The Rocktown Open 2013
It's not an uncommon occurrence while working on some project that James will morph into another character, one from some posh hoity-toity country club on a hill where everyone dines on caviar, sails yachts, and is waited upon by lowly servants.
"I say, Winfired, the waves are really up today, perhaps we should retire to the lounge and enjoy some libations."
It's a cue for me to respond...
"Quite agreed, Branson. I will radio Rupert to have wine and caviar prepared for our arrival."
So credit goes to James who gave us the idea for our upcoming Rocktown competition theme: an event where everyone dresses, behaves and pokes-fun-at the pretension of high society. In essence, a fictional country club style with people in white collars and raised eyebrows.
I ran with the idea and created a logo for the event:
The act of preparing for a climbing competition is one I'm quite familiar with. I started organizing climbing competitions almost as long as I've been climbing - about 17 years. The first one was just a local event called the Norman Bouldering Competition. From then it blossomed into a full-fledged annual event that had upwards of 70 competitors - and that was just in home gyms and garages!
Routesetting has always been a special part of my climbing experience and one that I have a lot of fun with so I look forward to competition time as an added challenge to my creativity and efficiency. For the climbing competition at Rocktown it requires us to take down every hold on every route in the gym and re-set brand new routes. At most gyms this work would take place over the period of a few days. The gym might close for three days while all the holds and removed, cleaned and the walls re-set with new routes. For us that's not really an option because of the height of the routes and the amount of time required to change everything over. Instead we have a schedule of routesetting that begins about a month ahead of time. We aim for completing about 2 routes per day in the hopes of having about 40 routes by the time the competition date arrives.
It's a massive undertaking that requires coordination and lots of labor. A single route of 90 feet might have 100 holds on it. That's a lot of wrench turning. And no small task to create a new line in its place.
Motivation levels begin high in anticipation of the upcoming comp and driven by the prospect of climbers being challenged by our new creations. Usually mid-way through the routsetting period, after a few routes, we search for a second wind to keep the inspiration high. Gaining ever closer to the comp date muscles are sore, and it's all a routesetter can do to put the ascenders on the rope, jug up, and pull yet another bucket-load of holds to the top of a climb. The only thing keeping us going is the thought that the work is almost done.
But here we are at the beginning, the very beginning, just now preparing to get underway with this enormous adventure in routesetting, again.
Please be patient with us as we change routes and keep in mind that when all is done you will have the chance to climb it....hopefully in the competition.
"I say, Winfired, the waves are really up today, perhaps we should retire to the lounge and enjoy some libations."
It's a cue for me to respond...
"Quite agreed, Branson. I will radio Rupert to have wine and caviar prepared for our arrival."
So credit goes to James who gave us the idea for our upcoming Rocktown competition theme: an event where everyone dresses, behaves and pokes-fun-at the pretension of high society. In essence, a fictional country club style with people in white collars and raised eyebrows.
I ran with the idea and created a logo for the event:
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| Climbing Competition 2013 |
Routesetting has always been a special part of my climbing experience and one that I have a lot of fun with so I look forward to competition time as an added challenge to my creativity and efficiency. For the climbing competition at Rocktown it requires us to take down every hold on every route in the gym and re-set brand new routes. At most gyms this work would take place over the period of a few days. The gym might close for three days while all the holds and removed, cleaned and the walls re-set with new routes. For us that's not really an option because of the height of the routes and the amount of time required to change everything over. Instead we have a schedule of routesetting that begins about a month ahead of time. We aim for completing about 2 routes per day in the hopes of having about 40 routes by the time the competition date arrives.
It's a massive undertaking that requires coordination and lots of labor. A single route of 90 feet might have 100 holds on it. That's a lot of wrench turning. And no small task to create a new line in its place.
Motivation levels begin high in anticipation of the upcoming comp and driven by the prospect of climbers being challenged by our new creations. Usually mid-way through the routsetting period, after a few routes, we search for a second wind to keep the inspiration high. Gaining ever closer to the comp date muscles are sore, and it's all a routesetter can do to put the ascenders on the rope, jug up, and pull yet another bucket-load of holds to the top of a climb. The only thing keeping us going is the thought that the work is almost done.
But here we are at the beginning, the very beginning, just now preparing to get underway with this enormous adventure in routesetting, again.
Please be patient with us as we change routes and keep in mind that when all is done you will have the chance to climb it....hopefully in the competition.
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