Self Belief is Everything

All words and pictures copyright Alastair Rose 2011

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Yangshou Post 3 (Climbing etc)

 And finally the climbing...
 Giles going for it on "Eggstatic"(6b+/5.11a) at "the Egg" on the second day.
 Giles trying to stay on the same route
 Hannah entering the crux of "Eggstreme Exposure" (6a/5.10b)
 Hannah above the rice fields on the same route
 Miles "I'm in Hufflepuff" Mconville
 Hannah, Miles and Giles on top of Jeremys Jiji (they are on there if you look closely!)
 Eben making things hard for himself on "Les Echo des Montagnes" (5/5.8) Low mountain
 A crowded abseil station on Low mountain.  L-R Eben, Miles and Hannah sporting some colourful tights
 Miles abseiling from low mountain.
Not climbing but I thought I should include one shot of the food which was amazing the whole time.  Miles sampling a local delicacy of pork stuffed snails.  You can just make out the dish to the left (Szechuan beef).  This was probably my favourite meal the whole trip!

Yanshou - Post 2 (Landscape etc)

I have been to Yangshuo a few times and it never fails to impress with amazing scenery.  Below are some of the better shots I got over the week.
 Celebrating the end of the world on one of our first evenings.  I have never seen so many fireworks released at once.
 It wouldn't be a trip to China without at least one picture of bamboo!
 The Li River with the Karst Landscape of Yangshuo - Taken from the top of Low Mountain
 Black and white reflections taken near "the egg"
 Another view from low mountain
 Down by the river with some traditional rafts
Me, Hannah, Miles and Giles on top of "Jeremys Jiji" on Giles last day.

Yangshuo - Post 1 (transport)

After a stressful couple of days I now have my bag back from Amsterdam airport with all my camera gear and laptop complete.  Not entirely sure what would have happened if it hadn't turned up other than my next couple of months being considerable bankrupt!  I took a lot of pictures over the last week or so hanging out with Hannah, Eben, Miles and Giles up in Yangshuo in China.  Here is the first of three posts....
Hannah and Miles cracking up on day one and out first mode of transport - Pink bikes
Crag access Yangshuo style - on our way to Twin Gate Crag
Day 2 - Tandems - I think this tested Giles and Miles's relationship more than Hannah and I's.   Could be because Hannah insisted they wear tights as well (Giles didnt need much convincing)
The "Iles's" ready for action on their tandem
Day Three - Electric Scooter Day.  Definitely my favourite.  With a top speed of about 15km an hour these things are hilariously brilliant for zipping around on.  Even funnier to see Miles with Eben on the back at the end of the days climbing.
Hannah settled in for the night on the sleeper bus back to Hong Kong.

Next up some Landscape and people shots I think.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Adventure Time

I thought I try and fit one last post in from Hong Kong before its time for fun and adventures once more.  Yesterday was my last day of work for a while after another busy season with Asia Pacific Adventure.  The last month has been pretty busy with work and bad weather which has meant no climbing and not really anything much except work actually.  November and the horrific Mo came to and end finally and I am back to not having an itchy upper lip.  I did have a slightly more relaxed week at work last week and managed to take some photos on program.
 Chisum, Ken and I (the dream team?) at the end of another program in the Beer Garden and the last day with the handlebar style moustache! - Yes Ken is drinking half pints!
 Not taking a nap - Miles tried to hide in the rubber tubes so we pushed him over.
 Kyle bringing the dragon boat home at Wong Yi Chau last week.  It was overcast and rainy most of the week but still a lot of fun (especially seeing as we were staying in dorms!)
 An old abandoned house at Wong Yi Chau village in Sai Kung.  There are loads of these old villages in the new territories but less and less people living in them.  Its amazing to walk along and come across these buildings that probably had people living in them not long ago.
 The Swimming pool in Luk Wu gorge.  No swimming this week but it was beautiful hiking weather.
 Black and White HDR shot of Wong Yi Chau pier.
 The 2012 staff team.
Another shot from the end of SPCC.  5 photo stitch.  L-R - James, Ant, Curtis, Al, Adam, Gabby, Gnani. Eben, Choy, Kyle.

Today I have a new climbing rope uncoiled, a pile of quickdraws and am trying to pack my bags.  Hannah flies in in a couple of hours and then its off on adventures for the next while - first stop a sport climbing trip to Yangshou.....

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Movember

Its been a busy last couple of weeks with lots of work and the odd day out and about in Hong Kong looking for adventures.  I have also been taking part in Movember this year for the first time ever.  Thank you to all the sponsors so far and know that the moustache is coming in thick and strong (and itchy).  Photos from the last couple of weeks.
Gnani (my only real competeition at this stage) and I one week into movember
 Eben on the crag classic at Beacon hill "Lizard" 7a.
 A quick night shot on my way home one day.
 Another night shot from the top of the ferry pier where i get the boat home.
 I spent two days out on Tung Lung Island with Geordie and Nikolai chopping old bolts and replacing them with Glue ins.  Gear being sorted.
 One hole down - This was a long dusty couple of days grinding, drilling, cleaning and glueing.  You can just make out the start of the moustache - I think this was on the 2nd of Movemeber
 Still going in the evening of day one.  Geordie grinding the old Tyrolean bolts
 Nikolai and Geordie messing with one of Mr Wongs kittens.
 Miles, Giles, Matt and I made an early morning dash to Lion Rock to do a mass ascent of the classic climb "Gweilo".  Here Miles seems less than certain of Giles choice of legwear and his way of getting past him.
 Busted - Matt pulling on quickdraws on the crux pitch.
 Mile on the traverse pitch
 At the top being very chinese about it.  Hilarious day of banter climbing as a massive group.
 Last weekend Giles and I tried to find a route on Mt Stenhouse on Lamma which the old guidebook describes as a traditional classic.  Called "Aardclimb" and graded HVS 5a.  The approach, as expected, was  pure jungle scwacking to get to the base.  It actually did look like someone has been there recently.  The climb probably has not been done in years and we were met with a lot of vegetation.

Giles "cleaning" the second pitch.  He did in fact get to a position where he was standing on the thing hes holding onto in this shot before we realised how horrible the rest of the climbing looked (you can see the crack above him filled with grass and bushes)
 Giles "Do I look like Bear Grylls" Cranston alone in a sea of bushes on our retreat
Panoramic shot of hong kong from the end of last month from the top of Kowloon peak.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Slowly getting cooler

Hong Kong is slowly cooling down and becoming a little less humid.  This means more climbing on the big crags and possibly even wearing trousers in the evenings in a couple of weeks time.  I actually cant wait till I first have to put on a fleece.  I have managed to get out climbing quite a bit over the last few weeks as work has not been too busy and the breeze has been pretty constant making the big crags of Lion Rock and Temple crag viable options.  Lots of days climbing with Giles (who always seems to be ill) and an assorted crew of others has as ever allowed me to get to less visited parts of Hong Kong.  Apart from climbing theres been the usual round of eating and drinking with friends and the occasional music session.
 A rare photo of me climbing.  I dont always wear tights.  Thanks to Curtis for taking the shot, a brilliant day at central crags a few weeks ago with Giles, Curtis and Kyle.
 Some of the crew hanging out at the bottom of Austin Powers crag at Central.  L-R Elle, Jake and Gabby (looking in disgust at Giles on Dr Evil I think)
 Giles on "Dr Evil" 6c+/7a depending on reach and dyno ability.
 Nasty looking monkey on the way to Lion rock.  One of these went for me taking a photo of it later.
 Giles struggling to keep his feet on the rock on "Austrian Staircase" on Lion Rock.  Higher up this route I thought I saw a snake in the same crack my fingers were in.  Not my most controlled climbing but at least I stayed on (yelling "snake, snake, snake").  Turned out to be a large Gecko.
 Sunset over the ferry at my home town Yung Shue Wan, Lamma
 Miles and Letty in the their new house complete with fridge and red horse beer.
 Limited drink choices at the end of the night
 Giles seconding the first pitch of "Silent Prayer" 6a on temple crag.  A bit hot for slab climbing but great fun.
 Miles going for the only good hold on pitch one.
 3rd pitch of Silent prayer with Giles and Miles.  Lots of banter climbing as a three.  Small world to be multipitch cragging in Hong Kong with three people who all used to work for the same place in Scotland at different times.
Miles "this is kind of like Dun Caan" Mconville high above Lantau island.