Bloc Shop: Expansion Mode

Bloc Shop delivered an early Christmas gift to eager climbers last week by completing a new extension ahead of schedule. 

Originally slated to open in the new year,  Bloc Shop's now 20 000 square foot facility can boast to being the largest bouldering gym in Canada, welcoming hundreds of climbers-from newbies to seasoned pros-every day.

I popped by a couple of weeks back to document the in-progress action.

Kyle (right) from Flashed and Yan (left) get some crash mat making done.

Nathan Leblanc-Limoges' second addition to Bloc Shop's walls is a painstaking effort with a ballpoint pen inspired by art historical imagery.

Artist buddy Kevin Ledo recreates his Wynwood, Miami portrait of his grandmother "Vavo, the Montreal OG"

Yoris gets the first climb

Two out of the four Bloc Shop partners Cloé and Fred kindly pause for a picture amidst their race to completion.

I stopped in again for a quick session after the new section had opened and the place was packed and bumping.  Good times were had as I tackled some problems over and over and over and over again!

Tour de Bloc - New Kid on the Bloc

climber: Karine Gervais

In November Bloc Shop hosted a competition in the 12th season of Tour de Bloc's Canadian bouldering series' eastern division.  Yours truly was asked to capture the very photogenic sport-for my first time ever.  Taking up the task, I contacted seasoned climbing photographer François Lebeau for some sensei-like advice.  Over omelettes at Brooklyn Label Lebeau and I discussed lighting situations, shooting etiquettes and PocketWizards, filling my head with trepidation and antici...pation. 

 climber L: Florent Balsez R: Eveline Lapierre

climber: Sue Brumm

 climber: Marc-Antoine Vigneault

 climber: Clarrie Lam

climber: Ayo Sopeju

climber: Florent Balsez

While I had a couple of technical difficulties, I am pleased to say that I got a chalk-covered handful of images I was happy with. Whoo! Check out the whole series on Bloc Shop's Facebook page.

BLOC SHOP

Like beasts rising in the dark, I had a chance to see the massive inclining Walltopia walls of Bloc Shop take shape. Montreal's newest bouldering gym is getting ready to reveal its 10 000 sq.ft. (!!) home to eager climbers jonesing to test out the brainchild and passion project of climbing machines Nic Charron, Fred Charron, and Cloé Legault and Les Trois Petits Bouchons restaurateur Michel Charette.  Holy moly, I think I'm going to dust my climbing shoes off.

Stylist and marketing guru Cloé Legault gave me a tour of the facility and explained the ethos behind the gym.

"We wanted to build a gym like no other. A gym where bouldering would be accessible to all [skill] levels. A place that offers athlete management for everyone, whatever their needs, from the beginner to the top level athlete."

Ok, sounds great, but how does that fit into practice for a lowly V0/V1 sometimes-climber like me?  Legault explained that the gym's walls would be divided into twenty sections, which would each contain the whole gamut of levels. Therefore I would have twenty beginner routes to work on before the monthly reset.  What?! Ambitious! I visualized putting on my little velcro shoes....chalk on my hands...

Atmosphere and vibe is a key focus for the Bloc Shop crew: art is very present with walls by Nathan Leblanc-limoges (above), Astro (below) and the ubiquitous Jason Botkin (in progress!)  A lounge area and food/beverage counter will also be in place so chilling, refuelling and communing are as much part of the space as you hitting the training wall.  More from Legault:

"[We want to build] a gym for the community where the people belong; where you can grab a coffee or a fresh green juice and access the best climbing and training experience there is."

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Great, sign me up! Bloc Shop's opening competition and party is a fundraiser for Fondation Bouldering Montréal, a non-profit organization that will fund the training of a junior team of next generation climbers.  So join in the fray on or off the walls- take part in the comp or gawk and marvel at the elite boulderers' skills while you chow down on some food and booze truck deliciousness.
July 5th, be there, more info here and here.

Ton Sai, TH

Care to guess what was asked to me the most when I mentioned I was going to Thailand?

"You're gonna go climbing right?"

Ummm, yeah?  How could I not?!  While I haven't exactly climbed regularly in a while, that climbing bug was still nestled within my bones (at least to top rope that is!)  So off to Ton Sai we went.

Upon arrival you could see why many climbers decide to spend months in the area, there are many many many many gorgeous limestone walls/crags within the Tonsai/Railay/Phra Nang beach/bays area, and very accessible by foot.  The above image was taken right from the beach.  Also visible in the above shot is a lookout platform, see that yellow arrow? Yeah right there.  Accessible by one giant bamboo ladder and one sketchy rusted out metal one.  Admission: I'm kind of scared of ladders.  But I'm a sucker for a great photo op, so up I went.

looking down from the platform, stalactites galore

While I was up there and slightly fearful of the platform's stability, Mikel came scampering up like a billy goat-no problem.  We chatted for a bit and I admired his tattoos.  I exclaimed "It's Guernica!" to which he replied- "Yes, I am Basque." Mikel told me he got his piece done during travels in Edinburgh, Germany and Indonesia.  I said the art recalled to mind a French tattoo artist and he completed my sentence saying: "your meat is mine? Yes, I'd like to get a tattoo by him as well."  Small world.

I leave you with images of  the dramatic tide coming in at Ton Sai bay

En Mouvement

Is there anything more poetic and super awesome to view than the human body in motion?
Ok, natural vistas are pretty spectacular too, but we'll save that for another time.  For this post it is the feats and force of the body that makes me go "wow" and trust me when I say I get very emotional when the Olympics come around.

I was so, so stoked to have seen Compagnie Marie Chouinard's Henri Michaux: Movements, during the CINARS Biennale.  Chouinard is seen above explaining concept: dancers follow Michaux's illustrated figures from his 1952 book, as if it were transcribed choreography.  It was kinetic, wild and exhilarating.  Watch a clip here.

Bang! Bang!

Cirquantique's Bang! Bang! Cabaret Prohibition featured plenty of saucy and sexy burlesque and circus oriented feats.  Arial work always impresses!  Above (literally!) on the corde lisse is Lili la terreur.

More from Bang! Bang! Melodie Martin Couture on the fixed trapeze

And finally if you wanted to have inspiration for getting buff/ripped/jacked, while yelling your lungs out and having sweaty palms all in one evening, then Tour de Bloc is for you.  We watched with bated breath as the men and women of Canada's bouldering elite conquered plastic at Allez-Up, (who was showing off their new facilities.)  In the foreground: Marine Cusa and in the background Cloé Legault.

Phew...I'm pooped now.

Redpath Silos x Allez-Up

Not too long ago I got to peek at a transformation taking place in the sud-ouest.  The historic Redpath Silos are birthing to the newest incarnation of the Allez-Up climbing gym in a mere few weeks.

The new facility is the white addition which measures about 55 feet in height is nestled in between the four silos.

 Walls by Walltopia taking shape in the dark

The skeleton of the lead wall (which is nearing completion), the gym's come a long way since 2x4s...

 On top of the roof! A look at the Nordelec, Allez-Up's former location

 Oh man, and the view!  An awesome vantage point of the downtown skyline.

 Looking up close at the massive PBW tag, can I even call it a tag? It's huge!

Looking out from inside on top of the silos

Want some more? Can't get enough? Here's a video by François Lebeau about the transformation.

Les Silos Allez UP from Allez Up on Vimeo.