Adrian Baxter

Valle Encantado - Argentina

2011-04-05T20:34:00.000+01:00

Another country, another crag . . . but probably the best sport one we have visited in South America.

It was so good that we decided to spend two weeks between here (and Rapa Nui in Bariloche - a chocoloteria which served torta de mil hojas - a kind of meile fille on acid - amazing.) Check out the pictures, of the climbing that is- not the cakes.

At last . . . something to climb.

2011-02-12T13:54:00.000Z

After, far too many miles (4,000), a second continent and far too many sessions on one of these . . .

. . . we are climbing again. And in a truly magical, mysterious and mind-blowing place - Hatun Machay, Peru.

It's a place not only with exceptional climbing but great historical significance - as you wonder through and between the misty towers of climbing, and ancient stone huts

you often find 10,000 year old Moche arrow-heads scattering the floor

Anyway, enough of the history lesson, lets get down to the climbing! Here's a few shots i took, and had taken of me . . .

Check out our travel blog here . . .

2010-12-27T00:51:00.001Z

As the climbing is literally NON EXISTENT in Central America please check out my travel-based blog here:

www.takingthevan.wordpress.com

I will of course be uploading any climbing photos here as soon as we actually find some rock to climb!

New Hampshire & Yosemite

2010-12-01T23:06:00.003Z

I visited New Hampshire for a week to warm up before 3 weeks of granite cracks in Yosemite late last September.

Jack Tracy, an old friend from London who's moved back home to the US recently, was our incredible host and showed us everything the state had to offer.

First stop was Cathedral where Mike and I aimed to get as much crack climbing in as possible (something i haven't really done before) so was promptly educated!

Next stop was Rumney for a day of sport climbing . . .

I was so pleased to have onsighted this awesome route; Predator 5.13a- an ambition since i first saw it in a photo years ago.

Next stop was Yosemite. . . what a slap around the face! Yosemite is its own style of climbing and a week of crack climbing was simply not enough preparation. It was a big mistake to have got on The Rostrum as the first route of the trip - i basically tried to layback the first 3 pitches before falling on the third 145' pitch and reaching the top with just a single sling and cam despite placing gear every 10 to 15 foot! What a pro!

Anyway, between getting rained out for a week and bouldering in Bishop and climbing in Owen's River, we did some classics- Nutcracker, Central Pillar of Frenzy etc and even managed to free The Leaning Tower and flashed many of the pitches (as a second!) & only fell on 3 pitches (3rd, last and one other?!) I vow to go back and free it some day soon!

A 2010 Team photo in front of one of Yosemite's Giant Redwoods

Mexico - El Chonta & Jilotepec

2010-11-05T13:21:00.000Z

Wow.

There are some crags you visit and you have seen it all before. . . and there are some crags which blow you away - El Chonta is one of them. And we were lucky to have a guided tour by mr chonta himself 'Mac'

It's a 7 pitch high limestone cave that is impossibly deep, steep . . .

. . . and literally dripping with tufas. I was lucky enough to onsight this the classic route of the cave, Atasco - 8a.

Our accommodation's location could not be any more wild. . .

. . . as neither could the ambience!

What a place.

p.s. We have heard that there isn't so much climbing south of Mexico . . . until you cross the Darien Gap and get to Ecuador, South America . . . we'll just have to learn how to surf!

Anyway, this wouldn't be a very interesting climbing blog without climbing content, so I will be writing another blog based on our travels from Mexico all the way through to Buenos Aires in Argentina you can find it here:

www.takingthevan.wordpress.com

Mexico & 11 More Countries . . .

2010-10-31T13:07:00.001Z

After the States, the real journey began . . .

We have spent just over a month in Mexico and this has formed the start of our now 7 month trip starting here in Mexico and ending around 10,000 miles later in Argentina.

We'll be visiting:

- Guatemala
- El Salvador
- Honduras (very briefly)
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama (even more briefly)
- Ecuador
- Peru
- Bolivia
- Chile
- and finally Argentina!

Phew, I'm exhausted already and I haven't even started driving yet. . .

Although we will be trying to climb all the way along on this journey, we realise that there will be huge gaps where there is literally no rock, (where I will be finger-boarding in the van to try and retain some sort of fitness - unlikely, I know). This however, would not make for a very interesting climbing blog. So, although I will be posting the odd climbing photo and news on this blog I will be updating our travel blog. Check it out at:

www.takingthevan.wordpress.com

Ironman, 8c - Rodellar

2010-08-25T13:27:00.005+01:00

Photography: Rob Gibson

I've been having a total blast over the last 2 months climbing in Spain and Ironman was really the culmination of the trip for me. Although i am on a nine month sabbatical from work and will be heading to Yosemite and Central and South America for 6 months now - i decided to dedicate the last 2 months to sport climbing in Northern Spain and have really surprised myself ticking a load of routes up to 8b+ quickly on red-point and on-sighting up to a few 8's up to 8a+ in a day.

I actually thought i wouldn't get an 8c ticked this trip as it has been dogged by such weird extremes of weather - it snowed twice, we experienced almost tropical thunderstorms (meaning 3 x 8c's i was trying were soaked for up to a week at a time), it reached 38 degrees . . . and I also had to return home for a month but decided to return for a week to get one done, and am so pleased that i made the effort!

Ironman is at Surgencia Sector in Rodellar. It is just over 40m high and about 20m overhanging. The route is split into two sections - a first 20m vertical technical section of about 7b+/7c and then a second 20m pitch after a ledge that's up to 45 degrees overhanging and weighs in at 8c itself.

From the ledge all the moves are big & powerful, the holds generally open-hand pinches and tufas . . . until you reach the headwall.

Here you find a technical sequence on undercuts which can easily be blown as you have to make 6 foot movements to make 2 hand-movements followed by 4 more moves on slopers for hands and feet to get into a position to clip the chain; which you have level with your face for what seems like an eternity!

It's only here why you appreciate why this route is called Ironman because it really does not give up until you clip the chain - after a knee-bar two moves into the 8c, there's nowhere to get a rest to truly get anything back because it is too steep. It's really a timing game - knowing how to pace your climbing and not letting any individual move take up too much energy that you'll need higher up on the crucial technical section.

I reached the crux - 2 metres from the chain on my first red-point after a day of work and naively thought i'd get it next go . . . but once again, that's why its called Ironman . . . those last 2 / 3 metres never ever let up and are definately the hardest part on the route especially after climbing 38metres to get there.

I red-pointed the route as it was starting to go dark on my last possible red-point on my final evening in Rodellar - it was an emotional experience!

Thanks must go to Harry Pennells for such incredible support belaying over the time i spent on it and to Rob Gibson who offered to take some shots at 6.30 am the next morning before i left Spain helped by Ramon Marin!

Thanks guy

Photography: Rob Gibson

A few snaps from part one of the trip . .

2010-07-16T13:03:00.007+01:00

El Piton, 8a+ - One of the most classic & intimidating lines at Rodellar

Photographer: Alastair Lee

Geminis, 8b+, Rodellar

Photographer: David Pickford

One to keep a certain, sports nutrition sponsor happy!

Photographer: David Pickford

The 45m high, 20m overhanging Kalea Borroka, Siruana (Spot me if you can)

Photographer: Dave Pickford

More Geminis . . .

Photographer: David Pickford

El Piton 8a+

2010-06-08T15:38:00.003+01:00

Al Lee also captured me with a medium format camera on El Piton, 8a+ at Pince Sans Rire sector.

One of the most classic routes at Rodellar - a near horizontal traverse into a pocket you need to swap two fingers on your right hand to two fingers on your left hand before making a near full hands and feet off dyno to a jug on the lip.

Apologies for the extraordinarily ugly face! There maybe footage of this to come too . . . .

A day with Alistair Lee and Team

2010-06-08T15:32:00.004+01:00

As previously posted, i had a great day climbing and got a load of it captured by Al Lee on camera.

here's a shot of me being shot on both a polecam and a second HD camera on the classic Delfin 7c+ :

So much climbing, so little energy to write . . .

2010-05-28T13:17:00.002+01:00

It's been a full two weeks since i last posted, and i've done quite a lot of climbing that i have been very, very pleased with.

It seems that my efforts training indoors for the last 4 months have really paid off - i have, without doubt, broke into a new level with my climbing that can only be explained from some dedicated but really quite tedious training.

The training has translated to a couple of really good days:

1 Day: 1 x 8a/+ Flash, 1 x 8a Onsight, 1 x 7c+/8a (Retro Flash)

(this was all caught on camera or film by Alistair Lee and i can't wait to see the results!)

2 Day: 1 x 8a/+ Onsight, 2 x 8a+ First Redpoint.

So it was all going very well, and to be honest, it was about time that i got on something harder - so i've jumped on a few 8c's to see which i should project . . . more news coming very soon.

Riglos Video

2010-05-14T13:54:00.003+01:00

A quick video shot en route while Stu and i were on pitch 5 of Fiesta de Los Biceps . . .

(Excuse the strangely shifting camera angle!)

Riglos

2010-05-14T13:25:00.004+01:00

From EU Road Trip 2010

FIESTA DE BICEPS - 7 pitches of conglomerate climbing. 230m of 7a in total.

(If you look close enough directly above my finger, you can see the white chalk line that you climb up the route)

What a route.

I can honestly say that despite completely shitting myself standing at the bottom of the route before the first pitch, it is probably the best route i have ever done.

From slab to vertical to overhanging, technical slopers to holds bid enough to stand and even sit on - this route has it all. Every climber should experience this route.

My expression here with Stu on pitch 5 (about 180m high) gives away how i was feeling - a mix of fear and elation!

Rodellar

2010-05-14T12:46:00.003+01:00

Day 1 of the (real) road-trip started in Rodellar and could not have been better.

The sun was shining, a team of 12 Brits were psyched out of their minds to climb and Sector Surgencia was calling.

I had a great first day; ticking a few 30/35m routes between 7b+ and 8a onsight and things were looking good for the next few days until the rain and snow travelled down to Rodellar.

Stu and I decided to head to Riglos to do something a little bit different. . .

EU ROAD TRIP 2010

2010-05-14T11:38:00.004+01:00

Things have moved really quickly over the past few months. . .

Handing my notice in at work and leaving for a road trip around Europe in the summer and then to the US in Autumn seemed a really long way away . . . and now, i've already been on it for 9 days!

My plan was to head to the Pyrennes to do some trad big walls, then to northern Spain and the south of France to really push my grade sport climbing and then on to Rumney, Red River Gorge and Yosemite in September/October. However, the start has already turned out very differently.

On the drive down, expectations of the weather getting warmer as we drove south into France and Spain were replaced with the reality of snow blizzards in the Tarn area.

A weather report told us Europe was / (is) covered by an enormous area of low pressure that wont budge for a while. . . . we changed out route to Barcelona airport, parked the van and promptly got a flight to Mallorca - the only place where it was actually sunny, as Charlie Woodburn proves here -

After 5 days of complete and utter luxury i returned to Barcelona, picked Ste McClure up and headed to Rodellar . . . more coming soon.

Training

2010-01-24T21:59:00.000Z

Tuppence Ascent - Anstey's Cove

2009-10-02T12:26:00.002+01:00

Finally.

After one day attempts spread over about 3 years I am strong enough to cleanly climb Tuppence!

It is a truly incredible route- pure power endurance from the first move off the ground, and with perhaps the most interesting and weird crux move i have ever done - yes, you do have to do that bizarre drop-knee to have any chance of holding that tiny crimp!

It's also a route that has spat a lot of people off over the years - leaving people literally having to spend 10 years projecting the route because it is so difficult to link in one go.

Very, very pleased.

Burning Man Festival

2009-09-28T21:55:00.012+01:00

After getting very scared crack-climbing in the Needles for a week, we hooked up with a group of friends from London.

We somehow managed to fit 4 couples into this . . . of our home in the Nevada desert for a week.

Our first night at the festival was incredible - we were constantly confronted with the most mind-blowing sculptures . . .

We partied quite hard that night and were a little worse for wear the next day . . . but what's better than watching the sun go down the next day on top of your RV . . .

Our next fews days were filled with more amazement as we wandered round the playa looking at art installations. I'll shut up and let the art do the talking . . .

More Bielsa Photos

2009-09-28T21:26:00.003+01:00

A photo of a 7c+ i on-sighted at Bielsa 2 weeks ago courtesy of Ramon.

An awesome line with 5 parallel tufas in a row that had to be traversed across leading to a huge flake undercut coming up out of shot . . . the line was brand new and may have even been a first ascent . . .

Maximuscle Filming

2009-09-17T15:47:00.002+01:00

I have recently done some filming and a photo shoot for Maximuscle.

The finished edit that was produced shows a little look into the kind of training that i do. It was all filmed at my local training venue at the Westway Sports Centre in London. I also did a short interview that looked into how Maximuscle products help me train for competitions and completing routes outside. . . .

http://www.maximuscle.com/maximilk

Rodellar & Bielsa 2009

2009-09-17T13:00:00.004+01:00

I am currently out in Northern Spain training prior to the World Cup in Puurs in 2 weeks.

It's great to be out here training on rock as opposed to pulling indoors on plastic on the same routes and boulder problems.

It has been a blinder of a training trip already as I completed my two main goals for the trip within the first two days - Botanics, 8b+. I did this first go last Sunday! I did try the route last year though and i tore my Collaterol Ligament on it and had to stop climbing for 5 months . . .

I also climbed one of the maddest looking lines in Rodellar; El enano de la chepa del Seta, 8a+, again first try. It has a double dyno practically as the last move whilst in a 8m near horizontal roof while you are 25m high!

We also decided to check out Bielsa, a mountain crag in the Pyrenees very close to France. It's a beautiful area spread across 3 very different sectors with incredible views and practically unclimbed on rock!

La Foz was the most impressive area, containing many mid-8 grades through a barrel roof.

Here's a shot of me failing to onsight an 8a+ . . .

With training going so well i am going to be jumping on something that pushes my limits a little further . . . i will keep you updated.

The Needles

2009-09-17T12:39:00.004+01:00

What a place.

Possibly the most beautiful climbing area i have ever been to - perfect granite crack-climbing with amazing features and lines.

A magical but quite spooky place - names for sectors like the: Wizard, Magician, Sorcerer, Warlock etc only add to this.

This trip really was an education for me - 2 hour walk-ins, followed by long intimidating crack climbs where my typically English rack - containing double pieces of gear (max) simply was not enough for 40m pitches of cracks of only one size! Also jamming was a new experience for me - i spent most of my time looking for razor edges around the cracks for light relief!

The highlight was working Pyromania - the classic Yaniro, upside down flake climbing 8a+ - i didn't have enough time to head-point it but when i return it will be the first thing that i jump on.

The above photo of Pyromania was taken from Urban Climber's site.

My photos to come . . . (my friend dropped my D90 off a boulder!)

World Champs China

2009-09-17T12:02:00.006+01:00

Some photos in the few days run-up to the competition . . .

The training venue where we housed in the run up to the competition.

This is where the Chinese Olympic football, athletics and swimming teams train full time.

The quite unsatisfactory 'training facility' for all of the international competitors (Lead, Boulder and Speed) to stay in shape on prior to the World Championships. As you can see - it got a bit crowded!

Some interesting local behaviour . . .

It's been a while . . .

2009-09-17T11:38:00.002+01:00

. . . since i last posted something on my blog.

In fact it was just before i was due to visit China for the World Champs. (See next post for some photos)

But it all went a bit wrong - i was meant to do the competition and then head to Yangshuo for some sport-climbing but the night before the Lead discipline qualification i received a phone call from England to say that my father had a severe heart-attack.

I flew home, missing the qualification round and not being able to put the 9 months of specific training to practice. Obviously my father's health and getting back to see him was my priority - climbing ranked very far behind that. And i spent the next 3 weeks looking after my Dad getting him out of hospital and back to normal home life - this was also right at the time of the British Championships too.

The whole incident had a massive impact on me, my training and my motivation. I didn't get the top 25 World Ranking i had been aiming and training for a year, i didn't get 1st at the British Championships (i got 3rd) and it took a while for me to get back training like i was.

Anyway, things have picked up again and i am training and climbing really, really well - (more to come in next post!)

I also have 3 World Cups to focus on:

- Puurs (25th/26th September)
- Brno (6th & 7th November)
- Kranj (14th & 15th November)

So here's to climbing in the remaining 4 months of 2009 and many more blog posts!

Canada 2009

2009-05-26T00:19:00.000+01:00

This March Tanya and I visited Banff national park for a mix of climbing and skiing. Althought it wasn't a hardcore trip it really reminded me that these kind of trips can sometimes be the best.

You are not chasing grades or ascents, more just enjoying climbing for what it is.

We climbed in a few areas during the trip despite the cold - Bataan & Grassy lakes to name a couple, and thenm skiied in Sunshine and Lake Louise - we vowed to come back to Louise one summertime soon. . .

Migrania 8b, Siurana

2009-05-26T00:11:00.000+01:00

I last visited Siurana in 1999, I was 18 years old and had been climbing for two years.

Despite having the worst trip of my life (due to non-climbing factors which i wont go into) i manged to do my first 8a -Anabolica.

It was however, this line, Migrania that i vowed i would come back to do one day.

This was the trip that it happened - first redpoint on my second day in Sirunana.

What a route! Pure power in every move with the crux right at the top.

Only the extension to go now . . .

8a Onsight in Margalef

2009-05-26T00:02:00.000+01:00

Visited Margalef on the same trip - what a crag!

Loads of awesome steep barrel shaped routes like this one - an 8a that I managed to onsight.

Return to Siurana

2009-05-25T23:56:00.000+01:00

Tanya hanging out in Cornudella . . .

China World Champs

2009-05-21T12:01:00.009+01:00

AMV have kindly just supported me in my travels to the world champs in china this june/july.

I have just boooked my ticket and will be creating a film about my travels to Xining and Yangshuo(below).

In the meantime, i've been trying to get a bit of inspiration from Matthius Kisspert and DFuse - they have produced some truly amazing film work about city growth in China.

Check it out here:

And here:

Also check out Matthius' new work related site:

http://www.unit303.biz/

A memory from Kalymnos

2009-04-14T03:43:00.002+01:00

I just found this photo of me on the net. . . . way back in 2003 onsighting Aegialis, 7c or 7c+.

With weather like we are having in the UK, perhaps its time to go back. . . .

British Leading League Elite Champion

2009-04-07T12:45:00.006+01:00

This Saturday I won Grand Final of the British Leading League!

After 3 months of competitons around the country I qualified for the Grand Final of the British Leading League.

The Grand Final was held at the Foundry in Sheffield and was attended by over 60 of Britains top climbers from all over the country.

I was in the Senior Male Elite Category and had strong competition from 4 other GB Team climbers.

The competition took the following format: Each competitor had 3 chances to complete each of the 5 climbs - a 7a, 7b, 7c, 8a and an 8b (the same grade as a World Cup Semi Final route), the least amount of attempts it took you to do the route the more points you scored. i.e. if you did the climb on your first go ('flash') you scored maximum points.

I climbed out of my skin 'flashing' the first four routes up to and including the 8a, as did Drew Haigh. First place was therefore all down to the last route - the 8b. . .

I had to climb first and therefore was under the disadvantage of Drew being allowed to watch how i climbed the route. . .

Despite the pressure I climbed really well on this route and managed to climb to the highest point in the Elite category . . . and became the British leading League Elite Champion!

It was a really great day - (photos to come very soon) and it bodes sowell for me for both the one off British competition the BLCC in Edinburgh later this year and the World Cups and World Championships that i will be attending.

Without the support of my Sponsors - Peak Performance, Maximuscle and MTB it really would not have been possible to achieve this - so thanks so much guys!

\A

Peak Performance - New Sponsor

2009-03-23T11:46:00.004Z

As of Friday - i have a new sponsorship deal with Peak Performance!

As you can imagine i am over the moon - i have always seen Peak clothing as probably the only brand that manages to get close to the perfect mix of top quality professional standard technicality with cuts, colours and styling that are also fashionable.

Check out the Black Light Series - a highly techincal collection co-designed by a group of 20 of the world's most experienced Mountain Guides. The clothing line is streamlined to give climbers the essentials they need without excessive pockets, zips, drawcords which often have the potential to just get in the way and be annoying - i am sure we have all experienced this whilst climbing!

Check out their technical and casual clothing lines here: http://www.peakperformance.com/

More Peak news to come including a product testing day at the Westway Climbing Centre next month . . .

A few snaps from Font this January

2009-03-08T20:50:00.005Z

Jess having it with masive hands!

Awesome footwork by Adam on El Poussah

Better footwork by a Frenchman . . .

A bleak walk-in to Elephant one day.

Super-psyche Tanya Rainsley

Saw ths while picking up some pastries - very rustic!

Here are a couple climbing snaps:

1st GB Team Training of the Year . . .

2009-02-01T22:36:00.006Z

The first GB Team training of the year happened on the 17th/18th of January.

Here's a photo of the new elite team for 2009.

Last Summer . . .

2009-02-01T11:50:00.003Z

A few memories from Rodellar, Albarracin & Tarn last year - desperate to go back stronger, fitter and more psyched this year . . .

Friends

2009-02-01T11:48:00.002Z

Friend stuff will go here.

Competitions

2009-02-01T11:45:00.004Z

It's gonna be a busy year for both National and International comps . . .

So far I've got these booked in:

Nationals

- British Leading Ladder Final (April)

- BLCC (July)

Internationals

- SkyMasters (in 2 weeks!)

- World Champs in Qinqhai, China (July)

- World Cup Chamonix (July)

- World Cup Barcelona (August)

- World Cup Puurs (September)

- World Cup Brno (October)

- World Cup Kranj (October)

Nutrition

2009-02-01T11:44:00.001Z

Nutrition articles will go here

Team Trainings Coming Up

2009-02-01T11:43:00.002Z

The Elite GB team will be meeting up again to get ready for the 2009 international season on these dates:

- 14th/15th March (Leeds Wall)

- 4th/5th April (Foundry)

- 25th/26th April (Ratho)

We'll be doing plenty more core work, onsighting international comp level routes . . . and generally being in pain . . . can't wait . . . .

Here comes 2009 . . .

2009-01-31T20:29:00.002Z

After a BIG focus on training this winter, and being really strict with myself to stay indoors and just work on my fitness i will be hitting the crags i central europe from around April.

Here's what i have got planned:

Ice
- Calgary, Canada ( April)

Sport
- Santa Linya/Margalef + new secret crag further north (May)

- Classic Style Buoux ( June)

- Oriental Rock in Yangshuo, China – (July)

- Rodellar ( August + September)

Dreaming of Rodellar . . . .

2008-11-12T11:20:00.002Z

A picture from last summer.

- A Cravita - 8a . . .