Climb Singapore

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climb singapore

A Cli mb in g G u id e Of Sin g ap o re

t h e c l i m b e r ’s h a n d b o o k

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climb.singapore --- the climber’s handbook

Bolted Route

Anchor Point

Requires Natural Protection

Anchor with Abseil Point

Risky Climb

Abseil Point Only

Recommended Climb

6


History

about this book

About This Book

about this book

In the past decade, rock climbing has been swept away from the vaults of

SMF

alternative thrill seekers into the hands of the masses. Sport climbing, in particular, has witnessed the greatest development and social acceptance, significantly more than any other extreme sporting discipline.

SNCS

In 1992, the first National Championship attracted just a handful of participants. Fast-forward to 2010, and events like Climb On! Singapore easily demonstrates the growing popularity of the sport. The event attracted nearly 1000 participants

ASC

from the region, making it probably the biggest climbing event in Asia. Schools, clubs and even religious institutions have since been caught in a rush to develop their own programmes and build their own climbing walls, especially

APC

after the introduction of the National Schools Sport Climbing Championships in 2008.

Tips

Climb Singapore was first published in 2002, specifically to address documentation that has been sorely lacking. It is the first and only publication to document the history, access information and grades of climbing routes Equipment

in Singapore. In addition, it also serves as easy reference material for Sport Climbing courses. This second edition contains updated route information and address changes to the Singapore National Climbing Standards (SNCS)

Dairy Farm

programme that was made in 2010. This second edition of Climb Singapore comprises three parts: The first covers the history of rock climbing in Singapore. The second part covers the SNCS syllabus and technical tips on climbing safety. The final section of the book

Sing Seng

serves as a climbing guidebook with access information and grades for the climbs in Dairy Farm Quarry and Sing Seng Quarry. This book attempts to fill an information vacuum. However, it is by no means an exhaustive account of rock climbing in Singapore. We’ve tried to capture team if you feel that the historical accounts or route information have been misrepresented. Cheers, Climb Asia 7

Climbing Walls

Hindhede

the essence of the sport as we know it. Please contact the Climb Asia editorial


climb.singapore --- the climber’s handbook

singapore national

climbing standards Introduction to SNCS The sport of climbing started in Singapore around mid to late 1980s with self-taught climbers exploring the cliffs of Dairy Farm Quarry. In 1989, the first permanent artificial climbing wall was built in SAFRA Tampines, followed by the introduction of the national climbing competition series, which is now a significant national climbing event in our annual climbing calendar. This sport is now growing rapidly in Singapore, with increasingly more people taking up climbing and many climbing walls being installed in schools and premises of uniform organisations. However, for the past decade, due to the fact that the sport was relatively young both nationally and internationally, we did not have any national climbing standards or guidelines in place to help steer the sport. For the sport to develop and progress with safety and performance standards maintained at the highest possible level, the Singapore Mountaineering Federation initiated Project TOP OUT in 1996 to set national standards and guidelines for the sport of climbing. Project TOP OUT committee drew upon the efforts (or creativity, if that is what brain juice refers to) and experience of both SMF officials and experienced climbing instructors: Alvin Yong (Chairman), Anthony Seah, Mohd Amir Moostafa and Lim Kim Boon. The SMF also engaged the professional service of Ms Anne Palmer, a NZ UIAGM mountain guide/climbing instructor/assessor as its Specialist Technical Consultant.

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Hindhede

Sing Seng

Dairy Farm

Equipment

Tips

APC

ASC

SNCS

SMF

History

Chew Wei Chieh

21

About This Book

singapore national

Climbing Walls

climbing standards


climb.singapore --- the climber’s handbook

climbing in

singapore 60


SNCS

SMF

History

The island of Singapore is an urban jungle and rock scarce. That’s why climbers in Singapore spend more than 90% of their time climbing or bouldering at artificial climbing walls. Nevertheless, there are a few “natural” climbing areas in the hills bordering Bukit Timah Nature Reserve which offer climbers in Singapore the real-rock experience, although at a small scale. Among them, Dairy Farm and Hindhede, are abandoned granite quarries which climbers discovered in the 1980s.

About This Book

climbing in

singapore

ASC

Dairy Farm Quarry is the most popular of these natural climbing areas and you could probably bump into a good portion of the Singaporean climbing community there on an average weekend. Hindhede Quarry used to be an

APC

established climbing area, but has been declared off limits to the public since 1997. Hindhede has not been frequented by climbers for years due to the rising water level in the quarry, which saw to the end of the majority of climbing routes

Tips

at the base area. We hope that our documentation of the climbing routes and

Dairy Farm

Equipment

history will bring about its reopening as a natural climbing venue.

Sing Seng

DairyÊFarmÊQuarry HindhedeÊQuarry SingÊSengÊQuarry

BukitÊTimahÊRoad BukitÊTimahÊExpresswayÊ(BKE)

61

Climbing Walls

Hindhede

PanÊIslandÊExpresswayÊ(PIE)


climb.singapore --- the climber’s handbook

dairy farm:

american pie

Towards ABCD

7a+

4b 6c+

5c

7b

7a

82


History

dairy farm: american pie section

About This Book

climbing in

singapore

1. Art of Noise (5.6/4b) -- 20m -- Natural Protecton -- F.A. David Lim, Tang Wing Fatt, 1992 The route veers towards ABCD section after Turtle and goes up

SMF

to the top of the crag.

2. The Little Mermaid (5.11c/6c+) SNCS

-- 20m -- 8 bolts -- F.A. Mohd Halil, 1998 Created by Mohd Halil, Shannon Tham, 1998

3. Rain Maker (5.12a/7a+) ASC

-- 20m -- 7 bolts -- F.A. Christian Venetz, 1998 Created by Christian Venetz, Mohd Halil, 1998

4. American Pie (5.10a/5c) APC

-- 20m -- 5 bolts -- Created & F.A. Peter Terbush, Scottie Nelson Another harder variant (6b+), is to climb on the face and avoid the corner on the right.

5. French Controversy (5.11d/7a) Tips

-- 6m -- 2 bolts Created by Alain Silver

Equipment

6. Super Crack (5.12b/7b)

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Climbing Walls

Hindhede

Sing Seng

Dairy Farm

-- 20m -- Natural Protection -- F.A. Christian Venetz, 1998


climb.singapore --- the climber’s handbook

Rock climbing has been swept away from the vaults of the alternative thrill seekers into the hands of the masses. The first edition of this book aimed to document critical information and history that was in danger of being lost forever. This second edition has been updated with the recent improvements to the Singapore National Climbing Standards syllabus and curriculum. Inside, you will find course materials for the Sport Climbing Level 1 and Level 2 courses as well as tips and information that would be crucial for you to have a safe day climbing. Also included is route and access info to all the established climbs in Dairy Farm quarry as well as Singseng quarry in Rifle Range Road. All the climbing information you could possibly ever need in Singapore, contained in one handy little guidebook. This book is indispensable to any who takes up this sport! - Kris Sama

edition 2 written and produced by:

ISBN 978-981-08-7088-1

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