My Comp Photos

good link this.............


comp photos on flickr

next time i pray for a faster camera and a stronger flash!!!





i've been taking lessons from Dave!!

World Cup - Saas Fee

Stand up and be counted. Good effort to the lads and lady from the UK who put their necks on the line and competed in the comp.

Unfortunately in the UK we don't really have any mountains or ice but we do have a great tradition of climbing and, as has been proved before, will be able to compete at World class tooling competitions. This time with a newly formed team the potential wasn't reached but it was a big step in the right direction. So to all of you crazy people who insist on using tools in the green and pleasant land; keep up the good work and next year this could be you............(and I'll be there to take the photos again!)
Fiona, sorry I didn't get any photos of you.



The comp is held at the centre of a spiral ramp in a multi-story car park! A spectator friendly and very atmospheric venue.



Stevie on the big moves



Deserved a better result



Malcolm on the steep learning curve of an international competition



Andy "the Ben it isn't!!"



have a good look round when you park next, you never know what you might see!!

Uschinen - run away (+5degC)

(sorry dont know who took this)

quite an eventful couple of days...... we were totally bushed (not that kind Danny!!) after a weekend of traveling from Canada via London, Paris and some town in France with a big castle but no road signs. We met up with Kat and Fiona Murray and crashed on up to the mixed and I did a couple of days on Twin Towers. Didn't finish it. Then the temp shot up and all the ice fell off.

Musashi

A route in the Cineplex. FA: Will Gadd 2001

Did I tick it?


photo Malcolm Kent

The Stats

• 2 weeks 'work' !!
  
• 1 hour drive each way (not too bad when it's along the Icefields Parkway)

• 1/4 tank of gas each way! (unless you are ploughing deep snow and need an emergency refill at the Saskatchewan Crossing ranger station)

The last few days

• wed: found my sequence near the top of the route was unreliable
• thur (last day): new sequence and got to within a couple of draws of the ice curtain
• fri: persuaded Malc to go back to the 'Plex' and didn't finish Musashi
• sat: dropped Malc at the airport and writing this in Calgary as I wait for my later flight. So this is the end of my first visit to Canada and I feel it has been a 'mixed' trip; two weeks is a long time to spend at one venue but at least I reached the last rock hold on Musashi before whimpering the words "I can't, I'm pumped"

Ice in Canada?? !!

Paul on Ice 9.

Andre on cloud 9 on Ice 9

geek

Triop Capoeira comp boots: probably the worst looking boots you can find!! but they work very well. I have had the good luck to get hold of a pair of Triop's just as my Lowa's have given out (the rubber round the toe box has shrunk!!!) thanks Paul for bringing them out to me.

For pure Drytooling and steep Mixed the Triop's are better than the Lowa's in many ways; lighter, stiffer and the front crampon and (therefore monopoint) is at a steeper angle so easier to use on overhanging routes. I have also made a few modifications to the Raveltik crampon 1) loose the funny hook on the heel, whats that all about??? and I have also cut off the 2 studs nearest the back of the boot to make rockovers easier. 2) cut off the downwards facing spikes under the midsole so that back raking is easier.

Out of the box the ankle is as stiff as a board but it does soften up with use (why is it there at all though? a comp shoe would be even lighter)

The best thing about these boots is the price: between a HALF and a THIRD of what you would expect to pay for any other comp boot.

no news is good news

thanks for the top photos Danny. But, are you taking the piss?? One of your photos shows you have lit a fire in a cave .... in India!!!!! for the last fortnight I have been hanging out in caves with only a couple of teabag handwarmers for comfort. Also, I see you have been practicing the art of airbrushing muscles on to climbers.

During this section of the trip my climbing progress has been slow (which wont surprise anyone who's watched me climb) We started here in Canada at Hafner where after a few days effort Neolithic was ticked. Following that we wanted to try something a bit harder so we chose a classic which, according to the guide, was only a grade or so harder than Neo. And thats what I am doing now; still trying!! This protracted effort accounts for the lack of posts showing any climbing, although we did head up to Slaughterhouse one day but it was another -25er so we went and did some drytooling indoors at the Vision climbing gym in Canmore!!

I have also realised that Bez, Andre, Paul and Nigel have been here for the last 10 days and we have not seen any shots of them (and now they have left for the UK) Chaps, Please email me some photos for this space [....]

Hello any one home ???

are yes a cave all to my self,

Sir Kunt on my problem

Another cave and more dal and rice

Dave on my problem the Bee string, so called as when i did the first accent, the area and was engulfed by a swarm of bees, very scarey. the top of this problem was a bit tricky to, so the sting works well

me on my problem eddy lizzard

A view from our new jungley bould field, it is hours from any small indian village
we had to carry all food and water for our stay to the top of this hill

nice view from our goffer (cave)

fire not for the heat but to keep the Bear's away from the mouth of the goffer

how long have you been out hear the ?

Climbing in Hampi

a view of hampi as a bouldering landscape and play ground

sir bob Kunt at the top of Cosmic Crimp

At last I have climbed the surfers traverse

I was alone when I first climbed this problem, I repeated it again with friends / spotters and got these great pics

me an sami in the jungley platoo, it was a bit nipy sami has his hat on !!

good spotting, make sure that role is ok

Views from hot hampi

my problem in the middle of no where

CANADA

After a short but turbulent flight up the Rockies we found ourselves at another car hire desk collecting another pimp 4x4. In Canada you need a big 4x4. The roads have continually been covered with snow and you need to be driving something large to hold out against the big rigs who are either flooring it of wheelspinning slowly uphill.

Hafner creek has been the project location so far. The biggest project has been ascending the snow covered, branched tree to get over an unfrozen pool. This line (first led by Malc) has almost claimed an axe and a climber. NB: Hafner Creek is the ailment that results from sitting astride this knobbly, frozen nighmare every day.





The Hoar House



Struggling to keep warm at -20C. BD mittens on my feet.