bouldering season in Halifax

Yesterday I went out with some friends at Hephalump and Chebucto Head. Conditions are great right now for bouldering. I am realizing more and more that some of the testpieces around here have extremely cryptic beta! It is unbelievable sometimes. I can try problems that I put up many years ago and it will take me a long time to remember the sequence. Sometimes for problems I should be able to resend in just a few goes. It reminds me of Fontainebleau. Very beta intensive. I think my next book could be on testpiece beta.
photo by Aidas Rygelis. 4 am (v9?) unrepeated at Chebucto Head.

Atlantic Regionals March 2009

Last Saturday was the Tour de bloc regionals at UNB. I was back on my old turf to set and head-judge the comp. I always enjoy climbing and setting at that gym since that is where I first started climbing and I have some fond memories. In the past we have struggled with attendance but this one was enjoyable for all organizers as around 50 climbers from all over participated. We ran qualifiers for OPEN in the morning and REC & Experienced in the afternoon. Finals went smoothly I thought and I hooked up a live feed which same friends and family enjoyed in the comfort of their home.
The Men's OPEN field was pretty strong and I really didn't know who would take top spots. And in the end local man John Bowles grabbed 1st despite a finger injury.

photos by Ann Butler / top: Krissy Lunney on finals #3, bottom: Florian Muth about to send Finals #1

Injuries...

Some people asked me recently if I've ever had serious climbing injuries and I replied no. I mean sometimes I got the occasional finger pulley "tweak" but nothing serious. Well, except that time in Quebec when a crimp snapped off and my leg crashed on a sharp stump. It caused a hematoma in my thigh. I think I pulled one tendon in my entire climbing life despite my lack of warm-up practice. Yesterday I was climbing this project at the gym on a 45 when I fell something tweak in my knee. I knew I had done something but I was 2 moves away from sending so I did and jumped off. Dam. How lame. Injury climbing on plastic! It hurt but I could still climb for a bit. When I went to Fiona's I asked her dad and he told me it probably wasn't a ligament but more the cartilege in my knee. It happens to football players. So that is good news. It's super stiff in the morning but once I get going it gets better. I'll be ok in a week or so. I'm just going to break from climbing for that time. I'm busy with school anyway so that's good. There's 2-1/2 wks left before I drive up to NB to set the Tour de Bloc regionals at UNB. I always like going there as that's where climbing all started for me. The club has always been a great spot to climb and train. People are pysched and it's hella cheap to climb there. During my last trip to Fred'ton I bought a new impact drill that I will be happy to try out. The trip was so snowy. It fell over 40cm in 24hrs (see photo). Yes so the regionals should be a good time. We're introducing a "team" option so people can form a team and compete with other teams to see who can climb most problems. Stay tuned...
zig