Rockover Growl 3

Our blog is now featured on our website (www.globaltherapies.com). You should be redirected automatically to this article on our new site.

If you get an ERROR MESSAGE, or you are not redirected please press the REFRESH button on your browser.

Yesterday was spent down at Rock Over Climbing Wall in Manchester for the third GROWL contest. Reports from the first and second contests can be found here for the October event and here for the December event.

January's contest started off quiet, just a few dozen competitors there for the initial briefing. There was no sign of hanging ball problems today, instead some tricky looking volumes to negotiate. We were impressed to see so many of the climbers going through serious warm up routines - looking after your body like that is a great way to help prevent injuries, especially on a cold winter day.

Early remedial treatment on neck/shoulder muscles

Craig demonstrating his skill

Early arrivals taking time to consider moves and watch others on the problems before it got busy

Total focus and determination on the final move.....

Receiving soft tissue therapy to forearms...tired from climbing, or treating an underlying issue caused by daily postural biomechanics?

The tricky spot prize problem....not many topped out on this one!

Jordan Buys receiving post-contest soft tissue therapy and missing his prize being awarded!! Thankfully Naomi was on hand to collect it for him.

Paul being lifted and dropped by the prize winning ladies.....causing lots of amusement!

Thanks to all of you who came along for a chat about climbing, injury prevention or to have a free treatment. As always at these events, donations are gratefully received and we went away with £15 for Glossop Mountain Rescue Team; we know they will appreciate it.

See you all at the 4th and final GROWL on Saturday 11th February.

Rockover Growl 2

Our blog is now featured on our website (www.globaltherapies.com). You should be redirected automatically to this article on our new site.

If you get an ERROR MESSAGE, or you are not redirected please press the REFRESH button on your browser.

On Saturday I went over to Rock Over Climbing wall to help out with their second GROWL competition. After the success of the first one, which I blogged about here, I was really looking forward to seeing some interesting route setting, good climbing, and a lot of people having fun.

Lynne and I provided free arm and shoulder massages at the last one, so I knew there would be some demand for us there again. Unfortunately Lynne couldn't be there this time, so it was just me holding the fort. I got there nice and early, watching the first competitors float through the door, from the cold outside to the not every so much warmer inside, filling out their forms and taking in the look of the problems on the walls.
The guys had excelled themselves in terms of routes, and the very obvious amusement was "the Death Star", or, alternatively known as "Simons dangly bits". A hanging sphere of plastic volume between 2 walls. According to Simon, getting onto and across was the easy part of the problem. Excellent.

The "death star"

As more and more climbers came in, I set up the table and talked with a lot of the guys and girls wandering around. The temperature slowly began to rise, and at 11am the competition was kicked off.

As ever, the first hour or so was spent talking to the injured climbers, looking at injuries and giving advice on what to do, and, more often than not, what not to do. Then, as things began to get swinging (as it were) there was an influx of competitors for massage and de-pumps.

The general consensus from the guys I was talking to was that it was a bit harder than last time, but just as enjoyable. I certainly had a good time, and I'm looking forward to trying out a load of the problems on my next visit.

Rockover GROWL

Our blog is now featured on our website (www.globaltherapies.com). You should be redirected automatically to this article on our new site.

If you get an ERROR MESSAGE, or you are not redirected please press the REFRESH button on your browser.

Today saw the first of the Rockover Climbing walls GROWL competitions. The sun was out as we went over there at about 11am as the first of the eager competitors were registering - though it was rapidly clouding over - perhaps a better day to be inside than out for a decent bit of climbing.

Tom and Simon had been busy setting up new problems for the competition, just over 40 of them ranging from V0 to about V7-8ish. Perfect for general competitions in the UK, but there were a couple of worried glances as Shauna Coxsey and Alex Puccio arrived at the door - concern that they would just flash all the problems and head out for a beer. However, it seemed that the vast majority of the climbers would be challenged by the routes.

The new walls and volumes provided an excellent challenge, and the training and circuit boards upstairs were being used to great effect.

Not only was there a general competition with a final climb off at the end, but there was a cash prize route - with anyone who climbed it getting a share of the cash. Obviously the more people that do the route, the lower the prize, so unsurprisingly, anyone who managed to get up it was being quite secretive about their beta.

We were there very much in a volunteer capacity, helping out with arm de-pumps and general advice about injury (generally referring back to the RICE protocol), though we were collecting donations for Mountain Rescue as well - which is a charity organisation close to our hearts as climbers and mountain goers.

We have already had some fantastic feedback from the guys at the wall- both the organisers and the competitors about our services, with several climbers mentioning that after a short treatment they felt like they hadn't even climbed yet. My response being - well get back on the wall then!

We were there until the end of the bouldering comp and saw a fair few people during that time, always good to make friends down at the wall - and I look forward to seeing them again, and climbing with them once my leg gets better (but that's another story for another post).

Unfortunately we were not able to stick around for the dry-tooling competition as we had a prior appointment elsewhere, but from the photos, it looked like a great time was had by all. Hopefully next time we should be able to have a go!

If you weren't there, get to the next one, good routes, good food, good company, and of course, good massage. The next one is on December 3rd. See you there!