[ducko]

of course you can do both, i myself have a good job and am lucky to climb lots, but ultimately some people have that urge to climb 24/7 and live out of a van and climb at the top end, having a job and doing this cant be achievable, just read ty landmans article on slowing down his climbing career albeit he does it for the right reasons (making a career and the satisfaction thats comes with that)
i personally dont think you can be at the top of your game visit plenty of destinations every year and have a good job (maybe for a few very lucky people)

i do understand that people have different drivers in life and ultimately finding that right balance for you as an individual is the key   

[Doylo]

 I guess it depends on your ability and what you want to achieve. For me doing my climbing goals whilst working away all the time is pretty damn tricky. Obsessed friends like Neil Mawson and Ry Pasquill have to compromise on work to reach the high level that they are at. Everyone's different, it all depends on your job, your goals and your home life. I was just writing about my outlook and some people I know I guess. Some people are even lucky enough to like their job!

[petejh]

I'd say a heck of a lot depends on your job and qualifications. There are people out there cranking 8c+/9a with full-time professions. The more high-end and niche your job, the more leeway you have to take advantage and devote time to climbing if you don't really give too much of a shit about achieving career full potential. I think many very keen climbers overlook this because so many end up in 'part-time' work like instructing, rope access, or whatever; which, whilst flexible, isn't 'secure' and so demands that you make hay when you can. The really smart/talented get super-qualified in some techy or academic profession that pays big for the amount of time spent doing it and which makes them indispensable or easily re-employable, and then take advantage and climb lots and lots whilst living off the proceeds of the portfolio of self-catering cottages amassed along the way. Of course if it was easy everyone would do it instead of trying to score free shoes.
Wasn't/isn't Tyler Landman a millionaire? No excuses 

[Doylo]

Wasn't/isn't Tyler Landman a millionaire? No excuses 

Rich parents which is nice if you can get it.  I guess one of my problems is having many of my goals on tidal crags- you need to be able to get there when the tides out!

[comPiler]

Blood Lust
26 April 2013, 7:24 pm

It seems like Winter has finally gone. It was a brutal affair spanning 6 months and while the ice freaks were having the time of their lives putting up amazing new routes keen rock jocks like myself were dreaming of cragging in a T shirt.  Most years, sport season kicks off in March but this year the Marine Drive was temporarily shut as massive snow drift blocked the road. I had been climbing inside all winter with some forays outside and on the fingerboard. Weighted deadhangs were getting me strong but strangely enough my elbows didn't seem to like me hanging 30kg off them.  I tried repeaters but they hurt my skin! So i spent the majority of the time pissing about on the board.  A couple of weeks ago i had my first day on a rope for 6 months and got very pumped on everything.  It was so nice to be out though, I've always preferred climbing continuously up a cliff to spending most of the day stood on a bouldering mat.  I decided to try and tick Llanddulas to make myself do some mileage.  I had 9 6's to do and Tony's route Tenacious T, 7b+ on the Tower.  Tenacious T turned out to be a cracking route.  It starts up Resist the Race then breaks left via some tenuous sidepull and backhand moves.  Halfway up you get good footholds and can lean in and get a no hands rest.  Then there is another tricky link to the top which felt hard on first acquaintance.  I managed to get it first redpoint to tick the crag (72 routes).  It is one of the better routes on the Tower along with Resist the Race and Vegas Nights.  Most people still can't be arsed to walk any further than the Upper Cave though.  I also went to Mayfair Wall in an attempt to do some mileage and ended up getting on Oyster which I'd dabbled on previously.  I felt strong on the moves and started redpointing as it basically boils down to a few moves.  It follows Bearded Clam (7a+) to a good shake then tackles a super burly crack.  The key moment was a beta suggestion from Dave Evans which meant it was on.  You know when you're working something and your belayer is shouting up beta suggestions despite never trying the route and it never works - well this time it did!  It's crazy to think Jerry gave it E4 6b 30 years ago.  Today it's 8a and rarely climbed.  Moffatt was ahead of his time! I only need to Masterclass now to complete the Triple Crown.  I've got a feeling it's going to be a battle.  I had planned in winter to try and tick these two routes and make them a priority.  You can't think of them as quick 8a ticks (unless you're really good!).  They are old school and a lot tougher propositions for most than the modern style routes down LPT.  I put another bolt in Masterclass today after the ledge belay.  Last year i pulled the big flake jug off Masterclass with a metal bar.  I also pulled off the big flake left of Contusion.  I looked at the possibility of doing a new route there but couldn't really see it.  It was a big gap between The Bloods and Oyster but i guess no one had bothered because of the flake.  When lowering off Contusion the other day it looked like a worthy proposition.  There were some cool crimpers in the white rock and there were a couple of holds on the left edge of the scar.  The rock wasn't great on these holds but they were big enough for it to be ok.  After doing Oyster i stuck 4 bolts in the new section.  The route would start up The Bloods and rejoin it at it's last bolt at the top.  I returned today with Pete Harrison to give it a go.  The moves were really good and there were some mean little crimps and quite sequency feet.  I was pro and made sure i had a good sequence dialled and managed to bust it out on redpoint.  It was touch and go though and cold fingers didn't help.  Difficulty wise i think it's at least as hard as Body Torque Direct which gets 7c but it really needs another opinion as it could be 7b+.  The name is Blood Lust keeping with the Blood theme and also my mangled thumb from Oyster. Anyway it's one of the best walls on North Wales lime so any new route there is special.  We have the greenlight to bolt the old extensions to Axle, The Bloods and Mayfair.  This will turn already 3 star routes in 30 metre monsters.  It just needs someone motivated to get stuck in, hopefully i'll get the time to do a bit.

Source: Doylo's blog

[comPiler]

Mental Warfare - The Redpoint Game
4 June 2013, 12:43 pm

Last night i asked myself a simple question.  Which of these is the most fun:

a) Crusing up a big cliff with the sun on your back in a beautiful place. Stopping on a ledge every now and again taking your boots off bringing up your mate. Gaining a glorious summit high off the ground and finishing off with a couple of pints and a big fat dinner.

or

b) Spending multiple days on the same route, constantly tiring your skin and muscles whilst battling factors that are out of your control.  Suffering stress, despondency and mental anguish all in the hope that one day the torment will come to an end and you'll be free to go and do the same thing again on a route 6 metres to the left/right.

Sounds like a no brainer on paper doesn't it. Then why oh why do so many of us put ourselves through the mental torture of trying routes that are so hard for us? Redpointing can be fun but i'm sure for the majority the fun days are vastly outweighed by the stressful, torturous days.  And when it goes to 10 days+ you're on a one way street to a mental breakdown.  I definitely struggled with the mental aspects of redpointing early on in my redpoint career.  I remember being on the Catwalk at Malham in 2003, i was just about to have a redpoint of Raindogs and the self doubt in my mind was overwhelming.  I was literally telling myself i was going to fall off.  Ten years on i guess i'm a seasoned redpointer and have become quite resilient mentally.  However it still only takes one bad day or even one go when you grease off and you can literally feel the doubt creeping in.  It's so so hard to keep the perfect frame of mind.  You need to be relaxed but also aggressive at the right times.  You have to know within yourself that the end will come (this part is obviously easier the more you've done).  Pete Robins (no stranger to the seige) says: "you've just got to keep going, through all the shit days where everything's wrong just keep trying.  So when that good day comes you're ready to finish it".  I'd love to know Mark Leach's state of mind after 45 days on Cry Freedom.  He must have thought the end would never come.  I guess the answer to my question is who wants an easy life? If we did we'd all be single and working in McDonalds.  Most obsessives want to see what they're capable of and is there a better feeling than sticking a big number on your scorecard? Of course not.  The epic ticks are ultimately more memorable, more rewarding.  I can't remember much about The Cad or Lord of the Flies but i can still remember how i felt when i clipped the lower off on Melanchollie.  It's a long hard slog with little rewards along the way but it's pure motivation and obsession.  And that's what many of us need to get us going.

Neil Dyer after cliiping the lower off on his epic seige FA, Megalopa, LPT.



Source: Doylo's blog

[comPiler]

Pump up The Jam
9 June 2013, 5:06 pm

Pete Robins has cleaned up another old project- this time down Pigeon's Cave.  The 'S Crack' project is located on the right hand side of the crag and is essentially a 3 bolt boulder route.  Think right hand side of Raven Tor but amazing.  We don't know who bolted it originally but Kristian Klemmow had a few goes in the late 90s and i pulled a good hold off it about 8 years ago.  The route involves a hard (font 7c+) move to gain the base of the prominent curving crack then some burly manoeuvres up the crack lead to a big slap the gain the lip and a few more tenuous but slightly easier moves to top out.  We started our Pigeons campaign in mid May.  Pete sorted out the moves and was quickly on redpoint.  He was soon nailing the hard crux, a slap of a small slopey crimp and a trademark Robins magic heel.  The following font 7b+ sequence to the top proved to be tricksome on the redpoint but he managed to get the lip only to be spat off bringing his left hand out the crack with incredibly tenuous footholds.  He persevered but struggled with this move time and again.  After a backwards session or two Pete made the breakthrough two days ago and managed to get both hands above the lip.  To his dismay and disgust he fell off pretty much the last move just before the jugs arrived.  It looked like today would be the day and after more frustration he finally topped out.  The route is called Pump up the Jam and he's given it 8c as it took a fair bit of effort.  It is pretty much as good as it gets for such a short route.  The sequence is really good and the crack gives it a nice feature.  I got it on camera and hopefully will be able to wrap up my little film soon!

 

Video still:



I was hoping to make it a super Sunday by finishing off my project but what i felt was going to be relatively straightforward is rapidly turning into an epic.  On a good day i tickle the hold before the top but those days are becoming few and fair between for some reason.  The starts often greasy and it does get wet so i don't really feel like i can relax too much.  

We then headed off to a often wet but seriously impressive George Smith E5 by Crinkle Crags called Primeval.  It was a bit damp in places and the tide was on its way out so not ideal for DWS.  Pete's a bold twat however and didn't let that stop him.  When in condition and at high tide it's one of the best Deep Water Solo's in the UK.

Vid:

Some recent footage of Caff at Pigeons:



Source: Doylo's blog

[El Mocho]

Bravo to Mr Robins, belayed Pete on this a few weeks back and had a quick play. It is really very good as are many of the other routes here.

Doylo - think I might be working at DMM tomorrow and would be keen for an evening session down Pigeons if you are after a belayer (although need confirmation from Ray on the work)

[El Mocho]

ps I was thinking 'Pigeons Go Coo Coo' for the name

[Doylo]

Bravo to Mr Robins, belayed Pete on this a few weeks back and had a quick play. It is really very good as are many of the other routes here.

Doylo - think I might be working at DMM tomorrow and would be keen for an evening session down Pigeons if you are after a belayer (although need confirmation from Ray on the work)

I need a break from Pigeons pal. Might be up for something else though...

[comPiler]

A Good Deed isn't Always Good For You
24 June 2013, 10:31 am

I spent most of the Winter obsessing about a new route i nearly did down Pigeon's Cave in September.  The route seeps and i was stopped by wetness just after grabbing the hold below the top.  I thought about it so much during winter, watching the footage time after time fantasising about the day I'd be back on redpoint.  This year as sport season loomed i used to run down to the ledge to see if it was dry and eventually it was.  This coincided with me hitting a bit of form.  I despatched Hatch Life High in the Cave no problem (Megos thought this was 8a+! It's not and Hatch Life has settled at 7c+). 

On my first visits to Pigeons with Pete and Caff it was cold and windy which is pretty much what you need for good conditions there.  The moves came back straight away and i managed to do it in two with a short rest straight away.  It really seemed like it was going to be a quick tick and i started to think about all the other things i could get on after.  The god of the Orme had other ideas though.  It's basically a power endurance route and i creeped higher and higher.  I was soon at my high point from last year, all i needed was a fraction more.  The weather turned hot and grease became a problem. 

Then one day i was belay swopping with Tommy.  We were down at LPT and during his rests i jugged up Walking Mussel and hammered off some of the rusty old bolts.  I didn't think it at the time but in retrospect twatting fuck out of some metal with a claw hammer for 30 minutes isn't a very wise move - especially as i was redpointing that afternoon.  We went back up and i warmed up in the Cave, my right arm felt really tired and i knew i'd made a big mistake.  The next week i crammed the Pigeons sessions in but never felt good enough to get to my highpoint.  My right arm felt constantly tired and pumped.  Then it dawned on me it wasn't tired, it was actually injured from the hammering.  I associate injury with pain and because it didn't really hurt it hadn't occurred to me i might need to stop climbing.  Two weeks later and its still not better and watching perfect Pigeon's conditions pass me by is heartbreaking.

I'm really missing climbing and it's extra frustrating as i know it's self inflicted.  As i my muscles get smaller and my belly gets bigger clipping the top of my proj could be a way off!   

Source: Doylo's blog

[Richie Crouch]

Be careful not to wear your micro out, whilst out of the game!

[Doylo]

 It's ok need to rest my right arm 

[comPiler]

Follow Your Heart
2 July 2013, 8:46 pm

Pigeon's is the IN crag of the year.  New projects are appearing every week and plenty of people are getting down to the beach.  Since ticking the S crack Pete has teamed up with Ben Bransby and the pair have been helping the crag dry up with a shovel and bolting.  Pete has two new projects, one will be phenomenal when it goes and the other is pretty amazing too.  Ben got in on the act by bolting a project that we'd all seen the potential for.  It looked like you could get into Follow the Prof (an amazing steep 7c+) by starting up Stiff Upper Lip and traversing right past some slots.  Ben put in a hard shift and bolted it up giving it an independent start in the process.  Today was pretty wet and horrible and hence the conditions were even shitter than normal down there.  First redpoint Ben made it through the crux move but made an error by clipping the next bolt and powering himself out in the process.  Next go he made it into Prof and as he shook out before the mega last move me and Pete thought it was a formality as he had onsighted Prof recently.  He set up for the move and it didn't feel right so back down to the jugs he came.  After more shakes he slapped a crimp below the top but it was wet and the elbows came out.  He had the top of the crag in his hand but it wasn't quite over.  Sure enough he clipped the chain and we all let out a sigh of relief.  He's called it Follow your Heart (Follow Prof link, heart shaped jug on prof) and he reckons 8a+.  It's a good job it wasn't much harder given the horrendous conditions but then again the guys a rockstar so it probably wouldn't have mattered.

Film grabs:



Source: Doylo's blog

[comPiler]

The Heel Hook Look 2nd ascent
29 July 2013, 2:19 pm

Pete Robins has made the 2nd ascent of Rob Lamey's super deep water solo on The Little Orme.  Rob climbed his route (after plenty of splashdowns) in 2007 and it hasn't really been on anyones radar since then.  Pete had the route in the back of his mind and the warm dry conditions made the proposition even more tempting.  Heel Hook Look is accessed by the beach from Craig-y-Don.  The route starts on the last ledge systems and requires a high tide.  Because it's a traverse (well up until the last few moves) it stays at a friendly height above the sea.  Pete raced along to a resting position on his first sesh just over a week ago but didn't realise that the route went up from there and was falling trying to make some desperate moves left.  He returned on Saturday and with the knowledge of where the route topped out he managed to avoid the dip into the briney.  He raved about the route, the DWS crowd should check it out.  There is a 6c/+ which tops out from the last jugs on HHL.

Here is the vid of the FA from a few years ago:

Pic of Pete Harrison on the start:



I got some nice footage of Pete doing it, i'll probably stick it in my film.

My problem Flashpoint filmed during the dry spell:

Some Clwyd footage including Mule on his dinbren 8b:

There hasn't been much of a scene on the sport crags yet this year.  It's been pretty shit conditions during the heatwave but the crowds have been strangely absent this year.  Diamond season is just round the corner so maybe they're all training for that!

Source: Doylo's blog

[Luke Owens]

There hasn't been much of a scene on the sport crags yet this year.  It's been pretty shit conditions during the heatwave but the crowds have been strangely absent this year.  Diamond season is just round the corner so maybe they're all training for that!

Source: Doylo's blog

Should of seen the amount of people at the Gorge yesterday! Ropes up on 4 routes!

Quality footage of the Mule at the Bren! Love it!

[El Mocho]

There hasn't been much of a scene on the sport crags yet this year.  It's been pretty shit conditions during the heatwave but the crowds have been strangely absent this year.  Diamond season is just round the corner so maybe they're all training for that!

Maybe that is what everyone is waiting for 

I've thought there has been a good scene on the crags, particularly in the last few weeks whilst you have been absent...

[petejh]

There hasn't been much of a scene on the sport crags yet this year.  It's been pretty shit conditions during the heatwave but the crowds have been strangely absent this year.  Diamond season is just round the corner so maybe they're all training for that!

...
I've thought there has been a good scene on the crags, particularly in the last few weeks whilst you have been absent...

Only two more weeks until I can bolt a proj and keep it closed for ten years 

[ianto9]

I'm probably a contender for the longest every project,my view if you've gone to the effort to bolt clean etc its yours ,stay the f*** off unless you've had permission,and then respect the effort involved ,jump off whatever you want to do  untill the project owner does it either gives it up,stay away or keep quiet,lay off lee give the fucker space i don,t know him but its not easy to spend as much time as you would like these days doing what you would like to do.as far as projects go there's always someone who could piss it but that's not the point,appreciate the effort folks and our climbing ethics may stay tru?  Yes I've had a few and probably gone completely off track

[Richie Crouch]

Flashpoint really is very good. More people should make the effort while it isn't soaked!

[comPiler]

Best Roof Climb in the UK?
30 July 2013, 3:56 pm

Today Pete Robins  completed his latest project and this one is potentially the best yet.  Pete's latest creation is the first (and likely last) breach of the massive flat roof down Pigeon's Cave.  Pete (and everyone else) had always gazed up and wondered about the big unclimbed roof above Cat Amongst the Pigeons/Felaltio Nelson.  It looked amazing but would it be possible? On a miserable February day Pete abbed off the top and started cleaning and bolting the line.  

It looked ridiculous, had he bitten off more than he could chew this time?  He had a few dabbles on it but got stuck into Pump up the Jam which went down after a mini seige.  Pete's attention then turned to his mega roof project, he soon got all the moves and was pulling out some good links.  He was starting the route up Stiff Upper Lip which was higher quality and added more amazing roof climbing.  Just before the crux of Stiff, the route branches off left and follows a rampline all the way to the lip. It was immediately apparent that this route fitted Pete like a glove- whereas in years gone by he was a vert slatemaster these days he is definitely king of the roof.  Lots of heel hooks and heel clamps played to his strengths perfectly and he made fast progress.  Last week he made it to the final moves but fell moving his feet round the lip.  Today the conditions were amazing and he despatched first redpoint.  The route tops out onto a ledge so has a satisfying finish.  It certainly is a unique route, it is a roof for 15 metres or so and the holds and moves are amazing.  Certainly one of the best hard routes in the UK. The route is called Dark Energy and he's given it 8c+, i got the ascent on camera so hopefully when the footage is released it will inspire some beasts to give it a go.

Some video stills:



Source: Doylo's blog

[Jaspersharpe]

Awesome! Remember going down to Pigeon's as a teenager (about 25 years ago) and thinking that one day there would be some ridiculous routes there.

[Doylo]

its a shame but the massive roofs to to left don't seem to have enough holds. This one is pretty special though...

[Richie Crouch]

Looks amazing. Definitely looks like cave trickery and fitness would help on this one! 

[El Mocho]

Warning - loud sea noise!