Sigmund Cartoon - Monday Philosophy

(source: sigmund.nl)

Frank Bogerman and friends in Rocklands South Africa

I found this footage on the site of Sloper. Click the picture to watch the video.

(source: sloper.climbing.nl)

National Geographic captures Big Sequoia

National Geographic sent Nichols to spend an entire year in California's redwood forest. His mission was to capture the majesty of some of the tallest trees on Earth, some of which date back before Christ. And if you've ever photographed in a forest, you'll understand the challenge this presented. There's no capturing the awe one feels before these monoliths that measure, in some cases, upward of 300 feet.

The making of the above picture, which is composed of no less than 83 images, took the team three weeks and an assortment of climbing gear worthy of climbing a big wall. In a recent lecture at National Geographic in Washington, D.C., Nichols described his frustrations. Eventually, though, he devised a way to do redwoods justice. It involved three cameras, a team of scientists, a robotic dolly, a gyroscope, an 83-photo composite and a lot of patience. Check the short movie about the making (click picture below).

(source: unclesomebody.com)

Totem Pole Tasmania climbed free

All individual pitches of the original climb up the Totem Pole in Tasmania, Australia, were freed in January by Doug McConnell and Dean Rollins.
News from downunder sometimes takes time to sicker through: in mid-Janaury the original route up one of Australia's most iconic rock pillars, the Totem Pole on the SE coast of Tasmania, was finally climbed free by Doug McConnell and Dean Rollins. In a massive nine-month effort the two local climbers freed all the pitches of the first route up this remote sea-stack, established with the use of aid by John Ewbank and Allan Keller in 1968. The three pitch outing now goes free at grade 27, circa French 7c, and the two climbers were the first to point out that their style can still be greatly improved upon: they had freed the individual pitchs on seperate days and pitches two and three were split by a hanging belay. Those aspiring to climbing the line in a single push should be aware that the route takes fiddly trad, is run-out and solid for its grade.

(source: planetmountain.com)

Kilian Fischhuber flies Airstar Fb 8B

Rocklands bouldering, In August 2009 Kilian Fischhuber from Austria freed Airstar Fb8b, a long-standing problem at Rocklands, South Africa.
What do you get if you stack two of the best boulders in Rocklands, one of top of the other? The answer is Airstar, the Fb8b problem first ascended by Kilian Fischhuber this summer in South Africa's bouldering hotspot. Airstar was an old project. Klem Loskot, Fred Nicole, Bernd Zangerl and many others had tried it. This year when I returned to Rocklands Nalle Hukkataival told me about it, and both he and Kevin Jorgeson tried it a bit (see here for more).

(source: planetmountain.com)

Simon's Cat - Cartoon and Animation (NEW)

Because it was World Animal Day (we should treat animals like it every day) last sunday here a hilarious and very cool animation about cat habits. In this case what cat's do when (trying) to catch a fly.... Love it ! Click the picture to start the animation.

(source: Marianne (thanx!) and simonscat.com)

Jason Kehl Routesetting at Mammut Boulder Games 2009

Niii-ce video by Jason Kehl and Abbey Smith about the routesetting activities with Joel Zerr and Bret Johnston. Note his funky hairdo and the cool ladder they use for placing the high holds.The fun begins at the moment they start forerunning the routes and after that the tries from the competitors at real competition. Njoy !

(source: revolution.com)

Chris Sharma Climbing with Jibé Tribout

This footags has been shot a while ago, but since Chris Sharma is giving a lecture coming saturday at our famous dutch boulder institute MONK (Netherlands) it's a warming up for the spectacular pics and stories held in store for us.

Chris Sharma and Jibé Tribout climb some crazy sport routes. JB is 45 something years old and still rollin'. Chris says that he was inspired by JB in his early climbing days and hopes he will be climbing as hard (or much harder?!) as him when he reaches that age.
Click the picture for a short movie about Chris trying and JB climbing Draconian Devil (8B+) on the Greek island Kalymnos.

90 Grad - A movie about Urban Climbing

A poetic climbing movie made by Ties Linders during his stay in Zürich, Switserland. An unorthodox view of urban climbing. Quite refreshing if you want something different from the all omnipresent and often overwhelming rock climbing- or bouldering movies.

As the title says, '90 grad' changes your view about the city and tilts your point of view as well.

Check this link to view the movie.

(source: monkbouldergym.nl)

Boulderblok Rotterdam - Topo met Pocketroutes

Yep, Bart van Raaij zit niet stil. Als 't ie niet met Arnold Pipel bezig is om het blad BLOK vorm te geven, dan is het wel om nieuwe routes te bedenken en openen op het fraaie boulderblok in het Zuiderpark, Rotterdam. In dit geval allemaal routes op pockets. Check deze link voor een geupdate topo.

(bron: www.bladoverklimmen.nl)

Pixar Animation Budweiser - Wassup (Old but Gold)

Old but Gold. Still a funny ad to watch.

(source: youtube.com)

Lounge with Ondra

As if it's nothing, Adam Ondra lounges through Aloha (9A) after his siege at the World Cup in Puurs, Belgium. The route was done first by Julius Westphal, of which FA is this video.

'Amai', as the Belgian tend to say, or: 'Een fraai stukske klauteren' (translation: a wicked piece of scrambling, it is, isn't it?) :P

(source: kairn.com)

Rock Climbing Gear vs Photograpy Gear

This black & white image was part of a photography article in Climbing Magazine. The visual pun is pretty subtle, and you'll need a good working knowledge of the history of rock climbing to think it's actually clever.

(source:littleboingmarks.com)

2010 MONK weer locatie voor World Cup Boulderen

Gespot op de MONK-site:

"Een hele oplettende surfer had het al kunnen opmerken … want wie op de IFSC website goed rondkoekeloert, ziet op deze pagina een IFSC Climbing Worldcup (B) staan op 25 en 26 juni 2010 in Eindhoven. Die informatie kan kloppen, want we hebben inderdaad - onder voorbehoud - weer een Worldcup Boulder op het program staan volgend jaar, bij Monk in de achtertuin, in dat mooie Klokgebouw. Yep! Wordt vervolgd natuurlijk."

Grafity Wall - Optical Illusion

You thought this is a usual grafity wall in some suburb. Watch closely as your eyes deceive ya.
Painstakingly the artist has made up the grafity with other tools than a spray can with paint...

(source: stumbleupon.com)

NIEUW Topo voor Boulderblok Rotterdam Zuid

Yep, daar is 'tie dan. De beloofde topo om je een idee te geven wat voor gradering je aan het boulderen bent. Het nieuwe boulderblok in Rotterdam Zuid dat al eerder op Sloper.nl en hier vermeld was, heeft een mooi en overzichtelijke indeling van routes gekregen. Klik op de foto voor een directe link naar de topo.

Op de site van bladoverklimmen.nl staat het volgende:
"De makkelijkste boulder op het blok is 5-, de moeilijkste in deze topo 6c. De mooiste boulders zijn gemarkeerd met een ster. Om het moeilijker te maken, kunnen alle boulders ook met een zitstart geklommen worden. Deze zitstarts zijn in de topo met een stippellijn aangegeven.Dit is een voorlopige topo. De waardering van sommige boulders kan nog wijzigen. Zodra de waarderingen ‘definitief’ zijn, zal op deze plaats een bijgewerkte topo gepubliceerd worden".

Aanstaande zateredag wordt het boulderblok feestelijk geopend en ontwerper Bart van Raaij hoopt dat er veel klimmers zijn om de gemeente duidelijk te maken dat dit initiatief navolging moet krijgen in andere steden !!

(bron: bladoverklimmen.nl)

Tenue Sharmante in the French Magazine l'equipe

Not only he is a world class climber but he knows his way in communicating it. In the french climbing magazine l'equipe Chris shows his (most recent) climbing outfit and tells you why.

One little flaw though.... the original article seems nowhere to be found on internet.

So if you know where it is, send me a note would you?

(source: pofroad.com)

Bicycle for Climbing Gear

's nice if you can go to the climbing spots with your bike, but I doubt there'll be many spots suitable. Nevertheless a cunning piece of industrial design and a funny way to 'commercialise' it.

(source: pofroad.com)

Most important climber until 1999?

Most important climber until 1999? (or click picture)
8a.nu started in December 1999 and this year we will highlight the 10 years in a special yearbook where we also will write an article of the 20th century also based on this votings and comments.

Go to the voting site and guess who most of the voters think is most important !

(source: 8a.nu)

sChOOL designs

School designs mostly tend to be straightforward or down right boring. Not the way Baupiloten studio thought about it. Students who were able to develop a new design for the Erika-Mann Grundschule II came up with something completely different.

The idea is to let go of the realistic world and accept that the human brain works best within a challenging, attractive and fantasyfull environment. I wish they could have designed my new workspace like that !!

Check for more backgroud info: Baupiloten studio