was impressed as this climb is a couple grades harder than anything I've seen Jo attempt before but with the top rope, things are pretty safe so she did give it a go. And her method of doing the crux was totally different than mine. While she didn't get it to stick - I was like - OHHH THAT WILL WORK! After Jo was done I tried it again on top rope using Jo's sequence and it worked! woo hoo! so I lowered back down and rehearsed the crux a few more times and then did the whole thing on top rope and was like - I can do this on lead! I know it.

Soooo after a half hour rest. With Jo's trusty belay. The climb went clean. Again a well worked route, a plan that came together, a goal attained. Heaps of thanks to Jo Brothers as with out her I don't think I would have figured out that crux. Woo Hoo.

Two more steps to 24. Next couple of weekends after I get back from the States I plan to work routes in the 19-22 range and should attempt a 23 by the end of May. Right now, 24 by my 40th is feeling very, very possible.

And a big shout out to Tim who had his first grade 18 on sight. NICE!

Posted by yankinoz at 04:11 AM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2008

bouldering

tim got nice one of me bouldering in West Lindfield (aka The Big Pump but I think it's actually in Killara)

Posted by yankinoz at 09:05 PM | Comments (0)

March 27, 2008

sparky misses amy

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March 24, 2008

Gravity Works

With my wife still a whole Pacific Ocean away I've been focusing my energies on work and climbing. The Easter long weekend was no exception. Good Friday was spent dodging the rain up Barrenjoey way - it was a great afternoon with friends and some easy climbing. I even got to place some cams on lead again which is always a good time. Easter Sunday Tim and I got an early start for a Nowra day trip - the relatively newly developed Thompsons Sunrise crag was our destination. A whole bunch of climbs in the 12-18 grade range (that's 5.5 - 5.9) were on the agenda but I had my eyes on a 20 (5.10c/d) called The Balrog. (oh, I worked Easter Monday just to be clear on the 'no exception' i mentioned above)

The morning saw some pleasant climbing and a little bit of rope burn from small fall off the low crux moves of Blister in the Sun graded 17 (5.8). I did manage a clean assent and followed it up with three more clean routes while we worked our way from one end of the crag to the other. The Balrog was waiting.

Now I've mentioned 'on sight' climbing before - this is when you are able to climb a route with no falls or rests having never done it before and with no prior knowledge of the route (aka 'beta' or tips on how to do it.) You only ever have one chance at an 'on sight' and it is a goal I almost always go for. At grade 20 this would be one of my hardest on sights and from the ground, the route certainly looked good. It's 16 meters (52 ft) tall and 3 meters from from the top not far past the last bolt I fell. It was a clean fall - maybe three or four meters. I was bummed that I missed the on sight but was mostly worried if I could actually figure out the top section - i didn't see what to hold! I had a little rest - hanging off the rope and took a look to the right and saw something. I tried that, fell again. arg! it's frustrating but rock climbing is a sport where constant failure is part of the process. Well, i could see some holds now and had a plan. After a couple clean falls I was gaining confidence to push a little harder and I did. I got up a little further - reaching for a good pocket I lost my footing and took a whipper.

"Oh Shit" is apparently what I said. I don't remember exactly. It's hard to explain or understand just how fast 9.8m/sec/sec is when you are inches away from a rock face - it happens really really fast. As I had moved up a bit further there was more rope out - in all i fell about 6 meters (20 feet) - on my way down my knee hit the rock (bruised and scraped) - swinging a bit right to left my foot caught a small ledge which flipped me upside down (not good) and my helmet (yay helmet) hit the wall. Hanging upside down I did a quick inventory of all my parts and they were all still attached and moving so my next words were "Harness Fits!" (cuz I didn't fall out of it!) At this point i was probably most annoyed that I was now back down to the half way point of the whole bloody climb!

I was determined now. I was so so close - just needed to find better foot holds. My next attempt got me through the difficult section and safely clipped into the anchors. With the rope in the anchors I lowered down half way and then rehearsed the top moves again. This time, with knowledge of the holds and the moves I found the sequence far easier (still hard mind you but it didn't seem so impossible as it had at first) so Tim lowered me back to the deck and had a rest and received some first aid for the scraps on both legs (iodine hurts more than rock.) The worst injury is a rather sizable bruise to my right knee.

Next I followed Tim up a 12 (5.5) called Philosopher's Stone (way fun climb too.) Returning to The Balrog I was pleased to see it now completely in the shade and I was focused - I knew I could do it and to be honest I hardly remember climbing it - musta been in the zone. I do remember the top crux - there was a series of curse words from me - hey - this rock did bite me earlier. I won't soon forget clipping into those anchors. "Woo Hoo!"

Posted by yankinoz at 07:35 PM | Comments (1)

March 15, 2008

Gaby Mayo on Meltdown (19)

Posted by yankinoz at 08:08 PM | Comments (0)

Welcome to the Body Shop (21)

Posted by yankinoz at 07:43 PM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2008

amy on katoomba brothers

Posted by yankinoz at 07:50 AM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2008

amy in port stephens

Posted by yankinoz at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)

one mile beach and feet

a long walk on the beach

Posted by yankinoz at 08:10 AM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008

mixed bag climbing weekend

Back in July I set a climbing goal to lead a grade 21 (5.11a) by Australia Day and with only three more weekends to go I set out this weekend to send "Palm Sunday" - a 10m crimpy face climb that I climbed on top rope way back in 1997. I remember liking it and felt it suited my climbing style. Saturday morning Amy, Tim and I headed out early - hoping to beat the forecasted 30 degree heat. We started with a short warm up on a grade 15 (5.7) called "Taylor Made" - Tim wanted to lead it and he did a fine job of it too. There's a grade 18 (5.10a) just next to it called "Look Blue Go Purple" which I top roped in April and wanted to actually lead it and since we where there... Well, for some reason I couldn't remember the sequence. I wasn't confident with the holds, with my feet, with the route, with anything really and the heat and humidity so... we put up a top rope and i repeated the climb - fell once - argh - for me, it wasn't a good day at the rock and I had to keep reminding myself that a bad day at the crag is better than a good day at work.

So - we packed up, stopped at the local fish shop and picked up a huge red snapper for the bbq - stuffed that bad boy with chili, lime and lemon-grass and wrapped it in foil and put it on the barbie. Michelle met us at home and the four of us had a huge lunch and wasted the hot afternoon away playing Wii.

Sunday morning - not as hot. Tim and I headed back to Berowra early while Amy slept in - I had a full on assault of Palm Sunday in mind and reckoned I only had until about 10:30 or 11:00 before it got too hot. Started with an on sight warm up of a grade 17 (5.9) called "Yesterday's Heroes" - OK, um, I had to down climb the start a couple times as I was still a little spooked from Saturday - but that still counts as an 'on sight' as I didn't fall or get lowered :)

I gave Tim a belay on Yesterday's Heroes to clean it and then I put him to work while I took on Palm Sunday. First step was a bolt to bold lead - taking a rest at each bolt - looking, sorting out the sequence and then moving to the next bolt. When I lowered back to the ground Tim noted that it actually took me 20 minutes to climb 10 meters that way :) no worries this was about learning the moves. Next step was to climb it on the top rope (which went in one go) and then lowering down to about the half way point and re-doing the top sequence - trying different things then rehearsing what I thought was the best sequence - must have climbed the top half 6 times. After lowering I did one more quick run up it on top rope while I was tired and it felt hard! I knew i had the sequence down and was ready (after a half hour rest) to lead it. And that's just what I did. It must have been around 11:00 and close to 27 degrees and I lead Palm Sunday in a 'pink point' style. Yay! Grade 21 by Australia Day 2008 - and with two weeks to spare.

I celebrated with Amy and a nice bottle of Champagne.

Hmm - grade 24 (5.12a) by my 40th Birthday... that's about 7 months from now and it 's a very, very hard goal. And I'm still aiming for it. Anything to keep my mind off the big four oh - eh?

Posted by yankinoz at 06:33 AM | Comments (4)

January 07, 2008

rooftop lawn chairs

Posted by yankinoz at 07:28 PM | Comments (2)

January 01, 2008

Amy on Jug City

this photo of Amy is from Sunday - we did go back today (New Years Day) and i had a really good day - but i took no photos! I was pretty focused on climbing - did a 16, 17, 18 & a 19 - the 21 called Sister Rosa looks really doable and i was considering giving it a go but ... it was in full sun ... the place got a little crowded in the afternoon ... yeah yeah yeah so may excuses! really, i'm building up to it - I want at least one more 19 and 20 before i feel ready - 26 Jan is still the goal and I have a few 21s in mind already.

Posted by yankinoz at 08:41 PM | Comments (0)

December 31, 2007

goals are good

achieving them even better. Yesterday's climbing trip to Dam Cliffs in the Blue Mountains saw me climb grade 18, 19 and 20 - all on sight (the 20 - called Truancy Officer is, granted, soft for the grade but there was at least one really hard move!) All in all a better performance than I was after (I would have been happy to work the 20 - or even just do two 19s but i felt good and decided to go for it. And I'm glad I did. So - here on New Year's Eve no new crazy resolutions but I'm feeling that my previous goal of a clean grade 21 lead by 26 January (Australia Day) is going to happen - heck - going back to Dam Cliffs tomorrow and hey, who knows - there's a 21 out there and if things are feeling good...

UPDATE: Tim just posted Extreme Closeups of me on Truancy Officer

Posted by yankinoz at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2007

Colin on Judgement Day

We spent the better part of Boxing Day at a little crag in Sydney's north - Barrenjoey. Mostly short routes of moderate difficulty - and 'mixed' that is there is some fixed protection mixed wth traditional gear. One of the 'first in a long times' for me today was my first all trad gear lead in about 12 years (called Orgasmic - grade 11 or 5.4) and another first in a long time was getting on a grade 19 (Central Pillar of Mordor) and getting it on the first go - it was on top rope mind you - but it think i can lead that - will need to top rope it again first..



Come to think of it, the place reminded me of Devils Lake back in Wisconsin. But with bolts.

Posted by yankinoz at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)