Dark side

Northern bouldering

2011-12-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

Echoes in silence

2011-11-19T01:27:00.000-08:00

Spiritual leader

2011-05-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

Since founding the Pyhäntä boulder we had wondered how cool would it be to be able to climb the whole overhanging face all the way and top out from the highest point. Until yesterday it remained a distant dream but luckily with excellent conditions and support and courage from our spiritual leader Anton I managed to send the project. It became Spiritual leader and grade suggestion is around 8A. The sitstart adds three hard moves and remains as open project.
The last moves are not actually that hard than the moves at the beginning but you really don't want to slip from slopy sidepulls and fall while you are hooking with your feet 4 to 5 meters up from the ground.

Anton also showed his strong flash skills by flashing the Always Broken stand start 7C+. I believe this was third repeat and first flash to this line.

And by the way, please always try to leave the scene as it was when you arrived no matter where you were. In Pyhäntä boulder you have to move the log and wooden statues under the stone if you try the sit starts. Please remember to move them back as they were before in order to avoid any access issues. And of course brush the tick marks off. There is also many non climbing persons visiting the place.
I believe climbers trying the sit starts are not berry pickers so it is also a good cooling down exercise moving the log and statues back to their places. If I have succeeded to do it every time even just by myself no matter how tired I felt so should you =)

Luohua action

2011-05-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Season has been on over two months now and still the main projects persitently avoid being sent so had to brush some new ones in the meanwhile.
The direct topout to Sabamies became a reality and as stand start it became Urpojen seurakunta. The grade is around 7C involving moves on really small edges and a long reach to good edge, topping then to the left with decent slopers. If you decide top out to the right into drunken woods it's Pussy wagon 7B+ then.
Lada miestä kuljettaa assis (8A/+) linked to Urpojen seurakunta became Ladamiesten seurakunta and weights somewhere around 8A+ propably, we well see after it gets repeated.
But the true gem here is Sabamies with Urpojen seurakunta top out, obviously called Sabamiesten seurakunta, involving 12 moves on tiny but good edges until the sloper top out to the left.

It seems "Ulilaisuus" is really paying back some of you efforts when you just don't give up and give always your best. Dr. G also found out this when he after first sending separately Elämä on pyyttonia 7B and DIstanssia arkeen 7A+ on different sessions linked them first go at the end of the day. This was second repeat to this Distanssia arkeen extension traverse 7C. Congrats!

A little bit of Fontainebleau

2011-04-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

There is something about the forests of Fontainebleau that cannot be described. You have to see, feel and experience it for yourself until you may find what it is. What is even more strange is that the experience gets better every time, the more you spend time and climb there.

Again as starting trip of the season the plan was to climb more a bit easier stuff, try a lot, send harder ones in one session or two if possible and most importantly have fun trying. And of course get fitter for the rest of season for which I can not imagine a better recipe than almost nonexistent seem footholds typical to font combined with varied compression climbing on slopers or slopy edges.

Well, it was a good plan and became even better when Nalle and Andy came along. Virtually every day was spent in the forests either climbing, just carrying pads, slacklining or shooting video and stills. No mercy was shown, if tiredness was felt you just tried harder at least that one more try. You wouldn't just give up in the middle of the wall while soloing, would you? The difference of being tired and just feeling tired was eventually found.

Friends after dark

2011-04-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

Season has been on quite awhile now and it never has been so much fun before. It makes one think what makes bouldering fun in the first place? Is it just about the projects that make everything or is it more about the friends that are climbing with you and create the positive atmosphere which makes things fun and everything possible.

I'd say it is first about the projects that motivate you but it is the friends that courage, support, spot and make the right atmosphere you need to have fun and finally send the projects. It also helps if you have many projects at the same time in order to avoid getting frustrated to just that one particular project. The more you can climb outside the more fun you will probably have!

Font classic

2010-10-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

Had a short but fantastic trip to Fontainebleau and managed to send one of the classics I have always wanted to climb in font, La Balance. Have to definitely try the other classics climbed by Ben and Jerry on climbing movie The real Thing on next font trip.

Paavo and 7 veljestä

2010-10-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Paavo for making another ascent to Nurmijärvi test piece 7 veljestä 8A+. This was overall 6th repeat to the line and a third repeat by a member of Oulun Cave.

Another classic from Jyväskylä

2010-10-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Again I found myself heading to Jyväskylä in a mission to try and send Paddington and Marvin but again the always changing autumn weather forced me to change my plans. This time I found myself, suprisingly but pleasantly from Muuratsalo, under the classic test piece Forte Risoluto which was already having some serious projecting by strong men from Eastern Finland. It did not take long until Sami got his mission completed by making solid send (Video of this on MTK's blog). Young local strong man Tuomo showed also no unnecessary respect to the classic and was really close making another ascent so I thought also to give my fair share to the problem. With good beta from Sami and Marko it went down quickly but the send also pretty much destroyed skin from my left hand so it was time to call it a day. Of course we went still to Paddington but it was nothing else than cry and tears. Well, maybe next time!

Sweet dreams

2010-10-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Since laying my hands on traverse of perfect font like sloper on quick mid summer eve session a few years ago I had dreamed of going back on good conditions and trying to make all the moves and maybe also send the problem. Well, this time the dream turned into reality and a lot quicker than usual. Here is how it went.

Autumn ascents in Luohua and Pyhäntä

2010-08-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

Autumn and it's good frictions are finally here. Sami took a flight from the south and during last weekend in Luohua managed to make the third repeat of Lada miestä kuljettaa assis, which he thought felt more like 8A, and a flash to Standardipoikien homonurkkaus 7B. In Pyhäntä he got the first repeat to Always broken stand start 7C+ and a week later Osmo managed to grab the second repeat.

Switzerland in June 2010

2010-08-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit longer story what happened in Switzerland during our 3 weeks trip in June 2010. During first two weeks the weather could have been a lot better but what can you do. With weather you don't always get what you would like to have.
Eventually the sun came up and we had really good time in Magic woods, Chironico and Cresciano. Will definitely have to get back there again and hope the weather will be even a bit better!

On the Edge of darkness

2010-07-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

It was about five years ago when we found out Luohua boulder existed. Immadiately after arrival we spotted the most obvious and beautiful line of the stone, a rounded arete on top of a steep overhang. The arete and it's slopers looked really attractive and challenging. It seemed that the upper part of the arete had no holds at all or we could not hold onto them at all at that time. The lower part seemed more doable and it did not take long until Osmo climbed half of the arete, named it as Iisak and thought the grade could be around 7A.

The upper part though felt still much too hard and remained almost untouched for couple of years until in the autumn 2007 Risto and I started to projecting it. We came pretty close but could still not send it before the winter. The first ascent had to wait until spring 2008 when Risto opened Fat Hippo and I got the second ascent couple of weeks later. We though the grade could be around 8A so many tries it had taken from us. Later on that summer we also figured out the two hardish hand moves and couple of foot moves linking Iisak and Fat Hippo but could not get proper trys until spring 2009 when I came across a hook sequence that felt heinously delicate but seemed doable.

After two months of trying I thought being close when I once got to the crux match completely exhausted but could not switch the index fingers on the tiny pebble in order to be able to try the last and hardest move, a jump to a decent hold. The autumn was really moisty so I had to wait until end of october for good crispy conditions to continue where I left of in the spring just to notice, no dice still anywhere near.

This year after a good start of the season in Font I headed straight back to project hoping to send it quickly when the temperatures were still below zero. After four sessions with really good conditions, coldest was about -11 degrees when I left, I got frustrated and thought some change might do some good, so I headed to southern Finland for couple of weekends to try the 7 veljestä. When it went down so quickly I came back to project even more motivated. It took some good 20 sessions more after sunset but luckily I managed to send the project on the last evening before we headed for 3 weeks trip to swizzy. What a relief!

I believe this was the easiest project that was left in Luohua but as it still took so much effort and time fine tuning the beta and finally send it with very good conditions I have no choice but suggest 8B. It felt more than a notch harder than the stand start Fat Hipo. Let's see how it turns out after it gets repeats. There is still at least five open projects ready and waiting to be opened in Luohua.

Another 7 brothers

2010-04-19T14:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it might look a bit sad being a boulderer in Oulu but once you get used to and are up to some frequent drive mileage you realise possibilities are almost endless. After getting frequently shut down by local projects I thought some change might actually do some good and eventually it did a bit easier than I had gotten used to.

Sami and 7 veljestä

2010-04-14T14:34:00.001-07:00

Here is some footage from last saturday Sami crushing on Seitsemän veljestä at Nurmijärvi. It could have gone down that day multiple times or even a session before but it was not to be this time. Some rare times you can even get more out of it when it does not go easily and without that extra effort. Congrats to Sami about finishing the job yesterday!

A sunny day in Luohua

2010-04-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Had a nice sunny day in Luohua boulder enjoying the first warm rays of the sun and climbing on dry rock with almost perfect conditions. Although the boulder is in perfect shape right now I knew the sunny day automaticly meant no dice for trying the sloper project, so I decided to just enjoy the day and reclimb some of the classics on video. Will have to record the rest of the Luohua classics and a couple of missing top outs on next sunny day.

Few from font

2010-03-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a couple of somewhat classic problems from a quick trip to font in this spring. It is always so refreshing and inspiring yet a bit challenging to start a season in font after training indoors mainly with edges on steep overhang. But oh boy it sure is fun to try to trust those footholds that at first feel nonexistent.

Lofoten Islands

2009-09-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

It seems every cloud has a silver lining or in this case an apple. After our trip to Lofoten Islands at the end of July it took quite awhile until I got the footage from the trip edited, as the good old (what a piece of crap) HP laptop took not so surprisingly it's last breath once again just after the trip. Finally things started to roll when I got an apple and FCE running on it. Now it seems there is no turning back.

But let's cut the crap, shall we. As you already may or may not know Lofoten offers a growing bunch of awesome problems with good quality in a very picturesque setting. If you are planning a trip to Lofoten you should definitely try some or all of the following. Problems in order of appearance are: King Fisher 7A, Slarti barfast 7B+, Monster 8A, Michael Knight 7C+, Nightrider 7C+, Nightrider Hoyre 8A+, Viileä Viive 7A and Presten roof 7A+.

Rovaniemi by night

2009-07-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

I and Dr G decided to push our luck and try to take the advantage of a short time window of good cool weather forecasted in Rovaniemi between midninght and early morning hours. It is not usual to have temps below 10 degrees even at nights in the middle of July so it was well worth of giving it a shot.

We arrived to Hiidenkirnut just before midnight just as planned termometer showing 9 and half degrees, excellent. Quickly we unpacked our stuff and headed to Planta Baja stone. After some proper warmup it was time to start the action. Couple of hours went by and it seemed that maybe the good weather was just not enough as early hours were taking its toll and the best edge seemed to be lost. I had almost thrown my axe into the well before my fourth go when Dr G. told me to change the music and put some good old beats pounding proven to be effective already in Eastern in Åland. First I thought it was no use but then why not to give it a shot, just one more go for the team you know.

While the song started I figured just to give my best, not to worry about anything else. As I got to the crux moves it started to get really heavy, after each move I was sure I was going to fall from the next move but somehow I didn't. Soon I was hanging on the lip just the mantel between me and the top. I had my feet badly but knew there was no time to waste. Luckily I got the mantel move started and finished it by force, Ugly as hell but effective. Four year's epic was over and the project was no more. But what was most satisfying was the style how it was done, that I had completely suprised myself by finishing it when I thought it was not going to go any more. Thanks from that, keeping excellent spirit and making good music choice go absolutely to Dr DJ G! Training montage worked it's macig again.

Mid summer eve in Merikaarto

2009-06-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Had a splendid Mid summer eve in Merikaarto, Kolkki by slacklining some and climbing a bit more. Managed also to send magnificent, short but powerful boulder known as Antonin kasi A right from Senegal fast food of which Sami did a bit tougher sitstart two moves lower last autumn but forgot to give it a name. I bet that version will get couple of tries in next Vaasa visit.

Easy company

2009-06-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Had a short and relaxing trip to Hiidenkirnut in easy company of happy and merciless bullshitters which propably helped me in changing awhile plagued "almost but still not there yet" gear to sending mode by making FA to Rippe's old project in Planta baja stone left to the Uskon puute dyno. Easy Company 8A/7C+ is only two powerful moves on not so good holds and took two sessions this year and three last year.
The problem felt surely harder than linnuntie at the same block but maybe a tiny bit easier than ladamies, a boulder of similar character in Luohua, so we'll just have to wait for repeaters' opinions until we get a confirmation about the grade. A very nice problem anyway and a decent addition to already vast collection of quality problems in Rovaniemi.

My world of sin

2009-05-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Finally got together a teaser of two of the hardest problems in Pyhäntä boulder. The clip is more or less unfinished and full of cutting and editing errors but if you just want a bit more detailed view what those problems are all about check the video.
There is also a raw sequence of a linkup project, which starts with an easy slab and then links the Always broken other way around to No man's land finish, involving 15 hard, fingery, physical and somewhat acrobatic moves of which last two are the hardest. It certainly feels a good notch harder than No man's land assis. Let's see if the project get's it's FA on this season and other problems first repeats. The evenings and nights are still cold and friction good enough to try it and other problems out but the heat will come eventually.

Feelings from Åland

2009-05-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

Two classics from Pyhäntä

2009-05-12T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video clip about action taken place in Pyhäntä boulder, the other mecca of Oulu bouldering, during last few years. More video to come from Pyhäntä and other locations as soon as we get it filmed and edited. Just got my hands into the strange but interesting world of video editing so just bear with me if you find the result horrible. It is interesting to see that the process from the raw material to edited clip does not come as easily as dinner to Manu.

Ystävät hämärän jälkeen

2009-05-07T00:38:00.001-07:00

Last wednesday I, Rippe, Tomi and Matti took yet another trip to Oulu bouldering mecca, Luohua, in a mission to send some old projects that had been haunting us all spring. Weather was perfect, it had been cloudy all day and temperatures were around 10 degrees, which was a really pleasant welcome, as two of the projects were on the sunny side of the stone and would soon become even too hard to send because of the heat (just lack of strenght).

After some warm up and some relaxing bullshit it was time to start the action. Rippe immediately got his hands on his high, scary and bold sloper problem which starts with jumpstart to a good jug, continues with a lockoff through good pocket to really bad sloper, match and then you are supposed to make a deadpoint or dyno, if you dare, to an even worse sloper with your feet around 3 and half meters from the ground. After couple of tries ice was broken and Rippe got the deadpoint to the higher sloper spot on but couldn't continue as the hand was slipping from the sloper. He dropped down and gathered some strenght couple of minutes. It was time to make it or break it, an ankle or two. This time he got the deadpoint again spot on, stretched as high as he could reach to a slightly better sloper, put his left foot blindly on a tiny edge and made the horror match to another sloper around six meters. A high ball classic, "Ystävät hämärän jälkeen" had gotten it's first ascent, a truly four star high ball of which you may need balls size of Siwa plastic bags to try and send. Grade suggestion 7Cish, siwa index 5.

Tomi soon took the advantage about the Rippe's send and made a stylish repeat to Standardipoikien homonurkkaus 7B by locking off the crux by everything he got left.

Dark side auki

2009-05-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

Olihan se viimein aika laittaa itsekin blogi pystyyn tarkoituksena raportoida Caven poppoon kiipeilyistä Oulun ympäristössä ja muuallakin. Yritetään päivittää blogia säännöllisen epäsäännöllisesti, ainakin silloin kun on jotain uutisoitavan arvoista.