Cartoon Rock Climbing - Deepzly Motivated

It's an 'oldie' but ever so funny still. Made by the one and only Dutch Climbing Cartoonist Mike Meijnhard. Others will follow, so stay tuned!
(source: with curtacy of Mike Meijnhard)

Ice Climbing World Cup 2012 Trailer

It's not winter yet in the Netherlands but instead an Ice Climbing a Dutch Drytool event has been held (see pic below made by Menno Boermans). Dennis van Hoek won the contest, and no surprise here since he is the leading ice climber in the Netherlands.

For the real thing on ice see the video above (funny similarity in pose of the climber in the picture below :))http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif



(source: Menno Boermans Photography, Dennis van Hoek)

Pixar animation - Pigeon Impossible

This animation was new for me ! Funny spoof of Mission Impossible.

Back in Bleau Bouldering

Some pic of me in Bleau last time. All pictures were taken by Tim v/d Linden. Thanks mate, it was good to be back!!

Biggest Hoisting Crane of Europe

This hoisting crane currently operates at the project of Rotterdam Central District, an urban development at the hart of the Port City of the Netherlands. It's being used to assemble the steel constructions which will later become the immense roof of the multi-user public transport station in Rotterdam.

The Liebherr 1750 stands 80 meters high and has a span of 150 meters, thus being the largest hoisting crane in Europe. It needed fifty lorries to bring toghether all te components of the Liebherr. A special fundament was made consisting of 70 concrete poles to carry and spread the weight.

Bleau Bouldering Busdriving - Camper Crashpad Crimp

plus

makes

Let's go for bleau!!

(this is me a long time ago)

ReUse - ReCycle - ReInvent

Rotterdam has a atelier/workshop where ordinary objects are given a second life; the re-use and re-invention of products. Beautiful products which some I would like to give a place in my house as well. Well.... besides the bycicle that is :)) Recycling with a touch of art and urban feeling, or as they describe it themself: Studio HeStudio Hergebruik / Re-use Studio displays work by artists and designers from all creative disciplines that focus on re-use and recycling of materials or concepts.Numerous functions are combined. Besides premises for a shop, gallerie and conferences, workspaces for educational activities have also been designed. Designers often make use of our facilities when developing prototypes. All areas of Studio Hergebruik are open to the public.Workshops, lectures and masterclasses are held in conjunction with vocational and higher education institutions.

(source: studiohergebruik.nl)

Spectacular pictures inside Glaciers (E.Ruth)

Woah, spectacular photos from inside a glacier. This must be a stunning place to go ice climbing!! See for yourself, Njoy.

(source: stumbleupon.com)

New Trad Climbing Gear - Helium Friends Wild Country

It's been a while since I have been trad climbing, but one of my best feats in trad climbing was topping the famous Oceano Irrationale in Val di Mello, Italy. Never have been in such a demanding route (for me that is :)) and enjoying the crag climbing at the same time.

The older cams of Wild Country have been my 'friends' for a long time since but the newest ones seem to be mor flexible in material as well as in range:

HELIUM FRIEND ESSENTIALS Up to 6% lighter per unit.
Up to 20% more range per cam. Bigger overlaps with adjacent cams. Bigger overlaps with alternate cams. Longer reach and deeper placements. Smoother triggering. Nine cams will be available.

HELIUM FRIEND NEW FEATURESNew:
Hot Forged Cam Head, Thumb Loop Trigger,m Moulded Thumb GripSprings, Trigger Stop, Stem Cover, Size Label, Low Profile Riveting, 12mm Dyneema Sling, Short Termination

(source: planetfear.com)

People Planet Profit - Dance Valley Spaarnwoude Climbing Structure

A Dutch magazine in which the three P's are the main topic. BUT, with the outdoor climbing wall Spaarwoude on one of their covers (during the Dance Valley event), even rock climbing might get a greener immage :))

(source: peopleplanetprofit.be)

Top Ten Most Nutritious Vegetables and How to Grow Them in Your Backyard

This is something I have been thinking about for a long time. Why should we buy food which has travelled around the globe befor we're able to eat it. I search the web from time to time to see what others do and how they cope with it. This is what I found lately:

A perfectly ripe, juicy tomato, still warm from the sun. Sweet carrots, pulled from the garden minutes (or even seconds!) before they're eaten. Growing your own vegetables is one of those activities that balances practicality and indulgence. In addition to the convenience of having the fixings for a salad or light supper right outside your door (or on your windowsill), when you grow your own vegetables, you're getting the most nutritional bang for your buck as well. Vegetables start losing nutrients as soon as they're harvested, and quality diminishes as sugars are turned into starches. For the tastiest veggies with the best nutrition, try growing a few of these nutrient-dense foods in your own garden. And don't let the lack of a yard stop you - all of them can be grown in containers as well.

The top10 list is:

- Broccoli

- Peas

- Beans

- Tomatoes

- Red Peppers

- Carrots

- Beets

- Leafy Greens

- Leaf Amaranth

(Source: Treehugger.com)

New Rock Climbing Guide Mallorca 2011

"This book is not yet available", the website says but in the meantime everyone anticipates it being published in the week beginning 7 March.

The Mediterranean island of Mallorca is now well-known as a sport climbing destination. Since the last Rockfax in 2006, it has also established itself as the home of Europe's best deep water soloing (Check Kingline by Chris Sharma)

It is said that the Mallorca Rockfax brings together all the sport and DWS into one book. The sport section includes seven crags that haven't appeared in the previous books plus many new routes and sectors at the existing crags, and the DWS section combines the work from the Rockfax book Deep Water, and the Rockfax PDF MiniGuide Mallorca Deep Water Soloing

It looks like a big fun place to be and explore the climbing possibilities. Combine this with the mostly superb weather and it's a sure-to-go-location.

(for more details check: Rockfax.com)

Bouldering Challenge in Iceland - Highball

Not only the shift in climate has consequences. Even (or just because!) the oldest force of nature, vulcanism, has it's own effect on the morphology of the earth. Sometimes even unforseen for climbers!

Despite standing more than 15 metres tall and weighing in at over 900 tonnes, above pictured huge rock has stood in its current spot for a mere eight months. So how did it get there? After the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland erupted earlier in the year the heat generated was enough to melt surrounding glaciers, releasing the rocks and debris that now litter the valley. This gigantic rock is one of them. Who is going to sent the first climb? (Image: Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson/Barcroft Media)

(source: pofroad.com)

Urban Space People - Urban Art

Above art must have been performed by climbers or at least some very athletic people.

Bodies in urban spaces" is a temporarily intervention in diversified urban architectonical environment. The intention of "bodies in urban spaces" is to point out the urban functional structure and to uncover the restricted movement possibilities and behavior as well as rules and limitations.

By placing the bodies in selected spots the interventions provoke a thinking process and produce irritation. Passers by, residents and audience are motivated and prompted to reflect their urban surrounding and there own movement behaviour and habits. "Bodies in urban spaces" invites the residents to walk their own city thus establishing a stronger relationship to their neighbourhood, district and town. The interventions are temporarily without leaving any traces behind, but imprints in the eye-witnesses' memory.

(source: ciewdorner.at)

Animation Goofy Rock Climbing Tutorial

Haw-haw, this is a funny animation which reminds me of some scenes of Timmy O'Neill in 'Return to Sender'. Goofy explains the principals of rock climbing :))

World Cup Ice Climbing Cheongsong - Korea 8-9 february 2011

8-9th of february one of the World Cups Ice Climbing is held in Cheongsong Korea. The first time in Asia ever but the Koreans already have shown their capability in ice climbing.

For the Dutch (!) Dennis van Hoek and Marianne van der Steen are entering the competition. Having seen them climbing in the Saas Fee competition in 2010 (see pictures below) and the progression they made since, there might be promising results!

Competition Schedule

8, Jan(Sat)
09:30-10:30
Isolation Open
10:30-17:30
Lead & Speed Qualification, Semi-final

9, Jan(Sun)
09:30-10:30
Isolation Open
10:30-15:30
Lead & Speed Final
16:00-17:00
Awarding & Closing Ceremony

Results and news can be found on http://www.iceclimbing.kr/english/

(source: nkbv.nl)

New Year - New Looks

Happy New Year for everybody and may it be healthy, sporty and with lots of climbingadventures.

Notice that my blog looks different; NEW. But not to worry the content will be changing as well :)). And me too with my Rjukan Ice Climbing T-shirt!! No ice climbing this year but I will surely return.

Climbing moves in Ballet - Dance Escalade

I used to workt for the Dutch Royal Ballet in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) during my early years of climbing. I always have said (and many climbers with me) that climbing is a sort of ballet on the rocks (or wall).
This short footage is of a ballet company who incoporated climbing as a form of ballet in their performance.
Not withstanding the 80-ies and being ballet dancers they perform on (white!)climbing shoes. The climber is supposed to be Patrick Berhault.



Much more energetic and in a boulder style is part 3 of Dance Escalade



source: udini.de

Flashmob Christmas Choral singing Hallelujah

A must see for christmas lovers. A flashmob choral singing Halleluja in a food court. Don't know where but it's great!

How to tie Climbing Knots

Not that the most climbers don't know how to tie these knots, though very handsomely animated, but it's the uses they describe I find most informative. Besides knots to animate children (aka knots who resemble a butterfly or rabbit :)) like the double alpine butterfly) I have found uses for several knots I didn't knew about.

See (LINK TO SITE) and judge the site for yourselves.

And for the quick and smart 'knotters' the lightning way to tie a bowline:Or the One-handed Bowline animation (this LINK for animation):

(source: LinkedIn NKBV-group, animatedknots.com)