Anne Gray and interviewer Layla Mammi

Metronome, 8A in Plex

Eragon Traverse, 7C+ in Plex

I’ve been visiting my friends Anne Gray and Reto Hartmann for the past two weeks in the beautiful Valais of Switzerland. I always enjoy spending time with Anne since she is a nice and calm character with a great sarcastic sense of humour. Whether that’s coming from her job as an orthopaedic surgeon or simply the fact of being Australian but living in for the past 15 years, I don’t know… Anyway, Anne is 45 years old and she is fu**ing sTroNg!! Not being quite a “youngster” myself anymore, that’s very inspiring and fascinating! At least there’s hope…age and a responsible fulltime job doesn’t necessarily keep you from pulling hard…

So Anne…

When did u start climbing?

A long time ago, about 26 years ago. At the time I was involved in expedition caving and so early on I only climbed occasionally.

Really? Caving?! What else where you doing then and when did you start to become more passionate with rock climbing?

I spent my 20’s on caving expeditions. I was lucky to take part in 10 expeditions to (about 3 months each) where we found and explored some amazing deep caves. 3 were over a 1000m deep. In the mid 80’s I spent several months in and did 8 big walls including Nose, Leaning tower and Half Dome. I loved the adventure and getting to the top. I also enjoyed some mountaineering and have done some classics like Mt Blanc and the and have climbed to 6500m.

When I met Reto in the parking lot in Buoux ‘91, everything changed as we have focused on climbing. He believed in my climbing from the first day we met and this has been a great help. We met in May and we were married in October.

You used to climb for the Swiss climbing Team…when was that and did u enjoy indoor climbing and competition?

When we first moved to in 1992 we lived in an old farm house that we couldn’t afford to heat, so we would spend every night at the climbing gym which definitely helped a lot for indoor climbing and competitions. I tried competitions for about 5 years and did okay. I was twice 3^rd overall in for the year and I won 3 comps. I even made it to a semi-final of a world cup (but so did a lot of girls as it was a big one). But I stopped doing comps as training and the comps themselves took up too much of my time and where too stressful.

When did you start focusing on bouldering?

We discovered bouldering in ‘95 when I was retaking my medical boards in at the same time as working full time. I loved it as it was all about powerful moves with plenty of rest between tries which meant I could take my books to the cliff to study in between tries.

How did you manage to become stronger and stronger and still keeping it up with the “youngsters” out there?

I was lucky I was always strong. When I was younger I beat my older brother at arm wrestling. I’m still not too bad either, just ask Fred (Nicole). When we were all in with nothing to do on a rest day the boys had a little Arm Wrestling contest.  Some one talked me into giving it a go, I lost quickly right handed, but left handed I gave him a good run for his money.

But seriously, I am a bit of a workaholic with my work and climbing. I work really hard and I put in a lot of effort with my bouldering and the strength comes slowly day by day. I am not the most naturally gifted climber but I am very goal oriented. It usually takes me quite a while to do my projects but I keep going even if I see just a little bit of progress.

I remember last summer you were considering to quit bouldering…the next thing I heard was that you bouldered your second 8A in the late fall…What changed your mind?

I decided I wanted to do another 8a and then I could stop. But I still haven’t quit!!!!                    

That’s good for me…I love your beta! :) But are u still thinking of quitting bouldering…now after u did even a 3rd 8A and you were recently no.1 on the 8a-ranking together with Barbara Zangerl, who is also a very impressive climber and –by the way- 26 (!!) years younger than you…?

Depends on the day. Maybe I should quit while I am ahead! The 8a ranking for me is a fun thing and helps me to keep motivated. What I like about 8a is that everyone can put there name on the site if they want to, and it’s great to see so many people sending problems each day regardless of the level. But I can’t conceive that I could be the best women boulderer, or even close to that, as I am not. Come on Layla, you know that you are stronger than I am. I’m just more stubborn than you and work forever on my problems. And it also helps that I have a husband who is amazingly generous with his time.  In the area we have some women who are bouldering really well like Danielle Grangier, Sophie Reinberg, and of course you, and that is really motivating. We’re all over 30 but not slowing down.

Word!

 

Being specialized in hand surgery…what did u think AFTERWARDS about the fact that you pulled your pulley on the 2^nd move of “Shaolin 7C+”and still sent the problem the same day?!?

I knew I was getting close, a few days before, with you and Dave I almost had it but not quite.  The day I injured my finger I felt strong and I knew I could do the problem. On my first try on the crux my A2 pulley popped on my fourth finger. And I thought SH*% this was 3 months off climbing at least. So before it swelled up I tightly taped my finger to give it another shot and sent the problem. It only hurt a bit on the 3^rd move. At the time I didn’t think I could do anymore damage by climbing on it but I suppose I could have ruptured the A3 and A4 pulleys extending the problem of my finger. (I did take 3 months off and it healed correctly. I wore a plastic splint for 2 months)!

What would you tell your patient, if he had done so?

That’s a pretty stupid thing to do!

What is the most gross thing u ever seen in your life?

On a daily basis I see some pretty gross hand injuries. Especially circular saws.

So…whats next?

Well I’m on Call tomorrow night…

Actually we have been brushing and opening a lot of new problems lately.  But who knows, I would like to go to Hempi , or back to …Then there are a few long treks I would like to do in and … Will just wait and see how tired I am after the next 36 hr shift.

Thank you very much Dr. Gray!

Spectators at Scalatabel 2007 © CJS

 This weekend, the 16-17th of June, the Scalatabel event took place at Grotte Demoiselle, Thaurac, France and 8a.nu was there to check it out. The event included competitions for all ages and levels, and several hundred climbers participated in the different groups. Routes from 3+ to 8c could be found and spectators flooded the balconies to watch their family members or pro climbers take on the challenge. Now the 40 or so routes will be removed so that the tourist arriving for the famous cave (le Grotte Demoiselle) won’t have to witness scruffy climbers “risking” their lives on the flat rock faces just next to the cave. “But perhaps we will rebolt the area for another event in a couple of years”, says Arnaud Catz, one of the main organisers of the event. Arnaud and Didier Franco from club Scalata Nature and Escalabel respectively, together with locals like Laurent Triay, have been working for free for 8 months with bolting, cleaning and preparing the routes for the event. The French federation, Petzl, Beal and other sponsors have helped with the logistics and provided all the necessary equipment.

Dave, Phillipe, Said, Steve, Lynn, Chris and Daniel © CJS

 As one of the main sponsors, Petzl arranged a “mini rock trip” to Thaurac and invited some of their team climbers to stir the crowd and try some of the five remaining projects before they would be closed. The American trio of Chris Sharma, Dave Graham and Lynn Hill were there, but Lynn was the only one to climb each day. Chris and Dave made a sensational drunken midnight ascent of a 7c, which was a crowd pleaser but I don’t know if the parents of the watching 12 year olds were equally happy with their children’s heroes. Some of the more active pros were Bertha Martins, Said Belhaj and Steve McClure, the latter being the first to send off one of the projects, Habeus Corpus, 8c/8b+, 2nd go. French strongmen Daniel Dulac and Jerome Pouvreau gave the home crowd something to cheer for during their intense trials of some of the projects, Jerome coming as close as a few meters away from sending the presumed 8c+. However, the sharp crimpy old school routes of Thaurac would show to be more than a mouthful in the humid heat of the hills and most of the projects remain.

Saint-Bauzille de Putois © CJS

 The pros and journalist stayed at the L’auberge de la Filature, a wonderful little hostel in Saint-Bauzille de Putois just below the cave. Here you were supplied with rustic accommodation in an old silk factory, and traditional cooking served with local wine. If it weren’t for the crazy owner who could turn from being your best friend to your worst enemy if you crossed him in any way, the place would have been perfect. But I guess this is what they call the French temper and as climbers are everything but organized it was somewhat understandable that he sometimes lost his patience. The problem, I suppose, is that the anger should be directed towards the responsible party and not towards three hungry journalists…

David Graham signing autographs © CJS

 The ever so active David Graham stood in the centre of attention both at the Auberge and on the crag, ravelling on about different aspects of climbing and the climbing life. At one point Dave even tried to convince Chris to get a 8a scorecard since “he should be representing and all he need is to remember 10 routes and then he would be up there among the best”. “But I don’t even know some of the grades of the routes that I climb”, was Chris answer trying to avoid the subject. Much ado was also spent on the 8a.nu scorecard rules and people were laughingly passing out red cards for unvalid ascents to the right and left. To mock the whole idea of regulating climbing through green, yellow and red card, Steve almost made it his goal to do as many red card ascents as possible. Team 8a, consisting of the webmaster Jonas, accountant Tomasz, and top gun Johan Svensson (me), went with the flow and tried to catch as many moments as possible.

Kid climber trying to bridge on a 6b+ © CJS

 Overall the Scalatabel event in Thaurac was a success and as a Swede it’s interesting to see how broad the interest for climbing is in France. It’s not just about grades and sending hard, but more about coming together, having a good time and climb a lot. The competition is just a teaser to bring out the best of everyone and, of course, to spot the future rulers. Rumour has it though that this was the last Scalatabel but I don't know why. Perhaps it is just too much work. Still, if there is an initiative it shouldn’t be a problem to keep doing this every year as long as the big brands in climbing help out. Events like this certainly helps to spread the sport to our young and show people what climbing is really about. In any case, if it’s on, 8a.nu will be there…

© Le Grand archives (link)

 At the age of 37 Francois Legrand has started his comeback to hard climbing. After a period of personal and professional changes he has found the motivation to train and climb hard again. Training started about 8 months ago and he is looking forward to start working on many old and new projects.
 Francois has been climbing for 35 years, and was one of the great icons of sportclimbing during the 90's. During 15 years of competitions he became triple world champion, 5 times world cup overall champion, and holds multiple victories in the main events of the international competition circuit. Outdoor achievments are plentiful but he himself ranks Robi in the sky, 9a, in Les Goudes - France, as the most significant ascent so far. He has also done a dozen of 8c/8c+ around the world, many of which are first ascents and some still unrepeated. In addition he's done numerous 8b's on sight and in total more than 1000 readpoints of the 8th grade! "...but you know I've been rock climbing for more than 30 years and travelling around the world (rock trips) since 20 years!". Here are some questions for Francois:

How come you feel motivated again?
 In fact, last year I realized that I wasn't having much fun when I was going climbing; most of the time I was coming back not really tired and without motivation or any hope about my climbing. During a long period I thought the reason was that I wasn't feeling good in my mind and in my life in general, because of some personal problems I was having in my life and some important changes.
 But in fact I realized that it was because I was climbing in a lower level and without any objective! When I was a top climber (training very hard 5 days per week) I could appreciate sometimes to practice like this (just for the pleasure to go out and relax), but when things turned out better in my life, suddenly it appeared clearly that I was missing some challenge to live my passion again.
 One day that I was climbing at a new sector near Aix en Provence, I realized when I was watching some amazing new routes, that all the lines I was "inspired" to try were much to hard for me now. Then, I felt so frustrated that I lost all motivation to climb easier routes that day, and I promised myself to start training again and get back on some rock climbing projects!

What have you been doing the last couple of years?
 There were many things that changed in my life in the same time (personally and professionally). I had to deal with lot's of things that were completely new to me, and to think about a way to get a carrier and what I really wanted to do in my life. Actually, in this period of transition, waiting for some bigger projects, I started a climbing school in Aix en Provence, and coached mostly kids in their training and competitions.

© Le Grand archives (link)

Any particular plans for the future?
 Professionally I'm going in two different directions, so it means that I have to anticipate the things I want to do as much as possible, make choices and sacrifices sometimes, and then be well organised in my planning.
 On one side I'm working to optimise a structure here in my home region, to develop sport climbing courses and stages, and to organise competitions and events around climbing and extreme sports.
  At the same time, I will keep on training to stay in good shape, set and try some sport climbing challenges, organise some rock trips, set routes for competitions, work with my partners on the communication and on technical products...

Particular projects?
 Many...but it's all about setting/sending new routes, from short sport climbs to big walls, some brand new lines that I've just bolted to unfinished projects around my home in the 8c/8c+ range, and a multi-pitch route on the Karambony face in Madagascar. I will also do an indoor session for the route setting at the next World Championship which will be in Aviles (Spain) in September 2007 ...very exciting !


Do you have other passions?
 No time for that at the moment, but I'd love to have more opportunities to do simple things like going out with friends that I see too rarely, watch a good movie (it's more than 2 years since I've been to a cinema). I'd also like to travel more, but not only on rock climbing trips! I'd love to go to London, Rio or visit Australia.

What about your family?
 Hem, hem... I'm almost divorced, but it's a long story! It's been pretty complicated these last few years, but it's getting better since I'm now living with Judith. I've 2 lovely kids, that I don't see much, but that's that!
 
Community advice?
 Here's a few advices from what I've learnt from coaching (especially kids and teenagers):
 -Don't give up when it gets hard; use your mind to find a solution, work it out with your mental strength and   determination.
 -Learn to push yourself, targeting on your goals.
 -Keep on climbing on natural rock as much as possible, even if you are focusing on competitions (more or less 50/50 is a good ratio)
 -Last advice: "Keep some fun practises in training!"

Martina onsighting Deverse Satanique, 8a+ © Philippe Maurel

Age: 29
Hometown: Mojstrana, Slovenia
Sponsors: Five Ten, Beal, Slovenian Army

Achievements 2006:
Red point: Midlife crisis 8b (Warmbad), Ultimate route, 8b (Kalymnos), Un deseo escondido, 8b (Boffi)
Onsight: Qui t'as fait roi?, 8a+ (Boffi), Deverse Satanique, 8a+ (Gorges du Loup), Pas vu pas pris, 8a/a+ (Gorges du Loup), The path to deliverance, 8a/a+ (Kalymnos)

Despite great current and past achievements Martina Cufar is not so known outside the community of climbers. The reason is probably that she is a bit low-key, but in a good way. I met Martina during the Petzl Roc trip (Kalymnos) as she was preparing breakfast on the first climbing day, and then joined the noisy table of Team lucky-loosers (i.e. the 8a crew). During breakfast we found out that she is employed by the Slovenian army, and that she just spent a few weeks in the bush with an AK-45. This got us started and gave me the opportunity to ask Martina some questions about her other profession, climbing.

Why do you climb?
The first time that I tried sport climbing, in 1989, I simply fell in love with it. This love has been getting stronger and deeper ever since. I can’t imagine my life without climbing anymore. I grew up with it and I’ve learned a lot of useful everyday-life-stuff from it. I’ve never thought of quitting, not even in a dream. Once when I was injured I was thinking: what if I have to stop climbing? It was like a nightmare.

Which is your favorite place and rock for climbing?
I just came to Kalymnos and I am still under its’ influence. I would say this is a paradise on earth for a climber who like stalactites (and that’s me). Otherwise there are so many nice places in south of France and I dream of living there. Near my home, the favorite place is Warmbad, just over the boarder to Austria. Perhaps you find it strange that I am not mentioning Misja pec, where I’ve done so many nice hard routes (my first 8b+ and 8c). It used to be my favorite, but now it has become too polished and too crowded.

We know you participate in a lot of competitions on artificial holds. Does indoor climbing and competition give you the same kick as outdoors?
I started competing almost at the same time as I started climbing. As I got on the podium in my first competition, it became a big motivator to me. It was just another part of my climbing life. But even when I succeeded or won in the international comps it never filled my soul with the satisfaction that you get sending a hard climb on rock. I have much stronger memories from clipping the anchor of some challenging routes than from successful competitions. The exception is my victory in Serre Chevalier, in 2002, when I topped out the super final in the moonlight. I still get goose bumps thinking about it.

What’s more important when you climb, atmosphere or performance?
The atmosphere is really important to me. For me, outdoor climbing is also enjoying the nature, sharing nice moments with friends, and getting to know new people. Sometimes, however, I like the silence, and other times it’s great to be in a crowd. Like here, at Petzl Roc Trip where the atmosphere is simply the best. Here we all share the same passion for climbing, but we are relaxed even though we sort of compete. I don’t feel any pressure at all. Of course it’s nice if I climb hard and well, but if you share this with others it’s even nicer.

Do you feel any pressure to perform and, if so, how do you deal with this?
I used to feel pressure to perform when I was the only one from the Slovenian team that participated in the World Cup finals. Now it is different, I am not no1 anymore and the pressure is more on Maja and Natalija. Out on the rock I never feel pressure, except for the pressure that I put on myself, wanting to send a specific route.

Any particular route or bolder that you are projecting at the moment?
This year passed so fast, it feels like yesterday when I did Vizija, 8c. There have been so many competitions that I haven’t had the time to find and climb a new project. Instead I’ve climbed the routes that I could do fast, like in 2nd or 3rd attempt. At the moment my focus lies on my last ever competitions: I’ve decided to do two more World Cups and then I will finish competing at a national competition in Skofja Loka on the 2nd of December. This is the same wall where I began my career in December 1990. Then I will focus on rock projects. My wish is to visit many different crags, learn how to climb cracks, and do some multi-pitch routes like Silbergeier.

Do you have any interests or passions that are equal to climbing?
I think it’s impossible to have more than one really big passion. If I had a clone, maybe☺? But I like other sports, do a lot of yoga, and try to get better at French. I learned French by myself and now I only read books in French.

www.8a.nu has been accused of focusing too much on numbers and rankings. What’s your opinion (we welcome critique)?
It’s often like this in life. If you do something good, there will be people who envy the success and try to downgrade you. I think 8a is perfect for not being perfect, it gathers us. This is greater value than all the numbers in the world. A good climber knows that the grade is just a number and that the real value comes from the route alone and the lesson you’ll learn from it. For me the ranking doesn’t matter. I climb for myself and I am pretty sure that most of the 8a members do too.

If you could give a few short training tips to the community on how to improve ones climbing skills, what would they be?
Simply, just climb a lot and on a lot of different rock, including artificial walls if possible. This will make you develop a wide repertoire of techniques and skills, which will help you to improve. Also, when training indoors, try to be innovative and make new routes for every session. Most important, enjoy every

Martina Cufar - Natalija Gros - David Graham - Joe Kinder - Paul Robinson - Michele Caminati - Nalle Hukkataival

Relay interview: Michele Caminati vs. Nalle Hukkataival

This is the fifth relay interview among 8a members and the problem for us at 8a is that the quality increases all the time making any regular old Jens Larssen interview and article looks quite poor. Michele and Nalle have been on the World Cup circuit for some years with #6 respectively #4 as their best. Nalle was #5 in the world championship in 2005 and #2 in the European championship 2007. In the 8a ranking ther are currently #10 and #11.

Picture Heikki Toivanen

Picture Heikki Toivanen

Picture from www.ifsc-climbing.com

Picture Torsten Wenzler

Hello Nalle, can you tell us about your first experience of climbing? Then why did you start bouldering? Do you ever climb rope?
We went climbing with my school class. I
immidiately fell in love with the sport and I joined a youth climbing
group. At first I did mostly rope climbing, but over the years it
just kind of changed to bouldering because I like the way it's more
relaxed and free without anything between you and the rock.
I still do some rope climbing every now and then when I feel like it.

Tell us about the place where you live: how is the climbing community, the climate, and where do you usually go to climb?
Well, I live in . There are actually quite many
climbers here and the bouldering is pretty good. If you're willing to
drive an hour or so, there's plenty of stuff to do. Indoor walls for
training are excellent and come in good use because the weather from November through February is usually rainy or too cold to climb outside.

What's your occupation? Do you have enough time to train and climb? Any plans for the future?
At the moment I'm a professional climber and I aim to keep it that way, so I have all the time I need for training and climbing. I can travel a lot and climb in many great places. It's good!

What are your main interests outside of climbing? How much time do you reserve for them?
I do also snowboard and wakeboard, but I haven't had much time for these lately. Sometimes I'm pretty lazy and like to just lie around, eat a lot and hang around with my friends.

Tell us a thing you do super well and one you suck at.
Things I do super well... That would have to be overhangs with small crimps and dynamic moves. I absolutely suck at crack climbing.
 
Let's talk about competitions. Which are the main reasons that you compete? Which are the best and the worst moments during a comp?
Competitions are fun because you get to meet many friends and climb great problems. I think the best moments during a comp are figuring out tricky problems and getting support from the audience. The worst would be all the waiting.

What's your favourite kind of rock and boulder problem? Which spot do you like most and what place do you dream to see?
My dream boulder problem would be a tall, 50 degrees overhanging block with tiny crimps and pinches you have to dyno to reach. It would have a beautiful mountain setting and of course a scary top-out high above the ground. I think Magic Wood is the most amazing boulder area I've ever been to and I'm really want to go to Hueco.

Do you usually travel alone or is it easy for you to find some friends to go with? How do you usually organize your trips?
I do travel quite a lot on my own. Sometimes it's very frustrating. In,many of the competitions I do, I'm the only one from the Finnish team. Climbing, trips are different and I usually travel with my friends.

I need to plan my trips well because I spend most of the year travelling. Sometimes when I fly from country to another just a few days in between it's really crazy, because when you wake up in the morning you don't know right away what country you're in.

What do you think about grades? Is it more important how hard a piece of rock is or how beautiful it looks to you? Do the two aspects usually
combine?
I consider grades more like a suggestion of how hard the problem could
be, than the absolute difficulty. Each problem is unique and every climber has their own strenghts, wich means that a grade is always more or less somebody's personal opinion. I think far more important than grades is the beauty of the line. I have no desire to try a problem just because it's hard, but looks terrible.

Is there anything you think could be improved in competitions? And in outside climbing?
In my opinion the bouldering competitions don't measure so much people's
strenght and power, that I think they should. I'm a boulderer and while in a comp I'm often pumped and don't have the time to recover between problems. Of course this is also one aspect of bouldering, but there are comps where I'm pumped pretty much the whole time. I might have as well gone to a lead comp. So if I had the chance to change something, it would be making some of the problems shorter and harder or increasing the rest time.

What comes to climbing outside, I wish people would take out their thrash and behave at the crags. We don't want any more access issues.There has been problems for example in and I can understand well, because the areas are packed on weekends.

Last of all, which is the most important thing you have learnt from climbing?
I would say patience and self-discipline. Sometimes you need a lot of patience while working on a project. Hard training requires good self-discipline to be able to drag yourself to go training even when you don't really feel like it.

Peace out!

Ignacio was the first local editor that started with 8a.nu and thanks to him the Spanish site is the second most popular after the swedish. Editors like Ignacio are essential to the spreading and maintanance of 8a.nu since far from everyone is fluent in english. Ignacio has probably put in about 5 hours a week for about six years now with no real payment besides from climbing gear. Jens thinks that Ignacio deserves credit for what he has done and 8a will start paying him in the future. Last year he was invited to Göteborg with his friend Diego (who is covering the Dima Rock Master the next weekend) but the trip did not fully turn out as expected due to a sudden love afair... Here is the interview with one of 8a's real heroes.

Ignacio at his real job

Why do you do it?
Some 6 years ago, I was surfing on internet anxious for climbing news, and when reading at Desnivel’s webpage, I realized that the source they mentioned was unknown for me; that was www.8a.nu. I immediately took a tour on it and could see that they were looking for collaborators in other countries and languages. At that time I returned home from living in U.S.A. and U.K. so I could manage with the English language. Next thing was looking for the contact and sending Jens Larssen an e-mail with my disposition to start working besides of a sample of my capacities with the last news translated from English into Spanish. Then Jens agreed, upgrading my account after some more samples. For me, working in 8a.nu is a good way to refresh my English everyday besides of doing it with one of the things that more have meant to me and still does: climbing. On the other hand, I do fulfil my interest for journalism.

Who are you really?
I’m Ignacio Sandoval Burón. I was born in León, a small city at the north-west of Spain, 31 years ago. I started climbing with a pair of regular sport-shoes when I was 14 at the back wall of a famous hotel in my city, trying to don’t get caught by my parents who forbid me to climb because it was dangerous and because I was supposed to be studying… I got my peak performance some 4 years ago with the redpoint of a couple of 8b’s and one 7c onsight. After that, I practically stopped climbing the last three years, converting myself into a party animal… luckily, motivation is starting to flow in my veins again. Nowadays I live in Madrid just because this is the place where I got my job as an Infant and Primary school teacher. I’m pretty much okay here, but I’m eager to return to León where I have my family and friends besides of much more rock in a closer range.

Ignacio during his comeback

Future with 8a.nu?
To keep on working on my leisure time trying to bring a better webpage to all the readers, so as to they can profit all our system to get informed and to interact in order to always improve our passion. Apart from that, I hope to start earning billions of euros, hahaha. No, just getting some payment for the work I’ve done and I’ll keep on doing for the community.

What would you like to say to the community?
Enjoy climbing and nature with friends and try to improve everyday, but don’t do it to the point where it ruins other important things in life. Be wise and honest!

Can we tell the story when you guys were sick and were fooled to walk 50 km to get aspirin?
For sure you can tell it but I’d ask you to let me read your narration before it gets on-line, just in case you do it wrong!

8a thinks that censuring might destroy a good story, so here's the true uncut version:
Last year Ignacio and a friend came to Gothenburg to climb. First day they were transported up to the "Granitgrotta", an area under development by Jens Larssen. Here, in the middle of nowhere, they were promised free accomodation if they helped the farmer with relocating some of his harvest. This meant shuffling several tons of seeds from one place to the other. After about 10 minutes of this they realised they were in trouble. While the farmer went about his buisness as usual Ignacio and his friend were totally f..ked. Surprise, surprise, next day they were both sick. At this point Jens had gone away on a "love weekend" with his new girlfriend and the two Spaniards were left alone in the countryside with nothing but a phonenumber to 8a's editor Jonny banana.

Calling Jonny and asking for directions to a pharmacy they were instructed that there was one in Torp about 5 km away. Great, they thought, let's walk. After about a kilometer they met the farmer who asked them where they were going. -"Torp" said Ignacio. The farmer, who knew this was 50 km away, asked them if they wanted to borrow his car, since they were sick and all. -"It's ok, we'll walk", said Ignacio. Bloody strong these Spaniards, the farmer thought and drove home. After about 5 km of walking in a delirium Ignacio and his friend reach a place called Brodalen, a small village with nothing but five houses and a minimarket. Here they asked for Torp and desperately realised that they were way off and would have to walk back to the farmer withouth any aspirin. They bought some "natural" remedies in the minimarket, such as honey and lemon, and started walking back. Half way they collapsed on the side of the road and slept for about three hours before dragging their sorry asses the last kilometers home. Well back in the cottage they realised that Jens had left them some aspirin and other remedies, just in case, rendering the whole walk unnecessary. Dissapointed and exhausted they filled their bodies with pills and slept for two days before they could start climbing...welcome to Sweden!

 Before we begin talking about climbing in India, let us warn you that India is as big as Europe, or Texas and Louisiana combined in terms of its area. Its geography displays a diversity matched only by the diversity of its people, with the great Himalayas in the north, a volcanic plateau in the south and several mountain ranges along the coasts as well as in parts of the interior. This diversity is reflected in the various types of rock in India. As a result, the possibilities for climbing in India are vast and to a large part unexplored. In this article, I will outline the climbing areas that have already been well established in India and only give you a hint of the other possibilities in unexplored areas. Bon appetit!

Nandi Beil, 7b+,  Hampi

 Hampi: This is by far the most popular climbing destination in India after Chris Sharma visited it and shot his video Pilgrimage. Hampi is a bouldering heaven located in the south of India, around 350 km away from the city of Bangalore. It was the capital of the ancient Vijayanagara Empire from the 14th to the 16th century and the Group of Monuments at Hampi is a UNESCO WORLD Heritage site. Though there are sport routes in Hampi, bouldering is by far the mood and grades range from V0 to V11 with a lifetime of climbing possibilities. A small note of caution: the rock is granite and very sharp! Hampi has foreign climbers staying there for over six months at a time and returning regularly. Staying is not a problem, as there are several cheap lodges available. The best time for visiting would be from October to February. You might stretch it on either side, but it becomes too hot then.

Ganesh Plateau Area, Badami. The climber on the left is on Fire or Retire, 7a and the climber on the far right is on French Disaster, 6c.

 Badami: If Hampi is the bouldering capital of India, then its long route equivalent is Badami. Situated just 70 kilometers away from Hampi, Badami has red sandstone crags hosting sport routes as well as traditional climbs ranging from 5a to 8b+, with many, many more possibilities. The rock is much more kind to the fingers. There are boulders in Badami, but sport routes are the main attraction. One can spend a lot of time in Badami. Lodging and food is not a problem (it’s cheaper than Hampi… that’s really cheap.)  The best time to visit is the same as Hampi, but the advantage of this place is that it is more desolate than Hampi. Another attraction in Badami is the rock-cut temples made during the rein of the Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD.


 Ramanagaram: Ramanagaram is a scenic cluster of granite hills located in the south of India, just an hour’s drive away from the city of Bangalore. The area offers several sport as well as traditional climbs ranging from 5b to 8a+. There is room for more routes. An ideal visit will be for 2 to 3 days. One would have to camp out but food is available. The best time for visiting is the same as Hampi.


 Turahalli: Turahalli is a bouldering area on the outskirts of Bangalore. The rocks are granite and similar to those in Hampi (I mean: save your skin!) Grades range from V0 to V9. There is scope for more bouldering. Do keep around a day or two for the area even if you are short of time. One can stay in the city of Bangalore itself.

Big Move! , V5, Mumbai

 Mumbai: Mumbai has a very nice bouldering area and a few sport routes on its outskirts. The rock is basalt and there is some variation in its texture even in the area itself. Grades range from V0 to V8 and from 5b to 7c+ for boulders and sport routes respectively. It will take at least 2-3 days for a very good climber to complete everything around. There is a scope for more problems. The best time to come would be anytime from October to February. Staying is never a problem- just e-mail us.
P.S. You are always welcome at the Girivihar International Climbing Competition, which takes place here in late January! Some climbers of note have already visited it.


 Pune: Pune is a city located 150 kilometers away from Mumbai on the edge of the Deccan plateau. It offers two areas: (A) Sinhagad, an old fort near Pune where the basalt rock offers sport routes from 4c to 7b+. There is also some bouldering up to V7. There is scope for more routes and problems. The best time of the year is between October and May. Accommodation is never a problem - contact us; (B) Plus Valley, a huge plus-shaped gorge just 80 kilometers from Pune, discovered a few years back. There is magnificent basalt rock on both the walls of this gorge hosting sport routes and traditional routes from 5a to 7c, with much more possibilities! We have to descend into the gorge to climb there. We camp at the base of the valley and we need to carry our own food along. The sun hits the walls for only a few hours, which means that the rock remains cool and perfect for climbing! I suggest spending at least 2 days here. You will love it.

Hampi

 Delhi: India’s capital has two climbing areas, Dhauj and Ramjas. Dhauj has granite rock with sport routes from 5a to 7c+ while Ramjas has sandstone rock with sport routes from 4c to 8a+. Dhauj in particular has a lot of possibilities. The best time to visit is from October to February.


 The other unexplored climbing areas in India include Yana in the south, Mount Abu in the western desert state of Rajasthan and Pachmarhi in central India. Hrishikesh in Uttarakhand and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh are amazing places to climb in the Himalayas. There is also this small but beautiful bouldering area called Solang that I visited last summer in Himachal Pradesh. Very sweet place indeed!

 Welcome to India!

C-O Boström on Köpman Wighart, 7A in Norrköping

Dylan Smith on Rythm, 7C in Västervik

 Bouldering is all about freedom isn’t it. Forget your harness, rope, quickdraws and whatever, and just rock. Go alone if you prefer! Still, in the end it’s really about coming together, spurring eachother to challenge ones physical limits, enjoying the atmosphere and loving to be out there. To me, this is what Swedish meatballs is all about. The theme of the movie is simple: the director, Shawn Boye, teams up with Welsh climber Dylan “Iron(y)” Smith, and, the Swedes Carl-Ola “King Aska” Boström and Johan “Sloppy” Andersson in a Ford and takes a ride through Sweden, visiting eight of the best areas the country has to offer. At each place they seek out the “local” strong men and women to show them the real classics, and some follow them around to the next place. Achievements are alternated with the occasional disappointment of not sending, giving the movie a realistic touch.

 The climbing in the movie is great, offering Swedish classics, high balls and first ascents, spiced with spontaneous action scenes (i.e. karate). There are a lot of interludes with talk and “on the road” scenes, which I think are funny but they can be a bit over the top sometimes. It’s interesting to see that you don’t need to eat right to get strong, at least not before you turn 40. I'm far from an expert but technically the movie is probably up to international standards, although at times the photography suffers from the desire to include lesser quality interludes. In general the music is well chosen and mixed with talk and shouting to create a good “feel” of the movie. Personally though I had problems fitting the “singer songwriter” songs to some of the problems. I mean, if the climber goes “huh huh, slap, stick, huh” with each move more desperate than the other, a slow guitar and soft voice in the background just doesn’t do it… Don’t get me wrong, I love reggae!

 At the whole this is the best Swedish climbing movie so far and for those that are used to their own turf it’s really an eye-opener. For climbers around the world who've never heard about Sweden and climbing in the same sentence this will really show them that the Nordic is the place to be when climate change is heating up the rest of the continent. Great job Shawn!

 Carl Johan Svensson

See the director's (Shawn) homepage for a trailer.

Swedish Meatballs is sold in the 8a.nu webshop för Euro 30, including postage worldwide.

© Sam Bie

Age: 38
Hometown:
Berchtesgaden, Germany
Sponsors:
Berghaus, Petzl, La Sportiva, Beal, Komperdell, Julbo
Achievements (an extract):
-Free solo ascent of the South face of Dent du Geant, Mont Blanc range (2006).
-First ascent of the Southwest buttress of Aguja desmochada, Fitz Roy range, Patagonia (2006).
-Zodiac, Speed Record in 1:51:34 (2004).
-Kommunist (8b+), Free Solo Ascent (2004).
-Direttissima (550m, 7a+), Free Solo Ascent (2002).
-Bellavista, 8c, first redpoint ascent (2001).
-Six first redpoint ascents on El Capitan (1995-2003).
-Latok II, 7108m, West Face (1997).
-Weisse Rose, 9a (1994).

How have you managed to stay one of the best climbers and keep renewing yourself for so long?
It is always difficult to say. I wouldn’t say I’m among the best climbers of the world anymore, at least not within sport climbing. I’m more of an all-round-alpinist and among the “all-rounders” I’m definitely among the very best. With the first ascents of Weisse rose, 9a, in 1994, and Open air, 9a, in 1996, I probably climbed the hardest sport-routes in the world at that time, but since then I stopped focussing on sport climbing and changed my focus towards climbs like the West face of Latok II (1997), the bigwalls of Yosemite, the free solo ascents of the Direttissima (2002) and Kommunist (2004), and many other things. Of course, it is very hard to stay in shape for all these very different kind of activities, and that’s the reason to why I can’t train for hard sport climbing any more! However, I guess the most important reason to keep going is the motivation, which of course fluctuates. However, thanks to a great variety of activities it never becomes boring. Himalaya, Karakoram, Patagonia, Yosemite, Mont Blanc, the Dolomites.... it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to visit all these places!

Have you ever thought of quitting climbing?
There will be a day when my performances won’t be at the “niveau mondiale”, but no matter what, climbing and mountaineering will always be my passions.

Which is your favourite place for climbing/expeditions?
I like limestone, I like the Dolomites and I like granite. I like the Alps, the walls of Yosemite, the wild granite spires of Patagonia and the high mountains of Himalaya. This means that I like all the variety of rock and mountain that the globe offers!

Do you enjoy indoor climbing and competition?
I do not climb indoors, nor do I compete.

How important is the atmosphere when you climb?
Of course both the climbing and atmosphere matter. I think that’s the same for all of us. Climbing is not just a physical activity but also a life style. Being outdoors and socialising is part of the game.

Do you feel any pressure from your surroundings to perform or do you climb what- and whenever you feel like it?
There is no pressure from sponsors or from anyone else for that matter. 70 % of my income comes from the slide shows and I’m therefore completely financially independent from sponsor deals. Still, I have to keep performing on significant projects, because without any spectacular ascents people wouldn’t want to visit my shows. But this lies in my own interest and I’ve been lucky in the sense that I’ve performed quite well during the last couple of years (the Zodiac, Kommunist, Grand Capucin, etc). This has given me enough material for some time to come. This is great since I don’t want people to get bored with my shows.

Any particular project/expedition planned at the moment?
Of course...

Do you have any interests/passions that are equal to climbing?
Mountaineering is my biggest passion, without a doubt. But I am also a passionate pianist and motor-biker, and, I always enjoy being at home and having a beer with friends. For me, home is the most important thing in life.

www.8a.nu has been accused of focusing too much on numbers and rankings! What's your opinion (we welcome critique)?
Well, it’s a great platform for information on and about the sport-climbing scene. After all, climbing is a sport and that’s why numbers are involved and important. If there wouldn’t be numbers climbing wouldn’t be a sport.

If you could give some advice to the community on how to improve ones skills, what would they be?
The key is motivation. Do only the things that you really want to do! In the early 90’s I did a lot of “system training”, but today I only do bouldering to train for sport-climbing. It’s exactly the training that I love the most so that’s what I’ll do.