Rock Climbing tips to improve footwork and technique

You’ve surely heard this once (if not a thousand times) before: Climbing is all about your feet. However, when a fellow climber recites that adage, it’s generally not followed with a detailed explanation about how and why your feet are important, so it can be confusing and frustrating and maybe not mean much at all in the end. So listen up, as that’s about to change. Two people who know a few things about improving footwork are 5.14 climbers, brothers, and training experts Mike and Mark Anderson, who together authored The Rock Climber’s Training Manual. They’ve compiled a list of guidelines and drills that will help you improve your footwork and become a better climber overall. Soon you’ll be spreading the adage, too—but with the knowledge and experience to back it up.

Why?
Footwork is typically the last skill addressed when climbers try to progress. This bias is not surprising since emphasis is almost always put on upper body strength, but learning to optimally place and weight your feet reduces strain on your forearms and puts your body in a position to efficiently reach the next set of handholds. Plus, the muscles in your legs are larger and have more stamina than your arms, so the more propulsion you can get out of those stems, the better. The net result is climbing that feels anywhere from a little to a whole lot easier.

When?
Do these on toprope or bouldering close to the ground, so you can focus on the movement instead of worrying about falling. Set aside dedicated practice time two or three times a week; you can easily incorporate the exercises into a 20- or 30-minute warm-up. Pay attention to how your body feels (sensory feedback) while performing the drills, and practice them frequently. Your new skills won’t become part of your on-the-rock repertoire unless they are natural and familiar. You can accelerate this by attempting these drills on increasingly difficult terrain.

How?Wear tight-fitting, high-performance shoes. Strap on your redpoint kicks when redefining what you can effectively stand on and move off of. Your mileage gym shoes will be too sloppy and loose to get the desired result and practice.

Keep your feet low and move them frequently. Most gym routes encourage large movements between footholds. And while high-stepping or a wide stem may help you send the blue route, these techniques have much less value on real rock. When practicing, work to make small, frequent foot placements. Specifically, try making three foot placements for every hand move. Don’t be surprised if you have to add intermediate feet that aren’t part of the designated route. Climbing in this style will train you to keep your body close to the wall and your weight, well, on your feet.

Focus on feet and body, not hands. It’s easy to get fixated on hand sequences and simply put your feet on the biggest holds you can find. The gym offers an excellent place to experiment with how utilizing different foothold locations will drastically affect body position, which in turn, affects the use of handholds.

Weight footholds correctly. There is more to good footwork than just putting your piggies exactly where you want them. Once your feet are in position, concentrate on wrapping your toes over the hold while weighting your foot in a way that maximizes friction between hold and rubber. This requires a large amount of core strength and body awareness.

DrillsPrecision FeetGoal: Toe accuracy 
When boulder traversing or top roping, pick the best spot of every foothold you encounter and move your foot onto this exact location with great precision like a bull’s-eye. Do not take your eyes off the foothold until your foot is perfectly placed. Move quicker as your skill level increases.

Foot StabGoal: Improve coordination Wear your shoes, stand in front of the wall, and balance on one leg. Reach out and accurately touch pre-selected foothold targets with your raised foot. For increased difficulty, pick targets that require tricky reaches and challenge your balance.

BlinkingGoal: Evaluate foot placement by feel Pick out a foothold and move your foot toward its exact location. Before your foot makes contact, close your eyes and finish locating the hold using spatial awareness. Keep your eyes closed until you have your foot securely placed. Evaluate your performance first through feel, and then open your eyes to confirm. Pick out the next hold and continue.

Jibs OnlyGoal: Simulate real rock and utilize bad holds Only allow yourself to use tiny screw-on foothold jibs, small divots, waves molded into the body of handholds, and natural features on the surface of the wall.

DownclimbingGoal: Focus on lower extremities Many people develop tunnel vision and focus only on what is directly above them and in reach of their hands. When stuck in this pattern, the hips, legs, and feet are easy to forget. Practice down climbing and let your feet lead the way as you shift your body to most effectively weight and utilize your feet.

Glue FeetGoal: Increase holding power and prevent slips Imagine that your toes become frozen to the hold as soon as you place a foot; you can’t change the relationship between foot and hold—no pivoting, tilting, or repositioning. Simply flex at the ankle when moving past the hold. Learn to establish and feel a wide contact area between your foot and the hold, and then work to maintain this maximum contact while the rest of your body moves.

ObserveGoal: Learn from others Watch advanced climbers on the exact route or boulder problem you just climbed. When in witness mode, analyze how they move and use their feet. Also, note which footholds they use and consider why. Another option is to watch World Cup competition climbing videos to glean footwork nuances that you can later apply to your own climbing.

Source-http://www.climbing.com/skill/training-7-simple-drills-to-improve-footwork-and-technique/

Guide to Qatar windsurfing holidays

Qatar is best known for its oil wealth. But, of course, there is much more to the country than that. Qatar lies on a small peninsula in the Arabian Gulf, surrounded by warm blue seas. Naturally, those seas attract water sports fans, including windsurfers. This is our guide to Qatar windsurfing.

Qatar’s winds blow at around 8-15 knots for most of the year. It’s not a place to break speed records, but the winds are consistent enough to be able to get some satisfying sailing in. They are great for beginners, strong enough to catch but not too strong. During the summer months, the Shamal winds blow strong – speeds over 20 knots are not uncommon.

Qatar is surrounded by beaches. Fuwairit Beach, on the northern tip of Qatar, is one of the most popular spots. It catches some of the country’s strongest winds and has become a firm favourite with both windsurfers and kitesurfers. Doha Bay is also a popular spot, especially with expats living in the capital. On the western side of Qatar, the seas around Dukhan can get quite choppy, giving wave-sailors something to keep them happy.

Those seeking stronger winds and more challenging conditions can head to Oman. It is around a day’s journey by car, but is worth it for many, especially in summer when the winds are strongest. Oman is starting to attract windsurfers from Europe to its shores, lured by big waves and winds that can be 25 knots or more.

Take a Qatar windsurfing trip and explore its wind and waves. The country is surprisingly windsurf-friendly and the sport is growing there. Catch the summer Shamal winds and you’ll be away…

Spending Vacations in Doha,Qatar!

Qatar is of course, a small country, part of Arabian world towards east of the Arabian Peninsula. The country, though small but it stands out rich because of its oil and natural gas reserves. Doha, the capital city of Qatar is the center of power and has lot many things to enjoy. Doha is concentrating on tourism and investing in the industry too by developing beaches, luxury hotels and properties, huge shopping malls and lot of entertainment. The beaches are on Persian Gulf side are a source of attraction for those who love seaside and the depth of waters.

Doha International Airport has direct daily flights from New York City served by national carrier Qatar Airways. Other US locations offer conveniently connecting service via major European air hubs like Amsterdam and London too. Flight to and from New York takes 14 hours and U.S. citizens need not have visa requirement before their arrival in Qatar. This is conveniently done at arrival time for a visa for less than 30 days. Many of big hotels offer free shuttle service from Doha International Airport. Interestingly Qatar Airways passengers get free pickup from airport to hotel as part of the package.

Weather

Doha is amid typical Arabian Desert area and thus has scorching hot weather in summers. Humidity is also of part of Doha being on sea side but November to March are cool months having low humidity attracting lot of tourists. Most of the hotels and large buildings in Doha are fully air-conditioned and well equipped for environment management. Many hotels have arrangement along the coast and also have their swimming pools to fight heat of deserts.

Attractions

Doha is not as planned or equipped like Dubai but sufficiently it holds lot many tourist attractions for general entertainment. Locals and foreigners equally avail these places to spend time to have fun. The city has Museum of Islamic Art that keeps a fairly large collection of art pertaining to Islam from  throughout the world. The museum building is a piece of superb architecture situated on a man-made island close to the mainland in the Persian Gulf. The Souq Waqif is one of the old and favorite market area on Doha Port having plenty of local artifacts, handicrafts and traditional jewelry.

Cultural Things to Remember

Unlike Saudi Arabia Qatar does not require foreign visiting ladies to wear full body covering called abayahs, or have veils or even head scarves. But it is recommended that Western women need to respect local culture and dress up conservatively covering their shoulders and legs avoiding miniskirts and camisoles etc. US government has also advised the visitors that bath-suits may be used within hotel pool areas and private beach sites only. Import of alcohol by passengers is not permitted but most of the big hotels do serve this and it is illegal to have this elsewhere. Western couple culture like kissing and holding hands is also not permitted.

Expat Review- Lively Doha Nightlife !!!!!!

Over the past few years, expats in Doha have significantly grown in number. American and European nationals come and find out that the just like in the Western countries, entertainment offered in Qatar is just as theirs, where people meet in pubs and clubs regularly.

Sarah, an expat from the UK who has been in Doha for more than year said, “It’s like being in Europe, but it depends on what you like. There are a variety of things to do, you can either chill out or go clubbing, or even meet other professionals at numerous networking events that also take place at night.”

She is a marketing professional, who moved here with her husband and didn’t have a hard time making friends. She connected with professional and social networking groups helping expats meet people from their field of work.

“These groups also hold events at night at hotels, pubs or at the beach, aiming for people to interact and make contacts,” she added. Just last month, a group held a fruitful beach party at a five-star hotel. Also, business councils host informal gatherings for professionals to come together outside the workplace.

There are events intended for ladies, like the dinners organized by Qatar Professional Women’s Network every month, and diverse ones prepared by numerous other networking and social platforms, which have succeeded in for a few year, with the rapid increase in the number of expats.

But some say that the Doha nightlife isn’t as vibrant as Dubai’s. Many can’t afford it. “It’s very costly, if you want to keep up, you must have a great disposable income to spend on drinks and entrance fees,” said a British national.

Linda, a teacher from Sweden has known Qatar to be a conservative Muslim country and was surprised by how lively the nightlife is in here. “I think it’s also contradictory, just like the fact that, at nightclubs, the recommendation to dress modestly is ignored by most women, who wear provocative clothes with no worries,” she said. Linda concluded, “You can do whatever you want, just like in Europe.”

For Pedro, who resided here for a year, “the local nightlife is slightly similar to that of Europe except there are more restrictions and the offer is a bit more limited and pricy. There are only two discos and they charge QR200 for a membership card that lasts only six months and, if you go on weekends, it’s very likely that they won’t let you in if you don’t go with a woman.”

As a Spanish bachelor, he also adds that these places can be unsafe, because men frequently turn violent if they drink. “I have seen at least four very violent fights with up to ten men taking part. They even threw glasses at each other and it was very difficult for the security personnel to control the situation,” he added.

Doha’s variety of nightclubs, pubs, and bars is situated in five-star hotels and features different tastes. The establishments often host theme parting, such as Arabic and Indian, also ladies and couples night in major venues, a widespread practice in the West.

 

But, only the well-heeled find the prices in these establishments affordable. Most nightclubs here obliges the payment of membership fee, which ranges from QR50 up to QR200. The membership card usually covers entrance to an establishment for a limited time – from six months to one or two years, depending on the hotel’s policy.

The membership card always consists of a photo and allows entrance, but not in all cases, given that often big groups of men, or a man that is alone, can be deprived of entrance if the person at the door says so.

Desert Safari Adventure for Families

Going on a family vacation takes a lot of careful planning. Adventures are just not the same once the growing numbers begin to create different needs. Having kids on a trip can entail a very different kind of preparation from embarking on an excursion with adults of the same age.

A few years ago, an overnight desert safari tour meant that a V8 four-wheeler was enough for a road trip with a couple of friends, hitting the sand for some frolic and fun in the dunes. A nomadic tent was set up, and the open sky played host to a night of barbecue and Arabian entertainment.

A few years older, times have become different. The free-spirited adventurers becoming new parents now require the assistance and expertise of a tour provider to ensure the travel itinerary and safety of the children. They are picked up by an appointed driver along with other guests, and the group becomes a friendly mix of elderly and young adventurers.

The Sealine Beach Resort is a traveler’s point, marking the end of the road and the beginning of the desert. An exciting camel ride awaits the eager travelers, and the dune beckons.

The exhilarating ride through the dunes need not have worried the young mothers. The children are secured tightly with seatbelts, even while the truck rolls and rotates over the sandy waves. The adrenaline rush is invigorating, even as the driver expertly traverses the shifting terrain.

Beaches are a combined attraction to the tour. The Khor Al Udeid, popularly known as the Inland Sea, boasts of a striking view of azure skies and the dune desert landscape. Tourists can take a freefall off the water’s edge, landing on a gentle slope into the warm waters.

The best truck to take on these desert expeditions is the Nissan Patrol Super Safari, according to a professional driver at the Qatar International Adventures tour provider.

Tea at a campsite caps the three-hour trip. On the way back, the dunes stretched out into the horizon once more, inviting one more round of outdoor excitement and a breath-taking desert experience.

If you're interested in a desert safari in Qatar with your family (or friends!), There are many companies with some offers for groups of up to 5 people.

Tell us about your desert safari experiences below!