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.  

Egyptian Living on the Edge

Psyched to go to Baihe again to finish my latest project I’ve been writing about, I finished it on the second go on Saturday. (and now I first time lead the 5.8 slab leading to the route – yes, it is much nicer without a backpack and didn’t feel hard at all this time).

I felt super strong on the first go, putting up the draws, and I even passed the first crux then. Then, on the second go I finished it – nearly passing the second crux but still, passing it. I even climbed it a third time on top-rope, just for training’s sake, and to my surprise I did it clean. Though I didn’t clip out any draws then (I used the other end as I figured that I’ll just be lowered down if I fall). Torsten, the other bolter of the route finished it after me and then we started speculating about the grade. Ola, who FAed it two weeks ago thought it was a hard 7c+, but as we kind of found at least one more rest than she did we thought that 7c (though in my opinion, HARD one) could be a more suitable grade for it. As grades are very subjective… This wasn’t my style and although I did spend 4 days on it, maybe 7c is a better grade for it. Then again, Torsten’s routes are often really sandbags… Anyway, feel free to give it a go and judge yourself. I hate speculating about the grades anyway; more often they take the away the joy of finishing a route instead of making you feel good.

After finishing the route and Torsten still resting before his third go, he urged me to try a 5.11c around the corner he opened last year, called “Living on the Edge”. He told me “It is quite hard… will be a good onsight if you do it”. (Btw, did I already say that his routes are often really sandbags?)

Well... after the first clip, sweating, I am trying to find a way to move to the edge, as the beginning of the route goes near the edge. I see a tiny crimp “hmm, looks a bit loose maybe” but I have to do something, and I launch. And yes, it was loose; so I fall. I continue… just to realize that the foothold I had previously used (and not a tiny one, maybe the size of a glass) falls down – and I fall as well. Getting a bit annoyed, I say “this route apparently doesn’t want me to climb it”. As my onsight is already ruined, Torsten keeps saying to me “go closer to the edge” as I continue climbing. “The route’s name is Living on the Edge”. I say “great, you should’ve told me that earlier” as I sweat up there. “Don’t worry, Fabian was also really scared climbing near the edge”. I mumble something that I don’t like this at all; and just then, a rock size of a cat’s body I’m holding breaks apart. Luckily it didn’t fall from too high up as I was kind of almost on the level of hugging it, and just bruises my thigh. So after that, I am super scared to climb to the anchor as I was suspicious that everything I touch will just fall apart…. 

What I learned from this experience was that I really don’t like Living on the Edge. And no, I will not go back to finish the route, either.

Only in China…

Only in China… You get invited to a climbing competition, all expenses paid. And when you arrive to the airport… There are people waiting for you with a sign “World cup climbing”.

 

And no, it was not a world cup. Though there were quite a few climbers who also attended the World cup, I think all of these on the list, most of the Malaysian team, Shalagin-siblings and then a few expat climbers living in China such as myself; most of us climbing 5.13s. And also, some strong climbers from Europe such as Silviu Corciovei (Romania).

We were escorted to the village by the police...

...given flowers in the opening ceremony...

There were thousands of people watching us... Note the fake waterfalls behind them!!!

 

If I had to choose one word to describe the competition, that would be “ridiculous”. It was not really anything any climber there appreciated – except the prize money. The “competition” has been arranged already twice before, on natural rock, top-rope, speed; but the length of the routes were 65m and 75m… With a 12-minute time limit. 

Above of all, last years there were chipped holds (now I’m not sure), you could pull from slings etc… The difficulty was supposedly 5.12c for men and 5.11d/12a for women, but surely with the slings it wasn’t that hard. The rock was super dirty and slippery, and I wasn’t the only one who pulled down a rock while climbing. If that happened and you fell – well, that was it from your part. Mostly, it was a competition arranged for the people in the town; they had built a stage where the routes started (see picture on the right), and you can’t even climb there otherwise as there is a river below (and you can’t put up any more routes, either – not that the quality of the rock were the kind that you would even want to, everything came crumbling down…)

Mykhailov Shalagin took the first prize in men...

The first prize was massive 30 000 rmb (ca. 3400 e). Best 8 in both men and women got a money prize… Unfortunately I wasn’t one of them. Speed nor endurance are not my strongest points…

... and his sister, Olga Shalagina in women.

Anyway, it was a very interesting experience, one of those you can only experience here in China...!

On Sunday we enjoyed the local canyons in form of a guided tour - the spot was full of these nice signs like this...

It is not fall yet...

Hard training took it’s toll, and for a couple of days I was lying on my sofa and trying to get rid off a nasty cold with a countless number of cups of hot water with ginger and garlic. And I thought it’s not flu season yet…!

However, before that I had a really nice weekend up in Baihe again – I headed up to the newly opened route with Ola, who managed to FA it last Sunday.

This is what I saw on the way to the long distance bus stop. Lice on duty...

I gave the route three goes on Saturday, and on Sunday, against my previous thoughts I thought what the heck, I might as well lead it. The falls are not too bad as it is overhanging, but a bit scary as there are blocks that come out of the wall and you might hit them if you’re unlucky. I gave it a go, however. First try… Not too bad, but a still bit insecure – and the clip sequence I had thought would work didn’t really work on lead right before the crux, so my clipping position was super hard and there went my energy for the first crux. Second go, quite good, but fell at the first crux. Low point from below the crux to the anchor though. Ola had already sent the route and climbed it once for trainings sake on top-rope, trying to rest as little as possible.

Third go… Should I do it? As it is very strenuous route, I didn’t think I’d have enough power to try it… but you can’t win unless you play, right?! So I gave it a go anyway, thinking that it is good for training if nothing else… To my surprise, it was my best try and even with a shorter rest than between the first and the second go. I managed to get through the first crux move, but it is not easy after that either – quite a few pumpy moves until you get to a good hold, and that’s were my power endurance gave in. Dammit! I was still quite glad as last weekend I thought it would take even a longer time until I can think of finishing the route. It is around 5.13a (7c+), and reminds me of another 7c+ route in Baihe I still haven’t finished – power endurance and not really my style. But soon, I hope…!!! Hopefully I can find someone to go there with me when I go to Baihe. Tomorrow I will head to Changzhi to an interesting competition… more about that later! (and no, this one is not the World Cup).

Trying some moves again after the first lead try... (Actually, this was more like posing for the picture and looking like I climb - there was actually no place for rest here). And it doesn’t really look overhanging from below…

But from another possible belay point where you can better dodge the falling stones… a little bit more.

But now, time for a new adventure to Changzhi. I've still got like 5 hours before I need to wake up to catch my flight, sponsored by CMA...

Poop story, part II: Ms. Muscle a.k.a. the Sewage Gal

ADULT CONTENT. NO PICTURES PROVIDED.

All good stories are ruined with a bad sequel, right?

This one will be, too.

In the morning, I quickly exited the apartment and didn’t look around if the neighbours where there to wish them good morning. Happily almost forgetting the whole poop episode during the day (or at least, the shame of it), I came home after a relaxing massage and waited for my friends to arrive to watch a movie.

But then… I heard some noise outside and I realized, dammit, now they are cleaning the manhole! Cowardously I went upstairs to “hide” (yes, our hutong has two floors!) and wait until they were gone, hoping that my friends would be late as I had to pick them up from the bigger street (hutong can also be quite a labyrinth sometimes). As I didn’t really want to leave the apartment anymore…

Unluckily my friend Laura just called me then and said that she is on her way and would meet me in 5 minutes on the bigger street… So no choice left, I turned off the lights and left the apartment. Then I heard “OH! Someone is home!”. It was the “sewage guy”. Or not really, I don’t know who he was – someone my neighbour had called anyway, wearing a clean white suite t-shirt and clean pants. Definitely not a sewage guy. “Hey, you can’t poop in the hutong. This has to be cleaned.” I just said “Yeah yeah I’ll do it”, but the lady next door just kept yapping about how it smells and has already been like that 2 days etc. etc…

Already so ashamed that I just wanted to jump in the manhole and disappear, I just muttered “Ok ok, I will take care of it”. Then she asks me when my flatmate (a guy) will be back, to which I answered “next week”. She keeps mostly talking to the guy and says “OHHHHHH, next week, she can’t do it herself, she is a girl”. BLING!!! The magic words have been said.

The guy then asks: “Will we get someone to fix this and you will pay?” – “NO. I WILL CLEAN IT TONIGHT”. Besides the magic words, I couldn’t stand the humiliation of a “real” sewage guy coming along with his three mates and all the neighbours watching…

I pick up my friends and we watch a (bad) movie and every once in a while I remember my task that awaits me… And try actively to forget it. After the movie my friends leave (and now they also think it stinks outside – well of course it does ‘cos the neighbours had opened the manhole and it’s not closed properly). So I put my headlamp on, gloves on, lift up the manhole and peek in.

And now the bad ending that ruins all the sequels. I didn’t even really SEE any poop – just dirt, clay and lots of small stones that I lifted into a bucket with a pink plastic plate (sorry flatmate, I had to make that sacrifice). And oh, two earthworms. I did use a lot of Mr. Muscle to get rid of the smell – anyhow, I am quite convinced it will smell more easily now as most of the clay and stuff that has contained the smell has been removed. But at least now I know that everything that goes into our toilet or floor drain comes directly out of the pipe into the manhole. Well, Mr. Muscle, you will be a welcomed guest anytime and I think I will use you frequently from now on. One peek in a manhole was enough for me – I hope Poop story III has a lack of funding and will never be realized.

The lesson of the story: never ever poop in a hutong apartment.

Poop story

As a background information for the story, I live in a hutong.

In our hutong there is a toilet (in many of the hutongs, there is not). However, you cannot poop in the toilet as the pipes are not suitable for big poops. But, my flatmate told me that if you are sick or so, they do go through so you don’t have to run to the common toilets that are about 100 meters away.

So in order to go poop, I walk down this alley….

And go do my thing in here.

Another important background information: my neighbours probably hate my flatmate. Once when he came home drunk he couldn’t enter through the first ”big door” as his key didn’t work for some reason (after that door, there are about 4 families who live in the small side alley, including us). So, he was quite loud and mad…. So the next day, almost all the neighbours gathered around and were blaming him for being loud in the middle of the night and now their "guanxi" might not be the best...

Weeeeeeeell....

I think now our neighbours hate me, too.

I'm soooooo embarrassed now, and that doesn't happen too often!!!

Well... the story is... that I've had kind of a "la duzi" lately (meaning diarrhea; or just very “runny stuff”). Well not really, but the poop has been quite fluid lately anyway.... ehhe.... SOOOOOOO... I've been lazy.... (or not, but if I go to the common toilet it never comes!!!! and then suddenly I need to go....) SOOOOOOOO...... I figured that it doesn't matter as long as it goes through the toilet, and I have done it a few times...... PFFFFFFFFF.... well........... IT DOES MATTER.....

Almost immediately when I came home, our neighbour (a young guy living with his mom in the hutong next door) came to say to me that “Please dont poop in your toilet. Now all the shit has gathered in the sewage (the manhole in front of their door) and it smells really bad.....!!!!!”

So I don't think I ever want to come out of the apartment again......................... (and no, I cannot blame my flatmate as he has been in France for a few days now and the neighbours know he's not home...)

Baihe’s 5.8 slab almost kicked my ass

After a couple of nights I gave up trying to jailbreak my iPhone myself (that I inherited from my cousin; thanks Ben!) as all the IPSW bundles I downloaded were wrong… and my internet connection is not the fastest… So I went to a Chinese IT-market ”Bainaohui” and got it fixed for 100 CNY. Probably got ripped off, but whatever, at least it works now! And I can tell you, it feels like I am a completely new person after using the cheapest models for years... Funny what technology can do to you!?

Climbing-wise, I have been kind of unmotivated this week. Or it comes and goes; like on Thursday I really wanted just to have a rest-day, but thanks to some prep-talk I did go to O’le anyway to do my training, before my poker games. Despite on being supertired on Wednesday, I felt strong and good. However, spending one month in Finland and not climbing anything I wanted to (not from lack of trying at least!), I have tried to focus on just enjoying climbing without the pressure to ”succeed”. I mean, after ticking some hard routes earlier this year here in China I felt the immense pressure when I went to Finland – and I think it is partly the pressure that didn’t let me climb anything hard (and also lack of power endurance). Or then I just don’t have the head for it.

I am kind of a ”vastarannan kiiski” in many ways, and when people assume or want me to do something I do exactly the opposite… Subconsciously even. It is quite the opposite when I am challenged into something, or I challenge myself into something – I give everything and a bit more. ”You can’t do this” are the childish words that work for me eheh. I have however decided to train harder… And be ready for new kinds of routes later this year, the kind that I am never been good at (more overhanging and power endurance stuff – as my friend Ola so nicely told me on Saturday ”You really suck on overhanging stuff!”). I know I will be stuck between a rock and a hard place many times but I am prepared for it.

On Saturday there was a competition at O’le – so in the hope of good prizes I went there instead of Baihe. The competition was more of a ”fun” kind, a difficulty competition (if you just got up the route you won a prize) and speed-climbing with ski boots and gloves on (women without gloves though as everyone competed in the same category). I won climbing shoes, after miraculously placing 3rd in the speed-climbing (after World Champ Olga Shalagina who’s training at our gym now, and a supertall Chinese friend of mine, Zhang Rui) – as those who know me I am not the fastest climber eheh, but apparently skiboots work for me ;). The number inside the balloon that I grabbed when finishing the difficulty route didn’t give me the nice down-jacket I’ve been drooling over though; I got a harness instead… What a disappointment!

After the competition I got a ride to Baihe with some people from the gym – when arriving to the crag after spending the night in Guolaosi, this is how they set up their camp for the day… A very common view when climbing with Chinese people. Luckily Torsten saved me from ”camping out” and I could start climbing.

There is still one 5.12b I have eyed at the Beginner, trying to save it for onsight… And I had thought that this is the day, screw it, I will try it anyway (as I know it is not my style – looks like you need a lot of power endurance and I don’t have it at the moment). And as I looked up, first I was delighted – the draws are up there already from the day before…. And looking further up…. The last third of the route was wet!!! ARGH!!!! Stupid waterfall that suddenly has grown… (The route is on the left of the waterfall, going diagonally from the left, following the crack and finishing around halfway the wet section. There is another pitch after that.).

So instead I climbed a few routes just to get some meters done (5.12b and 5.12d I have done before but couldn’t do a repeat on one go – not very surprising) and then we headed up to a new project Ola and Torsten bolted a couple of weeks ago. First pitch is a 5.8 slab…. And what a scary one! Torsten went first as I didn’t have ambition for 5.8 onsight… And oh my, Baihe 5.8 slabs… Following him with a backpack and clipstick (that he didn’t need after all), already on the first bolt after clipping out the draw I felt the urge to crab the bolt… Same happened on the second one, though I still resisted but only ’cos I was thinking it’s a 5.8… After fourth one, it was REALLY a 5.8 in my opinion, but before that… Hrphm. Or on how many 5.8’s do you a) need to smear (no proper footholds) and crimp to get to the next hold, or b) just stand on slab and step up without handholds?

The project we went to is the second pitch; an overhanging route seen in the picture below, with a hanging belay from where the overhanging section starts. I did all the moves on the first try (top-rope), but it is a really pumpy and power endurance route. Difficult to say how hard it is, but I guess somewhere around 5.13a. I don’t think I can finish it within the few remaining weekends I have here in Baihe, with my current power endurance… But at least it’s a good training route if nothing else.

Ps. See the blue sky?!?! So it is not a myth here in Beijing, either...

Back in Beijing, back in business

Arriving back to Beijing after one month’s holiday in Finland, what waited for me was pollution, of course – and my first jetlag ever. Funny things happen when you get older I guess. Also somehow I have a sore ankle after last night’s sleep!?

Today the weather in Beijing surprised me again. I was going to Ritan-park to do a rope-climbing session as I definitely need more power endurance in the coming months – but as I was grocery shopping in Jenny Lou’s nearby and ready to step my foot outside, it was pouring down rain. No sign of rain just some minutes before, and suddenly all the streets are flooding. So instead I waited for the rain to stop (it didn’t, but at least it wasn’t raining so hard anymore) and came home and started my blog – finally. I still do intend to go to O’le climbing to do my training, but I am gathering some motivation and strenght first – as it is an 8-9 km bikeride one-way and my buttocks are still hurting from yesterday’s bikeride. That’s what happens when you don’t bike for a month. In Ritan-park, the wall is outdoors, so the holds will be soaken wet. Besides, I think they close if it rains.

More to come, enjoy the ride.