RAB Sponsoring & more happiness

Today, in 48 minutes to be exact, I'll head for Germany.
It didn't go too smoothly to get here: my brother lost my house keys so I had to break into my own house to gather my stuff...And so I missed my last climbing session at my gym.

Night climbing/flying at Monte Cervino

Luckily I had a really good night session the day before. We climbed, drank whiskey, ate bbq-chocolate-bananas, slept in the 'Ger' (nomadic tent) swam in the lake in the morning, skeelered, then it was time to head for Belgium to deliver back the company car and get my new sponsor gear (new brilliant NAO, Ange, harness, Microtraxion! You'll read a review about that all soon here on my blog)

Chocolate bananas

To get my skates I took two friends to my amazing mansion (home) and there it stood, in the shed: two HUGE packages.
One labeled Five Ten and one labeled RAB.
This could only mean one thing: new stuff.
I jumped, my eyes twinkled so much they almost popped out, my smile extended to my ears and my brain was making happiness loops.

I ordered my new Five Ten shoes just in time, so I was happy to actually get them in time as well.
But the other package...that package...that was just so so nice...!

Big boxes!!

I'll explain:
RAB and Lowe Alpine (Equip) are my new sponsors.
I went to the BeNeLux office, explained the stolen bag situation and they told me they would try to help me, but weren't sure about it. I understand, it's all about budgets, time, a bit of hassle and a bit of 'not-my-concern-that-you-lost-your-bag'.
But they worked hard as they could and now I got a brand new down sleepingbag and a super lightweight bivybag all the way from RAB UK. 
Without proper sleeping/bivybag it would have been quite different in Iceland I guess. RAB is 'for the most extreme conditions' and I can say for sure: that's what Iceland is all about :)
But RAB just gave me the most epic present ever!

So now I jump around in not just the perfect downjacket ever made (RAB Neutrino) but I'll dream about the happiest things every night again in my new super warm sleepingbag.
Thanks guys!

This evening, after breaking into my own house I went to the postbox to take the last mail.
And not only RAB did something epic, Light my Fire had just sent me a new knife&flint in one and a new titanium spork! All the way from Sweden (with love).
Just in time :)
They sent me this sweet postcard:

New jeans

F*'in cool jeans!

Really.

If you're a climber and know Yosemite you'll like these jeans.

Five Ten (brand of the brave) designed jeans. Climbers jeans. With stretch and a good fit so you can now go to the gym in your jeans. For sure I'll compete in jeans on the next climbing comp.

Want to have these as well? Like 'Five Ten Nederland' on Facebook and ask for the jeans on their Facebook page.

They have a mens and a womens version. Check the different jeans here.

Just a blog post

These days I'm pretty busy with all kinds of things.

I have to work (money...) I need to climb and actually I should study (no time for it...) and I have to do administration things and make a movie about the STS and arrange all things for the first aid trainings (=part of my work) and I need

to....uhhh, it's just all a bit too much right now.

So I decided to do none of it all now and read and

knit. On my friends' the wish list: socks (Richard), a sweater (Eva) and a hat (Johannes). So enough to knit for the whole Winter.

Meanwhile Dennis tried to murder me, do I try to learn the basics of Chinese, manage to wash without as washing-machine, and I now will try to convince you that you should be in Monte Cervino tomorrow, in Monk on Sunday, in Nijmegen on Monday, Amsterdam on Tuesday...

Why? Five Ten (Brand of the brave) has the Test Event.

All nice five-tennies in all sizes to fit, feel, test, and climb with! The best excuse to buy new shoes, test them straight away and have your local Five Ten climbers to give you advice (all 5.10 Dutch team-members will be around) More info on the 5.10 Facebook page here.

And then, when work is done, administration done, climbing done, five ten tested, Chinese learned, socks knitted...then it's finally time for China!

3 weeks of climbing and adventure!

Because we'll be away, won't have e-mail, no phone reach, no postbox...we'll be busy...climbing! @Petzl Roc Trip in Getu Valley, China :)

this-is-an-automated-out-of-office-message-I'll-be-able-to-get-back-to-you-in-three-weeks-sorry-for-the-uncoveinance-over-and-out :)

Oh, don't worry about the murder...in fact Dennis just broke a bottle of beet-juice ;)

Ow, yes, and the video report of our STS trip, as promised, here:

Post! 5.10 Quantum arrived :)

I just got post :) I have a new sponsor. I quit my contract with Boreal. (For all kinds or reasons) But not the one you'd think of first: shitty rubber. I have to say I was pretty satisfied with the rubber. And now I saw they even improved into really really sticky stuff. The shoes even stuck together on, let's say, gravity :)

As advice I'd always say that you should wear the shoes that suits and fits you best. So it can be that you don't buy 5.10, La Sportiva, Evolv or Boreal but suddenly walk around on Mad Rocks.

Shoe manufacturers get the issue that people tend to buy more and more a shoes that feels comfortable. And that is, especially to beginners, the best advice you can give.

Wearing shoes that are too big or worse too tight can cause trouble later on when you're finally a 'rotten old stinky climber' and have toes that your local pedicure doesn't want to touch anymore.

And that is one of the things my new sponsor, 5.10, keeps on hammering on. On the box of every pair of climbing shoes it says: "Don't fit your shoes too tight".

And that, together with the 8 other points is critical to climbing-shoe fitting and shopping.

Here the other 8 points:

• Street shoes size is only a starting point
• Rock shoes are unique, no two designs fit alike. Generally, softer shoes perform best with a snug fit. Stiffer shoes can be worn looser.
• Eliminate dead space but don't fit so tight as to create hot spots.
• Climbing shoes should not be uncomfortably tight, otherwise tears might keep you from seeing micro edges.
• Feet swell during the day, from 1/2 size to a full size. Try on shoes in the afternoon if possible.
• Synthetic uppers won't stretch - you'll have the same fit in 6 months. You should have no hot sports when you are up on your toes.
• Lined leather shoes stretch up to 1/3 size after a break in period of about 10 pitches.
• Unlined leather shoes will stretch up to 1 full size.

Now you know how to fit your shoes.

Time to find the right shoes. For me as iceclimber, boulderer, sportsclimber, semi-crack-climber, multipitch climber, routesetter and alpine climber is it not too easy to find a pair of shoes that always do what I need them to do: stick onto the wall whatever I climb and still stay comfortable.

I prefer a toe-down shoe in any case and I love heelhooking so the heel needs to be tight enough. Now they need to be comfortable but technical. Not too hard, not too soft on the rubber and the sole and as I sweat a lot (ielgh) they need to be lined so I don't 'slip' inside my shoes. I have pretty wide 'trouble' feet so they need to be quite wide at the front.

I guess I found what I need: a versatile shoe that is precise and has a snug fit: Quantum.

I just got them, so tonight will be the first try-out. I'll tell you later what I find of these shoes.

So far this is what others write about the new Quantum:

James Pearson: "Hmmm, maybe this picture can explain a little... my Quantum collection, 3 sizes, boulder, routes, and big wall – these days they are all I wear."

DPM Climbing: "Right out of the box, these shoes fit perfectly: super-snug, but not painful. The lack of dead air in the heel was a welcome change from most shoes for me. Even the laces, which I normally hate, were awesome. The ridged laces stay put when you pull them tight so you don’t have to battle to keep it snug at every pull."

Klimmuur Den Haag: "De enige schoen in de lijst met veters voor extra precisie. Dit is de opvolger van de klassieke Anasazi Lace. Maar nu asymetrisch en met een downturn, voor nog meer gevoel en druk op de grote teen."

Backcountry.com: "I don't give 5 stars to gear often unless it's really deserving, but the 5.10 Quantum deserves the 5/5.

Based on the popular 5.10 Anasazi, the Quantum adds a downturned profile, low volume heel cup and the amazingly sticky and tactile Stealth Mystique to it's previous popular design. These shoes are freaking weapons. I've climbed on them for a few weeks now and I have really nothing but praise for them. The aggressive turn of the shoe make tackling overhanging and technical routes a breeze, and they edge like a fiend on slab and tiny little features. They even jam in cracks relatively well. I haven't put these through a maneuver yet where I was left wanting more out of a shoe."