29 June 2011

Climbing in Swanage

I had the awesome priviledge to spend a weekend away with some friends down in Swanage. The guys had not climbed before and had only done similar things at school ie abseiling. A windy rainy start to the weekend at Tom's Field campsite just outside ofg Swanage. The closest climbing  routes walls were the quarry - Dancing Ledge.  A huge mixture of climbs from higher 5's to 7C's mainly lead routes. We opted for much simpler routes as you can imagine just to get the guys going and enjoying themselves. Saturday was a washout but we did the walk to the climbing walls. Sunday was excellent. We hit the walls early and got the guys up and down for ages which they really enjoyed.

Challenge:

When last did you do something that you really enjoy and that is just for yourself. Remember it is important to have some time to yourself. We can get so caught up in life and family and miss things purely because we are at the coal face. Take some time do something you rememebr that you really enjoyed.  
Just breathe, and have fun !!!!

What we got up to...







19 June 2011

Ueli Steck - Cholatse - Himalaya Speed 2 Video

I have covered some of Ueli Stecks climbs and seriously hard core adventures on his quest to conquer the Himalaya's at speed. This footage is titled 'Himalaya Speed 2' which is about Ueli's climb up Cholatse (also known as Jobo Lhaptshan) a mountain in the Khumbu region of the Nepalese Himalaya.

Enjoy !!

Slacklining in Yosemite

Here is a bit of footage of a slackliner in Yosemite. Note the extreme exposure.
Ok Ross's slack line wont be quite so high, none the less your mind gets messed with and it is all about confidence overcoming the thoughts of falling and pure focus.

Enjoy the clip

11 June 2011

H7 Summer project - Slacklining with Ross Mundell

H7 Whilst a growing adventure clothing company is dedicated to supporting local talent and climbing related climbing projects. We at H7 have decided to start of 2011 projects with slacklining as our focus.

We have sponsored a local climber and slacklining lover , Ross Mundell. We will be following him in the coming months as he prepares for a 'highline walk' at High Rocks, a well known climbing area in Kent.  Ross trains on weekends with the culmination of this years summer training his first highline walk, in August 2011. (Date to be confirmed shortly) 

Follow our coverage of this event on our blog and on face book. Perhaps you could join us and see what this crazy sport is all about.



Slacklining - The history, courtesy of Slacklining.com

'Yosemite Valley was discovered by modern man in 1851 and soon after it was found, it became a sacred place. As the sport of climbing developed, many people from around the world came to this beautiful setting to be among the revered rocks and striking precipices that make up the now very popular national park. From short hikes, to multi-pitch traditional routes, to multi-day epics on popular features such as Half Dome, El Capitan and countless others, climbers and adventurers make regular pilgrimages to Yosemite. It is said by some that camp 4, a popular campground in the park, became the center of rock climbing development in the middle of the 20th century. With some people staying there many months at a time, it became a regular community of thrill seekers pursuing the rapidly growing sport of climbing.

 It was in this place that the sport of slacklining came into existence. After the long days of jugging, hammering, scoping, bolting, cleaning, smearing, crimping, jamming, bleeding, taping, sending and summiting, people would flock back to camp 4 for the evening. Just as new routes were being created on a daily basis, so were new ways to spend down-time. The inhabitants of camp 4 could be found walking parking lot chains, hand railings, and even ropes strung up between the trees. In the mid to late 70’s this type of hobby became increasingly popular, as local hotshots and visitors alike were seen balancing on the rope. It appeared to have positive effects in honing balance for climbing, and strengthening the legs and core.

While tightrope walking has been around for many centuries, this new pastime was different in many ways. The climbing rope being walked was loose and not nearly as taught as the steel cable walked by circus performers. In this way it was clearly more of a challenge. Soon, individuals started to walk on flat webbing, and this is slacklining as it is known today.'

What climbing is all about !!



It is always fascinating to watch awesome climbers who make it all look effortless.  I have added this footage to give those who would not ordinarily see awesome climbing of this calibur, the chance to spend 10 min gaining a fresh respect and insight into this awesome amazing sport. It's about mind, confidence, training, technique and perseverance.

This is called 'The insiders' by Big up productions