|
Irish Performance Seminar Success
Anne was invited to present at The first Irish Performance Climbing and Coaching Seminar, which was held recently at Tollymore Mountain Centre. The seminar was the brainchild of strong Irish climber and sports scientist Nigel Callender, who aims to increase the availability of high-quality coaching and support for high-level climbing.
Anne inputted on coaching skills for climbers and – along with Sean Villanueva-O'Driscoll, a Belgian coach and Rob Hunter – gave practical sessions on climbing technique. Audry Morrison, BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition, spoke of her groundbreaking research with Volker Schöffl on the physiological implications of climbing and climbing-related training on the young body and also presented on nutrition and hydration. Andrew McMullan, BSc (Hons) Sports Science, MSc Rehabilitation Science, Physiotherapy, took a fascinating workshop on climbing injuries, their causes and how to prevent them, including practical demos. Dr. Ross Roberts, BASES Accredited Sports Psychologist, presented on performance-profiling and goal-setting. Dr. Jamie MacDonald focused on principles of training and how they can be applied to climbing, while Matt Barlow, of Bangor University and the British Mountain Bike Aerial Display Team, presented his ongoing research with climbers on risk-taking.
Callender described the event as “hugely successful, both from a numbers point of view and also – though it will take a few months – for permanently changing the face of the Irish Climbing Community.
For more info click here. |
|
John in Hard XS
John and Shane Ohly feature in the Slackjaw DVD production Hard XS on their journey around the Peak, ticking the ‘Esoterica' list. Who will crack first?
11 short films provide a rip roaring ride into the heart and soul of the British climbing experience.
Featuring Steve McClure, John Arran, Pete Robins, Nic Sellers, Tim Emmett, Chris Cubitt, James Pearson, plus many more.
Includes OverShadow 9a+, Great White Fright HXS, Breakaway HXS, Extinction E8 6c, Equilibrium E10 7a, Appointment with Death.
You can buy it here. Buy it now and you receive a free copy of their Kilimanjaro DVD. |
|
The Arrans of Arabia
 |
 |
|
The 8a crux of Rock Empire |
Over the winter John was based in Amman and between trips to Baghdad Anne came out and they spent as much time as possible in Wadi Rum. They decided the place was fantastic, having world class everything there! (trad, sport, scrambling, camel-riding, ...)
Top ticks were:
- FFA of Towering Inferno, freeing 5 aid pitches to give an 8-pitch E6 6a
- Rum's first headpoint: "Rum Grit" E7 6b right of Catfish Corner
- Onsight ascents of existing routes Rock Empire (8a)(to after the crux pitches) and La Guerre Sainte (F7b)(the best multi-pitch sport route imaginable!)
- "The Wall of Winter Warmth": A new 3-pitch E5 6b close to the rest house
- More new trad routes in Barrah Canyon: "Cat Burglar" (E2); "The Moon is Lying Down" (E4), left of 'Voyage in the Aura'; and a (possibly first) free ascent of 'Voyage in the Aura' at E5 6a/b
All the above climbed with Anne, sharing leads.
Anne returned to the UK earlier so John had chance to nip down for a couple more routes, both climbed onsight solo (probably the first solos of any long routes in Rum other than Bedouin routes):
- I.B.M., 13 pitches, F6b (about E3 5c)
- Inshallah Factor, 15 pitches, F6c (about E4 6a)
both times descending Eye of Allah, after reaching the East Summit and the Main Summit (by Hammad's Route) respectively.
A gallery of images from their trip can be found here. |
|
Ford SkyMasters Challenge
Dave Barrans and Michaela Tracey won the inaugural Ford SkyMasters Challenge event at Birmingham's NEC. Organised by X1 Sports, the routes were the longest ever seen in a climbing competition, comprising over 100
moves in 38m of horizontal progress across all manner of hanging features.
TheFreeClimber was there to photograph the event; you can view our gallery here. High resolution images are available on request. Contact us to discuss your digital or print requirements.
|
|
Trad CLIMBING +
'Trad Climbing +' was published by Rockfax shortly before Christmas. Authored jointly by Adrian Berry and John Arran, and packed with tips on how to climb more efficiently, safely and effectively, the book has received excellent reviews. It will be of help to climbers of all standards who not only want to climb safely but also want to get the most fun out of the sport and to succeed on climbs they otherwise may have dismissed as impossible. |
|
Welcome to Crackistan
John & Anne Arran returned from the rock spire wonderland of Nangma Valley in Pakistan's Karakorum mountains, having completed two of the most continuously hard big-wall free climbs to be found anywhere in the high mountains.
On the 4800m Denbor Brakk they spent seven days climbing capsule-style to free the 500m Czech route ‘Bloody Mary’, which was established in 2004 by Václav Šatava and Pavel Jonák and which already had free pitches up to UIAA IX- (7b+/5.12c). Of the route’s two aid pitches the first (A1) went on natural gear (at E6 6b or 7b+/5.12c) just left of the original offwidth roof, while the other (A2) was freed on top-rope (at 7c/5.12d), initially some way right of the knifeblade aid line. John didn't want to add bolts to an existing aid pitch without the consent of the first ascensionists, but felt that the addition of two further bolts to the pitch would be in keeping with the nature of the other hard pitches and would make the climb one of the best, hardest and most varied lines in the region.
The Arrans then turned their attention to Zang Brakk, also 4800m, looking to find a free-climbable line up the South-East Pillar. An Austrian team had previously free-climbed to half height (at 7c/5.12d, now thought to be 7b+/5.12c) before running into blind seams. By opting for a variant line (and by climbing two pitches of E6/7, or 7c/5.12d) the British couple were able to continue their free ascent almost to the top of the 400m pillar.
Hampered by five days of unsettled, snowy weather they ran completely out of food and water, so could not hang around to work and redpoint the crux pitch, which they had aided on tiny blades and peckers at A3. “I had a quick play on top-rope,” John explained, “and the fingertip layback crux would make a great free pitch at around E7 6b or 8a/5.13b, although it may need a bolt or two for protection.” They pressed on to the summit on day nine, all of the free pitches having been climbed onsight. As nearly all of the 500m route’s seventeen pitches involve hard crack climbing (including six pitches of 5.12) ‘Welcome to Crackistan’ must rank as one of the most continuously hard jamming routes on any big wall, and now awaits a completely free ascent.
The expedition was supported by BMC & MEF grants, and John and Anne would also like to thank Arc’teryx, Boreal, Lyon Equipment and First Ascent for their generous equipment support. |
|
BBC filming in Venezuela
John Arran led a BBC Natural History film team, including presenter and fellow-climber Steve Backshall, up a 350m new route on the previously-unclimbed Upuigma tepui. The producer wanted to film an exciting route to the summit plateau and he certainly got his wish, as the route involved all manner of obstacles such as scary E6 runouts and overhanging vegetation, as well as plenty of hard climbing! The team then spent several days on the plateau finding diverse wildlife, including probable new species. The film is due to be aired sometime next year. |
|
|
|
June & July Coaching Offers
Climbing coaching in the Peak District
£145 for 1 day
Get a second day half price
or
3 days for the price of 2
1-3 climbers per coach
Same cost for anywhere in the UK with petrol & or accommodation (if necessary) on top.
Coaching & Multimedia Lecture Combo: £350
1 coach for 3hr group session + multi media lecture.
We’ll take up to 6 people per coach for a 3-hour indoor climbing workshop.
The evening lecture is for any number of people.
We bring the laptop and you supply the projector and sound.
We are happy to do any combinations of any lectures to suit.
1 coach for 3hr group session + multi media lecture.
Weekend or 2-day rock improvers for Club members: £300/coach
Want to crank like a demon? We’ll come to your club and your climbing will improve.
We are happy to focus on improving climbing performance or looking more closely at the technical side with club beginners – the choice is yours.
|
|
It's climbTIME!
John has just launched version 2.0 of his climbTIME membership database for climbing walls.
Originally written for The Climbing Works in Sheffield, its ease-of-use, reliability and affordability has already seen it taken up by other walls. Version 2.0 is now much more configurable and as such it should be of interest to all climbing wall operators wanting a full-specification professional database they don't have to pay through the nose for!
|
|
Stunning Pyrenees Climbing
We will be off to the Ariège region of the Pyrenees in June for the amazing sport climbing and hopefully to establish new free routes on a huge limestone wall. There are many quality crags to enjoy in the area, with climbing from Fr 5-8c, and there’s great multi-pitch trad and superb bouldering too! More info coming soon… |
|
World's steepest wall?
We are psyched to head off on expedition to Venezuela again in September to climb a new big wall which is over 500m high and looks to be over 100m overhanging! We’re also psyched to see the amazing local wildlife again!
This could well be the world’s STEEPEST big-wall so hanging in ledges while freeclimbing will be the order of the day. We’ll need to trek several days into the rainforest to reach the wall, whose beautiful waterfall doesn’t yet even have a name! We’ll meet up with our friend Ivan Calderon, the great big wall climber who has been with us on most of our Venezuelan successes. Luckily we have been offered an MEF grant and also the Alison Chadwick Award for 2008 so many thanks to them for their support.
We are currently looking for climbing hardware support for this expedition; please contact us to find out more if you're interested. |
|
2008 UIAA Youth events
As President of the UIAA Youth Commission, Anne coordinates international youth climbing opportunities from many climbing Federations. You can find out about this year’s programme of activities here. |
|
New Slideshows
theFreeClimber is organising a number of slideshows over the coming months, including great tales, images and video footage of their recent big-wall freeclimbing successes in Pakistan. Dates will be announced soon, but get in touch if you're interested in a talk for your club or organisation. |
|
|
News
