[abarro81]

I'd heard that was Vickers.
I'd just like to point out I've worn Scarpas for ages, even when I had to pay for them. So there. 

[mrjonathanr]

They look just like Kendos, which were the best boot you could buy in 1993.

  All I ever climbed in for years, good call JB.

[cowboyhat]

They look just like Kendos, which were the best boot you could buy in 1993.

  All I ever climbed in for years, good call JB.

I wholly disagree. The toe box was clumpy and they had the sensitivity of Jeremy Clarkson.

Lazers.

[cowboyhat]

I agree with the general point about conflict of interest though in fairness to Ethan I think in this case it turns out that these new boots are actually just what he was looking for since they're designed exactly for the requirements of his project and his enthusiasm is genuine.

[petejh]

My logic is along the following lines: the kind of person who writes reviews for their sponsors is the kind of person who like to play the game. The kind of person who likes to play the game is not the kind of person to give an honest appraisal of their sponsors gear in a public manner if they didn't like it. Maybe I'm just a cynical cunt.

Yeah, I post on here with what I think of the shoes if it's relevant to a question that's been asked but I presume that people will take my opinion with a pinch of salt since I'm getting them free. I would if I weren't me, despite the fact that I've worn Scarpa for years when I wasn't getting them free. I bought some of that friction labs chalk recently, and figured I'd do a little blind test with some people and do a review, then it turned out that Mountain Boot Co (Scarpa & Edelweiss importer) are importing it, so a review seems like a waste of time as I wouldn't trust it if it were someone else doing it and their sponsor was the importer..

If that makes you a cynical cunt then I'm one too - I prefer to think of it as believing strongly in the value of attempting to be objective (and a cunt).


Yes you have a conflict of interest... But is the chalk any good/better than comparison/worth the price? I've yet to test Richie's thimble of free sample..

[comPiler]

Rodellar
29 July 2015, 3:59 pm

Another trip is over and another world class climbing destination is ticked off the list. I say this every time and it is seriously cliche blah blah blah, but on these trips time really does just seem to vanish in the blink of an eye. One minute you're walking out your front door full of anticipation and no sooner do you know it but you're then having your last day and preparing to travel back home. You would think by now I'd be used to it but it continues to baffle me.



Anyway, Rodellar. The land of of the steep, the home of the pump. I have heard so much about this place over the years and I really wanted to travel back to Spain after finally getting my first trip to the country smashed in back during the Spring, I decided to book flights and see what all the fuss was about. Stories and dreamy pictures of endless cliff faces jutting up out of a mind blowing gorge, dripping with tufa and enough routes to last a lifetime, was all too tempting. That coupled with the knowledge that all of this was within a maximum 20 minute walk from the famous refugio that is Kalandraka, had me fairly convinced that this would be a pretty sweet trip.

I love a good crag walk-in but the prospect of getting up in the morning and having the climbing smack bang in front of you was rather mouth watering.

Ceuse is fantastic, world class and probably my most favourite place on earth (at the present) to climb. But the approach, after a few weeks starts to mentally beat you up. What I was after this time around was somewhere that you could put your entire concentration into the actual rock climbing.

Joining me was the young Buster Martin, fresh from finishing his schooling and exams. After not climbing much for a year or so he was really eager to get back into the swing of things and I was relishing hooking up with the youth.



It was going to be hot, we were prepared for that. June + Spain means it is inevitable. But so many people go here during this time that we figured it'd be just fine. Besides it was such a cold winter for me, and bearing in mind just over a month ago I had a hand warmer stuffed in my chalk bag while climbing, the idea of sun, heat, blue skies, shorts, vests etc etc was extremely appealing.

Nothing could have prepared us though for the scorching 40 degree record temperatures that we actually ended up getting! Don't get me wrong, it was pretty nice, especially at first, but I have never felt such intense heat like that before in MY whole life. Even the locals were virtually dying and saying how crazy it all was. You could literally fry an egg on every surface you touched. Even the areas in the shade!

After getting record rainfall during my first trip to Spain back in March, I was now in the middle of a record heatwave on my second trip! Us Brits just can't win! ;)



The heat unfortunately meant that we both had to lower our expectations and re-access what was actually going to be possible. At times even just getting up to fetch a glass of water felt like a chore and physically draining. We had to time our sessions quite accurately and show a huge degree of patience. One morning we even got up at 4.30am to try and catch the cool temps! Not only were we greeted with darkness, being much further south than the UK, (surprise, surprise) but it was also already 25 degrees!

I very quickly decided that I would just treat this trip as a good time away from home and more of a relaxing climbing 'holiday' than anything too serious. These routes ain't going no where and it would have been a shame to spoil some of them when we can easily come back in the autumn with cooler temps.

I was more than happy enough just to be abroad, climbing on some whacky rock, chilling by the river, catching a decent tan and eating tasty fresh bread, straight from the oven, first with chorizo and then with dollops of nutella.



By the end of the trip we had checked out most of the main sectors and worked out which crags were best to climb on at particular times and developed a good knowledge of when the shade would begin to come around. The dominate style here is arm busting pumpfests up steep steep terrain. However you'll still find a whole range of types of climbing, even sketchy slabs with the odd big runout for those that like to live on the edge a little...

Probably the most famous route in Rodellar... El Delfin, 7c+

The whole 'patience is a virtue' thing was definitely taken to new levels for us both. There was a lot of down time spent hanging around the refugio, snoozing, watching Wimbledon and generally trying our best to keep the boredom at bay. With so much quality rock and amazing routes constantly in your face, beckoning and crying out to be climbed, it was quite frustrating. But we were in Spain after all, and not the UK, which I kept having to remind myself. I am pretty lucky and fortunate getting to travel to some of these places. Each morning I would sit on the balcony, having breakfast in silence, surrounded by endless rock and scenery, trying to soak it all in as much as possible. Whats to complain about!?



As always on these trips it is not all about the climbing but the culture you immerse yourself in during your stay and the different people you meet along the way. Once again it was cool to hang out with some folk from all over the world. People from all walks of life, America, Japan, Israel.

For me a climbing trip isn't a proper climbing trip without meeting these people. You can learn so much from different cultures and ways of life. It is all rather fascinating,  especially when you get to sit down with these guys and swap stories, lifestyles, jokes etc. I always find it amazing how even just a single phrase can have a totally different meaning in another culture or language. Sometimes good, sometimes bad but always amusing to find out these things nevertheless. It also always puts me to shame chatting with others about not being able to speak another language. Pretty dam lazy and something I would really like to start putting right. It literally opens so many doors, being able to speak even a little fluent in just one forgien language and certainly makes travelling in general a heck of a lot easier.

Anyway to all the guys n gals we met, I hope we'll all bump into one another again sometime in the near future and there is always room for you all to come visit the UK anytime you wish. Just hit us up!





Despite all of this we still managed a short tick list. Lots of onsighting and just general tufa pulling fun. With one or two fairly decent hard ish sends along the way.

My favourite by a country mile has to be 'Les Chacals'. A fantastic long 8b on a beautifully carved out cliff face, high above the gorge and river below, with a selection of some of the most perfectly sculptured holds I have ever climbed on. From running tufa, fat and thin, to crazy pockets and dripping stalactites. It was probably the only day of the trip when we got lucky with both the shade and temps. My perfect sort of route and I was over the moon to get it in the bag. I'd say that it instantly made the top 10 of my all time favourite routes and is one that I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a quality route at around this grade. You will not be dissaspointed. Muy bien!

Andreah Hah, high up on Les Chacals©MickyWiswedel

Our last night in Spain was spent wandering the streets of Barcelona, picking our way through the crowds and the hustle bustle of the famous La Rambla and dining on authentic Paella. It is a crazy city, packed full of history, shops, food and general craziness. A little smelly in parts though... Next trip we will hopefully get to spend a little more time here to explore the place properly and drop by the beach too!

A huge thankyou has to go out to our Finnish homie Joonas who gave us the tour before dropping us off at the airport in the early hours. Hope to see you again soon man and return the favour!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Homies for lyfeee[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Final day pump![/td][/tr]

[/table]

On returning home I had the weekend to chill before a busy week away route setting down south. Rather annoyingly I seriously injured my ribs Monday evening while having a brief session at the wall. Long story but basically running at a climbing wall, and smashing your ribcage against solid resin holds is rather painful. In fact, the worst pain I have EVER experienced in my entire life.

Somehow and rather miraculously I managed to fight my way through the remaining days of setting and get back home to rest. I guess I should be thankful that it didn't happen before we were due to fly out to Spain!



It is definitely on the mend and after getting a quick x-ray yesterday to confirm nothing was broken or badly damaged, my mind is at rest and with a bit of a luck I should only be out of action for a week. Frustrating but these things happen and you just have to suck it up. Easy to say when you know you won't be out for long, but I cannot imagine what it must be like for the people that have months and months of rehabilitation ahead of them. I should be and I am pretty thankful to be honest.

Literally the one of the best sleeps I've ever had. Smack bang in the middle of Barcelona coach station. Like a baby!

As soon as we are fully mended my main goal over the coming weeks is to spend as much time in Yorkshire as possible. Before leaving for Spain I had a very brief look at Bat Route so I am real eager to return and give it some efforts.

The idea of climbing such a showpiece route such as this, is for me rather mental. My climbing has come on a long way within the last couple of years, but it still feels all a bit surreal when I get to tie in and try such a hard and historic route, straight up the middle of one of the most impressive and arguably best bits of rock in the UK. Psyched to get stuck in, back into project mode and having fun with the process again.

Then come the autumn time I would absolutely love a return to Rodellar for round 2 and this time with my Dad in tow. I think the vast scenery and chilled Spanish lifestyle whetted his appetite so it'll be cool to show him around as well as try some of the routes that we saved from this trip.

A trip to Gorge du Tarn is also currently in the early stages of planning... Another place never visited before but somewhere that has been on the radar for quite a while. Plenty of my friends have been and all have said how much we need to visit. It'll be good to cruise on down through France again roadtrip style!

We should be heading here with a small 'film crew' so keep your eyes peeled for more info on that. I know that the location will look incredible on camera so we are all pretty excited by the prospect of this mini project...



Some sponsor plugging here but I would just like to give a massive shout out to Scheckters Energy who very kindly sent us out a couple of crates of drinks with the help of Gourmet Bio Natural. Delivered straight to Kalandraka! They went down an absolute bomb in the heat and were honestly a bit of a life saver.

Lastly a big up to the guys at Kalandraka for providing such an awesome place to stay! My kind of scene and we'll see you all again soon for sure. Maybe next time I'll even try to stay up past 1am for the flamenco!

Source: ethan walker

[comPiler]

A return to France. The Tarn.
6 September 2015, 10:24 pm

Where to begin?

I've been pretty fortunate so far this year in that I have finally started to pursue and take my climbing further afield. Away from the comforts and the increasingly tedious and often boring nature of the UK.

The Gorges du Tarn. Every climber has heard of this French stomping ground. Situated just outside of Millau in the Midi-Pyrenees, lies a beautiful deep gorge, carved out by the ages with towering rock faces as far as the eye can see.

When I arrived home from Spain my original plan was to head back out during the autumn to catch some much needed cooler temps. However plans end up changing like the wind and I got asked by my very good friends, Jon and Pete Clark, if we fancied a couple of weeks in the Tarn. These guys have got this place totally dialled up, having both made around six or seven trips in the past.  They would do all the driving and organising and basically chauffeur me around for the entire time. How could I refuse! It was an easy decision to make.

I said yes within an instant. The idea of a jolly in the sun even got my Dad tempted and so for the first time he decided to join us on a euro adventure. Four Brits on tour!

Even though my experience of foreign climbing destinations is still rather limited, I've got to say that I think this place has the most amount of rock that I have ever seen! Route styles range from short bouldery gnarl to huge 100 metre+ outings, with grades across the entire spectrum. The adage of there being something for everyone could not be more true for this place.



Driving up through the gorge on our first day, our eyes hardly knew where to look first. Akin to memories of the first time we ever drove up the Llanberis Pass. 'Like a kid in a candy shop' I remember it well. Seeing the Cromlech for the first time was out of this world. The itch and fire to start climbing increasing with every turn in the road, as another huge sector would come into view.

Our faces pressed up against the car windows, straining to see but unable to take it all in.

Huge blank walls flanking us on both sides. Steep prows and towers standing tall and casting enormous shadows. The river flowing below us, kayakers gently making their way down in the sunshine. I kind of knew what to expect after hearing so much about the place and seeing all the photos/videos, but to see the place in the flesh was breath taking.



What makes the whole thing even more spectacular is that the big established crags suddenly seem to come into view out of no where. You spend a good amount of time twisting, turning, winding and weaving your way up from Millau, past farms, fields, the odd 'village' and tiny pockets of civilisation and then BAM. You turn a corner and you are there. Paradise. Neck ache from craning your head up against the car windows is something that you just have to accept!

The one thing that was so blindly obvious from the start was how much cooler it was down here than the 2 weeks prior in Rodellar. You could actually breathe, and walk about without verging on collasping in a heap!



Sunrise. The stunning, soaring arete of 'Tennessee'

Being the only one of us all who would be climbing meant I was free to climb from route to route, and pick any crag I fancied for the day. It was definitely a bit of luxury and I am super grateful for the all the guys time, belays, commitment and effort they gave me. But it did mean we had to be careful not to constantly go full burn the entire time!

The daily crag commute with the obligatory patisserie stop off.

Rest days were needed and luckily there was always something to do in town. Side streets full of little shops, cafes and bakeries to discover. Old buildings to walk around and explore. Millau is an historic place that is always bustling with life and colour, a hive of activity, with a weekly market that blew us away. Such a variety of food from all over. Stalls laden with local fresh fruit n produce, beautiful, straight out of the oven baguettes and enough pastries and cakes that left you not knowing what to try first. The mind boggled!

We would then retire back to the campsite and doss around in the sunshine, chat late into the evening before hitting the sack, already fired up and champing at the bit for the morning to come round and with it, a new climbing day. Life could not have been simplier.





One afternoon we joined JC and Pete for a hike up to the top of Gorge du Jonte. Home of the majestic vultures! The lads had already trekked to see these huge beasts a few days before and we figured it was an opportunity not to be missed. Seeing these creatures up close at 3000 feet, circling above your head and hearing the wind whip up all around you, was breathtaking and a pretty special way to end a day. These birds are always made out to be nasty, dirty and evil things and while they may be scavengers there is no doubt that they are magnificent creatures and with their 8 foot wingspan they truly are a sight to behold.





We visited such a huge range of crags and climbed such an abundance of fantastic routes, that I am sure it would eventually bore you to death to read about them all.

Every day was a good day but one of the stand out days was the session I power screamed my way up one of the areas hardcore pocket pulling test pieces. No surprises that this line resides at the aptly named sector 'Gullich'! The steep and fierce 'Le Spectre de l'ottokar', clocks in at around 8b+ and stands proud, jutting out high above the winding river below. A route that would fit like a glove in the forests of the Frankenjura.

It still amazes me how some of these routes are so perfectly formed. Each pocket immaculately shaped for a human hand and fingers. And not just shaped, but positioned in such a way that it creates one exact sequence of moves. I find it all rather bizarre but it really is like these cliff faces were always made to be climbed, but somehow it has just taken centuries for the human race to realise.





It was full pedal to the metal, all out screaming on every move throughout the crux sequence. A very memorable experience and to managed to get it done on my 2nd try made the success even sweeter!

Afterwards we trekked slightly higher up the gorge for the classic 7a and mega popular route 'Le Trésor du Zèbre'. For anyone visiting the Tarn, this route is a must! It is probably one of my most favourite routes I have EVER done, an absolute gem of a line on some of the biggest and craziest holds you can think of. A huge diagonal traversing pitch across pristine rock, with truly breathtaking scenery all around. One of the best positions you could wish for and the swing after stripping the draws is rather spectacular too!



Early morning sessions pay off with on onsight of 'Hoy me Voy' (8a)



I could probably write an entire blog about Cantobre alone. The ancient, fortified medieval village itself sits atop a rocky outcrop in the middle of the Dourbie valley and looks out across at the streaky, rainbow limestone cliff. It truly is a fantastic place, full of history that spans the ages. Stone Age man once roamed about these parts, the Celts have been here, the Romans, Saracens, the list goes on. It is perhaps more well known however for being a bastion of the Knights Templar. Everyone seems to have wanted a piece of the pie at some point! These days however its occupants and visitors are slightly different.

The cliff is something akin to Ceuse, albeit on a much smaller scale. A multi-coloured swooping wave of compact rock, carved out through the ages with routes left, right and centre that range from 7a to 8c! It is a climbers playground and I quickly found it to be totally my style. It was plain to see straight away why JC had been ranting on about this place for so long and urging us to make the trip.



The general style here is big moves, powerful lock offs, and pockets, pockets, pockets galore, before many of the lines ease off as the crag begins to slab out at about half height. You have to be prepared to go big on some of these but with the safe knowledge that you'll soon reach a bucket of joy ahead.

We made a vague plan to return on our final day before starting the long drive back home. As the crag virtually gets full sun throughout the summer period we crossed our fingers the night before in the hope some cloud would roll in. And boy did it come good!



We awoke the next day to perfect cloud cover, and an incredible mild breeze made for some of the best climbing conditions I've ever experienced. Thankfully we were able to make it count. A quick stop for bread and we made the easy, quiet drive up through the Dourbie.

Within the first hour an onsight of the classic 8a of the crag 'Les Dernières Plantations du Christ' was in the bag and then the true prize of the day was my surprise first 8a+ onsight, 'Torticolis'. What a beauty! Big all out leaps between pockets and a head wall to rival climbing in Ceuse made for one very unforgettable climb. It was one of my best and favourite days of rock climbing I have ever had and the perfect way to round off a fantastic 2 weeks.

We celebrated back at camp with a brew and one final pain aux raisin before bidding Millau au revoir, and then began the journey home.



I seriously cannot thank Pete and Jon enough for all the driving they did and for showing us a such a good time! Not to mention all the sick photos! It is a trip that will sit long in the memory and I already cannot wait to make another journey out here next spring for some unfinished business and to sample more of what this wonderful part of the world has to offer.

Here's to our next adventure together chaps! Wherever that may be... :)



Source: ethan walker

[comPiler]

Autumn Phase
14 October 2015, 3:58 pm



It has been a great Autumn so far in the UK, particularly from a climbing perspective with generally settled conditions and DRY crags in abundance! As our summer adventures in Europe began to come to a close towards the end of August, I had a number of projects in mind back home.

One thing I was really keen for was to make a few trips up to Malham. Unfortunately we kept on getting unlucky with the crag basking in the sunshine all day. All very nice but not conducive to the best climbing conditions on the catwalk! However this led us to retreating to the shady sanctum of Goredale and a quick and rather unexpected send of the mighty ‘Supercool’. It has some of the best climbing in Yorkshire with some of the best most compact limestone around. AND all in a rather impressive setting. I really hope to be able to try the other two jewels in Yorkshires triple crown sometime next year and complete the saga.

Supercool©JonClark

First on the list back home in the Peak was another Chee Dale cornice offering. I do love it down the dale, despite having now done a majority of the routes that the place has to offer, I always love heading back and spending some time under the canopy of trees, surrounded by quality rock and being apart of that whole scene.

Barney Ragin’. An old project of Jon Fullwood’s that he ended up gifting to Caff around 5 years ago. I remember being there the day he did it, looking on and never once imagining I’d be good enough to try myself. What baffles me more is that this was back in 2010! In some ways it seems like 5 minutes ago but in others a lifetime seems to have passed by. My climbing has certainly come a long way in this time and it definitely seemed like another case of things coming full circle once again as I contemplated jumping on it.

©JonClark

Anyway it was another line that did not disappoint. A couple of moves rightwards out of R n P and you immediately find yourself smack bang at the crux. One powerful pull into high undercuts that require tension and beans before a gazillion intricate foot placements deposit you half way along the Butterflies traverse and a moment of respite. A couple of quick shakes and you are straight into the crux of Butterflies itself. Tic tacking, piano playing on tiny edges with delicate footwork eventually leads you to the belay. Job done. A fantastic addition to Peak Lime!





The temps have really dropped this week. There is that nippy chill in the air during the mornings and the nights are closing in faster every day. As the trees begin to rapidly change to their vibrant autumn colours and leaves scatter about, the down jackets are firmly back out along with the flask of hot tea! Autumn is great. I love it. But the thought of what may lurk in the dark winter months ahead is a little disheartening.  

I’m hoping that what remains of the limestone season will be a good one and we can get a couple more projects done before the winter sets in and training commences for next years plans and objectives.

BLCC'sSomething rather different for me a couple of weekends ago now was entering the British Lead Climbing Championships for the very first time. Now I really cannot say for certain what it was that made me randomly psyched to register and compete alongside all those strong n young comp climbing wads but sure enough I found myself at Awesome Walls early on the 4th October and pinning my comp number to the back of my vest.

It had been over 5 years since my last lead climbing competition and I had no real expectations other than to enjoy trying something different for a change and catch up with friends I rarely get to see.

Safe to say I got pumped much quicker than I imagined! It is crazy the pressure you feel when competing in lead, I had totally forgotten how this can affect the way you climb.

  ©Ladoza/Borodajkewycz

It would be a lie to say that in the end I was not slightly disappointed with my performance and coming away with a 12th place finish. But it was a cool day out, we had fun, and it was great to see so many strong youths battling it out. In particular Jim Pope, who dominated throughout the weekend and showed the rest of us what this game is all about. That lad has got skills!

Back outside, check out the quick edit below of a cool boulder problem I was pleased to tick last week. It felt good to change up the gears, and once again engage the body into what I like to call 'boulder try hard mode'!

Whatever you are all up to, be it grit or lime, have a good sending season!



Source: ethan walker

[comPiler]

A good place
5 November 2015, 11:09 am

I am in a pretty good place right now. Looking outside at one of those typical damp and grey November days, I am unusually content and relaxed. The last few weeks have seen me investing my time and throwing my energy into another hard Peak sport route. Devolution. Last weekend saw the conclusion of this mini saga and we are still living off the psyche that a completed project brings.

For those not entirely clued up on their Raven Tor trivia, Devolution climbs the lower crux section of the mega classic, rarely repeated, Jerry Moffatt route 'Evolution', before scamping off rightwards via some delicate crimping into the headwall of Chimes of Freedom.

It is of course a cop out in many ways but still provides some  seriously hard climbing and if Evo itself is considered 8c+ these days  then this has surely got to be 8c in its own right. Either way, it is  still pretty stiff! I figured on giving it a bash as the meat of the  route is still the lower section of Evo and it would provide a good  stepping stone to trying this afterwards.



It started to get a little frustrating at times, as redpointing  does. I kept blowing the big lock-off move to the break but it was  mostly due to my finger splitting open which meant my attempts were always  limited. I had to have quite a few days off from climbing to make sure  my skin was in the best shape it could be for the next session. Forced  down time is seriously not my thing.

I am not sure what is worse. Falling off after doing 30+ moves or falling after about 3. On the one hand doing a tonne of moves and hard climbing is great for improving and maintaining fitness but then you fall over and over and your heart breaks.

Doing 3 moves and falling just gets you angry, in a whole different way. It feels sometimes as if you are just going backwards and you start to think you are getting weaker. This is all in the head of course but that is half the battle. Head games. Jedi mind tricks so to speak.



I have climbed Chimes literally hundreds of times. To the point where I could do the thing in my sleep, with a cold and dosed up on calpol. Baby Chimes was my first 8a and the full line is probably one of my favourite routes in the area.

I always knew that once at this point, from the ground it would be totally fine from here on in, but I also always knew that it would probably be rather nerve-racking climbing my way to the belay. After finally pulling through the start and making that breakthrough, to blow it on some silly moves done a million times before was not even worth thinking about.

However the mind is a hard thing to control. The minute I left the resting jugs on the headwall I felt a jibbering wreck! My brain was going berzerk, already in the future, trying to project me into post send glory. It felt almost impossible to switch off, relax and focus on the moves ahead. A simple moment of madness. A silly foot misplacement on the last move almost could have had me off. Thankfully it mattered not and the job was sealed. But it sure gave us a fright.

Now this one is out of the way I am psyched to get stuck into the  main event. Who knows if it will go this year, as the season is rapidly  drawing to a close. Hopefully there are a few weeks yet so at least if  nothing else I will be able to lay the ground work for a full blown attack  at it next spring.

Anyway I'm off to build a bonfire and make a pot of chili.

Source: ethan walker

[comPiler]

Staying on track, looking ahead.
10 January 2016, 9:14 pm

I am a little late to the usual yearly roundup. The one that everyone dishes out as another year draws to a close and a brand new one dawns, but I can firmly say that 2015 was another stellar year for myself. I was able to achieve huge personal milestones and really start to see the results of lots of hard work and commitment begin to pay off.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]© JonClark[/td][/tr]

[/table]We went on a bunch of fantastic trips and adventures, which as I’ve mentioned countless times now, really opened my eyes to the vast potential out there and just how much fun you can have with the right people who are just as psyched as yourself.

I spent the last few weeks of the year taking some down time, chilling out and enjoying giving my body a bit of rest, as much as I could manage anyway without boredom setting in. I always look forward to the Christmas and holiday period and with the year I had just had it made everything all the more pleasant being able to relax and look back, safe in the knowledge of everything we had achieved.

© JonClark

2016 promises to be another big year if everything works out and goes to plan. We have some truly great trips and ideas lined up, not to mention various pieces of unfinished business to take care of.

I cannot wait to get started! Until then it is time to train, prepare well and get strong.

After speaking briefly last year with one of the UK's leading performance coaches I was told that if I wanted to continue to push my limits and perhaps go on to stepping my climbing up to the next level then I may need to sacrifice some time outside in order to dedicate time into knuckling down to some serious training.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]© TimGlasby[/td][/tr]

[/table]Anyone that knows me will know how much I love being outside. For me that is what it is all about. So at first the prospect of choosing to train rather than head out onto real rock was a little off putting. However I am actually looking forward to the whole idea and currently enjoying the change up.

I make no claims whatsoever about being a training guru and I totally confess to not knowing for sure if I am on the right track with things, but I can see the benefits it will hopefully yield and to be fair it is not like we are missing out on anything too spectacular right now! Maybe in Europe, but as far as this country goes, nothing much is happening at all.

So in some ways, however depressing it is, the winter we are currently experiencing has hardly been an issue. It has enabled me, up to this point, to focus in on some structured training and not feel guilty and sad about missing out on quality days in the great outdoors. If we do ever see the return of those crispy blue skies then I will most likely be out that door in a flash! Until then I shall be wrecking myself on pieces of wood and plastic.

Just where exactly my limits may lie and if I will ever truly be able to  reach them, I cannot say, but that is what makes the whole thing so  exciting. I know that I can continue to improve and grow as a climber  and the desire to do so is greater than ever before.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]© JonClark[/td][/tr]

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Source: ethan walker

[comPiler]

Changes
11 March 2016, 2:48 pm



Since the start of the year there have quite a few different changes in my life. I have kept it fairly quiet but the year itself didn't get off to the best of starts when a sudden and unexplained elbow injury raised its niggling and nagging head.

Everything was in place to start a period of organised training and psyche was extremely high to see the benefits of a solid structured program that would hopefully yield some decent results come our trip to The Tarn in May.

I’ll try not to bore you with all the details and prevent turning this blog into one of those usual in-depth ‘injury moaning’ stories that seem to constantly flash across our screens these days.

It was only a few days after Christmas and I suddenly noticed a strange discomfort in my left elbow/arm while doing a few routes at the wall.

At first I figured it being nothing but it quickly became apparent something was definitely not quite right. Particularly after discovering the Joint would grind and click when flexed.

At one point things did seem to be improving but then the niggle would randomly ‘flare’ up again.

Training quickly had to be put on the back burner and toned down. The annoying thing is that I still have no idea what the exact problem is, or how it even happened! I am assuming it is probably a number of things that have caused the Problem and it is probably down to the effects that intense climbing, nearly full time, can start to have on the body. I have been to a number of physio sessions and finally have a scan booked in for next week which might hopefully begin to shed some light.

At first the Situation was ridiculously hard to accept.. Having not had the experience of one of these potential long term type of injuries before and the ways in which to deal with them, made it even worse. Not being able to do what you love and what your life revolves around is, quite simply, depressing.

I’ve busted my ribs and back in the last few years but while those injuries were at the time a million times more painful and debilitating it was at least obvious what the problem was and you could rest safe in the knowledge that they would heal within a given time frame.

My elbow, while no where near as painful has turned into some thing much more serious.

All of this has meant that I have had to unfortunately pull out of CWIF this weekend. I am pretty gutted to be missing out on the 10th year, especially after my performance last year in reaching the semi finals for the first time. I'm sure it will be a cracking weekend and with a field that is looking stronger than ever it will certainly be interesting to see who comes out on top...

CWIF 2015

© DomWorrall?

However things have not been altogether bad news. Last month I was offered a rather exciting  position with my main sponsor Mammut. A position that has the potential for some great opportunities and involve doing some ‘proper work'! It was something that I could hardly refuse and so far it has all been going extremely well and I'm psyched to see how things develop.

So while the injury has meant I am unable to go full steam on the climbing and training front at this exact moment in time, I have been able to keep myself from going totally insane by immersing myself into this new role.

Enjoy the weekend ya'll! Spring might even make another appearance if we're lucky...



Source: ethan walker

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Countdown
18 April 2016, 1:38 pm

The countdown is firmly on now for our return trip to France next month. The ferry is booked for the 28th April, the tick lists are currently being written up and the excitement amongst us all is building. We'll be spending the whole of May mainly in The Tarn and potentially checking out somewhere new on the drive back north, towards the end of the month.



My elbow rehab really seems to have taken a big step in the right direction these last couple of weeks. It is certainly feeling stronger all the time and I can now climb, for the most part, with virtually no discomfort at all. I am still uncertain and apprehensive, but it is extremely pleasing to see almost daily improvements.

The tricky part has been NOT to over do things. It has all been a huge 'learning curve' in lots of different ways. I'm used to big, tough and intense sessions. So the hard bit has been having to force myself to stop, even when everything feels fine. A very fine balance. On the one hand you want to gradually up the intensity, but on the other you are cautious of pushing things too far. Finding that middle ground, that seems to constantly be shifting, is tough work!

Cantobre dreaming!So the plan for this trip is to just take each day as it comes and gradually test the waters. I confess to not having a huge clue as to where my performance levels are at currently. I still feel strong but from a fitness/endurance perspecitive I may be lagging behind a little.

We will be basing ourselves further up the gorge this time so commuting to the crag will be down to

the bare minimum, meaning we can focus on the climbing even more. One thing Jon and myself are quite keen for this time though is heading to check out the big multi pitch stuff in the Gorge du Jonte. While we drove up through this gorge a few times last year we didn't have the time to climb here. It will certainly provide something a little different, and the crags look mega!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Guess who's back in the saddle?!?[/td][/tr]

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Source: ethan walker

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Tarn 2.0
11 May 2016, 4:53 pm

Alongside discussing beta; injuries and the weather must rank as the top most talked about topics amongst climbers. I would hazard a guess that this is the same for most other countries climbing populus, and not just the British.

So with that in mind and seeing as my last two posts have started with an injury based theme I thought this one could start with the weather. Just to keep things interesting and balanced.

It's raining. Torrentially.

But we are not letting it dampen our spirits too much as we are all delighted to be back in this beautiful part of the world. The Gorges du Tarn.

I climbed for years hearing about this so called French climbing 'paradise' and of people coming out here time and time again. My brief trip last August made me see just why it gets this glowing reputation.



So here we are. Back again and with a sizeable more chunk of time to play with. Unfortunately for all The Tarn's beauty and appeal, it does rain here too. One minute it could be shorts and shades, the next down jackets and scarves. A game that we are all to familiar with. Right now its full on waterproofs.

However the climbing is something special and the thought of jumping on the next route jotted down on the ticklist the following day, keeps the fires burning and psyche flowing.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]© Jon Clark[/td][/tr]

[/table]To be honest I am emmensely grateful that I am even out here and with the ability to actually be able to climb anything at all. There was a point a few weeks back when I was seriously beggining to doubt if my injury would heal up in time and if the whole trip would be a waste of time.

Thankfully as our leaving date got ever closer my elbow started to show rapid signs of improvement and I was able to increase the levels of my rehab and training. Even on the journey down here I was still apprehensive of just what I would be able to do and how I'd hold up. However after just a couple days of climbing I managed a route that even just a couple of weeks ago, was more than I could have ever hoped for.

It has now been over a week, climbing most days, and I am very much beggining to get back into the groove of things again. There is so much to do, the vast potential blows your mind. You'll be sat around during the evenings pondering and planning the next climbing day, thinking you have it all figured out. Then suddenly someone will remind you of another world class sector and you'll find yourself rearranging plans all over again. A rather nice predicament to be in though.

It is hard to say if it will be possible to tick all of my main goals out here, that I set myself at the start of the year. I am just happy to be climbing and thankful for the time to enjoy myself. Despite the rain!

Stayed tuned.





Source: ethan walker

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British on tour!
10 June 2016, 11:46 am

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]©JonClark[/td][/tr]

[/table]From the road the Tennessee sector rises up above your head and appears to be a sheer blank wall of formidable and intimidating rock. Even when stood at its base, at the first glance upward it looks to be blank still and hard to imagine where the routes could possibly go.

Then as you eyes slowly begin to adjust to the vast expanse of yellow, orange and grey limestone, the features gradually start to appear. You begin to see lines of weakness that weave their way through the rock and rise up and up into the sky.

I have said this before but it is crazy to think that something like this has been so perfectly sculptured for climbing. The holds perfectly shaped. Immaculate pockets, crimps, jugs, pinches, undercuts, all that fit the shape of the aspiring climbers hand like a glove. This wall has it all and all in a perfect succession that end up yielding some of the finest selection of routes I have ever climbed. These walls have been purposely built for climbing.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]©JonClark[/td][/tr]

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My month in France was without doubt one of the quickest months of my life and I now find myself back at home and reflecting on what was undoubtedly a wild few weeks. For me this trip was all about testing the waters (forgive the pun) with my elbow and just trying to climb in whatever capacity my body allowed. I still felt strong but honestly had no idea how things would go once consistent climbing on a daily basis kicked in.

French life is such a breeze. There is nothing better than waking up, chilling in the sunshine over breakfast, heading to the local bakery for fresh, warm crossiants before a day of climbing with friends, on spectacular rock amongst utterly breath taking scenery.



I am so thankful for the way in which my injury held up and utterly amazed at what I managed to haul my a$$ up. I came back feeling fitter and stronger than ever before, which is even more bizarre in some ways, and I really cannot wait for the next trip. Wherever that will be...

I have thrown together a series of random diary notes and thoughts, jotted down during our rare rest days and the forced downtime while waiting for the numerous storms to pass over. Thanks to my buddy and travel partner Jon Clark for providing some pretty sweet photos as ever!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Théorème de Thalès, 7c

©JonClark[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]©JonClark[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Crag essentials...[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Pizza La Muse![/td][/tr]

[/table]The Jonte has been calling us since we arrived. We see its huge cliffs standing watch over our campsite every morning we wake. From this distance it is hard to judge the scale of these cliffs but they are undoubtedly impressive.  Even more impressive though is how old some of these routes are and how fearless the first ascentionists must have been back in the day.

Flicking through the guidebook the size starts to become a reality and our mouths water at the prospect of getting up there. One route in particular was on our list from the start.

El monstro del muesli!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]JC scouting out the huge sectors that form The Jonte![/td][/tr]

[/table]A 45 metre 8a with a cool name and rumoured to be a classic. When we eventually made the sweaty hike into the crag we were greeted by full blazing sun and scorching heat. Nice, but not conducive to pulling down hard! After a lengthy debate we made the choice of 'screw it, we're here now' and set off up the baking limestone with not much optimism.

45 sweaty minutes later and with almost a full bag of chalk gone, I made it to the chain in one piece! It was a fight, but a hugely memorable one. The view from the top was even more spectacular and I sat up there, slumped in my harness for a short while and breathed in the cool mountain breeze.

We have all been there before but those occasions when something ends up going your way after completely dismissing all expectations, are quite often the sweetest. Once back on the ground I looked up and realised the entire crag had come into the shade! Typical.





On-sighting was never my bag. I never practised it enough. Never went abroad. Was never fit enough, and always got ridiculously pumped. A few years ago now I adapted my climbing style and suddenly became hooked on the big pump fests. My eyes opened up to the fun game of on-sight climbing. The unknown aspect and thrill that climbing up a piece of rock, first go, with absolutely no prior knowledge of the moves ahead, can bring. One minute you can be shaking out in a nice relaxed rest, French blowing the chalk cooly from your finger tips. Then within a few seconds you will be fighting for your life on slopey non holds, searching frantically for something to grab, 10 metres above your last bolt. Staring at a monster fall.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]©JonClark[/td][/tr]

[/table]Fight or flight mode in full effect. The choice is simple, press on or take the plunge. Your brain goes into overdrive, trying to work out the most efficient sequence. Your lungs are working at full capacity, your heart is skipping beats and the oncoming lactic-acid laps at the door to every fibre in your body.

Climbing in this style is a real rush for me. It may sound like a living nightmare but it is an exhilarating experience and seriously rewarding if you make it to the top on that first go, after such a hard fought battle.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]"Priez pour nous"

©JonClark[/td][/tr]

[/table]Tonight is curry night. We all need it. My arms are feeling a little jaded after topping out a 60 metre 8b on the Tennessee sector earlier this afternoon. Yesterday was 30 degrees, sunny blue skies. Today is 8 degrees, gale force winds and torrential 'showers'. This morning was way too cold to climb so we wait only to try again in vain after lunch. Jon then gets lucky with a sweet on-sight of Mosaïk Man and the sun slowly begins to warm our bones. I decide to jump back on 'Le plaisir qui démonte Extension ' while there is a chance the weather window will hold. This is some route. A real beauty with a series of complex and fun boulder problems that link together up a gently steepening wall. The climbing this time around feels almost effortless and I pull past the final crux and can finally relax on jugs of joy.

Then, out of no where the skies turn black and within seconds I am blasted with huge golf ball sized rain drops. I have no option but to take sanctuary in the small cave two bolts from the top and wait for the 'shower' to pass. 10 minutes later the monsoon subsides and I sprint up the easy finish to the belay and then it is back to base to dry off!

There are still so many routes to go at here. So many hard lines that I would love to put some real effort into. It will be some time before I visit this place again but I'll be back one day for sure. For now I shall be hanging out in the UK for a while and hopefully jetting off again in the not to distant future.

Thanks to my partners Jon and Pete and finally a huge shout to my sponsors Mammut for allowing me the time and means to head out here.

Check out my destination article in the spring addition of CLIMB magazine for a more in-depth look into the Tarn and surrounding areas. AND if you have yet to visit, make it your next trip. You will not regret it!



Source: ethan walker

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5.10 Quantum review
12 July 2016, 1:30 pm



Now firstly I never actually owned a pair of the old style purple Quantum’s, although I did in fact once try a pair on many years ago. So while I am unable to comment directly from experience on the comparisons between the old and new versions, I can give a run down on the key qualities of the new design and offer a comparison to some of the other shoes in the 5.10 lineup that have similar attributes.



Below is what the crew at the Tennie HQ have to say:

"For the redevelopment of the classic Quantum, we worked with the Huber brothers, Alex and Thomas, to develop an all-around performance shoe for any climbing setting. We started with a Stealth® C4™ outsole, the Hubers tackle a diverse range of climbs with many different angles and rock textures and C4™ is our most versatile compound. The shoe has a stiff midsole and lined Clarino synthetic upper, so it stays comfortable for extended periods of wear. The tongue is a perforated ariaprene, which conforms to the foot and provides unmatched breathability. The Quantum is built on a new last; it is slightly downturned and a bit wider than our traditional downturned lasts allowing your foot to sit in a more natural position."

I first picked up a pair of the re-designed Quantum towards the end of last Autumn. It was late in the season and the limestone was beginning to give way to the onslaught of the winter months.

However before it gave up the ghost entirely, I did get to give them a few run outs on my project at the time.

They are a stiff, down turned boot that offer unparalleled support. They are a slightly wider last than before and come with a very sharp edge making standing on and pushing off small microscopic edges a dream. The design of the heel cup is all new compared its predecessor, feeling secure and tight around your foot, with zero dead space.

The route I briefly tried towards the end of the last season was Evolution at Raven Tor. Anyone that knows anything about this route will know of the nature of its series of small holds throughout. The route obviously requires exceptionally strong fingers but it equally requires precise, intricate footwork. The Quantum felt like the perfect tool for the job from the moment I first gave them a run at the wall. The C4 sole brings a huge degree of sensitivity and stiffness throughout the entire shoe, enabling you to really generate some serious push throughout the toe box. The down turned toe gives them an aggressive feel, which along with the stiff edge, enables you to wrap your toes around those micro edges.

Two other stand out features are the perforated tongues which give a very comfy and snug like feel and a lacing system that does the job of maintaining the tension as the laces are tightened up. A small detail maybe, but something that just adds that little bit extra.

It was not long before the crux moves on the headwall of Evo started to become much more amenable and I suddenly found myself linking over two thirds of the route in a oner.

Unfortunately that was the last time I got to use them as the season quickly came to an end, winter set in and shortly after Christmas so did my injury.

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[/table]However, I made sure they were apart of my line-up for my recent trip back to the Gorges du Tarn. I had a feeling they would suit the style of climbing out there and this proved to be the case.

I have to admit I am a big big fan of the Teams. They are my go to shoe for a lot of stuff. Particularly abroad, but I made sure to give the Quantum's their fair chance and they honestly felt at home straight away. Performing just how I imagined them too on the steep pocketed walls of the gorge.

Perhaps not a shoe (to begin with) for smearing, slab style routes but I am sure once bedded in and softened slightly they would feel equally good on such terrain.

One thing to note is that thanks to the Clarino synthetic uppers, these shoes will maintain their shape and barely offer any stretch so keep that in mind when trying on.

Obviously, as always with climbing shoes, there will be various and conflicting opinions but there is no doubt in my mind that this is another top quality, high performing shoe in the 5.10 range.



Source: ethan walker

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The Trilogy
13 August 2017, 8:40 pm

Hajj is the name for the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. A fitting name for a route that brings to a close the entire Mecca saga for myself. It is a journey that started back in 2013 when I first climbed that famous 8b+ groove line at Raven Tor that so many people aspire to.

tuk

Later that year I managed to pull myself up the ‘Mecca Extension’ and with it my first 8c. Next on the list was the neighbouring and much harder extension, Kaabah, 8c+. Over the course of a couple of seasons, the first of which just about mentally broke me, I finally made it up that section of wall too, in early June of 2015. This one was a serious emotional roller coaster for me and probably the only route that has ever had me on the verge of tears when I finally made it to the top and clipped the chains.

So that left me with just Hajj. The far left extension. Much less travelled than its two sister routes and rumoured to be 'tough'...

At  the time I pretty much had no interest in trying. I think it had only  ever had a couple of ascents at that point still and to be honest I’d  kind of seriously had enough of that whole piece of rock.



Fast forward to spring of this year. After a year of many changes involving work and moving into my own place in Tideswell, I found myself in a truly fantastic and privilege position of finally being able to go climbing properly again. I am of course incredible grateful to my long term sponsors Mammut for their unwavering support and for allowing me the freedom to pursue my climbing career and dreams. They really are a terrific team to work with and I honestly cannot thank them enough.

I was keen to get stuck into something hard again and give myself a real test. Hajj suddenly came into the forefront of my mind and the psyche began to bubble up inside. After all it seemed rude to not get involved, especially as I now live only a 2 minute drive from the cruicble of hard Peak limestone…

After spending a short period of just enjoying having the time to climb again, I turned my attention to project mode. Mecca went down again with relative ease, considering it had been close to 2 years since my last ascent.

Hajj itself however was a different story. On first acquaintance with the crux, I was barely able to pull on the holds let alone do the moves. It was a shock to the system without a doubt.

©Ladoza.co.uk

The hand holds on that vertical shield of black limestone are perhaps some of the most horrendous grips I have ever pulled on. Made only worse by the sheer lack of initial footholds. It is probably about as close to standing on fresh air as it gets. Add into the mix that they are also the sharpest, most painful holds I have probably ever pulled on, and we have quite the feast. A series of razor blade, credit card thin fingertip crimps and tenuous half pad undercuts in the vertical world make for a serious treat (if you have a fetish for that sort of thing) and roughly gives you a HARD font 7B+ ish? boulder problem to negotiate.

But despite all of this I was psyched regardless and within a couple of sessions I had linked the entire crux section to the top. It felt good to be back trying hard again. Seeing that progression all climbers thrive off, from virtually impossible to maybe ‘just’ possible to okay I can do this. The project process. We all know the story.

I had a feeling that with a small bit of luck it might not actually take that long to redpoint. Especially considering how wired I had the bottom 8b+ section and with the bonus of having time on my side again…

However routes like this rarely go to plan and I spent the next few weeks, which slowly turned into the next couple of months, battling my way literally inch by inch up the final 8ft section of rock. It was certainly not going to go down easily.

These routes require patience, tenacity, commitment and full body engagement, not to mention the right air temperature, breeze etc along with the ability to feel zero amount of pure mind numbing PAIN! We battled with conditions that included everything from extreme heat, and jungle like humidity to the freezing cold and blasting arctic winds. Actually some of my best attempts ended up coming during absolute monsoons. Bizarre.

I slowly started coming to the conclusion that these type of routes are just simply not my style. Or maybe they are, I no longer can really tell. Maybe I was just too eager? Maybe I was taking the wrong approach or it was all simply just a head game.

However with each passing session I was getting clearly getting fitter and still making obvious progress. Whether this progress was doing a big link, finding some new and intricate way to hold on or even just an obvious sense of feeling stronger on individual moves and the route in general.

Finding a new marginal foothold, making a tiny fingertip adjustment, all small pieces of encouragement to take home, think on and keep the psyche burning.

In the end it was one of these micro beta changes that probably made all the difference.

I was so appreciative of having the time and freedom to go climbing that even on the worst of sessions I remained as upbeat as possibly and reminded myself that this was meant to be fun.

© Ladoza.co.uk

Kaabah taught me a lot of things about myself, my climbing and how to deal with the pressures of performing at your limits. Having that experience to draw upon helped hugely. I didn’t beat myself up over falling, I refused to let my mind wander off and be distracted by failure, but tried to keep a clear head, clear of all doubt, bad vibes and completely focused in on the end goal. It would go when it was ready.

It's more than likely that constantly keeping a clear state of mind and blocking out any negative thoughts was potentially harder than doing the crux moves of the route itself!

It could have easily gone about a month ago and maybe it should have, but for some reason or other fate decided to drag the process out by another few weeks.



All in all it took close to 40 attempts and in the process taking my Mecca account to 122 ascents. Some will look at that and call it madness, obsessive, ridiculous, blah blah blah, but for me it was worth it.

It was worth all the pain, both mental and physical, all the early morning starts, all the split fingertips and every frustrating fall.

I am pleasantly satisfied but reckon I am well and truly done with that section of wall now!

It should go without saying that special thanks should go to my Dad who was there to hold my ropes for pretty much every session along the way. The whole process would have been a million times harder and more than likely longer without his ever readiness to belay and support at the bottom.

What’s next? I dunno. One thing for sure is I will not be making my Hajj an annual thing!



©Ladoza.co.uk

Source: ethan walker

[tomtom]

 Nice post. [emoji106][emoji106]