Wednesday 24 September 2008

October Holiday Camps

For the first time in history, Transition Extreme is offering kids an exclusive jam-packed week of alternative art, music and sport activities in our Extreme October Holiday Camp. The camp offers so much variety for all kids including skateboarding/BMX/inline skating, climbing, break dancing, martial arts, halloween costume making, badge and t-shirt design, drumming and art workshops and swimming. The week will culminate in an exclusive pre-Halloween party including face paints, a fashion show and lots of Halloween treats!

Extreme October Holiday Camp will be running for two weeks from 10am-4pm:
Week 1: Monday 13th-Friday 17th October
Week 2: Monday 20th-Friday 24th October
Kid’s sign up for either Week 1 or Week 2 (no daily rate offered).

Our ultimate aims are for kids to:
- build friendships
- learn new skills
- increase confidence and self-esteem
- discover hidden talents
- and generally have an unforgettable week at Transition Extreme.

Prices: £115 for one child for the whole week. £220 for two children. £325 for three children
Note: this discount is only applicable to siblings (same family name and booked at same time).
For further information or to book a place, please contact Reception on 01224 626279.

Transition will also be running individual sessions in both the Skate Park and Climbing centre for 8 to 17 year olds (separate from the above).

Sunday 14 September 2008

Getting ready for the Competition Season; Neil Morrison parts with words of wisdom


Bouldering Comps Top Tips
With our bouldering series running this winter we asked comp veteran Neil Morrison for his top tips. Along with Neil Shepherd from Arbroath, Neil organised the Vango Scottish Bouldering League back in the early 90’s with the two of them setting the problems. Neil’s first comp was actually organised by the other Neil at the Olympia Wall in Dundee. He won that and competed variously at Alien Rock, The Glasgow Wall, a couple of times in the Northern Indoor Bouldering League in England and an inter league comp in Keswick. He also took part in the North East Winter Woody Leagues’ which took place round different folks indoor boards. Creaky fingers have now forced on semi retirement so he can get back to setting devious problems.

Here's what Neil had to say:
Before the Comp
A couple of weeks before the comp get off that lead wall and get in some bouldering. Use all the angles and, with a mate or two, set your own problems using mixed holds and then try to flash them. This will give you a feel for working out new problems and sequences. Usually your mates will set problems that suit their strengths and you will set to yours, so trying each others problems will test you more. The existing problems are too familiar and won’t hone your comp skills. Also make sure you get in some serious stretching and practice those high steps and rockovers. An added bonus of moving over the wall is that you will gain familiarity with the holds on the wall. So that when you are looking up at that purple hold on a comp problem you will have an idea whether it’s a sloper or a crimp.

A couple of days before the comp take a rest, you want to be fresh and keen on the day of the comp. If you are big on your running avoid it for a couple of days before as it is bad for stiffening up those limbs.








On the day

Get their good and early so that you are not rushing about, stressed and playing catch up.
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Warm up before starting with stretching and a bit of exercise (you might look daft but run round the building 2 or 3 times) to get the heart pumping and the blood flowing. It is far too easy to get caught up in it all and get a cold pump which you don’t get over or worse you tweak something in your haste to get going. If you tweak something, STOP, get some ice and rest it straight away. You’ll only make it worse by continuing and will then have a longer lay off.
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Read the rules for the comp and the rules for each problem carefully so that you know what you are doing. e.g. If it says to finish with both hands in control on the top then make sure you do or you have not done the problem. Make sure you understand which holds are for what as some problems may allow the holds to be used for Hands and Feet only while others will use marked handholds but feet on any holds. Check if arĂȘtes and blank panel surfaces are allowed or not.
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Do a recce of the problems so that you can work out which ones you are likely to do easily and which ones will be harder or simply too hard. Try to decide when you will try them in the comp. With the harder ones aim to have a go when you are warmed up and have had success on a few problems but before you are too knackered and powered out. Leave some of the easier ones for the end. Do the recce before the comp if you can or at the start as you work through a few of the obviously easy problems.
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Spectate, spectate, spectate. Watch others and you will get an idea of how to do problems. You might even see easy or successful ways of doing problems you thought were too hard. Try to team up with someone round about your own ability(or slightly better) and work round with them working out how to do each problem and sharing first goes at problems.
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Pace yourself, don’t go off like a greyhound. Ease into the comp and dot about the angles, don’t do all the slabs and vertical walls then leave yourself with the 45 degree board and ceiling at the end.
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Go for the flash and don’t wear yourself out trying to repeatedly crack a problem you have failed to get the flash on, you can come back to it later and try to pick up the points but save your energy for those Ten pointers.
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Keep eating and drinking throughout it to keep your energy levels up.
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Sit down when you are eating and drinking, it’s too easy and tiring to spent the whole time of the comp on your feet, buzzing about and tiring yourself out with nervous energy. Conserve your energy for when you are on the wall.
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Remember why you are in it and have fun.

Monday 1 September 2008

Dave Graham Lecture and Masterclass 11th Oct

Dave Graham is a phenomenon. Exploding onto the scene only a few years ago he pretty much instantly established himself as one of the strongest climbers on the planet with very quick repeats and first ascents of many of the worlds hardest boulder problems and routes. On top of that Dave can talk! His enthusiastic philosophy on life, climbing and everything else is evident in the many climbing films he’s starred in and in his online writings (see his Blog - http://www.climbing.com/exclusive/problog/davegraham/). His lecture will combine all of the above in a whirlwind hour and a half highly energised performance, focussed on the progression of hard climbing and where it is headed.

Adventure Films showing in VUE

Vue Cinema are showing three short films together as part of an Adventure Film series from the 22nd September.

These films include:

King Lines (portrait or Chris Sharma and his climbing career; 40minutes)

Play Gravity (Snowboarding and Speedriding in Europe and Alaska 52minutes)

Farther Than The Eye Can See (Erik Weihenmayer’s historic attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest 75 minutes)

Previous series that VUE have shown were a good success and enjoyable viewing so get down there and go see them!