Malta and Gozo – Climbing in Paradise!

So…Amy and I were sat in the car on the way back from our 6-monthly “catch-up” lunch (regrettably, university, travels and life in general prevent us from meeting more often!) and Amy sighed. “I just want to get away somewhere, I don’t like having nothing to do in the summer!” she said desperately. I agreed. “Why don’t we just go somewhere Nat?” Amy perked up. My initial reaction was rather reserved, I thought of money and time and wasn’t too sure. Amy was keen for a climbing holiday as she had not climbed for a while abroad, and she asked about places to go for a beach/climbing/deep water soloing/fun in the sun holiday. Murmurs of Mallorca and lists of places in France and Spain ensued. Suddenly something came to mind…Malta! Through Facebook and various blogs I had read of the climbing in Malta  and Gozo (an island next to Malta) and had clearly taken a mental note. As it happened, flights to Malta turned out to be the cheapest option and the very next day flights were booked!

Very quickly I was sending emails around friends to find out more information and Amy was looking for accommodation. We decided to Couchsurf (a scheme on the internet which helps you find free accommodation with people who offer spare beds and couches). All booked and sorted, it was off to the airport just a few days later…

Neither of us had visited Malta previously, but we knew it was going to be HOT! Stepping off the plane, even at 9pm, gave us a taste of what to expect in the following week. We were picked up by our Couchsurfer host Warren and taken to our home for the first 3 nights in Gudja.  Warren took us to a party at a friend’s house where we ate some traditional food and met some local climbers who lent us a guidebook (thanks Ruben!) We were warmly welcomed – quite literally – as we spent the first night struggling to get used to the heat, despite having a multi-coloured “disco” fan in the room! We also met Warren’s extremely friendly dog, Tina.

Disco fan…

Our first morning was spent at Wied Babu on the south of the island. After experiencing “pastizzi” for the first time  – a kind of Maltese pastry – we were fuelled up with calories and ready to climb. We started off on some 5’s and 6’s and got used to the rock – pocketed limestone with lots of cracks and bulges. My favourite route was a 6a+ called Kleen Kutter which had an amazing layback crack at the top! After climbing about 5 or 6 routes each, we headed down the valley to Wied Babu Zawn, an amazing opening out onto the sea. On the way down we bumped into a MASSIVE gecko with an enviable repertoire of climbing movements!

Pastizzi!

The water was crystal clear and a beautiful turquoise colour. After a first few tentative steps into the water (patrolling for jellyfish and braving the temperature of the water) we were both swimming around happily, scoping out the rock either side of us.  Despite seeing a crab clinging to the bottom of the wall and getting a fright, we were starting to get used to being in the water and scrabbling around the rocks. It was an odd sensation getting into the water and swimming with climbing shoes on, although the best thing was that they dried out and looked (and smelled) like brand-new afterwards! We became a bit more adventurous, and swam around the corner which saw us looking into an amphitheatre of caves, grottos and arches. The climbing was easier to access here, with lots of sharp, crozzly rock at the bottom of the wall. There were some interesting features, and I made the rookie error of getting overly excited about the juggyness/coolness of a particular hold, which then of course broke off under my weight and sent me hurtling backwards into the sea! Luckily I was only about one or two metres above the water. After both of us laughing so hard that I could barely keep myself afloat, the following events proved to be even more hilarious. Without going into too much detail it included the accidental de-robing of bikini bottoms, and the retrieval and re-dressing of which was timed perfectly with the arrival of a boat full of tourists whizzing around the corner….

Wied Babu Zawn

However, this didn’t stop us in our exploration of the caves and doing some more sea-level traversing. We had certainly had a rather full-on initiation into the world of deep water soloing!

That evening we visited the historical town of Mdina – a beautifully ornate city with sandy-coloured buildings elevated high above most of the island. The alleyways were glowing in the warmth of the streetlights and the town had an almost magical feel to it. The aim of this trip? To taste the “best chocolate cake in Malta!” according to Warren and his friend Daniel. The cake was very tasty indeed, and we had an amazing panoramic view of the towns below us from the restaurant balcony. The walk back to the car included astonishment at trees which looked like broccoli and taking lots of photos. We then drove off to the highest point on Malta and had another impressive panorama to take in!

The following day we had arranged to meet up with Simon, who runs the Malta Climbing Club and with whom we had been put in touch through some friends who had visited Malta before. Simon wanted to take us to Ghar Hasan to experience some more deep water soloing. Unfortunately after his knee operation Simon couldn’t come down to the water with us but luckily we had our own personal guide, William! Simon was kind enough to give us a lift and wait for us at the the top and get some shots of us climbing down to the water. The scramble down the gully was quite daunting at first but we both managed it down and started traversing, following William’s advice. The rock was amazing, like big globules of honeycomb – big pockets and tufas! Full of suncream and not enough chalk, we were certainly feeling a bit greasy at the start! We traversed for what felt like miles until we stopped in a small cove to cool down in the water. Jellyfish Patrol was undertaken by whoever wasn’t in the water at the time, as about three had been spotted lurking beneath us in the turquoise water. William showed us some gutsy deep water soloing, climbing up higher and higher each time and taking big leaps. We were quite content to stick to the traversing and gradually getting used to going higher. The fact that we both wear contact lenses which are incredibly uncomfortable in salty water served as the perfect excuse to avoid jumping in! My record was a jump from about 4/5 metres up…

Amy, William and I. Photo: Simon Alden

After bouldering around the bottom of the cove we started traversing all the way back around the cliff. I felt a satisfying pump coming on as I made my way around. Halfway there we bumped into Inigo – a friend of friends who lives on Gozo who I had been introduced to through Facebook. He was climbing barefoot as he didn’t have his shoes – that’s dedication!  After all the climbing and swimming we headed back up the cliff to see Simon and Stephen and headed off for ice-cream.

That evening we went to watch the sunset on the horizon with Warren and Daniel – probably the most impressive sunset I’ve ever seen! After the sun sank below the horizon we drove back home ready to get up early the next day…

Warren, our Couchsurfer host, runs a sports club and had told us about a mini-triathlon event for anyone interested in trying out the sport. He had invited us along, and although I have very little or no ability in swimming, cycling or running, Amy was keen to give it a try and managed to persuade me to join in too! We had a rude awakening at 5:45am to travel to the beach with Daniel. I really had no idea what to expect, although the thought of the swim was rather daunting. We were both not used to swimming in the sea, and this morning it looked very choppy indeed! Warren had lent us some gear for the day – my incredibly flattering shark’s head swimming-cap, goggles, bikes, helmets and shoes.

The trio

After a quick briefing by Ruben and some advice from Warren and Ryan we were ready to get into the water and start the race. Daniel was also competing for the first time in a triathlon and he did a great job of keeping an eye on us in the water. I started off ok but after a while started to tire out against the waves, so instead of drowning I decided to swim back to the shore to safety! Amy was a star and made it to the buoy, only tiring on the way back to the sea and being helped along by the kayaker. Considering we admitted from the start that we were not great swimmers, we had both done well and everyone was really supportive of us. Then it was off to the bikes. The terrain was surprisingly rocky and more like a trail than the traditional road race of a triathlon. Despite some issues with twigs getting caught in the chain on Amy’s bike and my helmet constantly slipping off my head and annoying me this stage went considerably better than the swimming! The sun was starting to rise higher in the sky and it was getting hotter – perfect conditions for the run! A further 2km to run seemed desperate to me, but I went to the station, dropped my bike off, put my CAC tshirt on and grabbed my water bottle and set off. I walked for a bit to cool down then started to run, two laps around the hilly course. The feeling when I crossed the finish line and saw Ruben was pretty amazing. I was proud of myself for doing something a bit different and something which I had found incredibly hard. Amy arrived just after, which confused me – she had been well ahead in the bike and had started the run before me…turns out she had missed the ribbons and had run an extra kilometre or two around the town and got lost! Still, we were both buzzing off the feeling of having completed (or almost completed) a new challenge!

Exhausted…

We went for some ice tea with the rest of the triathlon crew and then chilled out at the house before going climbing later on with Warren, Daniel and Ruben. Nope, we never stop!

This was Daniel’s first time climbing and the first time for Ruben since a good number of years. We went to Ghar Lapsi and climbed in one of the steep caves, putting up topropes and helping the guys up some routes. This was our last day climbing on Malta before heading to Gozo the next day, so we celebrated by visiting the Reggae Bar with Warren, Daniel and Katia – a Russian Couchsurfer also staying at Warren’s.

Ghar Lapsi

The following morning we took the bus to Cirkewwa to take the ferry over to Gozo and meet up with Inigo. We made our way to the youth hostel by foot and then by hitchhiking with a friendly local who we had asked for directions. Inigo texted to signal his arrival outside and we walked out to find this car:

Such style…

Xavier and Leigh drove Amy and I to Wied Mielah and Inigo headed off on his moped. This crag was also in a valley beside the sea, with a massive arch not dissimilar to the Azure Window jutting out into the sea! We started off on some easier routes in the valley, teaching Leigh how to lead (it was only his 3rd or 4th time climbing!) and listening to him play guitar between climbs. Amy managed to knock a flipflop into a lime green pool of sludgey water. Luckily, Xav came to the rescue as he lowered off a route. Inigo was sorely tempted to lower him into the pool but luckily the flip-flop was recovered and Xav remained relatively dry!  Inigo, Amy and I climbed an amazing route on the arch, really long and with some steep heel-hooking along the lip of the roof. Lowering off just above the sea was a very memorable experience – definitely one of my favourite routes of the holiday! We drove off to the harbour to drink some cider and learn more about what we’d be doing the next few days on Gozo. We had also been offered new accommodation in the form of our own private little apartment in Victoria thanks to Xavier. That night, however, we were staying in the youth hostel.

Arch at Wied Mielah

The next morning we moved into our apartment and went shopping around Victoria for gifts and souvenirs. We had lunch (Maltese Ftira) with Inigo and decided to go climbing at Mgarr ix-Xini – a large valley with white, pocketed rock. For the first time Amy and I rode on the back of a moped with Inigo, who did two runs to get us to the crag and Leigh arrived on his motorised bicycle in true style! We climbed about 3 or 4 routes each and helped Leigh with his leading. I climbed a beautiful 6c which was reminiscent of a Ceuse-style pocket fest – delicate movements on a slab at the top after a more powerful lower section. Amy worked a really technical 6c on the other side of the valley and looked strong on all the moves – it was great to see her still climbing so well after such a long break from climbing! Two moped-runs back to town later and we were at Leigh’s flat, where he cooked us a wonderfully nutritious dinner, washed down with some beers we had picked up on the way back home.

Ftira!

Our last day in Gozo and the day before flying home had arrived. The week had passed so quickly we could barely believe it! We intended to take the ferry to the island of Comino for more DWS in the morning but unfortunately thunderstorms and rain arrived! We bumped into Inigo in Victoria and he said he was keen to take us to the “Tower of Power” or Sopu Tower to take some photos later on. Inigo is a very talented but modest photographer who had taken a break from shooting climbing and was keen to try and get back into it. He showed me a route following the line of an arete and crossing leftwards which he said was “tricky”. He didn’t tell me the grade and I didn’t bother to ask – it looked like a nice line and I was interested to see how it would feel climbing onsight on an unknown route. I started up and felt confident, then I came to an awkward bulge. Dithering ensued, and I started to get a bit pumped. Eventually I overcame it and continued on some easier ground until I came to what looked like a crux. After making use of a knee bar, I scoped out the smooth, blank bulge. There was a crimp facing the wrong way and a crozzly blob which looked about as solid as a sandcastle, and knowing my luck with holds breaking on me so far this holiday, the hold snapped off as I weighted it! Luckily my right hand and right foot were placed adequately enough to keep me on the wall.

On the scary slab! Photo: Inigo Taylor

I laughed and said “Ok…change of sequence!” and made a big span to something barely existent and teetered my right hand over to a half-decent hold and pulled up over the bulge. Phew! I rested for a bit in the groove and continued upwards, some easier but technical climbing followed until I was stood below a slab. The end was in sight – but a slab stood before it! The choice of holds was few and far-between – I remember some smeary footholds, a mono, a tiny crimp and lots of balance! I slowly but surely made my way up and clipped the chains before doing a teetery jump to the last hold  – a weird thread of rock right at the top of the wall! “Well, that’s not been onsighted before!” shouted Inigo. We discussed the grade, I estimated about 7c+ or 8a, and Inigo agreed, saying that his friend thought the same. I was pleased to have finally onsighted above 7c on rock, but as it turned out I had actually mistakenly climbed a hybrid , starting up a 7a+ and then crossing into the top half of an 8a with the crux move in the middle being some sort of “no man’s land” between the routes! I didn’t mind though, what I had managed to do was onsight a mystery route of around 7c+ and have fun doing so. Amy and Inigo climbed a route around the corner and then I climbed a fantastic 7b called “Medusa” – with long threads of black tufa which was so much fun to climb! Inigo got some great shots on these two routes and then we headed to the car park to meet Simon, who had invited us for pizza and drinks in Zebbug.

Medusa 7b. Photo: Inigo Taylor

We watched the street parades for the Festa Santa Maria and reflected on our week in Malta and Gozo. We had made so many new friends and had been welcomed so warmly by everyone we met – we had been adopted by our own Maltese and Gozitan family!  Our last day was spent travelling back to the ferry terminal to head to Malta. We stopped off to say bye to Warren and walked around Valetta for an hour or so before heading to the airport.

In all it’s hard to sum up how much fun we had climbing on the islands. It reminded me of why I climb: friends, fun, meeting new people, encouraging others, exploring cultures…and of course,  moving on rock!  It certainly made a change to go somewhere out of the ordinary and to a relatively new destination which is just starting to develop and has tonnes of potential. The work done by the small climbing community and their hospitality towards us was very much appreciated, and I would recommend a trip to Malta and Gozo to anyone who wants a bit of an adventure, a cultural experience and also a relaxing place to chill out and climb. We will be back for sure! 😀

For information on climbing in Malta, visit: www.maltaclimbingclub.com

Please take a look at Inigo’s climbing photography around Malta: Inigo Taylor Climbing Photography

We love Malta!

Straight after returning from Malta, I travelled to Edinburgh to fly to Munich for the final round of the Boulder World Cup to interview some foreign climbers for The Circuit Performance Climbing Magazine and also do a write-up for the magazine and for Planetgrimpe. I am very tired now  after two hectic days of working and after-partying but I had a few great days in Edinburgh to chill out afterwards and am looking forward to some new opportunities coming up shortly and to starting back for my 4th and final year at the University of Edinburgh!

Filming in France: 5 semaines de folie!

We have been back from France for almost a week now and it’s hard to believe how fast time passed whilst we were out there. Time might fly when you’re having fun, but it’s frustrating when you can’t seem to work out how it frittered away so fast! Lots of exciting and interesting things happened on the trip (despite some weather-related setbacks) and it’s safe to say that we have both pigged out on enough delicious French food to last us for the next while…

My previous blog was written from Grenoble as I was trying to fit in some last-minute training before the European Championships in Chamonix. Chris drove over from Chamonix after completing his alpine course and we managed to get outdoors for two days in the week before the competition. We did some filming at Ablok Salle d’Escalade (probably the best boulder wall I’ve been to and where I used to train a fair bit whilst living in Grenoble) and back at the Entre-Prises offices. It felt odd to be back in a very hot and sweaty Grenoble after being so used to the rather chilly alpine winter climate that I experienced during my stay there, and I found out that I’m especially attractive to the Grenoblois mosquitos! However, we had decent cragging weather and managed to spend a day at St Paul de Varces with Fred and Léo from EP. Long routes on some interesting limestone formations made for a fun day out and gave me some last-minute endurance training before Chamonix. Chris filmed me onsighting a tricky 7b and we even brought a cheeseboard with a selection of the finest cheese from the Fromagerie des Alpages to the crag which ended up as a gooey mess by the end of the day…

The Fromagerie in Grenoble

Léo and Fred at St Paul de Varces

The following day we climbed at La Goulandière in Presles with Meta from EP. The crag was very busy but we still managed to get some footage of me struggling up a strenuous 7c! That night a massive thunderstorm erupted over Grenoble which made the time-lapse of the drive home particularly interesting. As my first senior competition was approaching, I did some last minute training at Espace Vertical 2 before we headed off to Chamonix in the evening. We were very fortunate to be able to stay in Jack Geldard’s flat for the following week and that night we met up with him for some drinks before heading to Pierre à Laya the next day – a crag not far from Chamonix with some spectacular views. I warmed up on the most aesthetic 6c I have ever climbed – a meandering crack which weaved its way up a vertical face. Jack had told me about a classic (but exceedingly difficult!) 7c opened by Patrick Edlinger around the corner and said he would buy me a pizza if I could onsight it! I tried my best but unfortunately fell at the crux 3/4 of the way up the wall. It was fiendishly technical and unrelenting rest-wise, so it was a true test of my endurance (not my strongest feature at the moment!) Accepting the fact that I had lost the pizza bet, I had fun trying the next section which proved to be equally as tricky and lived up its name “Docteur, j’ai peur!” or “Doctor, I’m scared!”.

With Chris and Jack in Chamonix

Chris got some good footage from this route and as the sun was starting to hit the headwall we decided to head back and chill for the evening before heading to EpicTV headquarters (the studio!) the next day to do some filming and interviews. We spent the following day eating ice cream and preparing for the European Championships on Friday. I felt a bit nervous about competing for the first time in years and for the first time as a senior but I was equally excited to be taking part in such a big event with such a beautiful setting. The wall was massive with long, winding routes and featuring Mont Blanc as a backdrop. I had a feeling my endurance wouldn’t quite be up to standard for this style but I was still very excited to be taking part. Standing on the stage at the athlete presentation alongside Dave (Barrans) and the GB paraclimbing team was a pretty memorable experience and my first time wearing a GBR vest after a 4 year break from international competitions felt slightly foreign yet also strangely familiar. The competition itself was tough but equally gave me an enjoyably enlightening return to the competition scene. I didn’t get too nervous, I could still remember how to compete, perhaps better so than before, with a stubborn determination to fight through the pump! My fitness – not being so hot after a year of bouldering and recreational climbing – was ultimately my downfall, but I was satisfied with a 36th place in my first major senior international and it gave me a taste for what to expect in Briançon (just one week later….eeek!) We also managed to squeeze in some filming, photos, interviews and media stuff for various websites during the finals, which was an inspirational evening of climbing, especially from Dinara and Romain! A massive party was held in the square afterwards, but being tired and worried about getting back to Les Houches we successfully hitch-hiked back home with two radical local dudes playing terrible music!

2nd Qualifier in Chamonix…Mont Blanc in background

In the week that followed, we struggled against the weather and a lack of available climbing partners. We were lucky enough to be able to stay in the flat of some friends who I knew from Edinburgh who are now living in Chamonix, Tamsin and Tim. We managed a great day out in Giétroz just over the border in Switzerland, which was in one of the most beautiful settings I’ve ever climbed in. Quaint Swiss cottages and farmhouses lined the approach path which then winded down into a massive gorge (which can apparently fill with LOTS of water at any time depending on the rainfall and the activity of the dam….scary!) I tried a classic 8a called “Rêve de Singe” which had a fairly straightforward start, a boulder problem in the middle and then a beautifully intricate headwall on crimpy sidepulls and undercuts. After working the moves I was aiming to complete it, but unfortunately the stopper move in the middle spat me off. I continued up the headwall with no rest as extra training and lowered off, tired and hot but having enjoyed the route. Chris managed to fit in some climbing too and got a big fright from a bird flying out of a pocket he was holding – no feathered-friends were harmed in the making of this film!

For the next few days we took it easy. We met up for drinks with Jack and Björn from UKC and were invited for pizza with Jon Griffiths and friends. I also managed a catch-up with Sarah, another British friend now living in Chamonix – it’s a small world! We visited a roadside crag in Chamonix and did a classic 7a and Chris gave me a lesson in placing gear (more on that to come…) and the next day had a light session on some boulders not far from Les Houches. We managed about an hour before the storms hit and we bolted back down to the car. That night Chris cooked an amazing Tartiflette – an alpine dish made from potatoes, lardons, onions and Reblochon cheese. Despite it hitting temperatures of over 30 degrees in the daytime, this winter dish tasted amazing and was certainly good preparation for the upcoming World Cup in Briançon!

A deliciously successful evening…

Having finished our filming in Chamonix, we headed to Briançon via the spectacular Col de Sarenne – a very atmospheric drive in the rain with low cloud and mist. This road winds down a massive valley with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. It was odd to be driving there with very little snow left over, as the last time I took the coach on that route in winter the landscape was draped in pure white snow! We eventually arrived in Briançon (umbrella at the ready) and registered for the competition. The presentation of the competitors was held inside a casino in a small conference room and being called up on stage as the only competitor from Great Britain was quite a nerve-wracking experience. This begs the question: Where are all the other British lead climbers? It was here that I was reunited with the McCarron family, John Ellison and the Planetgrimpe team. After mingling and eating all the nibbles in the room we eventually made it out to dinner at a brasserie with the McCarrons, John, Graeme and all of the French officials. Qualifiers for the women had been brought forward to the morning due to a poor weather forecast, so unfortunately I missed out on a lie-in our lovely chalet in les Vigneaux. (thank you Helen from Alpsun!)

We arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed (ish) at the competition venue early on Saturday morning. The clear blue skies didn’t give even the faintest hint that rain would be coming later as the competition started, men and women climbing simultaneously. I was out fairly late on my routes which gave me ample time for fitting in some filming, warming up and generally just faffing about. The routes looked shorter and more bouldery than in Chamonix and I was excited to give them my all. Unfortunately after climbing about 5 moves on my first route and clipping the first quickdraw, I was confronted by a panicky official who pulled on my leg and told me that I should come down as the camera operator wasn’t ready…I was told to unclip and climb down and was given 2 minutes of rest to recover. I was a little bit shaken as I was convinced that I had done something wrong or had forgotten something, but I kept it together and started again. I was just below the roof and feeling confident, I pulled through the roof, accidentally left a clip a bit too late, got it in eventually and pulled onto the headwall. Two moves later I was off, pumped and feeling frustrated that I had little forearm endurance. As it turned out, however, I had placed 28th on this route, just two places from making semi-finals. I didn’t know this at the time – for a while I was in 16th provisionally as both routes were climbed simultaneously and it was therefore not possible to know a ranking until the end. I knew my first route had gone fairly well thanks to some hard moves appealing to my strength, but the second route looked very different – more moves with sustained, easier climbing. I knew I would have to fight hard and do my best to climb quickly in order to not get pumped. Just before I was about to climb, the heavens opened! Brilliant conditions, just like back home in Scotland! Fortunately the wall remained dry and I gave a valiant attempt at trying to climb more than 30+ moves (as I had reached on the first route) failed…30+ again! I seem to have a threshold of around 30 moves at the moment before getting pumped…need to improve on this! For a while I was stuck in 26th position, with Graeme getting a bit excited about it, but I knew there were some exceptionally strong climbers still to go. I finished in 33rd, an improvement on Chamonix in a larger and stronger field, so in all I was rather pleased!

Eating rope…

Pulling hard, 2nd qualifier

That evening, after having escaped the showers of rain, we ate at the Brasserie again with Sheila and co, and were joined by the IFSC.tv guys – Dan and Mike. I somehow got myself roped into co-commentating for the semi-finals the next day alongside Dan. This turned out to be a good laugh although a bit daunting at first. I managed not to make too much of a fool of myself, despite saying a few things which could be interpreted differently….I won’t mention any of them on here but they certainly amused Dan! I did the same for the finals and the CAC presentation which took place that evening – it was great to see some of the money raised so far being passed on to La Ligue Contre le Cancer by John, Sheila and Sophie. After the finals a gathering with lots of wine and cheese (and Graeme’s selection of British cheese to rival the French) took place and afterwards we headed back to Les Vigneaux with a lift we had found.

Dan, John and I

On the Sunday our plan was initially to head to Ceuse early on and do some filming there for 3/4 days, but we ended up having other work to finish off for the competitions and so decided to leave it until the Monday. Up early and with the car re-loaded with our 45,6989 or so bags and kit, we headed to Ceuse – the world-famous crown of rock that sits proudly above the town of Gap. First though, we stopped off near Mont-Dauphin to buy quite possibly the best quiche we have ever eaten – a juicy, chewy base with courgettes and onions, and a crispy crust. Perfection.

At the campsite we bumped into some friends and lots of climbers from the competitions. We headed to the crag and slogged up the hill, Chris with all of the filming gear and me overheating and feeling drowsy and nauseous after just 15 minutes. Having finally made it to the foot of the cliff, we warmed up at Demi Lune and then headed straight for L’arcademicien 8c. I managed up until the 5th quickdraw on the onsight where I came off on a tricky section. I worked the next few clips, enjoying the crimps but getting puzzled by some sequences. After about 20 minutes on the route, the thunder and lightning started drawing in. Due to the fact I was carrying a large pole of metal – the clipstick – we thought it wise to abandon ship and try something sheltered! The rain was coming in thick and fast and it wasn’t a pleasant place to be, although the landscape was very atmospheric. Alex wanted to try Slow Food 8b+, so I had a play on this (it was one of few routes keeping dry in the roof section) The next day was a bit of a nightmare – there were queues for almost every route we wanted to try and film on and the weather forecast looked poor for later in the day. After testing the water on a few routes but not feeling too motivated, the thunder and lightening arrived again with some showers not far away. We had wanted to film the classic 7c “Berlin”, but again as I was clip-sticking up with the static line we weren’t keen on hanging around and so decided to call it a day and head to Cascade the following day, as rain was forecast in the afternoon and Cascade is in the shade in the morning. Fortunately it was third try lucky for us, we had a great morning at Cascade filming one of the classic routes and then headed back down to the campsite and then a celebratory pizza in La Freissinousse.

Cascade sector, Ceuse

The next morning we left early for L’Argentière la Bessée, where I would be competing in the TAB Tout-à-Blocs International Open. I had really been looking forward to this event and had always fancied participating in it. It really was a fun-based event with kids everywhere, barbecues, stalls and water fights! There were 40 blocs and each boulder was allocated points by dividing 1000 by the number of successful tops, so harder problems were worth more strictly speaking. The main thing which held me back here was the heat, 35 degrees in full sunlight really drained me physically. I have to thank Chris for running around like mad getting me tshirts soaked in water and for forcing me to drink water even when I didn’t want to…otherwise I may have ended up with heat exhaustion!

I was hot…photo by Julianne McCarron

We had two sets of 2 and a half hours to complete the problems with a break in between for the other group to climb. Chris competed too so it was cool to be able to give him some beta for his round, even though I was running back and forth into the shade to recover fairly often! After a slow start in the first session, I perked up a bit for the second one and managed 25 of the 40 boulders. My tactics weren’t great, a lot of the time I was hesitating between which boulders to try and I’d even missed some harder boulders by focussing too much on easier ones. In the end I came 14th out of 40 women, some of whom are world-cup boulderers! I was really pleased with this result, although I felt I’d let myself down by not thinking carefully about the format of the qualifiers. Achievements of the day were getting a knee bar on number 13, completing the horrible blue mantel and managing to do the pink mantel only to fluff the last move. There are photos of how determined I was on this problem, but I can only hope that they never surface… Spoke too soon…thanks Chris, I’ll put that video of you singing in the car up soon…

The finals were great fun to watch and film, and we stayed for a bit to soak up the atmosphere at the party (quite literally, as the champagne was sprayed all over us!)  We were in no mood to be returning to the UK but we appreciated how much fun the trip had been and equally amazed at how fast time flew by. So much had happened and we had managed to fit a lot of different things into the 6 weeks, with some exciting developments. We made a first pit-stop near Geneva with Chris’ Uncle and Aunt and then made the long journey up to the UK. Both of us were knackered and still are – it will take a few more days yet I think!

Going, going…gone…

What’s next? Some more filming in the UK, some branching out and lots of editing….watch this space!

New blog, new project: France, Fromage and…a Film!

Welcome to my new blog! It’s been a while since I’ve written anything about what I’ve been up to and thought it was time to get my blogger head back on (if anything it may help me to become more focussed for writing my 4th year dissertation next term!).

I’m currently back in France (yep, it didn’t take long…) after having completed the compulsory part of my Year Abroad for 3rd year. I don’t think there is enough space here to recount each and every one of the experiences I lived whilst on my travels, nor would there be a readership with an attention span large enough to read through what could probably make up a large novel! My one regret was not keeping a journal of my time abroad, but I suppose that for as long as the memories remain deeply engrained in my mind, then putting pen to paper is perhaps not necessary…

All I can say is that the last 9 months have been the most enriching and fulfilling of my life so far. Despite having initial concerns and even having a few dramatic changes in circumstances just before leaving to go abroad, everything seemed to work out for the best. Despite originally intending to work in a hotel in Messanges on the west coast of France – an option I hadn’t had much say in and wasn’t too keen on –  I was told 3 days before departure that the hotel was closing down. This left me with a massive window of opportunity and after a few stressful weeks I found myself in Grenoble working for Entre-Prises Climbing Walls. No doubt about it, I had landed on my feet. In France I met some amazing people (you know who you are!), learned new skills, took part in competitions for the first time in years, climbed on rock almost every weekend and did my first sport multipitch, ate some fine French cuisine and above all had my eyes opened to an array of exciting new opportunities and developed a thirst for adventure. I felt so warmly welcomed in France, and the 15 weeks passed far too quickly…

Hanging out with Team EP France and our CAC Tshirts!

With slight apprehension and still feeling a lot of Heimweh for France I moved on to Landeck, Austria to teach English. Having already visited Austria numerous times through competitions,  I felt fairly at home despite Landeck not being the most lively place in the world! I saw Landeck’s central location as a fantastic opportunity to travel around – after a short trip to Spain I revisited France, Switzerland and followed 4 rounds of the Boulder World Cup circuit which took me to Millau, Innsbruck, Kitzbühel and Log-Dragomer in Slovenia. My passion for competition climbing had been re-awakened, and once more I had made many new friends from around the world and been reunited with some old friends from long ago. When I wasn’t Globetrotting, I was back teaching at the school (just 10 hours a week!) and helping out with the young climbers in the Kletterteam Imst. I even experienced skiing and snowboarding for the first time and enjoyed cycling around the Inntal Radweg.

Me and Monsieur CAC in St Anton, Austria – John Ellison

“Language Acquisition through Residence” is the title of my ‘course’ for 3rd Year. I’m not sure about this title, I think it’s a little reserved. I’d say that ‘language’ could probably be replaced with numerous words: life, fun, experience, culture, independence, confidence. Drawing on the last 9 months, my advice for any young person (no matter what you study/what you work as) would be to try and get out there to experience other cultures and broaden your horizons – it’s only going to be what you make of it, but nevertheless you will learn a thing or 50!

First Multi-pitch in Presles, France

In the short time back home in Scotland I met up with my former guidance and German teacher from school: John Ross. This humble man is a true genius – a language expert who always has witty sayings in three languages (at least) and grammar tips up his sleeve. As it happens, he is also a keen climber (although he prefers to be called a rambler or a scrambler rather than a dangler like me!) and is a major source of inspiration for me, always has been and always will be. I still remember the day he encouraged me to choose German as a subject and am very grateful for it.  His spirit hadn’t changed and he was still reiterating to me the importance of good grammar!

After those few weeks catching up with everyone back home I’m here again in France for an exciting new project – I will be starring in a film by Minerva Design and Hot Aches on my life as a climber which will be following me around France for the next month or so, as I compete in my first international events in Chamonix and Briançon as a senior and in the Tout à Blocs event towards the end of July. Along with Chris Prescott (head of Minerva Design, all-round talented climber and alumnus of Edinburgh University and our world-famous Mountaineering Club!) I will be stopping off at some of the world’s best crags and generally enjoying la vie en France (read: cheese, wine, good food, a beautiful language and gorgeous weather!) We have already christened Fontainebleau with our plush rental car complete with about 50 items of luggage and celebrated our arrival with a cheese and wine feast. After all, when in France…

Chris pigging out on cheese

Additionally, we will be covering the handover of the second donation of Climbers Against Cancer in Briançon alongside the man himself, John Ellison. The people I met in France on my year abroad were especially supportive of the cause and it’s only fair that their support is recognised at such a prestigious event as the World Cup, I can’t wait to see how many CAC’ers we can get in the group photo this time round…

Finally, another project I am going to be involved with once my Tour de France is over is The Circuit Climbing Magazine. I was approached about this project by Eddie Fowke who is taking the lead and creating a magazine featuring the 2013 World Cup Bouldering events. Watch this space!     http://thecircuitclimbing.wordpress.com

So, lots happening and lots to look forward to! Chris is coming to Grenoble tomorrow to do some filming before we head back to Chamonix for the competition next weekend and I’ll be hoping to fit in some training and catch up with friends. I’m excited to see what variety of cheese he has brought back from Chamonix…I think I may just be addicted to French fromage!