It’s hard to know where to start in telling this story. It’s been a wild journey. After qualifying for the Olympics in December 2020, we thought things were going to get a bit simpler. We have a date when the Olympics are going to run and a training plan to execute, easy. The reality was a fair bit different. We naively underestimated the path to getting prepared for the biggest sporting event in the world. Perhaps we needed a bit of that to get us to the start line though.We had big goals and put everything into making it happen. No stone was left unturned in getting Tom to Tokyo in the best shape possible. One of the biggest challenges was creating a training environment in Australia which had never existed. We were like the bow of a ship, breaking through the ice. This took a huge team effort to get Tom as prepared as we possibly could. We couldn’t be more grateful for the support.Thank you to everyone that helped along this journey, you’re all incredible. Thank you to those who donated to the ASF fundraiser and sent messages of support. It was truly humbling to see how amazing and psyched you all are. Thank you to everyone at Sport Climbing Australia for all the hard work behind the scenes. Thank you to Tom’s sponsors for all their support. Thank you to the climbing gyms for giving me the space to train and prepare. Especially Villawood Climbing gym, Skywood Climbing and Nomad Bouldering. Thank you to Lee Cossey and the Move Clinic for the training plans which took Tom’s climbing to another level. Thank you to Amanda Watts and Thrive Sport Nutrition for keeping Tom fuelled and recovered for seven of the hardest months of training he had ever done. Thank you everyone for everything. This is a team sport!The only thing left to do now, is decide where to get the tattoo.You can check out the story of the Olympic qualification here on Episode #24.Check out our chat with Sherro in Episode #15. He is a power lifting coach and runs Burley Strength in Canberra. Follow us on Instagram:@baffledays@tom_ohalloran@a.mandawatts@justsherro YouTube:Tom O’HalloranBaffle Days www.baffledays.com.au   

BAFFLE DAYS

Climbers' Olympics - Tom O'Halloran and Amanda Watts with John Sheridan

Dave Jones is one of the rare ones. Growing up in Victoria, he quickly ended up spending many of his early climbing years making his way out to Arapiles and The Grampians. It wasn’t long before Dave started finding his own lines to climb, searching out unclimbed features which caught his imagination. Some of his notable First Ascents include Punks Addiction 32/8b+, Somoza 32/8b+, Academia 31/8b, Feather Boa 28/7c+ and Shai-Hulud 25X/7bX just to name a few. Dave also spent some time in England, checking out the infamous Gritstone, which landed him in one of the best climbing films of all time, Hard Grit. Dave is also and artist, creating mind bending sculptures. He says the inspiration he found in finding new, improbable lines to climb is similar to what inspires him with his art. He wants to create pieces he isn’t actually sure he can pull off. To have to really problem solve and work out how to make it all come together. Dave is also part of the Gariwerd Wimmera Reconciliation Network, a group formed to help bridge a gap between Traditional Owners in the area and climbers. The group is doing a fantastic job in opening communication between the two parties and hopes to continue to learn and build understanding. https://gwrn.org.au As many of you may know, there is currently (June 2021) widespread climbing bans through the Gariwerd and Wimmera area. Please stay up to date with where you are and aren’t allowed to climb through this time. You can find out info at https://vicclimb.org.au as well as speaking with locals. Check out more episodes, news and grab yourself some Baffle Days merch at www.baffledays.com.au 

Dave Jones

You walk into a climbing gym, look around at all the nice fiberglass shapes, the funky volumes and order yourself a coffee. A coupe hours later you walk out having had a blast of a time with your friends and a few layers of skin down. In a few days time you'll be back and do the same thing again. You are a climber and the sport has taken over your life, even if its just for a few hours each week. How good is it!What really goes into making this sport and life so good though? Well a large part of it is the product of the setters and their creative flow. They dream, concoct and set the things that make you smile, drive you insane and keep you coming back.In the Baffle Days studio today we have Pat Banda and Dan Gordon two head setters from the uber massive Urban Climb. Dan's official roll is actually 'Head of Climbing,' how cool is that! Anyway in this ep we dig into the ins and outs of the indoor scene. We talk setting, comps, creativity, holds and much much more. It's a super interesting insight to a world we really only see the top layer of.www.baffledays.com.au 

Setting the scene with Pat Banda and Dan Gordon

I'm almost certain many of you  have done one or all of these things. A generation ago, employing some of these tactics may have resulted in being chased out of the crag. Perhaps there are still a few strong holds which keep the torch burning in a quest for pure ascents. The question is, do these tactics sit within the lines of fair play or have we pushed the boat out too far? Are those who shun these ideas just the beard stroking class of yesteryear, too lost in tearing people down to actually evolve with the times. Or is there legitimacy to their cries.Helping the Baffle Days team to unpack our chosen ethical quagmires is Lee Cujes and Helen Day.Check the Baffle Days website for training books from Climb Strong and Power company climbing, as well as Baffle apparel. https://www.baffledays.com.au/shopCheck out more Baffle Days episodes https://www.baffledays.com.au 

Climber's Dirty Tricks? Yay or Nay

On 19-20 December 2020 at Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym Villawood, the Oceania Climbing Championships were held, giving one last chance for a ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games for one athlete per gender from the region. Tom O'Halloran qualified for the male category and talks to us  about his journey.Tom talks about his early climbing journey, (unknowingly) meeting Adam Ondra for the first time, competitions and transitioning from outdoor to indoor climbing. We also get into the decision making process to go for the Olympic spot, headspace in the lead up and during the competition. Tom went through a very dark mental headspace prior to the competition which nearly ended with him pulling out. We talk about what got him through it and how it turned around for competition day. Plus, what it will take for Australia to get onto the podium on the world stage.Oceana MacKenzie qualified for Australia in the female category.Tom is currently fundraising funds to help pay for the next 7 months. All donations are tax deductible https://asf.org.au/athletes/tom-ohalloran-tokyo-2021-olympics/You can follow Tom's Olympic journey through Instagram @tom_ohalloran and YouTube.Check out Baffle Days on instagram and a find more content on our website.Music: Somerville and Wilson - Red Wasps

Tom O'Halloran Australian Olympian - Sport Climbing

Each one of us tells a story of a time we stuffed up a send. Hopefully through talking about a few of these things, you'll learn from our mistakes and navigate your way around them. If you have experienced them before, feel comforted that you're not alone. It happens to us all.Here's the video Tom references for his big dummy spit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H3OkmWqNCYBaffle Days https://www.baffledays.com.au Follow the gang on InstagramLeah Dempsey - @leahmdempseyMatt Norgrove - @mnorgroveAmanda Watts - @a.mandawattsTom O'Halloran - @tom_ohalloranBaffle Days - @baffledays

4 reasons we didn't send

Duncan Brown has been a climber for decades now. He has travelled all over the world in this time, including a stint in China as part of the big  wave of development 10 years ago. He was apart of the team being flown across the country being paid to bolt the countless limestone caves, granite faces and sandstone walls. What a dream!Duncan is also the man behind Athlete by Choice, his climbing and mountain sport coaching business based out of Canberra. He's coached everyone from weekend warriors, psyched week night gym climbers to the Australian Sport Climbing team. He'll be the climbing coach of the Australian Olympic team when that happens in 2021. Just recently he's acquired his own gym space in Canberra to set up a dedicated facility to really help develop his clients. Be on the look out for Mountain Strong in Canberra in early 2021!Athlete by Choice:Athlete by Choice websiteAthlete by Choice facebookAthlete by Choice instgram Mountain Strong:Mountain Strong websiteMountain Strong facebookMountain Strong instagram As always you can check out Baffle Days for more podcasts, articles and news.

Duncan Brown - Athlete and Adventure by Choice

It’s easy to believe the popular overseas destinations are the bee’s knees. They’re in the movies, on the posters and clogging up your instagram feed. But what about back home, in the land girt by sea? Turns out it’s pretty darn good!We talk the progression of our sport in the last decade and predictions of things to come. A few years ago we’d have never thought that 33 was going to be a trade route for the masses, now it is. So what’s going to be the 34 trade route?Bolting projects and climbing hard first ascents is also on the agenda. What are we looking for and where are the next hard ones hiding? New crag discoveries or fresh eyes on old cliffs.The lads also get into the indoor scene and how the new school bouldering gyms have changed the direction of climbing. Are we going to see Australians consistently on the World Cup podiums? What’s it going to take to get us there and what can we learn from those who came before us?It’s all this and more. We love Australia!

The future of Australian climbing

Mum climbing life with Amanda Watts, Andrea Hah, Helen Day and Carlie LeBreton. This group of crusher climbing mums have over 80 years of combined climbing experience, bouldering, sport and trad climbing and competing at the highest levels. For each of them, finding a balance between climbing and mum life was important for their mental health and quality of life. Climbing is what makes life feel normal. They talk about everything from climbing pregnant, to travelling and climbing with kids. Their pre pregnancy expectations, compared with the reality of mum climbing life. Injuries and barriers to climbing and training, their motivations and drive and balancing climbing dreams and goals as a parent. There are some tips and hints to successfully getting to the crag, through a training session and 24 hours of flying with a baby. They hope that sharing their stories and experiences will help climbing parents find it a little less daunting to get back to the cliff with their little monkeys.    Follow:Amanda on Instagram: @a.mandawattsHelen on Instagram: @helendayknightAndrea on Instagram: @andreahahCarlie on Instagram: @carlieclimbs  LinksThrive Nutrition & Dietetics - https://nutritioncollective.com.au/thrive/Baffle Days - https://www.baffledays.com.au 

From climber to climbing mum

Madeleine Crane started Climbing Psychology out of a passion. She is a professional psychologist, specialised in sport psychology and has experienced the pinnacle of competition climbing, having competed for Austria at World Cups. She wants to help you find the tools to give yourself every opportunity to express yourself fully on the wall. In our chat we get into the dynamics of men and women in the climbing scene and why it can be hard for some people to step up and climb to their full potential. We discuss positive and negative self-talk and how we can reframe when things don’t go to plan. We also jump into visualisation, the positive outcomes of a bit of friendly competition and dealing with dips in motivation. If you don’t already, give Madeleine a follow on instagram @climbingpsychology. She has some really good discussions there, digging into some topics we don’t often see raised. You can also head to her website www.climbingpsychology.comto read her articles and book an appointment.www.baffledays.com.au 

Madeleine Crane - Climbing Psychology

We speak to Yossi Sundakov-Krumins, owner and manager of Skywood Climbing. Yossi is the master mind and creator of one of the best woody’s I’ve ever seen so he’s the perfect person to give you a few tips and ideas to make the most out of your setup. https://www.skywoodclimbing.com/home-2

Setting a Woody with Yossi

If you don’t know who Steve Bechtel is already, he’s one of the big names in global climbing training. He studied Exercise Science at University and in 2002 opened Elemental Performance and Fitness in Lander, Wyoming. We love Steve’s no nonsense approach to climbing training. He looks from above with an insightful eye and makes the complicated, simple. Sitting down and chatting with him is always a real treat and today was no different. We covered a lot of ground and came out with some really fantastic information. Steve begins philosophically by exploring why it is we climb and how that has set us up to deal with the current COVID situation. As climbers we push our comfort zones regularly and make ourselves, to steal Steve’s phrase, ‘anti-fragile.’ We are ready to adapt and keep on truckin’. Making the most out of the current situation we find ourselves in around the world is what will get us through this time; it’s not a wrecking ball, it’s an opportunity. We don’t dive too deep into the current events around the world, rather help provide food for thought as to what you may do. Developing a Plan A and Plan B is one of Steve’s tips. What’s the plan if we continue like this for several months and what will you do if we are back to the new normal in just a couple of months? Programming yourself something sustainable and simple will be the keys here and Steve explains the intensity progression you could try. Overtraining is a definite tight rope many people like to walk. Perhaps one that will see even more traffic now everyone is fingerboard 12 times a week. Steve lays out a super simple way to check if you’re over training and we have a link below to his recovery checklist. Stick to this and you may just stay injury free and come out stronger for the future. Amanda and Steve also touch on the importance of a long-term view to your health and training, which has probably never been more apparent then now. The benefits of a carrot this morning will not be obvious this afternoon, nor will the strength session. But do each consistently for a long time and the outcome will be life changing. Our health and fitness are centre stage for many right now, so what better time to make a positive change for the future you. There’s plenty more we get into like developing work capacity, working weaknesses, habits and self-assessment of your training program.  Follow:Steve on Instagram: @stevebechtelClimb Strong on Instagram: @climb.strong LinksSteve’s recovery checklist - https://www.climbstrong.com/education-center/recovery-points-challenging-youth-athletes-to-recover-well/ Climb Strong free training plans - https://www.climbstrong.com/training-plans/ The Talent Code - http://danielcoyle.com/the-talent-code/ Baffle Days - https://www.baffledays.com.au

Steve Bechtel

In this episode Amanda Watts and Tom O’Halloran sit down with Lee Cossey, one of the best climbers Australia has ever seen and one of the best coaching minds in the business. We talk about how you can get the most out of your training while climbing gyms are shut and our access to the outdoors is limited. Finger boarding, strength, mindset and technique improvement are all covered here, with practical tips on what you can do from home. Lee Cossey is a physiotherapist and runs, along with his wife Andrea Hah, Move Clinic, a Physio and Exercise Physiology practice in Katoomba, Blue Mountains. His clinical study as a physio teamed with elite level climbing gives him a unique understanding of how to get the most out of every climber. If you want to get in contact with Lee or any of the other climbing physios at Move Clinic, you can reach out via their website here. https://moveclinic.com.au Amanda Watts has been an elite level Australian climber for the past two decades. She is also a sport dietitian and has worked with recreational to elite athletes all over the world. Having lived this life, she knows how to implement important and lasting changes for your health and performance. If you want to get your nutrition and health in tiptop shape, contact Amanda here. https://nutritioncollective.com.au/thrive/ Fingerboard Four finger grip on an edgeThree finger grip on an edge or pocketA heavy hang (can be one arm on jug or big edge if you can) Protocols Lee recommends:If you’re new to finger boarding, even as an experienced climber, Lee suggests starting on a simple repeater workout. This usually looks like 7 seconds hanging, 3 seconds resting, repeated 6 times. This will last 1 minute. You can repeat this two or three times for each grip, keeping in mind your conditioning to this type of exercise. Rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. One set on each grip may be all your body needs to make gains. Take it slow. Training is a months and years progression, not days and weeks.You can also try 3 reps of 10 second hangs, separated by 1 minute between reps. Three hangs is one set, take 2-3 minutes between sets and grips.If you are new to this type of training, take a bigger edge than you think, even a pull up bar or jug is great to begin with. Get used to hanging and going through the process of the exercise. If you have trouble completing a set of hangs, either use a bigger hold or take a small amount of weight off by putting your feet on the ground.  TRX/Floor exercises TRX row - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT7FwxpYSZs TRX or floor push ups - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlUqeytSoxE TRX IYTs – The video shows this exercise being done in a prone position (facing down) this is an advanced variation. Begin by facing the anchor point as you would in the row exercise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzrurtNn9FQ  Pull up bars Anything here is going to be good. Lee’s recommendation is progress up to doing 10 chin-ups. Once you can do this add 5% body weight to a harness or backpack.  General overall rulesDon’t do the same session more than twice per week.Don’t work max strength in the same body part more than twice in a week.Be aware of what you are conditioned to. Reflect on what you have done in the last month or so. Think of the number of moves you did in that time. It may look something like two trips to the bouldering gym where you did 50 warm up moves, 50 warm down moves and 100 hard moves as the main set. Giving you 200 hard moves, 200 easy moves in the week. Plus you went to the cliff twice a week and climbed 10 easy pitches of 50 moves each. That's another 1000 easy moves. Don’t suddenly start finger boarding heavy 4 days week to try and replicate this. You’ll end up injured! Minimal equipment tipsDrink bottles filled with water are great weights for the fingerboardFill your backpack with the bottles and you have a weight vest. Kids or partners also make good weight vests ;).The underside of a table can supplement as a chin up bar for your inverted rows Video psyche Mellow climbing – the new school strong folk have made a youtube channel of some of the hardest boulders in the world https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5jRwTUqG15l-BcqQHbVFtA Reel Rock – Classic climbing movies and clips from the last 20 years https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMuDqExNJkCJpOHsX4VKY9g 56 Degrees Underground – perhaps one of the best looking small boards in the world made by Ned Feehally, one of the creators of Beastmaker. Spoiler, the dude is a BEAST! https://vimeo.com/249756464 The Island – All time adventures with some of the best climbers in the world through Europe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZA8y05ewSA Alex Megos – One of the strongest climbers in the world climbing hard and falling off a lot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbWvFjUIt5k&t=2s Adam Ondra climbing the hardest route in the world - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTNHDd0gL8 IFSC competition back catalogue - https://www.youtube.com/user/ifscchannel Check out Red Bull TV as well. They have a stack of really good climbing clips in their library. Training BooksClimb Strong, Steve Bechtel is an American climbing coach and has written a bunch of fantastic books on strength, finger boarding, creating programs and top tips. https://www.climbstrong.com/shop/ Power Company Climbing aka Kris Hampton has written a book about the intangibles in climbing and what we can do to do better. https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/the-hard-truth Eric Horst’s Training for Climbing. Eric has written some really great training books over the years. If you like getting sciencey, these are your books - https://trainingforclimbing.com/buy-books/  

Minimal equipment training. COVID-19

John Sheridan has been lifting weights for more than half his life. He’s a proper strong guy. He’s competed in National powerlifting tournaments, played high level Rugby and is now smitten on climbing.Amanda and Tom talk with John about the importance of strength training outside of the performance realm. The stronger you are, the harder you are to kill! We also get into the importance of finding new challenges which make you feel like a beginner. The growth that happens here is so beneficial.John runs and is coach at Burley Strength in Canberra. If your a local looking to find a fantastic community of people to train with or your just passing through, look him up and drop in. You won’t regret it. It's only a few minutes from Bloc Haus Canberra.Burley Strength - http://burleystrength.comSherro's podcast - Peak Speak https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/peak-speak-a-powerlifting-podcast/id1413600765 

John Sheridan - More than strength

Stuart Wyithe was the first Australian to climb the iconic Punks in the Gym, 32/8b+ at Mt Arapiles. It was the hardest route in the world when Wolfgang Gullich climbed it in 1985 and in 1993 was still in the very top of the difficulty pyramid.Stuart got a whole lot of hard climbing done in his time. He also climbed the first ascent of Pretty in Punk, 32 which is another hard line crossing the same wall as Punks.His pursuits in the outdoors are now all about ultra endurance running races. He's been all over the world running 100+km events in totally wild  terrain. He does still find time to climb a few times a week at the gym and can still crank out 28's.Professionally he is now the Head of Physics at Melbourne University studying Astrophysics and exploring the early origins of the Universe.

Stuart Wyithe - The Professor of Punks

The Baffle Days podcast is THE Australian climbing podcast. Chatting to the old school legends, modern day heroes and everyone else who make up our awesome community. Tune in for stories, opinions, training and nutrition info. Spreading the love.

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