E11 from Hot Aches productions

Starring: Dave MacLeod, Niall McNair, Claire MacLeod

Watching one guy working one route for 41 minutes might not sound very exciting. And in most cases that wouldn't be the case. This film, however, is an exception to the rule. To be honest, the rule doesn’t even apply, cause this is not just a film about a guy working a route, it’s way more profound.

I’d say this is a film about life, human relations, what climbing and climbers are about and, ok, I guess it’s also the story about how the world’s hardest traditional rock climb, ‘Rhapsody’ E11 7a (8c+) was finally climbed. It’s not a film about peace, freedom and the American way.

Watching “E11” should be compulsary for any non-climber considering socializing with climbers on a regular basis. There’s actually a great possibility they’ll even enjoy it. I think all of us recognize parts of ourselves in Dave, even though most of us aren’t quite as obsessed as him.

Here are a few things that differentiates E11 from other climbing films:

·        It doesn’t portray the climbers as way cool. Dave seems quite an ordinary guy. In reality most climbing stars would be utter dorks if it weren’t for climbing. (Come on we all know it!).

·        You don’t want to be Dave MacLeod. Not that there’s anything wrong with Dave, far from it. It’s just that... well, “Rhapsody” can be found on Dumbarton rock in Glasgow. No sun, no beach, no great views, no chicks, no cheers, no glamour. Plenty of local drunks though. The weather seems generally miserable and cold and the route looks absolutely menacing... heinous. Add death fall potantial and... need I go on. I’d rather be Chris Sharma.

·        It feels as though we really get to know the person Dave MacLeod, not only the climber. The tries, the training, the pain, the agony and the triumph. We also get to see and hear Claire’s (Dave’s wife) view of it all. It’s not always easy to live with an obsessed climber... She represents the voice of reason here and also earns a few points for having a book about Stockholm on her shelf. Good on you there Claire!

·        Non-climbers won’t hate it. Maybe they won’t enjoy it as much as you, but still. All of us who’ve tried to get our loved ones to join us in the great fun that watching climbing films is, know that that isn’t exactly the usual case.

·        At no point in the movie, Dave appears to be stoned. Not that common...

The 37 minutes of extra material include Dave working and sending a couple of 8B boulders, soloing “Hurley burley”, 8b, and redpointing “L’Mens”, 8b+.

Subtitles in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Suddenly you realize that you are only 2-3 weeks away from your next climbing trip or competition. You are not in shape and you want to chicken out or at least spread the word that you will focus on wine and 6a's. However and amazingly, the history tells us that climbing is an unique sport where you can peak very quickly. With some smart tactics over a fortnight with some 5-7 training sessions, you can be back on track enjoying the adrenaline and performing.

The main reason why this works is the muscle memory. You may feel super week, but with some recruitement training you will alert the old muscle fibers. It is like an old bush which you have forgotten to water (train). The roots, the stem and the branches are still there. Just add some water (training) to the system and you will see the leafs rising again. However, you have to be super patience no to chock the fibres with to much water (lactid acid) in the system, as it might kill all the structures.

1.      Blood-circulation:
Focus on as many metres/moves as possible including short rest in between. This training should be super easy just to wake the muscles and to create blood-flow. You should not flood you veins, just open up the system again and avoid lactid acid.

2.      Recruitment:
Recruit your maximum power by doing some campus moves or two-moves boulders. You should do some 50 – 100 moves in the beginning of every session, in order to reconnect the nerve synapses. You will be very motivated as you immediately will get stronger.

3.      Technical adjustments:
Analyse which type of climbing technique is on demand; Crimp/Open Hand, Knee-drop/High step, Steepness etc. You should train the same style that will be challenged.

4.      Stretching & Massage:
If you have been lazy with your training, you are probably more stiff than usual. Do some stretching after the session and while you are climbing. Try to put your feet in unnatural positions which will make you more flexible. It can also be a good idea to get some massage to loosen up and get some good blood-circulation in old injuries.

5.      Equipment:
Check and clean your gear and if needed by some new stuff that might get you some free energy. Get that liquid chalk. You should also try to avoid to much water contact for your fingers as you don't want your fingertips to be soft.

6.      Select routes:
Search the 8a database and topos to find the best routes for you. During a week you will only climb some 10 – 15 climbs at your level. Select the ones that others of your length, sex etc have onsighted.

7.      Diet:
There is little time for loosing weight, however there might be time to clean out the junk food in your system. Be careful of what you are eating and drinking after your training sessions.

8.      Mental training:
Do some exercises when you try to remember and feel some of your best climbing memories. Do it at the bus, when you try sleep etc. Get that good feeling beeing at the top, full of adrenalin.

9.      Lazy & Sleep:
Most of us have a hectic life and use vacations in order to get energy and load the batteries. If you really like to perform during the vacation you have to start loading the batteries two weeks prior to departure. Try the best you can to skip everything that can wait until you get home full of energy. 

10.  Funny weak guys:
Try to avoid competitive training with your antagonists. As the sessions should be soft, go for the the funny and nice looking climbing partners and start to build that confidence you have when you were peaking last summer. 

Pictures: Herman Erber

On September 20 I succeeded in climbing “ ” – a respectable 8c in the “Höllental” which is considered one of the most beautiful and most difficult routes in the eastern part of .

The details of the route:

was opened in 2002 by Arthur Kubista and has had only one single repetition by Bernhard Fiedler.

The route which is about 30 metres long starts with a boulder passages skipping to a hard dynamo with following shoulder pulls which can be seen as the key passage of the route. The finish is demanding from a technical point of view, there are small holds and there is a bad sloper without any possibility for a rest.

Having climbed some 8b's and my first 7C-bloc-Boulder, I was anxious to look for a new challenge. Arthur and Bernie gave me some important information on “”. The heavy rain in the early part of the summer and the wetness in that climbing area were trying my patience, but finally at the end of May I was able to throw a glance at “”. In the part at the bottom which is very athletic I came up against my personal limits and in the upper part of the route it was hard to find useable holds.

This route, having extraordinary moves and nestling among idyllic landscape with a great view of the “Schneeberg”, has attracted me right from the start and I couldn´t get it out of my head. Therefore I started to find out the key passages. After some days in that area, which were spread over several weeks of the summer 2006, I was able to make my first serious attempts. Unfortunately, the weather of this year´s summer thwarted my plans. Owing to the extreme heat I was unable to block the little holds and another problem I had to cope with was the heavy rain which resulted in prolonged wetness of many passages, as this area - one thousand meters above sea level - is very shady.

Two weeks ago, there were finally good conditions and all holds were dry. I sprinted over the key passage but unfortunately shortly before the anchor I  couldn´t take any more. But from this moment on I knew that with a little bit of luck I would probably be able to climb this tour soon.

On September 20 my day had come. There was brilliant sunshine and cool north wind. Under these conditions I set off into the “Höllental”.  I was mentally strengthened and determined to reach my aim. The conditions were perfect, although I have to admit that I felt slightly tense. I climbed the boulder part rapidly, speeded up with all my might in the key passage and having to compete with my lactate I kept on sprinting rapidly. The movements were established perfectly (perfectly is a bit exaggerated I have to admit;-)), but anyway I managed to mobilize my final reserves in the upper part and to snatch at and fix the final critical sloper. When I finally hung up the rope, I was absolutely happy, but couldn´t believe it at first. A great dream has come true, “” has been a super tour and I have reached my first 8c.

8a Yearbook

The 8a Yearbook project is moving forward, and now we need help from photographers - amatuers and professionals alike - who want to contribute to this exciting project. We will have a strong focus on pictures throughout the book, which will reflect the content of the 8a.nu website during the past year.

We are looking for good, high quality pictures from around the globe. Each member country will have a section in the book with pictures of its own climbers, crags and competitions. Pictures of interest are on climbing profiles, great ascents, new exciting crags, competitions and events, but also those that can be used in articles about training, technical tips, and environment. Basically, all pictures that will catch a reader’s eye are of interest.

More specifically, we need pictures of the following:

• Top climbers in the 8a ranking: male, female, juniors, and seniors
• Top climbing profiles
• Competitions: World Cup, Youth World Cup
• Major events: Petzl Roc Trip, and boulder meetings etc
• Great ascents, or achievements  
• New major crags opened

The book will include an 8a photo gallery, and hopefully also a photo contest, in which the board of 8a.nu will vote and present the best pictures from the past year.

Need an update of the 8a Yearbook project? Take a look at 8a Yearbook

Contributor’s guidelines:

All pictures sent to the 8a Yearbook project will be considered for publication. We prefer digital photos, preferably as high resolution JPG files at 300 ppi. We reserve the right to crop the pictures as necessary for best layout in the book. For slide submissions, please contact me for more information on how to proceed. All contributors will receive 1 - 10 free 8a yearbooks.

Send contributions to: [email protected]

Sincerely

Per-Ola Andersson

Photo Editor - 8a Yearbook

Pushing soft (inflated) grades

The climbing scale of difficulty is supposed to state how hard it is to do a certain climb, measured by how much effort and time that are needed to reach a specific grade. Grades are based on suggestions by the First Ascentionist (FA) and, in the long-run, confirmed by other climbers success rate on the climb. Accurate grades will better assist climbers to select suitable challenges and to motivate climbers in progress, however I do think 8a/+ are unnecessary. An accessible and very nice climb with many repeats can be hard for the grade if the success rate is low and vice versa. 

It seems like some 20 % of the boulders originally thought to be 8A have been downgraded and that more will follow. The standard 8A’s were done in Fontainebleau in the mid 90s and all other 8A's around the globe should be equally hard. So what decides then if you've done a boulder/route that appeared too easy relative to your earlier performances. Well, the amount of effort you put in should guide you in your decision. For example, let's say you can do a 7B+ 2:Go when it fits your style and you have a good day, then your maximum potential redpoint grade, after having put in, say 50 hours, should be something like 8A.

In general terms, the first tries make you mentally stronger to push yourself further. After that your improvements are mostly technical and you recruit the required muscle memory. Last, after days on a route, your progress relates more and more to physical optimization (i.e. hours spend will make you stronger (bouldering) and/or increase your endurance (routes), see below). 

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">When and why do we have inflated grades?

style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"> 

If a climber sets a quick personal best, it is likely to say that it was done faster and easier than normal. If there is a high proportion of personal best' of a specific climb, it can be considered easier and softer than others of the same grade. This is also a fact even if all climbers say it is hard for the grade, since facts are more accurate than opinions. Reasons why some grades are softer (inflated) are listed below.

• Selected references: Soft boulders establish the standard
  On road trips, climbers tend to select boulders that they have heard "easy" to do and that suite their style. Once back on home turf, these ‘soft’ boulders are used as selected references for establishing new boulders of the same grade.
  
• Change of style: Steep instead of Vertical
  In the early days of bouldering, i.e. mid 90s in Fontainebleau, there were very few steep boulders, poor crash-pads and almost no steep indoor gyms. With that slabby background, steep and scary boulders felt relatively hard as they were not the style of those days. Today many climbers think that slabs are hard and steep climbs are relatively easy. 
  
• High grades give fame: Soft grades evades traffic
  It is nowadays common to select the higher grade when doubtful as this will get you more fame and possibly better sponsors. At the same time, a higher grade will increase the traffic(objectivity) of your new FA instead of being a neglected sandbag. 
  
• Wide grading scale: Soft and Hard not 7C+/8A
  I guess if we compare climbing to long jumping, every climbing grade is at least . The difference between a soft 7C+ and a hard one can therefore be enormous. As it can take years to improve in long-jump it can take years to accomplish a one grade increase. Over a year you might improve or going from being able to do hard 7C+’s instead of soft ones. 
  
• New boulders feel harder: Muscle memory
  Let's say you have done the project and grade of your life. You did it because you had gotten stronger, i.e. an optimization of your muscle adaptation. You had recruited your muscles and your body had learned automatically and exactly how to move and balance. Later, you try to establish a new project, which in the beginning feels harder since you haven't worked the muscle memory or technique required for the climb. Once you do it your body has adapted to the new boulder meaning that, most probably, the old boulder would feel harder again. Normally, you can only give the latest climb a higher grade if it took you at least 10 hours and you can easily redo older achievements. 
  
• Downgrading: A humble and brave affair
  Let's say a repetition means a new personal best in relation to the time consumed on the climb. Congratulations, it is time for celebration – Wow, probably it is the results of hard training. But beware in your judgement, you could just be adding a chapter to the fairy tale, ‘The Emperor’s new clothes’?. Your future achievements will judge this one...

Petzl Roc Trip International Climbing Festival :

Climbing festival in Kalymnos, Greece October 25 - 30,

You can preregister at the 8a webshop which will guarantee a free Prana T-shirt

There are nearly 1000 routes rated from 4 to 8 (FR) on perfect limestone, featuring stalactites, colonettes, vertical slabs, roofs and fantastic caves. In only 5 years this island has become a must-visit climbing estination. More than 30 areas have been developed, offering a huge number of beautiful, well-bolted, moderate routes. Totally dedicated to sport climbing, the island of Kalymnos is welcoming this gathering with open arms.

From October 25th to the 30th, Petzl and the Kalymnos Tourism Office are organizing the Petzl RocTrip. More than 500 people from 18 countries came in 2004. This fall's edition promises to be the major event of the season!

On schedule for this year: climbing, climbing and more climbing. Ultimate Routes especially developed for pro men and women, a Flash Contest open to everyone throughout the island, films, slideshows and more.

Contact Kalymnos :

www.kalymnos-isl.gr

[email protected]

tel : + 30 22 430 59 056

+ 30 22 430 59 445

Schedule :

- Wednesday, Oct. 25: check-in and unveiling of the new guidebook.

- Thursday, Oct. 26: open climbing, working the Ultimate Routes + an evening with Alex Huber / party

- Friday, Oct. 27: open climbing, working the Ultimate Routes + an evening with Lynn Hill / party

- Saturday, Oct. 28: Redpoint attempts of the Ultimate Routes (SIKATI sector, shuttle boat for everyone)

+ an evening with Chris Sharma / party

- Sunday, Oct. 29: Flash Contest (open to all 2-person climbing parties at all areas on the island) + Greek Party

- Monday, Oct. 30: last chance to redpoint the Ultimate Routes + Petzl Party

Yuji Hirayama's scorecard

Kinematix, 9a Pic Philippe Maurel

Abstrakt, 8a in Sweden 1996 Pic Calle Sellman

How is it possible to keep the spirit for so many years?
I don't know exactly but I think I just want be better.

How have you changed your training over the years?
I train more bouldering this year. Also I climb a lot with the young generation. It helps to train and try different ideas.

What is your best training advice?
To climb a lot and a lot...

What is your next goal?
La rambla direct (9a+)! I spent two months there last year. I want to finish it this year.

How is your family, are they following you over the Globe?
My family understand about my lifestyle and I spend a lot of time with them.
It always take more effort to understand each other and my family has been great.

Do you have a regular job or is it only sponsors?
I am happy about that. I have a good relation with all my sponsors. Two of the sponsors have been working with me for nearly 20 years!

What is the future trend in climbing?
??? difficult question. The young generation will act more in comps and the comps will become more global. I see a lot of development in Asian countries. Every climbing style will become more specialise.

How is the scene in Japan?
A lot of climbing gym all around the country. Near Tokyo we have 20 of them. It becomes more popular and bouldering is so popular. Last year we had 350 competitors in a bouldering event. Also we have a lot of new hard boulder problems!

Interview in co-operation with Philippe Maurel

8a as a printed yearbook

8a has decided to produce a yearbook in sport-climbing and bouldering and this first edition will be a prototype that will include rankings, profiles and articles published on www.8a.nu during 2006. The 8a yearbook prototype will focus on pictures. Texts will be short and easily read. Sponsors and 8a members are called upon to contribute with finances and pictures.

Features covered in the 40-50 pages long yearbook;
• Profiles: lifestyle, character and passion
• Profile interviews: 8a choice of 'Climbers of 2006'
• Crag/Boulder scene: Comments on the 8a scorecard ranking
• Training articles: Lifestyle climbing, Lactic acid training, Recruiting finger strength etc.
• Galleries: Best pics of the year (top quality/climbers/crags)
  
  8a features;
  History and Visions, Grading logic Rules, Debates, Statistics (i.e. Ranking) and Crag ranking.

  The 8a yearbook prototype will focus on pictures and we invite photographers to contribute.

  Sasha Digulian - Pic JM Casanova

  Steve McClure - Pic Simon Carter

  Jakob Schubert - Pic Torsten Wenzler

  Since the official birth of 8a about a decade ago the vision of founder Jens Larsen was to produce a community-driven climbing site for and by the climbers themselves. Today this vision still lies as the foundation of all style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a publications and/or activities, which explains the varied quality of published material. However, since style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a has been growing extensively and now holds about 14000 members worldwide, there has been an increased pressure to improve the quality and services of the site. This has called for a greater organization around style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a and, in turn, more dedicated members. At the same time, this shows that style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a has become and will stay an important contributor to the discussion and development of the sport (i.e. sport-climbing and bouldering). Aware of this new position but unwilling to change the web site format, 8a has decided to make a mark in history and initiate the production of the first ever yearbook for sport-climbing and bouldering, the 8a yearbook.
  
  The 8a yearbook 2006 will be a prototype of future editions and base its content on the pictures, profiles, news, articles, events etc. that has circulated on the style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a page during the last year. Since some 80% of the big news of the year has been reported on style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a, the potential is enormous. The yearbook, however, will not be enormous but a mini magazine and focus on excellent pictures based on the member gallery mixed with short but exciting stories and training tips.
  
  The 8a yearbook will, at least during the first couple of years, follow the same principle as the 8a web site, which is that financial gain is secondary. The reason is that we want the product to be available to the larger climbing community. The 8a staff will sacrifice their spare-time to collect material and produce a viable product and their time will not be compensated for unless the yearbook is profitable. style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a is aiming to distribute the prototype for free (except for postage costs). To help 8a achieve its goal with the 8a yearbook we call on our present, former and potential style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">SPONSORS to contribute!
  
  Finally, we would like to emphasize that style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">8a would not exist without the community. All contributions, be that from a beginner or professional, are therefore welcome. However, as mentioned above, the yearbook will focus on qualitative material and photos of poor quality cannot be considered for publication.
  
  Sincerely
  
  Editor in-chief
  
  Carl Johan Svensson
  
  Editor: Carl Johan Svensson, mail: [email protected]
  Photo Editor: Per-Ola Andersson [email protected]

   

By Torsten Wenzler www.augenblicke.tv

Nominated in the Rock Category: Manolo, Hirayama, Bereziartu and Andrada (Sharma didn't show up)

Winner in the Rock Category: Josune Bereziartu

Nominated in the Competition category: Crespi, Eiter and Mrazek

Winner in the Competition category: Angela Eiter

Josune Bereziartu and Angela Eiter top the Arco Rock Legends