I know all of you must have been asking yourselves “What has
Martin been up to recently?” Well….
I FINALLY decided to make a blog after my nine years of
competitive climbing; the main reason being all of the exciting plans I have
for these next few years (yes, this includes world cups!).
Currently, I am studying physics at the Colorado School of Mines.
Having just moved to Colorado, I have a whole new environment and community to
explore and get involved in. The climbing, both outdoors and indoors, is
incredible here and the community is extremely strong.
The School of Mines itself is home to not only great engineers,
but many strong climbers. It would be great to see all of us come together in
both the ABS Opens and CCS for this first time this year. I am currently
working with a few friends to put together a representative team. More news to
follow!
On the topic of outdoor climbing, a few weekends back, I
traveled up to Lincoln Lake on Mt. Evans for my first ever outdoor climb in
Colorado. It's easy to say, it was very different from that of Australia,
especially in altitude (11,500 ft compared to 0). The approach was rough, being
a 500 m steep cliff with no set path, but luckily I made it all in one piece.
Sadly, I didn't manage to send anything outstanding, but I did set my eyes on a
nice V10 project for next time. It also opened my eyes to one of my big
weaknesses, finger strength. Let’s just say, I’ll be spending some time on the
hangboards for the next few months. Regardless to say, it was a great
experience. I love climbing in new, exciting areas and this was no exception.
With great views, right next to a mountain lake, and fantastic climbs, this is
a place you shouldn’t miss. (I'll hopefully get some pictures soon!)
So, all in all, a good start to a new adventure; from Arizona, to
Australia, and now to Colorado. 2016 will be a great year and I want to keep
you all updated. I will be spending a lot of time exploring this new area and
getting involved with the community. I want to find as many outdoor areas as
possible (any recommendations?) and hopefully project something hard. In terms
of competitions, ABS, CCS, SCS, World Cups, University Championships, you name
it, I am planning on being there.
I should be keeping this blog updated a couple times a month, so
be sure to follow me! Stay tuned for more updates about outdoor climbing in
Colorado, climbing at Mines, and any competitions I attend! The next post
coming up will give some more information on my season so far!
