Thailand in a nutshell

After a long silence, here we go. Sorry for being silent so long – have no excuses, really, as have no work nor other obligations to fulfill at the moment.

So after Yangshuo, in early December, me, Ben and Hans headed to a little island in Thailand, called Koh Yao Noi. Alex (the apple crumble guy) was already there, and Ben and Ange joined us a day or two later. Koh Yao Noi is a lovely little island between Phuket and Tonsai, inhabited by about 4000 Thai. It was refreshing to actually see locals on the island, and for example kids playing soccer on the school yard while we were driving past on our mopeds.

Climbing in Koh Yao Noi was pretty cool, although most of the climbs developed there are not very hard. I will attach some pictures here from the island – also a way to avoid writing more ;).

(If you want to hear a bit more from Koh Yao Noi or see more pictures, check out my Finnish blog and pictures here).

Hansueli being funny :)

Where is it?

Lonely boat in Koh Yao Noi

At the Hang

Exciting approach to the Watchtower

Exciting exit from the Watchtower, Ben Sears in the water

View from the Watchtower

Our bungalow at Koh Yao Noi

After Koh Yao Noi, we headed to Tonsai for 6-7 weeks. On my part, Tonsai was not a place to tick hard climbs – I did not finish my main project for the trip, my motivation was quite low most of the time, I had aches in my body and oh, did I already mention motivation? Anyway, Tonsai is a nice place to relax… At least I will remember the New Year of 2011/2012 – we were at the top of a multipitch when the year changed and looked at the fireworks from above.

Me and Ben left Tonsai on the 8^th of February and crossed the border to Laos on the 10^th (Ben accidentally overstayed his visa for one day – I had had to go to Malaysia for a visa run so I had still days left; oh yeah, so I did spend a full day and two night in Penang and eating myself fat). We had a horrendous 18-hour busride from Krabi to Bangkok, spent a day there, took a night train to Udonthani, and a bus to Nakhom Phanom (a little city at the border of Thailand and Laos) and crossed the border to Laos to a town called Tha Khek by an “International Thailand-Laos bus”.

We have just finished our 2-3 weeks of climbing in Tha Khek with Joseph, Ashley and Joe’s sister and her boyfriend Phil. I think from GreenClimbers website you can get a pretty good general idea how the climbing is like in Thakhek. I might write more about it next time, but now it’s time to sleep – early wake up call tomorrow!!!

Yangshuo Climbing Festival

 

 In my last blog post I promised some pictures... Above me onsighting Proud Sky (7a+). And below me on China White (7b), that I got on the 3rd try. It was hard for me!

The festival was a bit of a chaos, but I had fun anyway. There was a flash contest on real rock – everyone turning in their sheet took part in a lucky draw (but no points were counted). I didn’t get lucky. BUT, I also took part in a bouldering competition, pull-ups competition and jumaring.

The boulder problems in the qualifications were rather easy – I flashed three and got the fourth one on the second go (just a stupid mistake on the first try). We were maybe around 20 contestants, of which 8 went into finals. I was 1^st after the qualification round. In the finals, there were 3 problems – all too easy in my opinion, as I flashed all of them. No one else got the third problem so… Unfortunately I missed the prize-giving photograph as I was just on my way up jumaring towards the ceiling of the sports stadium – placing 1^st in females. Not bad! In the pull-ups comp I got 2^nd place with 21 pull-ups – also my personal best. Though it was a bit easier than pull-ups usually as the “pull-up” bar wasn’t a bar but two jugs at the slightly overhanging bouldering wall. 

 

 Now it's my last climbing day (until March) here in Yangshuo... So got to get back to the rock, bye!!!

Yangshuo

It’s getting cold here.

For weeks, climbers have wished the temperature to drop so that we would have better conditions to tick hard climbs. I have been quite happy with a bit warmer temperature and haven’t complained too much – so the coldness that fell upon us yesterday evening was shocking to me. I couldn’t even sit down and enjoy my dinner before I went back to my flat to get my down-jacket. Brr! I don’t regret at all anymore that I have booked a flight down to Thailand on the 12th of December (a bit sooner than what I originally planned). Now I’m sitting here on my bed, wearing my ah-so-lovely Kolon Sport down-jacket (I can hear you laughing! It’s a Korean quality brand, don’t laugh!), writing my blog though I should be sleeping (it’s midnight, and I have to wake up early to crank!). The funny thing in China is that below Yangtze-river, there is no central heating, so when it's cold, it's cold inside AND outside. At the moment the temperature outside is 6 degrees celcius, which is still not bad. But when it rains at the same time like it did today... ufff. Really, the flight to Thailand wasn't a bad idea at all!

Ok, rewind. So, I came to Yangshuo about 2,5 weeks ago. A lot of the people I met in Getu were still here – although I did miss some as I got stuck in Getu for longer (sorry Mumin, Zorbie, Xiaosai and Julien!). The town is so much more vivid than Getu – well, no wonder, this actually is a town, or a city. I rented a bedroom in a 3-bedroom flat with Matt and Max (who are sharing another bedroom). I met Matt and Max already in Getu. They are two really nice Frisco-dudes with a relaxed attitude. The third bedroom is occupied by Sunny, our flatmate. You can read from Matt’s blog what our Chinese flatmate is like. Matt pretty much sums it up!

Climbing-wise I have had my ups and downs here in Yangshuo – though it feels more like only downs. But successes come in waves as Naomi Guy said in Rock&Ice’s interview – I just have to wait for my next wave to come. I always feel better when I think about that you just CAN’T be at your best all the time.

I have enjoyed Western food, sweets and lots of desserts (thanks to Farah and Alex, dammit!) while being here – and noticed I have done that, too. I felt so heavy climbing a few days ago that I decided to cut down the dessert intake for a few days – and I must say, three days without desserts and I feel much better. Maybe the desserts have been the reason of me not climbing that well… ehm. Anyway, I caved in today - rest day apple crumble is a must! Now it’s time to sleep – Yangshuo Climbing Festival starts tomorrow. There are a lot of small competitions during festival; like who jumars the fastest, does most knots in a minute or does most pull-ups within 3 minutes. Lets see how many pull-ups I can do after this “dessertful” time in Yangshuo. Probably can feel all the freaking apple crumbles working with gravity!

Will upload some photos with the next blog post - the Chinese internet is not my friend today. Until then, keep warm or find someone to keep you warm - it helps :). Or, go have a massage - I had one today. It ended with the lady massaging my boobs. No kidding. I can add that to my list of "weird massage experiences in China". And for those curious ones (I know you are there!!!) there was no happy ending.

Getu

As for going to Yangshuo right after Petzl Roctrip, I didn’t – I decided to stay a few days longer… And another few days longer... Suddenly I realized my planned two weeks there had turned into almost a month. Great climbing, great people, great climbers, great atmosphere, great parties! (Though no ray of light through the arch for those who arrived just in time for Roctrip - we, on the other hand, enjoyed it every morning for a week before that).

Time to harvest

Although, sometimes we did crave for a little bit of variety in food… As mainly it was noodles for breakfast and rice and veggies for dinner - unless you went to a nearby town to buy supplies (which I did once) and survived with oatmeal and fruit brekkie for some time. Getu is a really, really, REALLY small and poor Chinese village, and there were basically no fruits in the whole town - if you wanted snacks, you bought "French bread" or vacuum-packed chicken feet from one of the few little shops. (And when saying "French bread", note the quotes. It was quite far from it!)

 

Chilling and watching big boys climb multipitch

DJ Dave and Sasha rocking the dancefloor

Me and Sean Villanueva enjoying the cheeseholds at the Arch

There were still a bunch of us who stayed after the Roctrip ended and I must stay, it was a more ‘chillaxed’ atmosphere then – I prefer a smaller crowd, and I also figured Yangshuo is the place everyone will go to after the Roctrip. At one point I realized I was the only Western person there to speak Chinese, so everyone turned to me had they a question. Which, to a certain point, was nice… (But I must say, the first days when I got to Yangshuo –where I am now– I spoke almost no Chinese- as phew!, no one knew I can).

 One by one people left after the masses – Yangshuo crew, my Israeli climbing buddy Leon with whom I climbed for a few days, American crew, 5.10 crew – and finally it was only me, Arthur, Sean, Aymeric, Julien and two couples we found in bamboo house in the evening. Then also Julien and Arthur took off… and finally I realized it was time for me to go, too.  We loaded to a local minivan going to Ziyun, and from there on changed to a bus to Guiyang – on the way we saw so many cliffs that it is amazing… So much potential!

CMDI wall and Pussa Yan in Getu-valley

I will keep this short as I still need to write an article and another blog post (in Finnish) about the Roctrip – and I have read so many stories from the Roctrip that I feel like I would just be repeating what everyone has already said (check out this, this or this). Anyway, Getu-valley was a great experience and it was a lucky coincidence that I happened to be in China during the Roctrip. Sent some cool routes, met very many cool people and enjoyed myself. Thanks to Erwan le Lann and all the others who made it happen! I wish I will meet all the cool people somewhere at a crag again. I am already planning a short return to Getu next year. We will see.

Me on Drill Team (7c+). Photo: Logan Barber

Getu-valley

The Great Arch

This place is amazing. So far, I like this maybe better than Yangshuo. The tourism hasn’t ruined to genuineness of people, there are less people (though not right now J) and the landscape is amazing.  On the way here, you could see people harvesting on the sides of the roads, chickens running across the street, people gathered around an enormous slaughtered pig, girls washing their hair in a bucket, old men sitting idle on the side of the road…

The first week was great – just a handful of Western climbers and local people so it was really great to chill out and climb some awesome climbs (though I think many will get better – many of them are still dirty as the traffic hasn’t been big here and some might not have been climbed at all after they’ve been put up!). I have managed to push my onsight and flash grade a bit higher and am really glad for that (and am also more consistent with onsighting grades I before might have had trouble with).

The last couple of people more and more people have arrived and I have met more international climbers here than ever before – and many of them who climb 9a’s. I don’t even recognize all the “famous” climbers as I don’t follow that much climbing news or even if I have heard a name I might not recognize the face… I was glad I got the opportunity to chat with Steve McClure about the route he put up in Baihe with John Dunne many years ago (as we were really curious how they found that piece of rock so far away from everything…!) and he was delighted that people had been trying that this year. Then yesterday, rappelling down from a 7c+ multipitch who else but Lynn Hill was behind, just finishing third pitch – a woman that I admire and it was great to see her climb. She looked like she was climbing a ladder, so easy she made it look. Here you realize how many great climbers there are in the world and how much work and effort they put into climbing – like Daniel Dulac and his self-made drill with a “chalkbag” for battery and a button to start the drill, to be able to drill hard climbs from ground up.

A great place, though now completely different from week ago. 

Michaël Fuselier sending hard stuff (this one was 8b+ I think?) with photographers shooting...

Logan getting to the anchor of the 3rd pitch on a 5-pitch 7c+ 'Ni Hao, Wo Ke Pa!"

View from above

Logan rapping down

Best pancakes in Getu-valley, 1 rmb

Last weeks in Beijing

As some of you know, I resigned from my work in Beijing a while ago. My last weeks in Beijing were spent with mixed emotions; on the other hand, I felt it was the time to leave, on the other hand, I realized why I had stayed there for such a long time (long time for me, at least). I counted in total it was about 2,5 years. And to be honest, I am not so sure I will NOT go back. At least I need to go for a visit – too many dear friends left there.  A few days ago when I visited the climbing gym people with whom I’m not even so good friends with knew that I’m leaving and told me that a good friend of mine had been “crying” on Weibo (Chinese counterpart for Facebook) that I leave Beijing.  It is always nice to know that people like you and it gives you a warm feeling inside. (However, I also do know that there are people who don’t like my personality, but that’s just how life is.)

REASONS TO LOVE BEIJING:

An old dude with a gas tank tied into his bike.

My puppy Doudou, of whom I took care for 3 weeks last year. This is how we travelled 12km's so that I could go train.

The next months I plan to commit to climbing. People always tell me things such as: “good that you do things now that you’re young”, or “yes you should go, you are still young”, or “do it while you still can”. Let’s face it, I’m not that young anymore. I am 29, an age in that many already are far ahead in their careers; maybe own a house or an apartment; are married; have kids; live a “decent” life. However, that is not the kind of life I want. At least not right now (who knows if ever). To be honest, I don’t think I ever want to follow that traditional path of a person (Finnish) society expects people to follow; get married, have two kids, buy a house and two cars with mortgage, and schedule your daily life according to picking up your kids from their hobbies. I do not look down on that kind of lifestyle, I am not saying that, not at all. All I’m saying is that it doesn’t suit me. At the same time I envy them. Sometimes I do get a feeling that that kind of life would be nice, instead of all this feeling of restlessness deep inside me. But, what can you do? Maybe one day the flame inside me flickers and calms down, but I do doubt that it will ever completely vanish. It is just how I am and how I was built. I was already thinking about moving back to Finland next year, but at the moment, I am not sure. I will wait and see what the following months bring to my path and decide. To be honest, I do miss my friends and family, new relatives and the “easy” life in Finland so who knows. I have had serious problems with making decisions lately and my plans change all the time (at least I try to plan!) so who knows where I will be in a few months.

So now again, I am keyless. Which equals to being homeless. And I enjoy this feeling. Most my property is in the heavy backpack and a smaller backpack I am carrying, including climbing gear. However, things that people say to me that I mentioned in the previous paragraph don’t make any sense. Why COULDN’T you do something when you are older? I mean, getting older doesn’t mean you still couldn’t do things I am doing now. Like move to China, study, find work, then quit my work and dedicate my life for climbing for some time. I mean, doing these things when you are older might be harder but in now means is it impossible.

So now my path took me by train to Guiyang in Guizhou province, from where I will continue to Getu-valley. My faith and trust into Chinese people is often not very strong, but on my way to the train station I needed to reconsider. I was late and almost missed my train – as a miracle, I got a ride from someone from the subway station to the train station (as there was no taxis nor 3-wheelers). A ride from a really nice Chinese man, who works for Beijing Liandong TV-station. My great gratitude goes to him! Though thinking about him also makes me feel really ashamed – the thing was that he was in his car, waiting for someone in front of the subway station. I knocked on the window, puffing, asking if he would be nice enough to take me to the train station as all the taxis speeding by where full and I was really scared I would miss my train. He was on the phone, police was behind me (that’s why there were no illegal 3-wheelers in sight) and he just said “jump in”, and asked when my train leaves. Then he said he would drop me there first and then pick up his friend. We had a nice chat in the car (he had even been to Finland), and I kind of felt that he would get offended if I offered him money. I mean, I was going to ask even though I knew he wouldn’t accept the money, but something kept me from doing it. (It wasn’t that I was cheap – I was ready to pay a ridiculous amount for a 3-wheeler driver in order not to miss my train because in any way, that would’ve been cheaper than buying a new train ticket and go through all the hassle of staying in Beijing for a few days more). Somehow I just had the feeling that it was not the right thing to do – I mean, he did it just for being a very, very nice person, he didn’t do it for money. But I could’ve asked. So now I am really mad at myself. And I don’t even have his business card so I could send him something as a thanks!

Anyway, with these feelings I arrived to Guizhou-province in Southern China. Here is a picture of my hotel room in Anshun (I had cockroaches as roommates), before I continued to Getu-valley (where I am now).

More to come ;), keep tuned! (Just as a teaser... The climbing is GREAT here!!!)

Simul-climbing

Two weeks ago, after finishing Egyptian, we had difficulty deciding what to do on Sunday, and I had threwn in the air a thought “how bout we do the 9-pitch multipitch twice, either Wangmeixinqing or Waigualiezao?” after Torsten talked about simul climbing on Saturday evening. Well, on Sunday morning I was telling the places where I could go, but didn’t have a strong urge to do anything in particular. So Torsten said “how bout we do the 9-pitcher Waigualiezao simul-climbing?”. I say “ok, why not!”.  He had done it this summer already simul-climbing.

(You can also read this story in Finnish here with some pictures).

The grade of the route was 5.10c (6a+), so nothing too hard. Plus, I had also climbed the route before already – or half of it. That time me and Fabian somehow managed to mix the two routes and ended up climbing 11 pitches, doing a variation of the two. It wasn’t anything hard so I figured simul-climbing would be fine. Only two pitches were 5.10c, one 5.10b, one 5.10a and the rest was about 5.9’s. 

Waigualiezao is the one in blue.

When Torsten climbed the route before with Xiaohe, they did it “true simul-climbing” style; without a belay-device in between. This time, we didn’t do it the “true” way; we did tie 8-knots, but also a grigri to our harnesses. This way, if the other person was going too fast or slow, we could adjust the amount of slack in between in our ca. 15m rope. It also allowed us to belay the other person safely through difficult sections – we did it three times during the route. As it wasn’t a long ago, Torsten remembered the harder sections well. Torsten led the first three or four pitches, I led the next three or four (didn’t really pay attention as we just climbed as long as we didn’t have any draws left or had just a few and stopped at an anchor) and Torsten led the last bit. So we did 2 changes of the leader during the route; last time, Torsten and Xiaohe needed to stop only once as they had about 10 more quickdraws to use.  

The piece of rope we used.

I forgot to check from my Suunto t6d if the topo was correct about the route being 245 meters long – I remembered it when we descended to the road, where it showed 222 meters, so I think the topo was quite exact. It took us a minute or two over 2 hours to finish the route.

For me, simul-climbing was an awesome experience. I could feel my heart beating while climbing, focusing on where I put my feet, just enjoying climbing without the feeling of pressure of achieving something. I really, really enjoyed it until I broke off a handhold while leading, and fell (because I was clutching to it with my both hands). Until then, I wasn’t scared at all because the route was easy – after that, I became a bit paranoid. As at the point where I fell I was going first, it was ok. Had the second person fallen at an inconvenient place, the leader might have been hurt even quite badly (well, this is what made me paranoid after that as when I was going first right then it made me think about what “could” happen if the leader well just then when I was meters above the last clip and just clipping the next one – until then, I didn’t really think about it). But, as said, we had already belayed the other person through the more difficult sections just to be safe this wouldn’t happen. But now I started checking almost every hold I was touching and that is not a fun thing I enjoy doing while climbing...

Anyway, I would definitely do it again; but still with the safety of a grigri just to be sure.