Some pics from the Chicken Cave

Here are a few pics courtesy of my good friends Shane and Alon from climbing in the Chicken Cave.

First some pics lapping the really fun 'White Tiger' 7b+/5.12c/26

Then some pics of me sending the amazing, burly 'Grevious Bodily Harm' 7c/5.12d/27

L'Echo Des Montagne

So the weather has been getting much better around here. The rain is gone, blue skies abound and climbing is the name of the game every day. It's warm, like 30+ degrees celcius every day, but its great being outside right now! Climbing, swimming in the river, cycling around: life is great at this time of year!
This week has been great. I sent a 5.12a, 5.12c and a 5.12d in 2 days climbing and then did an amazinly fun 5 pitch 5.8 with my good buddy Brian. So much fun!
Check out the pics below for a taste of what life is like here when the weather is good ;-)

Petzl Roc Trip 2011 - Getu Valley, Guizhuo, China

As I have mentioned on these pages before, this years Petzl Roc Trip will be held in the amazing Getu Valley in Guizhuo Province, China... seriously, this place is BOSS, with a capital B. Seriously. Come.

Check out the link below for more information and keep your eyes peeled at the Petzl site for more info....

Petzl Roc Trip 2011 - Getu Valley

Psyched!!!

Some more pics...

So I'm a little sore today but I'm about to head to the training wall anyway. Would prefer to be at the crag but the Spring rains are here so it's on and off rain for a while and today happens to be one of those rainy days so it's bouldering, hangboard, yoga and massages today instead :)
We built a wicked hangboard in our apartment and I have written up some hangboard programs for everyone so we are all psyched :)

Here are a few more random pics from recent times... enjoy :)

A few random pics...

Im lazy, I know...

So I hear you... I have been super lazy with this blog of late. But it's more just that there hasn't been alot of news of till recently.
So I have just moved house to an amazing apartment with huge rooms, big living spaces, we built a hangboard, there is a yoga nook, nice big kitchen, the works... super happy!
And we have some new cats here in town that are super psyched on developing new stuff with us herre this season and some new walls have been scouted and even a few new boulders scrubbed up so things are lookin g exciting for this year here in Yangshuo.
In other news I am also now working for Evolv here in Yangshuo helping with there sales and marketing here in China's premier climbing destination so I am super excited abeout that!
Aother than that my knee is good for sure so its been training, training, training in the hope that I can have some good shots on my project before the summer!
Training, running the bar, studying Mandarin... thats about it lately... good times... but now that the weather is getting good hopefully Ill have some news for you all soon!

Getting there...

So after over 3 weeks off from a knee injury and being really sick, twice, I had my first boulder session at the wall today and it was great fun!
Feeling pretty strong still, just probably lost a little fitness but thats all good. My knee will still take a while to rehab to 100% but I can climb!!! Psyched!
But its been raining non stop here for weeks now so I haven't really missed good climbing conditions so its all good, just gotta start training again to be ready for the weather to break!
Psyched!!!

The gods, they do not smile...

So. I might hae spoken too soon about no news being good news. While training at the Chicken Cave a few days back I tweaked the Medial Collateral Ligament in my right knee (I hurt the lateral colateral ligament in my left knee last year in Vietnam).
It isnt terrible and I should be back to form within a few weeks. BUT, on top of that I just spent the last few days house bound being as sick as I have ever been. A throat infection, the worst fever and sweats I have ever had, muscle aches, the works... so so so sick. But after 3 days of it it seems to have broken and I am on the mend again.
So hopefully within a week I will be back on the rock and back into it at full tilt!

No news is good news

So it's been a bit quiet on the blogging front, sorry about that folks. But a lack of news doesnt mean that nothing is happening. Quite to the contrary.
The weather here in Yangshuo whilst still being a bit dreary is starting to clear up a little and its not as cold any more so its a sure sign that spring is on the way (that and that today is the last day of the Spring Festival here in China).
My good mate Jimmy and I have been knuckling down into our training regime that we have put together and are getting fit for our respective spring season goals. His is to climb 5.12 again after a long break from climbing and mine being to try and send my Fuli project 'One Day As A Lion'.
So it's training, training training. Bouldering at the wall in town, endless laps at the crags, cycling, running, yoga and generally getting into it!
Other than training I have been working most nights at my job here managing Bar 98, an Australian bar here in town. I have also had my bday and turned... well... older. We had Chinese New Year and welcomed in the year of the Rabbit. Lots is going on... but the spring is on the horizon so it's only just beginning!!!

Allie Pepper on Everest!!!

So I am really lucky to know some really amazing people around the world. People getting out there chasing their dreams and inspiring me to do the same. This is just one of those people that I count myself really lucky to know. Allie Pepper.
I first met Allie years ago when I lived in the Blue Mountains in Australia. She was inspiring then and only more so now.
This year she is setting out to try and make an ascent of Everest via the South Col route from the Nepal side. Without supplementary oxygen! You go girl, so psyched for you!
Check out Allie's blog to follow her progress and support her on her epic adventure!

http://www.alliepepper.blogspot.com/

Allie Pepper on the summit of Cho Oyu in 2007

Lots of love to you girl, I'll be cheering you on from here... I would say good luck but your not going to need it :)

Awesome!

Not much news, but ten thousand views!

Hi all,

There's not alot to report on right now really. It's mid winter in Yangshuo which means cold and wet so not alot of climbing is getting done. Just training to be ready for the weather to break in the next few weeks so we can go out and crush in the nice temps :)
Some of you know I have not had the best of luck in the last few weeks, some personal disasters that set me back a little, well we can add another one.. My laptop died and destroyed itself and my back up drive that wa attached at the time so as a result have lost ALL my photography from the last few years. We tried recovering the data bt it had corrupted so its all lost. Not a great start to the year. So I will have to start again with the photography. Oh well, worse things happen I guess!

On the bright side, this blog has just surpassed ten thousand views! Not exactly record breaking I know but a nice milestone none the less. I'll be back again soon with some mpre climbing news as soon as I have some! Cross your fingers that the sun comes out one day soon!

Duncan.

Beijing and Sichuan

So my trip to Beijing and Sichuan was fun. Got home a few days ago. Not much of the trip was climbing related but I was in some beautiful places so here are some pics, enjoy!


Beijing - mainly Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City

Sichuan - Jiuzhaigou Ice Waterfall Festival (and the 11 hour drive from Chengdu to get there because me and a film crew missed our flifghts haha)