MAN YOGA [New Mixed Route on the Stanley Headwall]

MAN YOGA [New Mixed Route on the Stanley Headwall] from Joshua Lavigne on Vimeo.

On November 13th Jonny Simms and Jon Walsh freed their new mixed route on the Stanley Headwall, for the second time. Two days previous they had climbed the route, freeing every pitch for the first all free ascent. In tow they hauled 250 metres of rope, which they fixed so that I could jug and film the second ascent.

The boys did not disappoint, scratching there way up their rockies test piece in style, they sent the route again with no falls. Their commitment and enthusiasm is obvious while climbing and while talking about the route over drinks.

You can read a full account of the ascent on Jon Walsh's blog (alpine style.ca). Check it out, a great story and some inspiring photos.

From Jon Walsh's Blog; a definition of Man Yoga.

Man Yoga (n): may involve scratching around, getting pumped mentally and physically above natural protection on sometimes questionable rock, while searching for passage up steep virgin terrain, often a mix of rock, ice. Man yoga involves commitment, digging deep, and on-sighting in back-country situations. It could also involve scrubbing dirt off boulders or cliffs in full conditions, and / or ducking Roman Candle shots fired by your belayer, arms locked off with poor feet, beyond protection, while engaged in the crux sequence. Etc., etc.. The term was coined by Jonny Simms several years ago while we were putting up the route Drama Queen - also on the Stanley Headwall, and has since been stuck in our vocabulary, and frequently used when making climbing plans or generally talking about climbing. It has also been applied to steep skiing situations such as billy-goating down steep, scary snow faces, or just long full value runs in no fall zones, that require skill, tenacity, and a calm confident head to shred. i.e.: "Let's go do some Man Yoga…" Man Yoga is not limited to men - women can do it too, although it's far less common to see a women engaging in advanced man yoga, although fortunately, their numbers are indeed growing.