Kicking around Moscow

1/5/2010
Thawing out from an active morning in Moscow is an active endeavor. Justin Spain and I had had to cruise in to the Kremlin (where we were ejected from with our Avalung backpacks previously) to see what all the hubbub is about.
There were tons of kids being separated from their parents at the checkpoint. That would freak me out as a parent. Ya, just send my kid into the Kremlin and I’ll pick them up in a couple hours. Hmmm. They let me go through and Justin followed, trepidatiously. Why they let the tall American with a yellow jacket through is beyond me, but we just kept going and didn’t look back. All the rest of the locals were ushered off somewhere and we rolled into the Kremlin somewhat unattended.
It was 09:30 and the sun was barely above the horizon. The center of the main plaza was empty except for about 4 other people. We rolled into some of the cathedrals and witnessed some impressive history I’ve only seen or read about in history books. Some of the artwork on the walls dates back to about 1030 a.d. and graves of many Catholic Saints were laid to rest inside of metal caskets. The Muslims had built some incredible structures that the Catholics had laid claim to and subsequently placed golden crosses on top of. The struggles of religion have always been a major point of strife and more lives have been lost due to holy wars than any other reason. This became very clear standing among these cathedrals.
The fortress of the Kremlin is impressive. The hand cut cobble stone roads frozen at -10C this morning have seen so many people come and go through the ages. Nobody talks, perhaps because of the lack of having the freedom of speech, but the silence here as opposed to the bustling Capitol Hill undeniably reflects the cultures differences. There is no laughing or joking around. Being light hearted is somehow unacceptable, unprofessional, and inexcusable. I’d be in a lot of trouble if I lived here.
Justin’s got the iPod cranking and I think that’s the most music our hotel floor has ever heard! No complaints by the other people here yet.
Tomorrow is a big day. We have to meet our sponsors to Russia and get on the train to Kirov. We will say good-bye to Moscow and take a night train across some of the 51% virgin and uninhabited territory of Russia. It’s time to relax and try to stay warm and recovered in preparation for trying to give it our best shot in the competition. The temps are suspected to be about -20C at competition time – sporting for sure.
Marcus Bendler is the present World Champ. If you’ve never seen someone like Bendler or Will Gadd climb, it’s impressive. Bendler is featured on YouTube with some inspiring ascents during competition. The IWC competition presents itself that any competitor has a chance to do well. I’m hoping to do well, and rise to the level of the competition. Justin and I are representing the USA in this competition. I’m sure that the other competitors will be out to trump us. Anything can happen, so we’ll just do our best and hope to get this first competition off to a good start for the remaining three. It’s just the beginning of the 6 week circuit.
We’re sharpening tools and crampons tonight. We have a train to catch. I don’t want to think about anything besides sleeping tomorrow night and I want to stay out of the cold for a change!!!

International World Ice Climbing Competiton 2010

2 – 3 January 2010

Flight across the Atlantic to Russia

As a Mountain Guide, I take people into the mountains to attain a goal who are in the same shoes and have the same excitement that I have for this trip to Europe for the 2010 UIAA International World Mixed Rock and Ice climbing Competition. For some, climbing a 14er in Colorado might be a life-long goal. This competition is extraordinary for me and is one of my life-long goals to participate in.

To date myself, I learned how to climb ice with a mountain axe (not a technical ice climbing axe) and when it wasn’t fashionable to fall. Since then, I have chosen to climb on ice axes without leashes, following a more progressive path, and even learned to love the heel spur, an additional crampon that allowed the climber to alleviate some of stress of hanging on by transferring weight to their legs. The spur allowed some to achieve climbing at a level that was previously thought impossible. The use of spurs also allowed for a more enthralling visual experience for spectators. Then, some people took the spur off and went on to climb hard routes “bareback” or “spur-less.” Now, the spur is not allowed in competition, a shame since the evolution of climbing should be embraced and not clipped like the birds of a feather condemned to not experience their full potential. Climbers are presently forced into contrived series of climbing moves in competition routes using “figure 4s” and “figure 9s.” If you can’t do these moves, then it’s going to be a show-stopper. Perhaps the reader can feel my sentiment as a bold statement, but I believe that part of the reason that many people get into climbing is to be able to express their own style and technique. It appears that conformity is etching its place here as it has across the remainder of the climbing culture, a pity.

The opposite is true in Ouray, CO, where I’ve had the great privilege of competing for the last three years. There, the competition routes have been set in a more traditional/alpine style that are more based on the skill of finding a hold on cryptic rodentie and progressing in a generally vertical, straight-up fashion. Sometimes, the competition route is covered with verglass, a thin ice layer that usually never holds my weight of about 200 pounds (90kg). So, I’ve set my sights on climbing in a competition that I know where the holds are and I’m not worried about them breaking. The IWC climbs are standardized so that every climber has an equal opportunity to climb a route that will be generally the same throughout the competition, so there is no advantages to going last, per say.

Although I have grown up climbing on ice, and I call myself an “ice climber,” I spend less than 10% of my ice climbing time actually on waterfall ice. I spent several years learning how to climb bigger and more intimidating ice climbs in the Canadian Rockies. When I was going through Physician Assistant School, I was fortunate enough to land a family practice rotation in Ridgway, CO and I spent most of my time off doing night solos of all the climbs in the area, including Ames, Bridalveil, as well as the Ouray and Silverton area climbs. Dragging a rope behind me, I found it easier to climb at night and by headlamp without any pressures from other parties, the main objective hazard in ice climbing.

Taking the flight from Albuquerque to Chicago Midway, then on to Dulles Washington was an easy first leg. The awakening that I was going to Russia became apparent once checking in at Dulles. Having traveled a fair amount, I never ceases to amaze me how large the discrepancies are between the “haves” and the “have-nots.” At home, I consider myself always bordering on the “have-not” side, but compared to the rest of the world, I have more than most. People see how I get by on meager earnings and ask me “how can you do it?” “Everyone has a different reality” I tell them. Mostly, I am happy be alive and be able to experience the places, people, and events that have shaped me into who I am. Today I am a competition ice climber headed for the World Cup in a foreign, and in the past, a hostile land.

My father and my grandfather were not able to go to Russia, and there may be a possibility that Russia may not welcome Americans once again with the resurgence of communism under Putin’s rule. I wonder how we will be seen in the Russian’s eyes once we are on their turf, the largest geographical, and still a political powerhouse, country in the world. Will it be different in Moscow than Kirov? What about general safety? So many people have been afraid of the perceived low level of safety and stability of the country. I can definitely feel the distance between the cultures just in getting on the plane, but I’m looking forward to dispelling the mystery and making friends and establishing relationships that could possibly tie our countries closer. I wonder if the language barrier will be as limiting as I predict.

Training Blues

Last week was a heavy hitter on the training side and I’m still feeling the effects. It’s now been three days off from climbing and I’m itching to get back into getting some hang time on the ice tools. I know, however, that I can’t afford to push it too hard this close before a difficulty competition. I know my body after several years of ice climbing competition how I need to do things. Everyone beats to a different drum and has a different training regimen. In training with other people it becomes necessary to help each other out since none of the ice climbers I know in the USA have a climbing coach. We are all self-sustaining on all fronts and so we lean on each other to train and climb with. People who don’t climb hard routes find it difficult to understand our “selfish and non-recreational style.”

Timy Fairfied has been as close a coach for me as I could possibly have. He has participated in International World Climbing Competitions and he has the heart and soul of a competitor. He has taught me how to climb better for sure, but has also been able to forge my minds perceptions into strong positive beliefs that allow for completion and success. He still continues to inspire and coach young adults and helps good climbers become even better. Timy has also inspired me to travel and test my mettle outside of my comfort zone. I’ll always carry a little bit of Timy with me, especially on trips like this. I once went with him and Brandi Proffitt to China to set a UIAA competition for the Asia X-Games, so this competition won’t be too shocking, but this time I am a competitor, a bit nervous and excited.

This is a journey that I dreamed of after completing my first Ouray competition in 2007. I brought up going to Europe to compete in this circuit to many people, but nobody was interested and thought it was not worth going. I remember watching another of my inspirations, Will Gadd, appear at the IWC in climbing magazines and even as a cameo in Petzl’s CD movie, “Picth Sorbet.” From there, I become enthralled with the possibility of making my own reality.

Climbing is an interesting activity. Some people take climbing as a loose recreational hobby, especially since the advent of climbing gyms and the high relative safety that accompanies that theater. Another theater has introduced more people into Ice climbing than any other in the world, the Ouray Ice Park. It also has a high safety margin when compared to the way I learned how to climb ice. Now, I train those who are willing and ready, how to climb hard on rock, sometimes even before they have ever tried to climb on ice. This makes for a physically strong climber, albeit, not a strong alpine awareness. The evolution of climbing and its techniques are never-ending. Perhaps tomorrow’s clever climbers will come up with something new and revolutionary.

So, my training has taken the mandatory abrupt turn and instead of working on cryptic alpine-style routes that are also somewhat physically demanding, I have had to work on my power and confidence on the “euro-style” of mixed climbing in order to even think I could show up and sign in for this competition. To the lay person, climbing in one style generally looks like climbing in any other form. However, I can attest that this is far from the truth.

The climbers from Europe are very strong, driven, motivated, and supported by their country and sponsors. I have worked diligently for three years to seek sponsorship in the United States. My efforts have been fraught dead-ends during a hash economy. The USA Olympic Training Committee was completely unsupportive, but it’s understandable, since mixed rock and ice climbing is not an Olympic sport. Having said that, I was extremely fortunate to be picked up as an Ice Holdz team member and received modest financial support. This was the fuel I needed to continue looking for sponsorship and PMI Rope came through with a little more money, enough to cover my rail travel throughout Europe! I was elated. Huge thanks to those two entities. I hope that anyone reading this will support them.

Running track based on my personal VO2 max, climbing days, rest days, eating “right”, not drinking alcohol (as much) and not traveling so much, all spells disaster for personal relationships. I thought that my eating was in check last year when I was counting calories, but I obviously was mistaken when I developed a myeloproliferative syndrome, a condition where my white blood cells were generated, but didn’t turn into full-grown cells. In addition, I had anemia, which contributed to a fairly major fatigue problem. Falling asleep in the middle of the day on a whim isn’t good. I started to eat more and somewhat indiscriminately and became better, I realize that eating is more important than I gave credence.

1/4/2010

Got up yesterday morning and drank some fairly expensive coffee downstairs in the hotel. I worked on my research project for about 2 hours and then checked in with the hotel to see if we could stay for another day since we were told that we did not have a room the day before. Luckily, we got a room. That freed us up for a large chunk of time that we were able to devote to running around greater Moscow unbridled.

We took the swanky Metro to the town center and tried to get into the Armory, Unfortunately, they didn’t allow our Avalung backpacks in, or maybe we had too much of a tan, but we as soon as we got through the metal detector check point, they kicked us out.

So, we ran around Red Square at -22°C and checked out some cool architecture at St. Gabrial’s’ Cathedral. We strolled through the vendors, all of which sold the same trinkets. I bought a couple CCCP t-shirts and we rallied to a rock gym that Justin had found on the internet. Justin’s really good at sniffing stuff like that out with today’s technology, something that most people here are completely oblivious to.

We took a metro to as close as possible and then hiked a km or so to get to what seemed to be an educational compound of sorts. We made our way up to the 4^th floor with the help of two Moscovite girls who spoke the best English we’ve encountered so far. They were able to get us into the gym saying that “we were with them”. We paid our $150 rub and got to climb on their wall that was located in a quite large structure that included a full gymnastics floor, a superimposed track, and tennis courts. The wall was about 150m long and had a good selection of bouldering and tope rope and lead climbing. They desperately need rope. I would have left mine, but we need it for the remainder of the trip. I showed then some IceHoldz and they were a bit perplexed. I left some literature with them about indoor ice climbing and they seemed put out that I would give them information. Perhaps it’s because they can’t use the information or there’s just no way could they ever afford doing this activity since they are limited by their government in what expenses can be covered. The ropes were so bad that when I went to tie in, the rope end felt like a bag of worms since so many people have fallen on the first 8m of it. Justin took up that first 8m, coiled and clipped it to his harness, tied in short, and got stares from the manager of the gym I don’t think the manager understood our thought process. Our though process was, “don’t fall.”

The youth seems to be a lot more accepting and outgoing. Once people here get to be about low to mid 20’s, they seem to have a stern affect. There’s not much smiling, joking, or laughing in any venue. Moscow, in general, is a very quiet and a very clean city. There is no trash anywhere, period. There is also no advertising signs or billboards cluttering the viewscape, that being what it is. Busses and trains run constantly in every direction on overhead electrical power lines, reminiscent of the 1920-30s in the United States. They are quiet and don’t spew CO.

The architecture is by and large rigid, geometrically square, and functional for the time being. I seriously doubt that many of the homes and apartment complexes will be able to be refurbished and brought up to modern day standards easily. My fear for Moscow is that a small earthquake could be absolutely devastating. Justin walks around shaking his head at all the fire hazards he sees. It’s amazing that the amount of public responsibility is at such a high standard and that is what enables this city to not have large disasters. The United States seems to have way more events that could carry a larger threat should it occur in Moscow.

It’s been good to get here early and have a chance to get over the jet lag. We are about 13 hours opposite from home, and the change is a bit grueling, especially at this high latitude. I’m reading my textbook for advanced environmental exercise physiology and the only research that shows helping out with jet lag is Bright Light Exposure (BLE) and melatonin. I have neither. I do have Ambien (works well) and loads of alcohol (blahhh). So spending some days here in advance is a good thing.

Americans stick out like a blinking strobe light here. We are wearing standard clothes for the States, but the Moscovites wear lots of fur or black, brown, and dark drab colors. It’s not my style at all, so I was considering buying a large fezz (or whatever the furry hats are)…ya, right.

On another note, the last time that a UIAA Ice International World Competition was held in Russia was also in Kirov. Will Gadd was the last North American to compete in this competition here, and it was at the time when the revolutionary transition to leashless tools and spurs made an explosive appearance on the ice climbing scene and the front cover of climbing magazines. It was a pivotal point in ice climbing history.