2014

Yet another year goes by. A year that I'd quite like to be erased from the history of time. So much happened, that I could never have predicted. Things that still is affecting me and forever will. Of course it's not been all bad. The time in Turkey was very stimulating. Not only in terms of climbing, but more than that on a personal level. The day I stepped on the flight back home, I felt more in peace than I think I've been in years. But still, I would trade every good experience if some things would never have happened.

Normally, this annual summary turns in to something of a long winded story. But as I have not travelled, or even climbed as much as in the last couple of years, I don't feel I can put much more to words then the lines above. So to save my self from even having to try,  I will fall back on the frequently used expression, that a picture says more than a thousand words.

First weekend of Febuary, I was in Helsinki for the grand opening of Boulderkeskus Isatis.

Olympos beachhang, Turkey. Photo: Natalia Polo López.

Flame of fame 8a, Trebenna, Turkey. Photo: Mikael Ylinen.

 

For a couple of days more, I will be hanging out with my family back home. After that, I'm really looking forward to going back to Stockholm. I think, for the first time ever, I found an everyday life that I could acctually see my self being happy with for more than a couple of months. I'll see what 2015 has got to offer, but for now I feel Stockholm is the place for me to be.


Best new year wishes to all of you!
/DO

Arnhem land 7C+

Danny Salata working Arnhem land on a grim October afternoon. A problem that I would say deserves more attention than it seems to be getting. It offers cool movements on high quality granite and can be strongly recomended among the Stockholm gems.

/DO

Looking back...

...at a March afternoon in Turkey. Flo, Mette, Ry and I went to check out Antalya and eventually rounded the day off with an epic 14 course meal at 7 Mehmet restaurant.
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/DO

Danny vs. Rhinestone

Danny Salata doing a quick ascent of Rhinestone in Simonstorp, outside Norrköping. He actually 
managed to fall off the last easy move more times than he failed the crux.

/DO

Showdown 7b, Geyik bayırı

Sander Mundos struggling to find a working foot-sequence to do the crux of Showdown.

/DO

La sportiva legends only 2014

This weekend, for the second year, I was invited to take photos at the annual La Sportiva Legends only competition at Klättercentret here in Stockholm. It was great to see for myself that, just as people has been telling me, this is an event that gets better for each year, even though it's hard to anticipate.

This is a word that seems to have spread, as people were travelling from all over Europe, to catch this years competition live. Daniel Woods, Jimmy Webb, Alexander Megos, Jan Hojer, Adam Ondra and Jernej Kruder formed a line-up hard to beat and I guess no one had to feel worried or ashamed about not making the podium.

Theroutesetting-team led by Robert Rundin, Joakim Berglund and Stefan Eklund, withassistance from Sean McColl and Kilian Fischhuber, really did an amazing job setting the boulders. They managed to put up five awesome looking climbs in different styles and difficulty. Adam Ondra showed no mercy and pretty much walked up every boulder, which I can assure you were all incredibly, f***ing hard.

The only person rivalling Adam in terms of performance was David Höglund, a.k.a Daddy Legend, behind the DJ booth. He really brought the atmosphere to another level with his tunes. Those of you who were not there and did not catch the competition over the livestream, can still watch it here, or check out a shorter summary by Epic TV.

After the comp finished the competitiors, audience and everyone involved in the event, went across the street to Tell Us bar for the legendary afterparty. David brought his discs and kept spinning them until early next morning. Just as last year I ended up emptying my camera battery and filling up my memory card. People has been asking me if I got any good shots. My respons to them has been, that if not at least a couple of pictures turnes out decent, I will sell my camera. I'm still not sure, but for the moment I guess I can consider keeping it for at least another year, in case I would happen to be invited for a third try.

/DO

Wong sai 7B+, Orminge

Fernando Lomba working Wong sai.

/DO

The Gymfejden final - A post by Björn Pohl

Since the dawn of time, by which I mean the last decade or so, the Stockholm climbing gyms have been in a state of cold war. Maybe not very cold and not exactly a war either, but still. There has been some kind of...rivalry I suppose.

So, anyway, the gyms want to prove that anyone who make the decision to train at their particular gym end up better, stronger and generally more attractive than those going to the other walls. Needless to say, the other gyms don't necessarily agree. This year, to solve the matter they came up with the idea for "Gymfejden" (in English "The feud of the gyms"), a competition running for six weeks, where the climbers were to venture in to enemy territory, i.e different walls, which each hosted 20 competition problems.

Those brave enough were given a scorecard on which do scribble down their daring deeds and when the dust had settled. only six climbers from each gym remained for the final battle. This event was held last Friday at Klättercentret Telefonplan a.k.a K2.

Each team had ten minutes to get as many team members, up as many of the six final problems as possible. Team K2 used the advantage of being at their home court and climbed their way to victory. The remaining four gyms were all given 2nd spot, because as we all know, it's all about winning anyway...

DO: Since I was not competing, I siezed the opportunity to take some photos (more to come...).

/Björn Pohl

In between goes

 

Sydde catching some (not so fresh) air between goes in Simonstorp.

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Mr. Salata Medina

The strongboy of Karbin (a Stockholm climbinggym) doing the crux cross-move of Den näkna kocken assis 8A.

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Erik Carlsson kan också vara bäst 8A, Simonstorp

Sydde showed no mercy on any of the problems that he pulled on during our brief visit to Simonstorp a couple of weeks ago. Here he is 
doing the last hard move of "Erik Carlsson kan också vara bäst!".

/DO

Duyugu

During my time in Turkey I was fortunet to get to meet Duygu Yarsur. A person that not only is extremely friendly and fun to hang out with at the crag, but also an incredibly talented climber (and a master at baking cakes). She gave me more than one technique lesson for climbing on limestone. The perhaps biggest epiphany was seeing her using kneebars. The first route I climbed with beta from her was Turkish airlines in Citdibi. I think I used about half of the kneebars she recommended and still my knee's where blue the next day.

Dyugu climbing Turkish airlines in Citdibi

/DO

Perfect timing

 

Danny Salata firing Arnhem land at Solsidan, just as the rain is about to start. That was about it for that day since by the time he was back on the ground, the holds where getting soaked.

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Rhinestone, Simonstorp

Fredrik Sydstrand rolling up his sleeves (and trousers) to give Rhinestone a go.

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Wong sai 7B+

Jonas Börjesson well protected by Anders Terlongo, while trying Wong sai in Orminge,

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Cream 7B

Christopher Sjödin challenged by poor conditions on Cream. One of many great problems
at Källbergahygget, a newly developed area outside Uppsala.

/DO

Televinken, Orminge

Fernando Lomba climbing Televinken at the one of the close-to-town, Stockholm crags.

/DO