The beginning of the new year ushered in too quickly for me to consolidate my rock trip to Leonidio, Greece. Touched back down in Singapore with barely enough time to begin my daily work routine. So.. it took awhile, but the dust from work has finally settled down and I finally got down to doing a short write up about my experience and consolidate my thoughts about my climbs there.

Travelling to Greece meant stepping foot into Europe for the first time! This is the 3rd of my series of planned sport-climbing trip so far. I’d give myself a pat on the back for being consistent in putting in the effort to dedicate some time to sport/lead climbing. This time around, there was definitely a bigger push that got me into booking my flight tickets to Leonidio.

Firstly, the grand invitation from Shi Hui to join her in projecting and climbing hard. We always wanted to go on a rock trip together, and I guess it had to be a sport climbing one. HAHA. We had the idea of rounding up some “slaydies” (slay + ladies) to go on this trip together and it happened! Secondly, I was tempted of the idea of trying to smell at least a grade 8, given my close attempts on Relapse 8a in Thakhek the previous year. I had just spun off from a good impromptu boulder trip to the Grampians, and I was all psyched for some more rock. The last motivational push was in wanting to venture beyond the usual crags in Asia, to get better at sport climbing and to get used to the idea of doing the combined disciplines of speed, boulder and lead. I had gone on many rock trips and took part in competitions both in boulder and speed. But my skills and technique, understanding of lead climbing were pretty shallow (as seen evidently in my Thakhek trip back in 2016). So what better way to hone those aspects than to take to the rock! The drive and motivation to go on this trip was pretty strong, and the lure of beautiful Athens and the Mediterranean Sea would make it worthwhile as well.

To be honest, although planned, I did little to prepare myself for the trip in the weeks leading up to it. I mostly bouldered at the gym, maybe lead climb thrice and did a couple of endurance laps on the training wall. So by the time it was time to head to Greece, I had to lower my expectations of what was to come and decided to just enjoy myself. But, I was banking on those 2 weeks there to help me build up some endurance and confidence!

The crew

Shi Hui, Lynnette and Rebecca headed to Leonidio at the start of December, and I joined them 2 weeks later together with Mun Yuan, who was in the UK for his Masters. Yam, a fellow teacher, was also there with them, and we took turns to live out our school holidays, 2 weeks at a time. HAHA (pffft, teachers). Kai popped over for our last 5 days as well.

We stayed at a small village by the coast called Sampatiki, and drove to the crags daily. On our 1st day there, Shi Hui brought us to the popular Twin Caves, where we jumped onto some warm ups routes. It had rained the day before, and the famous tufas overhanging the crags were all dripping from the runoff. Not exactly the best conditions one can hope for to start the trip, but we managed! It took me awhile to accept and adapt to the cold.

Sport climbing in the cold is slightly more torturous if you hate the cold — your fingers are exposed to the cold much longer, as compared to bouldering. The last time I did some sport-climbing in low temps was in Jogasaki, Japan, with the North Face crew when Yuji brought us to taste some rocks after The North Face Cup. Needless to say, it didnt go too well for us Singaporeans.

With the other routes dripping, Shi Hui convinced us to give it a go on her recently-sent project Tufadanga, 8a+. She had returned to Leonidio to complete this, and she did so with ease! It was then, that I discovered my newfound talent in computing beta given from the ground (by Shi Hui who seemed to have memorised the beta by hard), and executing the moves word for word. Left foot step, go for left sloper, right leg heel hook…… Managed to work my way up the route with her help that day. But when I tried it again on another day, I completely forgot every move and had to relearn the moves on my own instead. HAHA.

I spent 5 days climbing, rested for 1 day, climbed 3 days, rested 2 days due to the rain, and then another 3 days climbing. The schedule was less organised due to the rain, and I had good skin to last me my first few days. Climbing outdoors for multiple days in a row felt less intense and tiring, compared to my 2 hour climbing sessions in the gym back home. Maybe it was because of the time I had to myself (instead of working) to really relax and rest well for the next day.

We usually head back to the apartment around 5pm, as the sun begins to set. Its not so much as to escape from the setting light, but the temps would start to drop drastically and we all sought the warmth. At the end of the day, I always took the time to foam roll, stretch, Powerdot, drink some recovery BCAAs and really wind down well and proper before going to bed. A reverse approach from Shi and Lyn, who usually warms up instead, before heading out to climb. I take about 30 mins to 1 hour to fully get the knots and aches out. And then sometimes, when we had the time, we would head to town to get a 15 euro massage from a masseuse, Olympia (very befitting name). Very relaxing and super shiok. Usually I find that I send hard the next day. Thanks Olympia!

During our time there, we made a couple of friends from Panjika Cafe — the usual climbers hangout. Julian and Bernd were our adopted climbing buddies and it was a joy to climb together! We also met Tia and a whole bunch of really strong climbers from the US. Once in while, we invite them over for dinner at our place. We had green curry and even attempted Ba Ku Teh. Its amazing how we come from all walks of life, to gather at some random cliff or rocky face, and spend a chunk of our time trying to scale it. Haha! Listening to their stories, meeting new people, learning new things, you can find out how life can be so diverse, different, interesting and fulfilling.

The sport climbing dilemma

Towards the end of the trip, I felt myself stuck between trying to decide if I should work on my project, or try out the different routes around me. After about a week, I had only been to about 3 different climbing areas, as compared to 10 over areas in Leonidio. I didnt really like getting myself drawn into that negative head space, where I expect alot and put the pressure on myself to send a route. So there were a few things that I took time to consider:

1. Rain was coming in, the days after rain may not be ideal to do Tufadango (yes, I adopted this project afterall!)
2. I didnt want to do Tufadango on my 3rd climbing day (fatigue sets in)
3. I wanted to get on more 7cs or 8s to expand my skillset and to try different styles.
4. I wanted to check out the other climbing areas.

I decided to deal with each complexity and settled on trying a couple of other routes first, before heading back to Twin Caves to give Tufadango one last run, and to also clear Shihui’s draws which were up.

Tufadango and more

When I first got on this route and worked it with Shihui’s beta, I wasnt exactly drawn to it. What went on in my head, was that this was a really powerful and extremely long (by my standards) route! (Okay, maybe its just 25m, but its 10m more than a speed wall and im climbing at a much slower pace. HAHA.) Sure, there were rest points, but I knew that I didnt have a full tank of endurance to survive the climb. But really got to give mad respect to Shihui for coming up with the beta on her own, and working it. It was hard. But thats how all projects usually start. ;) A different kind of hard as compared to bouldering. But it was something that would demand alot more focus, grit and composure to get my butt all the way up to the anchor. But it was a good revelation, in finding out how the standards were, and then working at pushing my limit and what I can potentially do outdoors.

I had the opportunity to learn and pick up things during this trip as I was climbing, which I felt led to me sending my first 8a+. OAKA, 7c+ was one such route where I picked up and learned alot of tips on how to climb better on sport. It was quite a gruelling challenge for me: pinches and tufas everywhere, with minimal rest spots. Urgh. The individual moves alone were hard due to my lack of endurance just 3 days into the trip. There was a sustained sequence that moved up through 3 quickdraws and even after that, the climb was still not over. So much fight for this one. I took a bit too many attempts trying to get the send. Thinking that I had gotten pass a crux, only to find that I needed to keep fighting, or to continue to work out the moves further up, whilst still feeling pumped. Im glad that Lynnette and I managed to send this one together on the same day.

So heres some things I learned on the go:

1. Working through the betas of the route patiently. 
   I learnt this the hard way, when I fumbled on easy sequences on my send attempts just because I forgot where to step and where the good holds were. Watching Julian and Bernd climb (casually on 8bs) up sequences where they fell, they would lower and try that move again, taking note of the important points. I used to worry about dogging too long, cos I didnt like to sit on my harness (it gets my body lazy to pull myself up). But it is a good practice to be kind to myself, and teach myself the moves and sequences, preventing any mistakes. Yes, it would mean that your belayer is at the other end for a longer time than usual. But thats what belay glasses are for! ;)
2. Finding the good rest spots.
   Easier said than done. But I believe that this must be done deliberately, especially if you know the sequence above is sustained. Knowing where to rest helps to break the climb down into digestable, conquerable parts. I used to think I will just rest at the jugs, but I realise that sometimes you might need to force a rest multiple times, or at the bad spots, just so you can continue up the top.
3. Endurance
   Yes, endurance DOES build up over time as your trip goes on. So keep that in mind, and use it to your advantage. I started to feel this after awhile, and it gave me some confidence to push myself on, knowing that I had the endurance to keep going.
4. Warming up on your project
   Yes, you can actually touch the rock before you do your send attempt. I think this was a rather rigid mindset that I had previously, stemming from too many competitions. Learned this from shihui — to give that first 3 quickdraws a go, get those cold fingers warm, rehearse the moves again to get them automatically ingrained in your head. It helps especially when its 10 degrees or below, and it feels like you’re climbing in a fridge. HAHA.

Overall, I had a fantastic time in Leonidio. I was so glad I went, there were daily landscape and picturesque views. And the climbs there were also good. There is still much to explore and try. And im thankful to have the crew there to psych each other up, take photos, cook dinner, to simply be around.

With a new “high point” on sport climbing, im pretty excited to see where I can go from here! Till then, its back to the daily grind and hustle. But I hope i’ll be back for more!

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Here are some of the routes I did on this trip:
1. Tufadango 8a+
2. Mr Seguin, 8a
3. OAKA 7c+
4. Autopsia 7c
5. Bread & Salt, 7c
6. Les piliers de bar, 7a+ (onsight)
7. Vromika myala, 7a+(onsight)
8. Chuck notis, 7a (flash)
7. Finding mono, 7a (flash)

1. Was everyone disappointed with my performance?
2. Did I look calm and composed?
3. Am I angry? (For the lack of achieving Gold)
4. Is this enough for me?

Its been 3 full weeks since I tweaked my wrist during the National Training session. I must admit sheepishly, that the onset of this injury is really uncalled for, foolish in fact. On hindsight, always warm up, especially when you are already old (28 years old is no joke). Jotting this down here to recount my recovery process, and to also remind myself of the techniques and methods I used to get myself back into shape.

So basically, I aggravated an old injury when I was working on my speed runs that weekend. Somehow my pulls were too much for my wrist/shoulder to bear. In addition, we did a full round of a mock competition setup for boulde and some moves were just abit too much for the wrist. I previously had a full thickness tear of the membranous scapholunate ligament, partial thickness tear on dorsal side. Slight fray of the triangular fibrocartilage foveal insertion.
Perhaps I might have made those tears worse, I dont really know as I didnt get it checked again. I dont remember how I got it, but this left wrist of mine has given me some problems since secondary school — when I started playing with trial bikes. Hehe.

Taken from http://www.melbournehandsurgery.com/hand-injuries/30-hands/injuries/192-scapholunate-ligament-injury

Perhaps this might explain the occasional absurd feeling of my bones being pulled apart while hanging, or how I cannot get into a push up position, i.e. extension of wrist to 90 degrees.
The previous time I felt such sustained pain from climbing was January 2016. So to experience this injury again is too close for comfort. And especially since I confirmed my participation in the upcoming IFSC world cup in Nanjing, World cup. This year, this is the only circuit which falls on a long weekend, so its the only window I have to be able to have time off from work to join at least one of the legs in this circuit.

Back to reality, it was a painful and tormenting period for me. I took a few days off from climbing and worked on my other weakness (legs, flexibility, side steps, core). I did more slab routes and worked my hips to take my mind off not being able to climb. I experimented with various ways of taping.

The first one I did was to work on recovery. Apart from limited wrist mobility, the base of my thumb was feeling pinched. There was this great amount of pain when I worked my thumb to little finger opposition. Due to the tear, I assume either scaphoid or lunate must have shifted out of its usual alignment. I worked some RocTape to pull the thumb back and then stretched recovery lines down the forearms. It got better over the next few days. And then, I climbed.

Taping method #1

I thought that after the first week, my injury had subsided and I was able to get back into my training regime. I was wrong. The day after that climbing session, the pain was back where it started. I was left feeling miserable and almost helpless at this injury. But yes, I must admit that I was too impatient and hurried to get back into climbing. So this is my own doing.

I spent the next few days back to the start of my recovery process. I went to see Marcus Bernini at physiokit to work some release. And then I went back into taping.

I dont want to bore you with the details, but this cycle went on for a few times. I tried to climb for a few sessions and then went back into experimenting with taping. I realised that I had to leave my tape on through the night so that the taping can help the pain subside while I sleep. I experimented once again with a new way of taping. This time I worked a spiral to pull the thumb back and work some support around the wrist (method #2). This allowed movement of my thumb to little finger opposition without restriction or pain. Success rate is high for this method if you were to ever experience this kind of pain. I was able to climb at 60% AND not feel the backlash of the injury after the session.

Taping method #2

This worked for about 1 week. But I knew taping alone wouldnt suffice. I could leave it on for a few days, but I didnt want to be doing this FOREVER. So I wrecked my brains to remember how I got over this injury the previous time.

I remembered that I was told to work my shoulders. Not TRX, or simple weights. But there was this one strengthening exercises that helped the most. So basically, I worked to raise my arms from hips to above my head steadily, with shoulder blades tucked back, while minutely wobbling the weight/stick I was gripping in my hands. I work my arms up twice, taking turns, and then rested.

This was week 2.5. My wrist was feeling better, but then whenever I got pumped, I could feel the wrist pains coming in. I felt that as long as I kept the tape tight around my wrist (method #3), this helps hold everything into place. Perhaps this might be due to the triangular fibrocartilage — in which I highly suspect that it might be slightly more injured compared to the previous time I checked..

Taping method #3, typical wrist taping

So currently I am on the simple wrist taping method. I can climb at 75% potential and have slightly better range of motion for the wrist. Ulnar deviation still hurts at the base — I am still unable to pinch at this angle. One arm hangs on my injured left side are still shaky, despite deliberate engagement of shoulders to tank the weight. Wrist extension is about 75 degrees with fingers straightened. Holding some slopers are fine, except those that require the hands to wrap fully over and around.

Recovery is still ongoing, I am not sure if I will be ready by the end of April. I might forgo this circuit if this wrist does not get better. Sigh. For now, I am thankful that I am still able to boulder at least, to climb and move on the wall. I do enjoy discovering more about the body, and finding out ways to make things work and get better.