Way back in May this year, whilst out in Manikia in Greece, Alex Huber took me to one side and insisted I studied the images on his phone. They were amazing, pictures of Alex throwing wildly exposed moves through a massive roof with incredible views behind. “This is my route La Bavarese, it’s one of the best I’ve ever done, it has to be one of the most outrageous and hardest of its style anywhere”.
Kalymnos – without doubt one of the best climbing destinations in the world. The rock climbing is fantastic, but the real bonus is not only the full spectrum of grades and styles, but also the combination of holiday ingredients that make this an absolute must-visit for any climber.
Before there was time there was gravity. It’s the one thing that rules this universe.
As children we leave the womb, and we struggle against gravity. We learn to crawl, we learn to walk, and then for a few of us, we learn to climb. For those of us who climb, we respect gravity and honour it more than others.
Conrad Anker – Petzl RocTrip 2022.
Did you really on-sight that route, or was it a flash? Does it matter, do you really care? And who came up with the word ‘Flash’, like something reserved for a comic book hero. What even is a ‘flash’? What is an 'on-sight'?
Due to (surprisingly!) popular request, the days leading up to Mutation, starting way back in 1996. This is pretty much lifted straight from my climbing diary.....
There is no doubt that training is required to reach your true potential as a rock climber. But we are quicly forgetting that there is more to rock climbing than pulling hard on stick screwed above the doorframe.
Normally at this time of year the big Outdoor Shows would be going off. All the best new kit would be on show and we’d all get excited. But not this year. To make up for it, here is my top 10.
A bad workman always blames his tools. We’ve heard that before. But to be fair, it’s hard to do a really good job without the right tools.
Let’s go for over 45’s. It was going to be over 50’s but I’m not there yet. 45 isn’t really that old at all (neither is 50), However, we can’t escape from science, and if you’ve reached this milestone or further, you’ve probably noticed that your body doesn’t quite do as it’s told (or certainly what it was told to do 20 years ago). The rules of training change a little as the years go by!
The classic venue of Finale in Italy has been on my radar for years. And now having finally visited, I'm already planning a return!
