VIDEO + MINI INTERVIEW Steve McClure - Hubble (F8c+)

Steve McClure, one of Britain's top climbers, recently repeated the Raven Tor test-piece Hubble (F8c+) and in doing so completed one of his major climbing ambitions. Click the picture for the video and see here for the mini-interview with Steve.

The route is a short limestone power problem and was first climbed by Ben Moon back in 1990. Commenting on his blog, Keith Sharples said:
"Hubble was reckoned to be the first Font 8b problem ever climbed. Despite being done nearly 20 years ago, the list of Hubble repeats is very short and entirely restricted to UK climbers."

(source: blog.keithsharplesphotography.co.uk)

Forecast Netherlands (20-8-2009) Severe Thunderstorms

Forecast Netherlands for tomorrow: severe chance for thunderstorms after tropical heat stress.

Picture above is from Boulderen aan Zee 2006 when all the onlookers were stunned to see not one (quite rare in the Netherlands) but three(!!) twisters, or waterspout, at the same time. Lower picture is just an beautiful view from a storm front coming towards a ship on the ocean. Gulp.... it looks like the captain is streerin it's ship into a time warp vortex.

Spiderman, but quite different

A spiderman action in an uncommon style. 's nice to watch all the more since the guy doesn't seem to wear climbing shoes...

(source: Tinus vd Linden Thnx mate!)

Belaying Lips

It looks like lips, it has the colour of lips but it is..... a tuber. Meant as a belaying device for climbers it also has great resemblance of the lips of a very well known rock star.

Climbing Ad - Anti Pimple advertisement

This climbing gym in Tel Aviv came up with an unusual sponsor: anti pimple lotion (first pic). Climbing the pimples on the face, where have I seen that before !! Yeah right, BAZ 2008 (lower pic (by Paschnampook).

(source: thecoolhunter.net)

IBM votes Rotterdam first Smart Delta City on climate change in the world

The City of Rotterdam and IBM are developing a groundbreaking new system together for the close monitoring of real-time measuring data on climate change and energy management. This system will enable administrators and scientists to predict changes and to respond rapidly to this information. The implementation of this innovative system wins Rotterdam the title of first Smart Delta City on climate change in the world. Go here for more information and to get a subscription on the RCI newsflash.

(source: rotterdamclimateinitiative.nl)

Newest creation of Calatrava -The Agora (City of Arts Sciences, Valencia)

The City of Arts and Sciences, developed by Santiago Calatrava, is a large-scale urban recreation center for culture and science which also incorporates L’Oceanogràfic, an underwater city designed by the late Felix Candela (click the second picture for a 360 degree panorama feature).

Set in the old dried-up river bed of the Turia, midway between the old city of Valencia and the coastal district of Nazaret, the City of Arts and Sciences covers an area of 350,000 square meters.

The City of Arts and Sciences is a unique complex devoted to scientific and cultural dissemination which is made up of five main elements: the Hemisfèric (IMAX cinema and digital projections), the Umbracle (a landscaped vantage point and car park), the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum (an innovative centre of interactive science), the Oceanográfico (the largest aquarium in Europe with over 500 marine species) and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (which takes care of the operatic programme). The Ágora (first picture), which will give the complex a multifunctional space, is under construction.

(source: cobouw & www.cac.es)

Urban Camping - Made in Belgium @#!$%??

It's not a joke but perhaps just another crazy idea: an urban camping á-la skyscraper. Check the site import.export (info) and Urban Camping (pictures).

Petzl Rocktrip 2009 - Millau France

Every year Petzl organises the Petzl Roctrip. The trip normally involves climbers from around the world of all different standards, being bought together somewhere in Europe to climb a crop of fresh new sports climbs.

Last weekend the Petzl Roctrip was taking place at the limestone crags of Millau, France and there was the usual boundless enthusiasm of climbers new routing.

There is a slight element of competition involved in the Roctrip. This normally revolves around which one of the top climbers from around the world can first climb the hardest route on the trip. This year the ‘Ultimate Route’ was Infinity Lane, a 100m long 8c! (see below)

This route being something of a stamina fest was first climbed and flashed by Chris Sharma, the stamina king. Dani Andrada fell a few draws from the top on his first attempt, but the unrelenting length of the route kept most below even this high point.

For more pictures and info go to the Petzl website.

(zourzé: climbmagazine.com)

Dutch BLOG from World Championships Climbing China 2009

With this BLOG the Dutch National Climbing Team keeps us posted about their performance at the World Championships Climbing (Lead, Bouldering and Speed) in Qinghai, China. The heat, humidity, long traveling distances, the poor accomodation and the stil omnipresent swineflu makes it hard to perform well. Still Wouter Jongeneelen made it (as the only Dutch climber....) to the semi finals.
Read the BLOG for more (sometimes hilarious) adventures about playing havoc with the Chinese rules and regulations (Jorg coming with the Austrian Team) and strange habits (eating Yak-meat). Njoy !!

(source: www.caspertensijthoff.nl)

Touching the Void - on Dutch TV tonight

Need I say more. Watch this epic and documentary style movie (because of the voice over of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates). Today, 1st of july, SBS7 at 22.20 hours

Film about Ad Siemons - "Introducing myself"

Onderstaande info vond ik op Fuerzaclimbing.nl de site van de winkel van Ad Siemons (Klimhal Haarlem). Stond er al een fors artikel over Ad in het tweede nummer van BLOK nu is er dan een film over zijn levensverhaal !! Check de link hieronder voor de film of klik op de foto.

De film "introducing myself" is nu online! INTRODUCING MYSELF gaat over het leven van een klimmer. Ad Siemons is 42 jaar en woonachtig te Haarlem. In de eerste fase van zijn leven was hij marinier op een onderzeeër en apotheekmedewerker. Hij bezat zekerheden zoals een huis, auto, vriendin, en werk. Negen jaar geleden ontdekte hij het klimmen en vanaf dat moment begon zijn tweede leven. De film geeft een beeld van Ad’s levensinvulling. Klimmen is zijn levensstijl en alle keuzes die hij maakt (en heeft gemaakt) vloeien daar uit voort. Zijn fysieke-, mentale-, en sociale ontwikkeling zijn terug te zien in de film en zijn klimstijl. Ad zegt: “climbing is like introducing myself to myself” en dat is wat de film laat zien. De kijker krijgt een beeld van Ad en de rol die klimmen in een leven kan spelen. Het wordt duidelijk hoe er een parallel tussen klimmen en leven kan bestaan die verreikend is.

(source: Fuerzaclimbing.com)

Finnish style curved stairs, ready to be climbed

Besides climbinng the obvious rock and plastic, other elements are ment to be 'climbed', or rather ascend and descend, as well. In this case I 'stumbled upon' creations of Frank Gehry who designed this spiral stairs inspired by the late finnish architect Alvar Aalto, who loved gently curving and light-coloured wooden structures. These ones can be found in the Art Gallery in Ontario.

(source: StumbleUpon.com / thecoolhuner.com)

Inspired by World Cup Boulderng - Routesetting on my own Boulderwall

Here's a few pics of me routesetting boulders at my backyard boulderwall. I took off all my holds and first made a nice route for my 4 year old daughter (Yellow Brick Road). Then I used all my imagination and inspiring moments of the World Cup Bouldering Eindhoven 2009 to make all sorts of new and hard moves. Suprisingly I was able to make lots of routes which I couldn't climb directly afterwards. I had to sort out most of it during the following weeks and still there are unclimbed variations. Ha !! this promises more fun and hard training for the coming months.

Of course this training pays off at my climbing grades in the climbing gym (and in the rock soon...) and fun !! of exploring the higher grade routes which are new to me. Not any more I warm up with loads of 5 and 6 grade routes. Mostly I warm up with something like 5b - 6a - 6b and then start projecting 6c and 7a routes. It works for me as long as I feel rested before the training and be able to focus on the route at hand.

Hmmm, can't wait to go to the rock soon. Maybe Fontainebleau on my way back from southern France in the summer. L8terz.

New Commercial Nikon D5000 using rock climbing

Saw this on the street in the Netherlands lately. The camera being as flexible as the climber him/herself.

Adam Ondra does first repeat Huber classic Om (9A)

It was simply a question of time, but in this case it really was a long time coming. 17 years to be precise. An eternity.The chapter was finished off by him once again, by 16 year old Adam Ondra who last weekend carried out the first repeat of Om at Endstal, Germany. The plot had been written in 1992 by 24 year old Alexander Huber who with this small work of art paved the way for his personal research of the hardest difficulties. A search which, after Weiße Rose 9a in 1994 at Austria's Schleierwasserfall, culminated two years later with the nearby Open Air 9a+.

Read more at Planetmountain.com

What others wrote about the World Cup Bouldering Eindhoven 2009

These are the sites and blogs I could find with info and pictures about the World Cup Bouldering held in Eindhoven (Netherlands) 2009.

- Worldcupboulder (English page of the organisation MONK)
- Climbing.nl (Dutch Climbing homepage)
- Planetmountain.com (International climbing news)
- Nicky de Leeuw (Dutch Team Climber and current holder of the world record dyno (2,8m)
- BLadOverKlimmen (Dutch climbing magazine)
- Kilian Fischhuber (Austrian boulderer and four times winner of the boulder world cup)
- Czech Climbing
- Boudewijn Bollman (Pictures)

Interview with Daila Ojeda

(Daila Ojeda climbing 'China Crisis 8B+, in Oliana - picture by Pete O'Donovan)

Being one of the (if not THE) most talented and inspirational climber of Spain Daila Ojeda can be truely inspiring. Her motto 'a muerte', meaning something like 'to the utmost'or 'to give all you've got', is an example of with how much energy and passion she is committed to climbing.

In an interview that was held by Andrea Cartas you can have a little insight in the life of a remarkable climber.
(source: 8a.nu)

Chris Sharma and Daila Ojeda projecting OIiana

Chis Sharma is on the projecting path again, and this time it's not Margalef but the area Oliana.

Daila Ojeda writes on her blog that Chris had done "Pachamama" 9a+ hard F.A a 50 metres routes that was bolted by Chris. He also has done the F.A of two more new routes in Oliana 8c+, bolted by himself, and "Blanquita" 8c+ bolted by the master Dani Andrada.

(source: climbing.nl and dailaojeda.blogspot.com)

Dosage V - Movie Trailer (Woods, Rodden, Caldwell)

Wonder what's in store for you if you haven't bought the climbing movie Dosage V yet? Check this link or click the pic to find out what's waiting for you.

BTW, Beth Rodden has a very cunning way of saving time placing pro in a 'seemingly' difficult route...