I’ve started working on GViz full time. The programming tasks are in the adept hands of Angelmapper and hopefully I can soon strike a deal with a talented character artist as well.

After sitting 8 hours in front of the UDK, I uncharacteristically enjoy some sport-like activities: 20 minutes on the exercise bike (sometimes spinning it) and 20 minutes of Powerballing for some forearm strength are preparations for the main event: the Sunday morning indoor bouldering.

I tried wall climbing after seeing the Mission Impossible 2 trailer back in 2000, and I fell in love with it instantly. (In spite that it was a small and dirty place, a cellar of a smokey bar.) I had no proper shoes or chalk, but I enjoyed every minute arsing around. I stopped going there when they closed the place a year later.

In 2004 the topic of bouldering came up and several coworkers expressed an interest in this great exercise. We found a newly built, clean, big place, so half the team started to go climbing after work.

Bouldering is fun when you do it, but 10x more fun when you do it with friends. I was very enthusiastic, I got carried away on several occasions and did stunts I shouldn’t have. The last straw(s) which broke the camel’s back were the stupid “who can hang on three/two/one fingers the longest” contests. Those really screwed up my fingers, they hurt for months and after that pain came back at the faintest hint of stress. I thought that that’s it, I f.cked up my chance to do the only sport I was ever interested in (well, aside of skiing).

A few months ago my brother asked if I wanted to climb again. I told him that I do want to climb (I literally dream about it from time to time) but I’m not sure if my fingers can take it.
I gave it a try and so far it seems to be working. I’m taking this slow and easy (that’s the only reason why my newbie bro is better at this already!), but it doesn’t degrades the fun.

It’s both a mental and a physical exercise: You have to plan the route you want to climb. By looking at the wall you explore different options, in your mind you do the moves which lead to the goal. This is crucial step before you jump on the wall, forget the plan and focus solely on not falling.