I always thought it was time to retire a rope if you have had it for more than five years or if you have a factor two fall on it.  Since some friends told me they wanted to buy my gear, I thought I had better double check my facts and make sure my equipment is in working order before I release it to them.

So I took a look at the Beal website and this is what I discovered for dynamic ropes:

Taking into consideration the rope's time of storage before first use and the time in use, a Beal climbing rope can sustain:

• intensive daily use for up to 1 year.
• intensive weekly use for up to 2 years.
• daily in-season use of average intensity for up to 3 years
• weekly in-season use of average intensity for up to 5 years
• several uses during the year of average intensity for up to 7 years
• very occasional light use for up to 10 years

The properties of a rope can also be affected by abrasion, UV exposure, humidity, therefore it is important to store the rope properly and to inspect the rope from time to time.  Over time, with use, a rope thickens and loses up to 10% of its length.  We always used to joke that our ropes got "fat with age" but this is an important point to take note of when climbing those longer routes because you want to be sure you can get back down.

A rope that has never been used may be stored for up to 5 years (if kept in good condition) without affecting its future lifetime duration in use.  A rope in use must never exceed 10 years, therefore the total maximum lifetime (storage before use and lifetime in use) for any rope is limited to 15 years.

The following are some reasons why a rope must be retired earlier:

• if it has held a major fall approaching fall factor 2
• if inspection revelas or even indicates damage to the core
• if the sheath is very worn
• if it has been in contact with active or dangerous chemicals
• if there is any doubt about its security

What about your harness?

For normal duration of use, you can maintain your harness for 5 years.  For occasional use, you can main your harness for 10 years.  Like a rope, a harness may be kept for 5 years prior to its first use without affecting its future lifetime duration in use, and a harness in use must never been kept for more than 10 years, therefore the maximum shelf life of a harness is 15 years.

The lifespan of a harness can be reduced by mechanical loads, rubbing, UV and wetness so it should also be inspected from time to time to ensure it is still in good working condition.  A harness must be scrapped:

• if it has sustained a heavy fall even if no damage is apparent
• if the webbing has been damaged by abrasion, cutting chemical agents or any other means
• if the stitching has been damaged
• if the buckles are not working well
• if it has been in contact with any active or dangerous chemicals
• if there is any other doubt as to its security

Thanks to Beal for this information.

I never thought the day would come where I would actually sell off my rock climbing gear but here we are.  I told some friends who had just discovered outdoor rock climbing that they could borrow my old gear but they insisted on buying my gear because they didn't feel comfortable borrowing from me indefinitely.

Well, it's not like there is much for them to buy because the slings and my first rope ought to be retired in a year.  After that they will have to buy new slings for the runners.  I also have a couple of belay devices (an ATC and a reverso), an autolock carabiner and a few locking carabiners which they can use for multi-pitching.  My Beal rope also has about another year of intensive weekly use out of it.

I read a blog post from one of the Rockrats recently and found myself feeling a wave of nostalgia for the past.  I had always thought I would continue climbing even after my baby was born and now I can't bear to leave my baby for more than a couple of hours.  I console myself with thoughts that when my son is old enough I will take him out to the crag with me.  After all, rock climbing is one of the few sports that you can still excel at even if you're pushing forty.

When the hubby and I first started dating, his penchant was for fast cars and mine for rock climbing.  When I became pregnant, he sold his modified Subaru WRX Sti and bought a sedate Toyota Fortuner.  And now that Gavin is born, I find myself selling my climbing gear in spite of my original plans.  Isn't it amazing how one little person can have such an effect on our lives?

It may be the end of an era but there will be a part two coming up because unlike Simian Boy, I will allow Gavin to rock climb although I suspect the hubby may have a word or two to say about that.  Then again, when Gavin is old enough to drive, he may also share his Daddy's penchant for fast cars and I would love to see what his Daddy has to say about that!

Even though I haven't been climbing for nearly a year, sometimes I am not sure if I am ready to hang up my climbing shoes for good.  Sometimes I wonder if all these thoughts arise because a part of me still yearns to climb.  And perhaps when the time comes I may change my mind about Gavin rock climbing because the mother in me will worry about him falling.  I guess only time will tell.

Another journal entry written back in 2004:

My first day back to the gym in after three weeks turned out to be more demoralizing than I had anticipated. Despite all the mental preparation I counseled myself with that I ought not to expect too much, I still found myself devastatingly disheartened by my performance.

I know it was sheer arrogance on my part to expect that I should maintain my level of climbing fitness and form without the regimented training schedule I used to sustain. Even so, I found my dignity rapidly reducing to the level of a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum because she couldn't have her way and this was all because of an annoying little coloured shape screwed into a wall. I wanted to kick the wall and howl in frustration despite the number of times I had warned myself that it could be a painful road back to my previous climbing level.

When I step back and look at this with a rational eye, it was actually quite amusing, but there were no laughs for me when I was floundering on many of my routes.

After a couple of attempts - okay, so it was more than a couple of tries, it was more like numerous pig-headed struggles - I finally ditched the difficult routes and went back to basics. Oh thank God I could still climb a 5C! But wait a minute, what's that feeling of tightness building up in my arms like the creep of lactic acid pervading through my muscles? Could it be that I was getting pumped on a 5C? It was agonising to find myself labouring on a route I knew I could so easily breeze through only a few weeks back. I felt like a rejected lover spurned by my mate for my lack of attentiveness. I had been away from the wall for far too long and now it was rejecting me. It didn't love me anymore and this was how it was expressing its disapproval.

My mind started racing through all the reasons why I was climbing poorly. Naturally, it started off with all the usual excuses, like: I was tired because I did body pump the day before, I was tired because I hadn't been sleeping well, I was tired because I was coming down with a bug... The list went on. Then I moved on to more concrete excuses: I had gained three kilos over the last few months of low activity to no activity, my finger strength was deteriorating, my balance was out, my stamina was down... This list was quite long as well.

As usual, the immediate prescription I wanted to give myself was initially an overdose - lose five kilos in the next week and climb seven days a week until I was back in form. When I returned to a more coherent level of consciousness, I reminded myself that slow and steady won the race. I was trying to overkill when fun has always been the key element to making big progress. If I enjoy the journey, the end arrives more quickly. Even though I was crushed by my first day back in the climbing scene, there were some good points to be taken away from this experience.

Ordinary, I would be afraid of falling because I was afraid of the feeling of the fall or that I might get hurt. When I was climbing, it no longer bothered me that my belayer was not conscientiously taking up my slack and that my falls were bigger than the regular ones I was used to. Oh course, it also helped that I had a considerable amount of trust and faith that my belayer would not deck me. What I now feared was that I might not be able to complete the route. Okay, so there was also a dark cloud with this silver lining.

In the rare moments when I was climbing well, I remembered how much I love the feeling of connecting the moves and flowing on the wall. I felt the pleasure of being able to link the steps in a dance routine and I could feel the old familiar emotions of gratification. Yes, the passion to climb was still there.

Lesson number three: sometimes a weakness can develop other areas of strength. During a particularly vicious tussle on a route and not being able to make the move I would routinely produce, I discovered an alternative move that provided me passage through this particular crux. I was developing my technique by trying out new moves because I no longer had the strength to rely on my usual repertoire of moves.

So all in all, a bittersweet return to the climbing gym, but nevertheless, a promise of a sunrise to await me with a little more time and effort.

The attached photo is back from the days of when I was climbing 5Cs. It was taken by courtesy of the Thin Man (thanks Mike). I thought a gentle reminder might serve as the fuel for rekindling the dogged tenacity that I used to climb with. I still believe that if it's worth my while, it's worth my heart and soul.

A little while back I wrote about a skin condition I had called Keratosis Pilaris and how my symptoms seem to have gotten worse again.  I had thought perhaps the worsening of my symptoms might be related to either the switch in my diet or the changes in hormones I'd recently experienced during the pregnancy and after the delivery.

Since it has been quite a while since the dermatologist made the diagnosis on my skin, I thought I'd scour the web to see if there were any new treatment developments for this skin problem.  It seems most sites still maintain that there isn't really any treatment available to sufferers of Keratosis Pilaris, however there are recommendations on what an individual with the condition can do. 

The least aggressive suggested would be to apply an emollient onto the affected areas and avoid the use of agents that could cause irritation, such as soaps.  Although the term emollient is used interchangeably with moisturisers, there is a difference.  An emollient softens the skin while a moisturiser adds moisture.

An emollient has three properties:

1. Occlusion - provides a layer of oil on the surface of the skin to reduce water loss
2. Humectant - which increases the water-holding capacity of the top layer of the skin called the stratum corneum
3. Lubrication - adds a slip or glide across the skin

Now it dawns upon me why my skin has worsened over the last few months and I don't think it was related to the hormones or the change in diet.  Prior to the pregnancy, I used to have only one shower a day using moisturising shower gels and I would also moisturise after every shower.  As the pregnancy progressed, I got lazy and stopped moisturising after my shower.  With the pregnancy, I was also sweating all the time, so I started having two showers a day and sometimes three.  It would seem that all the washing and lack of moisturising has had rather deleterious effects on my skin. 

Since then I have started back on the post-shower moisturising (using a combination of Johnson's Baby Night Time Lotion and a Sorbolene Lotion I bought from Australia) and I stopped soaping up when I take my second shower and my skin seems to be improving. Even the hubby has noticed it looks a lot better.  Well, it's not a complete resolution, but I guess for a skin condition that supposedly has no cure, an improvement is better than nothing.

Written in December 2004:

Back in Her Warm Embrace

After a disappointing start to Sunday and missing out on the chance to see a great climber at Tampin, I followed my heart to Nyamuk. It was like returning home for the summer holidays after a semester of school. The access had changed somewhat and appeared less inviting, although inside, the crag was still the same.

The sky had threatened to cry all morning, but the weather remained kind to the handful of climbers that made it out there on that quiet Sunday. Aside from a few moments of light drizzling, the predictable downpour that was common to the monsoon season stayed away until the late afternoon.

Feeling rather lazy and admittedly a little intimidated to lead after a long absence from anything remotely difficult I warmed up on top-rope on "Shiok Sendiri" and "Hot Tempered Freaking Glue Guns". Despite my long absence from the rock, I found her still willing to open safe passage through the crux for me. The doubt came from within, as I hesitated, feeling the pump in my arms while making the traverse on "Hot Tempered Freaking Glue Guns". My mind was screaming to let go and my body almost acquiesced, when a voice from the ground shouted, "Just go!" I made it through the traverse but I was trembling by the time I got to the rest point. Always, when indecisions like these arise, the end feels so much sweeter for having pressed on and succeeding in overcoming the fear of failure.

The true test was on "Le Futur" and "Pear". I felt a strong hesitance to lead "Le Futur" after breaking off the critical hold that allowed me to clip the bolt at the first crux. With a little bit of beta from Bird, I found a new passage up. The second crux was somewhat more of a struggle. My mental was considerably weakened from the days away from the rock for the jug seemed farther away and my intermediate hold did not feel as secure as I had remembered.

Still physically capable, my biggest stumbling block was my mind. I was in position to make the dead-point at least three times but failed in my conviction to deliver the move. When I touched down, my initial belief was that I had grown physically weaker and was not able to sustain the route. But in retrospect, as I write this, I start to realize the significance of the role my mind plays, for it was not a physical inability but a mental inability that resulted in the failure to free-point.

By the time I got to "Pear", it had started raining. I was almost ready to bail but my belayer was encouraging. I felt a lot more focused and had visualized the crux sequence in my head several times before I even tied in to climb. I remember pausing to rest before attempting the crux, but my recollection of the actual climb felt like a dream. It was like playing a melody by heart - I could hear the music in my head even before my ears could listen to it. My body was moving to a rhythm played by the rock as she whispered her secrets that granted me safe passage through the crux. The elevation of endorphins when I free-pointed the route was euphoric for it marked clemency from the rock enfolding me back in her warm embrace as though I had never left.

Even though I know the potency of the power that lies within the mind, I have often defeated myself by not believing in it. Moments like these help to reaffirm that understanding and rebuild the faith. To my belayer who stood patiently in the rain while I climbed - thank you.

Although I never got a chance to rock climb in Hong Kong, I did get the opportunity to check out some pretty neat climbing walls during a business trip there early 2005.  If you're keen to check out a couple of the artificial walls in Hong Kong, here's an entry I wrote about how to get to two of the walls, complete with pictures:

I'm in Hong Kong for a regional meeting until tomorrow. The last time I was here, it was a whirlwind trip with no time to do anything but work and sleep, so I expected this trip to be the same.

Surprise, surprise, we actually managed to follow the schedule and were about fifteen minutes over time when we finished the wrap up.

With a free night and nothing better to do, I did a bit of scouting around and located the climbing wall that Thin Man showed me a picture of a long time ago. If a picture says a thousand words, I can hardly describe the "wow" factor of seeing the wall in the flesh.

Simian Boy would be delighted to note that there is a Grade 5 roof climb on it as well (check out the attached pictures, I marked it out in red) - finally!

The articial wall is located near the corner of Jordan and Gascoigne Rd, opposite the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. You can find it on this map:

http://www.vectormap.com/eng/english.htm

Just go to "Yau Ma Tei" map under "Kowloon". You can get there by taking an MTR to Jordan station, then walk all the way down Jordan street until you hit the intersection with Gascoigne Rd. As you walk down Jordan street, you should be able to see the wall peeking over the Gascoigne Rd flyover.

It's 18 panels tall and has both top rope and lead - although with that wicked overhang, you would deck if you fall off top rope from as high as the fifth panel.

It costs HK$90 (which is about RM 45) for the first time, which includes the introductory session which is compulsory even if you have climbed before. Subsequently, you can either pay HK$350 for an unlimited one month's pass, or your can pay HK$90 per entry.

Above is a shot of an indoor wall on level 2F of the YMCA building. This is located on Salisbury Rd, next door to the Peninsula Hotel. It is one MTR stop away from Jordan station. The station is called "Tsimshatsui". Take exit E and walk down Nathan Rd until you see Kowloon hotel on your right, turn right and keep walking until you reach the YMCA on your left.

The intro climbing session costs HK$50. Subsequently, it is HK$80 for every visit after that. Both gyms are open from 9am - 10:30pm and they rent out harnesses, but you need to bring your own shoes.

There is also a bouldering gym near Wanchai MTR station, but I didn't get around to checking it out... I hear this one is open 24 hours!

Sigh! The one time I didn't bring my climbing gear and I find I have free time to go climbing. Next time they send me for work here, I'm packing my climbing shoes!

I wrote another journal entry on why I wanted to climb harder.  It was written after I had been climbing for about two and a half years.  It displays an increasing maturity towards climbing where previously I used to climb like a child, throwing a tantrum when I couldn't complete a route I expected myself to.

Reasons to climb harder?

So that I may be stronger, more powerful, have greater endurance and stamina, and develop better technique on the wall.

What’s so important about these building on each of these aspects?

Well, firstly, what do all these attributes do for me? They open more doors to new and interesting routes. They reduce the fear factor of whether I can successfully complete the move. I become less afraid to lead because I have the confidence of “ability”. Both endurance and stamina allow me climb more routes in rapid succession so I can make the most of my limited time at the crag. Finally, technique helps me to conserve energy so that I may last longer on the wall.

It’s finally occurred to me that it all boils down to enrichment of my climbing experiences, which has in the past, too often been mistaken as desires for achievement.

I am glad that my climbing has reached a level of maturity where it is no longer about grades, who can climb better, or who can get further with less training. None of that matters because it’s all about me and the relationship I have with the wall. I appreciate the lessons of humility dealt to me by the crag because I’m afraid of growing arrogant if I can achieve too much, too quickly.

Other climbers can fill your head with airs and it is easy to become too full of myself because of what I can climb. When this happens, the pressures rises and expectations are formed of what I must be able to climb in order to maintain that elevated status in climbing. The fears of failure are exaggerated, and the simple pleasures of climbing become no more. I forget the love of standing at the base of the crag and looking up in awe at the humbling power of nature and her captivating beauty. And instead of intensifying my love for the sport, I develop an environment of diminishing delight.

I guess I can extend this example to other parts of my life. I have always strived to be better, but I have realized that there is no joy for me to be gained from my achievements because I have never been satisfied by them. I have been insatiable, with the need for more growing exponentially until I am no longer able to keep up with my desires. I remain unfulfilled and disgruntled with life. It is like chasing the proverbial pot of gold at the rainbow’s end, never stopping to admire the scenery because I was always fighting to get over the next hill.

A long time ago, I wrote that I climb to be emancipated from the daily grind, the corporate rat race. Along the way, I poisoned my climbing by bringing the chase into my solace. It has been too long since I have enjoyed the peace and tranquility within my private haven. Armed with this awareness, I hope to return with renewed senses.

I was just looking through an old climbing journal and found some interesting articles I'd like to remember.  Here's one:

Death by Osmosis

Sunday morning dawned with the perfect weather for climbing – a touch of sun peaking from behind an innocuous scatter of clouds. After a hearty breakfast, I took a slow drive out to my beloved Nyamuk after missing her for one whole month. The tranquil calm of the crag washed over me like the sweet scent of massage oils, kneading out the knots from a short but hectic week at work. Mmm, it was good to be back.

After a few climbs, I was happily patting myself on the back on the progress of my first day of natural rock climbing for the year – that was, until Patrick invited me to climb “Osmosis”. Well, why not, I thought, since it was one of my new year’s resolutions to get back to work on “Osmosis”. I had expected the attempt to be bad since I had not climbed “Osmosis” for a number of months now, but nothing could have prepared me for the utter ignominy I experienced.

“Osmosis” was a route that I had begun to fall in love with partway through 2004 when Adi introduced her to me – many a time had I studied her, learning the moves that would please her and allow me to progress farther. I had presupposed that we would be able to resume the intimacy, but “Osmosis” had other plans in mind for me for she chewed me whole and spat me out as easily as brushing off an annoying fly. All this she did without so much as a backward glance as I lay there in a subjugated heap.

The attempt was excruciating, for barely had I entered the section of the stalagtite when the pump began to build up in my arms. My hands passed over the holds I once knew, but now they felt like foreigners in a strange land. My feet were sketchy and my balance was teetering on tight rope. Patrick had to remind me to stay calm as I laboured to reach the rest point. The sequence that had once been etched in my mind was a surreal reminiscence echoing from a past life. I bombed out by the third bolt and had to clip in and rest for a while, but even that was not enough to get me through what lay ahead.

Analysis time… So what went wrong? There was a distinct loss of power – most notably, sloper power. Secondly, a loss of endurance and stamina was evident in the rapid build up of pump too early in the climb. Thirdly, a lack of mental functioning resulted in the inability to progress further via an alternate sequence. Fourthly, a couple of extra kilograms hanging off my behind, resulting from one too many indulgent dinners from Christmas and the New Year. All in all, four very significant weaknesses that lead to “death by Osmosis”, as Jeremy puts it. It felt a little like one step forward and five steps back for my first day returning to the climbing scene, but it’ll take a lot more than this little disappointment, before I say “die”.

Below is a picture of Akmal climbing Osmosis:

I confess I don't usually read the papers and what little of it I do read belong to the business section and what's on the table under my plate.  I got intrigued by an articles a few weeks back in The Star on a Swedish study based on the controversial "Supersize Me" film.  The study was conducted to investigate the effects of a month long junk food diet on a small group of individuals.

If I recall correctly, it was a study conducted on 10 male and 6 female medical students and they had to consume 6600 kcals of junk food a day for 30 days.  They were also requested to keep their physical activity at a minimum. 

The results of the study were surprising.  It seems that genetics may play a bigger role on the effect of diets on individuals than we think.  They found that one of the subjects in the study remained in relatively good health and even put on muscle mass!  How cool would that be to gain muscle just by eating junk food?  Unfortunately, you have to be one of the lucky to be born with that particular trait and from my past observations, I don't think I fit into that category.

I guess this is one of those controversial studies that debunks the fundamental belief that if you eat crap and don't exercise, you'll get fat.  It's still early days to be making any solid conclusions but it certainly opens the doors on alternative possibilities.  Since very little has been done to observe what happens to healthy individuals who take on an "unhealthy diet", it could be that all the past studies are misrepresented because they observe the group of individuals most susceptible to calories.

For more details on this study check out these links:

The Guardian
Metro
New Scientist

Gavin has been gaining weight at about a hundred to three hundred grams a week and that makes for a pretty intense training program in my books.  Lately, I've developed tennis elbow in both arms so perhaps it's time to add some counter muscle training into the program.  The last time I had tennis elbow was from over-training in rock climbing and that was primarily a muscle imbalance issue.

Carrying Gavin around is mostly an upper body workout but if you take to the stairs or try carrying him around during shopping, you can also work out your legs.

The hubby used to have a teacher in highschool who could arm wrestle the strongest kid in the class and beat him hands down.  She was not a particularly large lady in any way, and her only form of weight training was playing with her three kids.  Yep, having a kid can be quite a workout in itself.