Thursday, June 9
Wednesday, June 1
Mini Market Survey
Some benefits:
Reduces pain
Allows better lymphatic drainage
Elastic (so allows better range of motion)
taping can be modified for different injuries
if applied correctly, may last up to 3-5days per application (yes you can bathe with it on)
I've tried it on my wrist (tendonitis) recently and feel that it helps, less pain and better ROM than conventional rigid taping. I'm not sure whether it's a placebo effect though, so if you guys are interested to try it out, let me know. Each roll of tape costs $25 (but it is a relatively large roll, and lasts longer than rigid tape). I've read some of the basics on this type of taping so I may be able to tape for you if you need to learn the basics. If you are looking to immobilize your joint however, i still recommend rigid taping. but for tendonitis and muscular injuries, i find this tape works well. If there's enough interest I can try to ask for better price on the tape.
Some links for you to read if you're interested:
SpiderTech
KT Tape
Alex Puccio and various other world cup climbers use it too!
Disclaimer: I'm recommending this tape as a stop-gap measure when your injury is mild, or you are recovering and coming back to climbing. It's not meant to be a cure so please don't push too hard if you are injured! Tape is not a substitute for strengthening exercises, icing/massage and a good physiotherapist. (:
Sunday, May 22
haha take a look at this:
http://www.ascendanceproject.com/
they climb and dance at the same time.
Saturday, May 21
9b Chaxi Raxi nuff said
BD athlete Adam Ondra making the first ascent of Chaxi Raxi (9b) at Oliana, Spain from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.
see guys lead climbing is just long term bouldering =D
Sunday, May 15
world cup bouldering
they're past the qualifiers now (and i only just got to know about it) and they'll have their finals later on i think. so plenty of climbing action still to come!
k
Thursday, May 12
For the over-psyched... (Yes Jiawei, I'm talking to you)
By Gordon Turner - Chartered Physiotherapist
Gordon Turner is the Manager of Glenmore Lodge Sports Medicine Centre, located within the Scottish National Sports Centre at Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore.
An injury at any time of year can be one of your worst nightmares. You may have a treasured trip to the Alps planned or may be looking forward to your first 7a route. Whatever your aspirations, an injury can be devastating, both physically and psychologically.
There are hazards in most aspects of climbing and we have a responsibility to take appropriate precautions to minimise risk of injury from these hazards. If you are unlucky enough to be injured then you must accept the setback as best possible. However if your injury is due to poor preparation or neglect, then I believe you have disregarded an important responsibility. Training is becoming more common within the climbing fraternity. If you do train regularly (for whatever purpose), it is worth noting that a high incidence of soft tissue injury occurs during training. You should also acknowledge that correct training is paramount to preventing injury. The subject of training is being addressed more widely now, with symposiums, articles and books covering the relevant details. I urge you to consider your training regime carefully and decide if it is safe and specific to your needs.
An area of increasing concern is overuse injuries. These types of injuries include tendonitis, bursitis, compartment syndrome and stress fractures. it is a misconception that these injuries restrict themselves to elite athletes. Indeed they are increasingly common amongst climbers. It can take a long time to recover, from what is all too often an avoidable injury. it can be much harder to treat and manage a long standing overuse injury, than to address the problem at an early stage - preferably before it shows itself. It is your responsibility to minimise risks . Remember, overuse injuries are avoidable , provided some basic precautions are followed. An overuse injury occurs when structures or body systems cannot withstand or adapt to repetitive forces. It is this repetitive microtrauma and repeated exposure of the tissue to low magnitude forces, which results in injury at a microscopic level.
It is essential to understand that basic physiological changes take place during all soft tissue injuries. Healing can be artificially divided into three stages - reaction, regeneration and remodelling. Every injury will pass through these stages in some proportion. Time scales will vary, but each stage can be influenced - for the better or the worse - by your actions. Overuse injuries follow a “pain cycle”. Unless this “cycle” is broken, chronic problems will occur.
Pain Cycle of Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries can be broadly divided into 4 grades:
Type 1 = Pain after activity only.
Type 2 = Pain during activity, not restricting performance.
Type 3 = Pain during activity, restricting performance.
Type 4 = Unremitting pain.
Their causes, amongst others, may include mechanical imbalances; a history of previous injury; psychosocial factors, equipment, footwear or growth factors. A common joint affected in climbers is the shoulder. For example, mechanical imbalances are an alteration of structure and function, which manifests itself in a variety of combinations of muscle tightness or weakness and poor alignment of body segments. An alteration of muscle length due to poor training regime, poor posture or anatomical factors may alter the joint function - both neurologically and mechanically. This is commonly known as muscle imbalance.
The assessment of sports injuries is a complex task, requiring a professional approach. Diagnosis and the progressions of rehabilitation should be left to a sports medicine chartered physiotherapist or sports medicine doctor. Early, appropriate intervention is important and the majority of overuse injuries respond well to conservative rehabilitation and management. Delayed or inappropriate management of overuse injuries, can have a detrimental effect on your recovery time and future performance.
Many climbers are aware of the principles of acute soft tissue management, but few are aware of what to do if an overuse injury does rear its ugly head. A few basic principles are outlined below and it is worth following this advice in the early stages of an overuse injury.
Type 1:
- Reduce your workload by 25%
- Ice massage the injured part after training
- Introduce a stretching programme
- Warm-up the area prior to climbing
Type 2:
- Reduce your workload by 50%
- Modify your training regime
- Ice massage after climbing
- Stretching programme
- Seek thorough sports medicine assessment
Type 3:
- Complete rest from activity - active rest
- All others as Type 2
- Judicious use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or injections
Type 4
- Exhaust all conservative methods of rehabilitation
- Seek expert opinion about surgical intervention
Finally it is essential that you think carefully about what may have caused this injury.
- Have you been following an intensive training schedule without appropriate rest days?
- Is your technique correct?
- Have you recently changed your footwear or equipment?
- Remember, there must be a reason for the injury - what is it? Once you discover this , you have addressed the crux of the problem and can take steps to correct it!
Tuesday, May 10
Friday, May 6
Another Cool Video
NO NUMBERS from Jure Niedorfer on Vimeo.
btw the next boulder world cup is happening this weekend in Slovenia! look out for live streams so you can watch (: or just wait for therealudini's youtube highlight reel.
Thursday, May 5
For people buying climbing shoes...
Choosing the Right Shoe for the Right Job
Though there are many ways to climb, and lots of gear to use, the single most important piece of gear is always your climbing shoe. With so many types of climbing shoes, how do you pick the right one?
Most of us will end up having several pairs for several different uses, eventually. For myself, there are about 3 styles that I’ve found myself using for everything, over the years, with occasional experiments when a really snazzy new shoe comes out. Once you figure out what fits and works for you, you will have a good toolbox of 2-3 shoes that work perfectly, depending on what you want to climb..."
It can be summed up with a few simple rules about soft versus stiff shoes.
The softer the rock, the softer the shoe, and vice versa. Also, the steeper the rock, the softer the shoe, and vice versa. And to add one more element to the mix, the lighter and smaller you are, the softer the shoe, and vice versa. So a light, small-footed person climbing steep, soft rock would want the softest possible shoe. A heavy person climbing vertical, hard rock would want an extremely stiff shoe.
For example, if you are a light person climbing super steep sandstone, the Project is a great choice, and the Dragon if you are heavier. The Moccasym is also a great, soft shoe for sandstone, particularly cracks.
If you are a light person climbing technical limestone, you might choose the Anasazi LV (medium amount of stiffness), and if you are a heavy person on the same rock you could try the Anasazi lace-up (slightly stiffer) to get the same performance.
If you are a light person climbing on granite, one of the hardest type of rock, you would probably then go for the Lace-up. The heavier person would probably get better results with the Newton or Verde.
Although I used to wear ridiculously tight shoes, I find that they work better for me when they are wearable from the get-go. I tend to size all my shoes a half-size down from my hiking shoe size, unless it’s an all-day situation with less difficult climbing, in which case I go bigger, the same size as my hiking shoe.
Think about what kind of climbing you mostly do, and choose the shoe that you think will fit that. When it’s time for another pair, go for the shoe that fits another type of climbing, maybe for an upcoming trip. After a while, you’ll have found your real stand-bys for fit and performance, and if you’re like me, those will be your favorites for the rest of your life. I personally use Moccasyms and Anasazi Lvs for almost everything I climb, and can’t imagine being without them! I also really like the Anasazi Lace-ups, the Projects and the old Zlippers (I have a few cherished pairs) for certain other specific uses.
To a certain point, gear is gear, but you MUST have the right shoes."
Source: http://fiveten.com/community/blog/8820-choosing-the-right-climbing-shoesa-tutorial-by-five-tenr-elite-athlete-steph-davis#comments
Wednesday, April 27
Video!
CWIF 2011: Highlights Film from The Climbing Works on Vimeo.
Nice wall, nice routes, nice holds and nice video editing. My opinion anyway.
Thursday, April 21
Sunday, April 17
Interesting boulder comp
2011 HEART OV ZTEEL • Highlights! from Jon Glassberg on Vimeo.
must learn from Natasha Barnes. if you're gonna fall off, at least grab some cash while doing it. :p
Thursday, April 14
looking back
to let you guys know i'll never forget.....
ali baba - still looking the same! haha.
serene - hope ur ankle gets better!
lamb - dont study liao, come gym climb.
just for fun: limzy the great
presenting our new team manager:
janet - part of nus once! ;) haha.
chris. hahahaha.
ailin - may you grow to be like cass and terrorise ur juniors too. :)
our girls team manager:
yu don - arm fix back liao, can climb already. haha
yong cong
kaiyan
and mr ah beng aaron
Saturday, April 9
How to Save a Life
After reading through the article and following the link on the page leads to a worldwide bone marrow donor programme. I found out that we too can register in Singapore. http://www.bmdw.org/index.php?id=addresses_members&no_cache=1&tx_spdirectory_pi1[mode]=detail&tx_spdirectory_pi1[modifier]=zip&tx_spdirectory_pi1[value]=19&cHash=e4dac07ce1
Copied from http://www.climbforlife.it/site/en:
We were in Madagascar, during one of our rare days of rest, and Adam had already climbed Tough Enough. While rested doing nothing at all Adam was doing pull-ups on a raft in the roof of our hut.We were discussing bone marrow and I could see he was curious to know more about the topic. “You take a simple blood test and then you are registered in the world wide potential bone marrow donor data-base and you then remain available until you become 55 years old, for anybody who may need a bone marrow transplant compatible with yours. The possibility of the donation actually taking place are very very low because compatibilities are rare, but at least your are there, ready for anybody who might need your help regardless of who or where he is in the world.
Adam was gazing at me, with his one thousand billion neurons that sometimes seem to be elsewhere but actually are always there, focused on the discussion.
“And what happens when a compatible donor is found?”
“Well, you’d be a lucky man! You’d know you were saving somebody’s life. Some bone marrow is grafted from your hip bone, employing either local or total anesthesia. In 40% of cases instead, a peripheral blood graft is sufficient, taken from the veins of the arm. What is taken from the donor is reformed within 10 days.”
“Uhm, it sounds easy. And why did you decide to do it?”
“Eh…I am a climber within, Adam, and for many years I have been at the centre of my own dreams. Climbing gave me, and still does gives me a wonderful life. Often, this situation made me live as an individualist but there comes a time when you want to make also other people, dream. I am here in Madagascar and I enjoy being a belayer for you and not only because you are Adam Ondra. Well, being a bone marrow donor is a bit like stopping the rope for somebody who is about to fall, and maybe you’re the only one capable of doing this…”
Adam looks at me, and as if to apologize says: “ But I am totally focused on my life as a climber…” “And rightly so! You are 17 years old and you climb the way you climb! Thankgoodness you are concentrated! But it i also becasue of this that one becomes a donor, because at times, we climbers, and these days not only us, forget that outside of our personal dimension there is the whole world, there are other people. You see, becoming a bone marrow donor is like taking a homeopathic pill against your individualism, a natural medicine that gives us a social conscience.”
Adam gazes into nothingness and only he may know what his 1000 billion neurons are working on. But I know that these few words will not be lost in trails of thought. I am aware that Adam is not a superficial person and is not one of those people who, for laziness or something else, bury their heads like the ostrich.
A few months go by and no more is said on the matter. The 5th of February also goes by and the young Czech comes of age. Between two climbing trips to Spain, where he climbs one line after the other, I receive a phone call: “Hello, this is Adam, I just wanted to tell you that I became a bone marrow donor.”
While climbing, I got used to being amazed by Adam but this news really hit me and I was deeply touched.
And now some thoughts by Adam himself.
Pietro dal Pra
When looking back at my previous life, I feel like my parents and also my friends have been ruled by my needs, I was enormously lucky that they have been often compliant to sacrifice for myself, sometimes belaying myself in freezing conditions, driving the whole night in order to let me climb the next day. In order to fulfil my dreams, so much effort just for me though I often do not realize this at all and take it all as way too obvious thing. But when thinking about it I feel like owe a lot to other people. I could never imagine living better life than now I do, but I am wondering, do I really deserve it? Well, I can work on myself hard and not to lose my target out of grasp, but I have had always had the best conditons and the best support.
Not everyone has such luck as myself, not everyone is “merely“ lucky enough to be healthy as most of the others and just go climbing, enjoy every day without any serious helathy problems at least while being young. To become a potential marrow bone donnor was quite an obvious choice for me, there are people on the world who might need me to save their lives, I asked myself if it was worth of sacrificing one week of life (if there will ever be person for whom I would be useful) for way longer and happier life of another person. Yes, the operation might be awkward, might hurt, it would avoid me to live my ordinary life for at least 1 week, but for me, it is definitely worth of it, what about you?
Adam Ondra
Friday, April 8
The Czech Republic...
ADAM ONDRA - DER HEILIGE GRAL 9a from BERNARTWOOD on Vimeo.
and a nice homely video featuring some cool moves we'd never see in our plastic gyms, with kid Spiderman!
Bouldering in the Czech Republic from BERNARTWOOD on Vimeo.
Wednesday, April 6
new comment box
From now on please click on the title to go to the comment section of the post and you can comment there, it will also directly display on your facebook activity so that others can also see and comment
i hope more people can start using this blog more as well.
PS. i dunno why its got pink, i didnt choose the color.
Tuesday, March 22
Sunday, March 20
Psyche Dope
The Battle in the Bubble - Boulder, CO from Zack Sticcs on Vimeo.
2010 Bouldering World Cup from Nicholas Hayes on Vimeo.
ABS 2010 - Women from Hayden Eatchel on Vimeo.
ABS 2010 - Men from Hayden Eatchel on Vimeo.