Athlete by Choice - Duncan Brown

I get attracted to certain characters.
And I go out of my way to meet them.
China is not too far.

I went to China to meet Duncan Brown.
He wasn't there.
No problem, I met some amazing people anyway. (see previous posts)

I line up another trip 3 months later. I read on Facebook that he's leaving. Crap, I already bought a ticket.
Turns out we crossed over for a coupla days.

So here's Duncan Brown on his last attempt on his long term project on his last climbing day at his favourite crag in his, now ex, home town of Yangshuo.
No Guarantee 513.c

I finally catch him at his going away thrash at Yangshuo's ex-pat climber bar "The Rusty Bolt".
There's a bunch of climbers I've met on previous trips, I know enough people to not feel uncomfortable.
I recognise him, I give him a big hug, he looks accepting, but bewildered. I introduce myself.
He talks intensely. The party goes off. I sneak out.

iPhone selfie

We meet next morning at the grubby bus station headed for Lei Pi Shan, super crag.

He comes across confident. And he is keen to talk climbing. Big picture.

There's no idle chit chat. Duncan wants to know my opinion on where Australian climbing is at.
I pull together a few patchy ideas and speculate about the new breed of young gym-trained climbers rattling the hierarchy.
He delivers a professorial lecture on training, crag development, international climbing.

We are there for one thing. A last ditch effort to send "No Guarantee", and I, to make sure everyone sees it.
I feel it's my duty to make sure Australia knows who's coming home.

 "No Guarantee" climbs a full 40 metres straight through that black blob all the way to the trees.

Reference the blob, we'll get back to that later.

Duncan wears: Kailas clothing.

Climb "Paper Cut" 28, pull a harder crux, and keep on pulling for another 20 metres.

 The "rest" near the top of Paper Cut.
Then launch into the hard stuff.

The day I turned up in Yangshuo was the first fine day after a long wet spell.

As usual the first thing I do is check the Li River.

I'm suddenly shocked. There's so much water. I instantly think of disastrous Chinese floods. They can do some damage. The sun came out and the rock started to dry out.

 iPhone shot from December.

Duncan jams in a kneebar at the base of the black tufa blob.

 Time to get some perspective here. There's the black blob way down there. There's a climber in blue on Single Life, I think, level with the blob.

Now that's what I went to China to see!

Extensive crag development all around China has brought Duncan's small town Yangshuo Mandarin accent into scrutiny. He reckons the Chinese big city folk take him for a retard.
Something I had never even remotely considered.
So he bungs on a posh big city accent whenever in Beijing. More "ARrrrrr's" apparently.

Lei Pi Shan, just another Chinese roadside attraction.

Walking away from Lei Pi Shan for the last time. The last time for this era, at least.

Without the tick he so badly wanted.
It's a tough crag.
I was there also, three months ago, the day Logan Barber walked away from Lei Pi Shan. Returning to Australia without the send of "Storm Born" he had tried so hard for.

                                                   

Logan Barber >

I feel kind of privileged to be there that day. A special day in Yangshuo. Bringing to an end an era for such a prominent Australian climber.
I've searched this photo for any trace of disappointment on Duncan's face. It's not there.
Why? Because he knows he didn't waste any effort. There was nothing he didn't do.
He says he's ready to return to Oz. I sense that's true.
He's got a plan. He knows where he's going. And why.

 Too late for buses. On foot to Goatian.

Four years is a long time to spend in  a kooky little town like Yangshuo. It's got to change a person.
Maintaining focus and perspective must become a challenge. Some people do it well.

Duncan will be putting his effort behind his fitness and nutrition programs in Australia.
Look out for it.

Welcome home Duncan.

Athlete by choice

jj

Beka Burbery - Kiwi Girl

I went to a big-deal seminar years ago. A certain big-name, brick-jawed American success coach. It was huge. 

A 14 hour mega motivation marathon, the first 10 minute piss break was at the 6 hour mark.

Content covering; dedication, commitment, success strategy.

It's easy to be cynical, but to be honest, I learned a lot.

Climbers, you already know the message:

How bad do you want success?  How badly do you want to do, what you want to do? 

Would you limit your budget to a dollar for dinner, less for breakfast, forego a comfy hotel and live in a single, crappy unheated room, weave your bicycle through the dusty Chinese traffic?

Well, probably yes.

I met Rebekah Burbery in Yangshuo, doing just that, she was turning a week of budget into months.

I can't help but examine my own balance of commitments across work, home, climbing. Comforts.

The thing that struck me about Beka is that she practices high-level frugality and keeps the beautiful air of friendliness and full-scale positivity. Generous of spirit. Such a joy.

The route: Yangshuo Hotel 7b White Mountain - China.

Back in her homeland of New Zealand she couch surfs and sleeps in her car to extend her climbing life between bursts of Outdoor Education work.

I decide I'm happy with my choices. I work hard. I enjoy a beautiful home. I have short trips to amazing places and meet inspiring people. I blog about it.

Vignette:

My mind is on something else.

As I stare through the crappy, blistering window-tint of the van, outside it's dark and dusty.

The road back from White Mountain to Yangshuo is in ruins. The van winds around searching for a workable course through the potholes, dodging buses. We make it into town, there's trucks, and diesel, and danger. It's very cold, and I'm sort of sleepy and aching, thinking about getting back to my hotel, dinner, bed.

Somewhere out there Beka is on her bicycle.

I generalise to myself; Kiwi girls are hardy.

Thanks Beka. jj

Cailtin Bradley - American Girl

I returned to Yangshuo in mid-Winter, with only a brief Facebook message from West Australian climber/adventurer Logan Barber, who I'd never met, as the only lead on people who I might join up with. I met Logan, we crossed over for my first two days, he was awesome, I'm still getting to him.

But the last person I had the privilege of knowing was the extraordinary Caitlin Bradley.

Early twenties, living, working, studying, adventuring and climbing in China.

What's her story?

It seems a young American girl from North Carolina can make a living in China teaching climbing.

See her on the Black Rock Climbing team page.

Ninjas take climbing lessons from Caitlin.

After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill she headed to Yangshuo for a climbing holiday. And never left. She does, however, have intentions of returning to do a masters on anthropogenic activities affecting fish populations in fresh water ecosystems.

I recently caught up with Caitlin by email, after a long pause. She says.
"Sorry for the late response, right now I am traveling in Yunnan mainly climbing and hiking, and my internet access has been limited. I used a friends computer that had a VPN".

It's still a big world out there.

Being between degrees she's studying Calligraphy, Chinese painting and Chinese cooking. Skills!

Who likes biscuits and gravy for breakfast? Must be a North Carolina thing. I had to google it.
Caitlin misses family breakfasts of biscuits and gravy in their forest home, listening to birds and watching the deer. Horse riding through the forest. Helping her Dad in the garden and fishing, and quilting and cooking with her Mom. I try to picture all that, I make it up from American movies.
For now she's working on American home style cooking, as long as it can be done on one burner, in a wok.

Hearing her melodic mastery of Mandarin, coloured with Southern Drawl is completely dreamy.
I've no idea what she's talking about, but could listen happily all day.

It's Christmas day we are crammed in the back of a mini-van, balancing big filthy packs of climbing gear on our knees. The bumpy road and worn seats are hurting my arse as we return from the crag in the dark. It's cold. Every one's got that glazed-eyed silence. Satisfaction, exhaustion. Caitlin is on the phone to her Mom in Nth Carolina, they are obviously close. You can hear the longing. Mothers with young daughters overseas, they are the same everywhere, concerned, needing skillful reassurance, but ultimately full of pride. She should be.

Find Catlin on Facebook at Caitlin Bradley - UNC but don't expect a response from behind the Great Fire Wall of China.
Thanks Caitlin, for your friendship, yours is an amazing story.

jj

Blue Magic - James Gunn

Beta alert! Look away if you want to onsight Blue Magic 8b. 

Followers of johnjobrien on Instagram will know that I recently returned from another quick Chinese climbing and tofu and photo gathering expedition.

I met some of the finest people. They made me welcome amongst them. They shared their time and their snacks. And they climbed like machines possessed.

Here's James Gunn. One of the finest. 

The day I set up for this shoot it was dull and cold. I got into position, the talent tied in and chalked up.

The second he laid a finger on the stone the sun unexpectedly cracked the gloom, plastering my shadow all over the wall. Not quite the plan.

But the effect was uplifting, one of those magic moments when I know there is no other place in the world I'd rather be. I like to believe that everyone at the crag felt the same euphoria.

James Gunn - on the send.  

James and Tom make ready at Skull Mountain.

I made that up, it's White Mountain.

I love White Mountain. Despite my humble performance there.

It's a humbling and magnificent crag.

 The first couple of moves, watching through the lens, I'm thinking, "I could do that".

At about the second clip I'm thinking, "nah that's me done".

 Lining up the first crux

"Catching the last move of crux #1"

"The rest" James seemed quite relaxed and centred. But in real terms, it not a rest.

James worked the route with Dave Van Den Berg and Tom Allen. He says he was psyched for it right from the start. There was no stopper move to contend with, but it didn't go down easy. Conditions on the first day were exceptional but he never got the same break again.

"Exiting the rest into the final crux sequence"

Sun's out, Gunn's out. 

James reckons his fav route is "Lost in China" at Getu, China.

Note to self: get the booking staff at jjobreinclimbing to schedule me a trip, say it is for photos or something.

He likes Mie Fun. I like Mei Fun. 

He likes Drum and Bass. I like Drum and Bass.

He's a G.I.S. analyst/specialist for an engineering consultancy. 

I like Mie Fun.

James told me what he did for a job, but I didn't understand. Very technical and important.

All I understood was that there are remarkable and surprising people out there. I continue to be amazed.

Talented, friendly, crazy strong and photogenic.

Find James on Facebook - James Gunn Auckland, New Zealand.

Cook your own Mie Fun

200grams rice noodles (thin)

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 carrot, julienne cut, 1/2 cup onion, sliced, 1 1/2 cups cabbage, shredded

tofu pieces   2 large eggs

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 cup bean sprouts,  1/4 cup water,  1/4 teaspoon brown sugar,  2 tablespoons soy sauce (to taste)

salt, to taste, fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the rice noodles in a pot of hot water and allow them to soak for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. While the noodles are soaking, heat the sesame oil in a large wok over high heat.  Fry the tofu pieces. Add the carrot and onion. Cook and stir until crisp tender. Stir in the cabbage, cooking and stirring for 1 minute longer.

3. Stir in the ginger, bean sprouts and eggs. Once the eggs are cooked, stir in the water, brown sugar and soy sauce. Cook and stir

4. Drain the rice noodles and add them to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper or soy sauce, t o taste. Yum

jj