Gripped e-Mag // Issue 10

Photo by Aaron Black

Gripped e-Mag, Issue 10, Full Edition	October, 2007
In This Issue Welcome to The Gripped e-Mag Gripped Interviews The Weldon Sisters Better Beta – Three Gear Maintenance Tips Climbing in Ireland Booty	Subscribe to the Gripped e-Mag e-Mag Archive Contact Gripped Subscribe to Gripped Magazine Visit Gripped.com
Tamara Hastie on Three Turkeys 5.11, Paradise Forks, Arizona The Gripped e-Mag Welcome to the October issue of the Gripped e-Mag! Published monthly and full of interesting articles on climbing personalities, destinations, techniques and new gear that you won’t find in the magazine, the Gripped e-Mag is FREE and a great complement to Gripped Magazine. Register now to receive the Gripped e-Mag and you will be entered for a draw to win an SMC Capra ice axe valued at approximately $100 (see sidebar for more details)! Please feel free to forward this e-Mag to any other climbers that would find it interesting! If you have any comments or suggestions please contact us at info@gripped.com. Return to top Gripped Interviews The Weldon Sisters Based in Calgary AB, the Weldon sisters are considered some of the best young female competition climbers in Canada. The pair represented the Canadian National Youth Climbing Team at numerous international events proving that strong fingers and good footwork can be shared genetic traits. Although Stacey is no longer competing with the youth team, she is volunteering her time as a coach while her sister Vikki continues to pull down for the team. We caught up with the Weldon sisters during their trip to Ecuador for the World Youth Championships. The Weldon Sisters, Self Portrait, Vikki (left) and Stacey (right) As members of the very successful Canadian National Youth Climbing Team, you both have an impressive list of competition climbing results. How did you initially get involved in climbing and how old were you at the time? Vikki: I got into climbing because of my brother Chris and my sister Stacey. They had joined the junior team at the Calgary Climbing Centre. During their training, my Mum would bring my little brother, Mike, and myself to climb on the bouldering wall. We wore our water shoes and thought we were so cool. As soon as we were old enough, we both joined the team. That must have been when I was around eight or nine years old. I loved it right from the beginning. Stacey: I first started competing when I was 11 years old. I joined the team at the Calgary Climbing Centre after my older brother had been climbing for about a year. You always want to be just like your older siblings. I honestly cannot remember my first competition. Your parents are involved with the national climbing team. What is their role in the organization? Are they supportive of your climbing? Stacey: I know every kid says this, but our parents are the best. They are so involved in whatever it is that we are doing. Our dad is the director of the CEC, and mom is the judging coordinator and the rules and regulations coordinator. Momma bear is also an international judge. As for being supportive, we could not ask for anything more. Deciding to skip out on school and go road tripping or climbing may not make them super happy, but in the end, if we are happy, so are they. Go rents go! What does your training schedule look like? Vikki: I usually climb three or four days a week. If I climb any more, I get injured. I try to coordinate my training around the competition seasons and the outdoor season. In the winter I’m training power and getting strong for the Tour de Bloc (TDB) circuit in Canada. As the weather warms up, the route comps begin and the rock starts drying, so I train for stamina and endurance. Stacey: I have not had a super strict training schedule for some time but I came up with a very intense training program during my human kinetics class last year. I’m psyched to try it out. I’ll let you know how it goes. As for right now, I’m lugging around my Power Rings in South America. As sisters, how would you describe your climbing styles? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Vikki: As sisters, we have similar styles. We’re fairly powerful, and we love the technique. I have too many weaknesses to count, but number one is always my mind. If my thoughts are not in the right place, then I can kiss my performance goodbye. I’m constantly working of focusing my mind so I can climb my best. Stacey: I think we have very similar climbing styles and excel on the same types of routes – powerful, techy stuff. Right now I have a lot of weaknesses because I am coming off a chronic shoulder injury, but I'm psyched just to be back at it. Most memorable competition moment? Vikki: I have a lot of competitions that I’m proud of, but winning the 2005 TDB Boulder Nationals for the first time at Allez Up in Montreal was pretty crazy for me. Many of the girls were incredibly strong and it was very intimidating. I remember the finals being very tight and the last problem was some sick roof. I did this disgusting drop knee to get the zone-hold and win the competition. I had absolutely no expectations going into the competition and I think that’s what helped me pull it all together. It was definitely one of my favourite comps. Stacey: Probably topping out for the first time at a world cup. I got to the top and was like ¨Woah, did that just happen?¨ That's an awesome feeling. Competition moment you would most like to forget? Vikki: There is no competition as a whole that I would like to forget. Competitions allow me to see all of my friends from different parts of the world, and giving it my all. There are a few moments however that I would like to strike from my memory; my semi-final route in Ecuador this year falls into this category. It was tough route and I did not climb well. I’d rather just remember my qualifiers where I had fun and forget that disgusting last climb. It was my last competition as a junior, and I hate to remember climbing so poorly. Ultimately I had fun and it was a great competition with great people. I’ll remember that. Stacey: I don't think there is any comp moment I would forget. To forget would be to miss out on some huge learning experiences. I suppose there is one event that still gets me wishing I could go back in time. Years ago, at Canadian competitions we always taped routes, so when I stepped up to my finals route at a Youth World Cup in Amsterdam and saw a route with all the same coloured holds, crossing with another route of a different colour, my little Canadian brain told me to only use only one colour. I fell where the routes crossed and ended up in 10th. I guess I took one fore the team. We’ve since changed how we do comps here in Canada to follow ICC formats. Best thing about being on the national team? Vikki: The people. That is one of the best aspects of being on the national team. Being so psyched on climbing brings us all together and we develop friendships that last a lifetime. Many people say Canada has the most tight-knit group of climbers and I think that comes from having such a small climbing community; we are already great friends before World´s because we’ve been competing with each other all year. The experiences we share only strengthens our friendships and our love for climbing Stacey: I have a very unique view on this now that I have been both an athlete and a coach at a youth world cup. As an athlete, the best part is traveling to places all over the world to do what you love and to share that experience with an awesome group of people with the same passion. As a coach I found it strange to be in iso helping someone else warm up or sitting in the crowd drawing route maps and making appeals. The funny thing is I still got that nervous feeling in my stomach and my hands never stopped sweating. It's an awesome feeling to have kids confide in me and trust me just as I did with my coaches not too long ago. What about rock? Do you have any favourite climbing areas? What’s your most significant send on stone? Vikki: I love climbing on rock more than anything. My favourite climbing area of all time is Acephale, a crag near Canmore in the Bow Valley. It’s a fairly small crag, with most the routes graded at 5.12 or harder. The difficulty of the routes, the 45 minute hike and the need for a down jacket when resting guarantees the crag to be crowd free. My proudest send was at Acephale. In 2006 I got hooked the route Sweet Thing 5.13c. I had heard from many people that it was a fantastic route and over the years I have seen it being worked on by many people. It took me about eight days of work, but I finally sent it. That was one of my highlights. Stacey: Ahhhh rock. Favourite climbing areas would have to be Acephale, Hueco, Ton Sai Thailand, and of course Squamish. I guess my most significant send on rock would be Young Blood in Squamish. I put everything I had into that route - mentally and physically. I had a lot of fun figuring out what to do and dreaming about it in my little blue tent just down the path. That was an awesome summer. Having travelled extensively, what is your favourite non-climbing destination? Vikki: That is a hard question to answer, considering every time I leave Calgary it’s usually to climb. At the moment I am in South America, having just competed at the World Youth Championships in Ecuador. I’m in Peru and love it the country.- Machu Picchu is the most incredible place I have ever laid eyes upon. Stacey: As of right now, I would have to say Cambodia. I spent two weeks on a little beach, staying for free in the loft of a bar, and doing absolutely nothing. It was awesome. Any advice for young girls just getting into climbing? Vikki: If you get into climbing, do it for the love of the sport and nothing else. You’re not going to get rich and famous, but I can guarantee that you’ll meet some of the coolest people on earth and visit places you can’t even imagine. Make sure that you’re having fun and never put pressure on yourself. Oh yeah, you’ll also be able to beat those stupid boys at pull-ups in gym class. Always an added bonus! Stacey: Muscles are cool. Find an idol - someone to look up to. Have fun. Short-term and long-term plans? Vikki: I’m travelling around South America at the moment and will be here until Christmas. I then return to Canada for a semester of school. After that everything is a little hazy. I would love to go roadtripping around the States as well as to compete in some World Cups in Europe. South Africa, Hampi and Thailand are all on the list of places to go. All I need is the time and a little bit of money. Stacey: Very Short Term: Get to Cenca in Ecuador so that we can check out the rad sport climbing there. Not so short, short term: Find as much rock in South America before my money runs out. Long term: When I get home I want to buy a van and go on an extended road trip. Return to top Better Beta Three Gear Maintenance Tips Most climbing equipment is surprisingly durable and with a little bit of preventative maintenance will last through many adventures. Here are some tips for getting the most use out of your gear and deciding when to replace it. Carabiners Designed with a minimum number of moving parts and capable of withstanding repeated falls, it’s easy to forget that carabiners need regular maintenance. Begin by inspecting the basket for burrs from bolt hangers and wired nuts. If you encounter any sharp edges gently remove them with very fine sand paper or emery cloth. If the basket is deeply grooved, consider replacing the biner. Next, inspect the gate action. If there is any stickiness, wash the biner in hot water and dishwashing soap, rinse thoroughly and allow the biner to dry completely. Proceed to lube the hinge and spring mechanism with a light dry lubricant like Metolius’s Cam Lube or similar bike lube. This simple process can revive even the most heavily used carbiners. Cams Like carabiners, cams are marvels of durability requiring only minimal maintenance to ensure they catch the longest falls. Dirt and grit are cams biggest foes and impede the smooth action necessary for cams to function properly. Start by washing the cams in hot water and dishwashing soap to remove any grime and dirt that may be hampering the cams’ action. Once the unit is dry, apply a light dry lube - see suggestions above. Now that the cams are moving smoothly, inspect the trigger cables, stem and lobes to ensure they are not damaged. If there is any doubt about the cam’s function and overall usability, replace the unit immediately. Belay Devices Whether you use traditional ATC style belay devices or one of the newer GRIGRI-like autolockers, take the time to occasionally examine the rig for excessive wear. Although the device may not actually fail, regular use can increase the size of the rope path, reducing friction and fall-holding power. With tube or ATC-like devices this wear is easily observed as it often creates thin sharp edges on the sides of the device where the rope travels. Inspect these locations regularly and replace the belay device if it’s heavily grooved. On GRIGRI style autolockers, the rope path is usually reinforced with a steel wear point, which extends the working life of the device. If you climb in sandy areas however, grit picked up by the rope can quickly abrade this plate, enlarging the rope path and reducing holding power. Regularly inspect the rope path and compare the size to a relatively new and unused device. If the opening is significantly greater take extra care when belaying and consider replacing the device. Return to top Climbing in Ireland Andrew Cubbon on Titanic, E2 (5.10c), Fair Head, Ireland With more climbable rock that the rest of the UK combined, it’s surprising that Ireland is not a more fashionable climbing destination. Much of this lack of popularity can be attributed to the fickle weather conditions, but unlike many parts of the world, there are plenty of diversions available if you get rained out. Here are three classic climbing locations exemplifying the spirit and adventure of climbing in Ireland. Fair Head, Ireland Fair Head With a cliff stretching over three miles in length and 100 metres in height, Fair Head is one of the largest chunks of rock in the UK. The area contains close to 400 routes, and like much of the UK, is an exclusively traditional climbing area. The climbing consists mostly of beautiful obvious crack lines offering great protection opportunities. This could be the best traditional climbing area in all of the UK and a mandatory stop for any visiting climber. More information can be found here: Fairhead Climbers Dalkey Quarry Located just outside Dublin, and accessed by a short 30-minute train ride, Dalkey Quarry offers a quintessential urban climbing experience. You take the train to the cliff, get in a bit of climbing and then take the train back into Dublin for a few pints. This convenience makes Dalkey Quarry ideal for the Dublin based climber with limited time. More information can be found here: Irish Climbing Glendalough (The Valley of the Two Lakes) This rock-strewn valley is located in the Wicklow Mountains approximately one hour south of Dublin. This is by far the most popular bouldering area in Ireland with over 100 easily accessible problems on excellent granite boulders. More information can be found here: Bouldering in Glendalough Return to top Booty Deep Pro Shorts – Mammut Just how technical do your shorts have to be to climb and swim? When the renowned Swiss rope manufacturer Mammut asked the same question, the result was the creation of the Deep Pro Shorts. Wanting something more appropriate for deep water soling than conventional surf-shorts, Mammut employed a design process similar to what’s used in the construction of its technical outerwear. Starting with a durable, stretchy and quick drying polyester material, Mammut substitutes low profile glued seams for much of the bulky traditional sewn construction. The result is a light and sleek garment that won’t get in your way during difficult moves. As an added bonus, the shorts dry very quickly as there’s less fabric on the seams to absorb water. Mammut includes a secure low profile waist closure ensuring modesty during unexpected plunges when deep water soling. These features make the Deep Pro’s ideal for DWS as well as any conventional land-locked climbing adventure. Return to top	Contest of the Month Now you can win a brand new SMC Capra ice axe valued at approximately $100, by subscribing to the FREE Gripped e-Mag. Simply forward us your email address to be entered for the draw that will take place on Oct 10, 2007. Enter as often as you like, just as long as you provide a new valid email for a friend that would also like to receive the Gripped e-Mag for each new entry. Offer closes Oct 8, 2007. Enter your email or a friend’s email HERE Congratulations to Mike Sampson. As the winner of the July contest, he is the proud owner of a pair of ABC Ascenders valued at approximately $100. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publication Assistance Program (PAP) and the Canada Magazine Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage toward our mailing and project costs.
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