[rginns]

Weird, the previous (more interesting post) seems to have avoided being sucked across to here.

Tuesday, 18 March 2014
Cadshaw
Yesterday I popped out for a couple of hours in the morning.  I initially went to Stanworth, and got shut down on the first move of Backslash Bash which was irritating as it felt OK two weeks ago when I was there with the Pasty Lord.

I moved to Cadshaw.  River blocks- wet.  Giganticus- got nowhere.  Red Wall.......

Now Red Wall is somewhere I have battled with a fair old bit.  It's oddly conditions dependent, very fickle.  Yesterday was the best I've seen it. I did Brian Jacques second go, RoB stand second go.  I had a brief look at RoB sit (the old starting foothold is gone) and I don't think the breakage makes a huge difference for me.

I then looked at an old project - start in Brian Jacques, traverse the foul edges of RoB to dyno to the right arete jug and then carry on rightwards.  Only one move I didn't do......

But then, what about a low traverse?  This took quite a bit of work (and Skin) but once I'd worked out a tricky knee scud and a weird kneeling move, I managed to link it after a dozen goes.  Outcast 6c+??.  Quite pleased. 

I also did a new dyno to the right of Hawkeye, going jug to jug.  Great fun.  Because it goes round the overlap it's a bit of a funny trajectory, which makes it all the more enjoyable.  I'll call it Rakkety Tam 6b+ for now, sounds quite dyno like.  I have a better video, but my PC is playing up so it's a 'phone video for now.

The LankyTwat is back..........

Welcome back old man.
Stop running, your thighs are getting too chunky.

oh, no way 6c+, more like 6b+

I'll go take a look when I can climb again...

[GCW]

Shame, you'd have smashed Brian Jacques on Monday.  More to go at, so I'll be back there and Stanworth soon.

oh, no way 6c+, more like 6b+

It felt harder than Brian Jacques and RoB stand, hence the lower grade.

[comPiler]

Cadshaw Video
24 March 2014, 2:53 pm

  from GCW on Vimeo.

Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

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Yorkshire Three Peaks
2 April 2014, 10:36 pm

Today I ran these three hills.  It was very windy and visibility wasn't great, especially on Werneside where I fell headlong and hurt my left shoulder.  I got a tad lost going up Ingleborough and was held up by various parties Long the way.  However, I did car to car in 6:28:24, which I was very disappointed with. I had hoped for under six hours, but it wasn't to be. Nice route, shame about the runner.  38.6km and 1442m ascent, in 6hrs 28mins. Poop, doesn't bode well for future events.

So here's some old footage of St Bees from Nik and I. Shit video I'm afraid, first outing with new software.

from GCW on Vimeo.

Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

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Denham Quarry 28/04/2014
1 May 2014, 7:17 am

I went back to Denham on Monday after a recent trip where I did nothing. I had noted a possible sit start to Hypno-Toad, but since I didn't get close to Hypno-Toad stand up I dismissed it last time.

This time I warmed up at the left end and managed to do R-Man's nice wall of Living Next Door To Acid (stand), so I thought I'd have another look at Hypno-Toad.  It took ages to do the stand up, it's a weird move.  The sitter adds one fairly OK move, but it's then harder to do the slap.  I managed to link it after a good few goes.  Very morpho, but I suggest 7a-ish for now.  I then managed to do Snap Derision after not even managing to pull on last visit.  It's about 7a now the broken hold has stabilised and is usable.  When I did it originally, there was a crimp higher up and it was 7a+.  When I snapped the crimp off, the sequence became harder and used a foul 2 finger sloper below the new hold (this is in the video below).

Video of the four things I did on Monday, plus some old footage from 2008 to 2011:

from GCW on Vimeo.

Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

[SA Chris]

How's training on the home woody working out?

[GCW]

Getting on it once a week at least, it's just having the time.  I don't feel much stronger on the board, but feels a lot better outside.

EDIT:  One thing I've noticed though, is that I'm keeping my feet on a lot more when on the board - better core??

[SA Chris]

Cool. I still need to get finger out, bought another job lot of second hand holds, just need to get building!

[GCW]

Get cracking, it's certainly worth it.

[SA Chris]

Time, time, time see what's become of me

Going to get wood for frame next week.

[nik at work]

Good stuff G, better than all that running shit.

P.S. SA Chris have you still not built that woody? Hasn't it been in the conceptual stage for a few years now? And  I thought of you as a good climbing ambassador, Ondra would get up a couple of hours earlier and build it before going to work...

[SA Chris]

If he was a proper ambassador him and Gresham would have taken time out from their busy schedule to do it for me.

[comPiler]

Woo hoo
11 May 2014, 6:19 pm

A big clap for Ben as he helped significantly in his team's Under 10s cup victory in today's final.  He played really well, made two great saves and was generally awesome.  Nice one Ben!!

Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

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Lakeland 50 Recce Pooley Bridge to Ambleside
18 May 2014, 8:52 pm

Did this today with the Iron Man.  Really, really, really hot.  And tough.

46.2km

2000m ascent

7hrs 40.

Hard, but the 50 is a reality.

Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

[comPiler]

Howgills UltraTrail 26
27 May 2014, 11:10 am

On Sunday the Iron Man and I had a trip to Sedburgh for this event.  The Howgills are an area I have neglected in the past, quite wrongly it turns out as they are really nice hills- round, rugged, craggy, and good views.

The route is basically a big up in the first 5km, then up and down.  Underfoot varied and was generally quite technical.  Strangely, this felt the hardest of the three UT26s we have done, although last weekend's run may have something to do with it.  I came in under six hours, which was my aim.



Rivington UltraTrail 26  3/11/13  43.9km  1016m ascent  5:39:36

Grizedale UltraTrail 26  23/2/14  43.6km  1183m ascent  5:46:59

Howgills UltraTrail 26  25/5/14  42.5km  1153m ascent  5:58:41

Incidentally, in 2014 I have run 535km and covered 8899m ascent, which is more than the height of Everest and was one of my aims this year.  The other running aim remains unspoken.....

Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

[comPiler]

Three Rings of Shap 14.06.2014
16 June 2014, 6:04 pm

On Saturday I found myself in Shap for this event.  I wanted to go under 20 hours on this to get an idea of how to approach the Lakeland 50.

The event started at 8am, and the first ring went along Wet Sleddale to Mosedale Cottage, then over Branstree and Selside Pike before heading back to Shap via Swindale (where you can see J Mascis from a distance, a problem I've had on my list for a while).  I had wet feet from the Selside descent so changed socks at Shap (under 6 hours, ahead of schedule) (wet shoes though) and set off on Ring 2........

The second ring was my least favourite.  It involved a lot of ups and downs through grassy fields and lots of stiles plus a couple of sections where I had to fight through fallen trees and nettles, cross felled tree plantations and go along river banks covered in roots.  Feet soaked again early on and I had the start of good blisters by the time I got back to Shap.  Oh well, only 20 more miles to go, and still ahead of schedule......



I changed to my dry road shoes and fresh socks.  Ring 3-  I headed out on my own with two hours of light.  A lady caught me up and ran/ walked with me- she knew the route.  We both plodded round, getting past the first tricky section before dark.  We managed to get through the Nature Reserve in the dark without getting lost, despite it having started to rain heavily.  After the checkpoint at Great Asby, we struggled getting to Gaythorne Hall - this involved heading on a compass direction across open land for 900m to hit a stile.  After using the GPS we were back on track.  My companion was obviously flagging, actually falling asleep on the move.  My feet were pretty caned by now, but there was no way I wasn't going to finish.  We kept going all the way back to Shap, bedraggled.  I think it was around 10 hours and 15 minutes, but the official time is awaited.  Disappointed, but it was tough and I couldn't have left my colleague alone.

I started driving home, keen to be back in bed with my wife, but I was falling asleep, so I stopped at Killington Lake services and had 45 minutes sleep on the back seats under the sleeping bag.  I was home by 7am.

Yesterday my legs were OK, but my feet weren't.  I've had some fun driaining the worst blisters.  Bring on the Lakeland 50.  If that goes OK, where do we go next????  Maybe back to bouldering.  Or have a good think about foot care.



Source: Wafflings of a Lanky Punter

[rginns]

Back to bouldering you Dilbert.

Oh. Well done.

[SA Chris]

Bouldering sounds a lot more fun actually whacking yourself in the nuts sounds more fun. You tried draining the blisters using a piece of cotton as a wick? Not medically sanctioned but it works.

[GCW]

No, i wouldn't recommend that due to infection risk.  I used a nice green sterile needle.

[SA Chris]

Doesn't the hole just get blocked and they refill with fluid?

[GCW]

If you make a small slit, no.  Besides, with socks and shoes causing pressure they haven't re-filled.  Sore though!

[tomtom]

Those big clear blister plaster things with a lump of gel in the middle work really well.. I was very sceptical, but having used them a couple of times they're ace. Stay on for a few days and the gel cushions (and maybe cools) the blister...

[SA Chris]

Compeed?

[tomtom]

Compeed?

Yup - looks like them. Very unglamorously, I went to a conference - wore new pair of shoes that rubbed - was there for 2-3 days only had those shoes. Bizarrely the students union at the conference sold these blister plasters. Perfect.

[GCW]

I had Compeed on all the usual hot spots, it's just that wet feet for 65 miles trumps little sticky dressings every time!!