#have you seen a rock climbers body????

[introspectivememories]

you know i believe in neteyam having a tiny little waist too but more importantly i believe in making sure it doesn't look like RCDart drew it

[jaesqueso]

Baby don’t stop (m)

pairing: gym buddy!jaehyun x female!reader

summary: you don’t want to deal with feelings, but you don’t want him to stop

word count: 5,089

warnings: fluff, unprotected and protected sex, oral, fingering, semi-public sex

a/n: ever since I saw these gifs of Jaehyun I knew I had to write this, it just took a bit longer than I thought 😅 I hope ya’ll enjoy it ❤ not proof read yet

☽ ・・・・・ ☾

For most people going to the gym is a burden. The strength it takes to get out of the house and going to a place where you’re sweating and in pain sometimes loosing to the will to stay in the comfort of the couch. Those people definitely don’t work out with Jung Jaehyun.

You’ve seen him around town before. Well, who hasn’t? The man exudes seduction wherever he goes. Man and woman gagging at his handsome features and his sweet personality. So when you were looking for a new gym, since the one you used to go reallocated to another city, you made your decision when you saw him sitting on a bench, legs parted but back straight, his face showing the pain of those shoulder presses he was doing. In the first weeks you noticed your schedules seemed to match and running into him went from a polite greeting to actually working out together as you got to know each other.

“I thought I’d run into you here.” Seeing his smile walk through the door almost makes you crumble out of your plank position but you manage to hold it until your timer goes off.

Sometimes you like to go into one of the rooms of the gym, when there’s no classes going on, to have more space and privacy and since you’re a regular the staff had no problem with it. So when Jaehyun didn’t see you on the shared space he know exactly where to find you.

“I thought you’d given up training.” You get up, wiping your sweat with a towel as he walks up to you in his plain black t-shirt and grey sport shorts.

“Oh, come on, I’m only like ten minutes late.” Rolling his eyes he grabs a mattress and places it next to yours.

“Ten minutes? More like half an hour.” You chuckle as he glares at you.

Over time you became close enough to bicker and tease each other like this all the time. There was no denying you felt incredibly attracted to him but you couldn’t tell if he felt the same or was just being nice like he was to everybody else.

“Did you miss me that much? Don’t worry, I wouldn’t ghost you like that.” He winks as he does his stretching, making you shake your head with a grin. “So, what are we doing today?”

“Core.” You wiggle your brows.

“Oh great.” He pretends to be excited before letting his body fall into the mattress.

“Don’t be a pussy. You gotta work on those abs!” Playfully you slap his stomach but instantly regret feeling how rock solid he already his through his shirt.

“Oh no, you injured me! Guess I can’t do it no more!” He fake groans on the floor. “I need some mouth resuscitation, quick!”

“You wish!” You laugh to mask how much you’d love to do exactly that. “Come on, time to start a new set.”

“Ugh, ok lets go.”

This is a familiar set you two already know by heart. Starting off with sit ups, then some flutter kicks, followed by mountain climbers, traditional hip thrusts and some crunches, ending with a minute plank. As usual, you go through 5 sets, even if you had already done one, hyping up each other while your bodies grow sore and glistening with sweat, the temperature of the room rising.

As much as you’re used to working out with Jaehyun, you don’t think you’ll ever stop sneaking glances at the way his muscles tense up and how he bites his bottom lip to focus on controlling them. You’re pretty sure your body heat is not only from the exercises but the burning desire of feeling his warm skin against yours. It doesn’t help that the core set is just so… Sensual.

What you didn’t know is that he did the exact same thing. From the corner of his eye he observes every inch of your body, how you manage to be all sweaty and still remain so sexy. How he wish he could feel those hips thrusts against his-

“Jaehyun!” You pull him out of his transe. “Plank!”

“Oh, right!” He quickly switches positions to keep up.

“Come on, this is the last set.” You try to encourage both of you on finishing it.

“Why does a minute in plank feel like three hours?” Groaning he tries hard to hold his position.

“3, 2, 1… Done!” The timer goes off and you two let your bodies fall to each mattress, panting.

“Finally!” Jaehyun cheers turning his body around and you do the same.

Smiling as you stare at the ceiling, you take long breathes to bring your heart rate down. When you look the side you see him turning his face to you too. For a few seconds you lay there looking at each other, chest heaving up and down. There has always been some sexual tension between you two, even if none admitted it, but today it just felt particularly strong. That’s why in no time your lips were pressing against each other as your bodies entangled into one.

His hands roam on your sides as you pull his shirt over his head, throwing it somewhere around the room. The kiss is desperate and intense letting you know how much he’s been thinking about this too. With him on top of you on the thin mattress, your shirt comes off as well, but your sports bra is too tight and sticky so he gives up and leaves it on.

When his hand cups your core, the fabric sticks to it but you know it’s not sweat, it’s your burning desire to feel more. Your tights leggings struggle to slide down your legs, but this time he’s not giving up that easily, taking your shoes with them. His lips then travel down your neck, tasting your salty hot skin. Wet kisses are left between your breasts, on your stomach, down to your still covered pussy.

By now you’re both too needy to get any more naked so he simply slides your panties to the side to slide his fingers between your folds, making you moan as your hand makes its way inside his underwear to stroke his hard dick. His long slender fingers slide so easily inside you, the nasty noises as he pumps them in and out driving you insane.

“Fuck me, Jaehyun.” You groan against his lips.

“You don’t have to ask me twice.”

With a smirk he removes your hand from his member, pushing his shorts and briefs down his hips and letting out the beast. You yelp when your legs are pushed apart and he positions himself between them.

“Shit, I don’t have a condom…” He sighs right before he was about to align himself with your entrance.

“That’s ok, I’m on the pill. And you can pull out.” You desperately suggest, there’s no way you’re losing this opportunity.

“You sure?” He confirms.

“Please, Jaehyun…” You beg pulling his hips down on yours.

Without wasting any more time, he pumps up his dick a few times and rubs it between your slick folds before finally sliding it inside you. You bite your lips at the satisfying stretch, digging your nails into his shoulder. After adjusting, his hips start moving against yours, quickly increasing the speed of his thrusts in despair.

Your legs instantly wrap around his waist, pulling him as closer as you can so he can hit as deep as he can. You’ve dreamt about this moment for so long, but your fantasies can’t come close to how it really feels to have all of him in you, as his mouth leaves beautiful marks all over your neck.

After a while he turns you around with his strong arms, lifting your hips so you’re resting on your knees as your face is pushed down. When he enters you again, the angle making it hit differently, has you grasping on the mattress.

With a tight grip on your hips, he moves just at the right pace to start building that sweet feeling deep inside of you. You’re not one to cum easily but damn, you’ve been waiting for this moment for what feel like a life time and damn, he’s doing such a great job.

Lifting your head you’re graced with a beautiful vision: the huge mirror on the wall in front of you showcasing his shirtless sculptured figure right behind your sinful position. You notice the way he bites his lip just like he does when lifting weights, and it drives you crazy. Soon his eyes find the reflexion of yours making the corner of his lip curl up in a devilish smut.

Suddenly your upper body his lifted against his, leaving you on full display in the mirror, his movements in and out of you never stopping. One of his hands travels down your stomach before his index and middle fingers start circling your clit increasing your pleasure. His coordination is unbelievable, much like his self control, because you could sweat he was holding his orgasm in just to make this moment last a little longer.

“Cum with me.” He whispers against your ear as you both watch your bodies moving in sync.

With one last groan you do as you’re told, like a good girl, almost crumbling down if his grip around your waist wasn’t that tight. Watching you fall apart in front of him triggers his own high but he manages to pull out, like a good boy, white strings of cum flying into the mattress.

For a few seconds you stay just like that, kneeling in each others arms as you regain your breath and let your heart rate get back to normal.

“Guess we don’t need cardio today.” Jaehyun jokes as you two start to get dressed.

“Don’t think the staff will love our alternative for the treadmill though.” Chuckling, you grab your towel to clean up what you can from the mess on the mattress.

“Oh shit, do you think somebody heard us?” He looks around, thanking all heavens that the small room doesn’t have any windows or cameras, at least that he can spot.

“We weren’t interrupted, were we?” You shrug with a grin. “Besides, it’s not like our noises were much different from someone exercising really hard.”

You both laugh but then he walks to you, hand gentling resting against your cheek before he leans for a kiss. This time his lips move slower, he doesn’t rush as you already got the lust out of the way. It should feel good, and it does, but you can’t help but freeze on the spot, panicking inside.

“I gotta go.” You grab your things and rush to the door right after he steps back.

“Wait! Did I do something wrong?” He calls but you’re already out of the room.

Quickly he grabs his stuff and tries to chase you but you’re nowhere to be found. He tries calling but you don’t pick up. He texts but there’s no reply. Jaehyun’s confused, he thought you wanted this, he thought you liked him. But if you did, why did you run away?

It was hard not answering his calls or texts but it just got too real too fast. Yes, there was physical attraction between you two and he is a fun guy to be around. But that last kiss just felt like too much, like there were feelings behind it and that’s something you just can’t deal with.

You decide not to go to the gym the rest of the week to avoid him. Childish behaviour? Yes. But it beats having to deal with possible feelings.

Friday night arrives and you decide to go out, have some fun and forget about all this mess. You meet up with some friends but once you get to the club everybody casually spreads out, some looking to pull, some just finding a spot on the dance floor. As for you, the bar is your first destination, greeting the bartender and ordering your usual drink.

“Guess faith is stronger than your will to avoid me.”

Looking to the side you see Jaehyun. Up until now you’d only seen him in his gym clothes, but you gotta admit the red dress shirt and black pants suit him like a glove. But you push the lust to the side and grab your drink about to disappear into the crowd.

“Wait.” He grabs your arm making you look back. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” You step back, taking his hand off of you.

“I think you know.” You sigh, realising there’s no point running away. “We were hitting it off so well, why did you run away?”

“Look,” you stop his hand from reaching your arm again, this time to caress it, “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about us.”

“And what idea is that?” He raises a brow.

“I don’t do relationships, Jaehyun. Yes, I had a good time with you but that’s it. If you’re looking for more than that, I’m not your girl.” You turn back around about to go your way again.

“Who said anything about a relationship?” His words stop you. “I had a good time too. And I think it would be a waste to just throw away all this chemistry.”

You remain in place, thinking about what he said, se he walks over to you.

“We can just keep it casual, you know?” His breath against your ear as his hands make their way to your hips, brings a smile to your face. “Just physical, not feelings.”

“You can buy me another drink first.” You push him away and turn around. “Then we’ll see.”

It doesn’t take a psychic to guess how the night ended. Bodies entangled, rolling around on his sheets. Luckily he had a drawer full of condoms so you didn’t have to play the dangerous pull out game again.

The next morning, Jaehyun wakes up alone as you sneaked out when he instantly feel asleep after your new work out plan. For a second he thinks you might’ve have regret the agreement but your texts are back making him chuckle as he goes in the bathroom to take a shower.

You didn’t take any more chances at the gym, saving the place to actually work out, but you start meeting casually when needing to blow off some steam, or if you were just in the mood. You never discussed being with other people in the mean time, but if you got what you needed from him, why would you go through the process of picking up someone new?

You just had one rule: no sleeping over. Wether he went to your place, or you went to his, nobody sleeps the night at the other’s bed. That’s your one requirement to avoid feelings. And so far it seemed to be working. Months have passed and your friends with benefits agreement feels like one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.

Until one day he decides to say the forbidden words.

“Why don’t you stay?” You ignore his words and pick up your clothes to get re-dressed, but he insists. “C’mon, it’s late and I know I wore you out tonight.”

“Jaehyun stop.” You don’t have to look back to know the proud look on his face from his performance tonight.

“I don’t get why you insist on leaving right after we have sex.” He sits on the bed, back against the headboard, not even bothering to cover his still naked body. “You make me feel so used.”

“Oh, poor thing.” You go along with his joke at first but then decide to clear up the boundaries. “I told you why.”

“‘Sleeping together leads to waking up together which leads to feelings, blah, blah, blah’, I know, I know.” He mocks your voice and groans, “I just can’t understand why you’re so scared to catch feelings.”

“I’m not scared,” you roll your eyes, “I’m just-”

“‘Not that type of girl’, right…” He sprawls across the bed, getting annoyed with the conversation.

“If you know all of that, why are we discussing it?” You check yourself in the mirror, adjusting your hair.

“Because I feel like you’re softening up.” He casually replies.

“What?” You turn around with furrowed brows.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” His tone is cocky, “The texts we exchange, the way you kiss me and touch me lately… I know you’re getting smitten.”

“Goodnight, Jaehyun.” You grab your jacket and purse and get out the door.

When you get home you can’t stop thinking about what he said. You grab your phone and open your conversation with him. You cringe a little bit at how… Cute you started talking over all the usual teasing. Could you really be getting smitten?

Locking your phone, you lay on your back as you stare into the celling. Maybe you have been a little more kissy and touchy lately. Ugh, did you catch feelings and didn’t even realize? Your mind is a mess and your heart is beating like crazy. Is this what having feelings feel like? I do people live like this?

The next time you meet up at your place, no one talks about the conversation that has been on repeat inside your head, not that there’s much talking at all. But when he’s getting ready to go, you can’t stop yourself.

“You’ve been thinking about what you said.” You pull the sheets over your tired bare body.

“About what?” He continues getting dressed.

“About me being scared of my feelings and all that…” He stops with his t-shirt half way through his arm and turns to you with a surprised expression. “Maybe… Just maybe! I could give it a try…”

“Wait.” He walks to the bed and sits on the edge. “Do you mean, give us a try?”

“I guess…” You try to hold in your smile as his grows big. “But you should know I have no idea how to do this.”

“Oh, don’t worry, we’ll make It work.” Crawling over the bed, he heads straight to your lips before you stop him with a hand on his chest.

“Not so fast, I wanna do this properly.” You got him groaning at your barrier.

“What do you mean?” He leans back again.

“I believe we should go on a date first.” You propose.

“A date? Aren’t we a little pass that?” He chuckles taking a peek inside the sheets and earning himself a slap on his hand.

“Jaehyun, I never did this before so I wanna do it right.” You insist.

“OK, ok, you win.” Getting up, he continues getting dressed. “Where should we go then?”

“Don’t worry about it.” You wink making him shake his head with a smile. “How does Saturday at 7pm sounds?”

“Sounds like it’s gonna be fun!” He excitedly replies as he heads out.

“Goodnight, Jaehyun.”

When the front door closes you roll around the bed, giggling like a teenager. This feelings thing is so weird, but you gotta admit it feels kind of nice.

Saturday comes and he’s finishing getting ready when the doorbell rings. You had texted him you’d pick him up so a smile grows on his face. The first thing he sees is a huge bouquet making his eyes go wide.

“Hi.” Your head pops up from behind it with a grin.

“What is this?” He chuckles taking the flowers.

“Well, I read online it’s usual to bring flowers on date.” You shrug.

“I’m pretty sure it’s usually the guy doing this part…” He raises an eyebrow. “But I’ll take it. Let me put these in some water and we can go.”

You awkwardly wait by the door but he is quick to come back. The date is a classic one: dinner and a movie, simple but effective. You didn’t want to go overboard with it in case it went wrong, but of course it doesn’t, you already know each other so well and have so much chemistry that it had everything to go right. The conversation flows, you laugh and get to know each other even more. At the end of the day it was a very successful date.

When you drop him back at his place, you walk him to the door, laughing about a funny scene in the movie you watched.

“Here you are, safe and sound.” You smile, pleased with the outcome.

“I am.” He chuckles. ”I had a really great time.”

“Not bad for a first date, huh?” You nudge his arm.

“Not bad at all.” With that he starts to lean forward expecting a kiss but you stop him.

“You’re supposed to wait til the third date to kiss.” You whisper against his lips that are so close from yours.

“Says who?” He whispers back, not moving an inch.

“The internet.” There’s a pause and then you two start laughing. “I told you I want to do this right, I don’t want you to think I’m easy.”

“Ok, we’ll do it your way.” He finally steps back with a sigh and plays along. “Will you call me then?”

“I will.” You nod. “Goodnight, Jaehyun.”

The rest of the weekend he stays by the phone but no call, not even a text. Why are you so confusing and give him mixed feelings? He thought everything went well but now you just go silent. On Monday afternoon he sees you entering the gym and catches you right before you get into the locker room.

“Oh hey, I didn’t see you!” Your smile looks so genuine that makes his head a mess.

“Don’t tell me you’re avoiding me again.” He puts on the cutest pout.

“What?” You tilt your head. “Why would I be avoiding you?”

“Right?” You grow more confused. “You said you’d call. And then you didn’t…”

“Oh that?” You chuckle. “I read you’re supposed to wait two days to call back. I was gonna do it tonight.”

“Are you serious?” He lets out a relieved breath. “Does everything really have to be under these ‘rules’?”

“I told you I don’t know how to do it, so yes.” You explain, giving no room for him to refute any further. “Now let me go get ready, otherwise I won’t get any exercise done today.”

Jaehyun stands there looking dumbfounded as you go change. You’re so unique and peculiar, but that just makes him like you even more. One thing he doesn’t really like is that because you finally decided to accept your feelings and go on all these dates, he’s getting none so he’s growing horny and needy.

You keep going on dates and, as promised, at the end of the third one, before you say your goodbyes, you pull him in for a kiss. He takes as much as he can from the moment, not ever wanting to let go, but you eventually push him back and leave.

By the end of the fifth date you accept to come inside his apartment for one last drink before you go. You get comfortable on his couch as he prepares some light drinks and then joins you. The conversation continues like an extension of the date, with him scooting closer and closer until his mouth joins yours.

The glasses are placed on the coffee table as the kiss intensifies and you find yourself moving to his lap. His hands grip on your hips, slightly moving them back and forward to create some friction. But as you start feeling something growing under you, you quickly get up and adjust your clothes.

“Maybe we should call it a night now.” You clear your throat.

“Why?” Frustrated, he runs a hand through his hair before rolling his eyes. “Is these because of those ‘rules’?”

“Well, I read guys like to do it on the fifth date but girls prefer to wait until around date nine, so maybe we should go on a few more…” You bite your lip realising how silly these dating rules sound.

“Oh yeah?” Suddenly he gets up and takes off his shirt. “You really want to date four more dates?”

Gulping, you watch his toned torso that you know so well and miss so much. You also notice the bulge in his pants making your insides burn. In your head you start debating if you still want to do this ‘right’ or give into the pleasure.

“So?” He steps closer, voice dropping low.

“Fuck it.”

Closing the distance you instantly jump on him, legs wrapping around his waist as your arms support you on his shoulders. Good thing he works out hard and catches you like it’s nothing, resuming the kiss he wished you’d never stopped.

He carries you into the bedroom and lays you in bed. Your clothes slowly come off, the naked spots getting covered with Jaehyun’s gentle kisses. When you’re fully bare, he takes a spot between your legs, face inches away from your pussy as he blows some hair on it.

Biting your lip, you squirm on the mattress, desperate for more, but his strong hands hold your tights apart before his tongue travels between your juices folds to focus on the center of your nerves, drawing the most intricate designs and driving you crazy.

Soon his fingers join the party, slowly entering you and curling just the right way to massage that special spot. By now you’re not able to hold it in anymore and let the moans escape your lips. All those dates were fun but damn you missed how he makes you feel in bed.

You try to tell him to just fuck you already, even if it gets lost in your sinful sounds, but he seems to be focused in getting an orgasm out of you before making your wish come true. When your body shakes in pleasure he makes sure to lick all your juice before his lips make their way up so you too can taste yourself.

Then he leans back on his knees, taking his time to unbutton his pants, but now you’re impatient so you replace his hands removing the remaining clothes off his body. His jaw drops in a silent moan when you wrap your fingers around his cock, pumping it up and down.

Letting a drop of saliva fall into the tip, you smear it on the head before you start sucking on it with your hand still moving on the length. Gradually you move your mouth lower until you have all of him inside. You start bobbing your head at a nice pace, feeling him grow more if that’s even possible.

Jaehyun messily grabs your hair out of your way, biting his lip as he attentively watches his dick disappear between your lips. His precum mixes with your own taste in your mouth giving you a nasty yet delicious flavour.

You wanted to go all the way and have him explode in your mouth but he’s the one needy and desperate right now. Gently he pushes you back in in the mattress and reaches for a condom on his night stand. He rolls the rubber down his length before aligning himself in your entrance and slowly pushing in.

Pressing your tights to your torso, his hips start moving as your nails dig onto his back for support. His pace and stamina is like no other, but today it feel different. He’s still hitting all the right spots inside you but this time it feels more passionate and caring, even if he’s fucking your brains out.

After a messy kiss, he leans back, lifting one of your feet to rest on his shoulder, slightly changing the angle and making you moan louder. He joins the melody of pleasure in the room, moving faster and deeper as his orgasm builds up. You look up through half lidded eyes and smile spleeplish at that signature expression you adore, the one he makes when lifting weights as he to control his muscles.

He knows he won’t last must longer, and neither will you for your second high of the night, so he moves your leg to join the other one, positioning you on your side, and lays behind you. He wants to feel close to you when he cums so he wraps his arm around your waist, gluing his rock hard torso to your back.

To make sure you get your orgasm before him, he slips your upper leg over his hip, allowing him to hit deeper inside you as his hand moves to your clit. The circular movements of his digits along with the pace of his dick sliding in and out of you are enough to push you over the edge and you coat him in your juices.

Soon, he too is filling up the condom, his moans so close to your ear, almost making you cum again. You stay there for a few minutes, in each others arms, his cock getting soft inside you, until it starts to feel a bit nasty, in a bad way and you separate to clean up.

Back in bed, for the first time you cuddle. It’s such a simple thing but so emotionally powerful that makes you think you’ve done the right thing in letting him in. Letting your feelings in. Your head feels so right laying on his chest, it annoys you much you enjoy listening to his heartbeat as his chest heaves with his steady breathing.

“Alright, time to go.” He taps your shoulder.

“Go where?” You look at him confused.

“Home, silly.” He bops the end of your nose.

You feel like a rock was dropped to your stomach. He wants you to go home. Like you did all those other times. You thought that with dating and accepting your feeling things would be different and it would be good to spend the night, but maybe he thinks differently.

“We already had sex so there’s no point you staying right?” He continues with the most natural smile in his face.

“R-Right…” Still confused, you slowly get up but then get yanked back into his arms.

“I can’t believe you fell for that.” He laughs. “I was just kidding.”

“You idiot!” You hit his chest annoyed at how you realise this is probably what he felt all those times before.

“Shut up, you love me.” As Jaehyun cages you in his embrace you have no choice but to give in.

“Maybe I do.”

☽ ・・・・・ ☾

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unable to tag: @chenleyang @doahflix @criminalmindsz @jaehyunsprincess

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Elladan and Elrohir challenged Legolas to 1 rock climbing competition, and have since resolved to never do that again.

Have you ever seen how fast professional, competitive, rock climbers race up those rock walls? Legolas climbs like that.

It’s largely due to the fact that silvans clamber and sprint through the tree branches of their forests and are very used to launching themselves up into trees from the ground floor. So they have a lot of upper body strength and agility.

Meanwhile, while the noldo and sinda elves are no slauches, it’s simply not their area of expertise as they usually fight and move on the ground floor.

So yea, Legolas is an absolute spider moneky and easily destroyed the twins in a rock climbing competition.

It should be noted that legolas absolutely will climb all over Rivendell, much to everyone’s awe and confusion bc how tf did he get there???

Legolas also taught areen the basics.

The first time arwen managed to climb her way up to the roof of a building from the outside, everyone almost had a heart attack, except for celebrian and legolas, who were to busy laughing.

[coolbutnotthere]

I’m gonna go on a rant about RDC let’s go!

- RDC doesn’t really like Mk, like at all. They don’t have a reason and he has seen him going around and saving the city and stuff he just doesn’t like Mk.

-The reason RDC hides his ears is not only because they are the most sensitive part of his body but also because they are humongous. For those who don’t know his grandfather (Oliver) was a bunny and his grandmother (Sabi) was a hare and for those who don’t know have huge ears!

-RDC’s ears go down to his waist for those who don’t know and RDC is 5’3 and with his ears is 8’4 he’s his ears are 3’1 long. I am well aware and I love it deal with it

-RDC learned how to climb ceiling by watching rock climbers and such

-RDC also has a rock climbing habit and just climbs things because of it.

-RDC is pansexual. They aren’t really into dating at the moment but he shall see a character and get the closest thing to a crush as he can get and just obsess over which you could argue is just a hyper fixation

-RDC has the tendency to just stare, and stare alone. They won’t speak they will just stare, and judge. Just judge

-they both steal and trade for their vapes, they don’t care much about where they get them or what flavor they are but their favorite flavor is Raspberry. Raspberry is also their favorite snack

-they will zone out so much, if your boring them they will just zone out with no warning and will only snap out of it when something interesting happens

-The only reason they can control themselves is because of the their vapes and other substances. They honestly think that without them they will hurt people and that’s honestly something they hate the thought of.

-RDC pretends to be so bad and terrible but they love Dark and Redson to the point where one insult from anyone will get you on his hit list and trust me it’s shrinking know that they don’t have to worry about eating anymore

@cryptidwithaninternetconnection

@lmkredson @cats-and-confusion

[thegreatunifier]

☁️ (first a soft one)

Making plans of any sort for Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman always felt like a game of Russian Roulette, where instead of 5 empty chambers and 1 bullet, it was the opposite. Because inevitably, whenever they made plans with friends or family or just the two of them, someone decided that it was their day to wreak havoc somewhere in the universe and either one or both would be called to duty at the drop of a hat. At first, it was small things like the bank being robbed while they were visiting their favorite comic book shop down the street, or someone deciding that bringing a semi automatic to the mall while they were out with Billy's brothers and having to spend the rest of the day cleaning up the mess. But now that they are more well known with being associated with the Avengers and Dr. Strange and even some of the X-Men when the situation demanded, the occurrences seemed to be coming more frequently. Which wasn't a problem, really it wasn't. Teddy knew that this was one of the downfalls that came with being a hero. He knew that crime waited for no man, woman or child, human or no. But sometimes the constant running and dodging and saving and protecting had them so caught up in everyone else's problems that the two of them often forgot about their own. Like today. Today was forecasted to be a perfect, New England autumn day. The sky was cloudless, the air was crisp, clean and sweet with the scents of sun warmed leaves.

And the two of them were strolling leisurely through Central Park with no real destination in mind. It was a day that felt infinite, where time stood still despite the bustle of the city around them. Teddy had been on a mission to find every single hidden nook and cranny within the 843 acres that he could, and so far he estimated he only found less than 1/10th of what could be here. Sure, he could ask Billy to scan the place, sure he could do his research but exploring without a plan, rhyme or reason was part of the adventure. So now, with them trekking off the concrete path, moving randomly through the trees and crevices of rock, Teddy suddenly stopped in his tracks. It wasn't something that was even semi remarkable. It was simply a huge boulder that jetted up from the earth like a whale breaking the surface of the waves. While the lower parts were covered in moss, the higher the granite grew it became more weathered and sun bleached. It was a testament to how long it had been there, undisturbed, withstanding the elements of weather, time and human. "There it is!" He grinned, taking Billy's hand as they carefully made their way to the boulder's base. He had seen it from above, flying back from one mission or another in the dark and the light of the full moon had glanced upon the stone so perfectly that he knew he just had to find it again. "Tee, you know both of us can fly right?" Billy chuckled when his fiancée had let go of his hand to start scaling the stone. Despite it being quite cemented, there weren't a lot of places where one could get a hold of if they did ever want to mount the summit.

"yes, but where is the fun in that?" Teddy called over his shoulder before focusing back on the task at hand. While the main body of the bolder was slanted at an angle that would help climbers, the base was nothing but a near vertical wall of granite, smooth and hard against his skin. Okay, maybe he could cheat a little bit. He added a few inches to his height just so he could get the angle he needed when he jumped from the ground and caught the top of the stone that made up the base wall. He pulled himself up, making sure his center of gravity was secure before turning around. "Come on, jump and I'll pull you up." Teddy's grin widened when he saw Billy roll his eyes, but follow his command nonetheless. It was a stretch, but after a moment or two, they were both standing at the crest of the stone, a good 20 feet from the ground.

""I... am King of the Rock." Billy snorted and shoved Teddy gently against his shoulder, but not nearly hard enough for them to lose their balance. "And there's nothing you can do about it." "Oh yeah?" There was a small opening in the trees above them, and it was at that exact moment that a crack of thunder echoed off the trees and buildings like a cannon. Teddy looked up, frowning at the suddenly black clouds that were pressing down on them. And before he could even think to curse them, the roar of the rain rushed upon them, soaking them through in minutes. "Well, I guess the weather man was wrong after all." Teddy chuckled, looking back down to the man before him, brushing the dark bangs out of the way of the most beautiful pair of amber eyes he would ever see. "Yeah, well it wouldn't be the first time would it?" Billy grinned before pulling Teddy into a kiss. Yes, their lives were crazy and dangerous. But it was the moments like this that made every single ounce of pain and suffering worth it.

[damedechance]

not a star

Kallias x Viviane | Read on AO3

[Listen to the Playlist]

This year, I had the tremendous pleasure of participating in the @acotargiftexchange and creating a fic for @daevastanner! Izzy, I really hope you enjoy this little moodboard and oneshot. Happy holidays, and please stay safe and warm!

Summary: At the Southern Border of the Winter Court, Viviane spends Solstice battling the growing resentment she feels towards her childhood friend, Kallias, who has mysteriously reappeared in her life after being the one to assign her to the border in the first place. She sets out on a mission to prove to him that he was wrong, which inevitably lands them both in deeper trouble, as the unspoken attraction between them lies just below the surface.

You can read the opening below, but the entire fic is on AO3!

The Southern Forest laid sprawling before her, a great taiga with its towering evergreens that spiraled so far into the sky, their very peaks were obscured behind the wintry fog. The pines were magnificent pillars, their branches full and laden with snow. They stood packed so densely together that nearly every inch of ground was covered. If she climbed down from this turret, she would find the forest nearly impossible to navigate, with its labyrinthine paths and the air thick with icy, suffocating wind.

She’d been to the Northern Border, seen the steep mountains and climbed to their summits. Even for the most seasoned of climbers, the mountains were practically a guaranteed death–either by hypothermia or a horrific fall down the sharp, jutting mountainside.  But Viviane would contend that the forest was far more lethal. That unseen enemies, disorientation, and madness would wear away one’s soul long before the cold wore all the way through their bodies.

It was exactly what made the Southern Border so impenetrable. The forest was a beast all on its own, something few dared to broach. But in these years, even the most calculated of Winter’s enemies were growing heedless. Roaring, desperate soldiers from Hybern that had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Viviane supposed the forest wouldn’t look so ominous to her, either, if she had a ruthless general like Amarantha and nothing waiting for her at home.

And so she stood, high upon the topmost platform of the turret, and braced her gloved hands on the railing in front of her. Eyes rocking over every inch of the vast, unfathomable forest, and carefully scanning for any hint of intrusion or attack.

Such level of scrutiny was hardly necessary. Even on the night of Winter Solstice, the guards were as watchful as ever, and there were many eyes on the taiga tonight. Her guard was a formidable force, keen and powerful. They would have managed tonight’s patrol just fine without her.

In fact, her absence likely would have been more productive, in the long run. As it was, her unusually sharp and caustic demeanor was setting them all on edge. She could feel the anxiety in the air just as biting as the chill in the wind. She was well aware that it was her fault, that this stark contrast to her usual levity and compassion had flipped the dynamic.

Usually, Viviane was kind. She put her guards at ease by offering smiles, or inquiring about their families. On occasion, she had even been known to suggest sledding or group meals in their off-time, just to bolster morale. Viviane cared for the people who were under her authority, but more than that, she fought for the people under her protection.

A fact that at times warped and twisted in on itself. Brought fear and self-doubt instead of warmth and satisfaction. She had to protect them. It was her job. It was all she had.

Viviane’s hands tightened around the railing, and she ignored the way she could feel her knuckles practically splitting the skin that stretched over them as the cold metal bit into her palms. She wouldn’t allow herself to be resentful of the fact that this border guards was the only responsibility she had, now. Not even if that meant admitting that she had been cast aside, that everything else she had once cared about was now under the protection of someone else. Admitting that she couldn’t do more.

A few miles north, there laid a city. One that was just fierce and scrupulous enough to survive out in this taiga. It was where many of the guards went for a drink or a hot meal after their shifts. Where they slept at the inn, after one too many drinks made them far too sluggish to return to their tents at the border. It was lively and bright, a guiding light in this endless blizzard.

A visitor had arrived in that city that very morning, all too painful a reminder of everything Viviane longed for.

Which, perhaps, was exactly what her turbulent mood could be attributed towards.

She took refuge in the wind that slashed across her number cheeks, in the snow that fell over her head, clumped in the fibers of her fur-lined coat. The harsh winter was at least familiar enough that she could find comfort in it, even as the ends of her fingers lost feeling and she constantly had to suppress her shivering.

This was familiar. He was not.

Viviane supposed it might have hurt less, if she had never seen him again.

[amandasgeekblog]

Don't Nod's Jusant Demo Review

Don't Nod recently announced its newest game Jusant by revealing its trailer during XBox Games Showcase 2023. Showing off impressively tall environments and highlighting somewhat otherworldly nature, it feels like a fresh setting for the studio. It was a beautiful and intriguing look into the surprise climbing video game due out this year. Lucky for us, Steam has a demo. Here are my thoughts.

Jusant's demo starts with the definition of the title. Jusant, a noun, is French for low tide. While cliche in an essay, I don’t mind this at all. I do not know French, and the demo likely doesn’t start at the very beginning of the game. It's low tide, and in this game, it’s implied a big unusual ebb.  One might miss that the desolate, incredibly tall, vertical climb is not your average desert. But beside the definition, there is the call of seagulls and areas of barnacles found on the climb. It’s a quiet game, in its isolation and sound. You can hear your breath, your hand as it grasps a ledge, the wind as it blows past your body. Jusant is almost devoid of music for the majority of the game, with subtle musical cues, and high impact when the music full of awe does come through. 

Besides the sounds, right off the bat, the visuals are great. The protagonist’s design has a brightness to it. The high saturation colors stand out from an arid landscape. The stylistic choice of no whites of the eyes makes the character design stand out. The interior environments seem to be an eclectic style of construction site, oceanic, and alien. These ad hoc scaffolding areas were built for all to climb because the low tide seemingly upheaved the locals' lives. No one outside of the player character is seen in the demo (save for glimpses of your little water-blob friend), but there are a few notes and text-based messages to be found. Those familiar with Don’t Nod’s massive hit Life is Strange or the lesser known Tell Me Why (available for free every Pride month) might wish for more interactivity of props. There is one “moment of reflection” as I like to call it, that is common in that genre, and it was peaceful. But if exploring via thoughts or item examination is lacking, that could be very intentional, Jusant’s genre is described as an action-puzzle climbing game on their website. However, Jusant is also tagged as an action-adventure game on Steam. So, it will have to be examined in the full game if the adventure elements are lighter.

I know, I know. Let’s get to the gameplay: climbing! Apologies in advance to those who boulder or rock climb that might suffer through my lack of knowledge and clunky wording. Another note: I used a controller, and it is highly recommended that you do. Climbing feels pretty good. The left hand is the left trigger, and the right hand is the right trigger. I wouldn’t say the controls are floaty, but I do feel like the experience is a little smoothed. The protagonist feels like a strong climber. It is easy to get a good flow in the beginning of the demo with an abundance of available handholds. The player can “look” with one of the joysticks to direct where they reach. Stamina is no worry at all in the start of the demo. Once embarking on some longer climbs or when jumping is needed, you’ll have to watch your gauge. The protagonist will also breathe a little heavier for a diegetic reminder to rest. While on a climb, simply clicking your left joystick down lets you rest just about anywhere. The character is shown shaking out the hands, which is fun and a thing I have seen real climbers do. I did not see what an actual fail state looked like, but when stamina was dire, there was heart racing and red blinking on the stamina meter. 

There’s more depth to the aspects of the gameplay, like with the length of your rope, and adding pitons along the way so you don’t fall too far and lose too much progress if you lose grip. There’s elements of rappelling and ascending that are not realistic to physics, but fun for a game. Sometimes you need to descend or do a sort of wallrunning move to reach the next set of handholds. The demo explored mostly straightforward navigational routes except for a couple trickier spots closer to the end. From the trailer it seems more puzzle elements will be introduced. For example, growing, flowering stalks can take you higher, and seemingly magically-appearing vegetation can sprout into handholds.

Don’t Nod bills this game as a meditative climbing game in nature. I do think they will deliver that. The scenes and landscapes are really vast while on the climb. There doesn’t seem to be anything to rush you on your climb, and the visuals and music are calming. You explore a desert-like landscape in the demo, but there seems to be more biomes that will be explored throughout the game.

Any negatives or issues? 

Handholds are not always the clearest, I do not have an issue with this myself but people with low vision may have trouble. A highlighted or more contrasted color scheme setting could be good for others

There was some graphical stuttering on my PC a few times (for reference I have RTX 2070, Ryzen 7 2700x). But to be honest, I don’t know much about PCs or running games.

I feel like once the panting audio to indicate lower stamina got stuck even after I rested. 

Hints were repetitive, but this is a demo, and there was a setting to turn it off, so this is all good

You might wish more in the interiors were interactive

The pros: 

Fun to climb, intuitive. Which is good, that’s the main mechanic!

Lovely style, saturated hues contrasted with expansive and more realistic landscapes.

Quiet game, relaxing. An hour passed without me noticing!

Potential to have unique lore, something different

Jusant is planned to release Fall 2023 on XBox Series X|S, Playstation 5, and Steam. Get the demo on Steam now.

[anotherhumanpet]

GENERAL INFORMATION

NAME: Dennis Isaac Michael Wenny NICKNAMES/TITLES: Son (Silas/Gramps), Ihop (Judas), Algebra (Hot Spot), Mouse Prince (Ratchet), Kid or Lil Brat (Envy), Rat Child (Yin) SPECIES: Human AGE: 15 years old PRONOUNS: He/Him/His DATE OF BIRTH: July 12th NOTE-WORTHY ABILITIES: Good with people and able to see a friend in everyone, if not outright successfully befriending them. Avid rock climber and cave diver. There's also a slight unknown issue with him randomly teleporting across the multiverse that nobody can make sense of. CURRENT RESIDENCE: His childhood home, currently occupied only by himself, his pet rats, and occasionally his dad. OCCUPATION: High school student, and the main reason why his friends and family have high blood pressure. AFFILIATIONS: Technically speaking, none. But he'll throw hands for the Autobots and N.E.S.T. if it comes down to it. SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English. Loosely understands only a handful of Cybertronian words but could never really speak them.

PERSONALITY

ALIGNMENT: Mix of Lawful Good and Lawful Neutral. ASSETS: A bat, a knife, his fists, an evil rat according to Judas. FLAWS: Reckless, short sighted, too trusting, defensive and angry towards accusations about himself or his loved ones, doesn't admit there's a problem easily, can't tell a lie to save his soul, becomes easily attached to anyone and anything. LIKES: Food, quality time with friends, outdoor activities, video games, hugs. DISLIKES: Homework, unfairness, bullies, violence, being alone. FEARS/PHOBIAS: Large and open bodies of water, being confined in glass/hard plastic containers.

CONNECTIONS

FAMILY: Immediate family are his mother (Penny) and father (Robert). Beyond them, he has his maternal aunt (Amber), maternal uncle (Jaden), both paternal and maternal grandparents, Amber's wife (Crystal), their children (Derek, Jesse, Ethan, and [verse dependent] Jaden's boyfriend (Judas). Sibling wise, Dennis technically has none, but considers all of the Protectobots, Judas, and Yin to be his older brothers, and Eve like an older sister. Optimus and Gramps both act/are seen as father figures to him. Ratchet is grandfatherly figure. FRIENDS: There are many. Listing them all is a chore. You are most likely his friend already. This is not a threat but a promise. ROMANTIC INTEREST: He'd sooner die than admit it, but there's a girl named Jenny at his school whom he's absolutely smitten with. ENEMIES: Achim, Tarn, Knock Out, Silas/Salad. OTHERS: Agent Fowler and his underlings fall into a weird category for Dennis because they're not exactly friends, but they're not enemies either. The crew are adults who are just taking the situation and the children's safety seriously, so their tactics rub Dennis the wrong way at times.

FACTS AND TRIVIA

It has yet to be discovered/fully understood by anyone, but the reason why Dennis can hop around the multiverse with ease is due to a direct exposure he had with the Matrix of Leadership. Boy got hit with a blast of radiating powers and got none of the control to go with it. Thanks, Vector Prime.

Dennis' dislike of loneliness stems from his sense of abandonment that manifested after his parents' divorce and Jack's coincidental social disappearance into the Autobot-Decepticon conflict.

He doesn't open up easily about his frustrations/problems because the last time he did his mother winded up calling for the divorce shortly thereafter. It wasn't wholly unrelated to his venting, but it wasn't entirely his fault either. Nonetheless, Dennis blames himself for splitting up the family and has effectively stopped talking about himself as a means of doing damage control for everyone.

It wouldn't be accurate to say he suffers from claustrophobia because he doesn't mind being in tight spaces. You can't be a caver if you do. But there are certain environments/textures that do trigger a fear response in Dennis, hence why there's a clarification that it's glass and hard plastic that set him off.

[justbagworm]

Don't mind me, just contemplating the world and making it relevant to writing...

So, yknow how people are always like 'you can tell when someone studies something because they write about it in a very detailed manner?' I raise you: the weird shit the human body does when you follow a sport or a physical discipline for a very long time. I love reading fics and books by people who have ACTUALLY engaged with what they're writing about, because you can tell they know what they're talking about when they mention something that seems utterly wacky but is, in fact, true.

Source? I'm a rock climber and a writer. The sheer NUMBER of times I've gone back and reread my writing, only to realize that something I've incorporated is very niche climber slang and/or knowledge, even when the piece doesn't relate to climbing at all, is astounding.

That very bad segue will now allow me to gush about my past with climbing, because I miss it and I see my own little idiosyncracies from it and get nostalgic. Elaboration after Keep Reading!!!

The first thing you need to know about rock climbing is the SHOES. Anyone who has ever gone to a proper rock gym will be commiserating from that word alone. Climbing shoes are similar to pointe shoes, in that they can EFFIN HURT. In every other way, they're pretty much the opposite tho lol. Climbing shoes are generally about a size to a size and a half smaller than your normal shoe size, though if you're just getting your first pair you'd probably be best sticking to the one size smaller rule of thumb. Personally, my street shoe size is 9 1/2, whereas I comfortably wear an 8 to climb. The reason is that the shoes are designed to curl your toes under, which makes them stronger, thus allowing you to bear all of your weight on an area which can be smaller than a US quarter. If you tried to do that in street shoes, your toes would bend backwards and break. People who don't know climbing would probably say that at a gym, the climbers would wear street shoes, while on real rock they would wear boots, which is actually a terrible idea. (Like really. Boots would cut your dexterity too much to actually climb.)

That's another interesting thing about shoes, actually - the social norms. No sane or respectable climber wears their shoes in the bathroom, on the street, or pretty much anywhere they could pick up gross germs. Why? Because the same places your shoes are touching, so are your hands, your elbows, your knees, and occasionally your face. Your hands will inevitably wind up in contact with your mouth at some point, and if you've forgotten to wash your hands and someone has just dragged bathroom germs onto the climbing wall, good luck with that.

You would think after all that care, climbing shoes are really pristine then, right? PFFFFT! No. Depending on how new they are and how stubborn the climber is, shoes can be the most ratty things in existence. They are, at minimum, scuffed as shit. More likely, they're scuffed as shit, smudged with climbing chalk, have holes worn in the rubber on the toes from use, and when not on a climber's feet they may or may not have fabric bananas sticking out of them. (The bananas may be regional, however.) About the only consistent qualifier for climbing shoes being usable I've ever seen is 'do they make me slip off the wall? No? Good to go, then.' Obviously I'm a recreational climber, of course, because I highly doubt the big names would climb with a shoe that had the innards sticking out, so bear that in mind.

So, putting aside the shoes, because we don't have time to unpack brands of shoes, the varying opinions on resoling, pricing, and their inherently replaceable nature, I mentioned weird shit a la human body. For rock climbing, that means doing things like hanging off of door frames, heel hooking to pull yourself up from the sofa, pivoting on your feet without moving literally anything else, etc, etc. (This is, of course, my own experiences.) Allow me to elaborate:

Personally, I have no core strength. None. Nada. And yet, I can still pull myself up from a completely prone position as long as I have something to hook my foot around. Fence? Yup. Corner of a wall? Sure. The bottom edge of a couch? Child's play. Give me the tiniest anchor for one foot, and suddenly I'm vertical. Hooray! I literally cannot do sit-ups without hiccuping so hard I feel like I'm going to puke, but heel-hooks to pull myself up are so ingrained in me that I can (and do) do them half-asleep. I do this because my legs were always my main source of power and control as a climber, which for me led into figuring out the best and easiest way to capitalize on that. Woo climbing!

Of course, that's not to say that my arms were unaffected. The corners of walls are like launchpads for me. Why should I exert energy on shifting my direction when it's easier and more efficient to grab a corner or a pole and let my current momentum carry me into my turn? That's absurd. I will say, though, that's definitely something I only do in places I'm familiar with - the idea of throwing myself bodily into a person on the other side of a corner because I'm moving like a moron is HIGHLY unappealing.

Probably the biggest thing about climbing that is noticeable to those 'in the know', I think, is the way we carry our arms. When I'm using my arms - carrying something, gesturing, even just wiggling my fingers - my shoulder comes up, my muscles engage, and I use the energy I need to. When I'm not doing anything, my arms are dead weight, essentially. My shoulders aren't engaged, nor are my elbows, until I need to DO something with them. The joints hang, because that leaves my energy in reserve for when I actually need it. That's a habit I developed from shaking out soreness on longer route climbs, because loosening your limbs entirely to shake them out helps a lot. Also, why hold yourself with your chest to the wall and your arms all scrunched up when that's just stealing valuable energy? Hanging from your extended arms (shoulders engaged now, you heathen) allows you better vantage, and it takes significantly less energy. So, the same habit carries into daily life. It's actually pretty fun to play 'spot the climber' because the shoulders can be a pretty big tell!

There's a lot of other little things like slang (chips, jugs, down holds, dynos, bat hangs, traverses, first sends, first ascents, rainbow roading, etc.), routines, gym ettiquette, and stuff that only gets learned through experience or talking to someone with the experience. It's like that for all things, and it genuinely makes me so happy to see someone whose passion for a discipline or a hobby leaks into their writing because it gives me a little giggle or a moment of, 'hey! I know that reference!' and makes me happy. So yeah, this is probably incoherent and uncohesive af, but that's my thoughts! Rant over! :D

[thepastisalreadywritten]

(CNN) — George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s — until the mountain claimed his life.

Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest, leading up to the last days before he disappeared while heading for its peak.

On 8 June 1924, Mallory and fellow climber Andrew Irvine departed from their expedition team in a push for the summit; they were never seen alive again.

Mallory’s words, however, are now available to read online in their entirety for the first time.

Magdalene College, Cambridge, where Mallory studied as an undergraduate from 1905 to 1908, recently digitized hundreds of pages of correspondence and other documents written and received by him.

Over the past 18 months, archivists scanned the documents in preparation for the centennial of Mallory’s disappearance.

The college will display a selection of Mallory’s letters and possessions in the exhibit “George Mallory: Magdalene to the Mountain,” opening June 20.

The Everest letters outline Mallory’s meticulous preparations and equipment tests, and his optimism about their prospects.

But the letters also show the darker side of mountaineering: bad weather, health issues, setbacks, and doubts.

Days before his disappearance, Mallory wrote that the odds were “50 to 1 against us” in the last letter to his wife Ruth dated 27 May 1924.

“This has been a bad time altogether,” Mallory wrote. “I look back on tremendous efforts & exhaustion & dismal looking out of a tent door and onto a world of snow & vanishing hopes.”

He went on to describe a harrowing brush with death during a recent climb, when the ground beneath his feet collapsed, leaving him suspended “half-blind & breathless.”

His weight supported only by his ice axe wedged across a crevasse as he dangled over “a very unpleasant black hole.”

Other letters Mallory exchanged with Ruth were written at the time of their courtship, while he was serving in Britain’s artillery regiment during World War I.

Throughout his travels, correspondence from Ruth provided him with much-needed stability during the most challenging times, said project lead Katy Green, a college archivist at Magdalene College.

“She was the ‘rock’ at home, he says himself in his letters,” Green said.

The archivist recounted one note in which Mallory told Ruth: “I’m so glad that you never wobble, because I would wobble without you.”

Yet while Mallory was clearly devoted to his wife, he nonetheless repeatedly returned to the Himalayas despite her mounting fears for his safety.

“There’s something in him that drove him,” Green said. “It might have been his wartime experience, or it might have just been the sort of person that he was.”

‘Documents of his character’

In total, the collection includes around 840 letters spanning from 1914 to 1924.

Ruth wrote about 440 of those to Mallory, offering an unprecedented and highly detailed view of daily life for women in the early 20th century, Green told CNN.

Together, the letters offer readers a rare glimpse of the man behind the legend, said Jochen Hemmleb, an author and alpinist who was part of the Everest expedition that found Mallory’s body in 1999.

“They are really personal. They are documents of his character. They provide unique insights into his life, and especially into the 1924 expedition — his state of mind, his accurate planning, his ambitions,” said Hemmleb, who was not involved in the scanning project.

“It’s such a treasure that these are now digitized and available for everyone to read.”

Frozen in place

Three of the digitized letters — written to Mallory by his brother, his sister and a family friend — were recovered from Mallory’s body by the Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition, which ascended Everest seeking the remains of Mallory and Irvine.

On 1 May 1999, expedition member and mountaineer Conrad Anker found a frozen corpse at an altitude of around 26,700 feet (8,138 meters) and identified it as Mallory’s from a name tag that was sewn into his clothes.

Mallory’s body was interred where it lay at the family’s request, said Anker, who was not involved in the letter digitizing project.

“Having done body recoveries in other places, it’s very laborious, and it’s very dangerous at that altitude,” he told CNN.

“We collected some of his personal effects that went back to the Royal Geographical Society,” including the three letters that were later scanned at Magdalene College.

Mount Everest, the highest peak in the Himalayan mountain range, is also the tallest mountain on Earth, rising 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level on the border between Nepal and Tibet — an autonomous region in China.

Its Tibetan name is Chomolungma, meaning “Goddess Mother of the World,” and its Nepali name is Sagarmatha, meaning “Goddess of the Sky.”

However, these names were unknown to 19th-century British surveyors who mapped the region.

In 1865, the Royal Geographical Society named the peak Mount Everest after British surveyor Sir George Everest, a former surveyor general of India.

Mallory participated in all three of Britain’s first forays onto Everest’s slopes: in 1921, 1922 and 1924.

When he vanished in 1924, he was less than two weeks shy of his 38th birthday.

Many have speculated about whether Mallory and Irvine managed to reach Everest’s summit.

The climbers were last seen in the early afternoon of June 8 by expedition member and geologist Noel Odell, who was following behind and glimpsed them from a distance.

Odell later found some of their equipment at a campsite, but there was no trace of Mallory and Irvine.

“(Mallory) risked a lot despite the fact that he had a family back home and three small children,” Hemmleb said.

“We don’t know whether it was really irresponsible to make that final attempt, because we don’t really know what happened. It could be that in the end, he simply had bad luck.”

So close, yet so far

Decades after Mallory’s death, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary became the first to reach Everest’s peak, summiting on 29 May 1953.

In the years that followed, thousands attempted to climb Everest, with nearly 4,000 people reaching its summit.

More than 330 climbers have died trying since modern records were kept, according to the Himalayan Database, which compiles records of all expeditions in the Himalayas.

Some of those bodies remain on the mountain, frozen where they fell and visible to climbers who pass them by.

“If you’re out in this environment, you make peace with your own mortality and the deaths of others,” Anker said.

“You’re above 8,000 meters, and when there are weather changes or your own systems cease to function due to the lack of oxygen, it gets serious really quickly.”

When mountaineers are close to a mountain’s summit, they sometimes proceed even under dangerous conditions due to so-called summit fever, a compulsion to reach the peak even at the cost of their own safety.

It’s unknown whether Mallory was in the grip of summit fever when he died, but he might have thought that his reputation depended on summiting.

“That was going to be the defining moment in his life,” Anker said.

By comparison, Mallory’s team member Edward Norton had attempted to summit four days earlier but turned back at roughly the same altitude where Mallory and Irvine were seen for the last time.

“I had a conversation with one of Edward Norton’s sons a couple of years ago,” Hemmleb said.

“When I asked him, do you think it was mere luck that your father survived and Mallory died?"

He said, ‘No, I think there was one difference: My father, Edward Norton, didn’t need the mountain.’”

As a climber himself, Hemmleb took that message to heart.

“That is something I personally learned from Mallory,” he said. “You need to be very careful not to make yourself dependent on that summit success.”

A century has elapsed since Mallory’s death, but the digitizing of these letters assures that his story will keep being told, Hemmleb said.

“This will continue beyond my own lifetime, I’m certain of that,” he added. “In a sense, it’s the expedition that never ends.”

George Herbert Leigh-Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who participated in the first three British Mount Everest expeditions from the early to mid-1920s.

[kinglyisms]

♚ — @suizokukans ;; Satoru & Julius. [ catch ] receiver starts to fall, so sender reaches out and catches them

   The thing is–despite the fact Satoru is technically a light magic elf, he cannot fly. He could try, he certainly has tried to find ways to use his magic to fly or levitate, it simply hasn’t worked. So when he wants to do something the requires being very high up–he just climbs the bookshelves. 

   The library inside Alutora was quite grand and beautiful. Dark wood, magic that spread throughout the entire building, floating balls of light that neatly lit the entire library without damaging the books. His favorite part was the grand oval skylight ceiling that let natural sunlight in but was dimmed by a magical barrier so that the books weren’t sun damaged from it. Satoru went to great lengths to protect the library, it was a certain pride and joy for him much like the rest of the school in general was. He loved teaching and running the Academy as much as he did traveling and taking care of his books. So he went to great lengths to take care of the building. 

   Even to the point of being rather reckless. 

   “I want you to know this is a terrible idea and when you fall and break something I will, rightfully, hold it over your head for months.” Casimir declared from the bottom of the bookshelf and wall that Satoru had scaled to try and get up to one of the seals that kept the barrier in place. Direct, physical contact with the seals that kept the shield from the skylight in place was the best way to repair them. It couldn’t really be done from a distance and usually he had a Witch check in on them. Since they could actually fly, levitate, soar across the sky on a broom–whatever it was they wanted to do if they knew how. However, no one could help him at the current moment and Satoru was worried about the books if it took too long to get help. 

   So he climbed a bookshelf and then the wall to get up to it. This did mean he was incredibly high up and Casimir was about ready to lose his mind.

   Satoru is aware this seems rather reckless, it was just also a fact he didn’t really care. So he ignored Casimir in favor of trying to keep his balance and use the various paintings, shelves and elegant rigid designs in the walls to get as high as he could. He had been quite close to where he wanted to be, he could actually feel and see the seal within just a bit of distance. If he could get a little bit higher, he would have actually managed to get to it. However, he was not a rock climber and the wall he was clinging to was not designed for that. 

   The slip of his foot didn’t surprise him, he tried to keep his grip on the wall but when he was unable to get a proper footing back to balance some of his weight, his hands couldn’t hold their thin and flimsy grip on the wall. There’s a gasp as he feels himself start to fall as his loose grip slips from its place, dropping him back toward the bookshelf and the ground below him rather quickly. His arms move to try and protect his head, the briefest thought flickering through his mind that this might hurt, before his descent is quickly and rather firmly interrupted. 

   The feeling of another’s arms around him is actually more terrifying than the previous feeling of falling. It has all of Satoru’s body locked up as he moves his arms away from his head to raise his gaze upward. His gaze connects with a briefly familiar looking one, a man he hasn’t seen in a while, but that thought came last to the fact that they had their arms firmly wrapped around him. 

   Panic struck his chest quickly. 

   In a very ungraceful manner he tries to shove the other away, knocking himself from his hold as his elbow connected probably uncomfortably with their chest. He finishes his fall to the floor, which certainly hurts though far less than it would have if they hadn’t stopped him from falling from the ceiling. Pushing himself up to his feet he puts a very collected and calculated distance between himself and the other, brushing his clothes off and attempting to tug them into place. As he picks his head up to let his gaze meet the other’s again, he tosses his long hair over his shoulder. 

   Undoubtedly, he still looked like a mess.

   “Thank you?” There shouldn’t be a question in there. “Did I hurt you?” He did catch a falling man and then got elbowed in the chest. “I’m sorry.”

[thewheelieweirdclub]

ABOUT US-

Sammy (by Soph):

This all round incredible human was not put on this earth to be just your run-of-the-mill person. Oh no, she is one of a kind our Sammy. You won’t find her ironing, cleaning or organising her finances, because there just simply is not the time. She’s here to squeeze every last drop out of this most magical life.

Sammy has an indescribably warm and contagiously jovial energy, and doesn’t take things too seriously. She’s not afraid to be her goofy self, regardless of the company. Sammy is a ‘heck yes’ kinda gal, and will be up for giving almost anything a good nudge. When it comes to style, she’s got it in bucketloads. It’s hard to know what came first; yellow crocs or Sammy P.

Making a home in Tasmania, you’ll find when she’s not working as a kick-ass emergency physiotherapist, she’ll be throwing herself into one of her many hobbies.

Sammy is a talented long distance open water swimmer, the colder the better, and has over the years achieved swimming goals most can only dream of. Her most recent feats include becoming the first female to swim the length of Lake St Clair, and an impossibly cold 10 degree 34km swim of the Gordon river over 2 days, in Tasmania. Other swims in her quiver include the English Channel and the North Channel in the UK.

With her preferred breakfast being the tarmac, riding is one of her biggest passions. Focusing on longer distances and bigger climbs, Sammy did a 6 day trip around the whole of Tasmania on her roadie (Fern), covering 630km and a whole heap elevation.

She’s dabbled in off-road riding/bike packing throwing herself in at the deep end with the Tassie Trail (more on that later), and since then has been cooking up wild adventures with her fellow yes-girl/writer of this blog, Soph.

You’ll catch Sammy shredding the trails on two feet, and it’s only a matter of time before this converts to two wheels too (we’re still working on that).

Sammy inspires me with her strength and ability to regularly test the limit of her mind and body. Though our friendship has been short so far, it’s hard to imagine a future without Sammy. The experiences we have shared, have helped to create one of the best years of our lives so far. I am incredibly hopeful that there will be many more adventures to come.

‘Go-getter’ definition: Sammy P.

Sophie (by Sammy):

Sophie was raised in sunny old England and is a lover of all things outdoors, ultimate yes woman, enduro-athlete, health care wizard and loyal friend.

Australia counted it’s lucky stars when she decided to grace us with her presence to study nursing and paramedicine in Brisbane back in 2016, then moving to Tasmania in 2022 to start a grad program at the Royal Hobart Hospital.

Biking is one of her many many many talents. She’s an avid hiker, trail runner, dip-your-toe-in-triathlete and rock climber. With an incredible list of accomplishments to her name (we’re talking the Te Arora solo, running the overland track in one push, now I forget the actual details but she walked some stupid amount through the Australian bush 145km in three days, and many other rogue mish’s).

She’s a woman with many facets aside from adventure, and by day (and night) is an emergency nurse. I’m lucky enough to work beside her and have witnessed her in action: she’s incredibly capable, calm and caring. The most beautiful chapter in Tassie is drawing to a close as she embarks on her next venture, a stint in Wellington New Zealand to complete her paramedicine program.

Every pair needs an organiser, a lifter and practical can do-er and this is Sophie in spades. She has a knack for getting things done as well a general handiness when it comes to all things practical. I am forever grateful for her go get ‘em attitude.

I’ve known this epic gal for one year only and can only imagine the places we will have seen come 50 years. She’s my best mate, she makes a mean playlist, always orders the best food, has party stamina like no other and twerks like an awkward pre pubescent teen.

I hope this has been an insightful and earnest report of the all things SOPHIE-GIRL.

[shoury01]

LESSONS FROM ROCK CLIMBING: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Close your eyes and imagine yourself standing in front of a towering wall with small, colourful pegs scattered along the structure. Around your waist is a snug harness, and you begin to scale the wall, one step at a time, climbing higher and higher. Every move you make is methodical, forcing you to think with your body as much as your brain. There are mental health benefits of rock climbing that exceed the physical ones, and we don’t necessarily have to be a master of the sport to reap them.

Leadership can be learned anywhere. Reflecting back on rock-climbing sessions, we realized how much this experience can be a metaphor for leadership experiences. Rock climbing offers many opportunities for personal and professional development.

1. Collaboration and Differing Perspectives: . . . ->

Climbing is solitary, yet highly collaborative in nature. To climb safely, you must have someone to belay and/or spot you, meaning you are always part of a team. Active encouragement and coaching are common when someone is stuck on a route. This is often quite helpful, as people on the ground have a different vantage point, and can see the route in a way the climber cannot. Often we are able move past a problem as a result of these different perspectives. We are able to get farther faster when we are open and willing to work collaboratively with others.

2. Failure is a Moment, Not an End Result: . . . ->

Climbers face failure often, and with gusto. When working on a route beyond current ability — referred to as a project — it is common to fall. Repeatedly. Failure is often celebrated. This is possible because failure is seen as a moment, rather than an end result. Failure, then, is an opportunity to collect information to apply to the next attempt. This information allows climbers to identify their strengths, where they need to grow, and what they need to do differently to successfully complete the project.

3. The Power of Resilience: . . . ->

Given the nature of repeated failure, climbers must be physically and mentally resilient. The strongest climbers learn not to take momentary failure personally. A fall teaches us that we have what it takes to get back up and try again. It shows us where we can improve, what we need to focus on, what our strengths are, how to play to them, and, perhaps most importantly, how to persevere when things get tough.

4. Resourcefulness: How to Leverage Strengths: . . . ->

Every climbing route has beta — information about how to complete a route. However, beta is not created equally. What works for one climber will not work for another, and every climber will have advantages in one area, and disadvantages in another. Climbers must learn how to be resourceful when faced with a disadvantage; know how to apply their strengths, and how to maximize their leverage within a move.

5. Creative Problem Solving: . . . ->

Problem solving is an inherent aspect of climbing. Every route has a ‘crux’ — the most difficult part of the climb — and it is often as much a mind-bender as it is a physical challenge. To get past the crux, climbers have to determine where they are, where they want to be, and how they are going to get there. Problem solving happens continuously within climbing. Too much time spent thinking will lead to fatigue. Climbers assess the issue, solve for the problem, commit to the move, execute, regroup, and assess the next problem, at lightning speed.

6. Trust: . . . ->

Climbing is all about trust. When on the wall (or a rock), we have to trust that our belay partner has our back, that the holds we are using are solid, that our gear is sound. The biggest exercise in trust, however, occurs with self. We have to trust ourselves through our movements, even when we are not comfortable, or entirely sure what to do next. We are strongest when we trust ourselves, and know that we have everything we need within ourselves to get through the moment.

7. Clear Communication is Key: . . . ->

Clear communication without room for misinterpretations is crucial for success in relationships and performance. We must established clear communication without doubt about what our communication meant. In climbing, for instance, we established the same meaning for the command: “Belay is on” (which means that each of us is ready to start the climbing).

8. Move Beyond Fear: . . . ->

Fear is an unavoidable emotion, and climbing is no exception. There are moments on the wall where a hold feels sketchy, or like we are about to fall. And sometimes, we do fall. However, more often than not, fear is simply an indication that we are about to move beyond our comfort zone. In climbing, and in life, it is imperative to step beyond that fear in order to grow.

9. Climbing as Meditation: . . . ->

Climbing requires focus, concentration, confidence, immediacy, presence, and expanding beyond what you think is possible. We can think of it as a form of physical meditation. It is common for climbers to begin a climbing session ruminating over something, and end the session with an answer. Following a climbing session, we may experience increased feelings of wellbeing, a serene sense of calm, and spikes in productivity and creativity. There is always benefit in movement through mindfulness.

10. Climb to Fallure, not Failure: . . . ->

Failure and fallure are defined not by the outcomes, but rather, the mental processes behind it. In fallure, we are committed to tap our full mental and physical abilities, even if the odds of success are against us. In failure, those same odds and ambiguity causes us to mentally fail and quit (cut our losses). In rock climbing parlance, fallure is falling and failure is letting go. Put it another way, fallure is about finding and reaching our true limits, which in some instances can trump odds and bring us success.

11. Separate Probability from Consequence: . . . ->

Does this mean we should always shoot for fallure and not failure? The short answer is NO. We may weigh the cost of fallure against the probability of success.

In other words, it is best not to make decisions, purely based on odds of success, but to also include the consequences of failure. If we cannot afford the consequences of fallure, then it is better to cut our losses and live to fight another day. The wisdom lies in knowing, which option to choose.

12. Climb in the future, today: . . . ->

This connects to a powerful psychological mind trick employed by successful and visionary entrepreneurs. That trick is to imagine and believe that the future has already happened and act accordingly. This cool technique enables us to unshackle ourselves from today’s limitations and expand our creative abilities.

13. Improvement comes with practice: . . . ->

Rock climbing may be a completely new skill for us. But after a few hours of practice we will know we have made improvements, from first being apprehensive to climb higher than 4 feet to comfortably climbing almost 60 feet at the end of the session and wanting to do more. Any improvement comes after we have practiced new skills. The key is just to do it.

Climbers are fortunate to travel and experience beautiful places to practice their skill; it enriches lives and gives purpose. But, instead of just being grateful, we can take what we’ve gained from climbing—the physical outlet, the practice of a skill, the lessons in problem-solving and patience and community—and bring them into other aspects of our lives.

Climbing involves concentration and thought as well as physical exercise which helps keep us focused, clears our mind of outside worries and also builds our confidence and self-esteem, alleviating the symptoms of some mental health problems.

Content Curated By: Dr Shoury Kuttappa.

[leonwilliablog]

IS BOULDERING A GOOD SPORT FOR WOMEN?

For many decades in the past, rock climbing was a sport dominated by men. Though there have always been strong rock climbers that are women, it isn’t until the recent years that the sport has seen a greater balance between the genders.

 

This is especially true in the discipline of bouldering.

Bouldering is a rather strength-dependent activity, so individuals with lower levels of strength may shy from trying it. However, bouldering is a great sport and even a potential exercise hobby for many women.

Check out some of the best reasons why.

 

1: Women’s physique is designed to climb

Every woman’s body is unique, but the great thing about climbing is that each body type has its benefits when it comes to the sport.

Climbing is a strength-to-weight ratio, and due to the fact that women are on average lighter than men, this can be a benefit to you do a sport that is upwards against gravity.

 

That being said, it’s important to remember the importance of strength in the equation. Therefore, women who want to succeed at bouldering have to be sure to train the target muscle groups that are used in climbing, such as finger strength, arm strength, shoulder strength, and core strength. One other unique pointer is that women tend to have stronger fingers than men, which definitely comes in handy when confronted with the tiny crimps often present on boulder problems.

 

2. Toning your body

Another great aspect of climbing are the physical benefits that bouldering can have for you. Bouldering is a great sport for women who are interested in toning their muscles and physique for a number of reasons. Against common belief, you do not need big muscles to climb, but in fact agility, balance, flexibility and a good core.

Bouldering requires you to train your muscles and maintain a healthy weight if you want to be successful. Your arms, abs, and butt will especially benefit from the training that bouldering entails.

 

Additionally, if you boulder outside, you will have to hike out to the climbing area with your crash pad or climbing mat, and the extra cardio will definitely get you fitter and into shape quickly. Bouldering offers strength training and cardio activity to burn the excess calories. Hence, it’s sure to get you into excellent form and shape if you do it regularly and consistently over a period of time, that wearing any fitting bouldering pants or leggings look absolutely fantastic!

 

3. Overall Body Wellness

Aside from your muscle toning, climbing has a number of benefits for your overall wellness. In a study, it was shown that bouldering can help treat depression, suggesting that climbing has benefits not only for physical health but also mental health.

On top of that, bouldering outside means that you’ll be spending time in nature, and if you’re soaking up the sun you’ll be increasing your Vitamin D intake.

 

And of course, climbing is an example of an exercise that increases endorphins, a hormone that is beneficial for your overall health and wellness. In general, bouldering will be beneficial to your health and mental well-being.

 

4. Rock Climbing is Relational

Rock climbing, especially bouldering, is an exceptionally relational sport. Unlike running, swimming, gyming or other types of exercise, in which you may go alone or solo, climbing requires teamwork or pair work. When one is climbing, the other is belaying. In terms of bouldering, when one is attempting, another is spotting and watching.

 

For many decades in the past, rock climbing was a sport dominated by men. Though there have always been strong rock climbers that are women, it isn’t until recent years that the sport has seen a greater balance between the genders.

 

This is especially true in the discipline of bouldering.

Bouldering is a rather strength-dependent activity, so individuals with lower levels of strength may shy from trying it. However, bouldering is a great sport and even a potential exercise hobby for many women.

Check out some of the best reasons why.

 

1: Women’s physique is designed to climb

Every woman’s body is unique, but the great thing about climbing is that each body type has its benefits when it comes to the sport.

Climbing is a strength-to-weight ratio, and due to the fact that women are on average lighter than men, this can be a benefit to you doing a sport that is upwards against gravity.

 

That being said, it’s important to remember the importance of strength in the equation. Therefore, women who want to succeed at bouldering have to be sure to train the target muscle groups that are used in climbing, such as finger strength, arm strength, shoulder strength, and core strength. One other unique pointer is that women tend to have stronger fingers than men, which definitely comes in handy when confronted with the tiny crimps often present on boulder problems.

 

2. Toning your body

Another great aspect of climbing is the physical benefits that bouldering can have for you. Bouldering is a great sport for women who are interested in toning their muscles and physique for a number of reasons. Against common belief, you do not need big muscles to climb, but in fact agility, balance, flexibility, and a good core.

Bouldering requires you to train your muscles and maintain a healthy weight if you want to be successful. Your arms, abs, and butt will especially benefit from the training that bouldering entails.

 

Additionally, if you boulder outside, you will have to hike out to the climbing area with your crash pad or climbing mat, and the extra cardio will definitely get you fitter and into shape quickly. Bouldering offers strength training and cardio activity to burn excess calories. Hence, it’s sure to get you into excellent form and shape if you do it regularly and consistently over a period of time, and wearing any fitting bouldering pants or leggings looks absolutely fantastic!

 

3. Overall Body Wellness

Aside from your muscle toning, climbing has a number of benefits for your overall wellness. In a study, it was shown that bouldering can help treat depression, suggesting that climbing has benefits not only for physical health but also for mental health.

On top of that, bouldering outside means that you’ll be spending time in nature, and if you’re soaking up the sun you’ll be increasing your Vitamin D intake.

 

And of course, climbing is an example of an exercise that increases endorphins, a hormone that is beneficial for your overall health and wellness. In general, bouldering will be beneficial to your health and mental well-being.

 

4. Rock Climbing is Relational

Rock climbing, especially bouldering, is an exceptionally relational sport. Unlike running, swimming, gyming, or other types of exercise, in which you may go alone or solo, climbing requires teamwork or pair work. When one is climbing, the other is belaying. In terms of bouldering, when one is attempting, another is spotting and watching.

[rockclimbinglife]

What is Speed Climbing? All You Need to Know

What is Speed Climbing?: Speed climbing is a form of rock climbing that focuses on ascending a route as quickly as possible. It differs from traditional free climbing, which relies more on strength and technique.

While the sport has only been around for about 25 years or so, it has seen exponential growth in popularity in recent years and continues to gain new adherents all the time.

In this article, I’ll cover what exactly speed climbing is (and what it isn’t), as well as its rules, and even some of the records set by individuals in the sport.

What is Speed Climbing?

Speed climbing is a competitive form of rock climbing where climbers attempt to scale a wall as quickly as possible. The sport has its roots in France and Italy, where climbers would race each other to the top of local cliffs. In the 1990s, speed climbing began to gain popularity as a competitive sport, with the first official Speed Climbing World Cup being held in 1996.

Speed climbing requires a different strategy and approach than traditional rock climbing. For one, speed climbers use pre-set routes that are specifically designed for fast ascents. These routes typically follow a straight line up the wall, with few if any deviations. This allows climbers to move quickly and efficiently without having to stop and think about route-finding.

In addition, speed climbers use a different style of climbing called dyno climbing. Dyno climbing is a method whereby climbers use their momentum to propel themselves up the wall, rather than relying solely on their upper body strength. This technique can be used to cover large distances quickly, but it requires precision and timing to execute correctly.

Speed climbing is a relatively new sport, but it has already gained a significant following worldwide. In 2014, the first Speed Climbing World Championships were held in China, and the event continues to grow in popularity. With its fast-paced action and unique challenges, speed climbing is sure to continue to captivate climbers and spectators alike for years to come.

What Speed Climbing Isn’t…

Climbing outside on big routes for the fastest time is definitely a thing, but it has little to do with speed climbing as a sport.

Speed climbing is done in a specific setting on a specific route (yes all speed climb routes are the same no matter which gym you go to) and the race is usually over in a matter of seconds.

People ‘speed climb’ large routes at Yosemite National Park or El Cap for fun, and this has nothing to do with the Speed Climbing sport, although this sort of thing is still definitely respectable.

When Did Speed Rock Climbing Start?

Speed rock climbing is a relatively new form of climbing that has only been around since the late 1980s. It is a discipline that focuses on ascending a route as quickly as possible and has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Many competitive climbers now specialize in speed climbing, and the sport has been included in the World Cup circuit since 2002.

How Tall is the Speed Climbing Wall?

The speed climbing wall is 15 meters or 49 feet tall. Indoor climbing walls are usually around this height, plus or minus a few centimeters. There are two lanes on the wall, each three meters wide.

This speed wall climbing route is moderately difficult with an overhang (leans back) of 5 degrees, making it somewhat more difficult than a completely straight line. This is only a little overhang and prevents climbers from striking holds on the ascent or descent.

What are Autobelays in Speed Climbing?

Autobelays are devices that are used to automatically stop a climber if they fall. They are commonly used in indoor climbing gyms as a safety measure, but they can also be used in speed climbing competitions.

In a competition setting, autobelays are typically placed at the top of the route to catch climbers if they fall during their ascent. This ensures that climbers can safely push themselves to their limits without having to worry about falling and injuring themselves.

Autobelays are an important part of the speed climbing competition environment and help to make the sport safe and accessible for all.

Why Do People Speed Climb?

People speed climb for many different reasons. Some people enjoy the challenge of trying to ascend a route as quickly as possible, while others see it as a way to improve their overall climbing skills.

Additionally, people who lead climb or boulder typically enjoy speed claiming as the fundamentals are similar; you’re planning and developing the best way to get around the rock climbing problem.

Sure you’re climbing at much faster speeds, but this is a secondary thing to many climbers who simply enjoy the task of figuring out how to ‘beat’ a climb.

Can Anyone Speed Climb?

Yes, anyone can try this type of sport climb! All you need to do is find a gym with the specific climbing sport route (not necessary since you’re probably going to be doing this for fun the first time round but it would be neat to do the same route the pro’s do) and you need the gym to have an auto belay system in place so you can be safe while you climb.

Is Speed Climbing in The Olympics?

Yes! Speed Climbing was a demonstration sport at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and was officially added to the program for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The sport made its debut at the Tokyo Games with both men’s and women’s events. Additionally, there was a team event that will seen countries sending two climbers each to compete.

What Are The Speed Climbing Rules?

Speed climbing is typically done in a head-to-head format, with two climbers racing each other up the same route.

The first climber to reach the top of the furthest point on the route within a certain time limit is declared the winner. In some cases, climbers may be allowed to use their hands to assist in their ascent, but this is typically not allowed in competitive speed climbing.

There are also some differences in the rules between indoor and outdoor speed climbing. Indoor speed climbing is typically done on a 15-meter (49-foot) wall with standardized routes, while outdoor speed climbing can be done on any type of rock face.

As mentioned earlier, ‘outdoor speed climbing’ is largely done for fun – although as I said, it is still respectable.

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) is the governing body for competitive speed climbing. The IFSC sets the rules and regulations for speed climbing competitions around the world.

What is the Speed Climbing World Record?

The current climb speed world record holder for Men’s Speed Climbing is Kiromal Katibin who completed the standardized route in 5.00 seconds, beating his own previous record in this climbing sport competition by 0.04 seconds. This speed-climbing world record was achieved at the IFSC World Cup In Chamonix, France on the 8th of July 2022.

Kiromal consistently sets records after records and is one of the fastest rock climbers the sport has seen.

The current world record holder for Woman’s Speed Climbing is Aleksandra Miroslaw who achieved the world record speed climbing on the standardized route in 6.53 seconds, beating her own previous record by 0.11 seconds. This rock climbing racing record was achieved at the IFSC World Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA on the 27th of May 2022.

Just like Kiromal, Aleksandra remains to be the fastest climber in her category, constantly breaking her records in every competition she competes in.

How Fast Can People Speed Climb?

The current record for climbing the standardized route is 5.00 seconds for Men and 6.53 for Women.

Is Speed Climbing Always The Same Route?

Yes, the wall for Speed Climbing remains consistent for Olympic climbers and pros alike. Everyone can use the same holds in the same positions and know that they’ll be competing on the same route. That’s how it’s been since the first time a speed climbing route was established.

The sport began in the United States, where there were several different speed climbing routes speed climbers could solve.

However, because there wasn’t much of an organized body for speed climbing, the different routes were unified.

Since speed climbing is now being taken more seriously, since its introduction to the Olympics, I wouldn’t be surprised if the route begins to change after every Olympics appearance to ‘spice’ things up a bit and really test the climbers.

Who Set The Speed Climbing Route?

The Speed Climbing Route was set by the IFSC (International Federation of Sport Climbing). They are the body that governs competitive climbing around the world. The current route was established in 2007 by Jacky Godoffe.

What is Speed Climbing? – Summary

There you have it! Everything you need to know about Speed Climbing. It’s an intense and exhilarating sport that is sure to get your heart racing. Whether you’re a climber yourself or just a fan of the sport, be sure to check out a speed climbing competition the next time you get the chance!

The original article was posted on: https://www.rockclimbinglife.com/

[smileysuh]

these hands

🌙 staring. Johnny x afab!Reader

🔮 synopsis. on an autumn evening, your lover returns from hours spent rock climbing and missing you

cw/ tw.  hand kink, Slight daddy kink, muscle pain, massage, praise, use of body butter, body worship, fingering, squirting, dumbification, multiple orgasms, size kink, manhandling, unprotected sex, etc…

👹 rating. 18+ explicit I wc. 2.7k

🍭 aus. rock climber!Johnny, established relationship, autumn aesthetic

☀️ mlist + an. something short and sweet

It’s just around dinner when your boyfriend returns from a day spent rock climbing with friends. Stepping into the house, Johnny is met with the smell of soup, and your perfume lingers in the air when he closes his eyes to take a happy breath in. 

“Baby?” he calls, tossing his keys onto the kitchen counter. “I’m home!”

“In the bedroom!” comes your response, and your lover immediately charts a course in search of you. 

“Still in bed?” Johnny says fondly when he arrives in the doorway, eyes taking in your form. You’re wearing one of his shirts, and it makes you look so small, legs exposed-

“I’ve been up a few times,” you tell him, smiling and stretching your arms over your head, lifting your book into the air as you do so.

“And still reading poetry?” your large boyfriend approaches the bed, sitting on it and leaning over to press a kiss to your lips.

“Listen to this one,” your face lights with excitement as you flip through the pages, and Johnny waits patiently with a smile on his lips, eyes watching your hurried motions while an ache grows in his chest. “Autumn killed the summer with the softest kiss.”

“He did, did he?” Johnny hums, leaning forward again, hand cupping your jaw so he can brush his lips past your cheek.

“He did,” you confirm, throwing your book to the side in favour of wrapping your arms around Johnny’s neck, climbing into his lap, legs straddling his waist- “How was rock climbing?”

“It was alright,” he sighs, hands finding your hips to settle you against him. “It’s not the same as scaling mountains like we did all summer- but indoor climbing is part of life in the fall.” 

Although, you have seen Johnny scale things on a dare despite harsh weather conditions- and his best friend Haechan is just as bad.

“Are you hungry?” you ask, running your fingers through his dark, freshly washed hair. It’s nice when he comes home having already showered- you’ve waited for him to return all day, and your patience almost always runs out if he has to wash up when he gets back to your apartment. 

“I could eat,” Johnny says, voice low, a grin spreading over his face while his eyes dip to your lips. He pinches your chin gently, pressing his mouth to your own. “And soup can wait.”

“Johnny-” you whisper his name breathlessly when he begins to kiss your neck, lips finding your sweet spot while your nails dig into his broad shoulders.

“Yes, baby?” he hums with amusement, large palm smoothing to the small of your back and applying pressure that pulls you even closer to his chest. 

“What are you doing?” you ask, head lolling back to make room for the man pressing open mouthed kisses along your throat.

“I think you know what I’m doing,” comes his retort, as he easily flips you onto your back, hips shifting to grind down against your own. “You have no idea how much I missed you today.”

“What made today special?” 

You feel him smile against your neck. “The way you groaned about your legs hurting this morning after riding me,” Johnny says smoothly, hand gliding up and down your thigh, “Was thinking about how I wanted to work out your hot little body all over again- it was very distracting while I was with the guys.” 

“I bet…” you coo, threading your fingers through your boyfriends hair and tugging, bringing his face back up to yours. “My thighs still hurt, you know.”

Johnny hums, the sound coming from deep in his chest, and his fingers toy up and down your bare thigh. 

“Does it hurt really bad?” he teases, voice becoming a little too babyish for your liking, but you match the sentiment regardless.

“Yes, daddy, feels horrible,” you breathe, letting out a sigh and adjusting to be more comfortable while your massive boyfriend applies even more pressure down onto your form, captured between him and the mattress. 

He lets out a groan, looking into your eyes for a moment before he says, “Guess daddy better take care of you.”

Johnny sits up abruptly, and you cling to his shoulders, forcing him to lift you up as he goes. “What are you doing?” you ask, refusing to release your hold on him- you’ve been waiting for him all day, and to give him up now is simply not an option-

“Taking care of you,” your boyfriend grins at your clinginess, pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose. “Gotta grab the lotion, and then I’m going to have you lay flat so I can work out your muscles a little.”

“Right,” you nod, licking your lips, “because… because I’m so tight and hurting-”

“Yeah?” Johnny lets out something that’s part chuckle part groan, and his hands smooth up your waist, digging into your skin. “Need daddy to make it better?”

“Yes, please.”

“Gonna make you feel so good,” your boyfriend says, grabbing a fistful of your hair to pull your head back, exposing your neck to a mouth that peppers your sweet spot in kisses that have you practically buzzing-

A moan escapes you when his teeth graze by your jugular, and you swivel in his lap-

“Be patient,” Johnny tells you, as he all but tosses you back onto the bed in favour of getting up, eyes set on the bathroom where you keep a collection of lotions. “I’ll be right back.”

With a sigh, you stretch out, taking a deep breath. Your fingers find the hem of your shirt while you listen to your lover rifle through drawers, and you remove the piece of fabric, leaving you in just a pair of panties. Then you lay flat on your stomach, exhaling in relief at the stimulating feeling of air on your bare skin.

“What a view.” Johnny’s voice makes you look to the doorway of the bathroom, and you find your boyfriend standing there with a tub of shae butter body lotion in his hands.

“Shae butter?” 

Your lover presses a knee to the bed, looking down at the lotion he’s selected. “While I’d love to get out the oil and get you all nice and slick for me,” he tells you, running his fingers up the back of your leg, “last time we did that, we ruined our whole bed set. We can use body butter this time, and if you really like it,” he presses a kiss between your shoulder blades, “maybe I can get a massage table so in the future, I can really work you out.” 

A pleasured hum escapes your lips as you relax against the bed, closing your eyes. “I like the sound of that.”

“Of course you do,” you feel Johnny pull away, his legs straddling your hips, and a moment later, the sound of cream being spread across his palms makes you push your ass back- “already so eager and I’ve hardly even touched you yet.”

“I missed your hands,” you sigh, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm yourself.

“These hands?” he asks, as two warm palms covered in shae butter make contact with your shoulders, smoothing the silky substance across your skin, fingers kneading into your muscles-

You groan in pleasure, confirming yes; “These hands”

Johnny’s always had magic hands. They’re big, like the rest of him, and strong from years of rock climbing and other spots. Callouses add a texture, reminding you of how hard your lover works, and his fingers always know exactly what locations to stroke or apply pressure to-

Another moan leaves you, and it has Johnny snickering in amusement. “Does it feel that good?” he asks, continuing to work down your spine, hands smoothing across your skin almost rhythmically-

“Feels so good,” you whisper, keeping your eyes closed so you can focus on the hands that work out tension knots in your shoulders-

You’re not sure how long you lay there, Johnny’s attention fixed on your back- but after a little while, your lover shifts down your thighs more, his two large hands gliding over the rump of your ass - exposed by your thong - then back up to the small of your back-

“How about here, baby?” he asks, grabbing a fistful of your flesh again, kneading your bum with a strong grip, “does this cute little ass need some attention too?”

You groan at the feeling- “Mmm, yes please-”

Johnny chuckles at your response, and his focus turns to your ass, which he continues to massage delightfully. 

He’s quiet while working on your bum, but it doesn’t take long for you to hear a groan escape his lips, and the sound has goosebumps erupting over your skin-

Your boyfriend laughs again, removing his hands from your ass in favour of laying his body across your back. His breath teases your neck, and he noses at your ear, “You’re driving me crazy,” he tells you, as he ruts his hips, pressing his sweatpant covered cock against the groove of your bum.

“I’m just laying here,” you defend yourself with a nonchalant smile.

Johnny lets out a soft groan, and then he’s pulling away from your back, leaving you cold and in need of his warmth-

His fingers hook in your panties, and he drags them down your legs, earning a squeal of delight-

A hand gently smacks down on your ass, and your let out an even louder whine of joyful pleasure, wiggling your hips-

“God, you’re so sexy,” Johnny breathes, two hands grasping at the flesh of your bum again, spreading you out and exposing your pussy to the cool air- “And you’re fucking soaked-” he releases your ass- only to press his thumb to your clit.

You grab at the sheets, back arching slightly, toes curling at the feeling of your boyfriend working a slick thumb against your sensitive bud- 

“Johnny-”

“Yes, darling?” he asks, pushing two fingers into your core.

A whimper leaves you next, your grip on the duvet increasing while your lover begins to pump his digits into your wet heat. “Feels so good-”

“Mmm, I bet it does,” Johnny growls, “i fucked you this morning, but this pretty pussy is still pulling my fingers right in-”

“Need more-”

“More?” your boyfriend clicks his tongue, “More fingers?” he presses a third one into you and you let out a strangled whine-

“No-” you shake your head, “need your cock-”

“Really?” your core makes wet sounds with each thrust of his digits, and a desperate moan spills past your lips, “because you seem to be pretty happy with three fingers- I mean-” he laughs, “baby, you’re gushing.” 

He doesn’t care about ruining the bed anymore, doesn’t care about the patch of liquid forming between your legs- he’s too transfixed by the view of you- 

“Daddy, please-”

As much as you call him daddy as a joke, when the title slips past your lips in the heat of things, it always grabs Johnny’s attention, and hearing the desperation in your voice is enough to have your boyfriend bending to your will.

He pulls three, dripping fingers out of your core, pushing his pants down and wrapping them around his cock, which he pumps twice, enjoying the feeling of your slick coating his rock hard length- 

“Ass up, princess,” he breathes, one hand pressing into the bed next to your shoulder, while the other guides his cock between your pussy lips-

You lift your hips, pushing back and forcing his length into you. 

You both groan in unison, and Johnny releases his cock in favour of grabbing your waist, anchoring you down to the bed- “feels so good-” Johnny growls, giving a test thrust that has you both moaning louder- 

He’s always been a fan of positions where he’s behind you. He likes having full control, and the way your ass bounces in doggy is definitely a favourite of his- but with you laying flat on your stomach, legs pressed together, ass arched up and waiting for him- god, you’ve never felt better.

Your velvety walls envelope his length, taking every inch- and Johnny can feel the tip of his cock hitting into a spot that has you grasping at the streets, pleasured gasps tumbling past your lips-

“You like that, huh?” he asks, flattening himself against your back. “So small- letting me rail you like this-” The sound of his hips hitting your ass is downright sinful, as skin on skin always is, and it eggs Johnny on even more. “Fuck princess, you’re still dripping-” 

It’s true, each thrust has your boyfriends cock coated in your juices, and they’re starting to drip down to his balls-

“John-” 

“Going to cum already?” he asks in surprise, fingers digging into your hip as your pussy throbs around him. 

You can’t even speak- and it makes Johnny smile when the most you can do is whine dumbly- fists balled up in the blankets-

“Cum for me baby, I wanna feel you,” he urges, lips finding your shoulders. “Come on, let me hear those pretty moans- cum on my cock-”

Your core clamps down onto his thick length, and you practically scream into the duvet, body convulsing with pleasure even as it’s held down by the large man who continues to thrust his hips into you, riding out your orgasm with a ferocity that has you nearly twitching from the stimulus.

“There’s my good girl,” his breath is hot against your shoulders- “God, you feel so good- so good-”

Your orgasm is dying down- but from the pace of Johnny’s hips, you can tell his is just starting to build, and you adjust you grip on the sheets, preparing for another high that you know he’s going to tear out of you-

“That’s it baby,” your boyfriend praises you, pulling away from your back- then two hands encircle your waist, “up on your knees for me.”

You’ve been in doggy plenty of times, but doing this position with your legs closed, knees together, brings a whole new level of pleasure that you’d not been expecting-

A hand finds the back of your neck, pushing your face into the bed-

God, you love it when he suffocates you in sheets-

“Fuck-” your boyfriend pulls you up, forcing you into a kneeling position while he continues fucking into you- one of his hands criss crosses over your chest, grasping onto your breast, while the other slips between your legs, adept fingers searching out your clit-

“Johnny-” you whine his name loudly, leaning back against the man who plays with your body like his favourite instrument, and he’s intent on working you into a crescendo-

“Can you give me another one?” he asks breathlessly, lips sloppy on your shoulder-

“Yes-” you reach behind yourself, lacing your fingers through his hair, “yes, yes-”

Your boyfriend groans loudly, squeezing your breast in his large hand, callouses brushing by your nipple while his digits circle your clit-

“Holy-” you can’t even finish your sentence, your orgasm slamming into you and making you an incoherent mess, body wracked with waves of pleasure-

Johnny buries his face in your neck, moaning deeply while his fingers dig into your hips, holding you still while he slams his cock into your wet hole-

“Fuck-” he groans, hips snapping to ride out your orgasms while you claw at his scalp-

His pace slows, and he buries his cock in your core, wrapping his arms around your body and squeezing, capturing you in his warmth and a feeling of love that sends tingles from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes.

“God,” Johnny groans when your pussy throbs around him, “you feel so fucking good, you have no idea.”

“Thank you for giving me a massage,” you breathe, smoothing your fingers up and down the forearm pressed across your stomach, and you wiggle back against his chest, snuggling in more-

Your boyfriend lets out another moan, head lolling forward, allowing you to turn and press kisses to his jaw-

“I love you so much it’s not even funny,” Johnny sighs.

“Love’s not supposed to be funny,” you remind your comedically inclined boyfriend.

He groans, holding you tighter, “stop being so cute.”

“Never.” 

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