First free solo Rock Climb ascent in Phuket -- watch it POV!

[Gforcejunkypkt]

**Importance of stretching and getting your body more limber**....

Just a friendly reminder guys, especially if you've not been doing any or much climbing for a while (like most of us until perhaps recently) and want to start again: try to get into a little daily stretching routine, even if it's just 10 min. or so. We all know the stress climbing puts on muscles, ligaments, tendons etc. and you'll be doing yourself a world of good even doing a bit of stretching every day or two, and before climbing of course too -- about 2 weeks ago I got onto a climb without doing any stretching and pulled a deltoid muscle that's still giving me some trouble (plan to try some acupuncture soon).

So again highly recommended to start doing some basic upper and lower body stretching -- your wife/GF might wonder what you're up to or even joke you a bit, but she'll love the limber new you

[Tapster]

Hi Puyai,

As GFJ says, welcome!!

I have been a very active climber until about two years ago. I'm very keen to get fit again, training in Phuket and getting over to Krabi when possible.

Reading your post, I must say that 6b+ would feel like 7b to me at the moment and I've never climbed anything harder than 7a!

The three of us who are starting this Climb Phuket project haven't done much together yet do you'd be joining a friendly trio with no agenda other than finding Phuket rock, checking it out and hopefully bolting some lines.

Re: bolting, the Thaitanium Project guys in Krabi have told me that titanium hardware is the only way to go long term. If titanium staples can be sourced in Thailand, that would be great and probably cheaper than Titan Climbing, in Sheffield, England who are the the one and only supplier worldwide of Ti hardware specialised for the unusually corrosive conditions in Thailand caused by acidic, warm rain and a salty element from the sea which can chew up stainless steel in anything from a few months to a few years, depending on the conditions.

The finest stainless steel bolts and hardware will be coming over in six weeks or so when our shipping container arrives from South Africa so I'm thinking if installing stainless gear to start with, to test the routes fully and then to retrofit Ti later for guaranteed safety on the best routes.

I've pm'd you my contact details and look forward to getting together in the next few weeks if you're free.

All the best,

David

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Hi Puyai,

As GFJ says, welcome!!

I have been a very active climber until about two years ago. I'm very keen to get fit again, training in Phuket and getting over to Krabi when possible.

Reading your post, I must say that 6b+ would feel like 7b to me at the moment and I've never climbed anything harder than 7a!

The three of us who are starting this Climb Phuket project haven't done much together yet do you'd be joining a friendly trio with no agenda other than finding Phuket rock, checking it out and hopefully bolting some lines.

Re: bolting, the Thaitanium Project guys in Krabi have told me that titanium hardware is the only way to go long term. If titanium staples can be sourced in Thailand, that would be great and probably cheaper than Titan Climbing, in Sheffield, England who are the the one and only supplier worldwide of Ti hardware specialised for the unusually corrosive conditions in Thailand caused by acidic, warm rain and a salty element from the sea which can chew up stainless steel in anything from a few months to a few years, depending on the conditions.

The finest stainless steel bolts and hardware will be coming over in six weeks or so when our shipping container arrives from South Africa so I'm thinking if installing stainless gear to start with, to test the routes fully and then to retrofit Ti later for guaranteed safety on the best routes.

I've pm'd you my contact details and look forward to getting together in the next few weeks if you're free.

All the best,

David

Not sure about bolting at Chalong Bay Cliffs, we'd have to discuss with owner and assure her nothing commercial involved, but we should think about hacking our way back into Hans Gruber Heights and checking out the potential there. Grab a machete and give me a PM/call if up for a recce in the near future.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Need some inspiration to get back into climbing or other adventure sports? Check out this report about Sir Chris Bonington last year re-summiting the Old Man of Hoy, just weeks after turning 80! There's a great interview video on the page too: http://www.itv.com/news/border/story/2014-08-22/bonington-repeats-famous-climb-aged-80/

[Tapster]

OK, Chris Bonnington is/was good and has helped to further the more widespread appeal of climbing...with his upper-class delivery and oratorial skills.................however, and in every way giving it its due, that is history.

What follows in the clip below is history as well..........Dan Osman from the late eighties. One of the most fearless climbers to go out to try and show what climbing could be if you were very strong, very confident and thus pretty much fearless.

This is a famous ascent of approx 400' in 4 minutes. That's what we could now start to aspire to: not dodging Fulmar vomit on The Old Man of Hoy, but getting honed enough to <deleted> blast up something reasonably easy with the confidence to not need a rope because you know the moves and that no part of you is going to fail or not be able to do the business over your 400' to the top.

It's a lot to aim for but it's the way forward.....with many safety ropes to start with!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYbwZQ-QnMY

[Tapster]

My wife is keen to climb but she's not going to be particulary interested in the exploration and the early top-roping.

She's off on a diving liveaboard to the Similans and Richlieu Rock from Thursday arvo, 8th Jan, for 4 days to afternoon Monday 12th Jan.

I am completely free to do top-rope and exploration at CBC and Hans Gruber heights, or anywhere else with reasonable potential.

I have everything except a rope so am looking for enthusiastic partner with rope to set up long top-ropes and try out some of the easy and harder routes.

Cool, dudes,

Dave

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Yep, have long been impressed by Dan Osman's feats, esp. his speed climbing, but a very sad and tragically early ending to his life -- during that last adventure he was just pushing too hard (though there's also some controversy about what actually caused his rope system to fail). Personally, while very creative, I always thought the complexity of his rope systems was just plain scary.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

My wife is keen to climb but she's not going to be particulary interested in the exploration and the early top-roping.

She's off on a diving liveaboard to the Similans and Richlieu Rock from Thursday arvo, 8th Jan, for 4 days to afternoon Monday 12th Jan.

I am completely free to do top-rope and exploration at CBC and Hans Gruber heights, or anywhere else with reasonable potential.

I have everything except a rope so am looking for enthusiastic partner with rope to set up long top-ropes and try out some of the easy and harder routes.

Cool, dudes,

Dave

Well let's break in my new rope! Will give you a call later today, let's see if we can't get over to maybe CBC on Saturday, I bet Steve would be keen to go too if free.

Edited January 6, 2015 by Gforcejunkypkt

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Btw, Climb #2 is going to be named "The Joker" -- zoom out your browser until the thumbnail is even smaller to see why; a bit of natural 3d art, unless it's just my screwed up eyes (one is far-sighted and the other is near-sighted).

Joker 1, Batman 0....

First attempt of 'The Joker' @ Dead Cobra Quarry -- Can't be a red-point super hero every time; got near the top of this high bouldering route but had to back off at the crux as it just wasn't feeling right to go for it. I'll get it next time though, afterwards I saw a foothold I was missing...Overall better quality rock here than on 'Snake & Shake' in previous video. The white wall to the left of 'The Joker' also looks fun and doable, with pretty decent rock quality.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Well 3 of us met up today at Chalong Bay Cliff for the 2nd meeting of the 'Phuket Rock Climbing Club' and had a good time doing the first actual roped climbing there, breaking in my new Edelweiss Flashlight II 10mm. Tapster set up a strong anchor and it was good to be back on rock (in a safer manner, personally speaking:) and nice to get some exercise on a beautiful day too.

1st Roped Climb @ CBC, 'Back to the Future' (a bit harder variation of a route on the left side of CBC that I soloed earlier):

Tapster setting the anchor:

Steve on new route we're working:

David on new route:

We don't expect to be featured in 'Rock & Ice' magazine or even 'Action Asia' but that's ok, we're having fun doing something that until recently nobody really knew was possible in Phuket -- rock climbing

Edited January 10, 2015 by Gforcejunkypkt

[stevehaigh]

nice pics GFJ, i'll bring my camera next time, get some of you.

i think the next climbs are going to be epic, some nice tall stuff over there.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

and while Steve and Tapster were having fun getting to know the nice granite at CBC, I was just having fun destroying things....

[Gforcejunkypkt]

and while Steve and Tapster were having fun getting to know the nice granite at CBC, I was just having fun destroying things....

[Tapster]

Thanks for the pix, GFJ!!

Looking forward to more climbing on Thursday!!

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Thanks for the pix, GFJ!!

Looking forward to more climbing on Thursday!!

You bet Tapster, have a few video clips too (and sure will have more later), some time when you come by just make sure to bring a thumb drive because their usually too heavy of files to send by email etc.

Also looking forward to meeting tomorrow and opening up a couple of new routes, see you there.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Several of us met up today @ Chalong Bay Cliffs, or at least we tried to -- one of our party got lost in the jungle while taking the top, cliffside way in to set up an anchor....

One of his last reports was passing by a rubber tapper's house and through some barbed wire fence -- neither of which myself nor the other climber had ever seen before...

We started to get a bit worried -- images of our lost mate tied up in some maniacal, sex starved rubber tapper's hut lingered in the air...

But eager to set up an anchor and get in a climb or two, we settled on a 'wait and see' approach, confident in said lost climber's ability to eventually find us...

Steve setting up an anchor:

Steve beginning an approx. 40 m rappel, the highest so far at CBC:

We had a good time climbing a new route -- in fact a reasonably challenging one:

But finally realizing our lost buddy still had not shown up yet, we decided to mount a mini-Search & Rescue effort, which ended successfully when we finally found him...

He even smeared red curry sauce on his shirt to look like blood in order to back up his story that he got "torn apart by thorns and branches" fighting through the jungle for over 2 hours...and faced "spiders as big as his hand", before finally somehow coming out onto the main road (actually nowhere even near us/targeted location)...

Oh well, some days just go like that...at least we could enjoy a good beer together at the end.

Edited January 15, 2015 by Gforcejunkypkt

[Gforcejunkypkt]

By the way, just ribbing Tapster in previous post, I have no reason to doubt his story, fighting through the jungle here really is exhausting stuff! (in a way more tiring than climbing), I'm sure he'll be along for the next adventure (via an easier route:)

[Tapster]

Hi Guys,

Er, yes, my 'climbing afternoon' yesterday turned into a 2 hour bushwhack through some very thick virgin scrub with many thorny creepers and not a few large spiders (not my favourite animals).

Here you can see my estimated route, successfully avoiding the crag completely and ending up bursting through incredibly dense and tall bush, to come out on Patak Road, much to the amusement if not shock of several road users!

Anyway, dignity was lost but that's OK, as it was a good work-out. Knackered, scratched, dirty and sweating like a regular porcine I did what any sentient being would do in such a situation: I gave up for the day and went to the pub!

I called my buddies to establish that I was alive and well and installed in the snug of the The Green Man.

After their labours, they came and joined me for a pint.

Next time, I'll not try and take the North-West Passage but will hike up the path on the left of the crag which apparently takes five minutes to reach the desired spot!

[hansgruber]

Sounds like a action packed afternoon. Hilarious.

[Tapster]

You are most correct, Herr Gruber!

I shall not be making that mistake again!!

Still, at least I have learned something about the indigenous flora and fauna!

[Old Croc]

So, after tuning up on the Chalong cliffs what's next?

El Capitan?

[Gforcejunkypkt]

So, after tuning up on the Chalong cliffs what's next?

El Capitan?

Yeah, why not -- I'm sure you've seen in the news recently about those 2 guys who did the first free climb of the Dawn Wall -- but c'mon, 19 days?? Way too long....

[Old Croc]

So, after tuning up on the Chalong cliffs what's next?

El Capitan?

Yeah, why not -- I'm sure you've seen in the news recently about those 2 guys who did the first free climb of the Dawn Wall -- but c'mon, 19 days?? Way too long....

I heard they had to wait on the face 2-3 days for one of the guy's lacerated fingers to heal.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

So, after tuning up on the Chalong cliffs what's next?

El Capitan?

Yeah, why not -- I'm sure you've seen in the news recently about those 2 guys who did the first free climb of the Dawn Wall -- but c'mon, 19 days?? Way too long....

I heard they had to wait on the face 2-3 days for one of the guy's lacerated fingers to heal.

Yep that's true, super impressive feat by a couple of rock climbing demi-gods...

[Tapster]

To OC and GFJ....................

Well, Yosemite could be next because, coincidentally, GFJ, Steve and I have all climbed there in the past.

However, we haven't come close to reaching the heights of achievement attained by the climbing gods, Caldwell and Jorgeson.

Of Caldwell it is reported: "....accidentally sawed off much of his left index finger with a table saw in 2001. Doctors were able to reattach the severed portion, but Caldwell subsequently had it removed so as not to hinder his climbing career."

By the Eyes of Christ!!............that is surpassed only by Sir Ranulph Twistleton-Wickham-Fiennes................

"On a solo trip to the North Pole, his sledge slipped into the sea and jammed under a slab of ice. The only way of freeing it was to remove his mitten and reach into the water, and although he retrieved the sledge, he suffered severe frostbite. Back in the UK, although advised by his surgeon to wait for the remaining healthy tissue to regrow before his fingers could be amputated, he famously did the job himself, with a hacksaw."

So, let's agree that we have some way to go before we make these guys eat our dust......and............maybe, especially myself, as I had difficulty finding my way to the frakking crag yesterday!

However, OC, why don't you join us for a look-see and a beer afterwards??

[stevehaigh]

want to see some real climbing?

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Yep, Alex Honnold is THE current Zen Master of climbing -- unbelievable level of focus and self-confidence. However, like all free soloists, one way or another, some day he's going to have to answer the questions of "when is enough, enough?" It's a fine line....but for now he's cutting it better than most anyone on the planet. That said, his climbing really isn't any more "real" than ours or anyone else's, it's just on a way higher level

Edited January 17, 2015 by Gforcejunkypkt

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Hey, let's invite Alex to Chalong Bay Cliffs -- then we'll really see what the dude is made of!

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Hey Tapster, just for your easy reference before our next visit back to CBC, here's a beta video from that last climb you missed during your trek to the Green Man...

Understood your busy with house renovation stuff, no worries I'm tied up with work this week and early next week, also need more time for this shoulder to heal, drop us a line when you're more free.

[Gforcejunkypkt]

Regret this thread has been a bit dead, Tapster has been busy with his house renovation stuff, not sure if Steve H. has had any success yet training his wife to belay and I've been busy with work and the unfortunate situation of having incurred a rotator cuff injury in my right shoulder (which I probably initially hurt bouldering at Naiharn, didn't warm up properly...). Fortunately it's not to the level of requiring surgery or anything that drastic but it's going to take some rehab and above all rest, so not sure when I can climb again . Climbing itself doesn't actually really hurt as of now (reaching behind my back is what hurts the worst), but I highly risk doing more damage if I do climb, so hoping I can resist the urge to climb for the needed length of time, but not sure, a dude needs his dopamine...