[Sasquatch]

This is a bit of a long one, but I've had an awesome week!!!

STG - 5 local FA's 7C+ and harder (7 done)  DONE
MTG - Local 8B and 8A+ boulder DONE and DONE
New STG/MTG Longest standing rock project in AK (that I know of) - probably around 8c/8c+ short sport route, and 8A+/8B boulder project in Chickaloon.
LTG - Mandala in November


Weight - 164lbs

M - Campus Session - Matched Personal bests on everything.  Felt pretty solid on all of it as well.  Need a 1/2 rung to progress. 
T - Active Recovery
W - Rest
Th - BEST DAY BOULDERING YET - took the day off work as conditions were perfect and I had a willing partner.  Headed out to Hatcher Pass and after a short warmup to project #1.  Conditions were perfect.  The arm temp was in the 40's but the rock was still very cold from overnight freeze.   Managed to take it down 1st go. (v11/12 range) 

Then over to a line my friend wanted to try which was hot and in the sun.  He broke the starting hold, so we devised a new start which oddly enough dropped the problem from v8 to v5. also cleaned a possible new project for next year.  Then headed down to the #1 project. This one had me demoralized from my efforts last week, which went backwards as I couldn't do either of the cruxes.  1st go felt off again on the opening crux, and started to question whether I should keep at it.  2nd go managed to shut the brain down long enough to stick the opening crux move and hold it together for Alaska's first v13.  6 real days of work over the last two years, plus a few days here and there over a decade ago playing around and getting nowhere.  

As the day was still young we headed over to a couple of other lines.  My friend worked an ultraclassic v9 highball called Zen on a rope, while I headed up to an old line I had unsuccessfully tried 3 years ago.  Managed to send it as well for a new v9/10, then on down to a new boulder which we cleaned and put up a new v6, and mostly cleaned a direct finish to the v6 which should be fairly proud.  Managed to get back to town before 5pm to get the kids

F - Head back up to Hatcher Pass in the evening.  2 hour hike to drop pads for the morning and check out potential new sport route to bolt for next year.  Need to get on a rope to confirm it, but It looks like three possible lines on an amazing feature.  Very excited.

S - Get a bit of late start after a cold night, and head up to another project (this was 5th day on it).  Warm a bit on other lines on the boulder, and help friend figure out all the moves on a classic v6.  Then attempt #1 on project I literally can't even get off the ground - Feels impossible.  Attempt #2 managed to turn off the part of the brain saying it was impossible and float through the opening crux moves and into the easy climbing.  Top out in disbelief as I've now done another 8A/8A+.   

Scope out a new line on the boulder and sort out a sequence to put up another new problem v9/10ish.  My friend sends his v6, which doubles the good vibes as v6 is the hardest he's done!  Perfect timing as he has to go to back to town early for a blacktie event with his wife, but another partner shows up then.  We go and clean three more nearby lines, a new v5, v3, and v4.  All decent, but none as good as we were hoping
 
Then we hike over to an unrepeated highball line put up a few years back.  I manage to flash it, but the big opening move is too long for my partner.  We decide to head down as we're pretty tired and there's a comp at a new gym nearby, with a party afterwards.  on the way out we stop at a roadside boulder and my partner manages a quick send of a classic v8 (the fastest he's done a v8), so vibes get even better. 

We get to the comp and since we're feeling to psyched we decide to climb in it even though we're worked.  The setting was good, but not enough to separate the top guys and we end up in a 4-way tie for 1st. We drink and party and hang out.      

S - sleep/rest.  My body is destroyed....

[andy popp]

Holy fuck!

[nik at work]

Killer week Sasquatch, BOOM!

STG - trad project
MTG - Margalef
LTG - the cave sport projects and the chasm trad line

M - Evening in the chasm on the trad line, cleaning and working. Still feels hard and thin. Look at the gear placement, it's still shit.
T - BM session +15kg
W - BM session +15kg
T - swimming
F - Evening in the chasm. Shunt the project in a oner, twice (yay!). Try the RP placement in gear slot again, and the slot disintergrates (boo!!). Then shunt Dougs new route in a oner straight off, it feels a fair bit easier than my project line especially as my line is fresh in my mind and very refined whereas I've had two plays on Dougs line about a month ago. Also did all the moves on Dougs project line, time to leave that alone for now I think...
S - D I Y which is a bit yawn but I built the coolest radiator for our hallway. Not directly relevant to power club perhaps (but it was very heavy, weright training??)
S - Lifting and shifting the in-laws furniture

A pretty good week really. The climbing of the project is coming together, but the gear is still a problem. +15kg on the BM is feeling fairly steady now so I think I'll bump up to +20 this week.

[tomtom]

Wow Sasq! What a week!

[JackAus]

Awesome stuff Todd!

STG: Another V7, more development.
MTG: DWS project.
LTG: V11

M: Flat Rock. Cleaned a bunch of new lines, doing 2 of them. Worked one that will be V6. Really awesome compression arete. Good little session.
T:
W: Flat Rock. Couple more new lines. Jumped on the highball project and quickly got back to highpoint first go. Still couldn't commit to any higher without any more pads and spotter... Jumped  back on arete V6 project. So fucking close... Destroys your skin though...
T:
F:
S: Early pre-work ride. Good fun.
S: 3 days off work so late last night decided to do a couple days in Canberra. Drive 2+hrs to Bungonia Gorge. River polished limestone bouldering. Very slick, very unusual. All fairly stiff grades, walked up a committing V4 yet got shut down by V2s...... 2hr drive to Canberra after.

[csl]

Sept Goals
Book October Spain Trip - done
Stick to training plan - better
RP Tennessee
More trad - more E3-5 - a couple of e3s

Mon - aeropow + arc
Tue
Wed - aeropow + arc
Thu - arc
Fri nowt
Sat - Pembroke
5 routes up to E3 including the butcher, which id failed on a few years ago. Nice to be cruising this now. Had an adventure down hollow caves bay for a hvs, got a bit lost and climbed something else.
Sun - Pembroke
4 routes up to E3, first blood must be one of yhe best ive done in pembroke. Finished the day on space cadet which was excellent fun.

Good fun week. Rest week for training but actually did quite a lot of volume due to weekend trip. 4 weeks to spain so no missed sessions from now on!

[andybfreeman]

Wow! What an amazing week, truly inspirational stuff Todd 

I've been somewhat distracted by obstacle racing and training for that in recent months. With the end of the racing season in sight I am genuinely looking forward to a return to training for climbing and am in the process of formulating what will be my first ever periodised plan based on the Anderson brothers new book

[Sasquatch]

Thanks all!  It feels like the training and balance in life is really working out.  Looking forward to the next couple of months.  They'll be crazy, but hopefully work out!

[T_B]

Nice work Sasquatch!

83.8Kg

M -
T - Drove family to Heathrow
W - School lunch. Some bouldering. Worst session in ages, really tired (having had 3 days off!). Did 7c to finish.
T -
F - School lunch. Campussing. After an inauspicious start, did 1-4-7 a few times on the medium rungs, then managed 1-5-8 on right arm. First time since 2001 that I've done 1-5-8 and although not on the original school rungs, still pretty chuffed. Did 7c to finish v slowly.
S - Decorating. Had managed to tweak my ankle decorating on Thursday evening, was hobbling around Friday and by Saturday it had swollen right up and felt like a proper sprained ankle. Began to wonder whether planned trip to Kilnsey on Sunday was a good idea.
S - Kilnsey. Warmed up on Open Road and ankle felt better for it. Then did a 7a and it was fine. Decided to go for the objective of the day - to try and on-sight Dominatrix. I have been saving this for years, making a point not to look at anyone on it whenever I walked past back in the day when I went to Kilnsey a lot. All I knew was there was a sting in the tail getting round the roof. Fast forward and I'm desperately trying to stand up above the roof, clawing for something with my right hand then thumb spragging a tiny undercut with my left to try and get into balance. The chain is just to the right of my face and I'm close to blowing it. Manage to move my right foot, find the balance and get my left hand on a good undercut - clip  . Basked in glory for a bit, then had a quick go on Urgent Action with Andy but decided it was too damp, so put the draws in Subculture. First RP got cramps in both forearms. Drank loads, but greased off near the top on next go. Next go fought through the crux as power gone, but felt as though I recovered on the jugs, then climbed carefully onwards only to ping off again. It was really muggy, hey ho. Great day. Having hobbled to the crag at the start of the day, pretty much walked away normally!

Overall not much climbing this week as have been on a decorating mission with family away and tapering anyway. I probably won't do anything this coming week (maybe a quick campus sess) before heading to Spain Thursday. Definitely feels like the fitness is there, just need to get some routes under the belt.

[Muenchener]

STG (Autumn): 7a redpoint: Edelbitter, Konstein.
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl West Face (Dülfer), Marmolada south face (Vinatzer-Messner)

M: "Rest day" (?) Oktoberfest with work
T:
W: Wall, Thalkirchen. An odd session: climbing with a friend who is six months pregnant: scary level of responsibility belaying,  and pretty much rules out falling off as an option. 5c 5c 6b 5b 6a 6a 5c
T: Kettlebell 20kg. 3 x 1 per side TGUs: shorter rests and feeling much more controlled on these than ever before. Half a dozen fingerboard sets. Mobility / knee physio / core before & after
F:
S: Frankenjura. Projecting. A couple of warm-ups, then working on a 6c+ that felt utterly ridiculous when I tried it on toprope last year. This time it felt very reasonable apart from one move, for which managed to work out a viable sequence but was then too powered out to get the redpoint. Still, "utterly ridiculous" to "should go next time" is good progress.
S. Frankenjura. Hmm. Our plan for the day was to get some mileage in on classics on the Roter Fels. Turned out others had the same plan, to the point where I have seen quieter weekday evening climbing walls. Bailed to more obscure crags in the woods, but the first (Zimmerbergwände) turned out to be dark, mossy and dank, and the second (Rabersberger Fels) was dry, but had old-school scarily spaced bolts and was very dusty/dirty. Causal connection much? Pity, because the few routes we did were good and others looked like they would have been too had they not been so dusty/scary.

[fried]

Nice write up Sas.

Mon- nothing
Tues - indoors, tried a few new 6Aish probs with sloping traverses, but mostly just try to get some mileage on the middle finger which is back to about 85%.
Wed/ Thurs - Nothing
Fri - indoors as above but with a bit of a cold, make a bit more progress on the slopers, spend a long time working a long juggy roof in the 'tunnel' I can do all the 3 sections but linking them is another matter.
Sat- Went cleaning mad, the apartment looks the biz (for the moment).

Sun - Not sure where to climb, need a warm up, not too crimpy, I have no idea. I get to Milly and have a crazy idea 'let's go to Sabots'. I used to climb all over the place, now it's just Sabots and Isatis.

Get there at midday and both car parks are already full, do a couple of yellows, then start ticking some blues, a highish one that I'm glad of someone turning up to spot and shout at me. Spend a long time getting nowhere on http://bleau.info/sabots/5734.html as usual. Sneak round the corner and pick off the easy red ( first red on this circuit for me).

A few more blues and I'm done in. Every block has a line of crash pads at the foot, everyone's friendly, but it's too much like an indoor wall today, and I hate climbing with an audience.

Hopefully I can get back to my STG of 10 pull-ups soon.

[the_dom]

Nice work Sasquatch!

I've got to double up my post because I was away last week (more on that later)

Week of 15 September:

Mon: Snuck out for a short after work climb and followed it up with some gentle dead hangs and tuck jumps

Tues: Morning surf in slightly gnarly waves followed by flying up to Johannesburg to present at a conference.

Wed: Early morning 10km run in Johannesburg

Thurs: Early morning 10km run in Johannesburg

Fri: Morning surf in very fun waves, albeit with an epic paddle, followed by gentle dead hangs and tuck jumps in the evening

Sat: On holiday - road/surf trip down the Garden Route in SA for my fiance's 30th birthday. Luckily the Garden Route happens to have some rather good surf, including Jeffreys Bay, where I may have happened to book a few nights.

Sun: 12 km run through the hamlet of Knysna

aaand.. Week of 22 September:

Mon: Drive to J-Bay. Howling onshore. Not a good sign.

Tues: Early surf. Head-high glassy walls at Tubes. Wonderful. The same for my lunchtime surf. Afternoon surf is long head-high walls at The Point. Joy joy joy.

Wed: More head high walls at the Point in the morning. And even more in the afternoon.

Thurs: Swell has diminished so drive to Port Elizabeth. Afternoon surf at a head-high wedgey beachbreak with one other guy (an old friend) out. Haven't surf this well on my backhand in, well, ever.

Fri: Another PM surf - overhead wedgey beachbreak. Quite gnarly, but very fun.

Sat: No surf. Rest.

Sun: Back home. Late afternoon longboard followed by gentle deadhangs and tuck jumps.

I finally feel like I might start climbing again. Finger seems on the mend. Such a good fortnight of surf.

[mindfull]

Wow, would love to have such a week Sasquatch, but still very happy with my own more modest week.

Good training-week and a day out on rock:
Plateau in strength. Need to vay my strength training next week.

MO:
- Cardio(Tempo run): 6K
- Stretching
- Strength(bodyweight): planks-pullups-pushups-dips
- Strength(weight): biceps-triceps-wrists-shoulders-squats

TU:
- Stretching
- Strength(bodyweight): planks-pullups-pushups-dips
- Strength(weight): biceps-triceps-wrists-shoulders-squats

WE:
- Cardio(Slow run): 6K

TH:
- Stretching
- Strength(bodyweight): planks-pullups-pushups-dips
- Strength(weight): biceps-triceps-wrists-shoulders-squats
- Some buildering

FR:
- Stretching
- Strength(bodyweight): planks-pullups-pushups-dips
- Strength(weight): biceps-triceps-wrists-shoulders-squats
- Cardio(High Tempo Run): 2K

SA:
REST

SU:
Yvoir: Easy but fun slab climbing. Also did a more difficult 6b slab in toprope. Lead it next time.
Got around 26k of walking and 200 meters climbing in total.

[cheque]

Excellent power club week! Another week of filmmaking, 1930s-style trad and completely nonspecific not-really-training from me.

STG- Normal middle fingers. Slight setback this week but not too bad.

2014 goals- 20 14 E-points, back to 7th grade in sport and bouldering. None of these are likely to happen now- If I can wrap filming by the end of 2014 I'll be overjoyed though.


LTG- 8a sport.

M- Ill- food poisoning.

T- Rest.

W- Filming at Black Rocks. Well, shooting a timelapse in a field across from the crag. Had to jump about and run around the field to keep warm.

T- Notts Depot. Did all the new blue ("V1-V3") circuit- fell off one after stupidly cutting loose on a thin hold. squeezed a bit to try and stay on and felt a twinge

F- Bowling in the evening.

S- Birchen. Chosen by my mates so the less-experienced one could do some leading. This also meant I was soloing for most of the day, only tying on to fail on an HVS (Orpheus Wall) that I expected to cruise. After my mate had dogged up it I did cruise it. Just needed to relax...

S- Laddow. Did the three 3-star routes in the BMC guide. Brilliant day, perfect weather, just 4 people and a dog at the crag. 

[Luke Owens]

Strong week Sasquatch, congrats!

For me, a good week for training but both sessions on rock weren't too eventful. Trying to address a lower back/core weakness at the moment. I've always been terribly bad at using my feet on anything more steep than vertical.
 
Good step back into training mode. Would like to get some long 7b's ticked before sport season ends. Bloodsports and Red Meat?

Going to focus my training this winter on getting up some hard long routes at the Diamond next year.
 
Mon: Rest
 
Tue: Dinbren - Back on the project with new shoes, did some good links and managed to link through the 2 hard moves at the start. Couldn't stay warm enough and kept falling off the start moves with hot aches.
 
Few laps on 6c in the dark.
 
Wed: Work Gym:

15 Wide Grip Pull Ups
 2 x 10 Front Shoulder Raises
 4 x 1min Side Plank
 2 x 60 Crunches
 1min Dish
 3 x 10 Hanging Leg Raises
 2 x 5 L Hang Pull-Ups
 
Thu: Lunch in the gym:
3 x 10 slow pull ups
3 x 10 Upright Shoulder Rotation (10kg)
Lots of wrist curls
 
Evening: Orme - Greasy session on Mayfair (7a+), first go worked lower bulge. 2nd go got through crux greased off "easier" upper bulge. Worked moves to undercut pinch.

Finished with a short bouldering session trying The Greek on Pill Box.
 
Fri: Work Gym:
15 Wide Grip Pullups
6 x 10 Off-set pullups (Alternating Sides)
3 x 10 Upright Shoulder Rotation
2 x 30 Dish Tucks
4 x 1min Side Plank
2 x 10 Hanging Leg Raises
 
Sat: Gardening, cutting wet grass is a nightmare...
 
Sun: Painting our sons room most of the day then evening session on the fingerboard:
 
20 Min - AeroCap Feet-On Fingerboarding

Deadhangs
3 x half crimp (30mm edge)
3 x half crimp (20mm edge)
3 x slopers
3 x 5 hanging leg raises off slopers 30 mins core

[kelvin]

Some great stuff up there! 

Finally back indoors this week at Pinnacle and had my butt well and truly whipped.

Thu - Failed to flash the last V0 on the 30deg. Knackered by then. New set is all euro comp, pushing and funky body shapes.  No good for my wrist and non bendy limbs and I didn't get up much. Played on a V6 pockety thing in the end to try and get some strength back in my fingers.

Sun - Routes. Was rubbish. failed on an Alex Fry slab special. Supposed to be a 4 and I had to sit once to work out what the hell to do and I'm not bad at slabs. More than a few eng 5a moves in it and a 5b. Gotta love grading. Got on some other stuff. 6a+ felt easy till the top two bolts, a proper stamina issue. Top roped a crimpy 6b+... I've a long way to go to get back to where i was earlier in the year. Then pottered off to the boulder room and as there's not one crimpy problem in there, made one up on the 10deg, using footholds. Felt beasted when I left and have had DOMS all arvo.

I was pretty shocking, worst than I thought I'd be back indoors. Oh well. Done a lot of upper body stuff too, like bicep curls etc and ache a lot from that.

Got me a training plan worked out for October, just to get a bit of stamina back and working on one for the next 6 months after that. I'll run that by people in a couple of weeks maybe but I'm aware it needs to be focused on power. So lots of aerocap and ancap and strength sessions to start with.

It's stuck on the fridge door - gotta stick to the plan. Starting a yoga for climbers class on Wed too... we'll see what that does and got an hour with the physio tomorrow to try and sort these ITBs out. Rolling lots at the minute.

[shark]

11.7-8

M.
T. AM Systems board PE - bit of improvement
W.
T. AM Tor. Tried Bens and was utterly rubbish. Finished early and nearly left dog at the crag
F.
S. Moving heavy furniture all day around at home and then the office
S. Overslept. Chee Dale. Warmed up at Embankment then crossed river. Climbed at Long Wall for first time in 25 years. Onsighted Fatal Attraction 7a - at least I have no record of having done it previously though it did seem vaguely famiar. Then redpointed High Society 7a and Kiss me Hardy 7a+. Decided to call it a day there rather than get totally busted.   

Was a busy week workwise again. Endurance starting to come back.

[Schnell]

STG: 7B

A good week of getting outdoors, four sessions in total on the granite. I was primarily concentrating on getting a bit of mileage in outdoor bouldering after a few weeks of route climbing. I got a few long term bogey boulders ticked.

M. Outdoor bouldering session, ticked a 6B+ which, if given a personal grade, should get about 7A+ because my long legs don't fit onto the massive footholds so I have to use tiny chips.
T. Outdoors again at same venue, did a couple of low sixes both new to me and repeats, then a soft 6C+. Wandered over to a 7B+ in the guide which I did in about 30 mins. Left feeling perplexed, obviously I hadny done the right problem/line though I've yet to establish how it actually goes.
W.
T. Another outdoor session, get two sandbagged 6Cs done both which I'd tried various times before.
F.
S. Last session of the week, got a decent warmup in and then ticked a new 7A fairly fast, tried the SS which gets 7B and did all the moves first go but left feeling weak of the start of the 7A, definitely a candidate for STG tickage. After about an hour of climbing my skin gave out and I wore through a tip. Tried another 7A with mummified tips, did moves but too tired to link, one to go back for.

Generally a good week getting mileage in. I'm feeling a wee bit guilty about the lack of proper training, ie core stuff which I don't like doing without going to the wall/gym, but the weather is sure to shit itself soon and I'll be back indoors. I'm feeling prepared for a 7B campaign which is now just a matter of getting stuck in and projecting one.

[webbo]

Mon. Nothing.
Tue. Board trying various projects with little success. Turbo 1 hour. See consultant re foot referred for steroid injection with ultrasound scan.
Wed. Bike 1hour intervals.
Thu. Nothing.
Fri. finished work at lunchtime. Bike 61 miles 3hrs 19 mins.
Sat. Board good session, did project and repeated an old problem that had taken several sessions to do.
Sun. Bike 88.5 miles 5hrs 2 mins foot sore when I finished. 

[abarro81]

Simon - do you want feedback/input/opinion on your training (presuming the goal is to try the Oak next year), or would you rather not?

[Matt002]

M  Rest

T  Indoor bouldering sent a 6B+ from last session, 6A on 45 degree board and tried some other board style problems around my grade limit of 6B on board style problems.

W  Rest

T  Rest

F  Head cold AM.  Indoor bouldering PM, sent some long (12 - 15 move) roof style problems on large holds to warm up and worked some moves on a dynamic 6B+ problem that i have been trying for a few sessions now.  Only the last move to stick and I can start trying for the link. 

S  Rest

S  Rest

Have been trying 2 full rest days between every session rather than tring to fit 3 session in per week.  Each session since has felt great, fully rested without any fatigue at all.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Right! Here's the thing... Climbing's shit... Or more I'm shit at climbing... So much so I've recently fucked it off for the road bike... However I can't deny that climbing's been a fundamental part of my life for as long as I can remember so with that in mind when my mate invited me to go DWSing in Mallorca I of course said yes 
Having not trained at all apart from once or maybe twice a week puntering about at the works I expected to be shit and get up a few 6's but knew it'd be ace... 

M: Nowt
T: Boulder @ Burbage - Did a bit and soloed a bit.. Good fun!
W: Nowt
T: Fly to Mallorca - Rock up at Diablo, place is awesome!!! Just do some shizz up to about 6a+/b til it goes dark - Great!
F: Cala Barques - What a place!! Do a load of easy stuff to warm up then start with Klem Beach, flash Drop Shadow Diseases, do Golden Shower 7a 2nd go and flash Bisexual... Snorkel and jump off rocks lots! Ace!
S: Diablo - Do some easy's and have one go at Afroman, get through the steep section, match the rail then get confused with the beta I got beforehand and try to campus rather than putting my fooot in the pocket... Splashdown then decide to return to Barques (while planning to return to Diablo the next day), have a good play on Strangers in Paradise - realise that I really am too weak so go and try Metrosexual and manage to flash it by the skin of my teeth! First 7a+ flash for about 2 years!!
S: Rain, 79% humidity and a whirling maelstrom of water under Diablo... No chance of us going in there! Gutted as really wanted to do Afroman.. Drive around the coast, checking stuff out including the amazing looking Es Pontas (shit the bed!), dries out enough to do a 6b at Santa Yini then fly home.... Great!

Shocked myself! After about 6 months of not really giving a fuck about climbing/training and not having done a route all year I go and have one of the best trips in recent memory... Safe to say I've not looked at the bike since I got back  So psyched to go back it hurts, gonna get back on the horse now... Already looking at flights for 8 days next year, gotta get fit and strong (for me) and see what happens... Ace!

This week: Climb as much as possible!

:D

[shark]

Simon - do you want feedback/input/opinion on your training (presuming the goal is to try the Oak next year), or would you rather not?

Not at the moment. Currently I'm just focussed on regaining fitness for Kalymnos trip at end of this month.

Would like to have that conversation after I get back though 

[shark]

F: Cala Barques - What a place!! Do a load of easy stuff to warm up then start with Klem Beach, flash Drop Shadow Diseases, do Golden Shower 7a 2nd go and flash Bisexual... Snorkel and jump off rocks lots! Ace!
S: Diablo - Do some easy's and have one go at Afroman, get through the steep section, match the rail then get confused with the beta I got beforehand and try to campus rather than putting my fooot in the pocket... Splashdown then decide to return to Barques (while planning to return to Diablo the next day), have a good play on Strangers in Paradise - realise that I really am too weak so go and try Metrosexual and manage to flash it by the skin of my teeth! First 7a+ flash for about 2 years!!

Well done - you did better than me over there.

Glad you've got your psyche back - if you've got some to spare I could do with it

[mindfull]

@Duncan: Cool story. Had a bit of an experience alike at the beginning of September, going to Font without expectations and one month after surgery, and just getting up things I never would even touch before.

Mind and body are strange things