Hands and Faces - 7 - Meet Alon

Tonsai beach - Thailand

There's a grade threshold in climbing, a point at which you become a "good" climber. In the french (largely adopted world wide) grading its at about 7a. I can't climb 7's but it is one of my goals. There seems to be a paradigm shift when climbing 7's because you can't just turn up, have some fun, climb some stuff and go home. To achieve that level means training, being dogged, relentless and task focused. 

Thats just not the way I climb.

I like to enjoy the entire experience:enjoy the walk in (the 'approach'), enjoy the meander up the rock, enjoy the sensations of the way my hands and feet interact with it, enjoy the view from above, enjoy the sweaty slippery palms and to enjoy the people I climb with. I don't like to be scared. I realise that's a subjective thing, but for me, the high 6 grades start to become scary: less fun.

Returning to my story, there's a threshold to surpass at 7a, that requires a change in philosophy and I wonder if that acts like a switch. Once you're there, you find different pleasures in climbing, perhaps more in the challenge?

I base this concept on kind of climbers I've met in the last few years and how the level at which they climbed seemed relative to their approach to climbing.

That was until I met Alon. 

Aside from a handful of people in the last few years, he would be one of the strongest climbers I have met. Tall, strong, long and lean, his body is better suited to climbing than that of the black widow he has tattooed on his shoulder. He approached climbing with the kind of discipline he no doubt endured in his time in Israeli military service. He's technical too, dropping endless little drips of gold to help with my climbing style and rope work.

We had finished a spectacular multi pitch route high over the beaches of Tonsai and were relaxing over lunch and one of Alon's favourite meals: the Pineapple and Tofu fried rice ( better than I expected), and striking up a conversation with some new faces to Tonsai. They were fairly new to climbing and looking for easier routes.

Alon steered them in the direction of a crag called the Fire Wall, called such due to its bright red pigmentation. It's a real classic Tonsai area for afternoons in the shade. He went on to recommend them a climb known as the groove tube. I'd climbed the thing: Its an unusual chimney, like a vertical gutter, circular in shape with big 'Juggy' handholds, rated at 6a. Very easy climbing and fairly abnormal.

I was astonished at the enthusiasm this high level climber had for such an easy route. He called it a beautiful climb and a classic. "It really is spectacular" It was like watching a racing car driver get excited about an economy hatchback.