tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60945984435950457292024-03-13T10:10:11.369-07:00Lucy StirlingLucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-32855703581208510582017-11-27T01:40:00.002-08:002017-11-27T01:40:15.624-08:00Turnaround Year<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What a weird and wonderful rollercoaster of a year 2017 has been. Somehow it feels as if I’ve actually managed to pack two years into one! When I think back to where I was in January 2017, so much has changed and so many exciting things have happened. This year has definitely been one of the most challenging years to date but also the most rewarding by far. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To summarize it all will be a challenge in itself. Over the past 11 months I’ve learnt such a large amount about myself and especially how to ‘focus’, making it hugely beneficial for me to be able to look back on n the future. I hope that in sharing my story it might inspire a few others to face their fears and keep striving for their goals and dreams no matter what.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So let’s rewind back to what feels like an age ago when we were spending January trying to finish that delicious giant ham from Christmas Day 2016. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those close to me will know that during the first few months of 2017 I was tapering off a prescribed neurological medication I’ve been on since I was 7 for treatment of ADHD. I’ve written a whole separate blog about this difficult journey over the past 12 months which I’ve been hesitant to make public...but I think I will release it soon as a way of putting it in the past and moving on. To undertake one of my greatest fears and get to where I am today, to not have given up once, and now being medication free for around 9+ months makes me feel like I can conquer anything I put my heart and mind to. It’s indescribable. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruOjGTMgfxIyRRc4GPGM4tpO16ahJ-HZMSSqURrl3BI7fdkdCZC2jABZur0uOZFoWvWbcwJe7_cSF3QzQ7djiQtv1CzkP_jOkZeuBzBeYM51aox9LxkqZ8IKyZbclebld4MS99I22otlF/s1600/unnamed+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruOjGTMgfxIyRRc4GPGM4tpO16ahJ-HZMSSqURrl3BI7fdkdCZC2jABZur0uOZFoWvWbcwJe7_cSF3QzQ7djiQtv1CzkP_jOkZeuBzBeYM51aox9LxkqZ8IKyZbclebld4MS99I22otlF/s320/unnamed+%25288%2529.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup Chamonix 2017 - Photo by Sheila Farrell McCarron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I decided I would tackle all the same competitions I had last year, but this time I would do it without my meds. It was unusual yet such a relief to finally not have to apply for a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption- WADA) to be allowed to compete. My first comp of the year was QLD State Lead. I was unusually nervous (for obvious reasons) but managed to take out first place. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Up next was Australian Lead Nationals and I will be completely honest in saying I was scared of losing my title as Lead Champion and still nervous about how I would perform med-free. Of course focusing on this did exactly what you would predict; distracted me from what I should have really been focusing my attention on. It ended up being a very close finals, and although I still managed to make 2nd place, I was still very unhappy with how I climbed and my headspace throughout the competition. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I moved on from this ‘disappointment’ and went on to spend 5 absolutely amazing weeks living with Alex in a van and climbing around the Grampians. I had such an incredible amount of fun over there and it was such a struggle leaving that magical rock wonderland. Being outdoors did a world of good for my stress levels. It really grounded me and reminded me of what truly matters. I was also really stoked to come back with a solid amount of ‘sendage’ under my belt, found a few projects for future trips and rediscovered a frothing passion for outdoor bouldering.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhJqBkMqX4q3C1RYXcW0_Ted6ONXQJLf8LdVWhF06EIbnmav4p65l84WPyFOtEZxA0owcNDBeiJrsR_MBYmmo8nt_8um77q1PRMqKY4OUi3mNHNIIp1no3jiYAV-nLFlMCriqJFC5Zhvs/s1600/17879915_1400247940037967_9090349924770740655_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhJqBkMqX4q3C1RYXcW0_Ted6ONXQJLf8LdVWhF06EIbnmav4p65l84WPyFOtEZxA0owcNDBeiJrsR_MBYmmo8nt_8um77q1PRMqKY4OUi3mNHNIIp1no3jiYAV-nLFlMCriqJFC5Zhvs/s320/17879915_1400247940037967_9090349924770740655_o.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the send of Monkey Puzzle (28) - Photo by Pat Banda</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After 4 weeks back in Brisbane I then set off on another 3 month overseas IFSC World Cup adventure. I did 8 comps in total including 2 Boulder and 4 Lead World Cups, as well as The World Games (in Wroclaw, Poland) in both lead and boulder disciplines. I also spent 3+ weeks training in Canada and was really excited to make immense progress in my performance at the Chamonix Lead World Cup. It had been the place of my worst performance both of the two years prior, so it was fantastic to see I had been successful in strengthening my weaknesses. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqYyWPNeEuLe_DVbWRYhrUbgO5bYeZjUmpEPq7UIVN95tP5jnlN9N9-yvAQ39fxgdBz6V5RdpVe36kq2S_KHO9QIrvZVwVYTr_btPMvuULyBS0kuNF24AAaU4CzXfRemUYbotIFP_VRuI/s1600/20369167_1511724472223646_3014600244523461839_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1080" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuqYyWPNeEuLe_DVbWRYhrUbgO5bYeZjUmpEPq7UIVN95tP5jnlN9N9-yvAQ39fxgdBz6V5RdpVe36kq2S_KHO9QIrvZVwVYTr_btPMvuULyBS0kuNF24AAaU4CzXfRemUYbotIFP_VRuI/s320/20369167_1511724472223646_3014600244523461839_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The World Games 2017 (Wroclaw, Poland) - lead Qualification - photo by Polski Zwiazek Alipinzmu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A week or so later I was absolutely thrilled to be one of 12 athletes selected to compete at the World Games in Poland in both Lead and Boulder. It was an incredible experience climbing against the best in the world in such a small field of competitors. I was lucky to share the experience with Campbell Harrison who also competed in both Lead and Boulder disciplines. I was absolutely thrilled to watch him make finals in lead! What an awesome achievement! </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was satisfied with my own overall performance but was also quite upset that I got food poisoning right in between the two days of competition. It was terrible timing but I was fortunate to be well enough to climb when it came to my turn.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This put a bit of a dampener on my psych and also forced me to restrict my diet. I became slightly obsessed with over-controlling what I ate from then on and ended up accidentally losing a lot of weight I couldn’t really afford to lose. Later at another World Cup in Munich I somehow managed to get food poisoning again which only made things worse. I was doing my very best to stay as healthy as I could but things just weren’t working out entirely as planned. At the end of my 3 month trip I was really grateful to spend two amazing weeks outdoor climbing in Arco, Italy with Alex. It was a wonderful way to round out the trip and I had so much fun but I was also ridiculously exhausted mentally and physically. Realistically, I was just feeling completely burnt out. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VQCcCAjnATNZVRSkDlUdaalSdaXzlF2m3hVhZNEgJb87-N2fgWxvqMjpGnObPyKlovaWB5g_PBDv4ydM0DxUAZw-xSF206q0jIf1FqDvj62VOfrgQWjGH_1GaEnsFiMOkKLKCXlD9x5X/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VQCcCAjnATNZVRSkDlUdaalSdaXzlF2m3hVhZNEgJb87-N2fgWxvqMjpGnObPyKlovaWB5g_PBDv4ydM0DxUAZw-xSF206q0jIf1FqDvj62VOfrgQWjGH_1GaEnsFiMOkKLKCXlD9x5X/s200/unnamed.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qld Academy of Sport training</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of weeks after arriving home I was contacted by the Queensland Academy of Sport who wanted to interview me about a potential position in their P4G (Prospect For Gold) program. I leaped at the opportunity and they were excited to have me on board in preparation for the 2020 Olympics and the qualifiers in 2019. I became the first ever sport climber to be a part of their program. As a part of the QAS team we would be working to gain insight into the best training methods for the sport of climbing and I am positive that this knowledge base will help open up many more fantastic opportunities for climbers in the future.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics very much in the forefront of my mind, I was feeling a little stressed about my performance and head space throughout the year so far but knew I had to keep it together. The Oceanic Sport Climbing Championships (held in New Caledonia) were only a few weeks away and I was committed to going and making the most of the unique experience. Nerves rattled me almost every day leading into it. It would be my first ever time competing in speed, let alone all three disciplines in the one competition (the closest thing to the combined 3 discipline format required to compete and qualify for the Olympics). I would also me aiming to defend my 4 year Oceania Lead Champion title, so the pressure was on. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Despite feeling exhausted I trained as hard as I could over the next month and went into the Oceanic competition with an open mind despite the pressure I was feeling in the background. I acknowledged the fact that I’d already had a challenging year and wasn’t feeling at my best so couldn’t really expect amazing results. I decided I would take the opportunity to really focus on myself during the competition and not give in to worrying about how all the other athletes were doing in comparison. I would set specific in-comp goals which would help me maintain focus as much as possible. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It turns out that this relaxed yet intrinsically focused mindset is exactly when I perform at my best. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3fcxUKPSXyfaM1hUD2ztVTdG2MxIvTLAMO_5gVKmRdOvPxyBhX9fqGacSmzg8nDe1Tuo9t2U3MitIHXIO7VSUXPB5p4XYQOwHxtsCv47wF2kvfDFSXn0zpuO7-V8ga_yUwzgCn-N6cr4/s1600/unnamed+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3fcxUKPSXyfaM1hUD2ztVTdG2MxIvTLAMO_5gVKmRdOvPxyBhX9fqGacSmzg8nDe1Tuo9t2U3MitIHXIO7VSUXPB5p4XYQOwHxtsCv47wF2kvfDFSXn0zpuO7-V8ga_yUwzgCn-N6cr4/s320/unnamed+%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceania 2017 Bouldering Qualifications - Photo by Structure d'Escalade de Noumea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFt_haG_LM74tuv7_UxT_62pKt1EJ-oLYF84cJ-8ANgGq-pelkMpEHTbefdVz1mORIARdVqZEDi3u-eS1_6e8N9leu0HDUScbI59MlYqmBEe7M2d2jlX5p6QaVOHJjWhT-f9EQp3VV7KbI/s1600/unnamed+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFt_haG_LM74tuv7_UxT_62pKt1EJ-oLYF84cJ-8ANgGq-pelkMpEHTbefdVz1mORIARdVqZEDi3u-eS1_6e8N9leu0HDUScbI59MlYqmBEe7M2d2jlX5p6QaVOHJjWhT-f9EQp3VV7KbI/s320/unnamed+%25284%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceania Lead Finals top out smile - Photo by Structure d'Escalade de Noumea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK5Q45Jv1KD4TyVuFRgimOUmfN17HZi-5fkmTsuFvybKx3kykJIZxNw8YhTNg4R8DaydDDQVxGU8NgWkGXftjjZDlldx0Adj-EkARwFbzzzrsBw_LohGl0BdpLxBLaSlTGQgjvA8E3_JH/s1600/unnamed+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1064" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBK5Q45Jv1KD4TyVuFRgimOUmfN17HZi-5fkmTsuFvybKx3kykJIZxNw8YhTNg4R8DaydDDQVxGU8NgWkGXftjjZDlldx0Adj-EkARwFbzzzrsBw_LohGl0BdpLxBLaSlTGQgjvA8E3_JH/s320/unnamed+%25282%2529.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speed Qualifications Oceania 2017 - Photo by Structure d'Escalade de Noumea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I completely surprised myself by coming 3rd in speed, 2nd in boulder and 1st in Lead defending my 5 year Oceanic Champion title. I was absolutely thrilled yet completely blown away. Where on earth did that all come from? </span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s such an indescribable feeling when you realise that all your hard work is finally paying off. The Oceanic Championships were a massive turning point for my headspace and motivation. Immediately my spirit was lifted and I was psyched to get back to training hard for the next one.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But the 9 month season was not yet over with the Australian Bouldering Nationals held just 5 weeks later. I arrived home and immediately focused my training to strength, power and bouldering and I was psyched to see how it would pay off. I had also been feeling far healthier after upping my protein intake over the past month. After a few sessions with my new QAS dietician I felt far more comfortable exploring a new eating plan and I very quickly saw massive improvements in my performance. Things were getting better and better and I felt stronger, happier and more motivated. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am still beaming from last weekend at the Australian Boulder Nationals held at Nomad bouldering gym in Sydney. After 5 years slowly making my way up the podium, I continuously placed either 2nd or 3rd at each national bouldering event, and everyone seemed to consider me more of a lead climber... but when I finally took out first place as Australian Boulder Champion last weekend I accomplished a massive personal goal and couldn’t even attempt to hide my excitement about it. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I stood atop the podium all I could think was “who would have thought that I would make it here... in the year I had almost labeled a complete write-off, I ended up performing better than any other year before”.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dh3UOy2bMRr5CUt2cKJbPBf7F7pwe3lKuKzrXBq16_mJyaSExA7OQ3Xy9s77X0sOqbf9LrZ-Hwhfy1dVMQ2QChMY2NKrvVE4u0RjdRkiQPAQmybS1w4_PWsNpC9lXrf52Loz9j8Jt-4u/s1600/IMG_2888.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="494" data-original-width="750" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dh3UOy2bMRr5CUt2cKJbPBf7F7pwe3lKuKzrXBq16_mJyaSExA7OQ3Xy9s77X0sOqbf9LrZ-Hwhfy1dVMQ2QChMY2NKrvVE4u0RjdRkiQPAQmybS1w4_PWsNpC9lXrf52Loz9j8Jt-4u/s320/IMG_2888.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2017 Australian Bouldering Nationals Podium - Photo by Set In Stone Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Usually at the end of comp season each year, I am begging myself for rest, but this time I’m frothing for more. I am so psyched to knuckle down and work on my weaknesses before next season begins.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am so incredibly grateful to all my family and close friends who have always stuck by me, loved and supported me every step of the way. When times are tough I can always rely on you all to encourage me to never give up, but also support me along any road I decide to take. I would never have made it this far without you all. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 20.3px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are such exciting times ahead and I’m already planning out my adventures, training and comp plan for next year. 2017 will always be a year to look back on in happiness and wonder but I’m positive 2018 will be even more rewarding.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD3e3pxHWAQoaXHOExZo83JGSMnD4Lft-fZpG1SiXMpB8vNcXKZjkQ8oS0kPBznnnh2t5h-oUIIt_DKoCx0FZWTRwwyA7EccBBdJDxU2Kmg0NdJhF5E4cf2acrx1xmuMT0SI9Nku0X2v1/s1600/unnamed+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbD3e3pxHWAQoaXHOExZo83JGSMnD4Lft-fZpG1SiXMpB8vNcXKZjkQ8oS0kPBznnnh2t5h-oUIIt_DKoCx0FZWTRwwyA7EccBBdJDxU2Kmg0NdJhF5E4cf2acrx1xmuMT0SI9Nku0X2v1/s320/unnamed+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In front of the speed wall in New Caledonia. Photo by Tiffany Melius</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-50686457740512180122016-09-03T23:52:00.001-07:002016-09-04T00:01:12.456-07:00European Lead World Cups 2016<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is such an unusual feeling looking back over the last few
months of travel, training, five Lead World Cups and one Boulder World Cup
competition. In recollection, these last few months seem to have flown by so
quickly, yet so much has happened that it also feels like an entire year has
been packed into just 10 weeks. My trip however, is far from being over just
yet, with my first ever Open World Championships taking place in Paris in only
a few weeks’ time! I am super excited for this upcoming comp, but already I’ve
had a tremendously successful trip and learnt so much more than I ever imagined.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWf0iaVfK1EpjADjxoRXd3RPR2H9mEonR55Eb8h0RalhiEX75ex3x1dAl18T1eDvPY-J1Kai1FMxIyL2rR-3P01eaSIsm21BVuM7qmbtV4kxXFQuEcuBYz76LjffS-wW8y-hjWPV2JuEI/s1600/14079569_1591118927855559_3011030500561553793_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiWf0iaVfK1EpjADjxoRXd3RPR2H9mEonR55Eb8h0RalhiEX75ex3x1dAl18T1eDvPY-J1Kai1FMxIyL2rR-3P01eaSIsm21BVuM7qmbtV4kxXFQuEcuBYz76LjffS-wW8y-hjWPV2JuEI/s320/14079569_1591118927855559_3011030500561553793_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup 2016 - Imst, Austria - The Circuit World Cup and Performance Climbing Magazine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve been incredibly lucky to travel, train and compete with
my fellow Aussie Team buddies; Campbell Harrison, Roxy Perry, Alistair Earley,
Ben Abel and Yossi Sundakov-Krumins. Together we’ve shared so many awesome adventures, met so many interesting people, made new friends, discovered much
about ourselves and acquired so much knowledge about training and our
weaknesses. My headspace, mental approach and familiarity with World Cup level
competitions are the most important things I believe I’ve gained so far. I’ve
had highs and lows, good climbs and bad climbs but I can confidently say that
the competitions I saw as ‘mistakes’ or ‘failures’ were definitely when I
learnt and progressed the most.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT108PKE2p-POpfnz_Zh3f_dRDWug_LOPWX0nqd3xh1qjtdZH_YbXxymxo6k_QGJLLpBi6Mg5f36KJBNdA4DehXwxdt4Y0jjtyvSUp0HhV-hWVP2SexLWws3BebvfhybuKd-vaza0AsSV3/s1600/13738343_1155495114513252_8097726214819503926_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT108PKE2p-POpfnz_Zh3f_dRDWug_LOPWX0nqd3xh1qjtdZH_YbXxymxo6k_QGJLLpBi6Mg5f36KJBNdA4DehXwxdt4Y0jjtyvSUp0HhV-hWVP2SexLWws3BebvfhybuKd-vaza0AsSV3/s320/13738343_1155495114513252_8097726214819503926_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Roxy, Campbell and Alistair - Munich, Germany 2016</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lead World Cup #1 – Chamonix, France</i></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br />
</i></b>Back in Chamonix, when the lead World Cup season kicked off in July two
and a half months ago, it felt like my first ever World Cup again back in 2015.
Last year I was fortunate to be able to get a small taste of the World Cup
Circuit atmosphere after competing in my first two World Cups ever (Chamonix
and Briançon, France). It was however, a relatively short month-long trip and I
unfortunately had a minor shoulder injury which definitely complicated my
headspace leading into the first competition in Chamonix. The trip was
incredibly beneficial, but I felt so incredibly overwhelmed and intimidated by
it all last year that it was hard to comprehend what I had learnt, and where I
needed to go next with my training, etc. All I knew was that I needed to come
back for a full European Lead World Cup season of comps and training to really
see significant gains in my performance at an international level. So here I am
now, doing exactly that…<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_G_fV3WUm71rYbkOXdCAZfJV-73cYGQ7iXP4akKi4UeTQusCGqccmv4udn1IckRn_wefLkDFJ3S0teOAgRMLIScso-yjIkm6-7j0dEUedW7NFC9IhjscovaysQ-3uUK7sJ3MUBqqnNyEv/s1600/Sytse+Van+Slooten_Chamonix+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_G_fV3WUm71rYbkOXdCAZfJV-73cYGQ7iXP4akKi4UeTQusCGqccmv4udn1IckRn_wefLkDFJ3S0teOAgRMLIScso-yjIkm6-7j0dEUedW7NFC9IhjscovaysQ-3uUK7sJ3MUBqqnNyEv/s320/Sytse+Van+Slooten_Chamonix+1.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup 2016 - Chamonix, France - Sytse Van Slooten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This year, the first Lead World Cup in Chamonix was again
the most overwhelming. I was a bit of a nervous wreck and although I knew I
needed to relax to perform well, I had no idea how to let go of the pressure
and expectations I’d inadvertently put on myself. I didn’t feel at all like
myself on the wall... I over-gripped the holds, restricted my breathing and in
turn, fell off only a few quick draws from the start. As devastating as it was
at the time, the shock of my performance did however make me come to terms with
the reason I am over here in Europe, which is to learn and improve my
competition mindset through experience and familiarity.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Lead World Cup #2 – Villars, Switzerland</i></b> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKOT68G2B_l2bCs86fR_RbubAG7zbYMflFi-Dp8s6-eHoFAZtAoIq-jgLhBCc76D2Ubp8RyhXwWiFf4qDcbohRIJY6fLyb2fm9GDNTleDCMoFM5tBTnTIENymFrRCz1Y-ngyy2KHqdaHI/s1600/the+circuitworld+cup+and+performance+climbing+magazine_Briancon4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKOT68G2B_l2bCs86fR_RbubAG7zbYMflFi-Dp8s6-eHoFAZtAoIq-jgLhBCc76D2Ubp8RyhXwWiFf4qDcbohRIJY6fLyb2fm9GDNTleDCMoFM5tBTnTIENymFrRCz1Y-ngyy2KHqdaHI/s320/the+circuitworld+cup+and+performance+climbing+magazine_Briancon4.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup 2016 - Villars, Switzerland - Eddie Fowke</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
After my ‘low point’ in Chamonix I was better able to let go of my ego-driven
expectations and climb the qualification routes at the second Lead World Cup in
Villars, Switzerland, without as much pressure clouding my head. I guess I had
already hit what I felt was ‘rock bottom’ in Chamonix and I knew I had so much
more to give. My climbing performance improved significantly in Villars and I
actually surprised myself with my ability once I committed to every move and
accepted the ‘negative possibilities’ as having little to no significant
consequence. I could finally just climb my own climb. Unfortunately, I made
some mistakes with my foot sequence on both routes that I was unable to recover
from and I fell off… But I was stoked to have felt relaxed and more like myself
on the wall. I managed to make it a lot further than expected on my second
qualifier, boosting my confidence significantly. I began to recognise that I
actually had the strength to do the routes. Acknowledging this progress in
itself was enough to keep me in positive spirits for the competitions ahead of
me. It would be a long road ahead but I was ready to take it one step at a time
and enjoy every moment. I also had an unexpected yet absolutely awesome
opportunity arise in Villars helping Charlie Boscoe do the live streaming
commentary for the Finals round of the competition. Although it was way out of
my comfort zone, I enjoyed it so much and was incredibly grateful to have been offered
such a rewarding opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiV1BF8orTkIU6MnTVnBX5V8P-BTtCeDw3qHZQ2Elolzlfd2haceP76JbjASATuUFGkEiGsJSiRTFwIiJEKld8sVuAbWdVbA41lvmmwTtQv_trpBSUaEv4M73gOHiwYQI4keScXbPo22d/s1600/Sytse+Van+Slooten_Villars1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiV1BF8orTkIU6MnTVnBX5V8P-BTtCeDw3qHZQ2Elolzlfd2haceP76JbjASATuUFGkEiGsJSiRTFwIiJEKld8sVuAbWdVbA41lvmmwTtQv_trpBSUaEv4M73gOHiwYQI4keScXbPo22d/s320/Sytse+Van+Slooten_Villars1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup 2016 - Villars, Switzerland - Sytse Van Slooten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdig17emcss0yDg6RHhfKWpzIbcnOY9m7dy2D6U6uy6q18q7j2IHneOUq7N1zbbIn0dT9TFLKf3NQsYId-J67fqlZMbpLCML1daQLknYkWXR2jEci3hn7ecnXigWgd6hTekqVwj8-Tfy9B/s1600/the+circuitworld+cup+and+performance+climbing+magazine_Villars1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdig17emcss0yDg6RHhfKWpzIbcnOY9m7dy2D6U6uy6q18q7j2IHneOUq7N1zbbIn0dT9TFLKf3NQsYId-J67fqlZMbpLCML1daQLknYkWXR2jEci3hn7ecnXigWgd6hTekqVwj8-Tfy9B/s320/the+circuitworld+cup+and+performance+climbing+magazine_Villars1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commentating the Lead Finals with Charlie Boscoe in Villars, Switzerland - The Circuit World Cup and Performance Climbing Magazine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lead World Cup #3 – Briançon, France</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b>
My performance at the Lead World Cup #3 in Briançon was just as positive as
Villars, but with even more progress. I had begun viewing the routes with more
self-confidence and visualised the majority of each route as achievable before
I’d even hopped on the wall. I found this visualisation technique to be very
beneficial and gave me more of the confidence I needed to commit, fight harder
and put that extra ounce of effort in to every move. My ranking against the
other athletes was improving slightly over the course of the three comps so
far, but this was not something I wanted to concern myself with too much. I
decided it was important for me at that stage to not pay too much attention to
my ranking after each qualifier, but to measure my progress on how I felt on the
wall and whether the main reason I was falling off was mental or physical. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQYn3Sgr0ZcOZ-ilIsCSslhxctDin3gZC0oW-vNkBWY-10jxO6meMMG43ELavl4ekbE3j0ihiZrzpGJY4VVOG23WUQFj8WyReKqWGsUGIKs04xCRrKhHPB32g8sHrByz6eY6DK_nFthV1/s1600/13737438_10154358570218537_2539031341774134968_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQYn3Sgr0ZcOZ-ilIsCSslhxctDin3gZC0oW-vNkBWY-10jxO6meMMG43ELavl4ekbE3j0ihiZrzpGJY4VVOG23WUQFj8WyReKqWGsUGIKs04xCRrKhHPB32g8sHrByz6eY6DK_nFthV1/s320/13737438_10154358570218537_2539031341774134968_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: start;">Lead World Cup 2016 - <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Briançon, Fran</span>ce - Sheila Farrell McCarron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh812-ZQ-cxaGsoj2VRPxjEzS4g6luyWPWUCWbJPr9u-89zvfOl7_SRP-zJ9xEIZj0hUlNu1yF4dA-m7ke17KNeWtuvOdb4aEmGN1gcfEqq9XNE9u5g7HE49QiSBJQtJ1IA7O53-UIDzTHm/s1600/13700982_10154358563823537_552869880933599336_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh812-ZQ-cxaGsoj2VRPxjEzS4g6luyWPWUCWbJPr9u-89zvfOl7_SRP-zJ9xEIZj0hUlNu1yF4dA-m7ke17KNeWtuvOdb4aEmGN1gcfEqq9XNE9u5g7HE49QiSBJQtJ1IA7O53-UIDzTHm/s320/13700982_10154358563823537_552869880933599336_o.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;">Lead World Cup 2016 - </span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Briançon, Fran</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;">ce - Sheila Farrell McCarron</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Lead World Cup #4 – Imst, Austria & Boulder World Cup – Munich<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAO-uLdGr3OwNXZ1wUK4m-73fFgyecWsn-4jMeBtrRDx7rmxODlvc3JkUNsHAIB0z-noXXOJgkrx9mlEzH8N5vGQ5o6-Acbv_w0lRoE-ThIufoiEkrlW5Gx9XSY2SrEoWLQ-oOCvDi-eAq/s1600/13988071_1170875002975263_7167407455380467413_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAO-uLdGr3OwNXZ1wUK4m-73fFgyecWsn-4jMeBtrRDx7rmxODlvc3JkUNsHAIB0z-noXXOJgkrx9mlEzH8N5vGQ5o6-Acbv_w0lRoE-ThIufoiEkrlW5Gx9XSY2SrEoWLQ-oOCvDi-eAq/s320/13988071_1170875002975263_7167407455380467413_o.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Training in Munich - Kletterhalle High East</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i></i></b>
There was a fairly long break between Briançon and the next Lead World Cup in
Imst, Austria which we spent training in Munich. I also competed in my first ever
Boulder World Cup which was an incredibly amazing experience and because of its
significance to me, I have to dedicate another whole separate blog. But in
short, I went to the next Lead World Cup in Imst with a newfound confidence in
my physical strength and ability to commit to dynamic and bouldery moves. My
new approach was to tackle every climb like a really long boulder problem. </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RVt6DKI_Ejpe-ZqET1jYU3otK6J_Sy8-SLKc6Jn6nPWgSqSZqtyfTHE7cDuSs1SWD-7jAdZ80W4OyWrTNrKAW1xdlsIjs_QmjiZu0OwB__kt5ey7L8rj5JMJwr0dzoRbHxuxE3JUXiPF/s1600/the+circuitworld+cup+and+performance+climbing+magazine_Imst3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1RVt6DKI_Ejpe-ZqET1jYU3otK6J_Sy8-SLKc6Jn6nPWgSqSZqtyfTHE7cDuSs1SWD-7jAdZ80W4OyWrTNrKAW1xdlsIjs_QmjiZu0OwB__kt5ey7L8rj5JMJwr0dzoRbHxuxE3JUXiPF/s320/the+circuitworld+cup+and+performance+climbing+magazine_Imst3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup 2016 - Imst, Austria - <span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.8px;">The Circuit World Cup and Performance Climbing Magazine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately,
I didn’t have the best of ‘luck’ in Imst however… I managed to time out on my
first qualifier which was heart-wrenching to say the least. I had finally found
a route I felt I could possibly top and all of a sudden I was pulled off the
wall just when things started to get interesting. It messed with my head a fair
amount after that, and although I was happy to have had the strength to do the
route, I was angry that I couldn’t ever have the chance to prove myself on it
again. I tried my best to not let it affect my second qualifier but hoped that
I could use my frustration to fuel my power and commitment for the next route. This
technique didn’t work very well for me however, and I was over-psyched and
probably rushed at the route with too much confidence, making it easy for silly
detrimental mistakes to happen like my foot popping off at the third quick
draw. I was devastated immediately afterwards but it didn’t take long for me to
pull myself together and focus on the positives.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_j-G-3Z9IEcvFCkLo9i63nK9rlN_T0cW5I7Ys5aqKwLKI5Zfq9rM64e6lj7z2IHTVliLmKI2NoUllBZkkTjukE3M7YiZK_gHLRzFWFA8YsP3lnFg-6cIQDKo1tMA6Io9l3-HyW9Crm6yu/s1600/14095863_1172252776170819_4228080304057341414_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_j-G-3Z9IEcvFCkLo9i63nK9rlN_T0cW5I7Ys5aqKwLKI5Zfq9rM64e6lj7z2IHTVliLmKI2NoUllBZkkTjukE3M7YiZK_gHLRzFWFA8YsP3lnFg-6cIQDKo1tMA6Io9l3-HyW9Crm6yu/s320/14095863_1172252776170819_4228080304057341414_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Visualising with Roxy Perry- Imst, Austria - Photo by Rick Perry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxRUrnZbcEfKGGNxsNaHjo_VgnJgnUh4VuMTlZ6j46P4PEzvt0qcRijPj0uQZVQKIThpD243gFmuGVU0yb6EGsscvaFIIJRal1MMR32qPY5-kZ3W0BAg-BFyhF-DvF8qacRUbUuTgfuzc/s1600/14054417_1258420980835487_188280814751328814_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxRUrnZbcEfKGGNxsNaHjo_VgnJgnUh4VuMTlZ6j46P4PEzvt0qcRijPj0uQZVQKIThpD243gFmuGVU0yb6EGsscvaFIIJRal1MMR32qPY5-kZ3W0BAg-BFyhF-DvF8qacRUbUuTgfuzc/s320/14054417_1258420980835487_188280814751328814_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxy Perry, Eddie Fowke and I in Imst, Austria - Photo by Rick Perry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We were incredibly lucky to be able to come back and climb
on some of the routes after the competition which was a really beneficial
experience and confidence-booster for me. I got back on my second qualifier and
did significantly better and I even took the opportunity to have a try on the
Women’s Finals climb. I wasn’t expecting to do very well on it, but I fought
hard and ended up surprising myself by making it about a third of the way up
the insanely long route.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Lead World Cup #5 – Arco, Italy</i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i></i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i></i></b>
After a few busy days of post-comp Austrian mountain adventures, we began our
beautiful journey of transit over the Italian border and across alpine passes, around
endless fields of beautiful apple and grape plantations and through a huge mass
of skyscraper limestone cliffs. This beautiful drive lead us into the romantic
cobblestone town of Arco, Italy where we competed in the last IFSC World Cup of
our trip and was the best performance I’ve ever had in a Lead World Cup before.
I was really excited with how I performed on both qualifier climbs, making it
up most of the way on both routes, but especially because the reason I had
fallen off each route was primarily physical rather than mental. I had finally
gained enough familiarity with the competitions that I had found an optimal
headspace to perform my best physically. Overcoming these mental barriers meant
I was relaxed and ready to just fight hard and climb my own climb, leaving
everything on the wall. I was able to recover from small mistakes and continue
climbing, focused on the route ahead. I climbed so much further than I’d ever
expected to and was pleased to maintain my positive headspace into the second
qualifier as well. It was difficult for me not to notice the sudden jump in my ranking
against the other athletes in the competition... I placed 36 out of 57 females
which was a very pleasant surprise after an already rewarding two qualifier
routes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpI27psStwZiWk2R5SNYUxP6r4HEcX2PZ6lFdJm1mr8R5kkrlrRJ9NwMRXZBwnM4wDmgrEPXHo-SL2tryx2N2vE04qX4032SrRHXGKc64sKXZdOUkgopKggv3DHgA_8YF11l2UHjUYLUD/s1600/14115027_1594869934147125_5710643869960736347_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpI27psStwZiWk2R5SNYUxP6r4HEcX2PZ6lFdJm1mr8R5kkrlrRJ9NwMRXZBwnM4wDmgrEPXHo-SL2tryx2N2vE04qX4032SrRHXGKc64sKXZdOUkgopKggv3DHgA_8YF11l2UHjUYLUD/s320/14115027_1594869934147125_5710643869960736347_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lead World Cup 2016 -Arco, Italy - </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Circuit World Cup and Performance Climbing Magazine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfij8teCAB9yg0ePEmL-34-_pIcOvBF_7jm71ZKamt-LHmaSyUaPsiH1IGTVR6S2aexJKLgatSrwFJU7sWwOWpogb1Rjmlob70fFGfdLD1HOhDorkT41zDFNeiab2QTq3dEgz4vfGJZ81d/s1600/14196173_1594869920813793_2061473147358613056_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfij8teCAB9yg0ePEmL-34-_pIcOvBF_7jm71ZKamt-LHmaSyUaPsiH1IGTVR6S2aexJKLgatSrwFJU7sWwOWpogb1Rjmlob70fFGfdLD1HOhDorkT41zDFNeiab2QTq3dEgz4vfGJZ81d/s320/14196173_1594869920813793_2061473147358613056_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lead World Cup 2016 -Arco, Italy - </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Circuit World Cup and Performance Climbing Magazine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s taken a fair while to untangle it all within my mind,
but after all the World Cups this year I’ve finally prepared a personal list of
key words and phrases that I believe will help trigger my own best mental
approach for optimal climbing performance. It summarises most of the things
I’ve learnt firsthand over the last 6 World Cups of 2016. These particular
words mean so much more to me now and trigger significant experiences I’ve
learnt and drawn from not only in the past few months, but my entire climbing
career so far.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lucy’s Mental
Approach to her Best Climbing Performance:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Let Go</u></b>
of expectations<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Accept
</u></b>“negative outcomes” as <b>inconsequential</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Embrace
</u></b>uncertainty<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Believe</u></b>
in your strength for the route as a whole and for each individual move<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Cease</u></b>
comparing yourself to others. How they climb is irrelevant to your performance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Picture</u></b>
yourself just at training<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Have
Fun</u></b> and <b>Enjoy</b> the route. <b><u>Be Yourself</u></b> on the wall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b><u>Commit</u></b>
and pull hard!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now I only have one competition left before I head back home
to Australia… The World Championships in Paris! It’s the biggest event I will
have ever competed in and I’m registered for both Lead and Boulder. I can’t
explain how excited I am for the Paris World Championships… It’s going to be
such a massive event and I just hope I can steady my nerves enough to maintain
my optimal headspace from the last comp in Arco. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMquycPFzGWKXDkbNkySs5SFxSisNG4kju-dnoa2I25d7CPm4I11Oswr7WiFYfxMgdKWuVjz5vtgSTHXQGwGzJkKJZe9NB7N4SJDMq8kKKRFbp6QgdiYWvmfTs-23l0ABeDez09r-7JTZ/s1600/13668010_1158171187578978_5561859707495738077_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXMquycPFzGWKXDkbNkySs5SFxSisNG4kju-dnoa2I25d7CPm4I11Oswr7WiFYfxMgdKWuVjz5vtgSTHXQGwGzJkKJZe9NB7N4SJDMq8kKKRFbp6QgdiYWvmfTs-23l0ABeDez09r-7JTZ/s320/13668010_1158171187578978_5561859707495738077_o.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lead World Cup 2016 - <span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">Briançon, Fran</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: start;">ce - Sheila Farrell McCarron</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am so grateful to have had this incredible opportunity to
travel, train and compete Internationally this year. It’s been such an amazing
trip so far and I’ve learnt and progressed so much more than I ever thought
with my climbing and headspace. A massive thank you especially to Flight Centre
Sports & Events for their incredible ongoing sponsorship support and for
making these amazing opportunities achievable for myself. I am also
tremendously grateful to have CLIF Bar, Pinnacle Sports, REVIVE Ashgrove, Climb
ICP, Evolv and Osprey supporting me every step of the way. Their sponsorship
makes such a huge difference and I can’t thank them enough. But none of this
would be at all possible without the amazing support of my amazing friends and
family… Thank you all so very, very much, you mean absolutely everything to me.
:-) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dtiGWoCKwSON6BLDjhAAyDEBXK-pajYZpdKUw4_W5EEVWc4ZCGA3rcUyXMo9keIc1xNP5M3LaGtHylAyWSric8g-8s7j0O2k02T6QmnsaRdUE4jZ3cyhSm4t3SAPG00oV4os5Xe5zeNX/s1600/14188659_1594870310813754_2853266088493986049_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dtiGWoCKwSON6BLDjhAAyDEBXK-pajYZpdKUw4_W5EEVWc4ZCGA3rcUyXMo9keIc1xNP5M3LaGtHylAyWSric8g-8s7j0O2k02T6QmnsaRdUE4jZ3cyhSm4t3SAPG00oV4os5Xe5zeNX/s320/14188659_1594870310813754_2853266088493986049_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lead World Cup 2016 -Arco, Italy - </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Circuit World Cup and Performance Climbing Magazine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-6881133501104287222016-07-25T03:22:00.000-07:002016-07-25T03:22:53.435-07:002016 IFSC Lead World Cup Chamonix – A Turning Point<div class="MsoNormal">
When you’re a big fish in a small pond the transition to
becoming that same fish in an entire ocean is by no means easy. It’s a
physical, mental and emotional battle, and can be a very humbling experience to
say the least. It is a test of character, passion and your ability to pick
yourself up after failure, learn from your mistakes and to have the maturity to
accept that ‘no true success comes without failure.’ That saying is easy enough
to understand, but the very meaning of it signifies that actually going through
that failure is easier said than done. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Failure</i> itself can
make or break anybody. It would be so easy to quit when you’re the only one
pushing yourself to begin with… To just throw the towel in and say “I’m just
not good enough for this.” But I believe that true success is understanding
that failure is actually just a stepping stone from which you can learn and
become stronger. The more <i>‘failures’ </i>we
pick ourselves up and learn from, the stronger we actually become. These past
few days over the course of my first Lead World Cup for 2016 in Chamonix,
France have certainly been a test of my maturity to overcome such ‘<i>failure</i>.’ I can say with all honesty
that to begin with I wasn’t very mature about it at all... <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHZL5Vi5Pl_9iLv6dPsELHZZJ6P6YGraGYCfPs2os3qj22hUGyFrVfJ8zvMi5_PJt22pfMdXrzyQqjIpnVk6yKGHHNVl5nW7Lo5nK7DyqRNxbGho0nueGSUQ7hs6MLgtj_eixAEVntQ-k/s1600/Campbell+Harrison_+chamonix+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHZL5Vi5Pl_9iLv6dPsELHZZJ6P6YGraGYCfPs2os3qj22hUGyFrVfJ8zvMi5_PJt22pfMdXrzyQqjIpnVk6yKGHHNVl5nW7Lo5nK7DyqRNxbGho0nueGSUQ7hs6MLgtj_eixAEVntQ-k/s320/Campbell+Harrison_+chamonix+1.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamonix IFSC Lead World Cup 2016 Qualifiers - Photo by Campbell Harrison </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went into the Chamonix comp this year with the same
nervousness as if it was my first ever World Cup again. Without meaning to, I
had built a massive cloud over my head full of intimidation, self-doubt, lack
of self-confidence along with very high personal expectations and pressure. I
could somewhat sense the cloud’s presence but didn’t do a good job at all of
removing it. Instead, I tried to force myself to relax for the climbs ahead
without changing my mental approach. How can one possibly relax when an ominous
cloud looms above, making you question whether you deserve to be there, whether
you’re at the right level to compete or even just strong enough to do the
moves? Hindering questions begin to pop into my head like; “What happens if I
fall off too low and embarrass not only myself, but my country?” I’m not
entirely sure how I’d managed to develop such a horrible storm of self-doubt,
but as I climbed my first qualifier climb at the Chamonix Lead World Cup, the
first comp in the Lead World Cup circuit, that storm of doubt did nothing but
rain on me. Every move was hesitant, every hold was over-gripped, every breath
was swallowed and before I knew it I was off the wall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMswSjSWbOV2I6mu6J91wdXcfkWAXgUzruRYnwR7IOcIV6iBCVh4qqBp7BZKK-CaLrO-fpayK9HUjRFDdPi_9oeFTfjOsjIi_Xxan96Ld0A7WRe61yIMRgQC4-oujBkqnpgp4pduYGUoT/s1600/chamonix+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMswSjSWbOV2I6mu6J91wdXcfkWAXgUzruRYnwR7IOcIV6iBCVh4qqBp7BZKK-CaLrO-fpayK9HUjRFDdPi_9oeFTfjOsjIi_Xxan96Ld0A7WRe61yIMRgQC4-oujBkqnpgp4pduYGUoT/s320/chamonix+2.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chamonix IFSC Lead World Cup 2016 Qualifiers - Photo by Campbell Harrison </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Initially I was incredibly upset with how I had climbed and
my first thought was that I was just not good enough to do the climb. The
initial shock of it all took a little while to wear off and for the feelings to
mull over before I could gain some clarity and perspective. By the time my
second qualifier had come around, I managed to let go of my ego-driven
expectations and embraced a ‘nothing to lose’ mindset. I also now had a point
to prove to myself that I was worthy of the climb and had the strength to do
it. I took a moment just before I hopped on the wall to close my eyes and just
picture myself at training, where no pressure or expectations exist… just
myself and the wall. I began the climb so much better on that second qualifier,
but there was still a lingering cloud above my head with a touch of
disappointment added to the mixture. As I climbed and approached a big
intimidating move, I had a momentary lapse of doubt and hesitated, almost
making all the same mistakes as I had done on the first qualifier. I’m quite
proud to say that in that moment however, I managed to pull myself together,
take a deep breath, relax and clear my head. I committed to the move completely
and believed in my ability to do it. I kept going and managed to do a lot
better than quali 1, but I knew deep down I still could’ve done a heck of a lot
better. I just had to believe in myself... I know it sounds ridiculously corny
but I honestly just had to truly believe in my ability to do the moves and
fully commit with no hesitation or self-doubt. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even after the comp was finished for me the initial feelings
of disappointment still took a little while to wear off. However, by the next day
the cloud had finally cleared and I was ready to make a fresh start. We decided
to head to the gym in Les Houches and I was sick of the self-pity I had been
mulling over since the qualification round the day before… I knew I was better
than that. I evaluated my weakness and concentrated on what needed to be done.
I decided the whole climbing session would be focused on committing to moves
completely, getting on the routes I had previously thought too difficult and
believing in my strength to pull every single move. I was incredibly excited to
immediately see a massive improvement in my climbing and began to recognise the
strength I forgot I had, just waiting to be used. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEApRkCqzJypyCkE7wX6_2LSeYZHb7uKxUHK8fqldBtXuJd3qX-VV1n7NzMYpkbKpLwFuo2fZmtEErT6Ob8MwX5sq19DnP-f1tjK_QeG2vvw4lHQAWZhpVuIZqlFaA2Smo8cQTMvkqMCyI/s1600/Sytse+Van+Slooten_Chamonix+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEApRkCqzJypyCkE7wX6_2LSeYZHb7uKxUHK8fqldBtXuJd3qX-VV1n7NzMYpkbKpLwFuo2fZmtEErT6Ob8MwX5sq19DnP-f1tjK_QeG2vvw4lHQAWZhpVuIZqlFaA2Smo8cQTMvkqMCyI/s320/Sytse+Van+Slooten_Chamonix+1.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Chamonix IFSC Lead World Cup 2016 Qualifiers - Photo by Sytse Van Slooten</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Changing my attitude and mental approach to climbing such elite
level routes amongst World Class athletes is going to be a massive turning
point and learning curve in my climbing and competition performance. The most
important thing I’ve learnt from my first World Cup of 2016 in Chamonix is to
stop comparing myself to other competitors. Yes, the routes and the climbers
can be intimidating – they’re the best in the world… But I can use this to
inspire myself to push harder, learn from my mistakes and recognise that I am
there for a reason, I deserve to be there and compete with the top climbers in
the world. I am competition. Once I had let go of those hindering thoughts and
expectations and climbed my own climb with purpose, determination and just
enjoyed the climb, I amazed myself with what I could do. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cannot wait for the next competitions and the long,
exciting journey ahead of me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-33963329594253323652016-06-22T01:30:00.001-07:002016-06-22T01:30:36.944-07:00Nationals & Oceania 2016 and Onwards to Europe<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m sitting in a plane en-route to what will be the longest
overseas trip I’ve been on…ever. Am I excited? Yes. Am I nervous? Yes. Do I
actually have any idea what emotion I’m feeling at the moment? Not a clue. The
truth is, I’m about to embark on a huge journey which is way out of my comfort
zone... Away from my family, Alex, and the emotional security of those closest
to me. Let’s be honest, I don’t like the idea of change that much. I am a
creature of habit, but was also born with a thirst for adventure… It is an odd
combination, I have to admit. I am however, really lucky to be travelling with
fellow climbing and comp buddy, Campbell Harrison who has become a great interstate
friend after the years of Aussie comps we’ve been in together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This plane will (hopefully) be landing in Munich, Germany
where Campbell and I begin a 3-month trip across Europe. We will be training at
all sorts of cool gyms across the continent and competing in 5 Lead World Cups,
1 Boulder World Cup and both Lead and Boulder at the World Championships in
Paris…that’s 8 comps in total!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the goals I’ve set myself for this trip is to work on
controlling my nerves and </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">head-space</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> by doing as many international competitions
as possible. I figure the only way to better my performance at an international
level is to expose myself to that type of pressure and atmosphere as much as
possible and gain the experience I need to make the unfamiliar, familiar. Basically
my aim is to transform what is out of my comfort zone, into familiar turf where
unfamiliarity can no longer hinder my performance. It also excites me
incredibly to have the time and opportunity while on this trip to train really
hard between comps and learn as much as I possibly can through talking to other
climbers and also by experimenting with trial and error.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7bk_mG5IuuBcb2Lw5YQMUsa09B3aRPOBCtYi1Tj6z8frg8WCaqq4vqdwRJFIMPtjIu-laOXld45OJ48jL0sg7xmFBNZ3DKwnXiGh4crD5ad5TJ95OijMs_XMY8AXenonYbxfmbEZgs8g/s1600/Post-processedHighQual.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7bk_mG5IuuBcb2Lw5YQMUsa09B3aRPOBCtYi1Tj6z8frg8WCaqq4vqdwRJFIMPtjIu-laOXld45OJ48jL0sg7xmFBNZ3DKwnXiGh4crD5ad5TJ95OijMs_XMY8AXenonYbxfmbEZgs8g/s320/Post-processedHighQual.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamonix World Cup 2015 - Photograph by Ciro Tracey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The adventure ahead of me is really only just beginning to
sink in as I’ve been so focused on Nationals and Oceania Lead Champs (which
were only 2 days ago at SICG Villawood, Sydney). It was another great comp and
I’m really happy to come away from it as the Open A Female National and Oceanic
Champion. While I’m incredibly thrilled about the title, I’m not 100% pleased
with my performance this year. I feel I did not climb as well or as confidently
as I did at last year’s Nationals and for some reason my head just wasn’t in
the right space. Although it’s been a clean sweep for me this year, winning
every Australian Lead State Title in Open A’s, some comps have definitely been
better than others in terms of my performance. I understand it’s crazy to
expect my best performance at every single comp… but as an athlete, I feel like
I have no choice but to put that pressure on myself. I believe it is a healthy
type of pressure though, if I continue to go about it the right way. It’s just
important for me to remember to understand and continually focus on <b><i>how</i></b>
I can always improve even if I won the comp. Likewise if I were to not win at a
comp, I would focus constructively on <b><i>why</i></b> I fell off as opposed to
dwelling on the lack of title.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am really keen to work on my self-confidence over the next
3 months and return to Australia not only stronger, but mentally refreshed,
confident and as psyched as ever! I can’t wait to see what awesome things
Europe and these next few months have to offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEBvT5xOsYfOt5HWIU3hTebbwgEs5e-DjMTyQUIHUrmdX78Z-9Btvjj2vc5CbjGMUSeGrE9lWuC8N1DLUn0R1MW1itnMn32T4shrS2ILrRXNIw7oZSnVdlctlt1WTJ2-Inm2w_BvB_35A/s1600/Nationals+and+Oceania+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEBvT5xOsYfOt5HWIU3hTebbwgEs5e-DjMTyQUIHUrmdX78Z-9Btvjj2vc5CbjGMUSeGrE9lWuC8N1DLUn0R1MW1itnMn32T4shrS2ILrRXNIw7oZSnVdlctlt1WTJ2-Inm2w_BvB_35A/s320/Nationals+and+Oceania+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Kassay and I on podium as Australian National and Oceanic Champions for 2016 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZrutb0k9nuV8CsY7h7LdbhyphenhyphenUPQHhyphenhyphenRM3xUHXYQsg3lU5Bu_rrRq5ndN1aPdb3AQJY3wNcoF7qZTbgb6JRTxPY2gxOOSnOryNbvfVxBKeo8sXSQqp8GpAvgEccF5EveQPs4D9UrFE6lP1/s1600/rob+parer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZrutb0k9nuV8CsY7h7LdbhyphenhyphenUPQHhyphenhyphenRM3xUHXYQsg3lU5Bu_rrRq5ndN1aPdb3AQJY3wNcoF7qZTbgb6JRTxPY2gxOOSnOryNbvfVxBKeo8sXSQqp8GpAvgEccF5EveQPs4D9UrFE6lP1/s320/rob+parer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamonix World Cup 2015 - Photograph by Rob Parer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-61429177287378174842016-03-01T16:20:00.002-08:002016-03-01T16:20:58.612-08:00A Year In Review and The Journey Ahead<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u>2015 in Review </u> </b>March
2<sup>nd</sup>, 2016<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s that time of the year again! It’s the week before the
first Lead Climbing Comp of 2016 and I have to keep reminding myself to take it
easy over the next couple of days. I’ve just been in constant training mode for
the past five months, and it’s so easy to forget I have to zone into comp mode
again. I know that rest and recovery should be two of the most important
aspects of my training program at this point in time. However, the subtle ache
of muscle fatigue in my arms right now tells me I should probably be focusing a
little more on this before this weekend comes around and brings with it the
Tasmanian State Lead Titles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s funny looking back to this time last year. It seems
like so long ago because so much has happened since, yet for the same reason,
the time has passed by so quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-DqKDW8inl_1hJr5TROcB1isVZz70GZ7nCy-cHRx1Q5co1yX2VDs_YPsk7ZcHaCcfySD2AnOoILT0VHk6GpN3MpB9DbcqBnpUG-tjZPhoFDqzvKFdoOh3MWAf5dOejGTZDUzjL8L9PhT/s1600/Cuskelly+Photography-2441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-DqKDW8inl_1hJr5TROcB1isVZz70GZ7nCy-cHRx1Q5co1yX2VDs_YPsk7ZcHaCcfySD2AnOoILT0VHk6GpN3MpB9DbcqBnpUG-tjZPhoFDqzvKFdoOh3MWAf5dOejGTZDUzjL8L9PhT/s400/Cuskelly+Photography-2441.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Sail Away" (26), Blue Mountains 2016. <br />Photo by Cuskelly Photography<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtAS1LbKkYiQgNGHO37HcvIsSSJ_0rcV5nOhkO4CoBFuOcmuBzgoSP4Ff3kFocKF9wYYdkdMDc0uUeNUwzLmoHlwDKImtAUP4zphMgRsNST58NYKeTuo_sVZkzsEVeebjfKU8XPtE2tiO/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtAS1LbKkYiQgNGHO37HcvIsSSJ_0rcV5nOhkO4CoBFuOcmuBzgoSP4Ff3kFocKF9wYYdkdMDc0uUeNUwzLmoHlwDKImtAUP4zphMgRsNST58NYKeTuo_sVZkzsEVeebjfKU8XPtE2tiO/s400/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals4.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasmanian Lead State Titles 2015. Photo by <br />Cameron Johns Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, 2015 was a big one. I competed in all five Open
State Lead Comps across Australia and was really happy to place 1<sup>st</sup>
in every single one of them. This put me in a fantastic headspace for Nationals
and my upcoming international competitions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaEdqBvWxHkSFRn9KqDS-mRu6y1Z8h-EEvHbJ05jOYdSWkM9QB_PvZ4PKW9l81KyQLoVPQhBtF3YS8p3YeCBPKagnhgJQXa-kGWH8ks1ir6cCHlwPXYykExrBBsa4PnZXoS-TEFlUEDg-/s1600/Lead+Nationals+2015+-+Photo+by+Climb+Media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifaEdqBvWxHkSFRn9KqDS-mRu6y1Z8h-EEvHbJ05jOYdSWkM9QB_PvZ4PKW9l81KyQLoVPQhBtF3YS8p3YeCBPKagnhgJQXa-kGWH8ks1ir6cCHlwPXYykExrBBsa4PnZXoS-TEFlUEDg-/s640/Lead+Nationals+2015+-+Photo+by+Climb+Media.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open A Females Finals Climb at Lead Nationals 2015. Photo by Climb Media</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lead Nationals in June was an amazing event and definitely
one of the highlights of the year. I had an incredible amount of fun at this
comp. I felt absolutely top of my game and everything seemed to just fall into
place. It’s hard to describe the ecstasy I felt as I topped out on that Finals
climb. As I came down, my heart was racing with excitement and happiness, being
the only person to top the Finals route at Nationals by a fair way. However,
unfortunately I was called off on a technical error which meant I could only
place 2<sup>nd</sup> in the Open Women. As devastating as it seemed at the
time, I grew a lot from retaining perspective and shifting my focus to the
international World Cups ahead of me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheZWLnpRZ08yJST2sBdkXCpHJCpRiaJn_hL0EdTBNSN-l6yA5PW_CybAvLkCIodgzMrpKihBNyQEDJaaDKdyOQgIl0CvWwTDmTxgkuoXFVpFvcMzp8NzBJkSbgATIw5tEjkfYFEDUaTOe/s1600/ChamonixWC2015-CiroTraceyPhotograph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheZWLnpRZ08yJST2sBdkXCpHJCpRiaJn_hL0EdTBNSN-l6yA5PW_CybAvLkCIodgzMrpKihBNyQEDJaaDKdyOQgIl0CvWwTDmTxgkuoXFVpFvcMzp8NzBJkSbgATIw5tEjkfYFEDUaTOe/s320/ChamonixWC2015-CiroTraceyPhotograph.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World Cup Chamonix, France 2015. Photo by Ciro Tracey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In July, just a week after the Nationals competition, I left
Australia for a month in France. While here, I competed in two of my first ever
Open Lead World Cups! It had been a huge goal of mine to make it to that point and
I really wanted to just know that I was at the right level to compete against
such strong athletes. Of course it would have been a dream to go into my first
World Cup and surprise everyone by completely blitzing the climbs and making
top 3… but that’s just not how things work, and putting those expectations on
myself would have been naïve and hindering to my performance. Unfortunately I
was also carrying a bit of a shoulder injury in the week leading up to the
first World Cup, which shook up my confidence a fair amount. My primary focus
was to get a general idea about where I was standing amongst it all and learn
what I need to train the most to raise my level on the international stage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Realising I was definitely on the right track and not way
behind the rest of the athletes was a huge confidence booster for me. I felt
strong enough physically, but my headspace needed significant improvement. I’ve
now come to the conclusion that if I want to get better, I will need to compete
in as many World Cups as possible and gain the experience necessary for me to
compete confidently in that environment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what’s coming
next? <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember in the month before I left for Europe last year,
I was so focused on getting myself to those World Cups that I had no idea what
would come next. I didn’t even know what I was going to do for the rest of the
year, let alone in 2016. But upon returning home and over the past five or so
months leading up till now I’ve had a huge think about my long term plan and
goals over the next five years.<br />
<br />
On hearing that Sport Climbing is almost definitely going to be in the 2020
Olympics as an invitational sport, and realising that I won’t be ancient by
then (but 27 years old), my long term goal has been set. What athlete wouldn’t
be excited to represent their country at the highest level of competition the
world has to offer? </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhBrqpdRsZeFSGYCPGqap__KU9jFBSwqq3qcsq5V0kEl7gPH-KoS912YfaDDLzmqRWahtog-mqqJBK7pPxN7i2O2AAy0fOGCJR-P-VNKsQz-HyW5yMeVeEafaAUrvxyqOjMwwxoP8K6iF/s1600/Chamonix+World+Cup+2015+-+photo+by+Rob+Parer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhBrqpdRsZeFSGYCPGqap__KU9jFBSwqq3qcsq5V0kEl7gPH-KoS912YfaDDLzmqRWahtog-mqqJBK7pPxN7i2O2AAy0fOGCJR-P-VNKsQz-HyW5yMeVeEafaAUrvxyqOjMwwxoP8K6iF/s320/Chamonix+World+Cup+2015+-+photo+by+Rob+Parer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening Ceremony at World Cup Chamonix 2015. Photo by Rob Parer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
It does scare me a little how much work I need to do over the next 4 years to
make this goal of mine happen… But my determination and excitement for this
challenge overrules by far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Similar to 2015, this year I plan to compete in all the
interstate Lead Competitions and Nationals and then head to Europe for the Open
Lead World Cups. This year however, the plan is to live, train and compete
there for three months as opposed to one. This time I will also be competing in
five Open Lead World Cups and will finish off the trip with the World
Championships in Paris in September. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought 2015 was big… but this year is going to be
massive! Every year that follows is going to be bigger and better than the last
and I am determined to push through all the obstacles and challenges I may be
faced with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am incredibly excited to have such an amazing group of
sponsors to support me along the way. I really can’t describe how grateful I am
to Flight Centre Sports & Events, CLIF Bar, Pinnacle Sports, Evolv, Revive
Ashgrove, Climb ICP, Feeney Family Law and all of my amazing friends and family for their support… Because without them, none of this would be possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF9mT4pb1STzoMP2eoq9AtJrH-qRQMGR56U-OlKG3j1wZb1ng-jxIua8LGj06HdLbtLHkX2rAHJSy5NTA0bcy70V4tm-Po_D5VIkIVwQzUvLRe-hdnemYOrV5NiDaByxi3FTT9WGdoEhk/s1600/12363075_1017365764992855_7496271495500771841_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF9mT4pb1STzoMP2eoq9AtJrH-qRQMGR56U-OlKG3j1wZb1ng-jxIua8LGj06HdLbtLHkX2rAHJSy5NTA0bcy70V4tm-Po_D5VIkIVwQzUvLRe-hdnemYOrV5NiDaByxi3FTT9WGdoEhk/s640/12363075_1017365764992855_7496271495500771841_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">"A Space Odyssey" (30), Mt Flinders. Photo by Set In Stone Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></o:p></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-1198148870509380812016-01-17T19:39:00.001-08:002016-02-14T20:01:13.440-08:00 The Annual Blueys Trip (2015-2016 Edition)<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">January 2016</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What better
way to round up one awesome year and begin another, than with a trip to the good,
old Blue Mountains? Over the last few years it’s become an annual road trip event
for Alex and I to join the hordes of Queensland climbers doing exactly the same
thing. It’s such a great vibe with everyone there simply to have fun, celebrate
the coming of the New Year and climb as much as physically possible… Which is generally
until our fingertips bleed, tape becomes our best friend and yet we still
refuse to stop climbing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihnShBXmkO-OTpsNlJL3ZZkO7D0P7eAvs9TGnEJUf7iWayYOvpnGCKB2XVb_jE5IvEsv_SgsMUJNB8y7UmiRYtA6itt-mk4uG0GuWLct2P1qbC0NC3SQ_wkH9TMFgwbOaIW7fApyblkkX/s1600/12509992_10207307867766989_1243458996_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihnShBXmkO-OTpsNlJL3ZZkO7D0P7eAvs9TGnEJUf7iWayYOvpnGCKB2XVb_jE5IvEsv_SgsMUJNB8y7UmiRYtA6itt-mk4uG0GuWLct2P1qbC0NC3SQ_wkH9TMFgwbOaIW7fApyblkkX/s400/12509992_10207307867766989_1243458996_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me working on "Hairline 2000" (28) at Diamond Falls. Photo by Slavik Titov</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At just
under two weeks, this year’s trip was a slightly shorter one for Alex and I,
but we had an incredible time regardless. On the morning of our arrival (a few
days post-Christmas) like keen beans we headed straight to the nearest crag,
Centennial Glen’s Main Wall to get some much craved rock under our eager
fingertips. After a half day of climbing, we set up our tent in the Blackheath
Caravan Park. The place was packed to the rafters with all sorts of caravans
and tents, some small and modest and some which looked like the size of a small
house. With many young families around the place it certainly wasn’t the
quietist of campgrounds, but the hot showers were amazing!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVMXG8d3sadfS3ahWADOs0XjGPvAb6BsUsFiOJWSYzWQmEcVVcAmnmZAK41BlVWhvZMbpJQq1TquSalDJ2OK6JHz-fgJz947GA1iIktu-qH0mUK_gwTHs3ujkBQK_y3BXh-8j82XssOlA/s1600/IMG_6983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVMXG8d3sadfS3ahWADOs0XjGPvAb6BsUsFiOJWSYzWQmEcVVcAmnmZAK41BlVWhvZMbpJQq1TquSalDJ2OK6JHz-fgJz947GA1iIktu-qH0mUK_gwTHs3ujkBQK_y3BXh-8j82XssOlA/s400/IMG_6983.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rainy day at the crag with Alex Turnbull</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEzFvAxinZj4dxBhYpY0yif4sh81QoPDsvw1wok-LGaApw8GB_-pLla7u-_6AlpNQlFvbiHWitmj4QFWseFh36OHBDTfxHn2tsm52yYQyusok4whAhEX9Bl577f3OqUhvlHs0rGwDtHnW/s1600/IMG_6997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEzFvAxinZj4dxBhYpY0yif4sh81QoPDsvw1wok-LGaApw8GB_-pLla7u-_6AlpNQlFvbiHWitmj4QFWseFh36OHBDTfxHn2tsm52yYQyusok4whAhEX9Bl577f3OqUhvlHs0rGwDtHnW/s320/IMG_6997.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sore hands!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Week one of
our trip brought perfect weather with sunny blue skies and cool breezes which
was a stark contrast to the weeks before we’d arrived. Lucky us! …or so we
thought. Our luck seemed to run out as week two came around with torrential
rain and strong winds diminishing our climbing area options and making the
campground drenched and miserable. The creek behind our tent was rising, things
were leaking everywhere and tent pegs were pulling out of the now soft, muddy
soil. All of a sudden the once packed campground was now almost completely
empty, with only our tent and one or two others sticking it out in the
miserable conditions. Amongst all this, Alex and I were unfortunate to catch a
vomiting bug which seemed to be making its way around Blackheath. As unpleasant
as it was, it kept us occupied over the two worst days of weather, and thankfully
we were back to our old selves once the rain began to recede. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbKZkyGt7ifKGRz38r_Rwv6ocDkKjv32gmGKKacwzX0NzNG20yitPakX2EyM2qkCx3jISLiGc4zf1RwgclXKC0ubHL8o5roCqJWo4IAwpt3fdcgpSFSeue0qpjVFY_1PaoSGaq9yF6u1f/s1600/12459587_1286200568060394_2112884497_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbKZkyGt7ifKGRz38r_Rwv6ocDkKjv32gmGKKacwzX0NzNG20yitPakX2EyM2qkCx3jISLiGc4zf1RwgclXKC0ubHL8o5roCqJWo4IAwpt3fdcgpSFSeue0qpjVFY_1PaoSGaq9yF6u1f/s400/12459587_1286200568060394_2112884497_n.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Me on the onsight of "Paint God" (25) at Bell Supercrag. Photo by Sam Cujes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Throughout
the trip I was really keen to head to some new areas we’d never been to before
and just have fun pushing ourselves to onsight or flash as many routes as
possible. It’s my favourite type of climbing, onsighting… I find that I use my
whole body and mind as one element to keep myself on the wall, and everything
seems to just fall into place. I push myself harder and I seem to be able to
hold on for that little bit longer. It’s those magical moments when you seem to
pull strength out of nowhere and pull a move you never thought possible, or
when you happen to catch a dyno in the perfect spot, as if you knew the climb
without ever even seeing it before. It never ceases to amaze me how much
strength your body still has in reserve, even when you think you can’t possibly
hold on any longer. The more I challenge myself to push past this mental
barrier, the more I understand myself better as a climber and what my body is
capable of. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aL4nyRgey_ddCwCjiHkC9t22L0I0BV3RtB_Lk6uFPS45c1PCfXD6KMoHKqVUJ7eYHgJG0iAXGRhAFKC4DBlVo3ahSXxKSM7Au1UV0etNjxnq8fauymWiIsYmV3LXFr4M4iV_nDaCd3TB/s1600/Cuskelly+Photography-1930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0aL4nyRgey_ddCwCjiHkC9t22L0I0BV3RtB_Lk6uFPS45c1PCfXD6KMoHKqVUJ7eYHgJG0iAXGRhAFKC4DBlVo3ahSXxKSM7Au1UV0etNjxnq8fauymWiIsYmV3LXFr4M4iV_nDaCd3TB/s640/Cuskelly+Photography-1930.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cuskelly Photography: One rainy day at Sublime Point, Binary Cave</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My most
memorable climb of the trip was a long, tough route called “Parallax Error”
(27) at Bell Supercrag. I didn’t onsight the whole climb as one because I had
some insight into possible beta for the boulder crux start. Past this point
however, was another 25 metres of completely new rock for me to work my way
through. This was one of those magical climbs that just happened to all fall
into place, where my mind and body were challenged to their limits to keep me
on the wall, and somehow I managed to pull moves I didn’t think were possible
for me…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was our
first day at Bell Supercrag, and also Alex’s birthday!! Alex had just managed
to strongly onsight “The Reality Dysfunction” (25); a very long pumper of a climb
with a tough finish. I was very pleased to flash it before we shuffled down a
few climbs to the left where the daunting yet alluring “Parallax Error” stood
before us with what looked like a very bouldery, cruxy start. <b>Warning: Beta alert ahead!</b> Alex jumped
on first and tried working out this difficult boulder problem which began the
climb. He managed to pull the massive move after only a couple of attempts and
put the first couple of draws on, but decided to come down and rest for a bit
so I could have a go. He pointed out a few small crimps which might be useful
to get through the cruxy boulder problem… So I whacked another 10 or so draws
onto my harness and decided to give it a try. To my delight, I managed to get
through the bouldery start on my first attempt with some sneaky, crimpy
short-person beta. Now with very pumped arms, I continued battling for the next
25 or so metres of onsight climbing ahead of me. Once I was past one crux,
there seemed to be another just ahead. It was the climb that just kept on
giving. At one point I was sure it would have to ease off in difficulty, but
instead I was confronted with a crazy slab with no foot holds and tiny crimps.
I don’t know how long I was stuck at the next undercling trying to figure out
how I could possibly reach the next slopey rail way above my head. Eventually I
figured the only way would be to do a full cut-loose dyno from a slabby
undercling to this diagonal slopey rail. With feet numbing and arms screaming,
I managed to stick it. It felt absolutely amazing! There was no giving up now…
the thought of having to do it all again after this much effort and desperation
was almost more painful than my forearms at the time. Thankfully there were
some larger holds after this crux but the climb had not finished with me yet…
Just before the anchor, with a tremendous amount of rope drag almost pulling me
back down the climb, I was forced to do another full cut-loose dyno to reach
the clipping ledge. I couldn’t believe I had actually stuck it and was thrilled
to clip the anchors bagging a flash of this epicly awesome fun climb.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK75j-i-k8rx65w3f8BRRZsa8tPWjqlSlO0PGNkKmRioY4KQuOxKVK2q701yyozxDZBeKSt_5IOTAx4kcAobvDXd1ofzQKbVxiSXD8zA0J2WiJUm0_WPXsB8y8_HHr9OSaCWUqz6R2bKd/s1600/IMG_7051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK75j-i-k8rx65w3f8BRRZsa8tPWjqlSlO0PGNkKmRioY4KQuOxKVK2q701yyozxDZBeKSt_5IOTAx4kcAobvDXd1ofzQKbVxiSXD8zA0J2WiJUm0_WPXsB8y8_HHr9OSaCWUqz6R2bKd/s640/IMG_7051.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Going for the dyno on "Hairline 2000" (28). Photo by Slavik Titov</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We ended the
trip on a high, spending our last day at the lovely Porters Pass where we
jumped on a few of our past projects and spent the day hanging at the crag with
a bunch of our lovely Queensland mates. I was super happy to find some new but
very painful beta for the crux of “Sail Away” (26), and managed to tick it on
my second shot of the day. After bruised knuckles, bleeding fingers and a
profound lack of energy left, we decided to end the day and head to the pub for
a beer. It was a stunning evening and a lovely way to round up another awesome
trip and another incredible year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BTdPwk5dP2LyBNaHSxGQiaUMRfqkK-JmeG8PyxKT-6NLb13RNAdep4gvW14xq19U-n7RONaOADoVAKOpuqJAMv9WcrMZavBkT_G_wKaGGZcFeBBNrci0uugluZ2rNt9hc0uiZZRLKnH_/s1600/IMG_6998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7BTdPwk5dP2LyBNaHSxGQiaUMRfqkK-JmeG8PyxKT-6NLb13RNAdep4gvW14xq19U-n7RONaOADoVAKOpuqJAMv9WcrMZavBkT_G_wKaGGZcFeBBNrci0uugluZ2rNt9hc0uiZZRLKnH_/s320/IMG_6998.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A very sore and exhausted me after the send of "Sail Away" (26) at Porters Pass</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks so much to Flight Centre Active Travel,
Pinnacle Sports, ICP, Revive Ashgrove, CLIF Bar, Feeney Family Law and all my
amazing friends and family for supporting me through 2015. It was a massive
year for me and I could never have done it without the incredible support from
you all. I have very exciting plans for 2016 underway and look forward to
spending 3-4 months training overseas and competing in 6 World Cups across
Europe, finishing with the World Championships in Paris this September!</span></span>Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-46189789167399397792015-08-09T21:31:00.001-07:002015-08-10T13:58:55.963-07:00World Cups 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIOl5vQcxm46A0ZcDHaStuBdxeSyswNVdn59sFWglWLmAp5GRLfbpmrievvfWFTi7eluPE15uabJz6eqEujVcTxDOlx8lHDu-bxC8sE2nUU_TG6brBz8zylMCdLPjpOCGVZImMw5u5sAp/s1600/rob+parer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIOl5vQcxm46A0ZcDHaStuBdxeSyswNVdn59sFWglWLmAp5GRLfbpmrievvfWFTi7eluPE15uabJz6eqEujVcTxDOlx8lHDu-bxC8sE2nUU_TG6brBz8zylMCdLPjpOCGVZImMw5u5sAp/s320/rob+parer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holding the Aussie flag at my First Open Lead World Cup in Chamonix, France. Photo by Rob Parer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Lucinda Stirling de l’Australie!” The French MC announces
my name as the girl before me unties her rope and walks away having attempted
the route. I take a deep breath and I step out onto the open stage in front of
hundreds of people in the middle of the beautiful Chamonix, France. As I walk
forwards, holding my rope like a leash in my hands, I am shadowed by a huge
wave of a competition wall which holds the first Open World Cup lead climb I
will have ever done. An epic train of thoughts and words rush to my mind. It
feels like a dream to finally be here and as I approach the starting holds I am
using every second I can to bring myself back to reality and focus on the task
at hand. “It’s just another climb.” I step off the ground and the climb begins...</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGfN7gc2vsjdx2j1oNWfEv5sBbQoF-Y4bUCBPNjS3K_Qz4Vd-a4r_o96t1jdx0x8s2fRDfaSs8_vDHGDZ7zN1KzDQYkziOG7uof86VcXOwxyIGqgOx8Lh8hyphenhyphene5Wh3qgNKJfIXE8CSFsm6/s1600/rob+saunders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGfN7gc2vsjdx2j1oNWfEv5sBbQoF-Y4bUCBPNjS3K_Qz4Vd-a4r_o96t1jdx0x8s2fRDfaSs8_vDHGDZ7zN1KzDQYkziOG7uof86VcXOwxyIGqgOx8Lh8hyphenhyphene5Wh3qgNKJfIXE8CSFsm6/s320/rob+saunders.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tying in to begin my first climb in Chamonix, France. Photo by Rob Saunders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Bya3lostPnl8mxBT4tyYRGA0TqHyzdxKxJ-JKZaBl7JXzGBSC7ZDHonX_JYV6C2SUBkemuQtURRQzH6_uedGwPmOpMwsNmX2CpPiFUTD88B-6lKeduafq-_efsKfKtrbpvtnxM1dlyFG/s1600/rob+saunders2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Bya3lostPnl8mxBT4tyYRGA0TqHyzdxKxJ-JKZaBl7JXzGBSC7ZDHonX_JYV6C2SUBkemuQtURRQzH6_uedGwPmOpMwsNmX2CpPiFUTD88B-6lKeduafq-_efsKfKtrbpvtnxM1dlyFG/s400/rob+saunders2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My second qualifier climb at the Chamonix World Cup 2015. Photo by Rob Saunders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What an awesome experience it all was. My first two Open
World Cup Competitions were a mixture of nerves, excitement, intimidation, mental
numbness and just not knowing what to expect at all. I learnt such a huge
amount and I’m incredibly psyched to keep pushing myself to improve at an
international level and become the best climber I can possibly be.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXGF8o_-ZzDLBQph46KhC-tHoy6IHYljEgriRw3LIUo3l7XQNnSTfhY461otT-H-TiwPCjJimvbLvg8RadcvZKPGcMhQeqzIE54l4fY6heVFdM6iPX2HV5eR5mbq5Bdwcoc7ovghkl8wk/s1600/ciro+tracey2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXGF8o_-ZzDLBQph46KhC-tHoy6IHYljEgriRw3LIUo3l7XQNnSTfhY461otT-H-TiwPCjJimvbLvg8RadcvZKPGcMhQeqzIE54l4fY6heVFdM6iPX2HV5eR5mbq5Bdwcoc7ovghkl8wk/s320/ciro+tracey2.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just after my onsight of 'Makach Walou' (7c+) in Ceuse. Photo by Ciro Tracey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before the comps I spent two weeks outdoor climbing and
camping in Céüse. I had so much fun, met so many wonderful people and the
routes and limestone rock were absolutely awesome. In my first week there I was
really happy to get my first ever 7c+ (28) onsight on a super fun climb called ‘Makach
Walou.’ And also tick my favourite route at Céüse called ‘Mirage’ 7c+ (28) on
my 3<sup>rd</sup> shot. I was really happy with my resistance at this stage and
felt very ready to tackle my first two World Cups in what would have been in a week’s
time. I was also really keen to spend my second week trying few of the harder
routes… but instead I was devastated to have to call it quits and stop climbing
a week before the comp!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It happened just after I ticked ‘Mirage’ and later I found
out it was an impingement caused by muscle imbalance. One minute it felt
strong and perfectly fine and the next minute I couldn’t lift my arm above my
head without painful clicking and crunching. I was absolutely devastated and
after it didn’t improve at all the next day, I was sure my dreams and plans for
my first two World Cups in a week were over. I was lucky to find a physio in
Gap (the nearest largish town to Céüse) which I visited as soon as possible (4
days later). It felt like an absolute miracle the day I woke up and could lift
my arm above my head again without any pain. I almost cried in happiness…
Chamonix might actually still happen!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4PYkpDhuFszsKR3oi-j2GrwUloCFULTOkq0I8wXXTePpmHlc_LV4oRZr0Hk_VVu9e_N1xS9NdzlZFITT8kb3Io-Sgp-6bTcjfqU6Z8_fx2SphOSuYntXQXcz_93pJ06funyw9jcGg4ri/s1600/secretspots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4PYkpDhuFszsKR3oi-j2GrwUloCFULTOkq0I8wXXTePpmHlc_LV4oRZr0Hk_VVu9e_N1xS9NdzlZFITT8kb3Io-Sgp-6bTcjfqU6Z8_fx2SphOSuYntXQXcz_93pJ06funyw9jcGg4ri/s400/secretspots.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing on Cascade wall, Ceuse 2015. Photo by Secretspots.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It improved even more over the next few days and by the time
the comp came around it would only occasionally twinge, but nothing a good warm
up and stretch couldn’t fix. The devastation that the shoulder injury caused
made me realise something really important though. I had to accept the fact
that I might not have been able to compete at these competitions I’d been
working towards for so long. I had focused so much on actually making it to these
competitions that I had forgotten the reason I was truly there. It made me look
at the bigger picture and realise I hadn’t been training all this time just for
one or two comps… they were simply a stepping stone and valuable learning
experiences in my goal of becoming the best climber I can possibly be. I was
grateful to have gained that perspective before the comps came around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chamonix has got to be one of my favourite places on Earth. Nestled
in the heart of the French Alps and on the doorstep of Mont Blanc, it really
is overwhelmingly beautiful. There are so many adventure activities to do, and
no matter where you are, you feel like you’re in the centre of a postcard. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil78QPjMYWxlUCI0svu4TM_HyZxqmfc3Y9vSwnluHcCHg65hNQUIk2u82IVp4Wj10nLotGoYUf0Gzhwx7KVjjVBJTWnOVvuADwsZ-0PtL0YCg94eWNRC0cU0KwImzt6NAmiatB33FotFdp/s1600/11745390_10153530433079214_8951115624158004492_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil78QPjMYWxlUCI0svu4TM_HyZxqmfc3Y9vSwnluHcCHg65hNQUIk2u82IVp4Wj10nLotGoYUf0Gzhwx7KVjjVBJTWnOVvuADwsZ-0PtL0YCg94eWNRC0cU0KwImzt6NAmiatB33FotFdp/s320/11745390_10153530433079214_8951115624158004492_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chamonix, 2015. Photo by Lucy Stirling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to describe my feelings leading into the Chamonix
comp. I just had no idea what to expect but was so happy to be there and wanted
to learn as much as I could. The warm up area was my first challenge. Almost every
section of wall was taken up by a climber. No one seemed to care if they were
above or below or almost completely on top of you as you bouldered. I knew I
would have to be stubborn if I wanted to get a solid warm up. I was pretty proud
of myself for managing to stay on the wall as climbers ‘attacked’ from all
angles, putting feet on holds I was using, almost kicking me as they blindly dyno
to a hold above my head. It was quite a funny experience seeing everyone silently
battle it out for warmup space.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I couldn’t help but feel quite intimidated by the girls I
was up against. They’re all such lean mean fighting machines and each one of
them looks very confident in themselves, like they’ve done it a hundred times
before. I attempted to look confident as well, hoping it would change my state
of mind… maybe the other girls were trying to do that too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the moment finally came around and it was my turn to
climb, I felt strong on the wall and ready to give it everything I had. There
must have been many things going on in my head but I tried my best to hush them
and let my body just climb. There were a few sections on the route I was a
little unsure of as I saw a fair few girls struggle and fall off. I wondered
how I would feel getting through those moves and it would be interesting to see
what level I’m at amongst such a strong field of climbers. I was incredibly
happy as I got through these moves with relative ease and it boosted my
confidence to know that I’m actually at the right level for these comps and I’m
not far behind the rest of the world. It’s something I’ve been intimidated by
for so long.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6uqsTg63FMqzcMrQR9O0ML7slWIoWcqsmXv0Wg7iNffsVzcB0JY7BQ005hl7pgHVGQcBTZWgTjhbS5KXwAjgkBQSPcPqlZSrXbkQjvBe_im-0x0Djp6NDKuc8TKYgQyzQHDIQqMQ6vHi/s1600/Ciro+Tracey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6uqsTg63FMqzcMrQR9O0ML7slWIoWcqsmXv0Wg7iNffsVzcB0JY7BQ005hl7pgHVGQcBTZWgTjhbS5KXwAjgkBQSPcPqlZSrXbkQjvBe_im-0x0Djp6NDKuc8TKYgQyzQHDIQqMQ6vHi/s320/Ciro+Tracey.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second qualifier climb at the Chamonix World Cup 2015. Photo by Ciro Tracey.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On both routes I was really happy with how I climbed despite
how I ended up ranking against all the other climbers. I was pleased that after
each climb, I clearly understood the main reason I fell off and could easily
recognise areas I need to work on in my training. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj4DDayCuUg2Rg4Iie_SashlgKPGCA-932mlqWE3K9JWs-yKJec9hCNLKUEXpqrZZ9SPHouLCY6JoKfjUt3RiHRR_jbj6nB5Xjqx709ESGDo2whNDUrUnUPIEChmMsMFxMG2kw_rnhiEM/s1600/photo+by+Sheila+Farrell+McCarron2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj4DDayCuUg2Rg4Iie_SashlgKPGCA-932mlqWE3K9JWs-yKJec9hCNLKUEXpqrZZ9SPHouLCY6JoKfjUt3RiHRR_jbj6nB5Xjqx709ESGDo2whNDUrUnUPIEChmMsMFxMG2kw_rnhiEM/s200/photo+by+Sheila+Farrell+McCarron2.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the climb. Photo by Sheila Farrell McCarron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next weekend brought along with it my second Open Lead World
Cup. This time in Brianҫon, France. It was much lower key than Chamonix but I
could certainly still feel the pressure. At times I almost felt more pressure
than at my first World Cup, as everybody said it would be easier. So in my mind
that means the expectations are higher after the first one’s over and done
with. I know that’s not what they meant, but it’s crazy what pressure does to
your logic and sanity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCrFUk4cgHkjo9O1fc9xA_iV_qvrZiat9WEhyphenhyphen3_wSu77IwKgOyOIawHwA4tbSZN-y2-A-O2qCjFLnMVfltcli5rnfnb4Tk_UGZMTa90OvW5oNeTd7CRzbVK2hxk808Oje7Vb6sehyphenhyphenwmzP/s1600/ann+stirling3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCrFUk4cgHkjo9O1fc9xA_iV_qvrZiat9WEhyphenhyphen3_wSu77IwKgOyOIawHwA4tbSZN-y2-A-O2qCjFLnMVfltcli5rnfnb4Tk_UGZMTa90OvW5oNeTd7CRzbVK2hxk808Oje7Vb6sehyphenhyphenwmzP/s320/ann+stirling3.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just about to watch the finals at the Briancon World Cup 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;">I
was quite happy with my efforts on the first qualifier climb despite getting a
little confused with my feet and the rope. </span><span class="textexposedshow">I was a
bit devastated by my second qualifier though. I felt so confident as I got on
the wall and the first few moves felt perfect. But I got a bit stumped and
hesitated at a big move with some tricky holds and my confident headspace went
out the window. I was flustered and had lost focus. I tried to relax, recover
and rethink but was incredibly pumped and could not latch the next hold long
enough in order to stay on the wall. At the time I was devastated as I hadn't
seen anybody else fall at that point. But I realize now where I went wrong, and
that I can learn from it and it can only improve my climbing in the future. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I
guess I felt a little more confident in Brianҫon but my headspace has a world
of room for improvement which will stem from experience at this level of
competition.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">These first two World Cups have been amazing and
essential learning experiences in my climbing career and I am so very happy to
have finally reached this big stepping stone.</span></span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">
<span class="textexposedshow">I am incredibly motivated to continue training and
pushing myself harder each day to improve my climbing in every way I can, and
each year improving at the World Cups. It is a long road ahead, but I'm looking
forward to every step of the way.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnY_I4zaolrO53AezGMx_f9qNyg1wBF9ctW4Jg6cTYwYoR7Nxj18bA9DMjvIvBgoY7p2CEqGG-hUY0gZlhj1VHFggER7xSUh4naV9G8g_rCWt2pVfs8u_na8inpmLh3PynS0y3g-QgemvR/s1600/photo+by+Sheila+Farrell+McCarron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnY_I4zaolrO53AezGMx_f9qNyg1wBF9ctW4Jg6cTYwYoR7Nxj18bA9DMjvIvBgoY7p2CEqGG-hUY0gZlhj1VHFggER7xSUh4naV9G8g_rCWt2pVfs8u_na8inpmLh3PynS0y3g-QgemvR/s320/photo+by+Sheila+Farrell+McCarron.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Qualifier Climb in Briancon, France. Photo by Sheila Farrell McCarron</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">
<span class="textexposedshow">I am so incredibly grateful for all the amazing
support I've had from friends and family back home and across the world. It
means so much to know you’re all behind me. An especially big thank you to
Flight Centre Active travel, Pinnacle Sports, ICP and
Feeney Family Law. Without you, none of this would be possible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="textexposedshow"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Back home now and already I’m planning for the next
one. I can’t wait for next year with my plans to compete in more World Cups,
train a bit over in Europe and also compete in the World Championships in Paris!
Another stepping stone in my goals and plan for the many exciting years ahead! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoNzuVF72SaUXMFcyqlnvrXsCV9ligfVB70M9XRoA-LH-D1zksaKfysMS4A-m295ecogq2aBfSZ0RL5vsJ1iBpBQwJ90B0zb2n7kHavq9OtzTkqksRMBz00eF8zrfzq7K94sIqt4OzHhF/s1600/selfies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoNzuVF72SaUXMFcyqlnvrXsCV9ligfVB70M9XRoA-LH-D1zksaKfysMS4A-m295ecogq2aBfSZ0RL5vsJ1iBpBQwJ90B0zb2n7kHavq9OtzTkqksRMBz00eF8zrfzq7K94sIqt4OzHhF/s320/selfies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emma, Mum and I at the Briancon Open Lead World Cup 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-84258654713509308542015-05-19T20:50:00.000-07:002015-05-19T20:53:11.914-07:00World Cup Trip Approaches<b><u>World Cup Trip Approaches</u></b><br />
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4XVMx-NND3ajVfHE0iayQSYqiruTQJO-f0ARKgfGLKfrOvwe8enbxuoyRYVMTU3CD7gdiUh2dnUO0tAGWh5OFWR1aufN0YBxmG3XGBIfe5fdkMQj3YEBo-RndkzQ_guW1BjnKAnDJMtx/s1600/59423218-QldStateLead2015_OAFinals-4972+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik4XVMx-NND3ajVfHE0iayQSYqiruTQJO-f0ARKgfGLKfrOvwe8enbxuoyRYVMTU3CD7gdiUh2dnUO0tAGWh5OFWR1aufN0YBxmG3XGBIfe5fdkMQj3YEBo-RndkzQ_guW1BjnKAnDJMtx/s320/59423218-QldStateLead2015_OAFinals-4972+%25281%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QLD Lead States 2015. Open A Finals Climb. Photo by Climb Media.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m so excited! It’s exactly a month away before I leave for
my trip to France in late June where I will compete at my first two Open Lead World
Cups (in Chamonix and Brianҫon, France). Registration is now open and the competition
program has finally been released for the Chamonix comp on 10<sup>th</sup>-12<sup>th</sup>
July and I’m just busting to get my name on that competitors list. It’ll be a
big moment for me as one of my biggest dreams and goals finally becomes
reality. Two years ago I got a bad wrist injury which forced me to stop
climbing for 6-8 months and destroyed my plans of competing internationally
that year. But after recovering from that I spent last year building back my
strength to where it was before and beginning my plans for the World Cup comps
this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp9PzRnYHRhEPDGpdEIekNEpkOWvS2eXO1_2teb_vnhRrK19W5Bgb3zWtndRwXAfuzRTpU8L3N6qIpRL35nc7HbVoyhXXhfUdcXTon53cy9Iwd2IVhR_qwmVxunCNs8GtdviNaJJ84QP1/s1600/59423219-QldStateLead2015_OAFinals-4976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpp9PzRnYHRhEPDGpdEIekNEpkOWvS2eXO1_2teb_vnhRrK19W5Bgb3zWtndRwXAfuzRTpU8L3N6qIpRL35nc7HbVoyhXXhfUdcXTon53cy9Iwd2IVhR_qwmVxunCNs8GtdviNaJJ84QP1/s640/59423219-QldStateLead2015_OAFinals-4976.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QLD Lead State Titles 2015. Open A Finals Climb. Photo by Climb Media.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've had an awesome year so far. I've dedicated the majority
of my time to training every day of the week, pushing myself harder than I ever
have before in preparation for these upcoming World Cups. Last weekend I
managed to win the NSW Lead State Championships after topping out on both my
qualifier climbs and slapping the last hold on my very long finals route. It
was great to be back at what was my home gym (SICG Villawood) when I lived in
NSW during 2012 and catch up with a few of my close friends again. I have to
admit I was very intimidated by the famously long walls at that Villawood gym
as my memory hadn't quite done them justice. I began having doubts about
whether my resistance training would have been enough. But I was incredibly
happy when I realized how much my training has paid off and I was able to tackle
the walls better than ever before. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocN28JtiWeAg8xMvCTqFXtH2qlPDFaU-G3bOLcoqopWPF-cDVyHrdxbGu0pKQ2W_SJfz1yEUq7g5ZVDHSJTYQu1QLpsa4IsD7m9hxLhCGOB7BrBraWRo_G9RRIqYNAYIWk_2JyTGurv8e/s1600/NSW+Lead+State+Titles+May+2015+-+Ann+Stirling+iPhone+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocN28JtiWeAg8xMvCTqFXtH2qlPDFaU-G3bOLcoqopWPF-cDVyHrdxbGu0pKQ2W_SJfz1yEUq7g5ZVDHSJTYQu1QLpsa4IsD7m9hxLhCGOB7BrBraWRo_G9RRIqYNAYIWk_2JyTGurv8e/s320/NSW+Lead+State+Titles+May+2015+-+Ann+Stirling+iPhone+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NSW Lead State Titles 2015. Open A Female Podium. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Competing at every interstate comp so far (TAS, SA, QLD, NSW
(incl. ACT)), I've managed to take out 1<sup>st</sup> place in Open A at all of
them, putting me in a good head space heading overseas to represent my country.
It’ll be a whole different ball game over in Europe however, with very high
standards, hard comp grades, different route-setting styles and crazy weird
holds I've never even seen before. I’m incredibly excited to soon be a part of
it all and have the opportunity to put myself completely out of my comfort zone
and experience climbing with the best in the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0yE2PuzA36Y1TnKGZZkc7njpauIjQr1BcLbipw2OdTNTwAaKgK1Pz1uRSyJfMZZ2OotyzRKJbP7hLtUFaDxwJnp8XBMLiKFr4GrkBmC4sNxaDllEDxqmaCaM9w5xFMoqUCIXF6GZjjSx/s1600/59423220-QldStateLead2015_OAFinals-4985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0yE2PuzA36Y1TnKGZZkc7njpauIjQr1BcLbipw2OdTNTwAaKgK1Pz1uRSyJfMZZ2OotyzRKJbP7hLtUFaDxwJnp8XBMLiKFr4GrkBmC4sNxaDllEDxqmaCaM9w5xFMoqUCIXF6GZjjSx/s640/59423220-QldStateLead2015_OAFinals-4985.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QLD Lead State Titles 2015. Topping out the Open A Finals climb. Photo by Climb Media</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The months have flown by and all my travel plans are nearing
completion. Next week I will fly to Melbourne to compete at the VIC States. Two
weeks after that, Queensland will hold the Australian National Lead Climbing
Championships at Urban Climb in West End! I cannot wait to see the awesome
event they put on and climb on some stellar routes. If it’s anything like the
QLD State comp they held, it will be an absolutely amazing weekend. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Barely two weeks after Nationals I’ll be on my way to
France! In the first two weeks of my trip, I will be camping and climbing
outdoors in Ceuśe with my friends, Tom and Nate. I can’t wait to climb on the
amazing limestone rock that everyone talks about. It’ll be so much fun and the
long, pumpy climbs will also be perfect resistance training leading into the
World Cups. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Exciting times are ahead! What an amazing experience it will
all be. Looking forward to sending updates in the next few weeks!<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-19105236099965400612015-03-24T00:26:00.000-07:002015-03-24T00:36:35.139-07:00A Note on Nervousness<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><b>What I've learnt about Controlling Nervousness during Competitions </b></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No matter how many climbing competitions I go in (whether it
be a World Cup, Nationals, States or even just a local social comp) I have to admit
that I get nervous at every single one. It’s not a bad thing… in fact, I
believe nerves are an incredibly important part of our competition preparation
and mindset. As we all know however, if misunderstood and left untrained, nervousness
can be detrimental to our performance. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve read a few books, studied a little about it at
university and even chatted to a sports psychologist about the best way to deal
with nerves and performance anxiety. It’s all well and good to recognize what
causes it and why it’s good or bad, but the only way to properly learn how to
deal with your own personal stress and nervousness is from experience. Learning
to understand how your body reacts to stress/pressure, when do you perform at your
best, and what was difference in your mental state that made you perform so
well?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8lx3SqJ7n0GYzJPskGyC3ZVSJFckNwF9i-yRfkCxPb9llqyMnzRvfzNWYYnfFKu78T2BVxckOtl7eY9SZiE1PfgaQiax6cOuMtrKPpbSD6njHGBrIk_wUaW-q_gixkoEhyphenhyphenKfCRdjBwgU/s1600/10422251_878270422235724_9195179450060909579_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8lx3SqJ7n0GYzJPskGyC3ZVSJFckNwF9i-yRfkCxPb9llqyMnzRvfzNWYYnfFKu78T2BVxckOtl7eY9SZiE1PfgaQiax6cOuMtrKPpbSD6njHGBrIk_wUaW-q_gixkoEhyphenhyphenKfCRdjBwgU/s1600/10422251_878270422235724_9195179450060909579_n.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open A Females just before finals at Tasmania Lead State Titles 2015. Cameron Johns Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><br /><b></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Why am I Nervous?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe it all comes down to pressure. We all have our own
reasons for being nervous, thus putting pressure on ourselves to do well. For
me, it is a very personal battle. I have a habit of putting enormous amounts of
pressure and expectations on myself despite the level of competition. It means
I always try my hardest, but it also means that if I don’t remember to control my
nerves, I can easily fall victim to performance anxiety. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b></b><br /><b></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Fine Line<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I said before, I think it is important to be a little
nervous and put this pressure on ourselves. It keeps us in check, it pushes and
motivates us to try harder, but if not handled correctly it can easily shake us
off the wall. It is a very fine line between being under-excited and over-excited
for the competition. It’s that tricky middle ground we’re looking for if we
want to achieve optimal performance. How we achieve this optimal state is
different for everyone, and something personal I learn more about with each
competition I go in. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b></b><br /><b></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>But When Am I Ready? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Part of why it’s so difficult to find this optimal middle
ground is because there’s obviously no personal gauge telling you when you’ve
reached it. <i>How do I know when I’m in the
best mental state to climb the wall</i>? <i>Do
I need to relax more… or am I not excited enough</i>? I ask myself these
questions at every competition. The best way to know is to think back to your
mindset throughout past experiences. When have you performed really well in a
high-pressure environment and things just seemed to come naturally? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the amount of pressure and expectations I put on
myself… from what I’ve learnt so far, I perform best when I try to let this
pressure go for a moment. By the time I’m at the comp and ready to climb, the
pressure and amount of psych I need to push myself for the climb will always be
there, whether I think about it or not. My best and most natural performances have
come from when I focus on relaxing a little, having fun, thinking back to all
the training I’ve done and just letting all that hard training and preparation
show something for itself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b></b><br /><b></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Zone</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The circumstances are different at every competition and rarely
do they run just as we’ve planned or visioned. Sometimes you’ll be waiting all
day to finally climb and by that stage you’re motivation is incredibly low. Sometimes
it’ll be colder than you’re used to and it’s difficult to warm up. Maybe your competitors
won’t stop mentioning that sausage you ate for lunch and how much it’ll weigh
you down. Maybe you’re flight was delayed and your hotel was terrible and you
had an awful night’s sleep, or you came down with a cold that morning and you feel
on the edge of death! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Whatever the unexpected circumstance, if you want to perform optimally it is
important to stop for a second and find your zone, rather than letting it throw
out your mental game. Don’t let the unexpected circumstance make you fall off
the wall before you’ve even begun climbing! Instead, see them as challenges
which give you more motivation to reach the top. This type of thinking, for
whatever reason has been one of the most effective ways at getting me in the best
zone to climb. <b>I want to be able to perform my best, even when I’m at my worst…
What greater challenge is there?</b><br />
<b><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_ZeUOxK-deDvXuqUS2UwY7JcglTCbuVL6YUyYKGqEE889tXUd6Onx8V3e7ysvBnTITOgF9tOoUIi4eJEpVIQiqZdAFvppk65KmYyHnmygZwmJSQm6ID5pTdVa6vGghTs0Nhxm4T7uXvU/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals+prep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_ZeUOxK-deDvXuqUS2UwY7JcglTCbuVL6YUyYKGqEE889tXUd6Onx8V3e7ysvBnTITOgF9tOoUIi4eJEpVIQiqZdAFvppk65KmYyHnmygZwmJSQm6ID5pTdVa6vGghTs0Nhxm4T7uXvU/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals+prep.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Preparing for my final's route at Tasmania Lead State Titles 2015. Cameron Johns Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</b><o:p></o:p></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-59335599561771178902015-03-20T02:00:00.000-07:002015-03-20T02:17:55.265-07:00TAS Lead State Titles 2015 <div class="MsoNormal">
First comp of the year! I was so excited to fly down to
Tassie for the weekend. It had been so long since I had competed at Rockit
Climbing Centre in Hobart and I was also really excited to get a taste of some
outdoor Tassie climbing after the comp as well. Unfortunately not many
interstate climbers could make it down for the weekend, but I was excited to
see a few of my old buddies there and I also got to meet a bunch of new people
too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKZ3g8lwMemSoUyLDus08JR_GJjPiodaQFlkgYqkdR60XWJK0VBynWEm5QFOPmV7MBP1IEy4jgUmsRXQw6qrun4BaP5MyrQiRYs2Q3qhGDfSc6G7QLGoHRCX35wv7M5S7e5GWWYZzjzm0/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals+prep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKZ3g8lwMemSoUyLDus08JR_GJjPiodaQFlkgYqkdR60XWJK0VBynWEm5QFOPmV7MBP1IEy4jgUmsRXQw6qrun4BaP5MyrQiRYs2Q3qhGDfSc6G7QLGoHRCX35wv7M5S7e5GWWYZzjzm0/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals+prep.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cameron Johns Photography. Preparing for the climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Saturday (comp day) was a very long day. I arrived very
early to help set up, watch the youth categories compete, hang out with a few old
friends, and meet some of the other local Tassie climbers. All the routes on
the comp walls looked really cool and very technical, I couldn’t wait to try
them out. I also couldn’t help wishing I was still young enough to compete in
the youth categories as well… that way I would get to climb some of their cool
routes! Open A registration wasn’t until around 2pm so I was well and truly itching
to climb by the time it got around to us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the first qualifier climb however, I felt quite
shaky. I rushed it and managed to get flash pumped in the roof and fell off a
few moves before the top. I could possibly blame it on not being warm enough…
but I think I was feeling a little jittery and not quite in the right mental
state. I was more focused on wanting to top the climb and have it over and done
with as opposed to focusing on what I needed to do to get there. I guess it’s a
very easy thing to do on your first comp climb of the year, but something I
should probably have prepared myself a little more for mentally. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiklNCmNkfkZKGQaCxIxsnnKKJKhX-khkI2L_wYxvH7b6UMWdCWInvSbDiQEV3a2Xm9m7MsZYNckilxL9CMNevEcVIVq186kIyzYp3HRUn9qN8rSQHjCvsl8w1UQHvVsD3gRs1cf9JZSOO/s1600/Quals+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiklNCmNkfkZKGQaCxIxsnnKKJKhX-khkI2L_wYxvH7b6UMWdCWInvSbDiQEV3a2Xm9m7MsZYNckilxL9CMNevEcVIVq186kIyzYp3HRUn9qN8rSQHjCvsl8w1UQHvVsD3gRs1cf9JZSOO/s1600/Quals+1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px; line-height: 15.6933336257935px;">Open A females </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Qualifier
1 climb</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second qualifier climb looked like so much fun and I felt like I could top
it before I’d even got on the wall. An orange streak of crimpy, slopey and
funky holds snaked its way up the super long, steep wall with very technical,
sequencey sections… I couldn’t wait. As I climbed this route, I felt far more
relaxed, natural and confident on the wall and I managed to top it! The climb
was really enjoyable and put me in a good mindset leading up to finals that
night. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOt7fBIvYENe0kRqAGMu0Q-uOgkLFesO_NAL6Vm7YarMHlhEX2Aw4UnMZe6y41lkKrLYt62kYDbkPdb81XGhxgyWTS9SF7AgvDAV4T4itrT0J0VE4Yrh9_pi9tfgvVrre_HPerBUUAtSJ/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+quals+2+mid2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfOt7fBIvYENe0kRqAGMu0Q-uOgkLFesO_NAL6Vm7YarMHlhEX2Aw4UnMZe6y41lkKrLYt62kYDbkPdb81XGhxgyWTS9SF7AgvDAV4T4itrT0J0VE4Yrh9_pi9tfgvVrre_HPerBUUAtSJ/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+quals+2+mid2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Qualifyer
2 mid climb. Cameron Johns Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPs80SocZxLlNSCEk3-pl1WeWVJfeW0a4moKfrj8q0n9EftJGsE7CilUno87yu2tQKR1Gj-VFwioirHoHMxRuqqwtaKgkmI9hLtdI0TY8Dh_9W0tecSY9360WTUOp8oFBns4UXGHFTYiX/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+-+qual+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPs80SocZxLlNSCEk3-pl1WeWVJfeW0a4moKfrj8q0n9EftJGsE7CilUno87yu2tQKR1Gj-VFwioirHoHMxRuqqwtaKgkmI9hLtdI0TY8Dh_9W0tecSY9360WTUOp8oFBns4UXGHFTYiX/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+-+qual+2.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Happy
thumbs up after topping my second qualifier climb. Cameron Johns Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When finals came around, I was out third. I was disappointed
to not have done so well in the first qualifier, but incredibly happy to not
have to wait as long in isolation because of it. The Open A females finals climb
was such a cool route, but very tricky to visualise. It was like a whole lot of
technical boulder problems linked in to one long, green, pumpy confusing climb.
Going over the route during our visualisation time, I had a lot of; “well…I’ll
have to figure it out when I get there” moments, but it all seemed fairly
straight forward once we finally got to climb it. <br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kqr2mZ4NpHlzi2w1FK1IMq2-TvWI6brXKR80eTtWymXZ1rFvAoz9x7ypj6TrgjkcBwM5DC5oTFcd6LusNdUoOnOMgcuxO88WnBgugwHpRsFbLGkeTcERnehHphezDFiRnAO2R6GQQ2wx/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kqr2mZ4NpHlzi2w1FK1IMq2-TvWI6brXKR80eTtWymXZ1rFvAoz9x7ypj6TrgjkcBwM5DC5oTFcd6LusNdUoOnOMgcuxO88WnBgugwHpRsFbLGkeTcERnehHphezDFiRnAO2R6GQQ2wx/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+finals4.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Heading
into the steep wall on the Open A Finals Route. Cameron Johns Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before the first draw, there was a very balancy section with
two tiny crimp underclings on the vertical wall which I think everyone felt
very close to falling off on. The climb then traversed into the left steep wall
which had three large slopey pinches, a sketchy heel hook and a big strengthy
lock off move (just to make sure you were getting pumped).The route then went straight up into a terrible slopey ball in the roof which
you had to press up into before heading out through the overhang and finishing
just over the lip. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTm5mFbfe7Jw5kweehJHa5W_gf_38pV2CcBQ1BuztAWQjCncJvLdMaq1OtjQSXvrpTqenuXthd1fkn2jeRgcmRySZPOBA6e3a2zKVzZDGegTQk4AZVyUalcxfIKCGqD-hqgiMGZfnzCVd/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+final2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTm5mFbfe7Jw5kweehJHa5W_gf_38pV2CcBQ1BuztAWQjCncJvLdMaq1OtjQSXvrpTqenuXthd1fkn2jeRgcmRySZPOBA6e3a2zKVzZDGegTQk4AZVyUalcxfIKCGqD-hqgiMGZfnzCVd/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+final2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The
awkward reach back through the roof of the Open A Finals Route. Cameron Johns
Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just before the roof, I remember being super pumped and
slightly confused by a terrible distractor hold out to my left which I
thankfully decided to ignore. I was so tired but managed to get my feet up high
and used every muscle I had to press up into it. Surprised, I had actually managed
it and was wedged up in the corner between the hold and the wall, awkwardly
trying to look behind me for my next hold and how to get to it. I was so exhausted
at this stage, that I thought I had no hope in actually doing the next move… so
my best bet was to at least try and grip the next hold. I reached back
awkwardly to find an in-cut jug, but if I didn’t control my swing I would be
flung off the wall. With every ounce of strength I grabbed the hold and tried
to control my swing, almost forgetting about the rest of the climb ahead. To my
surprise I actually held and matched it and was hanging with my feet dangling
in the air, desperate for another footer when I remembered one on the wall
behind me. I quickly swung my foot over just in time to keep me on the wall. I
was only two holds away from clipping the anchor and was pleading my arms to
last a little longer. Thankfully the last hold was fairly positive and I was
finally able to clip the last draw. I had topped! What a battle!<o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMQgc-I9EvadlUEYwyqsKe0t_OCTXWg2MdSyrUZeYpOPUs00uU28ONzc-5952F6F7NhyphenhyphenRP23FkhDm05Hfl3xP7MU8TaB3XqkR12_wvfuxgJ2hpoBr95xQyPhPxz9QbL67FRfTwcT0s8aA/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+final3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMQgc-I9EvadlUEYwyqsKe0t_OCTXWg2MdSyrUZeYpOPUs00uU28ONzc-5952F6F7NhyphenhyphenRP23FkhDm05Hfl3xP7MU8TaB3XqkR12_wvfuxgJ2hpoBr95xQyPhPxz9QbL67FRfTwcT0s8aA/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+final3.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Finally
secured that footer on the Open A Finals Route. Cameron Johns Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq4CQ3egFGOB5UQ45v-0YH53WG8XkACS6g16aC2YJZLQDd7AdxTXRJf-AwG3UDSsXihGHjoXxBx5WdziQZ0nvaqHtlSl6mTZM-T4nIkZ_BdLEM0B5wOqt2R995hyphenhyphenwLAP1VjNUgLfGDpdR/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrq4CQ3egFGOB5UQ45v-0YH53WG8XkACS6g16aC2YJZLQDd7AdxTXRJf-AwG3UDSsXihGHjoXxBx5WdziQZ0nvaqHtlSl6mTZM-T4nIkZ_BdLEM0B5wOqt2R995hyphenhyphenwLAP1VjNUgLfGDpdR/s1600/Cameron+Johns+Photography+final.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Topping
out with the final hold on the Open A Finals Route. on the Open A Finals Route.
Cameron Johns Photography</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was really cool watching the other Open Finalists that
night. The girls were climbing really strong but didn’t manage to make it past
the mean green ball in the overhang. The Open A Male route was super funky and
balancy and made a great show for the spectators. After presentations we all
went home for some much deserved rest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent the next two days climbing outdoors with Roxy Perry
and a few of her climbing friends from the Rockit gym. Sunday, we spent the
afternoon climbing at a really awesome little hidden treasure called Sandfly,
which had some beautiful and really fun routes. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2Pk9ZZQOLt84xVmvrGDaA2zItHbX-iLR9J4en4RRhp_twfuVogYD1AMXUmTcMAINUav0Hh04O9PQIxNFaqeYxhOQFjxHmFzylEMv-vXapwpanr-CwMDxfYZdL1Z9lY9O2o9dkxuXQy8a/s1600/TAS+sandfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2Pk9ZZQOLt84xVmvrGDaA2zItHbX-iLR9J4en4RRhp_twfuVogYD1AMXUmTcMAINUav0Hh04O9PQIxNFaqeYxhOQFjxHmFzylEMv-vXapwpanr-CwMDxfYZdL1Z9lY9O2o9dkxuXQy8a/s1600/TAS+sandfly.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at Sandfly crag, Tasmania</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday night I had to fly back home to Brisbane… but we
spent part of the morning climbing at the beautiful Mt Wellington Organ Pipes
which was absolutely amazing! I flashed my first climb there which was called
“After Midnight”; a mega-classic, 50m, one pitch, stunning 24. We had perfect
weather and the absolutely amazing views and exposure made it a really awesome
way to round up my little Tassie trip.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nQvQ_dUvUEcGDQiPKRoKNiFPegIZukpvhwLat2qIeVyVTJr1lcfANimNeg-1t3qSapqnUi2PzXLfxRivz-MMnwVGfn1Yn0EmOC3sp-V2oeHmul81F6Lr_R_d79g8dyUmFXSDusosWFrt/s1600/organ+pipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nQvQ_dUvUEcGDQiPKRoKNiFPegIZukpvhwLat2qIeVyVTJr1lcfANimNeg-1t3qSapqnUi2PzXLfxRivz-MMnwVGfn1Yn0EmOC3sp-V2oeHmul81F6Lr_R_d79g8dyUmFXSDusosWFrt/s1600/organ+pipes.jpg" height="320" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Me
abseiling back down "After Midnight" at the Organ Pipes, Tasmania</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like to send a huge thank you to Flight Centre
Active Travel, Pinnacle Sports and ICP. I am so grateful for their ongoing
support this year and I am so excited to have this opportunity to share my adventures,
journey and dreams with them beside me. You guys are amazing :-) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-6098227019435866442014-08-03T15:14:00.002-07:002014-08-09T15:59:11.164-07:00Nationals 2014<b>19th -20th July, 2014</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a vivid memory of the first few times I competed in
the Open A Female category at a Nationals Lead Climbing Championship. I was
also competing in the youth categories at that time and having the opportunity
to compete in Opens as well was absolutely awesome. Not only would I get to
climb more routes and gain more experience but it was a “nothing to lose” no
pressure situation at which I usually perform my best anyway. But best of all,
I would get to climb and compete with some of the top female climbers in the
country… and that was incredibly inspiring for me. I remember watching them
glide up the walls seemingly effortlessly and wishing I could be that strong
one day. It’s been my goal for a long time now to win the National Lead
Climbing Championships… to be able to nearly top all my allocated climbs, to
glide up the walls my own way, and to finally stand on top of that podium and
become that person who inspired me so much in the beginning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few weekends ago I finally achieved that goal… and although it happened in an unusual set of circumstances, it made it all the more rewarding for me. This is how it happened…</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXasDm1mTENaOX7NhrTIfoZ6vm8k56UiT7s-TO5u7XYMyOPQKHNAmXLda8tRwSzN00YcSiHcoKWVbBnedqgAW9NyBm9ooegCuhvsoVAsfF7eMAFQu_QO4T5kC_-F5AlXhDirj3AmsZ787/s1600/10406569_10152338651819107_6437663077413590237_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXasDm1mTENaOX7NhrTIfoZ6vm8k56UiT7s-TO5u7XYMyOPQKHNAmXLda8tRwSzN00YcSiHcoKWVbBnedqgAW9NyBm9ooegCuhvsoVAsfF7eMAFQu_QO4T5kC_-F5AlXhDirj3AmsZ787/s1600/10406569_10152338651819107_6437663077413590237_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(James Kassay and I after winning Open A National Lead Championships 2014)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Waking up Friday morning with a
throbbing headache and sore throat, I was certainly having second thoughts
about making this trip to Melbourne for the 2014 Lead Nationals. I really
didn’t like the idea of becoming that annoying person on the plane coughing and
sneezing, spreading the viral love to the world. I also didn’t want to have
flown all that way and be too unwell to climb in a comp I’ve trained so hard
for. But a crazy something inside me (probably the virus) decided that despite
all these negatives, somehow it was still a better idea to make the trip and
see how my luck would pan out. A bit of anger sparked inside me… I wasn't going
to let some silly head cold stop me from at least trying to achieve this goal
that I’ve trained so hard for. But the virus had its own goal too, I guess. It
certainly wasn’t going to give up without a fight… but neither was I.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day of the qualifying climbs
was difficult. The Opens and Masters categories didn’t start until the
afternoon and the comp was running a few hours late. I made the right decision
to rest in the hotel all morning while Mum, Dad and Sarah did some Melbourne
shopping and coffee drinking. I was pretty excited for both Mum and Sarah as
they would also be competing! Unfortunately
my brother Sam couldn’t make it as he had to work but we nominated Dad as the
Stirling coach for the weekend! It was another Stirling invasion.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had slightly more energy when
we got to the competition around midday and watched the Youth Finals. I really
enjoy watching the youth categories climb. They are incredibly strong and it’s
awesome to think of the amazing things they’ll be doing in a few years. It was also
really lovely catching up with all my interstate buddies again.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had a light boulder in an
attempt to warm up a bit… But after feeling slightly exhausted already, I
decided it was more important to conserve the little energy I had left. I sat
down in a corner and wrapped myself with numerous jumpers and downys until it
was my turn to climb (I was pretty consistent with this approach for the entire
weekend).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first qualifier climb was
relatively straightforward with most of us topping out. It was really fun
though and would have been a great warm up for the next climb. However, it
wasn’t until 8:00 or 8:30pm that it was my turn to climb the next route… Way
past my bedtime but I tried not to think about it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 2<sup>nd</sup> quals climb
was very tricky and technical and no one actually topped out. The crux had
these really fun, cool, balancy moves off polished slopers… A technical style I’ve
really come to love in the last few years. Andrea Hah and I were the only two
who managed to get to the last move, placing us both 1<sup>st</sup> in the
ranking for the semi-finals the next day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0Ao_qkhI1HK5YXxyO5eqxJhDRJER0oZivVM6jaic4sHAHOIgQTauUh95laBhEPM2dmXLWgftV3cM9BjrRkfKtE1zhd6X_sZtzNgLbbf6KBchI0d9NchR463-bfWjgYdJK17MNIqSHad-/s1600/10487282_10152504534353592_4268778142082243644_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0Ao_qkhI1HK5YXxyO5eqxJhDRJER0oZivVM6jaic4sHAHOIgQTauUh95laBhEPM2dmXLWgftV3cM9BjrRkfKtE1zhd6X_sZtzNgLbbf6KBchI0d9NchR463-bfWjgYdJK17MNIqSHad-/s1600/10487282_10152504534353592_4268778142082243644_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Mike Davis: Open A qualifier climb #1) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t sleep very well that
night but did manage to get a few solid hours of deep sleep in to keep me going
for a while. I tried to warm up before the semi-final route but my heart
started racing so I decided to stick with my energy conservation plan. It
didn’t work as well for this route… It was incredibly pumpy and as soon as I
got on the wall I started shaking like crazy… Not enough warm up! I felt pretty
horrid on the wall but managed to make it up most of the way before falling
from complete exhaustion. I was really happy about how far I’d made it to on
the climb considering how unwell I felt. I ended up ranking 2<sup>nd</sup>
going into the finals that afternoon. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBW5LeCYnXOHYaYuTYc6Q347j0JVS3jYj0XPgypdRCviNEKsRPP8YCQLzsbYoox6Ma90p19eI14oSzURglrkiMgn9jiCPJu2JM8ekVmI4vyr7dNApJn_5KnFFh6IeYg-w8lkDTmpN8Ckv/s1600/10401351_10152504548923592_5514246334954265120_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBW5LeCYnXOHYaYuTYc6Q347j0JVS3jYj0XPgypdRCviNEKsRPP8YCQLzsbYoox6Ma90p19eI14oSzURglrkiMgn9jiCPJu2JM8ekVmI4vyr7dNApJn_5KnFFh6IeYg-w8lkDTmpN8Ckv/s1600/10401351_10152504548923592_5514246334954265120_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo by Mike Davis: Open A semi-finals climb)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As soon as I came down from that
climb I went into hibernation mode… I curled up in a corner in the isolation
area, covered myself in down jackets and had an incredible nap dreaming of
rainbow elephants, giant flowers and monkeys. It served me well… I emerged a
few times to zombie walk my way to the toilet and back and wish my big sister,
Sarah good luck for her climb in Open C and my Mum for Masters. When I finally
got myself up for the viewing of the Open A finals route, I felt significantly
better. I didn’t have much of a voice left (much to everyone’s amusement) but I
had a fair amount more energy than I did in the morning, thank goodness! I even
got a pretty good, light warm up just before my climb without exhausting
myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During observation and
visualisation time of our route I tried not to get caught up too much on any one
cruxy looking section. Like usual, I spend my time scoping out all the holds
and getting a general idea of where the harder parts are and a few possible
ways I could do them. I then actually focus on the start of the climb, no
matter how easy it looks, and get really comfortable with the moves and
holds... because how I feel when I start the climb has a huge effect on the
rest of the route and how “in the zone” I am. When it comes time to climb I
just let my body do the work and trust my instinct and muscle memory when it
comes to a difficult section. I do it my own way because I know what works best
for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was my turn to climb…I knew this
route was long, and I knew it would be difficult, but I was going to give it
everything. I stepped onto the wall and just climbed. I felt comfortable and
relaxed but psyched. I didn’t waste any time through the start or think about
what was ahead too much… I just climbed and let my body do the work. Before I
knew it I was at the first harder looking section but it was surprisingly easy so
I kept moving. I began feeling slightly pumped so I rested when I could, on
whatever I could, but tried not to waste too much time… I would fatigue quickly
if I wasn’t careful. I was in the last quarter of the climb where it becomes a
battle of the pump. Nothing is that good to rest on so you just have to keep
moving and hope that your fingers will close on each hold you grab despite the
pump. I made it to the last few holds on the climb and they were absolutely
terrible. I could barely hold on and the next hold looked worse. I went for the
move just as the pump in my arms was making my fingers peel off the hold. I
touched the next one but fell off, completely exhausted, but very happy. I had
nearly just topped my Open A finals climb at Nationals! I was thrilled.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2M3P1IaGFKZBVH1fOw66qoWb4MTX3tTs8rSkexr6-q4Uv7J-O8ZwgwbBcycZMnGDVaz_Gro7mqtyaOXLMJ3GLK4GwQ15ipiifS2UZgj-_baJzoNsWz8pSsNMG-awOkAr6dhn5O0-ajOr/s1600/10435977_10152522232188592_7505394972595463575_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2M3P1IaGFKZBVH1fOw66qoWb4MTX3tTs8rSkexr6-q4Uv7J-O8ZwgwbBcycZMnGDVaz_Gro7mqtyaOXLMJ3GLK4GwQ15ipiifS2UZgj-_baJzoNsWz8pSsNMG-awOkAr6dhn5O0-ajOr/s1600/10435977_10152522232188592_7505394972595463575_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgJlSxYrebcAXcCxAgK1Kyltd9ftY7H3oL7k9VkTPwSBmL-zAqT8tA01yIMbuLzc4aMiSuKcraEhGJ8_tbPAHsQYDgmieRJogX3KkraReIdxJhOyy2hyphenhyphenL5u9fA6zozVLtj_bOpPZXkuUh/s1600/10464387_321518251350717_2821515260724904227_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgJlSxYrebcAXcCxAgK1Kyltd9ftY7H3oL7k9VkTPwSBmL-zAqT8tA01yIMbuLzc4aMiSuKcraEhGJ8_tbPAHsQYDgmieRJogX3KkraReIdxJhOyy2hyphenhyphenL5u9fA6zozVLtj_bOpPZXkuUh/s1600/10464387_321518251350717_2821515260724904227_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
(Photo by Mike Davis: Open A finals climb)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLI7OgpSQlsi__dS6V44-AQGxUU7ITS5y5ncwxTBkU67UoWpbsECQBXmsLJiaYCtLTSY0frSpAk8Dtzf_Ej9tbFf94z5ewgDaQFfBPW45rBev2NHtl4U6ekHEYGW36YGlvp9mmCib0_F2/s1600/10463889_321518224684053_6709770959032903989_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLI7OgpSQlsi__dS6V44-AQGxUU7ITS5y5ncwxTBkU67UoWpbsECQBXmsLJiaYCtLTSY0frSpAk8Dtzf_Ej9tbFf94z5ewgDaQFfBPW45rBev2NHtl4U6ekHEYGW36YGlvp9mmCib0_F2/s1600/10463889_321518224684053_6709770959032903989_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After finding out I had also just
won, I could barely believe it. I thought back to that morning in bed and an
hour or so beforehand in isolation, just feeling horribly sick and sorry for
myself. I truly believed I had no chance of winning Nationals in the state I
was in. But there I was… and I felt on top of the world. I couldn’t speak very
well though… my voice was almost gone but I didn’t care. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkWO-crBEhFGHaY5sTIYh-o_BFuhqw2jjeCRSnUDqYEpL-YSv6RPhgMVs3ewO9D3n_2unI_QJwCvk5ZEZPB_F9nh9O3f3MS5Yau_LlKSGMe1EuUStupPRsEer8crSI4_JVe87Xxku9MVd/s1600/10550853_539869386138686_7478423788190287822_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkWO-crBEhFGHaY5sTIYh-o_BFuhqw2jjeCRSnUDqYEpL-YSv6RPhgMVs3ewO9D3n_2unI_QJwCvk5ZEZPB_F9nh9O3f3MS5Yau_LlKSGMe1EuUStupPRsEer8crSI4_JVe87Xxku9MVd/s1600/10550853_539869386138686_7478423788190287822_n.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Photo by Climb Media: Andrea, me and Kumari on the Open A Finals podium)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had wonderful celebrations
that night at an Italian restaurant close by. I devoured an entire pizza and
was almost falling asleep after one glass of wine. Mum and Sarah had done
really well at the comp as well. They had both come 4<sup>th</sup>, only just
missing out on podium in each of their categories. It was so lovely to
celebrate with my family, and also to have Rob and Eric from ICP and Dave there
to support me. What a weirdly awesome and unexpected weekend! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxmN4WVklAy2hTEy4QGuOqQJkJ9ZJfUwUPVsO4pqG9HoDSUv-cTBihtModUHu7co24OiNoyrhyphenhyphen5qUnpIR2rnJBKp1PiQaWZ_s3IVEfumBwG359UROTKof3s2iOKeFjwiiAwu1ODdHFl57/s1600/10542815_594438854002705_6702473245157411772_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxmN4WVklAy2hTEy4QGuOqQJkJ9ZJfUwUPVsO4pqG9HoDSUv-cTBihtModUHu7co24OiNoyrhyphenhyphen5qUnpIR2rnJBKp1PiQaWZ_s3IVEfumBwG359UROTKof3s2iOKeFjwiiAwu1ODdHFl57/s1600/10542815_594438854002705_6702473245157411772_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(The weekend's Stirling team)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like to send a huge thank
you to my sponsors Pinnacle Sports for their incredible and ongoing support
over the years, you guys are amazing. To Flight Centre Active Travel for their
ongoing support and for always making it so easy to organise my flights and
accommodation. And to ICP, for their endless support and helping me celebrate
reaching this big goal of mine, I am incredibly grateful. I have many more big
dreams for climbing to work towards and it’s awesome to know I have such
amazing sponsors to support me along the way. Thank you so much :)<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-82899315423174870342014-06-03T12:53:00.000-07:002014-06-04T02:23:48.804-07:00The Month of May<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Last month
was awesome! I’ve started up a new training program which we wrote at the
beginning of the month and although it’s pretty intense, it’s going really
really well. I had two state comps two weekends in a row (QLD and NSW State
Lead Championships), and a social ICP comp the weekend after that! All three
comps were very successful and I placed 1<sup>st</sup> in Open A’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMAJsKjQo6bOAe90WD1j5aT5a3a8ph2mSUjI2OeLqKJVbPjBOg8AysAn4OMNRakOEXWsU6Qgvdc5T2PkJtnc9QGQV5knVeUbnzHto3aBwFHU79whsym6dbFwX0IqSnHZ2d0kEDascgdVw/s1600/10173739_509058762553082_8338106897627701018_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMAJsKjQo6bOAe90WD1j5aT5a3a8ph2mSUjI2OeLqKJVbPjBOg8AysAn4OMNRakOEXWsU6Qgvdc5T2PkJtnc9QGQV5knVeUbnzHto3aBwFHU79whsym6dbFwX0IqSnHZ2d0kEDascgdVw/s1600/10173739_509058762553082_8338106897627701018_n.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open A finals climb - QLD State Lead Championships. Photo by Chris Hampton from Climb Media</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The first
comp was the QLD State Lead Championships at Urban Climb and was sponsored by
Pinnacle Sports. It was an absolutely awesome comp which went over 2 days (I
competed on the Sunday). The turn-out was amazing too, with over 200
competitors. There were heaps of prizes and giveaways thanks to Pinnacle Sports who did an outstanding job as head sponsor of the comp! It was awesome to have so many of my interstate buddies travel up
to compete as well! The climbs were great fun and super hard. I was the only
female to top the first qualifying climb which was very technical but
incredibly fun and perfectly at my limit. The second climb was quite different,
with much more bouldery, strengthy moves. Visualising that climb was hard… I
seriously thought I was going to come off quite early. But I was surprised, the
holds weren’t as bad as they looked and I managed to get much further than I
anticipated. I got pretty pumped as well… I did a funky heel-hook above my head
to take the weight off my arms to give them a rest but it wasn’t enough… My
arms were telling me that unless the next hold is a huge easy jug then I
probably won’t be climbing much longer. I fell off dynoing for that next hold…
hoping for my arms to change their mind before I reached it (which definitely
wasn’t an easy jug)… but they didn’t haha. I was happy with how I went though
and managed to get the furthest in the females. I was pretty tried when it came
time for our finals climb, and I was the last person to go out of isolation.
The climb looked very hard… We had the same finals route as the Open A males…
so it was bound to be difficult. I managed to get to what I had visualised as
the first crux and went for the next move, touching the next hold, but my foot
slipped as I launched and I came off the wall. All the girls in the Open A
finals climbed really well though and we all got to a similar spot on the
climb. I placed first winning $1000!!!! I was incredibly happy and am very keen
to put it towards an amazing climbing adventure in the not so distant future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkptIbjz7v4J0U96VRXCHC2gAuMIKtA4oY-9k3Llt9DcXuaRiiJEZGyZ6zllBExiA0crMId12q_oYlNm4U0aq6D_tngfeIvyZ5CBirBiPRa5FpGoIdMvyL23RWpgfDFIGuUhyphenhyphenav4PoWSTI/s1600/10384828_10152204091389107_1543436025335199835_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkptIbjz7v4J0U96VRXCHC2gAuMIKtA4oY-9k3Llt9DcXuaRiiJEZGyZ6zllBExiA0crMId12q_oYlNm4U0aq6D_tngfeIvyZ5CBirBiPRa5FpGoIdMvyL23RWpgfDFIGuUhyphenhyphenav4PoWSTI/s1600/10384828_10152204091389107_1543436025335199835_n.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QLD State Lead Championships Podium<br />
Photo by Ann Stirling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bMo7el6TjO-tL4PydPVIJ7VQ-9LMxbKp8Y-5kYqBzqOZftVA1NG5vC5Xvf_sau-xsqQlPvgi6qjuPUb1vypFAq_UL1jyjxGL4hhqXG9DX51zERL4obHbo18SbbeLjgmHHNWelf_gSjRz/s1600/10300638_768012603230813_3690047000486556374_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bMo7el6TjO-tL4PydPVIJ7VQ-9LMxbKp8Y-5kYqBzqOZftVA1NG5vC5Xvf_sau-xsqQlPvgi6qjuPUb1vypFAq_UL1jyjxGL4hhqXG9DX51zERL4obHbo18SbbeLjgmHHNWelf_gSjRz/s1600/10300638_768012603230813_3690047000486556374_n.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open A finals climb - QLD State Lead<br />
Photo by Chris Hampton from Climb Media<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The NSW State
lead comp was also great fun. I flew down to Sydney on the Friday beforehand and back to Brissy on the Sunday afterwards... another big thank you to Flight Centre for sponsoring my flights over there! It was so good to see all my NSW friends at the
competition and see them climb so well. The gym had just put in a new wall
which was really cool and very steep and pumpy. The routes were really
enjoyable. I managed to top both my qualifying climbs and my finals climb,
placing first in Open A’s. It was so great to have Liliana Scacheri and Rhys Brandon also fly down from QLD to compete at the comp. They climbed amazingly, both placing 1st in their youth categories and Lil also placing 2nd in Open A's! Go QLD!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcqMTbTV5qwZHFSLsLxHSLwMtNPjkv6UKcpw9LK5ZBaHHxM96zLGc5fk_UQYt60uOQ9bTeOuK6IQrl7wtggh8sLWzHh5N2-82yPrzPIEKAplS9Ks3xoIdAGhENGMkPXg2rYgJDhw9JPpx/s1600/10251885_10152831527725830_7206183291947439613_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcqMTbTV5qwZHFSLsLxHSLwMtNPjkv6UKcpw9LK5ZBaHHxM96zLGc5fk_UQYt60uOQ9bTeOuK6IQrl7wtggh8sLWzHh5N2-82yPrzPIEKAplS9Ks3xoIdAGhENGMkPXg2rYgJDhw9JPpx/s1600/10251885_10152831527725830_7206183291947439613_n.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NSW State Lead Championships Podium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmggoG0csWfVskXxfD5IKJatMZh4GPz603tkvcLeKu1DxFe0W9wPODKzm_l1pM4OEP6ZqeGjUFJOb7s6gT_3wYxIaoT5Wo0MucxADG_je2104mjIPey-a3tAK33slj9rz-aYAcigB8Omnk/s1600/10404384_844711382208931_8489567215780303031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmggoG0csWfVskXxfD5IKJatMZh4GPz603tkvcLeKu1DxFe0W9wPODKzm_l1pM4OEP6ZqeGjUFJOb7s6gT_3wYxIaoT5Wo0MucxADG_je2104mjIPey-a3tAK33slj9rz-aYAcigB8Omnk/s1600/10404384_844711382208931_8489567215780303031_n.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhys, Liliana and I representing QLD at the NSW Lead State Championships</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Last weekend
was the ICP social comp at the sunshine coast! The comp was sponsored by Pinnacle Sports, it was great fun and heaps of
people turned up to the themed comp: lights-out, head-torch pump-fest, making
it an awesome night of fun. Alex and I had just finished our week of intense
stamina training and we were absolutely exhausted, our hands were SO sore… but
it was great fun anyway. The next day we had a great climbing day at Mt Coolum
and I climbed a lot better than I expected, considering I hadn’t had a rest day
in a while. I’m pretty sore now though and this week is the beginning of power
and resistance training.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RPFsPXOWlkt6JpHiT2MFh1i_Z0IlwsEp7wKaSWPTu1ts15ZDRwQzf6aV1-cYha3wq5neSeu_lR33YYI60cqHRCJGSHMB3ZNXXDw1ip4Zzf2LIbier2ycP4Mbdk9eXf9smAoqEohrGYsW/s1600/10390436_10152433701334214_8429789317582197853_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RPFsPXOWlkt6JpHiT2MFh1i_Z0IlwsEp7wKaSWPTu1ts15ZDRwQzf6aV1-cYha3wq5neSeu_lR33YYI60cqHRCJGSHMB3ZNXXDw1ip4Zzf2LIbier2ycP4Mbdk9eXf9smAoqEohrGYsW/s1600/10390436_10152433701334214_8429789317582197853_n.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex and my sore blistery hands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So far the training is going really well and I'm feeling the strongest I've ever felt on the wall which is really cool. At the beginning of our intense stamina training week (last week) Alex and I did a "Super Awesome Endurance Challenge" where the challenge was to do 1000 moves on the steep bouldering wall in under 2 hours with the least number of attempts (so we were aiming for the least amount of times to come off the wall to rest). I managed to get 1001 moves in 1hr 29mins with 5 attempts (4 rests off the wall). It was incredibly difficult. My skin was getting very raw and blistery, it felt so sore and each move became a mental struggle (not so much because my arms were super tired but because I felt my skin might rip of my hand with the grip of another hold). In the end it was very rewarding and definitely good stamina training!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9xd6bFxMZN0UXyBldoCYZ9se7F4u4QvSE0z6KZdSpbYwcTrXVVQHS-J22uyZVBpRlAakLXugZc8oyI_LeSLT46EUziw_JYpvy5Uf1DspNn7ENXKhZ_o6vRY1PMOpiwuS0yWh0O_sS818/s1600/10372322_10154280325875647_3691365520576515849_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB9xd6bFxMZN0UXyBldoCYZ9se7F4u4QvSE0z6KZdSpbYwcTrXVVQHS-J22uyZVBpRlAakLXugZc8oyI_LeSLT46EUziw_JYpvy5Uf1DspNn7ENXKhZ_o6vRY1PMOpiwuS0yWh0O_sS818/s1600/10372322_10154280325875647_3691365520576515849_n.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sore hands right after the endurance challenge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I am really
looking forward to heading to Nowra for a few weeks at the end of this month and doing a good solid block of outdoor cranking! It'll be pretty cold down there but at least the friction will be amazing. I’m also super keen for Lead Nationals coming up in Melbourne in July!!! Then Queensland State Boulder in August!! ...Gosh this year's going quickly. A huge thank you to my wonderful sponsors Pinnacle Sports, Flight Centre, Indoor Climbing Productions and REIZE for your amazing support.</span></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-9634629061777400872014-03-11T23:47:00.002-07:002014-03-11T23:50:42.192-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><b><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">VIC</span></u></b></st1:placename><b><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <st1:placename w:st="on">State</st1:placename></span></u></b></st1:place><b><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Lead Titles 2014 </span></u></b><b><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last weekend, I travelled
down to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Victoria</st1:place></st1:state>
to compete in the VIC State Lead Climbing Titles held at Bayside Rock Climbing
Gym. The comp was run really well and was a great way to kick-start the Australian
lead climbing season for 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iSTp2uExs66kAKWpb-OJpx7bZ4WDQVBxMJOSuD2I2B4vAS2BTEeyeZPLVbqeF_8i_yZk_8uBnMG_WnLdgOtfu-QtYYtbPAXrqxtLCp9FCZYH3TC2axxz1xLD32sUT8gjx34xBe7AvhxP/s1600/1888497_10152193777618592_1284299031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iSTp2uExs66kAKWpb-OJpx7bZ4WDQVBxMJOSuD2I2B4vAS2BTEeyeZPLVbqeF_8i_yZk_8uBnMG_WnLdgOtfu-QtYYtbPAXrqxtLCp9FCZYH3TC2axxz1xLD32sUT8gjx34xBe7AvhxP/s1600/1888497_10152193777618592_1284299031_n.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Flying down there on the
Friday evening, I found myself buzzing with a mix of both excitement and
nervousness. The first comp of the year is always a bit nerve-racking, I guess…
but having missed so many comps last year because of my wrist injury, it felt
like forever since I’d last competed! Despite the nerves, I was super excited
to finally catch up with a lot of my interstate climbing buddies after so long
and just to be able to jump on a bunch of really fun, well-set routes.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The youth categories took
up the first half of the Saturday and I was glad to arrive at the gym early
enough to watch the youth finals. The climbs looked really cool and all the
youth categories were climbing really strong. Eager to start climbing again, we
all began scoping out what routes they might put us Opens on for the
qualifications. There was one stand-out climb which no one had any doubt would
be for the Open A Finals. Parts of it were covered and it was likely they would
alter it slightly to make sure it was an “onsight,” but even so… everyone knew
it would be a real pumper. It was just awesomely long, starting on the right
side walls of the gym, then traversing across the gym roof on these massive new
features and then up through the classic huge Bayside overhang. I couldn’t wait
to have a go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was a strong field,
with 8 of us in the Open A female category and a few had already competed in
the youth that morning. We were all so psyched to get on the wall. The two
qualifier routes for our category were great fun. The first climb was cool… it
felt relatively easy (even though my nerves made me hesitate on the last move)
but I still managed to top-out clean. Many of us topped the first route but I
was the only one who managed to top the second route as well. This meant I
would be the last person to come out of isolation when finals came around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwn1dHqEaANW46CBWtn9qP5oXLyqzWhiKGLBu-UWsdpa3EZ1a0KZ9l4J2tpX10S-1h1jq12GSkCAva0CcO5A1Xnh7QUgYhpG50lCaMnIr1S0PSYie03YDc-iLlnh7qf1hJhykrV8NeBFQ/s1600/1621819_10152073173978725_1515816813_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKwn1dHqEaANW46CBWtn9qP5oXLyqzWhiKGLBu-UWsdpa3EZ1a0KZ9l4J2tpX10S-1h1jq12GSkCAva0CcO5A1Xnh7QUgYhpG50lCaMnIr1S0PSYie03YDc-iLlnh7qf1hJhykrV8NeBFQ/s1600/1621819_10152073173978725_1515816813_n.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In isolation, waiting for my
turn to climb in the finals, wasn’t nearly as tedious as it can be at many
other competitions. I had lots of friends to catch up with and a really awesome
bouldering area to warm up in. But when it was finally my turn to go out, I was
just busting to get on the wall. It was an awesomely fun route… incredibly long
and pumpy but flowed really nicely and the moves were really fun. I was SO
close to the anchor when I fell off… I’d made it through the whole overhang
(apparently skipping holds which I forgot about around the side) and was
throwing over the last little lip to the third last hold but just missed the
positive edge and fell off. Being lowered down to the ground, I was buzzing
from the climb, my burning forearms felt like they were about to explode, and I
was really happy with my effort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The worst thing about
qualifying first and coming out of isolation last is that you don’t get to
watch anybody else climb! It turns out that I got the furthest on the finals route
placing me first in the Open A women, followed by Ashlee Hendy in second place,
and Sarah Davis in third. Everyone climbed really strong, the routes were well
set and imaginative, making for an awesome comp day. Big thanks to the Bayside
team and all the volunteers for their amazing efforts! Looking forward to what
the rest of this year’s comp season has to offer!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeSs3M6mFmNLTiP1WrBtT7o52UMPXKQrDr28XHnPOBU75puZYqd3kVwoA7QbYBWxm9uMlamt6H-hauoUL2is4R-vftGn5AMp8i6hcE5OTWuXULdFgGDuYrNiYjP7JHejWrxJGVM9RcdRH/s1600/1797356_10152285634698566_464560079_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeSs3M6mFmNLTiP1WrBtT7o52UMPXKQrDr28XHnPOBU75puZYqd3kVwoA7QbYBWxm9uMlamt6H-hauoUL2is4R-vftGn5AMp8i6hcE5OTWuXULdFgGDuYrNiYjP7JHejWrxJGVM9RcdRH/s1600/1797356_10152285634698566_464560079_n.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-44068443897783417882014-02-16T18:47:00.001-08:002014-02-18T14:18:56.967-08:00China Trip 2013 - Part 2 - Yangshuo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">28<sup>th</sup> October 2013 - Yangshuo Part 1</span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have finally arrived in Yangshuo! We ended up
having to leave Getu a few days earlier than planned because Alex threw a rock
at me!! Haha not really… He actually accidentally dislodged a massive rock
while climbing but I wasn’t quick enough to move out of the way as I was
concentrating on getting my shoes off. It hit me on my back near my neck and
shoulder when I was sitting beneath the climb. Silly me… Obviously not a very
smart place to take off my climbing shoes. But anyway… I didn’t break anything
luckily, but as soon as my body cooled down, my shoulder couldn’t support or
hold up my arm. I started freaking out a bit… questioning whether I would be
able to climb at all again on this trip. But over the next few days it improved
significantly and I still haven’t even developed a bruise, which is crazy! I
don’t quite understand how that works… it was a pretty hard hit and a rather
large rock… but oh well… I’m certainly not complaining. I had a light climb on
it today and it was fine… only a tiny bit sore. Now I’m off to celebrate our
first night in Yangshuo!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL1Z2RaD9VCjI-nl3Gc3KHKZvsoIANuhm4uOrlYx5BaPS61FiyumPPaUk3W1xO8gMj1WA_XNh4Va7sagU3G2-w2PkloiZ72N8_Tg7CMTHMrPpvpmHVZDOyCVDunIyr-1zpfNvg2B3rSnI/s1600/1454643_10153525701270647_334637062_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglL1Z2RaD9VCjI-nl3Gc3KHKZvsoIANuhm4uOrlYx5BaPS61FiyumPPaUk3W1xO8gMj1WA_XNh4Va7sagU3G2-w2PkloiZ72N8_Tg7CMTHMrPpvpmHVZDOyCVDunIyr-1zpfNvg2B3rSnI/s1600/1454643_10153525701270647_334637062_n.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Getu - Holding the mean rock that just hit my back)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">31<sup>st</sup> October 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m currently sitting at the bottom of the North face
of a crag called “The Egg.” It’s a pretty nicely weathered day compared to the
past few we’ve had here. But even if the mornings are rainy, it generally
clears up a bit in the afternoon. It’s also a lot warmer here than we all
expected but I’m sure it’ll get pretty cool in the next few weeks leading up to
the China Winter.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve decided I should probably be taking it easy today
because I haven’t really had a rest day at all since we’ve been in Yangshuo…
and my muscles and fingers are starting to complain about it. These past few
days here in Yangshuo have been great fun. This place and the general
experience here is incredibly different to Getu though. In Getu you wake up to
the sounds of roosters trying their best to “cockadoodledoo” (but this sound
could easily be confused with a weird dog trying to howl with a chest infection
or something), and the streets are more occupied by herds of cows, goats and
buffalo on their way home and dingo-like dogs lying in the middle of the road.
In Yangshuo, things are very different. The sound you wake up to is probably
the honk of a bike or car horn trying to dodge the many scooters and tourists.
A walk along the river in the morning, and you’ll pass lots of tai-chi and
healthy old Chinese people doing their morning ritual of body pats, energy
releasing throat noises and in this morning’s case, an old man giving himself a
back massage on a bridge railing, hehe. The main popular street at night is
called <st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">West Street</st1:address></st1:street>.
It’s pretty much a Western version of <st1:placename w:st="on">China</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Town</st1:placetype> in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. It is hilarious to see,
but seems very fake. You can get Wood fired Pizza, go to German beer gardens,
bars, pubs, clubs, smoothie stalls and climbing shops. It is a nice break from
the complete lack of English in Getu… but I love the authenticity of Getu and
how it’s not just a big show for the tourists.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are obviously many climbers in Yangshuo, and
hence quite a few Inns’, bars and shops designed completely for climbers from
all around the world! It’s so awesome that just within a few days of being here
we’ve made so many new friends and met so many people who share our passion of
climbing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0I8N2uKHw8z5kzjPUNsDJkzdeDxIY5-HtuHdnM3WtRPIaG-b1Bxl_LnyQ0vz1Qz2Dr9kO0bw9DrAXLQC4TJEZJ1VF8ImbWbvBHeU5f4-H0yEmcdZId72E9yftGeMlxJyK5nCqeYLt6ri/s1600/1002017_10201925846042267_663072574_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc0I8N2uKHw8z5kzjPUNsDJkzdeDxIY5-HtuHdnM3WtRPIaG-b1Bxl_LnyQ0vz1Qz2Dr9kO0bw9DrAXLQC4TJEZJ1VF8ImbWbvBHeU5f4-H0yEmcdZId72E9yftGeMlxJyK5nCqeYLt6ri/s1600/1002017_10201925846042267_663072574_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Johnny, Alex and I having dinner with our new climbing buddies from around the world) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The landscape here is absolutely beautiful. You are
surrounded by so many huge unusual rock features and pointy limestone mountains
that jut straight out of the ground, absolutely perfect for climbing. On our
first day of climbing we visited “Wine Bottle” crag. It was fun and once again
it was a very different style of limestone climbing to anything we had
experienced before. We visited “The Chicken Cave” on the second day which was
good fun. It had a great long climb up the left side of the cave, through some
awesome hip-hugging, straddle humping tufas and then into the roof of the main
cave. I jumped on a short overhang crack climb which was surprisingly slippery
and terrible, so that was short-lived... but towards the end of the day I got
on a really fun, steep, resistancy 7b (25) called “Lily”. I got it on my second
shot, great fun and solid climbing. We went to an awesome place that night for
dinner called Rock and Grill which does amazing Western food for very good
value. I’m so psyched to try the big duck dish on the menu one night!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdtZSD8UjmZHJtfdXh6uEIM9j3SWmQP09Sj2rjHB5CylvL3nrr9m3ohpQFrTHLSTRsQBgCVr_zSDuHAI5a4mRjF3H2AfPUXtJZ9_3QfH9l2nF35nJ9vGt9Ktizhhlbu-Q7guOxEExyq_V/s1600/1468669_10151808020786169_1732272639_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdtZSD8UjmZHJtfdXh6uEIM9j3SWmQP09Sj2rjHB5CylvL3nrr9m3ohpQFrTHLSTRsQBgCVr_zSDuHAI5a4mRjF3H2AfPUXtJZ9_3QfH9l2nF35nJ9vGt9Ktizhhlbu-Q7guOxEExyq_V/s1600/1468669_10151808020786169_1732272639_n.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Alex and I on our way back from Wine Bottle Crag)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday was everyone in the Pinnacle Sports trip’s
rest day, but I bought a cute bike for 170 Yuan (with a bike lock and basket
included) and Alex, Johnny and I rode out to the <st1:place w:st="on">White
Mountain</st1:place> crag to check it out. It took us a fair while to find our
way there (not quite used to the map yet) but once we arrived it was just
awesome! SO many fun looking lines to try there. You could spend most of your
trip just here... But there is so much amazing rock here in Yangshuo… you’d be
crazy to spend it all at one crag. Luckily we’ve given ourselves a good solid
month at least to get a feel for the Yangshuo climbing style. I’m so keen to
find a few projects and get a feel for the rock here.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Wifi sort of works here… but not really (just for
a slight change of subject). But hopefully it’ll decide to work sometime soon.
I’m so keen to Skype the family and friends back home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sat 9<sup>th</sup> Nov, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my third night in the new share-house
apartment we’ll be staying in for the rest of this trip. It’s a great little
climbers’ apartment. It has a little kitchen with a stove and sink, a campus
board and a bamboo chin up bar! Each room has its own squat-toilet on suite and
there’s a nicely sized living room with a fridge, washing machine and working
shower room. The apartment is also really close to the centre of town which is
super handy and after every long day of climbing, you thank yourself for not
renting a place any further away. There is a cool group of us living here as
well. Alex and I share a room. Peta and Scott are in another room, and at the
moment Johnny is sharing a room with Bao (a lovely Taiwanese girl we’ve just
met here who has also been to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
and climbed at Urban a fair bit!). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzLqaXXES7yqqTts9hNK3dTsbBwcxvwhsyaHqMSetLznHJwyHzMqf4NEo8m-FYWF4GXXif6Wfq7n2tbp4qMl2siCGnUBiqlsQ-dSZc2SnvPynSXZqwR5YpEFNhnxiQXPL8FaEJBSKM3a7/s1600/1476362_557960444282473_900720587_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzLqaXXES7yqqTts9hNK3dTsbBwcxvwhsyaHqMSetLznHJwyHzMqf4NEo8m-FYWF4GXXif6Wfq7n2tbp4qMl2siCGnUBiqlsQ-dSZc2SnvPynSXZqwR5YpEFNhnxiQXPL8FaEJBSKM3a7/s1600/1476362_557960444282473_900720587_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Bao, Alex and I having dinner in our new share apartment)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEs1qKWATiJjNrL-9H-BieNfDT7fhwOZcTje4a3IUVBmHpFhHz-C0paerZ-VJIg4TzJNOn98qbJidEyNMSg2Gv8N80koect9vB3ggxhIYplq7vCnFPR0fQBmOLfp5jHNNfIDPyMHt9DHbp/s1600/1459302_557956657616185_2110507695_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEs1qKWATiJjNrL-9H-BieNfDT7fhwOZcTje4a3IUVBmHpFhHz-C0paerZ-VJIg4TzJNOn98qbJidEyNMSg2Gv8N80koect9vB3ggxhIYplq7vCnFPR0fQBmOLfp5jHNNfIDPyMHt9DHbp/s1600/1459302_557956657616185_2110507695_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Alex photo-bombing my campus-board photo)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been craving steamed corn for so long… and
yesterday I bought some fresh from the markets and steamed it in the kitchen…
oh my gosh, at the time it was like the best thing I’ve ever tasted. Anyway,
since I last wrote we’ve done quite a fair bit. We visited <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Twin</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Gate</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Mountain</st1:placetype></st1:place> crag which had an awesome tufa forest
maze cave climb called “Anti-Polar.” (A 7b or 25 which I managed to flash) So
much fun! We also went to the famous Moon Hill which was absolutely amazing! I
was incredibly close to Onsighting this amazing 7c (27) called “Moon Walker”
which is SO much fun and goes through the right arch of the mountain (Looking
from behind). I was on the second last move and I had the energy left in me to
do it but my foot kept slipping on this high jib and eventually it slipped me
off. Very keen to jump on and get it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrtPScddHkPAvoeZfVbS0jwjqBczCCU2wz7rz-2c_cTKLppw2yMi8Uprxa2T5qIBmrN2efVDWhEczBevJmows6uTfYlmRSV7sFAjVhL-l7TfmF6mdW8EuJacYCftGCZjGPShHblIbgGza/s1600/IMG_4637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXrtPScddHkPAvoeZfVbS0jwjqBczCCU2wz7rz-2c_cTKLppw2yMi8Uprxa2T5qIBmrN2efVDWhEczBevJmows6uTfYlmRSV7sFAjVhL-l7TfmF6mdW8EuJacYCftGCZjGPShHblIbgGza/s1600/IMG_4637.JPG" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Twin Gate Mountain: Me flashing "Anti Polar" (7b). Photo by Adrian Amies)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDlSDxJ4T4WUKY6wegzmXM1ibTPR6cn50Jfr5gGXKMzXhN-9rE9ZnU4_Sky1QM9gPqB9kvDgAS_M3m2j8DO-sWPlbSBBY8AOqDYEIsA3AD1Ck_pAtipq58k-Y8ZNVIxvrwFN-8R4aqNMg/s1600/DSC00518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDlSDxJ4T4WUKY6wegzmXM1ibTPR6cn50Jfr5gGXKMzXhN-9rE9ZnU4_Sky1QM9gPqB9kvDgAS_M3m2j8DO-sWPlbSBBY8AOqDYEIsA3AD1Ck_pAtipq58k-Y8ZNVIxvrwFN-8R4aqNMg/s1600/DSC00518.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Moon Hill - Me coming down from "Moon Walker" (7c). Photo by Adrian Amies)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also went to a fairly new crag called “</span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Dragon</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">”
which was really cool. Alex got his first 7c (27) flash called “Finger in the
Nose” I was so excited for him. Such a fun climb too! I managed to onsight it
and then later on in the day I found a really fun 7b (25) called “Angry Bird”
which I managed to onsight as well. That climb was really cool… very technical,
thin and delicate and you just have to take your time. Then there’s this
dynamic move in the middle which I actually committed to and stuck! I was so
happy with myself haha… usually I don’t commit to dynos… I would usually give a
half-arse try and then try and find a static alternative. But since that
committed throw, I’ve been committing to so many more dynamic moves now which
is great!</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We visited a crag called “<st1:place w:st="on">Riverside</st1:place>”
2 days ago and Alex and I found this stunning route. SO much fun! Something
about it was just beautiful and the moves just flowed and fell together. It was
also very tough and graded 7c+ (28) so Alex and I gave it one shot that day and
then decided we’d leave most of the draws on it and come back the next day… and
that was yesterday! We warmed up on a dynamic 7a+ which I flashed called
“dragonfly” then we jumped straight back onto “Fat Monkey” (The stunning 28)
and I got it on my first shot of the day! And so did Alex!! It was SO awesome
and we were both so happy but surprised as well! So many times I thought I was
definitely going to come off but I told myself I can’t let go and I didn’t!
Yay! Project 2 completed. That day I also managed to flash another 7b (25) and
redpoint another 7b on my second shot (a really cool dynamic move in that one
too).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_P_ka-sSglj8CejUHJisGWKdXIToNu8uvY8v3JqzlakvTod1Ax6yRShE1VsnFfkD5v6_jEJq2JVD-Xc_U0A78Or-wYwCvQ4Qs7yMrjfC3Wbc0qU7FuFKDJkyW9O0DnqX8fgke94sK0yke/s1600/1466142_10153525668230647_1480195170_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_P_ka-sSglj8CejUHJisGWKdXIToNu8uvY8v3JqzlakvTod1Ax6yRShE1VsnFfkD5v6_jEJq2JVD-Xc_U0A78Or-wYwCvQ4Qs7yMrjfC3Wbc0qU7FuFKDJkyW9O0DnqX8fgke94sK0yke/s1600/1466142_10153525668230647_1480195170_n.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Riverside Crag - Me flashing "Dragonfly" (7a+)) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we are having a rest day… A </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">proper</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> rest day… only because when I was climbing that 7c+
yesterday… part of what got me up the wall was me talking to myself and I said:
“Look body… if you make it up this climb, I </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">promise</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
to give you a </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">full</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> rest day
tomorrow”… and it delivered… so I guess I have to keep my promise. Not sure
what I’ll get up to today though… maybe go look for some foam to make the beds
softer. Maybe a light jog or bike ride.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mon 18<sup>th</sup> Nov, 2013 – Beginning of my Red
Dragon adventures<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK. So I’m up like an hour earlier than usual this
morning because I can’t get back to sleep. I woke up to go to the loo… then I
started thinking about this climb I tried 2 days ago which is absolutely
AMAZING and I can’t wait to get back on it. It’s called “Red Dragon” and it’s
an 8a+ (30) at Moon Hill, and an extension of a 7b+ (26)… so it’s very long and
pumpy… but SO good! I think I may have fallen in love with it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was having an awesome climbing day that day at Moon
Hill. When we got there, I onsighted a hard 6c to warm up. Then I jumped
straight onto my project of “Moon Walker” (7c) (that amazing one through the
arch that I almost got on my first try) and I ticked it!! For some reason all
the moves felt much easier than last time and I had heaps left in the tank when
I clipped the anchors… so that was satisfying! Then I flashed a fun 7b+ (26)
called “Over the Moon” which was just right of it. I was having such a good day
so I decided I would jump on this “Red Dragon” climb that everyone was talking
about… and I would try my best to onsight it. If I felt like I had the energy
to keep going after the anchors of the 7b+ I would continue into the 8a+ for
fun and just see how it goes. And that’s what I did! I had heaps left in the
tank at the 7b+ anchor so I kept going into the 8a+ and on my first go, I got
to the second last quickdraw! I was stoked! I pulled back up to try the last
few moves and managed to work it all out pretty well and do the last part in
one sit. The end is so cool too… once you clip the anchors you can bat-hang
hands-free in this hole or cavelet thing beside the anchors and it’s right in
the middle of the big arch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15VoUn1TgPZUUVVNvMg9o7nbYPewGxo_QU3DaU3xny5kzJuvRXUWeATFeEvXj2b1M7p-1S5XMU5KYK26XTgvRujeFjhvOMMlNeiFxNK30tZF0LHLtdCvUL2CZL-79wbCjM1KPBCovyk4v/s1600/1477881_10152006621425399_2018208111_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh15VoUn1TgPZUUVVNvMg9o7nbYPewGxo_QU3DaU3xny5kzJuvRXUWeATFeEvXj2b1M7p-1S5XMU5KYK26XTgvRujeFjhvOMMlNeiFxNK30tZF0LHLtdCvUL2CZL-79wbCjM1KPBCovyk4v/s1600/1477881_10152006621425399_2018208111_n.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Moon Hill - Me working on "Red Dragon" 8a+)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWcVXvuuVvcHEun09-nRWvIahVCkT8S8KhKdj4CTX3zBvIyJwIskzOKjfb2rWmRl4ulPmw1HwrBj-noHkIwYjlHsN4ZK8X0cK2hO3rTeMOoPKsEwdlHfjk4LBdCs8jbZ6danQlEBA-3Sz/s1600/1452189_10152006616405399_1282130477_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWcVXvuuVvcHEun09-nRWvIahVCkT8S8KhKdj4CTX3zBvIyJwIskzOKjfb2rWmRl4ulPmw1HwrBj-noHkIwYjlHsN4ZK8X0cK2hO3rTeMOoPKsEwdlHfjk4LBdCs8jbZ6danQlEBA-3Sz/s1600/1452189_10152006616405399_1282130477_n.jpg" height="427" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Moon Hill - Me flashing "Over the Moon" (7b+). Photo by Jonathan Shen)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got back on it again that day but was feeling pretty
fatigued so I only got to the same spot again. But I’m so keen to jump back on
that climb. I really think I might be able to tick it this trip… I really hope
so. It would be my first ever 8a+ (30)!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poor Alex has had a bit of a wrist injury so he’s had
to have a few days off which really sucks. He had a light climb yesterday
though and it seemed ok so fingers crossed it keeps improving. It happened when
we were at <st1:place w:st="on">White Mountain</st1:place> a few days ago and
Alex had just onsighted and I flashed a fun 7b called “The Phoenix” (Nice work
Alex!!!!) We were going to jump on an 8a called “Gin and Tonic” but I decided
to try a 7c called “White Devil” first and I onsighted it which was cool. But
when Alex got on, his wrist twinged so (us both being paranoid about wrist
injuries given my 7 to 9 months off this year because of one) we decided we
should be safe and call it a day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today apparently it will be a bit cloudier so we will
probably head to a crag called “Banyan Tree” which we haven’t been to yet so
that should be fun! Next super sunny day we get I’m going to do my best to
convince everyone to catch a bus together again and go to Moon Hill. Can’t wait
to get back on Red Dragon!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">24<sup>th</sup> Nov, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Banyan Tree was pretty cool. After a fun warm up I
tried a very reachy 7c called “LaLiao.” I didn’t think I would get it that day
but I tried it again and got it on my second shot. I then jumped on the super
classic 7b “Todd Skinner Line” which was great fun.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went to “Lei Pi Shan” 2 days later and had another
good day! I sent my project called “Honky Tonk” which is a 7c (27) and is
really good fun but very reachy and lots of big moves where the feet are
terrible. That day I also onsighted a 7a and redpointed one of the hardest and
boulderiest 7a+’s around; “The Artful Dodger). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day after Lei-Pi Shan, we went to Moon Hill again.
I put the draws up and brushed the holds on “Red Dragon.” After a little break
I got on to try and send it but got to the pocket at the second last move!!! I
was devastated! I had given it absolutely everything. What a heart-breaker of a
climb. Anyway… Alex jumped on “Moon Walker” and it was awesome! He was so close
to flashing the climb. He fell off on the last move like I did, only because he
couldn’t sort his feet. When he pulled back on straight away, he did the last
move so easily! So he’ll most definitely get that ticked next day at Moon Hill.
I had a little nap beside our bags then gave “Red Dragon” another shot but only
got to the crimps at the crux and fell off because I was so exhausted. I pulled
back on though and did the crux and the last few moves over and over again so
I’ll have it dialled for prime efficiency on my next go. I back-jumped to clean
it and that was the end of a very tiring day. Oh and we had stir-fry on “<st1:street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Cheap Street</st1:address></st1:street>” (we
call it that anyway) again for dinner which was yum as always. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I definitely needed a rest day after Moon Hill. Alex
and I went on a bamboo boat ride for 25 Yuan each up the Li River in the afternoon
which was lovely. We went to </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" w:st="on">White Mountain</st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
the next day and I ticked “Gang of Four” which I was happy about. We have
planned today to be another rest day (So sick of rest days but I guess they’re
essential if I want to tick anything) so that we can go to Moon Hill again
tomorrow! Yay! Can’t wait to get back on “Red Dragon.” That climb is going
down!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIs58IYV3VHblnXMimkYh8tmf8LenxyBZSdgsy1ctP1dTCMGk4EB_AfVEUYTBOvimmnvjnLJAbvHE_qSWTGnZ-S-w7XijQiFAiC4s2fwcHMsRx-kmKYLf9YU849-SUmrQG-jlk5BIQ4f-v/s1600/1456728_10152006612644214_104755775_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIs58IYV3VHblnXMimkYh8tmf8LenxyBZSdgsy1ctP1dTCMGk4EB_AfVEUYTBOvimmnvjnLJAbvHE_qSWTGnZ-S-w7XijQiFAiC4s2fwcHMsRx-kmKYLf9YU849-SUmrQG-jlk5BIQ4f-v/s1600/1456728_10152006612644214_104755775_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Alex and I on a bamboo boat ride up the Li River)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kate, Johnny’s girlfriend arrived yesterday! It’ll be
awesome to have her around as well. Lately we’ve all been hanging out and
climbing with an American guy called Max, another American guy called Jason, a
Swiss guy called Daniel and of course Bao, our Taiwanese room-mate. They are
all really friendly and fun, cool people. I think we are having stir-fry again
tonight which should be awesome!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">26<sup>th</sup> Nov, 2013 – Red Dragon goes down!<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an awesome day yesterday was! We went to Moon
Hill again and it was another super clear, sunny day (but slightly colder than
last time). The previous day had been really dry and windy so the rock was
super grippy. I warmed up again by putting the draws on “Red Dragon” and
sitting on the rope. Alex ticked “Moon Walker” (7c or 27) on his 2<sup>nd</sup>
shot which was awesome! I tried Red Dragon but was nervous and made a silly
mistake up near the crux and fell off. However…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a rest and some delicious steamed corn for lunch
I got back on “Red Dragon”… and I got it!!!!!! I can’t explain how incredibly
happy I was when I clipped the anchor and did a victory bat-hang from the
clipping hold. YAY! I finally got my first 8a+ (30). I still have yet to tick a
29 though haha. Such an amazing climb, and I’m so happy to have finally
completed it. I think I got it on my 6<sup>th</sup> shot altogether, but the
past few days it has seriously been the only thing on my mind. It was
definitely starting to play with my head. Every time I’d close my eyes to go to
sleep, “Red Dragon” would be there, taunting me… the crux moves just playing
through over and over again. But now I can finally rest easy knowing I have
that amazingly beautiful climb under my belt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvANvUGKFjTtzgH7C5PtZLDaoABIry6BfIoBKae7c8vnpsKEvS2Ubpv19eru8B5s10MaA-mKhF2UnZt-Mu79gI5IX1uaJweO3PI0_Ll1z3awOwDbxriHcxNjaTu4zynh3q0p1HMi5ZZ0N2/s1600/946055_10152015176279214_293263105_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvANvUGKFjTtzgH7C5PtZLDaoABIry6BfIoBKae7c8vnpsKEvS2Ubpv19eru8B5s10MaA-mKhF2UnZt-Mu79gI5IX1uaJweO3PI0_Ll1z3awOwDbxriHcxNjaTu4zynh3q0p1HMi5ZZ0N2/s1600/946055_10152015176279214_293263105_n.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Moon Hill - Me doing a bat-hang at the anchors after finally ticking "Red Dragon" (8a+))</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That whole afternoon I was just buzzing and I still
can’t wipe the smile off my face. I did “Moon Walker” again to the top and then
down-climbed it to clean the draws off. We had big celebrations that night
(last night… so I’m feeling rather hung-over at the moment). When we got back,
I Skyped Mum and Dad, which was lovely. Alex and I shared two Tsing-Tao beers
(So I was already rather tipsy before dinner). Then we celebrated by going to
Rock and Grill for dinner again. Alex got the Chicken Fajita’s which was really
good value and looked absolutely delicious. I got the roasted half chicken
which was amazing and so tasty. Then after being so very satisfied by that
dinner… we went to the bakery and as promised, I ate a whole Portuguese custard
tart for dessert… Alex had a few too of course. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are at Lei Pi Shan today and everything hurts… my
muscles are so sore. I did a really slow warm up on a 6c+ and then Daniel (one
of our new climbing buddies) had put the draws up on “Paper Cut” 7c+ (28) so I
decided to give it a crack despite my intentions of having an easy day. I ended
up flashing it! I’m pretty sure that might be my hardest flash so far! So that
was exciting! I think I should let my body rest now though since it has been so
awesome to me lately. Alex is currently working on a really hard 8a (29) in
front of me called “Single Life.” I reckon he can tick it this trip, he looks
really solid on the moves!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaeqcQClG8IGYkp_SBZmgXHfpPD9DQBG3cNs1FQ22fE-WdSXyp24YSaxxc5UpdOQI55DqCPezH8TsIUalcZmjMzsLfbFIP-M8JQfL4ROhBaoBZOdPVhmg-vIUX4F5j4SqR1NLn1BH46X9/s1600/Goo's+iPhone+photos+2013+2685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaeqcQClG8IGYkp_SBZmgXHfpPD9DQBG3cNs1FQ22fE-WdSXyp24YSaxxc5UpdOQI55DqCPezH8TsIUalcZmjMzsLfbFIP-M8JQfL4ROhBaoBZOdPVhmg-vIUX4F5j4SqR1NLn1BH46X9/s1600/Goo's+iPhone+photos+2013+2685.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Lei Pi Shan - Alex on "Single Life" (8a))</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOoJKqiATOGdsYFEE9ggX7JVTCVpw81IgnZEFGMWNvaYax91wALzMSvtq3mWVj7o-Q4d0Y4OZMLMgFs-BnktjIBX5c8lt4dUxhoUQtfQtMENzpkc-atG_tKEGx9YfBDe0PN9nxOh46Ivz/s1600/1468567_557961520949032_1804088668_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOoJKqiATOGdsYFEE9ggX7JVTCVpw81IgnZEFGMWNvaYax91wALzMSvtq3mWVj7o-Q4d0Y4OZMLMgFs-BnktjIBX5c8lt4dUxhoUQtfQtMENzpkc-atG_tKEGx9YfBDe0PN9nxOh46Ivz/s1600/1468567_557961520949032_1804088668_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Lei Pi Shan - Me on "Single Life" (8a))</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">29<sup>th</sup> Nov, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sitting here, in this awesome cave called “Odin’s
Den.” It was pretty miraculous that we managed to find this place. When the
guide book states that there’s “not really any obvious path or track there”…
They actually meant that there is really <i>NO
</i>path up here whatsoever! But it was awesome fun trying to find… that is if
you find crawling blindly, head-first up a steep (most people would call
impenetrable bush), long grass, slippery bamboo, lots of twigs sticks and leafy
walls of thorny shrubs “fun.” But when there is an awesome crag to discover on
the other side, we really couldn’t help ourselves. When we finally arrives at
the bottom of this huge cave (which has an awesomely big headwall as well),
coughing and snorting up seeds of grass, we congratulated ourselves for finding
the crag everyone said was near impossible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place is a little gem, but today is a pretty
sunny, hot day and inside the shadiest part of the cave, there isn’t much to
climb easier than an 8a+ (30). Alex and I are climbing with Max, our new friend
from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
We decided to jump on our only real option for a warm up (a 7b… not a very good
warm up, but awesome fun, yet funky confusing climbing). Alex just onsighted it
which was really cool to watch. I flashed it after him and now Max is currently
working his way through the fun yet terrifying maze towards the anchors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place is amazing... Odin’s Den and everywhere
we’ve been in the past 6 weeks. This whole trip has truly been something
special. On long trips, sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the fast
motions and routine of things and forget for a moment where you actually are in
the world and how long it took to plan to get here… I feel incredibly lucky.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few hours later and we jumped on the next climb in
the cave… an 8a+ (30) called “<st1:place w:st="on">Valhalla</st1:place>” It was
SO much fun! I almost ticked it on my second shot! We kind of ran out of time
though and decided we should make the difficult trudge back down the bushy,
precarious “track” well before dark. I spent much of the way down on my
backside, slipping down the grass, hoping for the best… or getting tripped over
by all these natural, thorny trip-wires. We made it back with heaps of time to
catch the 3 Yuan local bus back into Yangshuo town. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUax7IWROwTwZRy34-WvzC0QjuSWLDBKaLkeVt7BARmgJsr9e1y1XKLxpemfYNOhuQQ8qCtwYbAzGyMwFK0H1Sz5Fei7nksFzdFh1lSt8GPleHHA_89HyH7Lx1s6D3MQ6MH0WYstHMGZHW/s1600/1471370_10152053780825399_603742045_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUax7IWROwTwZRy34-WvzC0QjuSWLDBKaLkeVt7BARmgJsr9e1y1XKLxpemfYNOhuQQ8qCtwYbAzGyMwFK0H1Sz5Fei7nksFzdFh1lSt8GPleHHA_89HyH7Lx1s6D3MQ6MH0WYstHMGZHW/s1600/1471370_10152053780825399_603742045_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Yangshuo - Odin's Den - Me on "Valhalla" (8a+) Photo by Johnathen Shen)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1<sup>st</sup> Dec, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a surprisingly successful day yesterday at
“Swiss Cheese Wall” with Alex, Peta and Scott. It was Alex and my 3<sup>rd</sup>
day on of climbing and our plan was to get some vertical mileage in. Somehow I
managed to tick the whole left side crag in that day! I have no skin left on my
fingers but I was pretty happy with that. I onsighted one of the hardest 7a+’s
(25) I’ve ever come across (took me a while though haha), then managed to tick
my 7b project, then flash the hard 7c (27) next to it. I then decided to jump
on the 7b+ over to the right because it’s the last thing I had left to do at
that crag… and somehow I managed to onsight it! I was on some crazy ticking
spree which came out of nowhere. I’ve been feeling really strong lately, which
is such a confidence booster for me after having 8 or so months of little to no
climbing because of my wrist injury. I’m so happy to just be back and climbing
again!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rest day today… Only 2 weeks left till we go back home
to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13<sup>th</sup> Dec, 2013 – Last two weeks of our <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> trip
adventures<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 3<sup>rd</sup> December we went back up to
Odin’s Den for the day and I finally got “Valhalla” that 8a+ (30), on my 4<sup>th</sup>
ever shot which I was really happy about! We also went back up to “Lei Pi Shan”
a few times and Alex was SO incredibly close to ticking “Single Life” the 8a
(29) but just missed out. We were going to go on our 2<sup>nd</sup> last day
and I am so sure he would have ticked it then… but we didn’t have enough people
to book a taxi to get there. It’s a bummer… his last shot was SO close and he
got through the whole crux but just missed the pinch slightly before the rest.
He’s climbing so strong at the moment!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With our trip home approaching so fast our psych and
our body’s complete exhaustion from 2 months of constant climbing was forcing
us to wind down. The temperature dropped significantly in the last week and we
spent many days at some of the easier crags just getting some mileage in. We
went to “<st1:city w:st="on">Riverside</st1:city>” again, “The Goat” (which was
really cool), “White Cliff,” “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Dragon</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">City</st1:placetype></st1:place>” and on our last day
we climbed at “Wine Bottle” and ticked all the 6’s at the crag. It was a great
crag to end the trip at, as it was the first crag we visited on our arrival
into Yangshuo!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s funny… the last few days we were so ready to come
home and lacked psych to get on hard routes and risk finding a project… but
during our last night in Yangshuo, I struggled to sleep because all I wanted to
do was try “Sea of Tranquillity” 8b+ (32) at Moon Hill and “Gin and Tonic” at
White Mountain and of course “Single Life” at Lei Pi Shan. I guess we have to
leave some things to come back to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m really going to miss China and its amazing
limestone mountains. I’ve had such a fun time here, met so many amazing people,
experienced a very different culture and approach to life and climbed some of
the most beautiful lines I’ve ever been on. Such an amazing trip I will always
remember!</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6094598443595045729" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-61824834009828578442014-01-31T21:28:00.000-08:002014-01-31T21:28:30.662-08:00China Trip 2013 - Part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">Arriving in <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region>
– <st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Guiyang</st1:place></st1:city> (Touristy stuff)<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">11<sup>th</sup> October 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We have just begun our two
month climbing trip to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>!!
After our long flights from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
Alex Turnbull and I spent our first two days in the largest and most chaotic
city I think I’ve ever been in… Shanghai. My Gosh, that place is huge! We spent
pretty much the entire two days on our feet, fighting the jetlag, walking
between touristy sights, puzzling over unusual Chinese maps and just taking in
our new and <u>very different</u> surroundings. Alex, being the whole 1.85
metre tower he is, next to a short, blond me… Two westerners casually strolling
through the chaotic city streets of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city></st1:place>,
map in hands (probably upside down)… We obviously looked and felt incredibly
out of place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">While it seems chaotic
throughout the day in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city></st1:place>,
it’s nothing compared to when the sun goes down. At night the city just
explodes with life and lights, it’s just amazing. The huge main outdoor mall
(which feels like it goes on forever) had something new at every corner; group
dancers, karaoke, some form of tai chi and music everywhere. The city just
bustles with this atmosphere that makes you smile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2gYDaGyVUpBS-rBrjuIBBeAi34EFmHy4O69JFe8MzjWOm0JN5ndVw5Y8hLL_oSrZKyldjcRV1HqtkN9SGM0LO2MRpPMhrnajNNhyphenhyphenY_rAykKIbUcFYNpqXcA215P3tpYcg8kJRO8NI9Ky/s1600/Goo's+iPhone+photos+2013+1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2gYDaGyVUpBS-rBrjuIBBeAi34EFmHy4O69JFe8MzjWOm0JN5ndVw5Y8hLL_oSrZKyldjcRV1HqtkN9SGM0LO2MRpPMhrnajNNhyphenhyphenY_rAykKIbUcFYNpqXcA215P3tpYcg8kJRO8NI9Ky/s1600/Goo's+iPhone+photos+2013+1371.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Shanghai skyline at night from the South Bund)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On our second night there,
we were deciding where, out of the thousands of options available, to go for
dinner. But our tricky decision was quickly made easy by a Chinese lady
standing outside her restaurant holding a menu. She said something in Chinese
and pulled my arm, forcing us into her restaurant… Alex and I just went with
it. She walked us past all these tables occupied by Chinese locals, and plonked
us in the back left corner on a round table which already had two other western
couples sitting there. It was obviously the “Western tourist” table of the
restaurant… hilarious. We ordered our dinner and shared it with the strangers on
our table, chatting about where we come from and laughing about how we were all
just plonked on the same “foreigners” table together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We did as many things we
could while in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:city></st1:place>,
but there is still so much we weren’t able to fit in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKJ7taJ_I2zzW2CMWu4cznY8au0mPHudXh4ZOTtd9B8Wot8AC1Pd5avOYy1l7UWDHGw3_5RkBH2L0iqxGJfACl4rVl-lnG661ac4kq7pM61UizjftwIsRVIC262QBsjPIfas0NOucaEfY/s1600/Goo's+iPhone+photos+2013+1469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKJ7taJ_I2zzW2CMWu4cznY8au0mPHudXh4ZOTtd9B8Wot8AC1Pd5avOYy1l7UWDHGw3_5RkBH2L0iqxGJfACl4rVl-lnG661ac4kq7pM61UizjftwIsRVIC262QBsjPIfas0NOucaEfY/s1600/Goo's+iPhone+photos+2013+1469.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Shanghai Yuyuan gardens - entrance markets)</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial; text-align: center;"> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfM3cpUjFRR0rXnVL_HzatkYN0HMeHvZI_A0zM_0ke1nWyVjLOlT83nPcFGrLQmCyw4hKhVVg_BSTOlAdORF6VY3jF5mogA_d8KwM0MhJiKcru-rMkf8PR90UvdK-lr9x_RKIBnSy6DZAF/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfM3cpUjFRR0rXnVL_HzatkYN0HMeHvZI_A0zM_0ke1nWyVjLOlT83nPcFGrLQmCyw4hKhVVg_BSTOlAdORF6VY3jF5mogA_d8KwM0MhJiKcru-rMkf8PR90UvdK-lr9x_RKIBnSy6DZAF/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1598.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Shanghai Yuyuan gardens chaos & Alex making friends with the locals)<br /></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We then flew to </span><st1:city style="font-family: Arial;" w:st="on">Guiyang</st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;"> which is quite different to </span><st1:city style="font-family: Arial;" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-family: Arial;">. I preferred it because it’s far
less busy and has a little bit more order and character to it. Despite this, it
is still a city about the size of </span><st1:place style="font-family: Arial;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:city></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">
and when I say “order,” it is still very chaotic.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Alex and I had an
interesting experience with a <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Sichuan</st1:state></st1:place>
hot pot one night. It was literally the hottest thing I have ever eaten! SO
much chilli. I was so full because I kept shoveling plain rice in my mouth to
dull the pain and throbbing in my mouth. It was very funny though… I looked
across the table and Alex was just sweating and the whole of the restaurant’s
staff members were standing there looking at us in horror probably thinking
they had just killed us with chilli! People even bought us refresher drinks to
help us!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVZ57mqG9w05IIuxF6xTXxVxCTS5ZVqRPB-ntHjw1fylEywPjzchESEPk5vFkC7RdKiyVxo1UXszjihKWecNS0bwTPsiZP2qMlPsz-Zcj11h-uS3oHVNzKDKYACywRZmGtDYz4_O-ZSvq/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVZ57mqG9w05IIuxF6xTXxVxCTS5ZVqRPB-ntHjw1fylEywPjzchESEPk5vFkC7RdKiyVxo1UXszjihKWecNS0bwTPsiZP2qMlPsz-Zcj11h-uS3oHVNzKDKYACywRZmGtDYz4_O-ZSvq/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1679.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(<st1:city w:st="on">Guiyang</st1:city> - <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sichuan</st1:place></st1:state> hot-pot experience)</span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnNlfRPZB8xUOOqDuaQoTlmZWcs6YQwVRJAVupvPa9qTz4bkAjxz6Fq2m65ntVKfaUCfnqOl0PQJMkB2NcAIOBtDSojpbScJyEUVnsbo0aJHCSrX6nkGYMFxCRyVmD0ODV_wnLuQCJtN0/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirnNlfRPZB8xUOOqDuaQoTlmZWcs6YQwVRJAVupvPa9qTz4bkAjxz6Fq2m65ntVKfaUCfnqOl0PQJMkB2NcAIOBtDSojpbScJyEUVnsbo0aJHCSrX6nkGYMFxCRyVmD0ODV_wnLuQCJtN0/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1680.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Kb83Sojg7AGoo2FZ4D4lB1zm_SLnaCvaLi-4bn78nYg47nv3FKJUPgeXjfO-RTnk5ipfaNF4bVtrDWZVWNo1GGjzQ4xaneDZRIhBV9fS0ROaj_fcd31lY_QhADyzXbjX8oX8umiM1FbU/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Kb83Sojg7AGoo2FZ4D4lB1zm_SLnaCvaLi-4bn78nYg47nv3FKJUPgeXjfO-RTnk5ipfaNF4bVtrDWZVWNo1GGjzQ4xaneDZRIhBV9fS0ROaj_fcd31lY_QhADyzXbjX8oX8umiM1FbU/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1681.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The next day we met up with
AJ, Emily, Peta, Scott and the rest of the Pinnacle Sports crew and we all
caught a 3 hour bus ride South West to our first climbing area for the trip…
Getu He. When we finally arrived in the small farm town we went for an
afternoon climb at one of the closer crags called “Olliver’s crag.” It was so
nice to finally be on rock again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">Getu He – Part 1<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sat 19<sup>th</sup> Oct 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Getu is amazing! It’s so
beautiful and peaceful. It’s just this old, poor Chinese farm town surrounded
by these huge beautiful limestone mountains, hundreds of metres high. The
little town has so much character... Nobody speaks English and all the little
old ladies seem to be able to hobble down the streets carrying huge amounts of
anything and everything on their backs, heading toward their farms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our chosen accommodation was
OK… It was very cheap and the people seemed lovely (even though we had no idea
what they were saying most of the time)… but the toilet smelt a lot and you’re
not allowed to put the toilet paper down the toilet, you have to put it in the
bin, which doesn’t really help the smell! The shower, which only occasionally
worked, was hand held and is in the middle of the bathroom so you kinda have to
try and avoid the toilet when showering. The beds were super hard and the
pillows didn’t really do much… But hey, it was livable, cheap, and perfect
accommodation for a few days of amazing climbing adventures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC-ilAH0USnicJD55KcDrCQe4zaABst2nJW6zsr55ZaoX-SR3Z9x5VBIlwutdaz0JS86erJFHBpoHZulWfIZyH4uJL9sdnOOPt0yhowU9IqklI5eR62-u20aSCGCxpwApV5zLOBLW6MVB/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC-ilAH0USnicJD55KcDrCQe4zaABst2nJW6zsr55ZaoX-SR3Z9x5VBIlwutdaz0JS86erJFHBpoHZulWfIZyH4uJL9sdnOOPt0yhowU9IqklI5eR62-u20aSCGCxpwApV5zLOBLW6MVB/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1877.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Alex pointing at Fish Crag with “Pussa Yan” crag in background)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjns7orY5LaSWHoFNMMVU6Qy_4-5TRC9q13DNxSHuH8KeuUn_LGYe8onXvkPJMIVULb6DlaQB7ovCtq3-H6HrhGWzWyJYmjdSelvcdXdPPi-U1E3G47yPiuE9ryITHVhtv-Xhj4oOETmbmc/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjns7orY5LaSWHoFNMMVU6Qy_4-5TRC9q13DNxSHuH8KeuUn_LGYe8onXvkPJMIVULb6DlaQB7ovCtq3-H6HrhGWzWyJYmjdSelvcdXdPPi-U1E3G47yPiuE9ryITHVhtv-Xhj4oOETmbmc/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1889.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Muddy trekking adventures on our way back from Fish Crag)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGPD2FjZU4nH5G9T0oDekWYSmgJUobqflaQFQSw53IQQdFfVOj0kms9vFOrEzaea_pcH-hp-EsJemjCZ8hEklYZEG5srKp-5Oh8c-EjtjHSqJjdMRSlwQuVfydBwYGhYCPfEGC14-AIKz/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGPD2FjZU4nH5G9T0oDekWYSmgJUobqflaQFQSw53IQQdFfVOj0kms9vFOrEzaea_pcH-hp-EsJemjCZ8hEklYZEG5srKp-5Oh8c-EjtjHSqJjdMRSlwQuVfydBwYGhYCPfEGC14-AIKz/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1888.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On our second day there we trekked
up to an amazing crag called “Fish Crag.” It was a very, very muddy walk in… clay
and straw would just cake up on your shoes and it’s impossible to get it off
without a rock. It was a pretty funny sight, everyone plodding along with their
new mud platform approach shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The climbs there are really
long and my favorite route, “Les Boules de Geisha” a very difficult 7c (27) was
probably the longest, at about 35metres. This climb had a really hard,
delicate, spicy start with a funky mono-pocket throw, which felt more like a
28. It then goes into some hard grade 24 or 25 moves. By this stage you’re
incredibly pumped and you look up and you’re only just over half way there.
Alex and I went back up there the next day to retrieve the draws we had to
leave there from the rain on the previous day. Alex ticked and cleaned a fun
route around the right corner and after a few shots I managed to tick the
really long 7c! After retrieving our draws and trekking back down the muddy
forest (or slipping and sliding down in my case), we made our way back to the
guesthouse to change our muddy pants before heading over to the National Park to
check out the Great Arches.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The arches are absolutely
AMAZING and incomprehensibly huge! There was a new walking section which allows
you to walk through the bottom cave, up some concrete stairs, across a sketchy
bridge and up an elevator if you can believe it! I think Alex and I got the
last functioning trip in that elevator... haha. We sat down for lunch at the
top and a Chinese fellow walked past us to go back down the elevator… but after
about 3 metres the lift stopped and wasn’t going anywhere. Alex and I spent the
next few minutes trying to yell at Chinese workers down the bottom that the
“lift is broken with person inside” in attempted Mandarin pronunciation from
our handy “Learning Mandarin” book. Eventually someone else came along so we
gave up and left it in their capable Chinese hands. Luckily there is another
exit through the other great arch… a long descent of hundreds of tedious steps
leading to a little lazy ferry driver to cross the river for 1 Yuan each.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmfbHg8tqv8QF9GBwql6v5Wh1tqfQNU7sqmbcvMbUUCfx5D5QfF9YXh236N4gfOq2JC5x3kGCcxIIJXIWhRqSh5gwF2DtlzdrA9EwqzMwcjeIzx1RjS77GTrf7WFfksGIKh9Q-5copS37/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmfbHg8tqv8QF9GBwql6v5Wh1tqfQNU7sqmbcvMbUUCfx5D5QfF9YXh236N4gfOq2JC5x3kGCcxIIJXIWhRqSh5gwF2DtlzdrA9EwqzMwcjeIzx1RjS77GTrf7WFfksGIKh9Q-5copS37/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1905.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Bottom cave of the great Arch)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yZ_CzPYkMG1jNwUBW1H8Op0GcichJ3F-zxJlxVs5gMdYgACzdTmmtFdIR9dtkKZdpon5jOb727fRNl2wVL0GNJvUpWQTT1zLeNSmAVR0lZZvweoLLdCRfFOsqYSC9swaawCskPlqsDKX/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Arial; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yZ_CzPYkMG1jNwUBW1H8Op0GcichJ3F-zxJlxVs5gMdYgACzdTmmtFdIR9dtkKZdpon5jOb727fRNl2wVL0GNJvUpWQTT1zLeNSmAVR0lZZvweoLLdCRfFOsqYSC9swaawCskPlqsDKX/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+1994.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Elevator inside the Great Arch)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5PLgF2yvVaVzMk7ccndFVPC9ROctwBujjHgTF9Rbkbzwx12YLfhoBKTdZbfZIWjZ74z7qTlnj1jE8fwnqfvUZxMqwgLLB8Ah_ieh7EzcWX4CqdPfbfygCOh1Ab_Fj3TGGVbaOC3CMxKx/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+2048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5PLgF2yvVaVzMk7ccndFVPC9ROctwBujjHgTF9Rbkbzwx12YLfhoBKTdZbfZIWjZ74z7qTlnj1jE8fwnqfvUZxMqwgLLB8Ah_ieh7EzcWX4CqdPfbfygCOh1Ab_Fj3TGGVbaOC3CMxKx/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+2048.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Ferry man taking local school kids across river)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">Getu He – Part 2<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Mon 21<sup>st</sup> Oct 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It’s crazy! These past few
days, climbing at all these new limestone crags, each crag has a really
different style to the last. Each time we get blown away by how massive the
cliff is, but by every new crag we visit, they seem to just get bigger and
bigger! It’s such beautiful rock and there’s just so much of it. You could
probably spend your whole life here in Getu, and never run out of things to
climb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I tried this 7c+ in the
Great Arch called “Chinese Lady” which had a really fun start of
slopey-pockets, pinches and funky gaston burls. You have lots of foot options, but
each one is just as slopey and frictionless as the last. And there are SO many
pockets to choose from but only a select few are actually holdable. But by
about halfway, the route transforms into this slopey, under-cling, reachy
campus-fest where nothing is positive… and for me this section felt rather
desperate. The fact that I couldn’t feel my toes probably didn’t help my
situation though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m really keen to try a few
long multi-pitches around this Great Arch. It would be absolutely amazing and
beautifully exposed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VulwluHqdM9lCJSwnVYCwLXDu20sc3WRyHg_tvWg9Kc6w3SSWJ1H6jreYGkwj1cU8UiJZG-5EvX3qPuZl2hTbte-PeGzrW36pTi4ioHBcSRxwAS2c8DpCMJLNmLvBZvPj_g6aFcRjWWG/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VulwluHqdM9lCJSwnVYCwLXDu20sc3WRyHg_tvWg9Kc6w3SSWJ1H6jreYGkwj1cU8UiJZG-5EvX3qPuZl2hTbte-PeGzrW36pTi4ioHBcSRxwAS2c8DpCMJLNmLvBZvPj_g6aFcRjWWG/s1600/Goo%2527s+iPhone+photos+2013+2014.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Inside the top cave of the Great Arch)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Tues 22<sup>nd</sup> Oct 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I had an awesome day today.
The weather was much better than the past few days have been and yesterday I
had a rest day… or half rest day I guess since we went to Oliver’s Crag in the
afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We went up to Banyan’s Cave
today which is awesome. I really enjoyed it… and it now has one of my favorite
climbs in it! It’s an overhang called “Calf” and it’s just my favorite style of
climbing… an overhung maze of positive holds and pumpy goodness... It’s just so
much fun. I didn’t really think I would make it because it’s supposedly an 8a
(which is a 29) but I just said I would jump on and have fun playing around on
what looked to be a stellar route. I ended up onsighting it! I was so happy but
I concluded that it isn’t really a 29 and that it is definitely more like a 27…
but still that would be my first 27 onsight! I couldn’t get over how fun the
moves were. I then onsighted another 27 further to the right which wasn’t
nearly as fun… and quite scary to back-jump clean as well…rather run-out in
sections. But anyway… all in all, a good fun and successful day at the crag.
Alex, Johnny and I have planned for a multi-pitching day tomorrow! YAY!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgTTpzUykZ5sal3-RNBbydaNQXWZFyp0u7Rrge-bSOTYrEIS92A_re46nhP-i9vM4UJUNwYoD1m6ecsTPznonh7iMBDnvk9clhdBUni1o7RszNpuFUMQnNVYywlrUO1CAKTFJx8JNnt95/s1600/IMG_3937-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMgTTpzUykZ5sal3-RNBbydaNQXWZFyp0u7Rrge-bSOTYrEIS92A_re46nhP-i9vM4UJUNwYoD1m6ecsTPznonh7iMBDnvk9clhdBUni1o7RszNpuFUMQnNVYywlrUO1CAKTFJx8JNnt95/s1600/IMG_3937-L.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Alex crushing at Banyan’s Cave<br />Photo by Scott Hailstone)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KgGbAnVjr2MkbGW3bpaMmhX5LODPAUKpvfvaVZbT5x8KrsN_EMktPoh4NXDWoE2aOYmkzSucK3P1VPeemuvHS2ox144hf-C3bul9k-ySZVsTdKLpj3PyJDSrQOu0DaCIRxDhHuFN0YWJ/s1600/IMG_4000-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5KgGbAnVjr2MkbGW3bpaMmhX5LODPAUKpvfvaVZbT5x8KrsN_EMktPoh4NXDWoE2aOYmkzSucK3P1VPeemuvHS2ox144hf-C3bul9k-ySZVsTdKLpj3PyJDSrQOu0DaCIRxDhHuFN0YWJ/s1600/IMG_4000-L.jpg" height="400" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Me onsighting “Calf” at Banyan’s Cave<br />Photo by Scott Hailstone</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">Getu He – Part 3 (EPIC)<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Wed 24<sup>th</sup> Oct 2013<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Holy crap, what an EPIC.
Yesterday was such a huge day and the most scared I I’ve ever been for my life
for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I’ve ever felt luckier to finally
be back in a bed in an enclosed room on the ground. Where to begin…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We began the day climbing
the 1036 stairs of the Great Arch in the rain to arrive pretty close to the
beginning of our multi-pitch for the day. We’d attempted to pick the easiest,
simplest and most direct multi-pitch in the guide for the Great Arches. The
climb is called “Dos Forasteros en la Selva,” is 4 pitches (6c+, 6c+, 6c, 6b+),
180m long and in the guide it looks like a straight line to the top anchors. It
was decided that I would do the first pitch, Alex the second, Johnny the third,
and me the last. So we geared up at the platform with the chairs and stairs and
scrambled down the foresty descent about 15 metres to where the 1<sup>st</sup>
pitch began. The rock looked dry the whole way up so we were sweet to go. We
began climbing at 11:30am. I was pretty freaked leading up the first pitch and
was happy for that to have been my only lead for the day. I’m not sure why I
was a bit jittery, I think it may have been the spider I came face to face with
before the high first bolt and the moves weren’t that obvious and were about a
hands length out of my reach and the bolts were rather run-out. Anyway… I got
over it and made it to the anchor of the first pitch, set up the belay and
belayed Johnny and Alex up. Alex really enjoyed the first pitch… me not so
much. So I belayed Alex up as he lead the second pitch, which to our surprise,
traversed right a fair bit, past a big old palm tree and a large, broken but
apparently solid stick. It was a beautifully exposed pitch though and probably
the best of the 4. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You look around and you can
see right down to the river where you catch the ferry, all the way down the
valley, through all the beautiful mountains… and on your left is the huge arch,
hundreds of metres high. You look down and although<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">You’ve only done one pitch,
it’s a whole mountain beneath that before the river. So yeah, very exposed and
incredibly beautiful. You also do some fun traversy moves over these great
tufas which is stellar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The second anchor wasn’t
nearly as comfortable as the first and all 3 of us up there was rather cosy.
Johnny lead the next pitch which also traversed right a bit, unlike the
perfectly straight line shown in the guide. I lead the last pitch which was the
shortest, but good fun but rather sharp and wet towards the top near the
anchor. We all made it up and were very happy to have done all the leads clean.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2oFFD5kizfXdyqt4lFB2-1eYudl_nQ7GRDzppqqx7x0f_gup29gHuUxypWekzb97dfKWe1X3O-tW9poBg5QwvbP9hroB7_ajKTk_LzqW2N-laLyvNwip2XvL5snaGVTa-xGOu2_oz_tR/s1600/1425719_549802235098294_1614266855_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2oFFD5kizfXdyqt4lFB2-1eYudl_nQ7GRDzppqqx7x0f_gup29gHuUxypWekzb97dfKWe1X3O-tW9poBg5QwvbP9hroB7_ajKTk_LzqW2N-laLyvNwip2XvL5snaGVTa-xGOu2_oz_tR/s1600/1425719_549802235098294_1614266855_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Johnny, Alex and I finally at the top anchors of the multi-pitch)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We got up to the top by
about 4:00pm and we all really needed to pee so we quickly took some photos and
got stuck into working out the abseil back down. At that time, had we had good
anchors, we would have had heaps of time to reach the bottom of the climb, walk
back down all those stairs and make it to the ferry in time before it stops
taking people across at 6:00pm when the park closes. So Johnny would do the
first rappel down to the anchor of the second pitch and then Alex and I would simultaneous
rapp down after. However… not all was as easy as hoped. As Johnny went down he
realized he was not only hanging in mid air away from the cliff, but also had
to make it back left to where the anchor was. So he had to stick draws in to
gently pull himself over (while we watched his rope didn’t run over and cut on
the super sharp rock near the top). Both Alex and I would have to do the same.
Eventually Johnny made it and by some magic, Alex and I did too, although we were
both (well I was anyway) definitely starting to fear for our lives at that
moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">When we made it to the
second pitch anchor we did our best to quickly sort out our ropes and things
for the next abseil. It would have been nice if the ropes reached the ground
from there, but they didn’t… and as we pulled the rope, it got stuck on the big
funky palm tree and broken stick so Johnny had to belay Alex up a few bolts to
dislodge the rope hoping that the tree wouldn’t break and snap the rope as it
fell. But thankfully, by some magic it didn’t. However by this stage it was
beginning to get dark and we decided we would definitely miss the last ferry
ride at this rate and would have to rapp down the elevator on the other side of
the arch to get back to the guesthouse. So we turned on our head-torches and
this time Alex did the first rapp and Johnny and I simmuled down after…
Although Alex had a similar problem, needing to put draws in as he went down to
pull himself left to make it to the anchor. At this point we were abseiling
down in pitch black, except for our head-torches. Johnny was using Alex’s old
spare head-torch which really only attracted moths than lit up anything… So for
the last abseil, I let Johnny borrow my head-torch as Alex and I simmuled down
to the ground first and Johnny came down after. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFJtwe6RdJYr18OfNwrNuPp5Hc7GRT9eTzGFkPjA0seFhIWYG2vMjuUA_bvq3LiwCtjU6mZ802pvT9W8g9MOte3j9aPrMdF4YmLyzL60UqCTe6Z38ifZ1Wcak7etUaiAT-naB9CHGGu4S/s1600/1455166_549804155098102_1482765201_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFFJtwe6RdJYr18OfNwrNuPp5Hc7GRT9eTzGFkPjA0seFhIWYG2vMjuUA_bvq3LiwCtjU6mZ802pvT9W8g9MOte3j9aPrMdF4YmLyzL60UqCTe6Z38ifZ1Wcak7etUaiAT-naB9CHGGu4S/s1600/1455166_549804155098102_1482765201_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Alex texting Peta telling her we’re still alive and on the second last abseil of the multipitch)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were all so sick of being
on that cliff (over 6 hours!), and we were all busting to pee, we could not
wait to be safe and sound on the ground. When my feet hit the ground at about
7:30pm I was so incredibly happy to be alive and standing on my feet. I grabbed
my bag and started to trudge my way back up to where the chairs and stairs
were, where I was planning on putting my shoes on and going to finally pee. I
only had that crappy head-torch… but it would do. I could hear the dogs that
they usually have tied up well inside the Great Arch to protect the worker’s
equipment all day, barking as they usually do. However, when I was about 5 or 6
metres from the platform I decided the barks I could hear were getting quite
loud and definitely a lot closer. I yelled out to Alex casually, “hey, I wonder
if they let the dogs off at night.” Then I looked up and realized that those
tiny beady lights surrounding me weren't just in my imagination… I could now
see all these yellow eyes surrounding me and barking and growling. I pretty much just shat myself. I have never
been so scared in my entire life. I screamed out to Alex in tears “Alex, they
DEFINITELY let the dogs off at night!!!! I am SO F*ing scared! I can see them!”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I literally just froze. Alex
says he hasn’t scaled a hill that fast before, managing to grab a defensive
bamboo stick on the way. He grabbed me and took me back down to where Johnny
was only just reaching the ground. Luckily the dogs didn’t follow us down there
but that ruled out our option of trying to bypass the dogs and rapp down the
elevator on the other side of the arch. We would now have to somehow cross the
river, hoping there was a boat we could maybe hijack on each side and that the
dogs weren’t waiting for us at the stairs. We packed our bags (I packed Alex’s
while he stood guard with his new bamboo stick) and then we bush-bashed our way
back down to a lower platform of stairs. Thankfully the dogs weren’t there… but
when we made it to the river, neither was any sign of a boat we could use. So
we called Peta who went through an epic trying to translate that she had
friends stranded on the other side of the river. We waited for a long time,
deciding whether we would need to swim across, but finally we got a text from
Peta saying they were on their way with someone who would get the boatman. When
they arrived we had to do some more bush-bashing to a spot they were willing to
pick us up from… it was a very steep, slippery descent, Alex accidentally got a
bamboo stick to the head thanks to Johnny... haha, but we finally made it onto
the boat where a very kind man took us across to the other side. We offered him
money but he was very strong in declining. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were even lucky enough to
get a bus ride back to the guesthouse, and the lady up the road even made us
dinner of rice and 3 very spicy dishes. So a whole 10 and a bit hours from when
we started the climb, we were finally sitting down having a beer each,
celebrating being alive, un-mauled and relatively dry. I think we will need
another rest day today. I’m looking forward to what Yangshuo has to offer when
we head there next week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieahCXOqEPmDOwvjQhMjBqKT-IPu_eGgHk_c8tnScwHEcIhxlgmK9itHOeGNPHkUwfDyQF3X2XOyf39fU_ZVp6tqj75Mj1hCccCtRWohuiYtOqOkz5bjH7BdtcyZiKKwjSy_EPI7RNnU3v/s1600/1454709_549805521764632_196838853_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieahCXOqEPmDOwvjQhMjBqKT-IPu_eGgHk_c8tnScwHEcIhxlgmK9itHOeGNPHkUwfDyQF3X2XOyf39fU_ZVp6tqj75Mj1hCccCtRWohuiYtOqOkz5bjH7BdtcyZiKKwjSy_EPI7RNnU3v/s1600/1454709_549805521764632_196838853_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">(Getu – Alex, Johnny and I enjoying a few beers while we wait for dinner after our epic day of multi pitching)</span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6094598443595045729.post-41862693185115125892013-05-31T14:19:00.000-07:002013-06-20T14:39:16.997-07:00<h2>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Oceania Championships 2013</span></b></h2>
<h4>
<b><st1:place style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Noumea</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">New Caledonia</st1:state></st1:place></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m currently on the flight home after a weekend in <st1:city w:st="on">Noumea</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">New Caledonia</st1:state> (a
French owned island about 3hrs plane trip North-East of <st1:city w:st="on">Brisbane</st1:city>. I was pretty nervous about coming
to a comp so under-prepared (in terms of training) as I've had a wrist injury
for a while now and literally have not trained in months. So I wasn't really
expecting myself to do very well considering.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway, it turns out I completely surprised myself by
topping out all 4 routes (2 qualifiers, semis and finals) and placing 1<sup>st</sup>.
I was the only one to top the semi-finals and the finals route. I really can’t
believe it. Yesterday feels like a dream.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTYIriQAp73OqtXVR_xhqXjJiu7pQ2XkNtIEQsbxLeX6IehE9upJ-5kmd2vNPn-FARbExQAV5lzVbCIP5Ne2McnS3gmEnUJcje-TVQAOU8dARkqd9gcbe_pWe2lU5RnhXX7XNe-RDFgjU/s1600/oceania+climb+photo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTYIriQAp73OqtXVR_xhqXjJiu7pQ2XkNtIEQsbxLeX6IehE9upJ-5kmd2vNPn-FARbExQAV5lzVbCIP5Ne2McnS3gmEnUJcje-TVQAOU8dARkqd9gcbe_pWe2lU5RnhXX7XNe-RDFgjU/s320/oceania+climb+photo2.jpg" width="213" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADyProWUgkeSZLb6GcTojEfcBsk7Gs2xIGMTa_P-2UjMe9Mhw0y78VOxyRPSZDqi5YeuUo3t-nghePU9nerHq4_-3VJlya3xMLm7X_5IPxPYKNNayfgcEs9BO7ie6vDl-pJ8bwf0dFBgA/s1600/oceania+climb+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADyProWUgkeSZLb6GcTojEfcBsk7Gs2xIGMTa_P-2UjMe9Mhw0y78VOxyRPSZDqi5YeuUo3t-nghePU9nerHq4_-3VJlya3xMLm7X_5IPxPYKNNayfgcEs9BO7ie6vDl-pJ8bwf0dFBgA/s320/oceania+climb+photo.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The comp was organised really well and it was obvious they’d
put in a lot of effort… they made it feel like a World Cup. I've always dreamt
about how it would feel to top the finals route at an international competition
and having the crowd go crazy behind you. It was such an amazing feeling and it
was just as good, if not better than I’d dreamt.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></o:p></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was the last person left in isolation but I was in a
really good and relaxed head space before I got on the wall, but physically
ready and excited. In this comp you only had 40 seconds to get from isolation
to get on the wall (as opposed to when time starts just when you turn to view
the climb). So when my name was called I just ran out and jumped onto my route.
I took my time with it, resting when I had the chance even if I wasn’t quite
pumped yet, and just taking the climb as it comes… climbing as I would any
other climb. I knew the climb looked doable, so in my head it was going to be
done, and then I did it. I dunno what magically got me up there but I remember
getting to a cruxy-ish section and giving it everything in a controlled
execution (ish) then seeing the last hold in front of me and thinking “oh my
gosh… you’re right there!… and I'm actually going to get you… There’s only a
few more moves left, all of which I know I can do… then it’s the last hold.” I
grabbed it like I’ve never grabbed a hold before, clipped the last draw and
punched the air like I've always wanted to do, but have never found a time
appropriate enough.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was coming down the crowd was wild with cheers of
support and it was hard to believe that it was me that they were all cheering
for. When my feet were on the ground some guy stuck a microphone up to my face
and said something in a very strong French accent but I had no idea what to say
let alone what he had said. I probably went bright red and said something boring like the route was pumpy... which it definitely was. The officials then wanted me to go pee in a cup to
make sure I wasn’t doing drugs or something. They handed me about 5 bottles of
water, all of which I skulled and then found I had to wait for all the other
podium placers to pee first. So when it was finally my turn... lets just say I was well and
truly ready.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the podium, Carlie LeBreton and I took out the first two
spots and Sophie (a New Caledonian who grew up in <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>) came in third. Axel and
Scott from the AUS team also took out the first two places in the Open males
category and across the youth categories it was great to see so many
Australian’s on the podium. They gave us beautiful trophies and medals and
played the national anthem of the winner in each category.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_VGJBsnU3aIdertR6GBuumrkk9N_9CCPrmyb6lEIA_p6i8AujkyhCtQjh-vmE_m-EU2eUKtt_kvHoO-Dc2xgxksOuNGLG7ZS_5kz-6qWew4gweYZcz_WuI3A020EVr4dxsypJfiwWs9M/s1600/oceania+podium+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_VGJBsnU3aIdertR6GBuumrkk9N_9CCPrmyb6lEIA_p6i8AujkyhCtQjh-vmE_m-EU2eUKtt_kvHoO-Dc2xgxksOuNGLG7ZS_5kz-6qWew4gweYZcz_WuI3A020EVr4dxsypJfiwWs9M/s320/oceania+podium+photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after a weekend in Nouvelle Caledonie, I’ve had a taste
of <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>
and learnt a touch of French, made some New Caledonian friends, had a heap of
fun, learnt a lot about myself, and hopefully only slightly delayed the process
of my wrist healing. I think I got a lot out of this one. So glad I came. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Merci Nouvelle Calèdonie escalade!</span></span>Lucy Stirlinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08452264248393993130noreply@blogger.com0