Progression

For climbing to develop the way it has in a sunny little island like Singapore is pretty amazing. To say the least, it's down right phenomenal considering the limited amount of "mountaineering" resources we possess within our 263 sq miles.

When Norman Mansoor posting several pics of Rock On in the '90s on Facebook, I can't help but realize that climbing in Singapore has actually progress beyond what a few pioneers would have ever imagined, in comparison to what they were capable of during their heyday. Strangely though, the scale and hype of climbing has taken a proportionally inverse relationship to the progression of climbing standards. We can begin to realize this when we take a look back at some scenes of what most climbing "dinosaurs" would describe as "The good 'ol days".


The old World Trade Center, housing the mammoth Rock On wall once every year. Considering that this was simply a local cum Southeast Asian event held in the '90s, it can actually be comparable to current IFSC World Cups by any standard.


No lack of competitors. Back in those days, if you're a bloke climbing 5.11, you'll probably win the day. Can't say the same now that we've reached the realm of V-double-digits and 5.14s.


And then there was the Taka venue, right smack in the middle of Orchard Road. The scale of the event was indescribably enormous!


Can't go on raving about Rock On without mentioning its stars. Here's our local strongman & woman Thomas (right) and Corrine (center) with whom I believe is Eric (left) from Malaysia. Along with Norman Mansoor and a couple others, these guys were our national pride in those days, dominating every comp. This is long before the appearance of our local mutant kids that we see now or even Khairul Hafiz and Nizam from Malaysia. Respect y'all!!


And for an island whose highest point is at 545 ft (166 m), the secret of sending comes from the tiny gym located in SAFRA Bukit Merah. The size of only half a squash court, it was home to the latest sends and spray...and of course lycra tights. No punt intended cos Wolfgang Gullich did send Action Direct in one of those. Lycra was how climbers REPRESENT in those days.

So for those of you indulging in this sport now, even as you consider how far we've come in terms of climbing standards, perhaps one question to ask is whether the magnitude of public events have somewhat diminished (save for Climb-On Spore). And instead of pointing fingers, perhaps also consider if you're willing to be part of a change to bring current events back to their deservedly glorious state. Imagine what a great spectacle it'll make if the public can witness the mutant abilities of the current generation on a grand scale.



Or whenever you're hanging out a local comp these days, do take the time to look around, for that average spectator next to you with disproportionate forearms, may just be the person with a history of CRUSHING big scale comps back in the lycra '90s.

Tossed by Waves

As my final semester in CSULB approaches its final 4 weeks, this is literally how I'm feeling...tossed by the waves of worldly concerns and uncertainties of finding a job for our move to Utah. The only hope I have is the knowledge that the Lord will calm the storm, and as I plan my course, He will direct my steps.

And then there's the wait for my send of Lateralus. The fact that I can get past the last clip and gun towards the anchors may seem to signify that the send is imminent but with my current level of fitness, it's difficult to cruise through the 13a section after a desparate V9/10 section. This is further compounded by me having to take more rest days due to my elbow tendinitis, which have also kept me from my usual structured training. Let's hope that with last week's refinement of the crux moves, I will have a better shot at it this weekend.

We returned to climb at the gym this week after a 2-1/2 week hiatus and it's crazy how alienating climbing seemed to feel. We were so caught up with getting through the semester that it had unknowingly crept up ahead of most priorities in our lives...one of which is climbing. And naturally, you snooze, you lose. Ironically, our friends back in Spore still have the impression that we're enjoying a climbing bum life here in the US when in fact, we are just as busy as any city slicker, having to get through grad school, working to pay off rent and making sure there's food on the table at the end of the day. Such a contrast from my days of staying in 5-star joints for a weekend climbing trip to Malaysia, zipping around in a suped-up rice rocket, dining in fancy restaurants and catching soccer games on my 50-in plasma flatscreen TV. What a worldly life of excess I had then! Sadly I was clearly poor in spirit.

Nevertheless, regardless of my current predicament, I am truly thankful for the position that I am in now. While I lack so many necessities in life, I'm rich in Spirit. I rejoice to know that Jesus is with me, for He has cause me to grow so much with the little that I possess. And in light of the uncertainties that lie ahead, I can only pray...

...as for Thy way, O Lord,
I often am not clear;
I toward seclusion tend
And from the pathway veer.

Oh, may Thy living light, Lord,
Scatter all my night, Lord,
And everything make bright, Lord,
For this I pray to Thee.

Joe's Valley!!!

Super psyched heading down to Joe's Valley. I mean, with all that internet stuff and spray from friends, you've gotta believe the hype somehow.



First impression of Joe's is that it isn't as gorgeous as the Buttermilks. But when I first got to touch the rock, I absolutely couldn't believe the texture! For once, we were climbing on rock that doesn't take skin like it does in Bishop! I was pretty sure I was gonna be in for a great time!

Apart from knowing that Darryl, Wes and Shuan were gonna show up, we were also excited about seeing Mary and Rocco again...good vibes from our last meeting in Bishop.

Shuan & Wes preparing the Lunch of Champions

I had my sights set on Fingerhut V10, Nerve Extension V10, Worm Turns V11, Resident Evil V10 and of course Jitterbug Perfume V10/11. Day 1 was spent messing around on the moderates cos I wasn't gonna burn myself out by jumping on the hard blocs right away. Plus with the tons of moderates around, we were pretty much having such a good time that it didn't really matter what we jumped on...anything and everything was fun!

Decided to check out Worm Turns on Day 2 and I've gotta say turning that worm takes some crushing pinch grip strength.



Carlo and Alex soon showed up and I basically got schooled.

Respect!

Alex came super close to sending it when the weather took a turn for the worse. As you can imagine, a tropical bloke like me would be overjoyed to actually see snow coming down but trust me, once the novelty wears off, it ain't a pretty sight having to stop shivering and keeping my climbing shoes from freezing. Tried stuffing them under my down jacket but I wouldn't say it was entirely effective.



Here's the crew is good spirits but it didn't take long for the temps to ruin it. I had the gut feeling that the end of our Joe's trip was imminent when everyone was getting into their cars and driving off.



Snow coming into the valley. There goes our Joe's trip! What a bummer having to bailout and driving back to So Cal!


Everything freezing up...my wipers froze, my cruise control froze. Doesn't all that frost remind you of Spore!?!?



Stopped by St. George for a day and decided to check out the sportclimbing at VRG. Not the prettiest of places especially with the dumb turn-arounds on I-15 plus the maddening traffic noise. Did gave Hell Comes to Frogtown a couple of goes and I really do like the climb. Super bouldery though...I later realized that most of my foot sequences were wrong when I saw vids of sends. I was beginning to feel pretty good on it with my crappy foot beta so I'm relieved to know that it could've been easier had I gotten better sequences. Not sure if I'll return to work it cos I wouldn't deliberately climb here unless I'm a local.

So the last Sat of Spring break was spent going back to Malibu Creek and this time, I fell of going for the anchors of Lateralus. Guess not everything's lost...only time will tell if I'll send it.

Spring Break in Utah

It's been awhile since I last posted anything cos the semester continues to be crazy. Nevertheless, we still managed to find a little time to get out to Salt Lake City for our Spring break last week. Plus we were psyched to get out to Joe's Valley and hopefully send some nice lines. There has been a flurry of vids that continuously get uploaded on the net recently and this had produce alot of hype. Wes, Darryl and Shuan also agreed to drive up for the weekend so we were assured of good company.

The saints in Long Beach managed to hook us up with Daniel and Irene for some fantastic hospitality in SLC, 'cept that when we arrived after a 12hr drive, we were greeted by 24F temps...far from our likable So Cal standards. Regardless of the cold, we were warmly greeted by our hosts and visiting saints from the University of Washington. Awesome fellowship I must say!!

Our hosts, Daniel & Irene plus their daugther Olivia.

Visiting students from University of Washington

Breathtaking view around Daniel and Irene's house!

The next morning was nice and sunny but the temps continue to be in the 20s. Made a trip down to Uni of Utah for Tanleng to meet with her prospective advisers of her PhD program while I met up the Dept Chair hoping to secure a job in view our move to SLC in the Fall. With the economy in the pits right now, I've gotta say I'll have to fight tooth and nail to secure a job in SLC. Gotta pray hard that God will open doors for me now.