terrific technique tips

Fontainebleau

Issue #8 - Winter 1999 The good thing about Hot Flashes winter is that it means editorial contents Lucy Creamer on sights ‘Ghost Train’ in Cover: The Klettersteig Photo: John Shaw Photo: Klettersteig The Cover: comps comps comps, start- Pembroke at a huge E7 6b. Petite American Yo there, ing off with numerous 2 Editorial & News Katie Brown flashes 8b+ which is a whisker comps at places Oh no it’s that dreaded 3-6 The Fontainebleau away from the best male performance. like Leeds, The Foundry, season again, bad weather, Experience The Edge and many others Christmas shopping, a full Gripped? summer meets The place to be - Come and Try it! (contact your local walls 7 Adam Dewhurst diary and then you’ve got for information). Then Profile Almost 100 young Gripped? members had UIAA Entre-prises World Championships to fit in the most impor- there is CLIMB ’99 this fun on outdoor meets this summer tant thing of all, CLIMBING 6 A Birthday With a Last chance to come and join the good year’s brilliant UIAA Entre in the Lakes, Wales and the Peak district. of course. With the cold Difference - the bad and the famous on the 5 come and Prises World Championship Next year we look forward to offering weather biting at your Abigail Egan try it walls and abseil at climb 99.If you event being held at the opportunities abroad in partnership with fingers and toes, there’s are too old for this there is always the National Indoor Arena at 8-9 Lucy Creamer Profile other federations. not a chance really to world class competition, MEF world class Birmingham from 3rd to 5th crack off any good routes 10 Technique SPECIAL slide show extravaganza or the array of of December. All the Gossip outdoors. I, like many workshops from nutrition & coaching to world’s best will be there 11 Access Feature climbers, am afraid of the There is currently a rumour that Yuji disability, and other skills competing for glory and if cold and so resort to the 12 Lakes Meet Report Hirayama has onsighted 8c - this young training sessions. you’re not entering the indoor climbing scene, but climber is fit and very, very strong. Junior Challenge, then come 13 ... The BMC is supporting the following what’s the point, most Alexander Chabout takes the French and support this superb What is it? and projects on the walls and in 2000 walls try their hardest to National climbing championship at the age unmissable event. competition report simulate winter conditions of 16 and makes the World Cup final in Pathway young women anyway! I suppose with the After a present opening 14 Photo Challenge Kranj, Slovenia. aged 17 Ackers Trust Spider Club good weather that we had Christmas break smash into frees Salathe and has done the first for youngsters of any ability this summer we could to the Millenium and start unconfirmed 9a in America. forgive the weatherman. the year by entering the risk and responsibility Urban Adventure Support diversity of Troll BICC 2000 series Fast men and women groups Parents and young partici- starting on January 15th in pants should be aware that Gareth Parry and Siobhan Coughlan take Birmingham Schools and Outdoor Education Wales at the Welsh climbing, hill walking and the British Speed Championship with International Climbing and many more ... are activi- Junior team member James Durant and Centre, contact the BMC ties with a danger of Anne Arran leaping up there to take FIBO International Bouldering Champs for more details. Then personal injury or death. second places. at the Foundry 7-8 December 1999. immediately after there is Parents and participants in Something not to miss. the ROCKIT BRYCS (see next these activities should be 1999 UIAA World Cup winners edition of Gripped). aware of and accept these crowned Happy climbing and all the risks and be responsible for Evgeny Ouchimikov (RUS) put in a stunning Troll BICC 2000 best for Christmas and the their own actions and performance to win the last 2 events of millennium. involvement. The BMC pub- the 1999 World Cup series. Consistency Welsh International 15 Jan 2000 lishes a wide range of Jemma Powell. however paid off for the French again Climbing Centre publicity and good practice with the Francoises Petit and Legrand P.S. Remember Gripped is advice and provides training Warwick 29 Jan 2000 who finished first and second respec- created by the kids opportunities for members. tively in the overall series of 4. Bristol 12 Feb 2000 for the kids, so any Additional advice and events contributions will be are available to young just takes victory 5 Hull 4 March 2000 gratefully received. members and their parents. points ahead of Liv Sansoz in the Awesome walls, 11 March 2000 Details about the BMC’s women’s. Adam Dewhurst and Julia Worboys Liverpool Photo: Jemma Powell on Flying training and youth pro- climbed very well in the last EYC to come Buttress Direct. grammes are available 5th and 14th respectively. Application forms are available from the from the BMC web site BMC Office. gripped? is and office. supported by Sport England 2 3 Fontainebleau is a very special place. Anyone who has been there will say how amazing it is. It has some- thing for everyone. Fontainebleau is probably the best bouldering area in the world! This Easter the Lawrences, the Dewhursts and Bob Elliot all set off for a week’s holiday in Fontainebleau. We were there with my dad Alex, Adam with his parents Paul and Margaret. We camped at Samoreau next to the river Seine and the Dewhursts hired a small holiday home close by. The Fontainebleau grading system is unique and not that consistent. A ‘Font’ 5+ can be very hard English 6b or possibly only English The Fontainebleau Experience 5b/5c. Font 7a is hard, much harder than a French 7a [By Tom Lawrence] route indoors or outside in England. It is probably there for a while, Adam Cuvier Rampart was next on topped out, there was a playing football, frisbee or one of the most famous equivalent to an English 6c ‘topped out’ fairly soon the hit list. It is an intimi- contest. Who could top out just walking in the forest. problems of the forest. It problem. but Tom and Bob practiced dating place with huge the most times out of ten The Spanish Junior Team was was a hot day and Alex had the helicopter spin many boulders and dodgy land- attempts? Even the oldies there too, selling climbing gone off on the blue circuit Bas Cuvier. Bas has the times but never made the ings. The first problem pushed Adam this time who wall holds that they had with Nathan. The team hardest boulder problems top. attempted was a 3+ warm up was just getting used to made themselves. stuck at it Adam soon in the world and a concen- and Adam was the only one his new shoes. topping out. Bob and Tom tration of classic routes All three British Junior 95.2 is similar to Elephant to top out. Adam found did finally make it but not less than a few hundred Team members Adam, Tom and Apremont and Elephant with acres of beautiful sun another 7a, which he even- without some near misses metres from the main road. Bob all cruised up an were visited twice with soaked sand, excellent tually managed after many and Tom had a huge ‘flap- This is the centre of it all, impressive Font 6b mantel Adam again being the only circuits and hard problems. attempts. per’ (ripped blister of a handy day trip from Paris, nearby and they all managed one to actually tick a few The pine trees here drop skin) on his finger to show or a place for a local taxi another slab climb Platinum The forest is such a relax- Font 7a/6c+’s. Elephant is a large cones, which provided for it. The German Junior driver to boulder for an Font 7a. Meanwhile, the ing place; sun or shade as remarkable place similar to ammo for several mock Team turned up, one of hour or two. Here you will oldies went off and tried it suits you. A small easily the beach with glorious battles. their team and Adam pro- see famous climbers almost some classics including ‘Le angled slab opposite giving silver sand and a holiday The Cul de Chien area has ceeded to flash the Font everyday. Sans les Mains’ Font 5 much fun. The problem ‘Le atmosphere. French families even more sand. On the map, 7a+/7b ‘Le Toit de (which means - without Poucet’ is a test of foot- eating a four-course meal L’Helicoptere 7a was first it calls the area near the Grattons’. This problem is hands). This problem may be work. At Font 5+ and no on the picnic bench. All on the team’s hit list, so climbing the ‘Sea of Sand’. powerful over the roof on possible without hands but handholds to stop you European nationalities were called because if you fail Le Toit de Cul de Chien was small holds with a nasty fall. without good footwork, it slithering back down, it is there and some Americans. to hang the sloper near the top of the hit list for the will seem impossible. a gem, a real balancing Young and old, climbing, top you spin round as you day. At Font 6c+/7a, it is feat. When everyone had fall! Well, the team were

4 5 Mount Ussy nearby provided another testing few prob- lems one evening including a A Birthday with a particularly fine Font 5+ (English E2/3 5c). The evening entertainment mostly consisting of playing Difference … Goldeneye on the N64. There is abundant wildlife in the area, including all My Alarm began to ring at all the teams began playing Sunday finals day sorts of woodpeckers, red 4am on Friday 15 October. football and basketball as The routes all looked squirrels and deer. Alex Today was my 17th birthday well as warming up and impressive and we were all wandered off on his own on but it was going to be very bouldering. wishing Adam to climb well. the blue circuit at Isatis different from the He climbed well to half way and saw a pine martin in a We went out to view in 2 previous. up when level with a clip he quiet part of the woods and groups. The wall was made had not yet made. His fall some wild boar were seen It was the weekend of the of feature panels that was probably the best of late one evening just third round of the provided many bulges. The the competition with him before dusk. It is a magical The Fontainebleau Experience European Youth cup and middle section had stopping inches off the place. today was going well until I hydraulic lower panels that floor and securing 5th made the mistake of were set at their steepest place. reminding team Manager angle and there was also a Fontainebleau Fact File Paul Dewhurst that it was section of horizontal roof. It had been another event- my Birthday. Paul quickly ful International. We are My first qualifier went up spoke to the flight atten- getting to know the other Where is it? When to go the less steep left hand dant and I was whisked off teams much better now and Fontainebleau is the name of a town about Whatever time of year you go, there will side of the wall. I was one to the cockpit for land- are often sad to leave on 40 miles (64 kilometres) south of Paris. It always be somewhere to climb. It does get of the first to climb which ing. The view of the carpet Monday morning. I am lies near the centre of a huge forested very hot in the summer! Possibly, the best meant I had a lot of sitting of clouds broken only by looking forward to another area which has 39 separate main areas time to go is around Easter or earlier in around watching everyone the odd mountain top was round of the European listed in the guide. the year because the friction is better. If else. Normally I wouldn’t excellent. The 2 pilots Youth cup in November and you go when it is hotter, then you always mind but the wall was right Special Equipment needed – Le Pof! landed the plane smoothly I am sure like the other have the excuse it was too hot and I could next to an ice rink and it North of Fontainebleau is a huge shopping and no they didn’t let me team members will be not stick that sloper. Unless you are really was freezing. centre, which has a large sports shop, touch anything. hoping to improve on their good and attempting the harder problems which sells ‘pof’ and other climbing gear’. We all climbed our second performances in in the forest it will not affect you. We then had to drive from qualifying route in the Albertville. What is Pof? Geneva airport to Les Circuits and Grading System afternoon. I finished 12th. Well it is powdered pine resin, and comes Albertville. There are colour-coded circuits to follow, Julia Worboys climbed well as a sticky yellow powder. Normally which are of a similar standard throughout. The next day the real on her second route wrapped in a large piece of cotton and tied climbing began. We were in coming 7th but finishing off. It is then used to increase friction Easiest are the young kids white circuits isolation zone bright and 14th overall. on the tiny footholds, which are so typical. for people up to 10 years old or so. Then early but unlike most When you are climbing in the forest, you there are yellow, orange, green, blue, light isolation zones this one will often hear the distinctive sound of a blue, red, black, black and white and finally wasn’t extremely boring. large ball of pof hitting the rock. the hardest white circuits, which will test It was in a sports hall and [by Abigail Egan] even the best climbers in the world. [NB: Pof is NOT to be used for Bouldering in Britain!]

See Next Issue for Useful French Climbing Words

6 7 Lucy Creamer Profile [by Anne Arran]

Name - Lucy Creamer AA - What is your approach to life? Age - 28 LC - In isolation and on the crag I don’t Sports climbing compare myself to other people Onsight - 7c when thinking how to train because Red point - 8a+ everyone has different needs. Feeling good about things and people often helps things fall into Onsight ‘Ghost Train’ - E7 6b place better. I like to explore a Competition wide selection of activities, dif- Reigning British Champion ferent places and meeting people. If you can’t do anything exciting Life style - Cool customer what is the point! Putting myself in Occupations - Climbing instructor different situations helps learning and life model about who I am. Lucy started climbing at the age of 17 on a City and Guilds course in Sports and Recreation Management. She enjoys gym- nastics, basketball, volleyball and most recently as exciting alter- natives to climbing. AA- Do you think that being involved in With climbing Lucy has shown a rare dili- other sports has helped your cool gence and focus and I have seen many a head? belayer struggling to keep up on mammoth wall sessions. Having shared many an LC - Yes, I have always been involved in isolation zone, comp party in foreign competition in other sports. There places and a penchant for sea cliffs I was is no point in getting stressed. keen to find out more. Having confidence in your own ability and staying calm is crucial. Anne Arran - You are a known as a partic- Always think up and never think of ularly smooth climber, how do you climbing down - it is not an option. manage to hold it together so well? (This must have been helpful on Lucy Creamer - When climbing I concen- Ghost Train on the 40ft runout. trate on finding a balance point with Lucy did say though that she was in body position. After a while you good shape at the time and wouldn’t AA - The Future - work? don’t have to think, it just feels envy anyone trying it who wasn’t.) LC - I would like to become a stunt right. I always look for rests and AA - What training do you do? woman. Being creative with the then take them. Placing gear is a body is good for me and that is natural progression and a big part LC - I do training in the gym and also why life modelling is fun. of climbing for me. strength training on my biceps. Weight training can also help to stop muscle imbalance. I like yoga [Photos: Tim Glaisby] as a form of relaxation and also stretching, swimming and running.

8 9 Heading Back to Straight arm Frog it [by Susanna Perkins] Natalie is resting and contemplating her next the Hills move. Keeping your arms straight when doing moving his Since the last ice age ended 10,000 years big moves on steep ground saves energy. centre of ago the uplands of Britain have been open gravity close for people to enjoy. In years gone by to the rock people walked across the fells on their way High rockover ready to to neighbouring villages, and today many of spring. Stephanie Bodet gracefully these ancient routes are still used by hill transferring all of her weight walkers and climbers on their way to the onto one foot to move up. crags. Recently, however, fences and “Keep out” notices have been springing up as some land owners have decided to keep Improvisation the land for their private use. ’97 FIBO champion Ludo Laurence Technique pushing the limits of what is possible with In November this year the a strenuous special Government announced body press. [by Anne Arran] that it will introduce new laws to give people the Egyptian right to walk in the uplands. (You may have Marrietta Uhden keeping her heard this called the ‘Right hips close to the wall to obtain to Roam’). All the land in Britain is owned maximum balance and reach. by somebody, so with this new right come responsibilities on all of us to take care of Flagging the land. For example, many farmers keep their sheep in the uplands, and during the Andreas Bindhammer performing spring it is important not to disturb the a strenuous lock off on a small Dyno ewes and their lambs. Moorlands are also hold. He hangs his leg down to Miles Gibson important places for rare ground nesting reduce the strain on his arms. jumps for it birds and other wildlife. As walkers and climbers, we need to remember the inter- ests of the farmers, birds and animals with Focus whom we share the hills. Marietta focusing hard to complete the next move. Levitation [Note: the new laws will not come into effect for a few years. They will only affect uplands and moorlands; lowland Katie Brown farmland is not included.] moving in Bridging mysterious ways! Legs spread wide across the bomb-bay to save energy whilst recovering an arm.

[Photos: John Arran] 10 11 Ready, Steady,

That evening we dived into bowls of Wilf’s chilli and The British speed climbing championships were held in then watched a set of slides October at the Foundry in Sheffield. which showed climbing all It is the first champi- and missed - shattered over the world. onship of its kind held in dreams! In the morning I got up early Britain and could catch on Plus points to speed and packed my gear for like bouldering comps. climbing going home that evening. I had breakfast, which con- What is it? • It is fun to hurl sisted of hot Readybrek yourself up a wall Well the idea is that you (and loads of sugar!) and race up the wall against • There is no lengthy went over to the main hut another climber on a similar isolation with my stuff. I met my new route to hit a buzzer. You partner for that day (which • You almost certainly get then swap routes with your was Eve Prickett) and we to climb more than once fellow Linford and the BMC Lakes Meet had a chat. I learnt that she cumulative fastest time Minus points used to be in the British over the 2 routes wins. I arrived at Rawhead hut at At about 11pm we turned in gear and took shelter while Climbing Team so I knew she • The moves are not as about 8.45pm and I was the for the night, after social- the rain dampened the rock. was good! We decided There are 2 Basic interesting as in other last to get there. After ising with the other In the end we decided to (although it was such a hard Techniques climbing settling in we were all members of the meet. just start climbing, since it decision!!) to head for the 1. For the very strong - Pull • For those who are not well ushered into the main hut didn’t look like it was going great indoors (Kendal Wall) I woke up bright and early on yourself up with your arms practiced in the art and where we made ourselves to stop anyway. because the rain was horri- Saturday morning looking moving from hold to hold do not warm up and down comfortable. We then went ble and all the other forward to a day’s climbing. We had decided to do a 2- whilst pedaling your feet well, muscles can be round the circle taking it in intelligent people on the I had breakfast and brought mild VS and Sue led the against the wall, primarily extremely sore the next turns to introduce our- meet followed, yet some mad my gear into the main hut first pitch with ease. I using smears only. day. Oh, if you don’t warm selves and saying what we maniacs did brave the where I met Sue. When we followed her steps and met up risk of injury is huge. liked. After that we were elements. 2. For the cautious or weak - set off it was drizzling but her at the bottom of the put with our chosen part- Dyno from side to side up Just in case you are think- I didn’t let it get me down second pitch, and after When we got there Eve and I ners for the following day’s the wall leaping as far as ing this is mindless fun because I was looking some fumbling I belayed her did some bouldering and climbing. I was put with a you can off the last check out the UKR women forward to getting some up. When we were both up- then moved on to do some lady called Sue Logan who foothold. Speed is high speed climbers at the multi-pitch routes done. We top we gathered our stuff leading on the main wall. It unlike me has done most of risk. Dependant on the Entre-prises UIAA World had decided to go to Gimmer and walked down to the was good to climb with a her climbing outdoors. We route a combination of the Championships – They are but when we got there the bottom of the crag. We had really good climber like Eve. had a chat and set about techniques can be applied. serious and can probably do wind was up dramatically so lunch and then went up the choosing the crag and the At the end of the day I was more pull ups than 99% of after some hard thinking(!) crag about 100 yards where The faster you go the less routes we wanted to do. picked up by a really nice gripped? readers. and saying goodbye to we did a single-pitch route in control you are and the Discovery and taken home. Kate’s collie, Jess, we both and then abseiled down. more likely you are to fall British Speed Climbing decided to go a little lower I really enjoyed the meet and suffer instant disquali- Championships results On the way back we went to a and go to Wallow-barrow and learnt a lot from it, and fication. Even the best farmhouse that sold teas Men - 1 Gareth Parry, 2 Crag instead. It was a lot would definitely go to make mistakes. Elena and cakes and then headed James Durant & 3 Neil Carson less windy there and we were another meet in the future. Ochinikova an experienced back to the hut. in less danger of being Russian (now American) Women - 1 Siohban Coughlan, 2 [By Holly Higginbotham] blown off the rock! When we speed climbing champion Anne Arran & 3 Rebecca Allen got there we dumped our made a leap for the buzzer

[Leah Crane on a BMC Meet Photo: Anne Arran] 12 13 Answers to last issue’s quiz last - a. to Answers

Photo A Family Fun Day at Plas y Brenin

Challenge The letter arrived inviting briefing for our activi- 1. How high is this mountain? us to a family fun day at ties. We split into two the famous outdoor centre groups, one group was

Abigail Egan Plas y Brenin as gripped? doing kayaking in the members. We had just swimming pool and the broken up from school so it other was Canadian canoe- seemed like the best way ing on the lake. I chose to start the holidays. We the kayaking in the pool, travelled down on Friday as it would be my first b. night straight after time! It was wicked!!! With A school and stayed at a lots of team games and campsite 10 minutes down splashing around plus we the road from Plas y got an extra swim at the Brenin. That night we were end. This was followed by

c. all very excited and the lunch in the bar and a

Plas y BreninPlas atmosphere was electric chance to have a chat. with apprehension. After lunch we took to the 2 What is this bird? We got up in the morning slopes and tried skiing. and hurriedly packed up Some people were experts the tent and then the car already and shot past us with all our things. We beginners. The slow coach- drove to Plas y Brenin only es started from halfway at to find we were 15 minutes first and worked up to the early and had to wait in top – it was scary!!! the car. When 9.15 eventu- Finally we went climbing ally came we grabbed our and bouldering inside. We bags and raced to the were getting pretty tired entrance. by this time but we man- As we opened the door, the aged to get some good ADRENALIN TESTED smell of chlorine surged climbs in and Sarah’s dad 3 Who is this? out to meet us from the climbed using only one leg! pool and we could see I had a great time and I people on the . definitely think we should Up the steps was a queue do it again but for longer of people waiting to hire this time! equipment and our instructor Anna who was [Tessa Fordham] ready to give us our THE SPIRIT OF CLIMBING

HB CLIMBING EQUIPMENT BANGOR GWYNEDD WALES LL57 4YH TELEPHONE 01248 370813 FAX 01248 371150 14 4 And who is this? E-MAIL: [email protected] INTERNET: http://www.hb.wales.com BMC Youth Membership - what you get:

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• Exclusive gripped? members’ events - Last year saw gripped? members explore Snowdonia on the gripped? mountain meet. This year Plas y Brenin will be involved in hosting another BMC gripped? event in Summer 2000 and a series of short drop in ses- sions on a variety of climbing and mountaineering related topics. Look out for regional youth meets near you. • Discounts on BMC Publications Discounts on BMC events Including competitions like the 2000 British Regional Youth Competition Climbing series, festivals and Next Step training weekends. • Personal Accident and Liability Insurance - Up to £50,000 personal accident and up to £2 million personal liability insurance. • BMC Summit Magazine All for only £8.50 !!! To become a member of gripped? you should be under 18 and have a keen interest in climbing, mountaineering or hillwalking. All you then need to do is fill in the slip below and send a cheque, payable to British Mountaineering Council to the address below. British Mountaineering Council 177-179 Burton Road, Manchester M20 2BB.

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