[Dr T]

a baby and a broken finger has put pay to this year...
would rather not have broken the finger but....
as for the baby - no regrets there despite the sleepless nights 

[Monolith]

My aim for 2009 is to tap the back of my hand in the slot on Rock Attrocity instead of having my hand in there and not tapping it 4 times in a sweaty row as per usual.

*The ss to Hitchhikers (Nik, would have thought this right up your street by the sounds of things)
*Moreau's Island (just need a month doing big snatches on campus or deploy filthy crimp/deadpoint beta)
 *Aeon (get there not in heat of summer and it's done)

These three would leave me happy.

Pretty much went into party mode/girl hunting straight after writing this. Needless to say I ceased climbing for the most part and drifted further from these goals. About a month ago, I found psyche again and started training. Made first visit to cave in a year and got to slot on RA but gassed out. Pretty psyched though now.

SS to Hitchikers - Not been to Northumberland yet
Aeon - Realised it's log. Sack.
Moreau's Island - Realised it's even more log. Sack.

Major psyche to climb at crag x and the cobble. See what can be done.

[GCW]

Aeon isn't log.  And Moreau's Island ain't, except for the block.

Unless your definition of "log" is "quality Silverdale problems I can't do"

[Jaspersharpe]

1. Train properly for a change.
2. Finally address arm weakness (see 1).
3. Finish off the sitter to The Pinch at Crag X.
4. Climb 7C in Font (preferably Hotline) weather permitting (will probably only get a week there).
5. Go to The County.
6. Get out more.
7. Play Hard.
8. Great White.
9. Go to the Orme and climb on The Box.
10. Climb 8A (this is probably subject to 1 & 2 and definitely 6).

HA HA FUCKING HA!

How about: Never have more than three weeks without getting crocked somehow, have no time to climb or train properly cos of work / injury etc, lose all motivation and do fuck all?

On a more positive note; We had a lovely time at Neil's place in May doing loads of easy stuff, I've pretty much doubled my personal client portfolio in the last six months (which is nice in a recession and very welcome when things aren't going so well for my "employers") and my son is a little diamond and my wife makes me very happy.

So keeping things in perspective, the psyche is returning and don't write me off just yet as if I can come back from 12 years off I'm sure I can cope with a poor six months.

Now, about that arm weakness.......

[Monolith]

Aeon isn't log.  And Moreau's Island ain't, except for the block.

Unless your definition of "log" is "quality Silverdale problems I can't do"

Not being able to do a problem doesn't make it log. Some problems in life ought to have time devoted to them to be solved and others ought to remain mere inconveniences. When I look deep into my soul, I think the aforementioned problems are as such.

[GCW]

Yeah, but the stupid thing is you (well, I) often get sucked into a stupid problem that isn't worth it really, but you (I) just have to keep trying until you (I) get it.  [I'd have used "One" but I ain't posh enough]

But I guess that's what bouldering's about.

[Monolith]

I've always put a book down at a certain point if it hasn't captivated me in a particular way and suppose I do the same with problems really. I'm no stickler for frustration that inevitably leads to no real feeling of joy I guess

[GCW]

I just don't like things getting the better of me, I suppose   I just don't know when to quit.

You're being very philosophical today, very deep 

[Richie Crouch]

You're being very philosophical today, very WEAK

 

[erm, sam]

-Not get injured---JUST ABOUT
-Become able to have a conversation in Dutch. ---NAH LOST INTEREST AFTER GETTING THE SPANISH ARCHER (EL BOW)
-Find a pal (I do have pals, just not many in the current locale) ---NAH, SEE ABOVE
-Do a couple of sprint triathlons ---NOPE
-Go to a climbing wall occasionally ---DOES MY SHED COUNT?
-Go on 3 bouldering missions ,Font or elsewhere (alas a mission for me these days is another word for a weekend) ---COUGH
-Go surfing ---AHEM
-Red circuit somewhere in Font, Gorge Du Chats? ---HMMMM
-7a twice in one trip somewhere in Font - dynos not included. --OPEN MOCKING LAUGHTER

Got a lot to do the the last 6 months then....

[butters]

1. Buy the van and get it sorted.

Well I bought a van and that's where it all went a bit wrong - after 4 weeks at the auto electricians it is now having to go to VW to be sorted which is not going to be cheap. 

6. Sport climbing trips - a rediscovered love after 3 years away....

I did manage to get 6 days in Italy before the van went to the auto electricians - maintained my standard of onsighting at 6a+ but nothing better.

As for the rest - the Peak based ones might be done if I can get some motivation going later in the year but it is not looking good at the minute for anything that involves any sort expenditure over the cost of a couple of pints...

[Adam Lincoln]

Ok, another one ticked off so an excuse to redo with correct colours this time 

The Joker Winter
The Groove - Malham Autumn
Supercool - Gordale Autumn
Urgent Action - Kilnsey Next on list after finishing The Thumb
Finish off loose ends on the routes from this year. Getting there!
Flash 7c+ Flashed a few 7c's so nearly
Climb an 8b Still on the cards
Cool Go to Albarricin Not going to happen i dont think
Iron Man ICED
Caviar - Rubicon CHECK

[Will Hunt]

Climb something. Anything!
Would like to do a VS or HVS or E1 before the year is done. Doesn't matter what it is or whether I've don't it before. Anything will do.

Tickity tick. Have been climbing trad since May. Sort of did a VS on Skye when we went up part of The Snark. Decided to split the crux pitch at the halfway ledge after the overhanging crack section which had left me boxed. Mate couldn't do the technical bit and after the trials of the day we decided to back off. Still, a cool pic of me leading the crux here:


Also led The Web the other day which sorts out the HVS standard.

Flashed The Edge Problem at the Cromlech Boulders too. V5 my arse.

Just need to onsight an E1 now.

[SA Chris]

Go to Rylstone and do Hotline for your E1 tick.

[BB]

My only aim for 2009 was to climb a 7a.

I did that 2 weeks ago, so I'm going to pretend it didnt happen and climb another one.

[butters]

That's a bloody impressive looking wall - think dusting off the trad rack ready for a trip to Skye might be in order sometime next year.

[Houdini]

The Edge Problem at the Cromlech Boulders too. V5 my arse.

The grade has been static for longer than you've been climbing.  You don't get a medal for being lanky & light.

[Will Hunt]

Think you'll find I do, Houd. It says V5 flash on it.

Bluebrad, its a cool climb which I've done before but wanted to take some friends up it so went to Marsco again. It barely gets climbed and a lot of the rock is a little loose. A lot of the protection on the first pitch is also pretty poor. There's no topo for the crag so my main advice would be to get the guidebook out early and start to identify such things as the climb Slow Riser as soon as you can on the walk up. Don't get off route on the second pitch or you might end up on A Nasty Snarkcident (XS 4a).

Our plan was to do The Snark and then do the two HVSs there but after the monumental fuck up that occurred we ended up being on the one route all day and backing off. Events went something like this:

I lead first pitch. A little slowly due to the shit state of some of the pro.

Friend sets off up second pitch and climbs 50 metres. He then downclimbs 50 metres to the belay. I ask him in no uncertain terms what the fuck he's doing back here. He claims that he didn't reach the First Platform but in fact only found "a big fucking pile of loose scree". I could only assume that I had misremembered the route and so advised him on a different route he could take. He did it and God only knows why he didn't turn back when it became very very obvious that noone had been up that way before. He eventually took a terrible belay and I followed. Towards the top of the pitch I heard a distant cry of "Below" and then a terrifying and almighty sliding sound. I have never tried to make myself so small.

It turns out that the first way he'd gone was actually correct and he was just being soft. I led the overhanging crack bit (in the pic) and took a belay on the ledge above halfway through the pitch as I was boxed. He followed and attempted the technical crux (5a maybe and quite weird) but pulled/twisted/shafted something in his back whilst trying to do the stretch. We had had enough. It was cold and we'd been on the route for ages. I think I could have finished the route but we decided to sack it.

Two abseils and we're back down. I stand as far away from him as I can while he pulls down the ropes. As soon as they start to come he runs like hell expecting a shower of debris but luckily all was well. I then found something that somebody had abseiled off lying at the bottom of the crag. God knows why it wasn't nic and secure up on the wall. The nut was so rusted that when I bent the wire it was on it just broke like a twig.

Go and do The Snark. If you stay on route and aren't a soft lad it is excellent quality. Just pull those holds before weighting them. I guarantee that you will adore the crux pitch. The rock is solid and compact and the moves are great. The cracks that you climb are like they were made for climbing.

[butters]

Will,

My sense of eek should be rgistering soundly by now but for some reason I am still syked for this route - cheers for the info and have a wad point on behalf of your mate who actually downclimbed 50 bloody metres.

[rginns]

With 3 months to go before Christmas I thought it was time for an update for the last quarter of the year - a pre-bouldering season recap:

The arete (Denham splash area) Nailed
The arete (Denham Mohammed area) yup
pickpocket direct (Denham) Beasted
Low break traverse (Brownstones) Aye lad
Satisfying sloper problem (Brownstones) Tried a few times in the summer when it was a bit warm - need to get on it soon
Hacker start (Wilton 1) cos it's close and looks good - NOT TRIED
Verdinand (Brownstones)NOT TRIED
Burnt Heather (Thorn) before it gets polished... shame it's such an arse to get up there NOT TRIED
Catfoot (Round Barn) awesome, although feels really high. need to get back on this NOT TRIED
Staffs Flyer (Roaches)something I've wanted to do for a while and never got round to NOT TRIED, rained off 3 sessions, boo!
Nexus dyno (Brownstones) erm, tried about 28 times, always a come off - need to sort out timings...
Boopers (Brownstones) still not bloody topped out, although it's a only a matter of time! had one good session at this, can't move off past the break,
Pond Traverse (Brownstones) done all of it in sections, now need the stamina...
Lancashire PotHot (Brownstones) Couldn't get off the floor
Elemental (Thorn) find this fine until the rockover... just can't nail it though
Brian Jacques (Cadshaw) Had a couple of sessions, but too hard right now. need to get stronger before getting back on this.
Groundhog standing start (Brownstones) ha ha yeah right

An improvement on last update inasmuch as I've actually climbed some of them  but I need to ramp it up for the end of the year and get some more stuff done.
Anyone else?

[Fiend]

Flashed The Edge Problem at the Cromlech Boulders too. V5 my arse.

V6 unless you've got girl's fingers in which case yes V3 probably. Also minus 3 stars and the second worst move in Wales (after the Cenotaph Corner crux).

[chillax]

Flashed The Edge Problem at the Cromlech Boulders too. V5 my arse.

V6 unless you've got girl's fingers in which case yes V3 probably. Also minus 3 stars and the second worst move in Wales (after the Cenotaph Corner crux).

 

Though I might be biased. Spotted a guy on this in March (I'd given up cos its 'orrible). He got spat off the top and I ended up with a black eye and some busted glasses for my troubles. Ah well, call of duty I suppose.....

[Adam Lincoln]

So its almost that time again. As i am away now, this is how it will stand end of December.

1) The Joker
2) The Groove - Malham
3) Supercool - Gordale
4) Urgent Action - Kilnsey
5) Finish off loose ends on the routes from this year. Yep, lots tidied up
6) Flash 7c+ flashed two 8a's, both very very soft7) Climb an 8b
Go to Albarricin
9) Iron Man
10) Caviar - Rubicon[/]

[tommytwotone]

Climbing aims:

Main one is to not get injured, as I was for the pretty much the last half of '08 - if so... - was OK, now I've fucked my ankle / Achilles falling over pissed so I'm gonna be laid up for a bit
Boulder Font 7b - Not yet, but felt like I was getting stronger pre-injury
Trad E5 - Nope
I'll shamelessly take Mr Popp's 'genuine reason to post in YYFY' - I'll roll this over to next year and say that Demon Wall Roof would be a decent enough reason for me!

Non climbing:

Avoid getting the chop in the round of redundancies that are currently going off at my work - Epic Fail, but I'm back in the world of the taxpayer now
Get finances under control - After Xmas I'll be fine
Get some core strength - Slightly better, though a return to desk work has messed this up!
Run 20 miles a week - Good progress on this - done plenty while working, even ran a couple of 10k races in sub 50 times
11k+ powerball - Back. Of. The. Net.

[Fiend]

God like mine mean anything in the context of the latter half of this year. Well I can walk, climb E2 again, and am 4 hours closer to Scottish climbing, in the circumstances that's a tick of sorts.