[Guest Post from JW]

There’s
something magical about Krabi. When my then team captain told me about a climbing
paradise called Krabi, I thought she was just exaggerating. And boy, was I wrong! 

Climbing
for two weeks by the Andaman Sea on beautiful limestone crags amidst the rustic habitat
of Tonsai as well as pitting myself physically and mentally against the natural
features on different routes, the simple pleasures of life couldn’t be more stark. A
trip which I intended to mark the end of my climbing years (prior to my
all-important final year in university), turned out to be the beginning of my
epiphany that climbing was not so much a competitive or athletic pursuit but a
way of life… 

Climbing in Krabi is economical as it is near Singapore, with
quality food and accommodation at affordable prices. With an abundance of 6s, Krabi
is worth the journey for climbers who can send 6c comfortably. 

CEUSE, FRANCE

I’ve
written about Ceuse before, so I shall refrain from going on and on
about it. It was a trip I badly needed to find some closure and peace
with myself after a difficult episode in my life, and I’m glad I made
it. 

Two weeks in southern France, two weeks of self-discovery, two weeks
of climbing lessons from Mother Nature. Prior to Ceuse, I paid scant
attention to footwork coz I thrived on overhangs and powerful moves
which were more acrobatic and offered greater thrill. But at its Berlin
crag, I was completely humbled and mind blown as I was challenged to hone
myself in a dimension of climbing unfamiliar to me. The handholds and
footholds were so sketchy, I experienced feet cramps! Well, it probably
made me a more wholesome climber than I was before. 

The cool climate,
limestone features and scenic countryside of Ceuse were an absolute
pleasure to behold, not forgetting to also mention the croissants and
pizzas which tasted heavenly. The only downside was the daily 45-min
trek (which I grew to love) and painfully icy sensation on cold days
(which I never accustomed to). Cost isn’t much of an issue except for
the air ticket. I spent less than S$500 for two weeks of camping and
climbing in Ceuse. The classic routes are generally 7s and higher, so be
prepared to train and level up for Ceuse.

RODELLAR, SPAIN

Being true to my tick-list for crags, I actually made a two-week trip to Rodellar with my non-climber wife (i.e. Regina). 

Located in an obscure part of Spain, little did I expect both of us to enjoy it so much! Here we were, not knowing what to expect – which really is the beauty of such trips. Here, the routes suited my style of climbing – massive overhangs, powerful moves and big holds. Coupled with the ease of access to routes, Rodellar was an ideal destination. 

I also loved the sunny weather which was seldom threatened unlike other colder parts of Europe. It probably spilt over to the local culture which was jovial and so full of energy albeit the laidback lifestyle. The idyllic area of Rodellar was certainly worth the 5-hour drive from Barcelona. Decent food and accommodation were also easily found and reasonably priced – it only cost about 40 euros a day for our own stone hut (see top-left photo above!). While Rodellar doesn’t boast scenery as picturesque or calming as Ceuse and Krabi, it is still extremely pleasant and offered interesting places to visit in the vicinity such as the UNESCO World Heritage town of Alquezar. It also has a wide range of quality routes from 6s to 8s, so there is no dearth of choices to climb.

Climbing is a very individual yet communal sport. The adrenaline and enjoyment from the challenge of your own physical and mental limits on the beautiful creations of nature somehow makes the entire experience very much a spiritual form of harmony between oneself and the world. 

I also relish how climbing has brought me onto the less trodden paths which lead to amazing crags and breath-taking places. Perhaps someday, I will again laze by the pristine shores of Krabi to hear the waves gently lapping or lie on the rolling fields of Ceuse to watch shooting stars across the quiet evening sky.

Climbing in Castle Hill, New Zealand

 [Guest post by JW, Regina’s hubby, who is an avid rockclimber and fitness fanatic.]

With a social wave of fitness hitting our island-state, it’s
no wonder that climbing is now a rapidly growing sport in Singapore! It strengthens the body,
requires technique and challenges the psyche – an absolutely mind-blowing and
adrenaline-pumping experience. I particularly enjoy climbing overseas, against the backdrop of beautiful scenery which will take your breath away to the point of sweet suffocation, but before you even get there, you first have to start climbing in Singapore. Having climbed in Singapore for a good 10+
years, I guess I’m in a decent position to write about it! =P

I first started climbing in 2003 when my army mate HH
recommended the sport to me. Back then, while I trained competitively in the
comfort of NUS Bouldering Gym, popular commercial climbing spots were Yishun
SAFRA and Bukit Merah SAFRA. How things are quite different now… So lemme
give my lowdown on climbing gyms in Singapore which I’ve been to (I shall
discuss ‘natural’ in a subsequent post). I don’t frequent all of them regularly and this is purely my personal opinion so please
feel free to comment if you beg to differ or if you spot any inaccuracies!

CLIMB ASIA (CA)

60 Tessensohn Road
Singapore 217664 (Nearest MRT Station: Farrer Park)

Credit: Climb Asia

  One of the most established climbing gyms in Singapore,
CA really offers a good spread of options for climbers – which I deem
as its competitive edge. Two storeys of indoor bouldering, wide selection of
indoor top-rope climbing, and even a 15m outdoor wall for lead-climbing and
speed-climbing. 

The location is also one of the most central compared to the
rest. Its focus on route-setting somehow feels more diminished over the years
as it seems to cater more to climbing courses/events and the top-rope community
since the bouldering crowd is quite seasoned. You can also check out Team Climb
Asia in action e.g. some of Singapore’s top boulderers Haroz Foo and Xu Liting.

Price per entry: $14
for non-members and $7-$9 for members

YISHUN SAFRA (YS)

60 Yishun Avenue 4 Singapore 769027 (Nearest MRT
Station: Yishun)

For outdoor lovers, this is da place to climb! You get the
breeze, the sunlight, and unfortunately, the rain too as well sometimes… Some people may
find it scarier coz the climbing feels more exposed but you’ll get used to it
soon (I hope!). The high-wall texture is great – you can smear more confidently
without slipping compared to other gyms. The route-setting is also top quality,
thanks to Paul Soo and gang who dedicate much time and effort to it. For a
period, it became kinda infamous for sand-bagging i.e. stiffer route-grading but who
cares? Climbing is not about the grades (yeah right!)… YS also boasts the
highest outdoor wall (25m) in Singapore and an air-conditioned boulder gym
although not much serious attention has been paid to them vis-à-vis the 15m
walls for top-rope and lead-climbing.

Price per entry:
$16.05 for non-members and $10.70 for members/students

ONSIGHT CLIMBING (OS)

100 Guillemard Road
Singapore 399718 (Nearest MRT Station: Guillemard)

   

The biggest indoor gym in Singapore! And also very crowded recently
– for good reason, I suppose. Being indoors, its competitive edge is
all-weather sport-climbing. It has really nice high-wall routes for top-rope
and lead-climbing. 

My only grouse is that the route-setters may sometimes have been
too carried away and set a few routes which criss-cross – meaning two lanes may get
occupied by a single climber – which however makes for interesting climbs. I’m
more into sport-climbing so I’m not very sure about the bouldering. The few
times I tried, I found the boulder routes pretty challenging and organised. And since one of Singapore’s
top female boulderers Felicia Lim hangs out at OS, you know the quality is
there.

Price per entry: $18
for non-members and $11-$13 for members/students 

CLIMBERS LABORATORY (CL)

48 Toh Guan Road East #05-152
Enterprise Hub Singapore 608586 (Nearest MRT Station: Jurong East)

   

A great place for beginners! I like the rough wall-texture
and abundance of easy routes for me to guide interested friends who are new to
the sport or wish to build their sport-climbing foundation. 

The only
short-comings (pun intended) are its inaccessible location and 8m walls which
are too short for more advanced sport-climbers to push their limits. But well,
parking is free if you drive. And there is a lovely horizontal roof section to
lead-climb which can’t really be found in other climbing gyms. It is also
enjoyable because it is generally less crowded than the rest, which allows you to hop
on the route of your choice almost anytime and take your time to work on
climbing fundamentals/moves on-rope aka route-hog or hangdog without feeling
too self-conscious.

Price per entry: $11-$13
for non-members and $7-$9 for members 

KINETICS CLIMBING

160 Paya Lebar Road Singapore
409022 (Nearest MRT Station: MacPherson)

    
An awesome place for bouldering enthusiasts! A lot of effort
is placed on quality boulder route-setting so there is no need to squeeze your
own brain juices (you can still do so if you wish to). I must say that
bouldering offers more thrill and comfort with its acrobatic possibilities on
the wall and cosy rest-time on the mattress. It also allows you to focus on
training specific techniques or holds – be it dyno, drop-knee, side-step,
slopers or crimps – which are important for both budding and advanced climbers.
While you may not find the option of high-wall climbing, you can probably draw
inspiration from one of Singapore’s top climbers Jay Koh or steal some tricks
from Team PMS!

Price per entry: $16
for non-members and $10 for members 

CLIMB CENTRAL (CC)

1 Stadium Place #B1-01 Kallang Wave Singapore
397628 (Nearest MRT Station: Stadium)

   

The newest kid on the block! And my, does it have a lot to
offer – in terms of non-climbing stuff, heh! High quality walls with well-set routes (mostly 5s and 6s tho’), air-conditioned
and in close proximity to the likes of H&M and Starbucks – I believe that it
will appeal to many who crave a mall-break between climbs! 

Indeed,
it’s easy to see why the crowd is growing. CC also boasts the highest
indoor climbing wall in Singapore – at 16m. It is rather exhibitionist,
surrounded by curious onlookers/shoppers on a few storeys, which will perhaps
go down well with our younger generations and also hopefully encourage more
people to try or support the sport. The bouldering section is
still under construction, but I’m sure it’ll be another cool feature!

Price per entry: $14-$20
for day pass and $140 for 10-session pass