UKB Power Club Week 381 12th - 18th June 2017

[fried]

M-fr - Nothing, shoulder tweaky and decided to rest. Missus is away from Friday so I'm hoping for a couple of sessions in the forest.

Oh, and I'm on antibiotics for a gum abcess so no alcohol all week, tough for the first couple of days but feel good now, longest time without since I don't know when. Heineken 0,0% is okish...

Sa - Bois Rond, climbed as well as I've done in a long time and still managed to not get up anything. Stinking hot though. Usual circuit of problems failed but all feel doable. Need a spot on Meilleur des mondes.

Su - Early to Rocher Guichot...first problem was excellent....then downhill. went back to doing easy stuff in the heat. Must be the toughest graded place in the forest.

[shark]

Merci fried

11.3-4

M. Seems a long time ago. Malham with Steve, Rab, Zips and Basher in 2 cars meeting Chris Gore there. What a line up. Mescalito wet. Worked Raindogs. 2 redpoint attempts falling at windmill move. One more dogging go

T. Depot Manc. Evening. Farted around on the circuit wall. Bit of AeroCap and then worked the desperate purple 7b which has an Oak like section which is useful

W.

T. Summoned back to Manc which scuppered training plans

F. Noon. Foundry. Quiet. Plattsy and Dawid there. Not bouldered here for months. Level 2's gone from nails to piss leaving a big gap above.  Also moonboard and new top rope setup on main wall had disappeared. Worked a black and pink spotty on the steep section. Fingers felt strong. PM Physio

S. Fingerboard. Evening. 5x5x5 Half crimps + DB Finger rolls + Austrian deadlifts + DB gaston presses + 3 wide pullups

S. Lunch. Short sess on Wave. More time on black and pink spotty and also green and black spotty to its left. 31 degrees outside

Decent training week. Not especially psyched for outside. Reversed upward weight trend of previous week. Dan C reckons I can "easily" get down to10stone 

[Nibile]

I would like to know what the fuck is doing Steve at Malham now. Maybe potter around doing laps on 9a's without doing his laces, probably.

[shark]

I would like to know what the fuck is doing Steve at Malham now. Maybe potter around doing laps on 9a's without doing his laces, probably.

Mainly up for photos. Forgot to mention that I got a 9a belay tick in 

[Dan Cheetham]

Decent training week. Not especially psyched for outside. Reversed upward weight trend of previous week. Dan C reckons I can "easily" get down to10stone 

Haha, I take back the 'easily' bit. Cutting out booze cake a chips for a month before the project season seems like a good option for anyone, do people actually do this often apart from wads?

[T_B]

M - Lunch: Wave - knackered.
T - Autobelays 3 x WU, 2 x pink 7a, 5 or 6 x yellow 7b. Warm downs
W - Lunch run.
T - BWD. Breezy, great conditions. Warmed up on Jerry's trav, then did the reverse which I've not done before. Hadn't intended to, in fact I was supposed to be going traddin but mate cancelled. Anyway, ended up trying my nemesis, Paint it black. Best sess ever on it, felt v close. Sequence sorted.
F - AM ran to work
S -
S - Great Lakes fell race - bowfell - esk pike - great end - scafell - scafell pike - slight side - blisco. 2000m of ascent in 21k. Lived up to its rep. Stunning weather!

Not much arm-based climbing this week.
 

[nai]

Decent training week. Not especially psyched for outside. Reversed upward weight trend of previous week. Dan C reckons I can "easily" get down to10stone 

Haha, I take back the 'easily' bit. Cutting out booze cake a chips for a month before the project season seems like a good option for anyone, do people actually do this often apart from wads?

Yes, I'm sure many people do and that Simon remembers his best efforts came after his Squamish visit when he lost a few kg (plus having done lots of trad mileage so probably flowing a lot better, but let's brush over that).  The timing's quite crucial for me though, I don't try to lose weight pre season but rather after the first few attempts on routes.  Once you've got a hook into a route the motivation to abstain is much easier.


 

[nai]

M
Tor - partner bailed while I was en route. Turned up and was kindly invited to make up a 3, thanks Chris and Mark 
2 goes up the Prow, found it freaky as expected and all very time consuming, was very concious of eating into their session so sacked both attempts at L2

T
2x Prow to L2 again.
Bit more comfortable today, lower wall soaking but managed P1 clean from the break (including better beta for the hand swap so a tiny bit easier now). Relearned the traverse and tufa moves and got it sussed from the mid height jug to the Body Machine belay.
An awful lot of effort over two days to learn 12 moves of "no real difficulty"

W nowt

Th nowt

F Garage.  Forecast was wrong - too bright, too warm, no breeze, smeggy connies. Tried Ozone Bozone,  felt really hard, long time  since I've tried a short route like this, came as a bit of a shock to do some hard climbing.  Hopefully feel easier in better connies, though.

S - nowt (50th birthday party)
S - nowt (50th birthday)

[Duma]

Goals:
8A, 8b
In shape for SA in summer.

Body Audit: OK.
Sleep: OK.
70kg.

M: nothing, tired. (~7.5hrs, 0dk)
T: TCA, mothership mostly, did repeat one of the oranges fairly easily though which was nice. Flashed long orange up the middle, prob 7A+ or so? (7hrs, 0dk)
W: nothing, should have gone to wall but it was sunny in the garden and there was cider... (~7hrs, 3dk)
T: nothing. very fancy meal for big birthday. (~7hrs, 6dk)
F: nothing, get daughter after work. (~8hrs, 2dk)
S: Drive to Gower, beach and sea with daughter, bbq eve (~6hrs, 2dk)
S: breakfast in the van, most of day in the surf with daughter, hot drive home, then cider in the sun in the pub. perfect fathers day. (~6.5hrs, 2dk)

Fun week, not enough climbing though, mildly concerned as off to SA on fri and will struggle to get even 2 sessions this week.

[andy_e]

Just call it taper and make out like you've planned it.

[duncan]

STG - Rehab. finger. 7b RP.
MTG - E5 by end of August.
LTG - 7b+RP, LH&F tbc.
 
M - Somerset. High winds, rain.
T - Flying visit to Anstey’s. Wet. Briefly fondled holds of ‘Empire..’.
W - Shoulder stuff. Mini fingerboard session.
T -
F - Westway: routes to 6b+. Anaerobic capacity.
S -
S - Westway: routes to 6b+. Anaerobic capacity.
M - Shoulder stuff.
T - Mile End: bouldering to ~V3.
W -
T - Vauxwall: bouldering multiple ~V3/4.
F -
S - Cheddar with bridbeast. Warmed up. Worked Get That Man briefly. Went for the redpoint but fluffed the last move on the final overhang. Wasn't feeling great mentally and a moment of hesitation was all it took. Rested at the hands-off but still couldn't do it.
S - Battered.
 
In the face of Kensington and Chelsea incompetence my usual climbing wall The Westway is doing amazing work as a refugee centre. I've sampled the alternatives this week. I enjoyed Mile End after a long absence, the secret garden is a welcome addition, it’s not too steamy in summer, and I liked the featured bit. Vauxwall is more in the modern style but with some good setting I thought. We should really all support The Westway once they open again.
 
Cheddar was a good choice in the scorching weather though we could have done without the biker’s meet. I started climbing independently here (on Wind Rock, a poorly protected slab of course) 40 years ago. It's got warmer, better protected, and a lot noisier since then.
 
Drove past Grenfell tower on the way, soot-black and malevolent, amidst the shiny new towers and comfortable terraces of west London. A highly visible monument to how we choose to house our essential cheap labour and to the real meanings of 'value engineering' and ‘slashing red-tape’. Also had some distressing personal news on the journey. All in all wasn't in the best mood for trying harder things,
 
I'll be celebrating my best buddy’s 40th this Friday. Likely venue Kilnsey. This will be my first visit, it looks nails and my anti-style, so will have an easier week beforehand. I'd love to do Central Wall but Diedre and Directissima seem more realistic. Any other trad. to E4, sport to 7a recommendations?

[Fiend]

Highway 365 F6c+ is good and quite reasonable if burly.

Dodger Direct E3 5c is good, a bit "inland limestone" but quite enjoyable for all that.

I failed on some F7a there, maybe Alternative Optional Extra, which has gone up to F7a+


Get That Man is pretty hard for the grade I thought. Full on sketchfest getting around the crux bulge. When you head back, Shakin Like A Leaf is much more reasonable and really nice.

[moose]

Haha, I take back the 'easily' bit. Cutting out booze cake a chips for a month before the project season seems like a good option for anyone, do people actually do this often apart from wads?

Yes, I'm sure many people do and that Simon remembers his best efforts came after his Squamish visit when he lost a few kg (plus having done lots of trad mileage so probably flowing a lot better, but let's brush over that).  The timing's quite crucial for me though, I don't try to lose weight pre season but rather after the first few attempts on routes.  Once you've got a hook into a route the motivation to abstain is much easier.

I'm currently booze-free (8 nights so far, not that I'm counting) until I tick Grooved Arete, similarly to you nai, it's only being near(ish) to success can motivate me to take such steps.  A few near-miss RPs have brought home the realisation that I need both my form and conditions to exactly coincide, and I would hate to think I had wasted a fleeting, unexpected opportunity by being at all impaired.

That said, weight is not the issue, quitting booze does not seem have that effect on me.  I went tee-total for 7 weeks last year and did not get any lighter - despite booze likely representing around 20% of my calorific intake! Which leads me to suspect my weight is already at a minimum.   For me the giving up of drink is more to ensure I do not waste future RPs by being hungover, to hopefully help recovery from all my niggles, and to provide a bit of motivation to get the project bagged (I have a very pricey whisky my brother bought me locked in a cabinet at work, waiting).

[36chambers]

M:
T: Indoors. First board session in months and ridiculously warm. Could barely do my old warm ups and was firing off every other go.
W:
T: Cliff. Had my annual play on Sewer Rat Connection 7B+ and I think I've finally figured it out. Just need to go back when the wind isn't all up in my grill.
F:
S: Reunion with old friends. Drinking Johnnie Walker Blue Label out of plastic cups because we're reckless af.
S: Hangover day at Craig y Longridge. Surprisingly tolerable considering how warm it was. First time climbing there and I'm very keen to go back. 

After ~6 months of being alright, my tweaky LH ring finger has started complaining again. Genuinely thought I was officially in the green :/

[csl]

Been AWOL for a while as work a bit mental

STG - June

7B
Do 2 board projects. 1/2

MTG - september

7C
cassin on piz badile/comici on cima grande

LTG - this time next year

not sure

Monday

Arch B1 - Board

Finally did a project i'd been trying for about 2.5 months

Tuesday

nothing

Wednesday

Arch Biscuit

Various bouldering including some White + Reds. Trying a few greens but no success

Thursday

nothing

Friday

Arch B1

Puntering around

Saturday

nothing

Sunday

Arch Biscuit

Various including trying some greens but no success. Quick go on the 50º board, hard.
Did a load of mobility tests - which revealed some imbalances. Not as bad as expected.

[psborland]

M. Power : limit Bouldering at BBC sent one and made good progress on two v6's no real progress on v7 project.

T. none

w. Redpoint Bham daytime session lots of routes 6b-6c interspersed with two rounds on the autobelays of 3x6b. Good aerobic session.

Th. none' very tired.

F. Cheedale 2Tier . Tried 'Daylight Robbery' . Nice climbing and felt OK (easier than Countdown) except for massive run-out finish. Hopefully redpoint next time.

Sa. Tired couldn't motivate for planned core session.

Su. Father's day meant no climbing but managed a strength session once kids lost interest in me Some progress on front three and four finger half crimp. No progress on open hand. Dead lifts to 105Kg.

A good week, but haven't done any specific core work.

[Nibile]

Decent training week. Not especially psyched for outside. Reversed upward weight trend of previous week. Dan C reckons I can "easily" get down to10stone 

Haha, I take back the 'easily' bit. Cutting out booze cake a chips for a month before the project season seems like a good option for anyone, do people actually do this often apart from wads?

Nope, never done it, will never do it.
Progressing in terms of both climbing grades and pure performance while staying at same weight is crucial for me. In the last two years and a half I've put on two kilos, but I've improved on every aspect of my training and I have even climbed something on rock.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - light bag. Extremely tired.
Tue - rest.
Wed - one arm hangs, BM back 3. Clean and press x 5 41 kg + max time one arm hang. Brilliant brilliant session again.
Thu - rest.
Fri - clean and press dead stop 5". 5 x 4 41 kg, 5 x 1 46 kg.
Sat - rest.
Sun - deadlift 5 x 108 + 5 explosive pull ups x 4. Legs were quite tired even before starting, should have done something else. The pull ups were good though.

[tomtom]

Hard to think about POWER CLUB when its 30 degrees and training/climbing seems totally alien to my present desires to eat ice cream and paddle my feet in a nice cool mountain stream... anyway, needs must etc..

ALL week I was in the N.Lakes (off Ullswater) with MrsTT and TTjnr. A good week. My fitnessdevice (tm) tells me I burnt nearly as many calories as found in a large Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding - and I walked 75km. A chunk of that was wearing a 11kg weight belt (TTjnr).

We: Carrock. YEEEEEEESSSS. I love Carrock. I don't know why as it hurts, its hard and I always get spanked. But I love it. Warmed up on Mushroom - headed to Boardman. Fuck those 7's on the side are (a) hard (b) hard to figure out and (c) have not obvious top outs. Worked out the moves on the one in the middle (big throw) that I managed to stick eventually - then couldnt do the V1/5+ topout/lip move. Tried a load of other ways including going left to the thin crack (that was quite a good problem in itself) but ran out of skin/strength and it was probably illegal anyway *rules* etc..

Fri: Carrock. I'd had two days of working out ways of lipping out (new terminology eh!) from my mental image of the boulder. I ran back up the hill and failed. Lots. Bugger shit toss wank fuckety fuck. Stuck hinged on the lip, foot under by bum, trying to rock over - not trusting anything, no spotter, a waaaafer thin pad. Piss. Pissety piss piss piss. Went and tried fast cars and campervans that I nearly did last time. Nowhere near this time - jstu couldnt get my heel/balance right (thin pad and bumpy landing didnt help). Paced around - got angry. Chilled out. Tried the 7 on the front again and couldnt do the first move now. Looked at the one on the RH side (have holds snapped on this boulder - and on the arete?) just couldnt see how it would be done at 7A. Gave up and went back. Left my sunglasses there  - had to go back and get them.

Su: I woke at 5am. Mrs and Baby fast asleep. I SHOULD have snuck out (as they didnt wake until 8:30!) and had a sneaky morning session. By the time they were up and I had been given fathers day permission it was already in the low 20's. The problems would all be in direct sun.. no point. Packed up. Went home.

[Wood FT]

Checking back in as means of motivation while down in Devon

Stg: Leather Whip Mick, 8a
Mtg: E5 os, Cider Soak
Ltg: 8b

Mon - Torbyran, 3 x Boogie on Barney 6c+ and decent onsight go on Little White Lie 7b
Tue - Ansteys, Tried to flash Empire 7b having saved it since we moved down here, slipped at bolt 2 then went to the top, very annoying but serves me right for being too precious. All was not lost as I climbed Avenged 7c+, wonderful climbing and not too bad if you know the crux and have a reliable sequence. 3* star climbing night, brilliant.
Wed -
Thu - Ansteys, Put clips in Leather Whip Mick 8a, sorted start and finish and got pysched, good lob potential up top. Attempted to mop up the Empire redpoint but ended up taking 3 goes, humble pie for dinner.
Fri -
Sat - Ansteys, timed it badly and got cooked, walked girlfriend through Empire crux, she did not get on with heel/toe beta unfortunately so will have a much harder sequence on her plate. Headed down to LQP for DWS for tide too low, scoped out Blue Planet 7b+ which is very tall  , keen to get back with bigger crew and bottle. The big slabs down there look very impressive.
Sun -

I'm just a tad focused on Empire wall at the moment but can't get enough of it, very basic fingerboarding and pull ups seems to be paying off as I feel on good form. Have had a few tie ins on Cider Soak but it feels too powerful in my current state, I would need to do some bouldering. Might be back in North come September so should really take advantage of the local dws and sea cliffs while I still can.

[Dan Cheetham]

20% of calories via booze seems a fair amount moose! some weight loss might make a bigger difference for routes for some of us, huh? can see why it might not help or even hinder powerful short climbing or even max hangs

Mon-

Tue- depot, boulder problem reps and endurance after. Bumped into shark ✊️ And suggested he could lose 1.5 stone easily, on reflection....

Weds - endurance laps

Thurs-

Friday met Nai at stoney  ✊️- bit hot and greasy. Tried ozone. Had a redpoint and fell of a rookie error at the end of the Route, was actually trashed.

Off to scotland tradding next weekend

Thank god!

[Wood FT]

I'll be celebrating my best buddy’s 40th this Friday. Likely venue Kilnsey. This will be my first visit, it looks nails and my anti-style, so will have an easier week beforehand. I'd love to do Central Wall but Diedre and Directissima seem more realistic. Any other trad. to E4, sport to 7a recommendations?

It's not great at 7a IMO, the continuation to Directissma I remember for it's exposure, good route
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=122561

Hardy Annual 7a+ is a bit scrappy down low but the groove leaves you in a great position

If you're not shy of vertical crimping and it's free I would say have a go on WYSIWYG 7b, fantastic techy climbing with a rather cheddar-esque finish on sidepulls. It has several extensions so might be tricky if lots of people about, but the clips would be in so swings and roundabouts.

[TobyD]

I'll be celebrating my best buddy’s 40th this Friday. Likely venue Kilnsey. This will be my first visit, it looks nails and my anti-style, so will have an easier week beforehand. I'd love to do Central Wall but Diedre and Directissima seem more realistic. Any other trad. to E4, sport to 7a recommendations?

It's not great at 7a IMO,

as Guy says not great at 7a, though directissima (to the ledge) is a good 6c. I'd highly recommend just getting on central wall if thats what you want to do. Its a great route, and if you don't try it you definitely won't do it. Its safe, punchy crux quite low, and moderately pumpy wall after that, a bit like a battleship back cliff 6b+/c?? But much better rock, obviously!

[TobyD]

Monday turbo 20 minute; wave
Tuesday turbo 20 minute; wave
Wednesday yoga; bike 63km
Thursday turbo 20 minute; wave
Friday turbo 20 minute; 2nd 4 routes at stanage; wave
Saturday turbo 20 minute; high neb, 5 routes, 3 led.
Sunday yoga; bike circa 70-80km, strava failure halfway.

Pretty good week, stronger on the wave, started leading again (1 vs, and 2 hvs including the blurter which is amazing). Perhaps most difficult longest ride so far this year (hopefully half century) on the hottest day so far... I need to bother to put a second bottle cage on, except if i do it'll be freezing for six months. Just faced foundry for repeaters in the heat, phew.

[moose]

20% of calories via booze seems a fair amount moose! some weight loss might make a bigger difference for routes for some of us, huh? can see why it might not help or even hinder powerful short climbing or even max hangs

Calories from alcohol add up in an insidious way.  A couple of double whiskies is around 400 calories (same as 2/3 bottle wine) - and I reckon my measures are on the highly generous side, especially on a weekend, or after a particularly hard day at work!   My overall intake from food is usually around 1500 calories (and that includes a decent allowance for random snacking).  So, booze calories is around 20% of total.  I think my body-weight long-since reached a set-point that is close to its minimum, and any reasonable reduction in calories has little effect on it.  Likewise, when I have had periods of eating a lot - weight is very slow to change and any short-term increases eventually revert.

That said, if your body weight has a sensitive relationship with calorie intake, I can see cutting out booze having a profound effect, particularly in the short term.  Just be aware that that cutting out alcohol is not the pancea that is often bandied around (mainly, I suspect, by preachy types who barely drink anyway!): last year, after 7 weeks of abstinance, I still felt like I was hungover every morning, still slept badly, and still weighed the same!  That said, it seems reasonable to try at least once for a RP goal, if only because good conditions days in summer are too rare to compromise with a hangover!