in this issue

Find out how to win yourselfa pair of EVOLV Optimusworth $168 !

Win Evolv Shoes!

Be charmed by orientalbeauty when we exploreclimbs in Yangshou, China

Traveling Climber

Issue 02 :: Aug 2009MICA (P) 143/07/2009

35 mins fuss-free way toget stronger at the comfortof your home

Health & Training

Are you ready to Rock On!

Making a comeback after a 2years hiatus, Rock On is back andit is bigger than ever!The climbing event of theyear, Rock On 2009, will be heldbetween 7th and 14th Novemberat SAFRA Adventure Sports Centre(SASC) at SAFRA Yishun.Climbers can expect anexciting week of fun, adrenalineand excitement, peppered withintense competitions, technicalcourses, carnival and many more.Known to attract internationalclimbers, local climbers will havethe opportunity to pit their skillsand techniques with the best fromIndonesia, Malaysia, Thailand andother South-East Asia countries.In addition, Rock On will haveover 20 competitive categoriesand the only Junior Category (12& below) that is opened to allJuniors (local & international).This year it is estimated to seeover 800 signups. Register earlyto enjoy early bird discounts:Individuals - $15 (U.P. $18), Team$45 (U.P. $57)There will also be a series of technical courses conducted byinternational professionals toeducate and produce more local judges and route-setters as aneffort to heighten the standardsof our climbing community.Rock On has come a long wayin inking its presence in ourclimbers’ hearts, recognized as thecompetition of all competitions. Itsabsence in the past 2 years is sorelymissed by many.From a humble beginning in 1992,Rock On began as a small scale eventheld at World Trade Centre withonly 280 competitors.Over the years, it has grown toan enormous size which sees over800 participants with many loyalclimbers hailing from regionalcountries.Among the local competitions,nothing compares to the prestigeof being a Rock On champion. Pastluminaries include Mr. Philip Lim,Mr. Muhd Hazlee and Ms. SuzannaTan.So who will be the next Rock OnChampion for 2009?Visitwww.sgclimb.com/rockon for more pdates as the Rock Ondraws nearer.

R o c k O n 2 0 0 9

D at e : 7 t h t o 14 t h N o v e mb e r V e n u e :

S AF R A Ad v e n t u r e S p o r t s C e n t r e

R e g i s t r at i o n F e e :I n d i v i d u als - $ 15 ( U .P . $ 18 ),T e am $ 4 5 ( U .P . $ 5 7 ) W e b s i t e :

w w w .s g c li mb .c o m/ r o c k o n

Where can i get my next issue of Dyno?

Next issue will be out in November

•DuringRockOn•AtClimbAsia,SAFRASASC,CampersCorner•ElectronicMailinglist(signupnow)

A quarterly publication by

All materials in this issue are copyrighted materials of SCA

I know that close crimping puts excessive pressure on

the nger joints, but it has become an integral part of

how I climb. Should I try to break this habit?

YES! From all perspectives, yes!Firstly, your climbing level will improve fastest simply byworking on your weak points. Beinggood only on crimps simply means youwill start faltering on slopers or pinches.Being strong in a variety of handpositions will ensure that you don’t getshut down on a route simply becauseyou can’t hold a certain hold.Secondly, the closed crimp positionplaces a lot of stress on the joints, andhas caused a number of climbers to have

chronicproblemswiththeirngers.Thisisespeciallytruefor

younger climbers who are not feeling the effects yet.Because it’s a chronic problem, it sets in slowly, and takes along time to heal, meaning you’ll have to stay away from climbinglonger for it to heal. AND knowing climbers, they probably can’tstay away for long, so the problem will remain with them for therest of their lives.You scared yet?

What should I look out for when buying a harness?

First off, do not buy one like how your mother would buy

clothesforyou-aone-size-ts-alla.k.a.‘clubharness’sothatyou

can accommodate any future growth in width.Depending on your intended genre of climbing (e.g.,sportclimbing, rock climbing, mountaineering, etc.), you will likelyneed to get a harness that caters to it.For a beginner or simply general purpose use, an all-round

harnesswouldsufce.Theyshouldcomeinagender-specicsize(e.g.,XS,S,M,etc.)withatleasttwogearloops(oneoneach

side) and a moderate amount of padding.It is important to ensure that the waist and leg loops meet your

uniquebodilyproportions.Agoodgaugeforsufcientharness

snugness is when it neither slides over andbelow your hips nor creeps upto your ribs. Additionally, youshould feel relatively comfortablewearing the harness.Different brands adoptdifferent cuts, and only bytesting various designs will you

ndtherighttforyou,so

always try before you buy.Cost should be the least ofyour worries since you will betaking falls in your harness for a good two to threeyears. As a gauge, $80 to $120 is a reasonable price range for abeginner.

What is the point of using chalk? Are theredifferent grades of chalk?

Er… to dry your hands?

Well,apartfromtheMetoliusSuperChalk,mostother

chalk feels the same. Afterall, they have the samechemical composition. The thing about

Metolius’chalkisthattheyaddeda

particularly strong drying agent. Sostrong in fact that prolonged usage can

leadtodryandscalyngertips!Souse

in moderation.But, more often than not, climbersjust use whichever chalk is cheaper.The only major difference is whenusing liquid chalk. Basically it’s chalksuspended in an alcohol solution,thus it’s very important to shake the bottle beforeuse, otherwise you’ll just be pouring alcohol onto yourhands! Anyway, it works by leaving the suspended chalk

‘glued’toyourhandsasthealcoholevaporates.Very

useful when you’re on a project where you have minimal

chancestochalkup(e.g.,Realization,9aorFatMan,8A+).

r Rock hangs out @ Climb Asia, and in betweenclimbs, tries his best to nd your letters and think up

cool answers.

ask DR. ROCK

Are we there yet? No.Are we there yet? No.Are we getting there? No.

Arewehalfwaythere?Maybe.

Are we moving? Yes!

ith the successful conclusion of NBL 2009, anda very high chance of climbing becoming aCCAB sport, we are on a roll!With the help of passionate climbers such asSuzanna (SCA), Philip and Kelly (Acrobatics), Nazib andKelly (SASC), Gabriel (Xinmin Secondary), Irwan andJunbin (Climb Asia), Garrick (Temasek Polytechnic),Thiam Huat, Stanley and Chee Yeong (InternationalJudges) and many more individuals, NSSCC 2009 wasa resounding success.During these months, SCA has also been busy with

theorganizingof-therstNationalBouldering

League, a JC interaction session held at NUS, sending

Ms.BeatrixChongforWorldChampionshipinQinghai,

China, coordinating our Dyno issues and many more.On 26th Aug, SCA will be sending Irwan, SueAnnand Beatrix to the Asian Championships 2009 in Korea.We wish them all the best!We have also received wonderful feedback andresponse from all you climbers, which spurs us at SCAto work harder for our climbing community.SCA would not have been able to do so without thehelp from our volunteers, Thank you! We would alsolike to express gratitude to all the belay volunteersfor their time and effort in making the NBL, Climb2and NSSCC a great success.

Editor’s Desk

Climbing in Singapore would not have been thesame without the spirit of sharing and giving. Commityourself. Give us a day or an hour of your time. Log

ontoourwebsite-www.sgclimb.comtondout

more about how you can contribute to our climbingcommunity.Lastly, there are more upcoming exciting events inthe later half of the year such as Rock On and ClimbOn. Keep yourself updated by visiting our website –www.sgclimb.com regularly.And before I sign off, SCA would like to remind allclimbers out there, that there is nothing like the realthing.“Go climb a rock – a real rock”Ben TohChairpersonSingapore Climbers Association

W ant y our questions to beansw er ed? Submitthemto

dy no@sgclimb.com

alongw ithy our name andcontactnumber.T hebestentr y w ill w alk aw ay w itha

SNAP V anity Chalk Pot w orth $44

courtesy of

Climb Asia

E LT U H I C LU E T E C L

L I M I .M

T r it i nl sy mt r i c l shi mt r : 12 c mt h: 1c mC lsur c r

E r nmi c sy mt r i c l sh:n c nv c nn c nc v c i mt r : 14c mt h: 1c mC lsur c r

E r nmi c sy mt r i c l sh:nc nv c n n c nc v c i mt r : 14c mt h: 1c mC lsur t r r i t l c ni c l shH i h i mt r : 17 c mL i mt r : 2 1c mH i ht : 2 c mC hlr c lsi n sy st m hnl i t h t h n lumi ni umsnuc l1i r msh c t 4r ush hlr s

EDITORAL

KNOW YOUR CRAG & WIN!

Tell us the name of theroute pictured on the right.(Hint: Dairy Farm)Stand to win a a SNAPVanity Chalk Pot worth $44courtesy of Climb Asia.Submit your entry todyno@sgclimb.com withyour full name& contact no.

B e n

National Bouldering League

PUMP IT UP

~ by Goh Xiao Xian

aving returned to Velocity@Novena from 15th to17th May, Pumpfest delivered a strange combinationof delight and disappointment to its spectators andparticipants.Most pleasantly received was the unique wall structurebuilt by Climbers Laboratory. A continuous wall of threevarying angles of overhanging inclines and one vertical face,these surfaces were not only textured but also wider thanwhat the usual competition-goers are used to.The alignment was also particularly considerate tospectators as it allowed for a good view of all 4 routes froma single location.An interesting twist was watching the Open Men’s and

Women’s nals run simultaneously, seeing route setters

scurrying around and excitement building up among therestless crowd.Sadly, the weekend also proved particularly mishap-ridden with a spattering of careless judging and spotting.Starting off the event was an unexpected 15-way tie for thethird position in the qualifying round for the Novice Womencategory, which had to be resolved with a tie-breaker round.Accidents continued to unravel, including an ill-fated

nalist, yours truly, who was

given erroneous route information which resulted in her attempting a two-hand start on what was later

claried to be a foothold to a jump start. This mistake was rectied and Xiao Xian was given anotheropportunity to attempt the route, which she nished in dramatic fashion, in the nal remaining minute on her third try.

A costly oversight by Mr. Jay Koh placed him in 3rd position after he unwittingly put two hands on thebonus tile and jumped off in delight under the impression that he had completed theroute.

On the other hand, this competition also conrmed the rapidly rising starof Ms. Janet Goh from SP who ashed all 4 routes in the nals to bag the

top position in the Intermediate Women category. Having only just beenpromoted after placing 3rd in Boulderactive’s Novice category, Janetconfesses to not having done much conditioning but instead climbsalmost every day.Amidst the hard bouldering and competitive air, perhapswhat should be most memorable is instead the courageand determination displayed by Open runner-up Ms. LowShuang’e. Enduring a sprained ankle from the previousday, Shuang’e scaled the problems not just in physicalgrace, but also with an uncomplaining air.Pumpfest may not have been perfect, but in many ways, it was still pretty good.

Photos courtesy of Pumpfest Photo Contest participants: Nicholas Ng & Daryl Chew.

Rockmaster 2009

appening over the 2 weekends from13 Jul, Roc

kmaster was a paradox of sorts. The effort put into producingthe “show” deserves credit.From the video presentation, to the lightingsand music, the organisers went all out toentertain the crowd. Yet, the many glitchesduring the event that makes one wonders if the

competition itself is sacriced in the making of

the “show”.For one, spinning holds seems endemic duringthe weekend at Marina Barrage. Two, routes setduring the men’s novice, intermediate and openpreliminaries were way too hard – Only 1 novice

man manage to nish 2 routes in the qualiers,all others did not nish any routes. Similar

occurrences happened for Intermediate and OpenMen.

Three, the points system was awed to the extentthat a female intermediate participant nished 3routes but did not qualify for the nals; while there weresome nalists who only nished 1.Four – Open nalists started out on differentroutes in the nals, a strange format and

debatable fairness. Five, no medals or trophieswere presented during the award ceremony. Thelast check with winners indicated that organizersare contacting them in regards to their medals.Much effort was made in the production of the

“show”; but the numerous glitches and the laissez-

faire way in which the competition is run leavesone wondering if all the effort madewas skewed towards producinga “show”, rather than a sportsevent.Yes, climbing eventa should

reect the organisers’ air and

philosophy, and SPRC did well tobring much entertainment to thespectators.But hey, don’t forget theathletes.

ongratulations to our champions Chung Sue Ann and Muhamed Irwan. It wasa tight race till the end, but the best of Singapore has shined through. Bothof our champions, together with 2nd place winner, Beatrix Chong, will beheaded to the Asian Championships 2009 in Korea, representing Singapore in thebouldering segment.

SCA is proud to be the ofcial organisation sponsoring their campaign.

Congratulations also to the winner of the NBL “V”, “A” and “B+C” Division winners.They are respectively National University of Singapore(NUS), Temasek Junior College andOutram Secondary School.Each have been awarded $200 worth of climbing credits, proudly sponsored by ClimbAsia. More details on how the winning score is calculated can be found at www.sgclimb.com/nbl.The aim of the National Bouldering League is to foster greater bonds within our climbing

community, and also to motivate our climbers to greater heights. SCA rmly believes that

somewhere amongst us is our very own version of Adam Ondra and Akiyo Noguchi.That is why SCA will turn its focus on our younger climbers and work towardsorganising a National Schools Bouldering League and/or Championships in 2010. Suchan endeavour will require much help from everyone and when thetime comes, we hope all climbers out there can lend usa hand – for the future of our sport.