Winter Training

Winter is looking pretty ugly right about now in Yangshuo. Although I'm not missing the cold restaurants, wet shoes and socks or muddy gear of winter there, it is a good time to cross-train. The area is great for hiking and trail running in the hills and around the river. Few climbers seem interested in getting out in the back country; in fact, most complain of muscle cramps after hiking up Moon Hill.

I try to keep a reasonable level of climbing fitness in Shanghai but winter is the hardest time because none of the climbing gyms are heated! Last year I started doing Mountain Athlete hybrid workouts; they kick my a$$ pretty good but seem to work, especially at keeping me motivated enough to go at all. I stay away from the Climbing and Mountaineering workouts for three reasons: I don't have a properly equipped gym, my fingers and my elbows. The hybrid workouts are allowing me to address imbalances in my body and nagging injuries I've been working around for years. I figure I will need at least another 6 months before I work out kinks in my shoulders and lower back. I also like pushing through hard intervals and lifting heavy weights, looking into the void and breaking through some mental barriers - kind of like climbing.

After about one more year I plan to switch over to the climbing workouts and start stressing my joints, but I worry about my fingers and elbows. Seems I only injury them in the gym, and I always injure them when I do climbing specific, strength training. Hang boards, systems boards, campus boards and routes on plastic and I don't find any of it much fun. Gym strength doesn't ever seem to prepare me for the pulling strength I need in Yangshuo, especially the overhanging routes on Moon Hill.

Stephen and I seem to be the only active, over 50 climbers in Shanghai and we get a lot of encouragement and support from the younger climbers. The secret to our longevity in the gym is staying healthy and avoiding stress injuries. We also make it down to Yangshuo more than any other local climbers and that inspires them and keeps us excited.

Winter in Yangshuo

I've been in Yangshuo for a week and this is the first time I have had time and energy to update my blog, life is good!

The Year of the Ox got off to a great start in Yangshuo. I wasn’t planning a climbing trip till late March but the reports of perfect weather, temps in the 20s under sunny skies, was just too much to resist. Stephen came down from Shanghai a week earlier and airline tickets at 70%-off sealed the deal. Not too many climbers in town but finding partners has been easy, as usual, even if it means I’m pulling down at consistently harder grades than I normally would.

Climbed at White Mountain with Stephen my first day back, then Moon Hill and Lei Pi Shan before going back to a project at White Mountain. Yesterday I needed a break and went bolting; Eben had established a 3-pitch, 5.8 line at Birdman, up a wide chimney unlike anything else in Yanghsuo, that we cleaned up and bolted. Bright orange rock, not too strenuous and great views of the countryside. Classic potential at an easy grade with potential for lots of single and multi-pitch lines on excellent quality rock nearby.

These days down here make all the training days we put in at the gyms in Shanghai worth it – I hate the thought of going back to the plastic cave. Got back climbing close to the level I left at in December, then I got my ass handed to me on the 10b at Moon Hill!! Still looking at sending some 11b and 11c routes next week which will all be personal bests. If I succeed, I may start telling people I’m a sport climber.

Just finished breakfast at Café China, I’m in the sun wearing shorts and short sleeves – projected high is 28 C today! Totally unheard of: it’s usually cold and rainy here this time of year. My arms and fingers are aching so I think I’ll go for a long, recovery bike ride today. Stays light past 6pm so I can still put in a very long day outside, which it what is all about!