[comPiler]

All different or all the same?
11 July 2010, 9:57 pm

Trad, bouldering, sport. Three very different facets of the activity of climbing. And yet sometimes they fall so very close to one another. Like three adjacent sides of a cube, each distinct and separate and yet all meet at a point.

Earlier this week I went to Stronstrey to try a couple of possibly unclimbed lines with G-lah. Top-roping, working the moves like a sport route, but there only short so bouldering on a rope, but then on the sharp end it would definitely be bold trad. I'm not at the sharp end at this time, but with more work... Turning the trad into a sport boulder problem??

This morning was an early start, a very early start. To the Nook where a kindly soul had rebolted Lockless. Sadly climbing chums tend to be thin on the ground at half-seven Sunday morning so only Bammers had to suffer witness of my flailings. I conspired to work my way up Lockless on the shiny new bolts in a bizarre improvised self-belay system of dubious safety. The route is very short, very much a boulder problem, and it consists of a couple of slappy moves that I wanted to wire. So I got them sorted and then checked the top was steady away. Now what to do? I can climb the route, conditions are good, I feel pretty fresh considering the early hour. Hmmm... In the end this route is a boulder problem, so a solo is viable. I stick the mat at the bottom and solo up dragging a rope behind to lower off. A bit bo(u)lder than clipping the bolts, but also easier and quicker. A trade off that I'm comfortable with.

Then I bouldered out Theorea start, but it's pretty dirty and I can't be bothered messing around with the rope anymore so I trundle over to Dog Dinner Buttress for a brief dabble on the uber traverse before heading out past the arriving masses at the Cornice. Bammers has a bit of a mental on the way out and starts barking at some incoming sportsters, apologies if that was you.

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Laying Down A Marker
29 July 2010, 7:08 am

I've agreed to attempt the Hathersage Hilly triathlon next year. I don't own a bike or any associated equipment. My only swimming clothing is a voluminous pair of shorts and until yesterday I didn't own any running footwear. So this is obviously going to be a complete farce.

Anyway yesterday I went to our local cheapo emporium TX Factory Max Shop or something and spent the princely sum of £10 on a pair of the finest running shoes. They might last a week. Anyway after visiting the shops the family packed up and headed off to the Isle of Man to spend some time with the in-laws. I decided to start my extensive training regime last night by undertaking an evening jog. I had a route in mind and using walkjogrun.net I discovered it was 5km, exactly the distance I was hoping for (actually it was 5km 30m and I don't know if it takes into account gradient etc but hey ho). Sadly the route was also a road course (not my preferred option) and really quite hilly (which is good from a training perspective but still...) Anyway I set off having told the wife that I was hoping for a time around 30 minutes but that I was probably less fit than I imagined and 40 minutes might be more realistic. I was most surprised to get round in 25 minutes dead. An average of 12km/h on a hilly course, reasonably happy with that. I imagine I'll get worse as time goes on...

Legs not feeling too sore this morning, which is surprising.

Ta-ta for now.

Source: Notes on an objective

[erm, sam]

Give me a shout next time you are going out early if you fancy some company/a belay etc.. I am often to be found skulking around Peak crags early on a weekend morning....

[nik at work]

Will do, although it was probably bit of a one off as I just happened to be down in Macclesfield for the weekend. But should such a situation occur again I'll be in touch.

[comPiler]

Ascent Of Man
11 August 2010, 6:42 am

After claiming that my legs didn't feel sore post run I spent the next two days stumbling round with legs that wouldn't work properly due to extreme muscle soreness. Hardly surprising given my complete lack of running based exercise for the last ummmmm, well many years.

Anyway Sunday 1st I went out with Doug and had a decent session. A couple of top-ropes (tut-tut) and several goes on a training traverse. All pretty long and relentlessly steep(ish) so hopefully will have some positive stamina/recovery type outcome?

Then on Tuesday evening I'd arranged to go out with Doug again, however his daughter got into an entanglement with a jellyfish (Man 'O War apparently!!) during the day with meant a family trip to A&E for the Halls so instead I took the wife to boulder at Laxey. This plan was less than ideal as we didn't have a bouldering mat and the pebbly landings rapidly get uncomfortable as height is gained (or more accurately lost). Anyway had a nice evening in the sun but no great shakes in crush terms. Although a new project line was discovered, one I'd discounted as impossible previously. Now it appears to just be ludicrously hard. I was also surprised to see chalk on the problems when we arrived, it would seem there is a secret army of boulderers on the Isle of Man...

Wednesday saw the family Hall suitably recovered allowing Doug an evening out. We went to the only sport crag on the island. I've been here once before when conditions were very poor and was keen to revisit. This is my favourite crag on the island, it is really actually very good. But it definitely isn't your standard sport crag. For a start the walk-in is epic, involving very steep grass slopes and coasteering to leave you on a small ledge to the side of the crag. You then climb out above the sea. The position is brilliant and the climbing is excellent, there is only one warm up, one route and one project here right now but there is no shortage of potential. I might have to head back to the island quite soon.

Friday I went for another run, this one slightly longer (5km 250m apparently) and also slightly faster (24min 14s) giving an average speed of 13km/h or so.

Sunday went bouldering at Peel with the missus, this time we'd managed to blag a mat which made for a better session. Spent most of the time devising problems for her ladyship on the eliminates wall but did managed to come up with a couple of new fingery up problems and a wicked slopey traverse. All of them are completely eliminate and silly training type things.

Anyway home again now, probably not going to b out this week due to work and then next week I'm off for a family trip to Matlock for a week, hopefully I'll be able to get out for a couple of sessions.

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Back in the pool
12 August 2010, 9:24 pm

Doing lengths after a break of approximately 17 years. The local pool was surprisingly busy. There were lanes for people who looked serious and intense, one lane with a few people swimming quite slowly while looking grumpy and one lane with two people swimming pretty quickly whilst looking like they'd managed to trap an intimate part of their anatomy painfully amongst the gussetry of their high performance swimwear. I decided to steer clear of the lane swimming to start with, as I had no understanding of the protocols and unwritten rules that were seemingly hardwired into all the other pool users at birth. So instead I did battle with the middle-aged-overweight-doing-something-to-tone-up-supposedly-but-in-reality-just-looking-for-a-guilt-free-way-to-badmouth-my-consistently-disappointing-husband-to-my-equally-chunky-chums-under-the-guise-of-exercise-women. Which was nice. The trouble with the larger lady in the pool environment is their propensity to occupy a sizeable area of real estate, and a large collection of large ladies well you get the picture. Anyway this is serious swim training for a serious attempt at a serious triathlon so breast stroke it is right? The distance required is 16 (although maybe 17?) lengths of the pool. My first attempt including a couple of evasive manoeuvres the odd slow length tailgating and a scary moment when I was forced to stop by a group of menopausals comparing bingo wings was 8 minutes. I then went into the lanes for a go at front crawl, I managed four lengths in 1 min 40 before the intensity of the situation was too much for me and I fled to the free swim area. I think with a bit of work I should be able to get the swim down to low-ish 6 minutes.

So for two of the events I've got a rough baseline and I've also developed targets:

Swim 400m* - Current 8min - Target 6min 20

Run 5k** - Current 24min(ish) - Target sub 21min

*It might be 420m in the actual event but hey-ho

**I think the Tri distance is 7k, so I need to work those times up a bit once I've devised a suitable 7k route

Now this just leaves the bike. Now I've never ridden a road bike, ever. I don't even own a bike of any kind. So if any kindly soul has a spare/broken/unwanted road bike (or part thereof) that they are desperate to get cleared out of the garage/shed/hallway then (assuming it would be of an appropriate size for a stump, something 48-50cm I guess from my know nothing perspective??) I'll help you find it a home with pleasure.

Source: Notes on an objective

[Fiend]

Brilliant!

[comPiler]

Should I Tri Harder?
26 August 2010, 10:07 am

Last week I was away on "holiday" with the in-laws. Holiday only in the sense that I wasn't at home, but in terms of a relaxing week away from stress it was an epic fail. God the in-laws are slow, and their extended family (that were also with us) are even slower. Never have my days been so filled with doing nothing, and when we did do something it was invariably sauntering round a Bakewell-esque town visiting tedious shop after tedious shop or handing over vast sums of money to look round a building which looks, in broad terms, exactly the same as the building we looked round yesterday. And even more gallingly is broadly the same as any number of NT properties that I can visit for free. A great holiday.

Anyway I managed to sneak out for a Cornice session with Guru. I failed to redpoint That Was The Sea and he made Ouijaboard look very hard, but did at least manage to tick it. In a strange reversal of fortunes it was the Guru who was time limited and we beat a hasty retreat.

I also managed an early morning run one day and got a PB time, which I wasn't expecting because I felt awful and heavy and slow whilst running. Anyway 5k in 22mins 17s, which gives an average of about 13.5kph.

Then on the way home I stopped at my dads for a couple of days and managed to get out for another run, 5.6k this time in 24min dead. Average speed of 14kph, which gives a 5k time of just under twenty-one and a half minutes, so getting close to the 21min target.

Since getting back home I haven't climbed, or run but have been swimming again. I felt very tired and my legs were strangely sore. I did another 8 minute 16 lengths breast stroke. I then tried to refine my crawl technique by doing short two length sprints. I managed a series of sprints of between 40 and 45 seconds. To be honest it was a pretty poor session, I was having issues with contact lenses and goggles which were really distracting. It's frustrating when things like this are the cause of disruption as I'm not sure I can really pin down what was wrong. It would be annoying to have a contact lens that feels wrong on race day and yet it seems I can't really do anything about it. Hmmm...

Anyway as has become apparent my climbing frequency has taken a bit of a hit, I'm hoping this is down to summer holiday based busyness but I fear that tri training may be a significant factor. And this is without any bike work (still not sorted a bike out) which will probably be the event that will need the most work, and take the most time. So I need to decide whether I just want to turn up for this tri and just get round the course in any time or do I want to give it a decent go and try and post a respectable time? I'm still thinking the latter, but climbing goals need ticking too.

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Enviromental Climber
29 August 2010, 9:15 am

Friday evening I decided to go out for a run. I took the boy Lard up to bed, we read "A Dose Of Doctor Dog" three times and then there was a request for a story "about a train crushing two old ladies who were crossing the tracks too slowly", sometimes I worry about what I've created. I instead offered a story about an old lady who helped a dog find his lost ball, Lard wasn't impressed but it bored him enough to induce sleep. So in preparation for my run I donned my skimpiest shorts and a t-shirt, set the stopwatch running and then hit the road. It was pretty cold but I figured that I'd soon warm up what with all the running and such like, oh what sort of fool am I...

The plan was to run round the park, I'd worked out a circuit of the park was just over 1k so five laps plus the short run to and from the park would end up at about 5.5k-ish. Good plan, nay great plan. Were it not for a couple of small complicating factors. I'd forgotten to allow for the fact that 8pm Summer Friday evenings parks are populated by teenagers, lots of teenagers. So I enter the park, a quick scan of my surroundings yields wall-to-wall cool teenagers lolloping along, cruising on bikes and generally looking cool and young. No worries, I'll blast past them as a streak of grey (hair and clothing) and white (skin and footwear), they'll be impressed, oh yes no doubt. And they probably were. Unfortunately I had forgotten to allow for the fact that bodies of my vintage are prone to random acts of self-sabotage, which is why a hundred metres past the cool kids I pulled up with a calf strain. So here I am at the furthest point from my house, in a park full of cool kids, hobbling along, not even warmed up, shivering, wearing shorts that leave less to the imagination than anyone would desire with a collection of youths - that I have just run past- gaining on me rapidly. They overtook me and, despite my complete humiliation, the earth failed to open up and swallow me.

Saturday we hatched a plan of a day-trip to Wales, bouldering in the pass and then ice-cream, fish and chips and culture in Llandudno. Three hours drive to get to the pass, it's raining, blowing a gale and fucking freezing. Five minutes on Jerry's Roof before a family vote (2-1) in favour of escape to a cafe. Then on to Llandudno for a cream tea (controversially served pre-jammed and creamed and lidded!) then an ice-cream for lard, then fish and chips (with a bit of sandcastle building and pier walking inbetween times). And suddenly it's half six and time to head home. Get home and have a brew, a twelve hour day and six hours driving for five minutes working one problem. Unlike Keith I'd have to say it probably isn't worth it...

I was actually impressed with the pass, if not the weather, I'd be keen to return. But next time I think I'd want more bang for my environmental buck.

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Come on hips do your stuff...
6 September 2010, 3:07 pm

Bank holiday Monday was spent at Burbage South boulders with the Font Twenty Ten massive. I was mainly herding but had a swift trog up to the edge with G-lank to declare the Rib impossible for the short and stiff hipped in warm conditions blah blah bleurgh...

Not a lot during the week, one board session on Friday night. Saturday spent herding whilst the boss crushed Shipley, oh yeah.

Sunday I went to Chapel Head Scar on a gooseberry invite with the sex-pest and his family. I took the boy lard and a ready supply of fodder and diggers and a grand day out was had. Even the Guru turned up. Sex-pest redpointed Prime Evil, Guru flashed it (and everything else it seemed, he really is going a bit too well right now). Sam was looking strong on Wargames (which looks epic, powerful start then it goes on forever and ever and ever). SP had a play on Mr Hall but made it look a bit hard (but very good), something to look at next time mayhaps? The chaps were digging a mighty hole. All was well. I had a dabble on Surfing With The Alien and got a workable sequence but for one move where old man hips put pay to success. I tried doing some stretches but everyone laughed at me so I went and dug a hole with the chaps. It's a great venue with brilliant rock so I'm very keen to return at some (not too distant) point. Obviously not until I have indulged in some more stretching (away from prying eyes this time). Righty-ho I'm off to not touch my toes...

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Perfect alignment happens rarely.
10 September 2010, 9:32 am

And it didn't happen yesterday. The plan was a Kilnsey day with the Guru. I had one aim which was A Smarter Martyr, Guru's new(ish) route from last year, or was it this year? I forget and I digress. Anyway, SYKE was high, the evening before I was feeling confident. I've committed all the moves to memory and had worked through the sequence in my head, there was no reason why CRUSH could not be engaged. And then I woke up Thursday morning to drizzle, low cloud, humidity and disturbed bowels. I won't dwell on the latter of these items, suffice it to say that as an ongoing affliction in my life IBS (or is it IBD nowadays?) has shitty (see what I did there?) timing. As for the other de-SYKEing items, the British weather is nothing if not dependable in it's undependability.

Anyway I set off for Kilnsey and on arrival was somewhat heartened to find that the crag was not fully condensation ridden as I expected but actually looked pretty dry and it was quite cool. Maybe things would be alright, I still felt bloated but that was only one factor of many, and surely I had enough of a buffer of success to overcome this? Or maybe a big fart would help??

Anyway Guru and Sean arrived and we chatted, they warmed up and the sun came out. Horror of horrors the temperature ramped up and conditions went to hell in a handcart. The climbing felt desperate, the holds were as I remembered, but just covered in a layer of damp slime (or that's how it felt). I pretty quickly binned the idea of redpointing my aim, and shortly after the Guru did likewise with his. Then in a flash of hopeless optimism I had another blast and failed horribly, yeuch, 'twas grim. Sean was working Biological so I also had a quick play on that inbetween times, nice climbing but a bit long to have any serious appeal to me right now. Anyway then I had to head home for family duty so left Sean and the Guru to CRUSH. Which it appears they did in fine style, Sean getting Biological and Guru rapidly dispatching Private Practice. Nice ones chaps.

Yet again I feel thwarted by my small time windows at the wrong time of day. I'd guess conditions improved as the day went on but staying wasn't an option for me. This is increasingly frustrating as I should have done this route by now (along with several others) but all the required factors are failing to align. I guess it's just part and parcel of being a person living in an imperfect world. Still grates though.

Then Thursday evening G-lank and Pasty came round for a brew and a board session. G demonstrated his immaculate as ever footwork to Pasty. Pasty seemed to take it all on board very quickly and was some emulating G's crisp accurate style. Apparently the footholds are all greasy...

Anyway Pasty was looking pretty strong, I've never seen him on a steep(ish) board before and despite his protestations of weakness he seemed to be pulling on some pretty poor holds. G mostly complained but again was looking strong on the steepness. It's just a shame he's so fat.

Anyway we had quite a long session, if quite low key, and didn't finish until half-ten. So quite a lot of climbing done, which is good, but nothing ticked again. Sounds like I might be of to Chapel Head again at the weekend so maybe some good will come of that...

Source: Notes on an objective

[robertostallioni]

Perfect alignment happens rarely.
10 September 2010, 9:32 am

. Sounds like I might be of to Chapel Head again at the weekend so maybe some good will come of that...

Source: Notes on an objective

Too fucking right.

[comPiler]

Conditions: Fact or excuse?
13 September 2010, 1:31 pm

Yesterday was spent at Chapel Head Scar with the Sex Pest and his better half. They had implemented "Grandparent Creche Facilities Scheme 1" whereas I had the boy Lard in tow. On arrival there was significant evidence of dampness but SP dazzled us all with a party piece ascent of Wargames in the rain, my hero swooon....

After that we all took place beneath our respective aims for the day, intermingled with Lard entertainment. It was a very pleasant day out but success was somewhat thin on the ground. Sam snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by foot slipping after the last of the bouldery moves on the start of Wargames. SP was Calling Mr Hall but nobody was answering. He managed all the moves and did a pretty major link as his last effort of the day but nothing was tied up, put to bed, satched or whatever is the current vogue term for the opposite of failing. I worked Surfing With The Alien some more, got the move that I struggled with last time. A high hold was wet but I convinced myself that I could climb through that, hmmmm... Anyway at the end of the day I decided to go for a redpoint and it went badly. The crux move is near the start and it felt impossible. Whats going on? How can a move which I'd done earlier in the day and, whilst it was a stiff pull, it wasn't the total living end suddenly feel impossible? I dogged up to the top and then found I couldn't do the last move, and it's and easy move. I'd done it a few time easrlier in the day without any hint of falling and now I couldn't imagine holding the key right sidepull. What? Conditions. The air felt very still and close and I imagine humidity was high. It rendered, for me, the route completely unclimbable. WHich is frustrating, again. Anyway there you go Conditions is F A C T.

Still a great piece of rock, I shall be back...

Source: Notes on an objective

[GCW]

Conditions: Fact or excuse?

The latter, you weakling.

[comPiler]

Positive Person, Negative Environment.
21 September 2010, 10:31 am

How many posts with a weather theme? Jesus. I feel weirdly positive about my climbing right now. Given the lack of climbing I'm doing, both outside and on the board, I feel like I'm actually going reasonably well. On with the "thingz wot I hav dun" bit...

Last Thursday Lank and Pasty came round for an evening session on the board. A quick brew on arrival and then on to the board. It was another pretty good session which left me with a problem to come back to. Both Lank and Pasty seemed to have improved their footwork, although there was still evidence of some shocking foot-pops, tut-tut. Pasty definitely seems to be adjusting to the steepness well and was looking pretty strong, I think he might have a Winter of CRUSH if things carry on in this vein. Lank spent the evening trying to devise problems that revolved around doing a massive reach beyond mine and Pasty's span, so no change there then. Amongst his lank based machinations he managed to pull down in a convincing fashion. It's good having guests come to the wall as:

1) It gets me out there climbing on it.

2) I end up trying new and different style problems and linking holds in ways I hadn't considered.

3) Group sessions last longer and are more evenly paced.

This is all good stuff but I also need to get the keenie-beanie-ness to head out there seulment and put the effort in. Beasts aren't born they're built. Or something equally cheesey, right?

Saturday I popped up to Kebs with the family, the weather was grim. I didn't climb but I collected a Clip Stick that I've purchased off Nemo The Grumpy Teenage Fish (who incidentally appears to be going quite well right now, if he starts wearing trousers that fit him he might be not bad at climbing).

Sunday I had planned for a regular education session in the presence of the grand master Sex Pest at Chapel Head. The weather had different plans (i'll say no more about the weather) so I headed to Rubicon to meet up with Lank, Rick and Lagers. Now lets just get this clear from the off, I don't like Rubicon. It's all very nice next to the water leafy pretty blah blah but I find the climbing (bouldering) unpleasant and silly. The problems all seem to either be jump starts (which are just silly) or the crux is pulling off the ground (which is silly) or dirty hard sit starts (which aren't silly, well they are but in a different impressive way). Anyway I had a pleasant time despite the climbing. I think me and Lagers both agreed that the way to be amazing at climbing is to come to the crag with a ready supply of pastries and coffee. Sadly I didn't. ANyway afterwards I went for a cake and brew with Lank at Outside and made the extravagant purchase of some liquid chalk. Clip-stick, liquid chalk, just paint me in lycra and call me sport boy. I'm hoping the magic of liquid chalk (coupled with the granting of my wish for more PE and stamina) will change my current sporting vogue for failure into a lengthy line of ticks. Cake slices in Longlands are massive by the way.

Monday evening I went on the board with Mrs Keeg. She is also in training for Font-Oktoberfest and is looking like she's got the bit between her teeth. She's actually pretty handy at climbing in an annoyingly natural way but at times lacks focus and SYKE. Good to see her pulling down and going for (and hitting) moves which most times she'd not even attempt. I had a dabble of my circuit, it's about 16 moves and steep. My strategy is to go round as many time as I can without a rest, then take as long a rest as feels enough then go again (and theoretically repeat this process but I tend to get bored after attempt number 2 and move on to one or two move power problems...). Anyway when I first devised the circuit I could just do one lap and noow I'm up to two and a half laps. I think three laps is just round the corner and I think if I can do four laps then I will have the cling-on-ability to do my LTG sports project (which will then be replaced with a new harder project in the endless cycle of climbing...). I then went on to power problems (I am aware that mixing training like this is not considered optimum training but it's more fun and I'm all about the fun). I surprised myself by doing at the first attempt a problem that was devised at the previous group session on the board, I then worked a longer term project. It has a very hard first move then a hard few moves to the top. The top moves I have linked (albeit unreliably) but the first move is way off. Anyway today I did the top moves a few times in a row and they felt steady and for the first time ever I got my fingers into the pocket that you slap for the first move and for the merest sliver of a second I held it. I dunno where this apparent improvement has come from (god knows I've done nothing to deserve it) but I 'aint complainin'. It has however motivated me, the sport season is coming to an end and it has been thus for less than successful, and I have a Font trip coming at the end of October. I think the time has come to take this motivation and turn it into CRUSH.

September is drawing to a close, hopefully if the fates and the stars align October could be a month where things happen. And it's about bloody time...

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Sunday at Chapel.
28 September 2010, 12:42 pm

Can't believe that pun hasn't occured to me before now...

But first Friday on the board. Another reasonable session on the board, getting even closer to the long term project, the top now feels like a formality (after initially feeling desperate). The first "slap" is feeling more and more static, I've still not properly held the hold but I'm definitely hanging it for a brief period of time. Yes that makes no sense, so sue me. Also managed to get one more move on the circuit, three laps is close now. All of this is very boring though, reading about moves I can do a few times or moves I can't do once which aren't even made of real rock on a poxy home board that you've quite likely never seen. Maybe I'll sort out a bit of video of it, still dull, but even more self-indulgent on my part...

Anyway the bad thing about the Friday training session was a left middle finger split tip, annoyingly postioned for Sundays plans which I hoped to involve pulling down hard on shallow left hand two finger undercuts. Bugger.

Saturday was epic in length, constant activity from 6am until 2am Sunday morning then up again at 6am Sunday morning feeling a little jaded. But the weather was nice so myself and Lard packed up the car and hit the road. Mrs Me's enthusiasm to come along that she expressed at the tail end of last nights activities had strangely dissapeared in a mere 4 hours of sleep, odd. A blast accross and up the motorway saw us once again trudging across the scree to Chapel Head and it was rather wet. Sexpest and family arrived shortly and discussions were had about staying or heading for pastures alternate. Sexpest had the final word, we stayed (I agreed with his view, after all Surfing With The Alien was dry enough to try). So SP and Mrs SP set about warming up on a route that was approximately 18 miles long while I stuck some clips in Surfing. After they'd returned to terra firma and recovered from altitude sickness I had a dabble on Surfing and gave it a brush, then a rest then redpoint one. I surprised myself by getting through the crux move then my foot popped, bum. Then a bit more dabbling with the third clip (which is really hard), SP had a play and slightly refined the footwork to good effect (still nails mind). I had another couple of red-points, my best effort being getting the third clip (back clipped mind, doh) and then falling. Doesn't sound like much but that's only one move from having done all the hard climbing (leaving only a bit fairly easy stuff and the fickle conditionsy last move). Anyway my skin was VERY sore and the split was growing at a quite alarming rate so I binned it feeling sure that any further attempts would be less successful and more painful. The SP family persevered with their mountaineering efforts, surely they both ticked 8,000 metres. I had a rubbish play on Zantom Phone where I just managed to make myself appear completely incompetent and I confirmed my suspicions that I was very tired and pretty much climbed out.

So Surfer is definitely on, I got close today and about the only two postive things were (1) that I had a pre-worked sequence that only needed minimal tweaking and (2) SP had provided SYKE in the form of 13 wolf power fleece, monster. Whereas the negatives were (1) conditions were not amazing (but to be fair it wasn't awful either) (2) I was very much tired and not on top form (3) skin issues in the critical postion on the critical finger on the critical hand. Next time it should go.

Monday evening I tried to have a board session, I warmed up on monster holds and felt a bit sore and tired but OK. Then I got on the circuit, which has some smaller holds, and it just felt like the split was being ripped apart. Not good, so I binned it. I now feel like I could hit the board tonight and have a good session apart from the split, a bit frustrating. Maybe I'll chance it...

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Bum bum bum.
7 October 2010, 9:07 am

I'm not a happy camper.

Last night I had a board session with Pasty and Memory Man (a newcomer to the fold). It was an enjoyable session, Pasty was looking stronger again on the steep stuff pulling on smaller holds and even his footwork seemed more crisp and precise. Memory Man struggled with the steepness but had pretty good positional awareness and reasonable strength in his arms and core, his fingers were his weak link (and footwork of course...). Anyway it was a fairly steady session with a healthy ratio of chat to climb. I didn't want to push too much as my left hand split tip was still at a critical re-splitting stage which would mean back to square one.

Roll forward to this morning and I am woken in the early hours by pain in my right ring finger and wrist, WTF?? This pain grows throughout the early hours making sleep difficult and causing my mood to deteriorate rapidly. Breakfasting the family and dressing Lard was undertaken through gritted teeth (caused by pain and poor mood) and now all family members are packed off to work/playgroup I've had a chance to assess the damage. My thoughts are thus:

1) This is very annoying

2) I don't think it's a pulley thing in the finger, it doesn't feel like it is and I don't remember doing anything last night that felt poppy.

3) I think the finger is probably some sort of lateral straining, I have noticed recently that my fingers have felt weak and painful when a lateral force is applied so I think I've aggravated this. I'm hoping it's just some light bruising/straining type thing and it will clear up in a day or two.

4) This is very annoying as I was hoping to get out and (assuming I could find dry rock) I was optimistic about getting some sport ticking ticked.

5) I am more concerned by the wrist pain, this is currently the less painful area but I think this has to be tendon (or some supporting structure) that has taken a hit. Again I don't remember anything that pulled it but that's all I can think of given the area/nature of the discomfort (as I dredge up anatomy from the far recesses of my mind...). Luckily this isn't so painful so I hope this is a minor tweak which will again sort itself in a day or two. My worry is that it could be a longer term problem, visions of G-lanks multi month rehab from pulley poppage...

6) This is very annoying as I'm going to Font in two weeks.

7) I'm annoyed.

Anyway enough negative stuff, I'll go off and concentrate on mending...

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Phew, that was close...
12 October 2010, 10:00 am

After my finger misery of the last post I continued to wallow in a depressed funk and was generally grumpy, not a great pleasure to be around for that time. Anyway come Saturday the finger, whilst still uncomfortable and not right, felt as though it could be climbed on. Obviously when I say it could be climbed on what I mean is any intelligent rational person would rest for a few more days and monitor progress before diving in at the deep end but obsession being what it is I climbed.

A delightful day was had with the Guru, the rare treat being a complete lack of curfew, this makes days out so much more pleasurable and relaxed. Guru made good progress on his chosen target and I likewise made inroads on a (hopefully) short term goal. The climbing was (or certainly felt) fingery and powerful so provided an adequate test-bed for finger damage assessment. And the verdict was that whilst it wasn't right, it wasn't that wrong either. Woop woop. Or so I thought...

Roll forward to Monday evening and I decide to try the board. The warm up went fine, although I still felt a bit stiff and sore from Saturday (it was a long day), and even the circuit went OK, two and a half laps (a couple of moves shy of my best) but then onto the power problems. Oooof, the finger didn't feel so good then. Hmmmm, a bit of thinking about things led me to what is a pretty obvious truth, sometimes when you think you're pulling hard on routes, you're just not. On the board or perhaps bouldering are when you really pull down.

Anyway whilst out on Saturday the Guru and I discussed our aims for the coming winter on grit and we both appear to be suffering from the same malaise towards grit bouldering. There's still problems out there to do, but the buzz isn't quite there. At first I thought maybe this was because (in my case at least) I wanted to cling onto the remains of the sport season and get a tick or two done. But a bit more analysis led me to the conclusion that the routes were calling, maybe it's time for me to get back on the trad? And to that end I think I'll spend the afternoon surveying a couple of local prospects. Cheery-bye...

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

Report from the Font line...
2 November 2010, 4:08 pm

Well I'm back from Font. It was great weather, there were no kids to consider and I was rubbish.

Something about PPPPPP, prior preparation prevents and all that...

A summer of sport climbing is all well and good, but it certainly doesn't set you up well for a cheeky week of power in Font come the Autumn, especially when coupled with finger injury the week before departure. Lesson well and truly learned. This was compounded by the fact I felt rough for the whole week. I got home to discover I'd lost half a stone in weight, whilst holidaying in the land of the pastry, indicative of a serious case of consumption I'd say.

Anyway nothing of any note got ticked but a good time was had and I finally did El Poussif which has been a bogey problem of mine for several years. I've consistently tried it each year and it's always felt like it would go but I've reliably fallen short of the top. This Easter's trip I gave it a miss for the first time in several years, and then last week bosh first attempt it goes down, and feels pretty steady, and in front of a gang of young French hot(ish)-shots who then go on to fail on it for a couple of hours (well OK they obviously weren't anything like hot-shots, but they were French and young so the point stands). On a trip like this you need to take all the victories you can, no matter how trivial, so yay for me.

Maybe I should follow Keiths example and lock myself in a garage with a collection of dirty small crimps and a steep board...

Toodle-pip, what? what?

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

It's A dog's Life
19 January 2011, 12:09 pm

Yesterday I went out to Cow's Mouth Quarry, a local-ish venue, with a view to trying Daytona Wall and Daytona Wall Direct. Last year I did Boldness Through Ignorance which is on the same buttress and had seen that the other routes looked good so I had harboured ideas of a return visit. I turned up and visually the lines looked dry and clean, there was a bit of dampness in the depths of some low down cracks and breaks but that was easily avoided and the higher face appeared dry. The original route Daytona Wall takes a rising traverse line, starting on the far left and topping out to the right. There is also a direct start, and a direct finish. Daytona Wall gets E5, the Direct Start and Direct Finish are also both E5.

I decided to try the Directs first. The direct start is actually pretty straight-forward, maybe slightly harder than the original start but not a lot in it. The middle bit (which is common to all three lines) was surprisingly technical but a delightful move once I hit the right sequence. Then it's a couple of long but easy reaches to find yourself a move or two below the top at a couple of holds in a thin break. At this point Daytona Wall head off right to an obvious and easy finish. I was keen for the direct finish though. It all seemed pretty obvious, reach up with the right to a slightly gaston-y hold, high left foot in the break, rock-on and reach the top. I went for the gaston-y hold with my right hand and felt very stretched out, too stretched out?? I tried to get my foot up to the break but (as a short inflexible old man) I could only just get my toe up to the edge of the foothold, I tried to waggle it further onto the hold, and a bit of the part I was stood on crumbled under my foot, hmmm... A couple more waggles and the foots on, phew. But now I can't move up, the foot is too high and is fouling on my left arm so I can't get any weight onto it. This is getting a bit tense now. Right move my left arm, put my left hand back on the same hold but this time with my arm under my leg. Right now I can move, get weight onto the foot and up to the top, sheesh. The dog stops crying.

Back down to the bottom, give the dog a fuss, then off up the original line. This goes easily, it just flows really nicely and is over very quickly and with no fuss, although having done the direct start and finsh and Boldness Through Ignorance I've done the vast majority of the climbing before so it's hardly on-sight.

I think Daytona Wall is an excellent quarried grit E5, I also think combining the directs as a solo is well worth E6, that top move felt hard to me. However I have a sneaking suspicion that it may (only may, I certainly couldn't say for sure) be possible to arrange some gear in the top break before the final hard move, which would probably get it back down to E5.

I'm really feeling keen for some trad this season.

Source: Notes on an objective

[comPiler]

This is the end...
18 February 2011, 1:01 pm

I've kind of fallen out of love with this blog, not that I ever was in love with it but you know what I mean. It's more than run it's course I think. I have thoughts for something new, a fresh start if you like, but I won't make promises I can't keep.

Anyway I think this is goodbye, it's been emotional.

Source: Notes on an objective

[robertostallioni]

 

You just need to get some new Lego. We're on the sport this summer remember. THEN there'll be something to blog about, you fruit.