[Fiend]

As I ticked my way through various problems this Autumn I thought it might be worth me going back to the nemesis 15 year project....

Apparently so.

[cjsheps]

Having read his lastest blog entry, I reckon that blog posts along the lines of "Strong climber finds the magic bullet to take things to the next level" need some sort of disclaimer. The reason you're reading Tom's blog is that he was already an extremely impressive climber. The "magic bullet" may be a good point, but neither is it the be-all and end-all.

Not that I want to take anything away from Tom. Good work - it's motivating to see someone facing their weaknesses head-on and emerging from the process as a stronger and more rounded climber.

 

[lagerstarfish]

the easiest method is to do a French start off that jam, but still...

if I ever get Blind Date (started 1989), I'll let you all know

[dave]

Dunno what's more shameful, having done E9, font 8b and all the Brown & Whillans routes in a day whilst having not done that problem, or grading it with V grades.

[lagerstarfish]

Dunno what's more shameful... or grading it with V grades.

does he have a North American sponsor or something?

[mikenty]

Maybe success was related to the addition of a tick mark at 0:45? 

[tomtom]

the easiest method is to do a French start off that jam, but still...

You sandbagging hustler *^^*#*%%. you never told me that when you showed me the problem...

[lagerstarfish]

Yeah, I wanted you to appreciate how hard the hardest 6C in The Valley really is

[ghisino]

 

it would be funny to have a split topic of "low grade nemesis" stuff that took us a disproportionate amount of years (and attemps) to complete, despite being graded well below our limit?

[Tommy]

ha ha! Funny to see this on UKB 

I think major nemesis problems are really interesting. It took me something like 8years to do green traverse at Stanage (I had to strip down to my boxer shorts to do it... not nice on a cold day) and I've still not managed to do a certain 7c in Spain after around 15 sessions on it, but was on sighting 8a and 8a+ regularly on the trip.

Grades eh?!

But seriously... Raven Tor is the main reason why I did the Sheep. Not the basic finger strength gains (although they unpinned the performance to some aspect).

And V-grades? I blame Percy Bishton

[Fiend]

The Sheep is nails, and horrible. I remember starting my sporadic failures on it when it was B4 or something in the old Peak Bouldering Rockfax.

But not even THAT justifies going to Raven Tor 

[ghisino]

Maybe sometimes it can be a mental thing as well? It took me 8 years and 10+ trips to do a certain 7a in céuse- when i finally finished it i did it as first route of the day, with a vague reminiscence of the beta, and found it ok for the grade after all.

Similar experiences with cortomaltese (300 tries and the session after doing it  was a warmup already) and... a 3+ one move mantle thing in rocher canon which is part of the Orange circuit i guess (though i am not flexible enough for the real beta. Still no harder than a standard blue, and took me three years as a local to finally "get it")

[dave]

Hang on, I've just watched the video again - you're actually jamming the crack with the LH at the start of that problem? No wonder you find it hard, every fucker else just holds it as a layback.

[Tommy]

Yeah but hang on again.... the shame of it all really, is that I still can't do it as a layback. Is it punishment for so many years of refusing to layback in favour of better technique? I'm wondering if I should claim an eliminate method at V3 because this is clearly easier.

Fuuuuuuuuck.

[Bonjoy]

I'm not surprised you find the layback hard with that crazy foot beta! Just smear on the edge of the crack, like this:

[dave]

Yeah but hang on again.... the shame of it all really, is that I still can't do it as a layback. Is it punishment for so many years of refusing to layback in favour of better technique? I'm wondering if I should claim an eliminate method at V3 because this is clearly easier.

Fuuuuuuuuck.

Have you tried it from the actual start yet (i.e. the floor not the block) with the jam? Looks like a decent "first bolt to top" link you've put in there, but the real test of that jam beta will be can you get it in from the deck.

[Bonjoy]

I didn't want to be the one to say back around...

[Fiend]

Oh dear, I didn't notice that as I was so blown away by the jamming beta.

Can a mod edit the thread title to "still working on decade-long project" or just log-pile it all 

[Tommy]

You bastards. How can you do that to me. My dreams taken away in the tap of a keyboard.

I've peaked and well down the other side now (prep for Christmas obvs) so this is going to have to wait until 2016. NNFN. I'm going to see my therapist.

[Johnny Brown]

Jesus, off the stone with a pad on it? Back around Tom.

[Will Hunt]

It's a fucking massive pad as well 

[SA Chris]

it would be funny to have a split topic of "low grade nemesis" stuff that took us a disproportionate amount of years (and attemps) to complete, despite being graded well below our limit?

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,5732.0.html

Here's the routes one.

[cheque]

And here's the bouldering one.