[shark]

Goal: Oak. 10,000 8a nu points
Weight: 11.2-4

M.
T. Tor AM. Windy but good conditions. Tried Toilet. 3 redpoint attempts. One move short of easy moves – twice.
W.
T. PM. Malham. Bit warm. Reacquainted with Oak. Undercut by 3rd bolt wet.  Felt stronger than before on the moves. Amazing feeling. Linked from 8th move to the top.
F.
S. PM. Malham. Cloudy, cold drizzly but then got warmer. 5 good redpoint attempts – didn’t quite grasp the horn. Had hoped for more. 
S. Eve. 1 hour on the board doing Oak type moves (when my tea has settled)

All going well. Weight now around year low. Back to Malham Weds.

[chris05]

Back from Scotland now. Unfortunately not much climbing done due to mums birthday, a wedding and travelling but have managed some good running mileage.

M: Recovering from wedding and travel from aberdeen to parents house
T: Walked up Ben Wyvis (and down again obviously) in some proper scottish weather
W: 10m hilly road run, pull-ups and core (400)
T: 4 hours of manual labour for parents (moving large stones and tree-trunks!), 4m x-country run
F: 10m hilly road run & short bouldering session at Brin (great venue with really nice problems)
S: travel home/rest
S: 7m run, pull-ups & core (400)

[205Chris]

STGs: Off to font in 2 weeks. Break into the 7s and do L'aerodynamite.

MTGs: Grit bouldering / highballing. Long list of peak 7b - 7cs and get to North Yorkshire more.

LTGs: Something that starts with an 8.

M: Nada
T: 2 hours on home board.
W: Another board session / repeaters on Beastmaker.
T: Nada
F: Went to Baslow to try Flatworld. Did an awesome V4 called the Balls test, well worth seeking out. Tried Flatworld, best effort was getting up to the high sidepull but have since discovered better beta so one to go back for. Then proceeded to shred a load of skin on the Eagle stone without ticking anything before going to Gardoms to do Double Bum.
S: Despite keen for grit bouldering I was persuaded to go to Cheedale and got back on Sea is a Brown Paper Bag. Climbed rubbish but found a better way to enter the groove so not a totally wasted trip. Unlikely to get back on it now till next year. Consolation redpoint of Darl P2. Board session in the evening.
S: 17k MTB ride round Bakewell. Remembered that my knees dislike cardio exercise.

One more week of training and then a weeks rest before Font.

[petejh]

Goal - VIII, 8a, 8A, E8, in 2010.
At - IX, 8a, 7C, E5.
Goal for rest of September: work My Piano, acquaint myself with High Life.

m. Indi wall, campussing. 3 x 8 reps per arm hand ove hand. 3 x 8 reps per arm 1/3/5/7/9. 6b+ traverse and easy warmdown.
t. nowt.
w. LPT. Warmed up, put clips in Mussel. Sent. YES! My first 8a.
t. Raven Tor for first ever visit. Felt totally knackered and got pumped on everything, didn't care and floated through day on post coital send high.
f. nowt.
s. Nesscliffe for first time. Warmed up doing Red Square, top roped My Piano. Beautiful moves, psyched!
s. Re-equipped Life's a Beach on lpt.

After a frustrating 4 or 5 weeks, everything happened at once. 1st V9, 1st 7b flash, 1st 7b o/s and then my 1st 8a all in the space of ten or so days. So pleased to get that milestone done, and totally psyched for the great climbing on My Piano on first acquaintance.

[nik at work]

8b+, 8B
STG - Another 8 in Oct Font trip

M - nothing
T - nothing
W - nothing
T - Board session with GCW and Ginns
F - nothing
S - went to Bridies for 5 minutes and did... nothing
S - Rubicon for a spot of damp feeling bouldering, did a couple of problems

Enjoyable session on Thursday evening but otherwise frustrated by the weather and work and blah blah blah. Time and weather constraints suggest that hitting the board a bit harder may be the strategy for now...

[tommytwotone]

STG: Great North Run in sub 2-hour time
LTG: Font 7b by Xmas

M - Nowt - tapering
T - Nowt - tapering
W - Nowt - tapering
T - Went to the boozer under the auspices of tapering
F - Went up to Northumbria
S - Bumming round in Hexham
S - Great North Run in sub 2-hour time. 1:56.

Pretty happy with that week - am absolutely goosed now. Am off to NYC on Weds so I guess I crack on with Font 7b by end of '10 when I get back.

[boulderingbacon]

m went running about 4 miles
t played pool and darts. couple of 180s so was happy
w went to gym with the misses
t bouldered indoors
f went to gym and didnt go to pub after=result
s worked
s bouldered indoors again definitely making progress though, did a four mile walk up the local fells in the afternoon.

new weight 14stone 10 pounds another 2 pounds lost.
climbed a 7a so need a new mtg.
new mtg is to climb f7b

[Muenchener]

STG: Rehab left ring finger pulley injury F6a os
MTG: F6b os, 1-3-5
LTG: F7a rp; classic big Vs / VIs at local crags (Kaisergebirge, Wetterstein etc.) e.g. West Face Totenkirchl

M: shoe shopping: Katanas
T: Asymmetric pullups (making a start on the new campusing MTG), handstands, press-ups. 30 minutes step-ups with rucksack - am determined to at least get to the start of LTG routes in the Alps!
W: Wall (Thalkirchen). Excellent session: suddenly am getting up things again at my pre-injury limit, and in better style than before. yyfy. Perhaps several weeks of Finger Rehab Through Mileage On Easy Routes have improved my technique and/or endurance. Katanas seem to work too. Finger feels fine as long as I stay on overhangs with big holds and avoid anything vertical/slabby where there might be a danger of fingeriness. I'll call this a "reached" on my STG, although I'll still have to be careful with the finger for a while.
T: rest
F: yoga
S: French pullups. I dislike these: of all the harder pullup variations they feel the most shoulder-threatening. New tyres on bike: was commuting in town on cyclocross tyres, and constant punctures were getting to be a pain in the ass and demotivating me from riding bike to work for cardio fitness.
S daytime. Yoga. Family bike ride with friends, 30km, albeit at a pace I would describe more as "active rest" than "cardio training". (Planned long in advance and entirely not triggered by Thesiger suspecting me of being a middle-aged fat bastard: http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,15919.msg277620.html#msg277620  )
S evening: Fall training at the wall (Thalkirchen). I can count on my fingers the number of falls I took in my previous (80s to mid 90s) trad climbing career, and before starting climbing again this year hadn't sport climbed much. And my wife - usual climbing partner [and dfbwgc] - had never held a fall. From terror to fun in one easy lesson? Not quite. As Dave Mac says in his book, this will take time. But: more leader falls in one evening than I've ever taken before in my life is a start.

Training plan for next week: Oktoberfest. Damage limitation.

[nai]

Sep goals - regain lost strength, OS  7a
2010 goals - 7C, 8a, E4, Sturgeon.

M - fingerboard - max hangs, weighted pullups
t
W - fingerboard - max hangs, weighted pullups
T - bouldering at Curbar, hot in the sun but Gorilla block in good nick, wasted myself for a couple of hours, good fun.
F - bouldering at Gardoms, just an hour, fun again
s
s

OK week, shame not to get out on a rope but strength is returning after just 4 fb sessions, enjoyed bouldering again and managed a few quick ticks. Unllikely to tie into a rope again this month so will concentrate on strength gains and hope the limestone remains dry into October

[ummagumma]

STG: finger strength, core.
MTG: 7a in font End Oct (or anyplace else would be also nice)
LTG:

M - Indoor Bouldering. Not sure on the grades of the problems I was doing but all felt hard. Good session.. finger were good sore afterwards.
T - Work life took over for a few days
W - 0
T - 0
F - 0
S - 3 hour indoor bouldering session. Focusing on Fingery and sloper problems. Good Font prep.
S - Outdoor bouldering. Best grade 6B+. Realised I'm shit a sit starts. Got shot down on two problems - could barely get ass of ground.

OK week. Shame I didn't fit a mid week session. Have to keep the pressure on as it's under a month til font. Have entered the finger strength phase. Need to get stronger! Noticed a few tech weaknesses in the outdoor session that I still need to work on also (sit starts). Taking today off.

Fingery indoor sessions and going to Arco for 3 days bouldering with the missus (YYFY). Most boulders are in the low to mid range. It'll be good for outdoor fitness for font. Will be trying some harder shit also. I can't believe my font MTG is becoming my STG. I've got to man up.

[Barratt]

Goals: Don't let injuries get any worst and spoil the upcoming grit season!

Mon: Rest
Tue: Foundry bouldering, hard and felt a bit tired
Wed: Booze
Thur: Foundry bouldering, only a short lunchtime session/ Run in the evening
Fri: Stanage bouldering, fantastic session
Sat: Nowt/Beer
Sun: Matrix bouldering with Luthor - awfully hungover

Decent week with quite a few sessions keeping me ticking over. First trip out on the grit was excellent with a few new ticks up on Stanage popular. Can't wait to get back out, hoping for Curbar on tuesday evening - might even get to tick Early Doors

Shoulder is still as bad, but trying not to focus on the negative. My goal is simply not to make it any worst and enjoy the upcoming grit season. If i can maintain my current level of fitness, I should still be in a good position to improve and get some new ticks!

[galpinos]

STG:      Onsight more E2s, Redpoint 7b
MTG:      Onsight E3
LTG:       Font 7c, Onsight E5 & 7b, Redpoint 8a
Current Best:   Font 7b, Onsight E2 & 6c, Redpoint 7a+

M:   40 minute run.
T:   2 Hrs at the wall. Did the purple circuit then tried some harder stuff.
W:   2 Hrs at the wall. Did most of the grey circuit then got on the beastmaker and tried some harder stuff.
T:   40 minute run.
F:   1 Hr at the wall.
S:
S:

Good to actually get on the beastmaker board and try some problems. It’s brutal but gives me stuff to work on. Second half of the week descended into lots of drinking with meals out followed by a stag do.

[GCW]

Short term goals
Do the Cadshaw run (7.8km) in under 40 minutes Done last week.
Do my local cross country (5.8km) in under 30 minutes (big ask I think)

Medium Term goals
Climb font 7c in 2010 (a bit ambitious maybe).
Lose (almost) a stone initially (aim for 83kg)- also a bit ambitious!
Do my Winter Hill run in under 43:12 (average 10kmh).
Finish off my remaining esoteric Lancs Quarry projects.


M-  Work, wine.
T-  Full of the lurgy.  Work and then bed very early.
W-  A day composed of work and putting up bunk beds, whilst feeling I'll.  A couple of beers to celebrate magic DIY skills.
T- WoB session with Nik and RGinns. Still felt under the weather so didn't achieve much.
F-  Cadshaw run with RGinns.  Still felt crap so didn't push it. 7.8km in 41:07. Wine.
S-  Had the Blobs, did various domestic stuff. Wine.
S-  Rubicon in the rain with Nik, Rick and the illustrious LagerStarfish.  Did not a lot, but had a nice day. Wine at tea along with lovely fish- thanks Lagers.

Monday weigh in of 84.1kg. Need to get back to the regime.

[chris_j_s]

Aims for 2010: rp 7b+ sport, o/s 6c+ sport, 7A+ boulder.
STG: Keep to new training plan in order to be ready for Kalymnos.

Not much done as last week was mainly interrupted by a long weekend to Venice. Arrived back in the UK at midnight-ish last night, back at car by 12:30. 4 hour drive home, 3 hours sleep and now back at work drinking back to back espresso's!!   

M: Repeaters
T: Circuits at Ingleton. Middle of the road session.
W: Packing and driving to Stansted.
Thu - Sun: Venice.

[Duncan Disorderly]

At work so just a quick one this week...

Tuesday and Thursday: Burbage West - Tried WSS for the first time in anger.. Made good progress, got to the third sidepull.. Kinda tempted to put this on the winter list.

Friday: Pullups.

Crap week of training - got roped into DIY and extra parenting as i'm off to Font tomorrow... Ho Hum!

This week: TWTFSS in the forest...YYFY!

:D

[Nibile]

transition week.
mon - beast, 10"x6, easy session. fingers tired, especially back 2.
tue - rest.
wed - gym, bouldering on very overhanging terrain, 2 hours. very tired and very pumped. unable to move on plastic. shocking.
thu - rest.
fri - rest.
sat - gym, bouldering on very overhanging terrain, 2,5 hours. better, but still moving quite bad.
sun - beast, 10" x6, good session, small rung, back2, mid two small, small rung back 3.

comments. more than 4 months without plastic, now I don't know how to climb on plastic. it seemed that every hold made me pumped. maybe because they were fairly biggish. anyway.
fingers generally tired, especially back 2. time to give them some time for supercompensation. will shift towards one armers and maybe one arm deadhangs.
keep the fucking faith.

[andybfreeman]

Goals as before

Another stupidly busy week at work so a bit crap training wise although I still managed to do something each day.

M - worked late so quick weights session at home
T - ok at work so managed almost 2 hours of circuits. Felt loads bettr than I had done on routes yesterday, can only conclude it's my head more than anything else holding me back on routes!
W - shorter session c. An hour and a half. Ended up working campus problems on the mothership and then the board. Managed 1-3-6 and 1-4-6 on big rungs and 1-3.5-5.5 on small rungs. Pleased with residual power after focus on fitness/endurance for past few weeks.
Th - 90 mins bouldering after work. New red hard circuit only completed 3 problems but felt good and made progress on the rest.
F - planned rest
Sa - routes at cheeswring quarry. First time on granite so educational! Managed a very thin vertically 7a, pleased as the antithesis of my normal style.
Su - easy bouldering at Helman tor followed by another session at cheesewring. Afternoon wasted because I felt sick after my warm up. Put this down to stress and managed to climb at thesis of the day, even if I didn't get anything new done

Weight - average of 66.5 for the week. Still a bit heavier this morning but I had a fat Friday!

Still psyched for routes hope to get out more before the weather craps out

[Andy F]

Mon/Tues - nowt
Wed - Bouldering at Awesome, did some stuff I failed on last week.
Thurs/Fri/Sat - nowt again.

Sun - a rather damp and busy Malham, there were more climbers than routes dry! Warmed up doing a 7a+ that I'd not done for ages, felt like an onsight as I had no memory of it! Did it again to get the blood flowing.

Put the clips in the Overnite start, more in hope than anything. Amazingly did the first hard move the official way after being unable to do it that way before! Must be the remnants of the Kilnsey strength. managed to link from the ground to the 3rd clip which previously I had a 20% success rate,now it feels like it'll be an 80% success rate. Worked the top to remind myself, felt fine. TR'd a 7b to cool off.

That last 2 weeks have been a bit of a lull due to going back to work and family commitments, but now Overnite has suddenly become feasible, I'll be back on the fingerboard in anger. The psyche is back.

[duncan]

STG: Do 1 pull-up.  More E3s (Dreadnought, anyone?).  F6c OS.
MTG: E5 OS (by June 2011).  F7b quick RP (by March 2011).
LTG: stay fit ie climb more than 6 months a year.

M: Toe-on pull-ups,
T: Arch bouldering to V3
W: Deadlines to meet ...
T: Arch bouldering to V3
F: Shoulder stability stuff
S: offspring's first birthday: friends, cakes, park etc.
S: More Swanage trad.  Did Buccaneer - classic Ruckle E2 burl - without too much difficulty.  Should be trying harder stuff but was climbing with unknown quantity.

Productive week and staying fit.  Easy does it...

Impossible to answer re bouldering grades - better to set specific problems as goals. In terms of pull-ups 5-10 perhaps?? I expect you could as many on edges as a bar. It could be in part a neuro thing where your body has forgotten how to do them. How many did you used to be able to do ?

Belated thanks for a patient answer to a ludicrous question. 

I'm sure you're right, neural memory must be a big part of it.  When I was climbing E5 in the mid-90s I could do about 3 pull-ups.  When I lead Severe I could manage about 15.  So pull-ups are not crucial to my climbing, but being able to do a few seems like a good idea.  I'll look for some crimpy, vertical V5/6s.

[Falling Down]

STG:Redpoint 7b & Lead E3 again by end of Sept.
MTG’s (End 2010) – Redpoint 7b+ (Lightweight Easy Way/Indecent) & Onsight E5.
VLTG’s – Redpoint 8b, Boulder 8a, Onsight E6 drop weight to 11.5 st.

M - 1 hour run around and up (twice) Eccles Pike + Endurance Weights (100 chest presses @ 10kg DB, 100 5kg DB plate pinch tricep lifts)
T - Aberdeen. Improvised PE workout. (30 mins hard runnning + 50 air squats, 30 pullups, 50 pushups, 50 box jumps, 20 tractor tyre flips)
W - Aberdeen. PE circuits at Wall + Foot on campussing. 3 hr session.
T - Nowt
F - Run, deadhangs and kettlebells.
S - Nowt (DIY)
S - DIY again.  45 minute run + 2.5 hr short session at Stockport wall. Circuits and routes volume/back-to-back to Fr 6c - got very pumped.

Pissed off I didn't get to go outside this weekend due to DIY and other commitments as I really wanted to get back on Tin Of o.  Training effort and motivation this week was good though. The weights and bodyweight circuits are really helping me avoid any shoulder, elbow and finger niggles.

This week: Lots of work and related travel so hopefully squeeze in 1 routes/circuit session at wall, 1 fingerboard sess and two runs mid week. 1 day sport and 1 day trad at weekend (weather permitting)

[Luthor]

STG: Climb some new problems, train harder, don't get injured!

Mon: Rest
Tue: Rest
Wed: Foundry, routes.
Thur: Bouldering at the works, white circuit
Fri: Bouldering / short solos at Stanage far right. A little warm and midgy but good to be out.
Sat: Bouldering at Works - including an initiation to the motherboard...
Sun: Ouch.. Tried bouldering at Matrix but felt wrecked :-)

[nai]

F: Went to Baslow to try Flatworld. Did an awesome V4 called the Balls test, well worth seeking out.

Indeed an absloute gem and not nearly as necky as the name might suggest.
Did you do/try The Ripper next to it?  Also very good and worth a revisit to that area.

[Derek Mild]

STG: Rehab arm to a decent level
MTG: Go west, Breakfast, onsight E3 by the end of the year.
LTG: Onsight E5, boulder font 7b

M: recover from weekend activity
T: Probably did some shoulder stuff
W: Worked late
TH: session at works on overhangs to font 6b or so
F: see sat
S: stag do, no climbing
S; see saturday
M: Burbage south boulders, did 7 problems to V3, still couldn't do Tiger, but closer

[webbo]

Mon.bouldering rockcity.did a v6 i'd not done before and repeated most of the 5 and 6s i'd done before twice.
Tue. nowt
Wed. rockcity spent ages repeating mondays problem and gave myself a sore cuticle in the process.
Thu. leeds wall did 11 v5/v6s and then did 10 of them again.
Fri.nowt.
Sat.as my finger was still sore didn't climb.bike 21/2 hours.
Sun.first trip to the depot.didn't do anything stunning did 3 or 4 v5s did quite a lot of climbing.

not a bad weeks effort probably did 40 plus problems in the v5 to v6 range.just need to start and up my game.

[Monolith]

Mon - Rest
Tue - Rest
Wed - Did a few routes at the wall then had board/beastmaker session. Good to be back on the board.
Thurs - Rest
Fri- Taught girlfriend how to lead. No fear and took a lob without a tear. Very proud. Went on board myself doing on the min circuits.
Sat - Rest
Sun - Rained off and decided to drink coffee and read the FT in preference to training.

Glad to be back bouldering feeling pretty light. Just need power to come through and all should be lining up nicely for project. Need more volume this week.

[cheque]

Hi, my name's Cheque and I'm a climbaholic.  Long time lurker, first time (power club) poster.

Years climbing: 2
Weight: 57kg
Strength: trace

STG: Onsight E1s and E2s on grit this winter.
MTG: Similar on mountains/ sea cliffs next summer
LTG: Be good enough to make a US trad trip in autumn 2012 worthwhile

M: Nothing. Knackered from friend's wedding/ Stanage at weekend.
T: 1st visit to newly-relocated local wall. Disappointment leads to unfocused bouldering sesh.
W: Walked back from work. Nothing else due to shocking fatigue after wall.
T: Work stress. Listless self-directed stretchng in lieu of yoga class.
F: Work project finished at last minute. Very little sleep.
S: Puntering @ Wharncliffe. Tiredness and contentment means more volume than trying. Feels like Autumn 
S: Recovering all day reading ancient Climber magazines.

Next week's goal: get some endurance back ahead of trip on Friday. Resting for last two weeks of August seems to have been good for everything but recovery.

[shark]

Strength: trace

 

I've yet to meet a climber who declared themselves strong

[i_a_coops]

STG: Taper like a mofo and crush in Mallorca
MTG: Threadbare, Secret Cabaret
LTG: I clearly don't give a crap about long term goals as I never know what to put here. Get better at everything?!

M     Much needed rest day. Fingers still bleeding slightly.

T      Torbryan, with lots of tape. Did Threadbare LH despite climbing like a numpty, got the moves on the original route but too spannered for a serious redpoint, MUST come back for this.

W      Berry Head, fell off Rainbow Bridge after overgripping like a manic overgripper. Walked up Cod Tympani as a consolation, must be the easiest '7a+' on the planet! 6b+ in real money. Then took far too long to get a sequence on Shadowstyx at LQP, I'll do it next time I go back though as it felt really easy with the sequence I was given (my own sequence was whack beyond belief)

T      Sorted my life out on Millimetre War. Must try and remember than sometimes full-frontal cranking is easier than whack heel-above-hands nonsense. Climbed well AND tried hard on final redpoint, possibly a first for me! Pity it was on a negative-stars 3-bolt shitty bit of rock..... ah well if you're a true grade whore that kind of thing doesn't matter. 

F      Nada, arms HURT

S     Tame hill walking in Lake District. Arms still hurt

S     as saturday. Arms slightly less painful


10 days of climbing with 1 rest day is clearly enough to completely spanner my arms. Going to Mallorca next friday so last post for a while, my stamina/PE is at an all-time high (while still being fairly shoddy by most sport climbers standards) so hopefully I'll actually manage to do some routes out there..... it would be nice anyway!

[i_a_coops]

Just got a new LTG: Stop getting puntered by Three Nine! 

[iain]

Last week is a bit of a blur. I know I fingerboarded once, and attempted to go to the wall once but no idea what days.
Also attempted to go climbing on the Sunday but after 15 mins on the motorway wife and I decided we just couldn't be bothered and turned round. Poor show 

So far more of the same on the climbing front this week 

On the upside, I'm going back to university to actually get a degree this time, 20 years after the first attempt, and got into the second year direct
On the downside everyone's so young    I really do feel old.

[Charles]

Goals: Onsight F7b in Mallorca

Monday - nowt.
Tuesday - some circuit work at the Depot. Did the pink F7c on the circuit board. Chuffed.
Wednesday - nowt.
Thursday - light session at the Depot.
Friday - nowt.
Saturday - nowt.
Sunday - got a bit carried away trying to recapture my youth at a freshers party in Sheffield...


Mallorca tomorrow. Got my goals sorted, our days planned, DWS recommendations written down (thanks UKB collective). Feel rested and uber-psyched.