Online communities and socialising in person
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Online communities and socialising in person

Byrichard

Online communities and socialising in person can be a challenge for people. Either they are shy, lacking the courage to meet with strangers and start a conversation or they are introverts, interested in being in a group but not necessarily to participate in the conversations. The question was “how to go to a glocals meeting when you are really shy ?”. This applies to couchsurfing hangouts, Google+ events, Pokemon Go meetups, slow ups, critical mass and more.

Everyone is shy, that’s why they participate with a friend or more.

Both of these present a challenge. As a shy person you want to go but you do not want to go alone. We see that almost everyone is in that situation. We see it by the number of people who do activities with a friend rather than alone. We see this when socialising in cities, on hikes, during climbing events, canyoning and doing other sports. You see it in the pre-event comments, “my friend and I”, “my girlfriend and I”, “my spouse and I” and more. You see that the difference between a shy person at an event and a courageous one is whether they have a friend to go with them. If they were alone they would not participate. ;-). That notion that people overcome their shyness is a moderate farce.

Passion makes you outgoing

As it fits neither in to shyness nor introversion I feel that passion is very important when you are looking for people to do things with. If you are shy then meeting people for the sake of meeting people will not work. It is hard to overcome shyness without passion. Introversion benefits from passion too. The better you know a topic the more outgoing you will be, the easier it will be to block out shyness. An introvert following his passion hides his introversion very well.

Socialising as an introvert

When I was new to a community like Glocals I tried going to city based social events where there could be drinking and within two or three events I found the experience so dull and uninteresting that I haven’t been again. As an introvert I found that the best events were those to do with sports. Canyoning was one but so where white river rafting, rock climbing both indoors and outdoors, via ferrata, hiking and other activities. I found that I love participating in extreme sports rather than sedentary ones. Throughout the activity you can walk at the same speed as someone else and socialise or you can walk at your own speed and day dream, take pictures or just enjoy the experience.

The active introvert

 

I would encourage all shy people to participate in fun and active events. I want to see more shy single people come to try rock climbing, via ferrata and other sports. The advantage of these activities is that as a shy individual or an introvert you are pushed to interact with people for the purpose of the activity. At the beginning of the day you knew no one but by the end of it you have met a few new people and so friendships can progress as you participate at future events. In effect you were shy the first time but six weeks later you may be a core member. Don’t waste time “overcoming” your shyness at events with alcohol. Overcome your shyness overcoming your fear of jumping from 11m in to a small rock pool.

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Getting Up Getu – some impressive shots

Byrichard

Getting up Getu is short documentary climbing video about Alex Honnold and Felipe Camargo climbing a beautiful roof climb. The most spectacular aspect of this video is the size of the arch that they are climbing. In two or three shots you see the size of the rock formations compared to the climbers. The people look tiny.

The rock formations that droop down from the ceiling look interesting. The climbing at this location ranges from 5a to 9c according to one source I skimmed through. There are 250 routes to choose from so this is ideal for a great number of climbers. This was the 2011 location for the Pezl Roctrip.

Getu looks like a beautiful area in china with interesting rock formations, arches and much more. The video below provides you with a glimpse of what else there is to see in this region. It is in the Guizhou province of china and the nearby city is Anshun.

from Ryan Deboodt on Vimeo.

It’s kind of like one big double-edged Jian. On the one hand, the country is somewhat of a political and economic threat to the United States and our international prosperity. But on the other, it has the Getu Valley, a dramatic stomping ground of limestone cliffs and arch formations that promise to enrapture even the most seasoned spidermen and monkey boys.

Source: Travelmint.com

According to a CNN article climbers have been enjoying this location for generations. As I explored this topic further, to find video or more detailed information I came across this:

Dangling from slippery cave walls 100 meters up from the floor below, Luo Dengping maneuvers across the steep rocks and crags in a dramatic high-wire climbing act to the amazement of spectators below.

Luo, known locally as “Spiderwoman”, is the only female member of a troupe of climbers who entertain visitors to the Getu River Scenic area in Guizhou, with their death-defying acts of high-altitude bravery on a daily basis. Source

If I find some videos of traditional climbing from this site I will share them at a later date.

 

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Playing Ingress and Pokemon Go in parallel

Byrichard

People are playing Ingress and Pokemon Go in Parallel. Both games use the same geo-located points and walk the same routes. They have the same places to farm and combat. I started playing Ingress again, but only a few minutes here and there. As I play I see new faces and new people at Ingress portals. They are no longer my age or older. They are much younger, in their teens.

Yesterday as the neighbours were having a party I decided to take advantage of the excuse to go out and play Ingress. I went to the four or five portals in my village. At the village church I saw a youth drive up to it on a scooter, farm via the Pokemon Go layer and then leave. Nothing changed on the Ingress layer. No damaged resonators, no upgrades.

I like that people can play two entirely different games at the same location. I see this as the future of geo-located games. I see this as the next wave. The physical world provides the location and then the layer (or game) provides the user interface, the virtual world we interact with. With imagination more and more layers can be added. This will provide people with choice.

The next step is smartwatches and augmented reality goggles. Those who have played Ingress intensively know where all the portals are so they can put their phone away when walking from point to point. The same is probably true of Pokemon Go players. One person wrote that he uses his smartwatch to farm when walking around. Imagine if Google Glass had come out now. If it had come out now, with the Pokemon Go craze people would buy them.

At the moment to play pokemon Go and Ingress you walk in a position, that given time, will turn us in to hunchbacks. Rather than being from manual work in a field or a coal mine it will be from walking staring at a phone. I write this with a certain sense of humour. The market for Augmented reality goggles is ripe. Device manufacturers should grab this opportunity while it lasts.

Lead climbing in to the Sunset

Byrichard

Last night I was lead climbing in to the sunset, outdoors, for the third time this year. The experience was interesting. Although I am comfortable lead climbing up to 6a indoors I am less confident when climbing outdoors. The challenges you face outdoors are that you’re looking for bits of rock that you feel secure using rather than a specific coloured hand or foot hold like you do when climbing indoors.

Yesterday I managed to lead climb two routes and I am happy with that. I am getting to grips with placing quick draws as I climb and securing myself. I also have the opportunity to practice threading once at the top, to come back down. On the first route I threaded. On the second route I set it up for top roping.

When I got to the top of the second route the sunset was getting towards its peak but I had no camera to take a picture with. The experience was nice because you start at the foot of the cliff, hidden by trees. As you climb you go through the canopy and get above it to see the sky and undulating wooded landscape. This particular route has you scrambling over a tree to get to the top and there is a nice ledge. Threading is easy when you can stand.

The climbing site is St Loup. It is about twenty minutes from lausanne and is easy to get to in the evening after work if you live near Lausanne. The parking has enough space for about ten cars and you have to walk for about ten minutes before you arrive at the climbing walls. Some of the climbs are labelled with their name. With a guide book you can identify the routes and determine the difficulty.

I apologise for having no pictures from this day of climbing. As we were an even number of people there was no standing around and waiting.

 

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Networking around Pokemon Go

Byrichard

Networking around Pokemon Go is less interesting now that everyone plays the game. I have heard non geeks talk about Pokemon Go. They spoke about the large crowds that are staring at their phones in places like Ouchy. The value of social movements is to be part of a small, passionate group of players where the community is large enough to be fun but not so large as to become mundane.

With a game like Ingress players were more sparsely distributed. When we met other players there was an immediate connection because we were few and far between. You would walk around certain cities and villages and you would not spot other players for hours of game play. When you met another player you wanted to meet, you wanted to interact.

Communities are fun when they are small. Pokemon Go has risen in popularity at such a rate that old social networks may be privilieged over new ones.

I was at the Chateau de Prangins a few days ago playing ingress for a short period of time raising the level of Ingress portals. During this time I saw at least 5-10 adolescent boys playing Pokemon Go, walking and running around the park.

Pokemon Go is like alcohol or snowboarding. As everyone plays the game the opportunity to create new social groups is reduced. Why mix with new people when your core group of friends is already playing?

The Facebook, telegram, slack and Google Hangout groups are alive and well this summer so people are connecting with new people. Although a new network of people is forming around this game I feel that it is hindered by the popularity of the game. Introverts can connect online via these groups, Meeting new people face to face may not be as comfortable due to the large crowds.

It’s great that a location based game is encouraging people to run around while staring at their phones. Phone screen replacement companies are very happy with the increase in demand for their skills and external battery sales are going up. Prices are going to go down and innovation is going to go up. If you’re an introvert, bad at small talk, then Pokemon Go has reached its peak usefulness and you can revert to other less popular activities. You can skip the craze.

 

A fear of mountain trails – a healthy concern
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A fear of mountain trails – a healthy concern

Byrichard

In Switzerland you grow up walking on mountain paths that are narrow and steep. One one side you have the mountain and on the other you have a steep slope. I remember having a fear of mountain trails once or twice in the German part of Switzerland. I think it was in Kandersteg. You walk along a path high above a lake. If you fall and slip in the grass then you may be unable to stop. You could fall off the cliff. Fear or concern are normal in such circumstances.

A week ago we went climbing as a group of friends in the Jura near Vallorbe. One person was scared. I was not there to witness this person’s fear but a year ago I did accompany someone who was afraid. I slowed down to that person’s speed and provided a hand when needed. I also provided moral support. These trails are an integral part of Via Ferrata. When I was still a child I did slide on the way up to La Dole but stopped within metres of where I fell. I climbed back up with no problem. Ironically last week someone did slip when we were walking back at night. He did not slide far. Luckily the person who was afraid missed this incident.

If you want to do the Via Ferrata du Rocher de Naye you walk on narrow trails with a steep drop on one side. Experience keeps us sure-footed. Experience tells us that if we do slip or fall we can recover. We know how to avoid slipping and falling in the first place.

The reality of the mountains is that we do hear of people slipping and sliding to their deaths when hiking in the mountains. In summer the stories of people killed by avalanches are replaced by the stories of older hikers sliding to their deaths. The dangers and threat are real and it is for this reason that experienced hikers need to help less experienced hikers. We need to keep those we are with both safe and comfortable. If they are uncomfortable we must turn around and find a more appropriate route.

When you complete the Rocher de Naye Via Ferrata you can either go down with the train or you can hike down via this route. This route takes you via a scree field where rocks are loose. You could slip and slide or you could loosen rocks that hit people below you.

Either you can walk up to the Tour D’aï or you can enjoy the Via Ferrata. If you enjoy the via ferrata you must keep in mind that you are walking down an alpine trail to get back. These are marked by the blue and white trail markers. There is a sheer drop to the side of this trail. Wearing the right shoes and being sure-footed is key. The landscape is beautiful from this vantage point but experience is key to staying safe.

 

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Bouldering as an art form

Byrichard

I see Bouldering as an art form. By watching people climb you see that they have learned to use their bodies as well as the environment to get any mechanical advantage they can find. In some cases it requires the use of a leg wedged in to a space. In other situations it involves hanging upside down and in yet another context it requires leaping and hoping to grab the next hand hold.

The video above demonstrates the beauty of bouldering. It would be easy just to show the three seconds when the person completes the move but to keep the exploration available, to show the trial and error provides us with a deep understanding of just what is required to complete certain moves.

You can watch to see where they place their feet to prepare, how they prepare their legs to provide that boost of energy, how they switch from one hand to the other and how they use limbs to get the required mechanical advantage.

You see people arrive at one hold hanging upside down, let go with their feet, swing their body around and then stabilise that position. Imagine the strength and agility required for those moves. Three minutes in to this video you see a French athlete lean his body against the wall and swing his left arm around and up to grab hold of the next hand hold. They demonstrate great skill and mastery.

When I watch these videos my desire to become as good as them increases and it encourages me to experiment more, to take advantage of the lessons that I am being taught by watching these videos. As a climbing friend says “we are all here teaching each other to climb”. This exchange occurs because we have different levels of skill, adrenaline and body size and shape. Climbing is a collaborative effort.

Rock climbing foot holds

Byrichard

Rock climbing is a full body workout and in practice you can do whatever works best for you. Knowing how to use your arms and legs is important but so is knowing how to place your feet. We know that sometimes to go up we must look down to where there is an opportunity to push up from. What we are less likely to do is use the heel rather than the front of the foot for a foot hold.

When I was climbing this weekend I found that if I used the front of the climbing shoe I would slip. The person belaying me was giving instructions so I followed them. When I turned around and looked down though I saw that the person was giving instructions to someone else. I made the mistake of assuming that I was the one receiving directions. I benefited anyway. I tried different footholds and it worked. I felt safe and comfortable using my heel rather than the front of the foot. It was stable.

I mention this because in Villars sur Ollon at the IFSC Climbing World Cup you can often see climbers extend their leg horizontally and use the wall as a pressure point despite there being no foot holds.

In the second video produced by another person we see how hips can be used to counter balance movements and make reaching for hand holds easier. This is a technique I will need to practice in the climbing gym on the overhanging 6a routes. I know that I can do them but my fear of falling and my lack of trust that I have the strength limit me. If I practice this technique then I will climb to a higher standard.

Youtube videos are an excellent way of practicing skills and getting to the next level. There is always something new to learn, something that will make climbing less strenuous. This is a positive aspect of having a low barrier to entry for video content.

Critical Mass in Geneva

Byrichard

For those who like to cycle in a group of people there is a critical mass event organised for the 29th of August from 1830 onwards in Geneva. The meeting point is the île Rousseau. From there they will cycle around the city of Geneva. At the moment of writing this post the weather is meant to be good with sun and 29°c.

When I cycled with a group of people in London I had fun. I found that the city of London was much smaller than I had thought. If you don’t know a city it is an opportunity to discover new cycling routes and if you do know the city it is an opportunity to meet new people.

The group cycles at a speed that is comfortable for everyone. Those who are confident have time to stop and take pictures or place ingress and Pokemon Go and those who are not as fast are not abandoned.

Although not a critical mass bike ride when I met with a group to cycle in Geneva we travelled about 40km. The advantage that I have when I cycle in and around Geneva is that the landscape is flat compared to where I cycle in the countryside.

Geneva has bike and bus lanes in the centre and when you get out of the centre you have cycle paths that are separate from road traffic and pedestrian traffic. When youn get to the Geneva countryside the roads are relatively quiet so you do not have to worry about cycling in traffic.

There is a critical mass cycling app to make finding the group easier if you meet the group after it has started cycling.

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“Superhuman” Climbers

Byrichard

A few days ago the Rio Paralympics “We’re The Superhumans” video popped in to my newsfeed on Facebook and I eventually watched it. The moment that most impressed me is the olympic athlete climbing 2 minutes 20 in. He is dynamic in his climbing technique despite not having any hands. As a climber those two or three shots impressed me and it encouraged me to look for more such climbing videos. They are interesting. It is nice to see climbers take their passion to the next level.

I often think that climbing is a mental game. Most of us have to overcome our fear of heights and we need to learn to read the climbing wall, hand holds and foot holds to climb up as elegantly as possible and without getting tired. Overcoming that fear of heights takes exposure. The more you climb the more you get to grips with the feeling of being high off the ground. You also learn to trust yourself and your equipment. That trust allows you to see opportunities and use them. David Bowes was injured in a road traffic accident while commuting one day. In the clip below he says that despite not always enjoying the moments when he is climbing he always feels better when he gets home and that this is why he climbs.

In the third video we see that climbing is not limited to people who want to become world class athletes. We see that climbing is for people who simply want to work on their self confidence. They overcome their disabilities, feel pride and build their confidence. Every one of us gains by climbing.

We see that some people climb with prosthetics and that others are climbing using just their arms. In other cases people are using artificial limbs to get up the wall. We see that some people with one arm lever their body in to a stable position that lasts just long enough to let go of one hand hold and grab on to the next one. It is enjoyable to see how much ingenuity goes in to climbing.

As we see in the final video some groups want to provide people with the opportunity to climb at least once and to reach the top of the wall. Whether they become passionate about the sport or not is not what matters. What matters is that they get a sense of accomplishment, of setting and reaching that goal. These videos are empowering as we see that anyone with