I'm a woman

I'm a woman
Photos copyright Laurence Gouault
No reproduction on other media without the photographer's permission.

Wednesday 24 October 2012

Fingers problems, by Stevie Haston



These are my index fingers, I wondered if any body could help with a bit of help? The one on the right was broken recently and has healed well, in that there is no pain. There is problem in that there is no rear flexion and it is larger. My doctor wanted an op on it, but I didn't have the time, or felt very confident in the outcome.
The strength is the same, or more. I don't care about the shape. What do you think? 


Morning run, sunrise, not bad. It's cold here, great climbing temps, will soon do a couple of hard routes I think.





Morning run spoilt by mechanical insect, scared me and the cows!

1000 pull ups for www.climbforlife.it, by Stevie Haston

Climb for Life is a charity which promotes bone marrow donation. 



When we are sick we need looking after. When we are sick we need help. When you need bone marrow someone has to provide it. This is the link : http://www.climbforlife.it/en/

At the San Vito Festival Ondra "chose his line", it was 9a. Thanks Adam, and it is a beautiful line.




I've lost all the photos of the boys in San Vito because someone need to donate me a brain. Here is the teeshirt, in Italy these boys and charity are well known, they deserve to be more well known. Anyway, it is all part of the gift of small things!
Adam Ondra and the boys and girls from www.climbforlife.it 
There is a video of Adam climbing the 9a on their site.
Adam climbing "Climb for Life" 9a.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

New questions, no answers. By Stevie confused haston

Relax to the max...

Having had a lovely time putting up new routes and feeling benevolent, I am now back to thinking about purely selfish climbing matters and self improvement.

So why am I so strong but cant do what I want? Why am I strong at all, at 55, when kids are weak? Does strength have anything to do with climbing? What is the relationship between power and stamina? Why can my wife do 8a after not climbing for 7 weeks? And does being able to dive down to 30 meters have anything to do with climbing better? There's about a thousand questions going in my head, and it's confusing me, and similar questions must be confusing others.

Relax to the max, to the max...
I dont want to think about anything, and I think confusingly this is one of the answers! Don't think....do.
To dive to 30 meters is not a great thing but it is a big thing, especially for me. I have failed to do it when my lung capacity was greater and my ability to hold my breath was  two times greater. The difference is some calmness, and being in the water for five weeks! When you are deep down in the water and the world, the breathing world, is miles away, like the surface of the moon, it's difficult not to panic. But panic, you must not do.

Climbing is very wierd, if you think you know about climbing you are well wrong. Climbing depends on calmness, an inner quite, most easily seen in a lack of worry. Why then have I been calmer soloing and ice climbing than safe safe redpointing? Because I invest too much of myself in performance. For some wierd reason and by some mechanic I dont understand and am unwilling to admit, climbing really, really hard, is fundamentally important to me. It's crucial and that's why it's so hard and often escapes me. My best on-sights are often unexpected, or at the end of a day when tired, and lately I have had good days because I have the excuse 'of being old and past it'. Grades defeat me before I start most of the time and this is changeing, and I will change this more.

Why am I strong? Who cares? Well I care, actually I'd like to be stronger. Is it possible at 55? What is climbing stamina? This one baffles me! What is so called power endurance? Why does training for 10 weeks not add up to the same thing as loosing three kgs in stamina terms?

Is the benefit of my hours yoga not so much in flexibility but in the calming of my Mediterranean mind.
Relax to the max, to the max, to the max....


Here is something that might help you, 8a or so called routes of 8a are very attainable. If you can't do routes of 8a you are under achieving. I seriously think that I am underachieving, I always have, that's why I will try harder this year, I will also be calmer, less stressed and will therefore have more fun and success. Climbing in some ways is like deep wild terrain powder in the mountains, the more you relax into the speed, the better the turns. Of course you have to have legs and the core and the lack of fear.

It is not a question of having a big brain, it is a question of turning your brain off. Fear of failure will make you fail. Adopt a strategy that helps you minimize, or eliminate the consequences of failure.

My strategy is to climb without pressure knowing that my age is no excuse, my strength and knowledge is sufficient for my task, failure is impossible, as I simply will try harder.

Remember what Bob Marley said :
 "don't worry abaout a ting, 
everyting gonna be O right,...."

Monday 22 October 2012

Queen of Tarts, Malta by Stevie Sweetie Haston

Photos Simon Alden

Contemplating suicide at the thought of cold and rain! 




 Trying to equip Queen of Tarts, a super, mega roof extension to King of Kings.



The unspoken question and accusation is; why have you not been helping me when Queen of tarts wants to be born and become the Mother of all roofs. 




Photo Stevie Haston
Ondra  on a very very beau 9a. I would like to hang out more with this youth as his enthusiasm is strong and by a kinnda osmosis learn the art of rapid positive movement.

Slow lazy non movement on the top ledge of the Underworld cliff, everybody safe after doing a bunch of great grade 6s.

I want this cliff, it is mine, I want to transport it back to France. 

Anyway I am back in drizzle sodden cold as a dead fish France, its nice to be home and looking forward to training like a demon. New troop of chickens, garden, bossy wife, etc. Have finally found the inspiration I was looking for. Having had a weird year of frustration and silly injuries I am looking forward to a bit of luck, the broken bones in my hand are almost finished healing. 

On a very personnel note I have found that 'the path of small gifts' is something I want to follow. Having done over 70 new pitches this year for the sampling of the masses of rock starved  folk I want to do more, but I need help! So people, rock climbing people, kindly help so that the gift of small things can continue. Thanks Simon and to the climbing community of Malta, the MTA, and everybody else, thanks too to the San Vito festival for making my stay so happy, that was a great place to be and climb.     
Giving is lovely, but you must have something to give, its not really the thought that counts, its the doing, the work. 

Finally I must thank the French government for informing me that when I retire my pension will be  300€ a year, a very comforting thought to know that in my dotage I will have to survive on less than a euro a day, viva La Belle France, at least they gave me the best country in the world to climb in, a gift indeed.

Monday 15 October 2012

San Vito Festival, Adam Ondra sending first Sicilian 9a, by Stevie Haston



 Stevie had a great time in San Vito. He was pleased to meet up with Adam again, Adam is stronger than before as you can see by his new realizations... He did the first Sicilian 9a during the weekend....Stevie is working on an interview of Adam for Gripped magazine... He got to meet some nice people, some strong climbers, some old friends....rock was great, weekend was fun...Here a few photos, full report from Stevie coming soon..


 Stevie and Adam happy to meet again...

Adam checking out....

Adam's sister Christina, a very very good climber to!
Andrea Gennari Daneri editor of Pareti, climber and also a novel writer, he just wrote a climbing thriller  "Mangart" which won the www.leggimontagna.it Prize. 

Bernie a strong climber on a 8b project.
Adam sending  the first Sicilian 9A

Sicilian Ludwig....

San Vito, Bellissimo...
Mauro Calibani, Bouldering World Champion and E9 clothes.
John Falkiner pow pow master and Patrick Gabarrou  ice master.

Adam, Stevie and Simon Alden from MCC. photo Simon Alden

Friday 12 October 2012

San Vito Festival and talking to Adam Ondra, by Stevie Haston

Photos by Simon Alden

Stevie is having fun in Sicily at the San Vito Great Festival, he is enjoying the climbing, there is a nice feeling of peace in this area, definitely a great destination....
Stevie got to speak with Adam, you'll get a few lines out of it but the interview is booked by Gripped magazine now so you'll have to wait a bit.....


Adam walking up an 8a.... photo by Simon

Stevie making friends....

Tuesday 2 October 2012

New routes in Malta and bolts, by Stevie Chameleon Haston


Eleven new routes so far, using the new bolts which should last 30 years. I retro bolted an old trad route of mine, because it hasn't had a second ascent, and it should do now, as it is a beautiful 20 foot roof named "Little James".
Done a lot of swimming, the best swim was under a cliff that we were prospecting. There were boulders at 30m depth....underwater bouldering...I checked them out, my deepest dive, nearly died, I never knew bouldering was so dangerous. Don't think I will do that again, I'll stick to climbing.