Inside This Issue

Singapore Bouldering League •

what’s in store for 2010?

Yangshuo •

SMU’s winning travel article

Rock On 2009 •

Best routes ever

Gravical •

4th time’s the charm

Boulderactive •

The good, the bad & the ugly

Bouldermania •

NTU gets manical

Cross Training •

Keep your antagonistic muscles sane

Singapore’s ﬁrst 8c

hear what Jay has to say

MICA (P) 143/07/2009

Issue 04 :: Apr 2010

Send us yourBest Picturefrom this year’sGRAVICALand BOULDERACTIVEand stand to walk away with a 1 monthSeason Pass to Climb Asia!Email pictures (resize to <1MB) withyour name and contact number to:ben.toh@sgclimb.com

Editorial

A new year, a new beginningSince SCA started in 2009, we have –• Coordinated 2009’s National Bouldering League successfully• Sent 1 climber to compete at the World Championships, and 3 to theAsian Championships• Organised a networking session for Junior College climbing clubs• Provided online media in the form of photography and videos at

www.sgclimb.com

• Published 4 issues of DYNO (this one included)With each step, our vision and goals got clearer - SCA wants to elevate climbing(specifically in the area of bouldering), to the same level as basketball, table-tennis and soccer. It is with this vision in mind, that we crafted this year’sbouldering league, hereby renamed Singapore Bouldering League (SBL) and gottenit endorsed by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC).Apart from coordinating the league, SCA is also supporting the participatingcompetitions with –• Volumes and handholds• Impact drivers• Technical and logistic support• Engaging credible and reliable Chief Route-setters/ Chief Judges• Online publicity and registration portal• Professional advice on competition management• Professional photography servicesSCA will like to welcome all competition organisers to enquire about our servicesand support which are provided free-of-charge to organisers, apart fromprofessional fees for judging, route-setting and photography.Once again, SCA will like to thank all our helpers and volunteers who havecontributed to our sport. Without them, DYNO, SgClimb.com and SBL 2010 wouldnot have been possible.THANKS!To Temasek Polytechnic Sports Climbing Team – For continuously providing selflessvolunteers who make our local climbing events possible.To SSC – For supporting SCA with their endorsement and kind sponsorship.To SMU, NUS and NTU - For believing in and participating in the SBL.To Climb Asia – For their continuous support to climbing in Singapore.To all the others who worked tirelessly behind the scenes;who work so others can climb; who give so others canenjoy; who sacrifice, so others may achieve.You know who you are.Together, We can be great, Together!Chief EditorBen Toh

ben.toh@sgclimb.com

SMU in Yangshuo

On 4th December 2009, 2 climbers fromthe Singapore Management University(SMU) Climb team, embarked on a tripto Yangshuo, China for a CommunityService Project. Working closely withYangshuo Access Initiative (YAI), and witha sponsorship of 6 anchors by ExponentChallenge Technology Asia, these climberscarried out the Crag Inventory andAssessment program.Over 14 days, a total of 11 different cragswere visited, ranging from the famous Lei PiShan to the notoriously overhung Moonhill,the latter requiring an approximate hikeof 735 steps to the crag! In all, 32 anchorswere improved, 90+ routes correctlyinventoried and assessed. “Yangshuothanks you. You guys have done more forYangshuo than the Yangshuo ClimbingAssociation has ever done,” said AndrewHedesh, Crag Safety and MaintenanceDirector of YAI.Assessing and improving routes was aparticularly enriching experience. Climbersshould never take the safety on naturalwalls for granted. Many often fail to seethe effort put in behind the setting and

The above article by

Yeo Zhen Xiong

from

SMU

has won him a pair of

La Sportive Speedster

sponsored by

Climb Asia

SCA

will be contacting

Zhen Xiong

about collection of his prize shortly.

SMU embarks on Project 8a

By Yeo Zhen Xiong

maintenance of these routes, ensuring thatevery climber has a fun and safe climb.What was most appalling was the equipmentrecovered from some of the walls. Froman untested chain, weathered ropes andrusty mallions to broken carabiners, theequipment that some climbers trustedtheir lives on were obvious safety hazards.It was without a doubt that work had tobe done.Community work aside, climbing inYangshuo was an extremely rewardingexperience. Average temperatures of 8– 12 degrees ensured that jackets stayedon. Cloudy days made topless climbing anear impossibility. Despite routes beingsupposedly stiffer than those at home,the view on the top was simply amazing.One is greeted by the image of vast plainsagainst the backdrop of the numerousKarst towers.Routes in Yangshuo cater to a range ofgrades. Currently, White Mountain remainsclosed due to access issues. However, YAIis diligently resolving these issues with thevillages. Nonetheless, there are a numberof crags that provide a multitude ofchallenges and weeks of entertainment ifone were to tackle just a crag a day. Beinga relatively new climbing spot, the rocks inYangshuo are generally sharper than thosein more established areas such as Krabi.While this translates to better grips, do beprepared to lose a fair bit of skin.Most crags are within a 10km radius of thetown. Getting to crags could be done viapublic bus, a hired van, or if one is in themood for some warm up, a rented bicycle.A daily climbing itinerary would includegetting up at about 8am, having GuilinNoodles along with soy milk for about5 yuan (S$1) followed by stocking up onbread and water for lunch and reachingthe crags by around 1030am.After climbing to your heart’s content,rest assured that Yangshuo town hasplenty of entertainment options to offer.Apart from sampling their acclaimed beerﬁsh, my favourite eatery was a claypotrice shop near the bus station. Also, WestStreet (Xi Jie) provides ample shoppingoptions ranging from foodstuff, souvenirsto “branded” apparel. Being a touristhotspot, West Street has a number of barsand clubs that would satisfy any partyanimal. In all, Yangshuo has a mix of the old andthe new, allowing climbers to enjoy thechallenges of the crags and also boastsnumerous activites for non-climbing days.Access information to Yangshuo can befound at