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Chulilla and Visit to Costa Blanca

Hi folks, thanks for stopping by. I have just returned from a highly enjoyable two week trip to Chulilla  and the Costa Blanca with my friends Haydn Jones, Sam Hamer and Jose. We  spent 9 days in Chulilla over New Year and then  travelled south to stay at Gaz Parry and Kate Mills' house near Oliva in the Costa  Blanca for a further 4 days. For the last couple of days, we visited  Jose in his home city of Murcia.

After the obligatory enforced layoff over Christmas it took a couple of days to find our feet but we soon acclimatised to the style of Chulilla, which generally offers long, vertical to gently overhanging wall climbing with most pitches being up to 30m or more in length. It seemed that half of Sheffield was visiting the area and it was cool to spend time with friends from familiar home crags. We lucked out with our accommodation and managed to get rooms in the same apartment as Matt Segal, of Progression fame. Most evenings were spent arguing the toss over grit highballing ethics with Matt and his mates. They cooked us up a proper banquet on New Years eve (see pic) as well, result!

 

News Years Eve banquet with the Yanks

The ancient village of Chulilla with arabic castle

So, what about the routes? I was psyched to spend some time on-sighting for a change and tried to be disciplined to move onto another route without redpointing it if I fell off. With whole sectors sporting endless 30m lines of 7c, 7c+ and 8a, who needs a first redpoint when there are onsight dragons to be slain! I was pleased to get two 8a onsights and some 7c+'s as well. My attempt to onsight an 8a+ called La Buena ended at bolt 5 of 18 unfortunately, you can't win 'em all ;0).  We only took one rest day in 9 days which made a refreshing change to the many double rest days taken before redpoints on home ground. I am looking forward to spending more time on this style of climbing in the future, the other side of the coin to sieging. Here is my ticklist of 7b+ and above:

Chulilla Ticklist

8a+ 

La Buena (El Balcon) - Redpoint

8a

El capataz incapaz (El Balcon) - Onsight
El agente naranja (El Balcon) - Onsight
La boca de la voz (Pared de Enfrente) - 1st redpoint

7c+

Plantea Namek (El Algarrobo) - Onsight
Ramallar (Pared de Enfrente) - Onsight
La quebranta (Pared de Enfrente) - Onsight
El rey de la palanca (El Balconcito) - Onsight
El Bufa (El Balconcito) - Onsight
Tequila Sunrise (El Balconcito) - Onsight

7c

Hipotermia (El Algarrobo) - 1st redpoint
Nivelungalos (El Algarrobo) - Onsight
Bricopaco (El Algarrobo) - Redpoint

7b+

Nikita (Competition) - Onsight
Andromeda (Competition) - 1st redpoint
Ca La Marta (El Algarrobo) - Onsight

La Buena 8a+

El capataz incapaz 8a

                                        

  Tequila Sunrise 7c+

In fairness, New Years eve in Chulilla had been a relatively tame affair so when the opportunity presented itself to party a bit in Valencia with Jose and his friends, we duly obliged. After a few beers, it seemed like the evening was heading to a close at midnight but then the cocktail bowls and bottles of spirits were busted out and an impromptu visit to a local club took place. The Spanish tend to stop out a fair bit later than us English folk, all I would say is sometimes you need more of a siesta than a fiesta! ;0)

With the party scores now settled, it was time to crank again and we were all excited to check out Gaz's local crags. Gaz and Kate very kindly put us up at their home just outside the small town of Oliva, which is not far from Alicante or Valencia airports. Situated amongst orange groves in some beautiful countryside just south of Gandia and a stone's throw from the Penon d'Ifach and Sella, this would make an ideal base for anybody looking to explore the Costa Blanca. I know Gaz has a room to rent so drop him a line if you are looking to spend time in this superb climbing area and soak up some rays!

Another grim day on the Costa Blanca

Gaz and Kate are both animal lovers and have a stable with some horses as well as some very friendly cats and dogs. The dogs include those unlucky animals who are unfortunate enough to have suffered an injury or simply have no home to go to. One of the dogs was my namesake which guaranteed some moments of confusion each morning before coffee had been consumed.

Some Spanish podencos

Feeding time

We were all excited to check out Gaz's local crag 'Sector 45' where his now ex-project Supersonico 8c+ is to be found. David Petts joined us to film the ascent with the aid of his awesome 'quadcopter' or drone which was buzzing around the crag filming the action from all sorts of angles. The days of hiring a helicopter for filming for £10,000 an hour are now a thing of the past. We were all very impressed with the gobsmacking hanging arete line of Supersonico and indeed the futuristic 9a+ project to its right, which is currently being worked by Spanish hotshot Primo. We all took the opportunity to tick the classic 7c 'Luz de Sol' that Gaz bolted along with the quality 7c and 7c+ tufa lines to the left with their tricky traverses on slopey tufas under the massive roof.


                         
                             Haydn on Luz da Sol 7c                                                                                                                                                         Jose on Adios Sol 8b

Is it a bird, is it a plane?

On the last day of my stay, we had spent the morning resting and arrived at the crag at half 3 to take advantage of the cooler evening temps. Conditions definitely felt a lot better than the previous days of working routes and after Gaz did a massive link from low down on the route to nearly the top, I knew a send was on the cards. It was very inspiring to see Gaz on his ascent which was obviously the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication.

Gaz post crux on Supersonico 8c+  

Haydn on the7c+

After Supersonico went down, riding on a wave of psyche, I managed to redpoint the third ascent of the excellent 8b 'Adios Sol' of Gaz's which has some cool Oliana-like tufas on the bottom section leading to a rest before the final, very thin wall. In fact, this section is so thin that it very difficult to stop and clip on the final moves, perpetual motion upwards being your only hope! There is significant potential left at this crag not to mention the other crags littering the surrounding area, those after a new route fix need look no further.

Not a bad view from the crag

Celebrating that night involved a mega 'all you can eat' chinese buffet complete with sushi and a chocolate fountain dessert, washed down with some San Miguels, after all we were on holiday! The next day, I took the coach to Murcia to rejoin the lads who had travelled down a day earlier with Jose. After a further night out, including a visit to a club in an old bullring, we lapped up our last rays of sunshine at the quality crag La Boveda near Orihuela. After the crag cooled down at around 5, I managed a flash of 'El Grinch' 7c+ as my final send of the trip and we were airport-bound. What a trip, I hope you all enjoy your own Spanish adventures soon!

El Grinch 7c+ on the last day around Murcia

   


Source: Chulilla and Visit to Costa Blanca

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Bouldering in the Cave and thoughts on training

After getting back from Spain in January, it was time to focus on training in preparation for the forthcoming routes season. I have been listening to a few podcasts of late, in particular the excellent Training Beta podcasts https://www.trainingbeta.com/trainingbeta-podcast/ with people like Jonathan Siegrist, Carlo Traversi, Angie Payne and lately Adam Ondra interviewed which got my thinking on how I was going to improve my climbing for projects this year. I don't pretend to be remotely scientific about any of this and decided to stick to what seemed to work quite well last year, i.e. doing lots of fitness laps at a medium grade at Stockport wall along with some fingerboarding, sessions of 100 pullups and as much bouldering as possible.

Working Lou Ferrigno V10 in the Cave

Which leads me onto a key debate, how should a climber who spends most of the year doing stamina routes prepare for this? How much of the year should they spend bouldering? Personally, when I came back from Chulilla, I felt pretty weak bouldering wise. I felt I had to get back on track with busting out some V9's and 10's. Parisella's Cave on the Orme near Llandudno is the perfect venue for this as there a lots of linkups and hard boulders like Rockatrocity and Lou Ferrigno to test yourself against. After stringing together a few saturdays in the Cave, I was soon back on track and whilst not feeling as strong as I used to feel 5 years ago when I was purely bouldering, I was not far off. I must admit at times, thinking back to those days in 2009, the thought did flash across my mind of getting back into exclusive hardcore bouldering. I would like to do a V12 and reckon with sufficient training and focus it might be achievable. However, I love routes too much and being an allrounder, you have to put the hours in on a rope indoors (or doing circuits) to have any chance of keeping a cutting edge come the spring. So, a compromise was reached and over the last nearly 3 months I have been bouldering saturdays and sundays and doing 2 routes sessions in the week at Stockport with fingerboarding or pullups on a Tuesday morning, just to keep it real ;0).

More Lou Ferrigno action!

I have since learnt that this is a 'non-linear' approach where the disciplines of stamina and power are maintained simultaneously. Necessarily, unfortunately it is not possible with this approach to generate significant peaks of performance at desired intervals in time (for a trip away for example). However, as this excellent post by Steve Bechtel on the Mountain Projects forum suggests (see midway down), modern athletes need to be fit all year round and there is a risk that by sacrificing stamina training for a punt on increasing one aspect of performance (i.e. power), overall fitness may suffer.

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/block-periodization-linear-periodization--non-linear-periodization/108438729

This has been the reasoning behind my loose 'non-linear' training approach and has been the source of many interesting debates on the way to the Cave recently. A friend of mine says that ultimately, to get stronger, it will be a case of having to knock fitness training on the head completely and work on power alone, maybe next year! Here is a video my friend Dan Cheatam made documenting some Cave action! This shows me working on Hatch Life High, a cool V11 which I managed to bag in February and captures the atmosphere of a good Cave session I reckon.

I am currently working on Lou Ferrigno sans Pocket, an upsidedown V11  with lots of compression and clamping along with Hatchatrocity, another  meaty V11 link into the classic Rockatrocity V9. Fitness will get you  nowhere on these beasts! Here are more vids of some forays to Tremerchion, an excellent roadside craglet of immaculate, crimpy limestone where several extremely cold sessions were had. Top tip, you can't fail to get mutant fingers cranking here, the holds are tiny! (Apologies for readers who have already seen these on Facebook).

36 Chamber Font V9

 22 Chambers V9

A raid down to Dartmoor earlier this month yielded a tick of Jungle VIP, an excellent bloc-style V10 or V11 (depending on who you talk to) at Burrator Reservoir, along with a second ascent of Alex Waterhouse's excellent new V8 slab, Aurora at Combeshead Tor, see these vids:

 

Aurora V8 (second ascent)

So, how much should a stamina climber boulder? I have no idea! but for me I have decided to try and maintain a decent level of power whilst still majoring on fitness like I did last year. For the future, maybe the rope will be put on the shelf for 6 months in exchange for a sustained period of power training but not just yet, did someone say Malham and the Tor were nearly dry, I'm there!



Source: Bouldering in the Cave and thoughts on training

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Attempts on Just Do It

I have now been back 6 weeks since another amazing trip to Smith Rock in Oregon. After climbing To Bolt or Not to Be last year, I always wondered what the other famous Jibe Tribout route at Smith, Just Do It, would be like. Climbed back in 1992 by Jibe, this legendary line was the first 5.14c or 8c+ in the USA. I had heard that it is a very different animal to To Bolt as it is similarly vertical in the bottom two thirds but leans back considerably in the upper third of the route. The climb goes up the west face of the incredible Monkey pinnacle, which has to be one of the most impressive rock formations I have ever seen. The top section of the Monkey has a distictive band of purple rock and this is where the meat of the climb lies. The bottom part is a recognised 13d (or 8b) in its own right with its own chains. The upper part, which is mostly in the purple rock is considered to be 14a (or 8b+). I had seen the excellent videos of Ryan Palo and Drew Ruana crushing the route before my trip so I had some idea of what to expect. The route is long, at 35m+ it is a 17 bolt monster!

Me on Just Do It at the upper shake out (I'm wearing a black T shirt about 15 foot into the purple rock)

It was obviously going to big a major challenge for me and with only 2 weeks available, there was limited time to get stuck in. With this in mind, I decided I would focus completely on the route as there would not be time to do other easier classic routes, although there are no shortage of them round these parts. I teamed up with a good friend of mine, Richard Waterton, who was also keen to have a go. We were joined on the route by Mike Doyle, one of Canada's top climbers fresh off his send of Necessary Evil 5.14c in the Virgin River Gorge.

The Team! (at Redmond Airport). Me and Richard

After touching down in Redmond airport, the next day, despite the jet lag, Richard and I headed up to the route via some warmups in the Aggro Gulley and got stuck in. The bottom part turned out to be surprisingly unsustained with an initial 5 bolts of hard, crimpy 8a+ climbing involving a very tweaky, almost slabby 2 finger pocket move leading to 3 bolts of much more moderate climbing of about 7a+/7b with 2 very good rests on jugs.

Mike Doyle on technical edge cranking by the 3rd bolt

Mike on the crux pocket move of the lower part by the 8th bolt

The crux of the lower part is at the 8th bolt and is a desparate  deadpoint off a 2 finger pocket to a distant finger sloper which you  must stick with perfect timing which leads to an excellent rest by the 9th bolt bridging on smears in a vague groove where you can hold onto a small ledge with the heel of your hands. (This is the famous 'Sharma rest' where he took off his jumper mid redpoint during his quick repeat back in 1997). This tricky move took a while to figure out but by my 3rd day on the route I had managed to redpoint the initial 8b. On my second day, I was able to do all the moves of the upper part so once I had got through the 8b section for the first time, I had a go at redpointing as far as I could get to and nearly made it to the 13th bolt so I was psyched.

Me approaching the shake out at the 13th bolt

The first moves of the upper section are not too hard and involve pumpy 7b/7b+ climbing with one big lock move to a sloper leading to some massive flat jugs by the 13th bolt, where you can shake out with your heel out left on a sloping ledge, although it is pretty strenuous to hang there for long - this is your rest before the upper crux.

Mike approaching the purple band, at the 11th bolt

The next 30 foot section is by far the hardest section of climbing on the entire route and is 8b in its own right. Off the flat jugs, some basic pulls on flat crimps lead to a desparate crank off a sika'd edge for your right hand to a terrible sharp 2 finger crimp for your left hand way out left, which is difficult to catch as you have to deadpoint for it. From this crimp the hardest move of the route is a massive and powerful lunge to a tiny toothlike crimp for the right hand which allows you to stretch left to what we christened the 'Jibe rest'. This is a hole which would be a decent hand jam were it not for the fact that a chockstone has been irretrievably wigged into there so those with sausage fingers (myself included!) can't get their fingers more than a couple of joints in; also you are only on smears for your feet. Off the Jibe rest, there are 11 further hand moves involving powerful slaps between two 2 finger pockets, some diagonal edges and finally some better holds before the easier top out moves (This last section alone could be a tricky 2 bolt 7c+ if it were on Peak limestone)

So basically to do the route, you must do a long, technical, vertical 8b to the Sharma rest, a further 7b+ to a steep shake out on some flat jugs followed by a steeper, short and powerful 8b. If the route is broken down in this way, it begins to sounds almost manageable, however redpointing is the only way to test this! I have put together this 10 minute video of Mike on an attempt on the route just to show what its all about:

 Video of attempt by Mike Doyle

Me just before the flat ledge and the upper 8b

On my 4th day, I managed to get to the flat jugs by the 13th and pressed on into the crux, surprising myself by reaching the sika'd edge by the 14th bolt and slapping out to the 2 finger crimp (there is big whipper to be had here, around 20 - 25 feet with rope stretch, as you can't clip the 14th bolt and are forced to skip it!) On my second burn, I managed to stick the 2 finger crimp but it was like hitting a brick wall, the tooth seemed miles away! I was encouraged by getting this far though and it seemed like I might possibly be in with a shout of cracking the route by the end of the trip.

Mike about to go for the lett hand 2 finger crimp at the upper crux (14th bolt) with the Jibe rest up and left

However, the moves leaving the Jibe rest are critical to getting the route done and on my link goes from the 13th bolt I hadn't managed to find a reliable method, even straining my right bicep in the process while extensively working the moves (there are 3 methods from the various videos to enable you to use a poor 2 finger pocket for the right hand take an awkward left hand gaston and then stab into a good 2 finger pocket again for the right hand). I think it was on my 5th day on the route that Mike pointed out a crucial footmatch and outside left edge on the sika'd crimp (used as a handhold earlier) which made a big difference. As we had found it was essential to take a rest day after each day of attempts as the nature of the climbing is so intense, my 6th session on the route would be on the 11th day of the trip, leaving only one further day of attempts -  nothing like a bit of pressure to spur you on!

On the 6th session I again got up to the 2 finger crimp but still failed on the lunge for the tooth, although it was feeling closer. I had a concerted effort to finally do the link of the upper 8b from the flat jugs by the 13th to the chain and got quite close to getting through but didn't quite make it to the good 2 finger pocket. In retrospect and with more time on the route, I should have concentrated more on doing this 8b link before I made any attempts from the ground. As it was, it was tempting to have 2 full blooded redponts from the deck every session, which meant that I never managed to do this crucial link, which would have been a massive psychological boost.

The Monkey, never ceases to amaze!

I decided to take 2 full rest days before my final, 7th session on the route. It wasn't meant to be though. Although I got up to the 2 finger crimp twice from the ground and ticked the tooth before the Jibe rest, feeling not a million miles from sticking it, though no cigar! Obviously although it was a little disappointing to go away without the tick, I was happy to feel good on the initial 8b, to have had 8 good attempts in total failing at the 14th bolt and to have finally found a good method on the upper exit moves. I was feeling a lot of soreness by the end of the trip under my left shoulder blade at some 'trigger points' in the rhomboid muscle, where it joins on to your ribcage and I decided to get this seen to by a physio as this could have been holding me back on the crux move to the tooth. (I have had 3 sessions so far with great results). There is always next time and having written down a full beta crib sheet on the plane home, I am fully amped to return for another crack as soon as I can armed with full knowledge of what the route entails and some specific training.

Sunset at the Monkey Face

Thanks for reading folks and I can fully recommend Smith Rock to anybody looking for incredible technical edge climbing on stunning faces and aretes, get to it, you know it makes sense!

Last morning onsight attempt on Scene of the Crime 5.13b/ 8a

Higher on Scene of the Crime

Source: Attempts on Just Do It

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Hajj and future projects

Hi folks I thought I would write a few words about my experiences on Hajj 8c at the Tor. A UKC Report from a few weeks back has the details but I though I would share a few thoughts and reflections on top of that and show a few of the photos, video stills and some of my own tripod footage that I have accumulated. Climbing Hajj represented a big milestone for my climbing and was a culmination of a lot of effort spread over 7 years at the Tor in trying first Mecca in 2007, 2008 and 2009 then the 3 extensions to it (The Extension, Kabaah and Hajj) in 2012, 2013, 2014 and this year.

 David Pett's Video 'The Outdoor Office Part 1' of Hajj

Hajj closes a chapter for me and my involvement with Mecca, although I intend to keep doing it for training. Its time to move on to pastures new, even if that might only be 20 feet to the right to Evolution! I didn't like to think about what I would do after clipping the chains on Hajj as I preferred to focus on the challenge at hand. Now it has happened, the last few weeks I have been busy getting stuck into my next projects. These are True North 8c at Kilnsey and Evolution 8c+ at the Tor. It has been such a pleasure to seriously try such an amazing historic line as True North while fresh on my first day on on a saturday. For the last few years I have usually devoted my freshest climbing days to the Tor and while I don't begrudge that at all as it was all for my long term goal of doing the trilogy of Mecca extensions, the fact was that the years were going by and I wasn't getting a chance to try hard routes at other crags as much as I would have liked. Now I am free and it feels great!

Video Still courtesy of Jon Clark - the crux of Hajj

So, what made the difference to doing Hajj in the end after trying it extensively last year? Well, as always, the devil is in the detail. I will try and explain below the small things I found this Spring when approaching the route with fresh eyes after 6 months away from it that together put me in a position to send it.

 My own video of an attempt from last year

After coming back to Hajj in June off the back of my trip to Smith Rock this spring, I noticed it was easier to step my left foot up earlier before (rather than after) slapping into the first undercut for the left hand on the crux. This seemed to make the crux move feel a little easier going into and standing up into the right hand undercut. I had to press my feet a little harder into the tiny smears but once I got the engrams after repeated attempts, I was happy with the end result. Such a small change in beta but such a big difference! Also, I decided to sack off the long quickdraw on the crux and clip it short with my right hand off the undercut to the left of the Extension top pocket rest. As the foothold here is quite big, the position is not strenuous and you clip on your way up to the next handhold anyway. Suddenly the crux move felt easier as I found that before I was making it harder than it had to be by stepping round the rope in a position of some difficulty! My right foot now shot out quicker to the smear out right before I did the big reach up to the final crimps.

Video Still courtesy of Jon Clark - Gaining the 'Horn' on Mecca by the 4th bolt

Ally Smith helped me to put in a new dogging bolt on the top crux which enabled me to work the crux moves directly off the rope whereas before I always had to climb into them from 3 moves below as the bolts were all 1 metre off to the right. As soon as the bolt went in, I realised that it was possible to take the undercut slightly lower with all four fingers engaging directly into it and the index and ring fingers biting into the best bit. Again, this made the crux move feel a few percent easier, not by much though.

Video Still courtesy of Jon Clark - Getting into the first kneebar on Mecca

Also, I found that I could use the most miniscule of intermediate  pinches for the left hand with a crucial, sharp thumbcatch to help get  stood up into the undercut, which I had found on an earlier, too hard  method of climbing the crux more to the right but had since discounted  (we are talking tiny here, don't get your hopes up!)

Video still: The first crux on Mecca

 After failing at the upper crux from the ground five more times in June, I decided to try a new approach doing links from the top down. Two weekends before I did it, I had a massive breakthrough and managed to climb from the 4^th bolt to the top and then from the 3^rdbolt in the same session. I would recommend the top down approach to anybody looking to get past a sticking point on their redpoint project. I realised that in all my attempts from the ground last year and this year, I had never been from the 4th to the top. Doing this link was a big psychological step. I realised I was now getting fitter on the route, I could feel it on my link goes where I would flick hands between moves just to get a little bit back. By really looking closely and ticking up the best part of the left hand undercut on the crux (which is uneven and quite crozzly but with a better bit for 2 fingers at the bottom of the hold) rather than just getting it any old how was the key to getting the right hand undercut successfully. As you must semi-dynamically slap into the hold, it is tricky to get this right but it certainly made a difference.

Just before the first undercut on Mecca

Taking the first lefthand crimp on the main crux of Mecca

I found a funny, contorted double kneebar at the Mecca belay  which took about 20% off my bodyweight I estimated, which all helps up  there. I fine tuned my rest at the top Extension pocket and made sure I stayed there for only 1 chalk of each hand. Its not that great a rest as despite the pocket being massive, the footholds are off to the left and its quite draining to stand there for more than a few seconds.

Getting ready for the crux jump (for some!)

Catching the horn on the Mecca crux

So, what's next? Well I am excited to move on to new horizons and am having fun trying Evolution and True North. For the former, I may have to raise the bar bouldering-wise as a vicious V11 boulder problem over the roof left of Chimes of Freedom guards the top wall (which must be around 8b in its own right). Not even a spot to chalk up on the entire route, tough stuff! One thing for sure, this route is a considerable jump upwards in difficulty from Mecca, not many takers for this one. True North is a little steeper than most of my projects that I have tried but it motivates me to try and get better at this style, which is more Euro style, pumpy endurance cranking rather than straight crimping. 

Jerry Moffatt on Evolution 8c+, Raven Tor

I leave you with Jon Clark's excellent video from last year, which contains some earlier footage of Hajj from last year and sums up the psyche required for climbing at the Tor in December! Thanks for reading and good luck on all your projects out there!

Jon Clark's Raven Tor Video

Source: Hajj and future projects

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A Kilnsey Summer and Campaign on True North

Now the autumn rains have finally arrived seems a good time to write a few words about my efforts at Kilnsey over the last 2 and a half months. It has mostly been a good, dry summer apart from a 3 week blip in the last half of August and we have even enjoyed something of an Indian Summer through mid September and into early October. Since July, I continued with evening sessions at Raven Tor despite the shortening evening light and had some productive sessions on Evolution, managing to do the top wall in a oner and getting to the two crimps over the lip from the ground and having a go at the crux rockover. I now see what it will take to climb this route, which is more power, put simply! I also did lots of bouldering to keep on top of this side of my climbing doing ever increasing links on Ben's Roof, Powerband and the usual suspects down the right hand of the Tor. However, I decided to devote my energies to True North 8c (the extension to Full Tilt 8b) at the weekends so have put Evo on the back burner for now.

Adrift in a sea of rock. The sanctuary of the kneebar of Full Tilt with 8b climbing to go from here

So, how did True North go? Its been refreshing to try a hard project at a different crag from the Tor or Malham having not spent as much time at Kilnsey over the years. I was psyched to get a highpoint of the next to last bolt and on 3 redpoints got to the second intermediate for the right hand off a big, burly undercut for the left hand just before the slot/ jug on the steepest part of the route (which must be about 60 degrees overhanging). This slot offers a final, brief shake for the left hand only before the last slap for the final jug. On 4 other occasions, I fell a move or two lower with many more redpoints ending on the first crux after the Full Tilt belay passing 2 razor blade crimps.

  Attempt in September

I would often try the route 2 days on the trot on saturday and sunday as I was paranoid about it getting wet the next weekend, even if the crag was bone dry, given its notorious reputation for taking any seepage going. I was surprised at how even if I was feeling broken on sunday morning, after warming up, I was still able to make some good redpoints, its amazing what you can put your body through. Perhaps in retrospect it might have been better to have done some less intense climbing second day on and got some mileage in on some 8a+'s at other crags which is what I would have done on any other route at my limit. However, obsession took over and I was psyched to gradually piece the route together and get increments of progress with each visit.

Match of justice on the first crux of Full Tilt 8b

I still did lots of other climbing though for fitness usually after already intense sessions on True North. Over the summer I did laps on stuff I have done before like the Ashes  7c+, Man with a Gun 7c+, Biological Need 7c, Comedy 7c, Slab Culture  7b+, 50 for 5 7b+ and WYSIWYG 7b+.

Comedy 7c

The lower crux of Comedy

Vertical tech on Man with a Gun 7c+

I also did the following routes for the first time:

• Bullet 8a+ 

Starting the crux moves on Bullet 8a+

• 50 for 5/ The Ashes 8a+
• Complete Control 8a
• Sticky Wicket/ The Ashes 8a
• Rubble 7c (onsight)
• Dreamtime 7c+
• Dead Calm 7c+

Stamina needed on Dead Calm 7c+

I repeated both of Seb Grieve's new extensions to Dominatrix, Exit to Eden 7c+ and Drag Queen 7c+, which offer good climbing in superb positions on the upper part of North Buttress plus a session trying La Connection 8b and a brief go on Over the Thumb 8a. It has been a busy summer!

Trying La Connection 8b

When True North got wet in mid August, I thought that was the end of attempts for the year and prepared to get ready to do battle with Evo. However, events proved otherwise and I got a second bite at the cherry in September. However, conditions were not perfect as the route did not fully dry out again and it was usually a case of stuffing beer towels and/or paper towels in the crucial pockets/ slots that get wet (at the niche by the first bolt, the break by the 3rd bolt and the pocket for the left hand at the Full Tilt belay). My technique at prepping the route improved a lot over a few sessions and I came to the conclusion that papers towels are the way forward along with copious amounts of chalk crammed into the back of the pockets which tends to generally keep the worst of the seepage at bay (unless its absolutely gopping), welcome to UK redpointing! (Actually we Brits are not the only peeps to employ such dark arts but I digress).

It was frustrating to slip off on several occasions whilst feeling fresh and strong on one time after redpointing Full Tilt as my left hand lost traction in the dampness at the back of the pocket by the belay and by the 3rd bolt when I took a big whip completely out of the blue pinging off a damp pinch, suitable swear words at the ready :). However, ulimately, I cannot blame the dampness or any other reason for not climbing True North. Not being able to get my left hand fully into the deep pocket you clip the Full Tilt belay off before taking the awful thumb press for the right hand and using it to gain the higher razor blade for the left hand (which is one of the harder moves on True North) undoubtedly made this move harder than it had been in August when this pocket had been totally dry. This was because I was using a diabolical polished footdink as my main right foothold and could hardly get any weight through it, making this move desparate as I was so bunched on the handholds; this method may be easier for the short as they are less bunched.

Moving right from the Full Tilt belay into the first crux of True North

However, on my last session on the route on 3rd October (a couple of days before it turned into a waterfall and all attempts were ended for this season), I discovered that I could make this move a fair bit easier by stepping down to a good foothold for my right foot which meant that it didn't really matter if you couldn't bury your hand into the pocket. I was shocked at how much easier this was and was kicking myself that I hadn't spotted this sooner, the perils of redpointing! The lesson here is to always keep trying different methods as even if they had previously seemed not the right way on the dog, 'sequence evolution' can occur and they could morph into the best way of climbing a particular section. I think this is largely down to how you tend to get stronger on the moves throughout a redpoint campaign so keep an open mind out there on your projects folks!

On the upper moves off the burly left hand undercut, I also discovered a significantly easier method as I had been too bunched again on all of my 7 best attempts. Basically I had discounted a good, low right foothold by a bolt in favour of putting my right foot straight up on a high, downwards sloping niche hold that I now use later on in the sequence, which made standing up into the undercut the living end on the link, although it felt misleadingly OK on my warmup links. My new sequence has two new foot moves which make this bit easier overall as it is less strenuous and involves keep my feet lower.

The hardest move of Full Tilt (for me). Going direct above the 3rd bolt using the boney left sidepull.

So, in retrospect, I am a little disappointed to have redpointed Full Tilt a lot (26 times in total this season) with only a 1 in 4 strike rate at getting through the crimpy moves above the belay and not having the best method on the upper burly moves. This meant I never got to try that last slap in anger from the deck. On the flip side, I am pleased to have been fortunate enough to have discovered 2 much better sequences which should serve me well for next year's campaign. I only wish I still had a dry route to try! Never fear, a return trip to Smith Rock beckons next week, its a hard life. Enjoy your climbing out there!







Source: A Kilnsey Summer and Campaign on True North

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Progress on Just Do It

I've been back nearly 2 weeks now since another trip to Smith Rock to try the world famous 'Just Do It'. I have been going through the photos that some of the talented  photographers, Heather Furtney, Jason Bagby and Julien Havac took of me  on the route and thought I would share some of them here. I was excited to see what difference a summer of climbing would make compared to my attempts in May plus the fact that I knew the beta now. As things turned out, I ended up trying True North up until early October due to Kilnsey remaining amazingly dry so it didn't leave much time to prepare for a longer, supposedly pumpier affair like Just Do It. However I needn't have worried as despite its 35m length, this rig is much more about power than stamina, unlike Jibe's other famous line at Smith To Bolt or Not to Be.

I went alone this time and was lucky enough to get belays off some kind local climbers (Andrew, Crit, Justin, Andi and Calvin thanks a tonne!) Conditions were better than in May being mostly colder and without too much wind. The day after flying in and attending the Reel Rock Tour film showing in Bend, I went up to re-familiarise with the moves and the day after, managed to do some decent links on the upper section. It reminded me of how hard the crux by bolt 14 actually is. Imagine a viscous V8+ shouldery, crimp problem on Pill Box Wall on the Orme and you wouldn't be far off! This first hard section leads to a 'pod' resting slot (described in more detail in my post back in May).

Reaching the crux left hand crimper at bolt 14 (Picture by Heather Furtney)

The crux move at Bolt 14 (Picture by Jason Bagby)

Sticking the 'tooth' by bolt 14 (Picture by Heather Furtney)

From the resting pod, there follows a very tricky and powerful traverse involving two 2 finger pockets for the right hand and some slopers, gradually easing to the belay beyond bolt 17. The move hitting the second 2 finger pocket and locking it to a left hand sloper is probably V8 alone.

Leaving the resting pod and starting the tricky traverse at bolt 15 (picture by Heather Furtney)

 Crossing through to the gaston off the first pocket then using it to stick the second (Pics by Heather Furtney)

Alan Watt's description of the route from his seminal 1992 guidebook is below:

I would agree that the first 13 bolts are merely a warm up (!) for the difficulties between bolts 14 and 16 when you are hit with some savage cranks straight off a good but quite pumpy resting rail at bolt 13. These days the bottom part of the route to bolt 10 is considered 13b or 8b due to some very thin pulls on pockets and crimps but after doing it a few times and getting it wired, its probably only 13c or 8a+ I reckon, like Alan Watts says.

Easier moves at bolt 4 (Picture Jason Bagby)

Approaching the lower crux at bolt 8 (Picture by Jason Bagby)

I decided this trip to focus at first on links into the upper crux and on my 3rd day on the route was psyched to climb from the rail at bolt 13 to the top for the first time, which is an 8b link. I found a slightly easier method on the crux before the pod by first bumping my left foot up to a small pocket before slapping for the 'tooth' crimp with the right hand which seems to make the move higher percentage. I also found that by trailing your right foot on the move to the left hand crimper on the crux rather than first placing it on smear, this move became much more manageable.

On my next session I started climbing from the belay at the end of the first pitch (bolt 10), which must be 8b+ if climbed to the top and links through a 3 bolt 7b or 7b+ to the resting rail at bolt 13 before embarking on the top 8b section. On this link attempt, I was pleased to make it through the crux at bolt 14 (the first time I had ever climbed any distance into it). After a brief shake at the resting pod and chalk on each hand, I got to the stab move to the second 2 finger pocket, just failing to stick it. I have made a little video of my link attempts on the upper section plus the bottom wall to give you a flavour of the climbing involved (and to remember the moves for future attempts):



If I had had more time I would have continued trying this link as it  would have been a big confidence boost to have got it in the bag before  trying from the ground. However, with only a week left it seemed to make  more sense to try the full rig and 'roll the dice'. On my 5th day I started the first of 3 days' worth of attempts from the ground before my trip ended. Each session would start off with 20 minutes warming up on a board indoors before hiking up Misery Ridge to the Monkey and climbing Spank the Monkey, a runout 12a. I would then climb short sections on the route to the top to prepare for full blown attempts. I had 6 attempts, two per session and got to the move slapping for the tooth before the resting pod on 6 occasions in total. I felt closer to this move from the ground than in May when I frequently fell on the previous move to the left hand crimp before the slap to the tooth. It was frustrating not to stick the tooth though and make it to the resting pod. You would think that with an excellent, approaching hands off rest at bolt 9 (I stood here for 2 - 3 minutes on redpoint), you would recover almost back to zero and I felt fresh at this rest on all of these 6 attempts. However, something about having cranked through all of the lower section five minutes before attacking the upper section makes it tougher to crack than if you have simply slumped on the rope at bolt 10.

Reaching bolt 16 on a link attempt, nearly there! (Picture by Jason Bagby)

On my 6th session, I managed to one hang the route, resting 5 minutes on bolt 14 before pulling on 2 moves where I had fallen off and climbing to the top, which was definitely progress since my last trip. This was the first time I had done this on the same tie-in, which is a better 'one hang' ascent I guess than if you climb your 'overlapping sections' over different tie-ins or sessions. On my last attempt, despite taking 2 rest days, I definitely felt a bit tired on the route after 7 sessions on it in 13 days. What you need ideally is a longer period of time during which you can do other climbing in order to remain fresh on the route....or a higher overall climbing level. With only 2 weeks at a time available from work, I will have to adopt the latter approach for future trips although perhaps a few days trying easier routes to mix it up a bit wouldn't go amiss. After my last tie-in I hiked down Aggro Gully and managed to onsight Kill the Hate, a cool 5.13a or 7c+ in the gathering gloom and felt that I was feeling stronger in general after the previous 2 weeks of effort so all the hard work is certainly not going to waste!

Hiking up Misery Ridge to the Monkey Face with Calvin (Picture by Julien Havac)

So, what did I learn from this trip? Well, the experience was invaluable in spending more contact time on the crux and managing to discover some important new beta. I have realised that I need to change my training to get stronger so the crux feels feasible with more climbing in the arms from the lower wall. My previous training in the Spring focused on both stamina and power and I made some gains in both areas. Training for this trip was mainly doing routes outside over the summer at Kilnsey and bouldering on Peak Limestone. For my next trip, I am be changing to a '3 to 1' power/ stamina training plan where fitness is put on the back burner in favour of bouldering  and fingerboarding. I think this will help my climbing in general. I want to get back to my bouldering level from a period when I was exclusively bouldering 6 years ago. Fitness training is important for sure but there comes a point in every route climber's career when they have to knuckle down and get stronger. After all, as Tony Yaniro said: "If you can't hold the holds, there is nothing to endure!"

I hope these ramblings encourage others out there knuckling down to long term projects. Redpointing ain't easy and if they went down without a fight, it would hardly be worth it would it? Onwards to projects in the UK and the next trip!

A moody looking East Face of the Monkey (Picture by Julian Havac)

Source: Progress on Just Do It

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Suirana/ Margalef 2016

Happy New Year everyone, I hope all your climbing wishes come true in 2016! To update you all about the last 2 months or so since I came back from Smith Rock at the start of November, I started a period of exclusively bouldering at the Rockover bouldering centre in Manchester (which is 5 minutes' drive away from where I live) in the evenings after work. I combined this with weekend sessions bouldering in Parisella’s Cave on the Orme outside Llandudno. My aim was to increase my power levels in order to prepare for my objectives for the coming year, which are Just Do It at Smith Rock, True North at Kilnsey and Evolution at Raven Tor and also to prepare for a forthcoming 8 day trip to Suirana I had planned with Ally Smith. 

Give me more of that orange stone! Mucho Troncdo poca Madera 7c, El Pati, Suirana (the onsight that got away!)

After 6 weeks of pure bouldering I was starting to feel reasonably strong and was coming close to ticking Hatchatrocity, a tough Font 8A in the Cave, falling off the move to the final pocket several times. However, it wasn’t to be after some seriously heavy rain beat down in late November/ early December which meant some key holds required drying before each attempt, which didn't help matters. 

Something to train for! Pocket cranking on the steep start to Magic Festival 7c, Raco de Tenebres, Margalef

Also, unfortunately, I sustained quite a bad ‘category 2’ sprain on my left ankle in mid December after bailing out from the Cave one Saturday morning after arriving to find it was completely condensed out. On the way home, an awkward, twisting fall at the Boardroom bouldering centre onto quite a hard mat resulted in a trip to A and E, a precautionary x-ray and 2 weeks of exclusive beastmaker training while the swelling gradually went down. Oh well, take in on the chin as they say! This meant that I had to alter my objectives for my Spain trip. As the first 10 days or so involved getting back to walking normally, hard climbing would have to take a back seat for a week or two. I had intended to try Migranya, a tough 8b which I had tried on a previous trip and which is a powerful number. However, after a trip to my physio, Cathy Gordon of Romiley Physio (see www.romileyphysio.com if you fancy an excellent service in the Manchester area) and getting the all clear to go, I was keen just to see how my ankle would fare and trying more vertical, less intense climbs seemed a sensible plan.

Ally on La Seconella Direct 7a+, Suiranella Centre

As it worked out, 2 weeks off actual climbing coinciding with the Christmas festivities meant that the first couple of days were spent getting back into the groove and the ankle felt pretty weird and weak at first. Just scrambling in to the crags over rocky and uneven paths without tweaking it was a challenge. I was climbing with a baggy boot on my left foot and a neoprene ankle support to protect it. I was therefore reasonably satisfied to redpoint a 7b+ on my second day. 

Ally at Suiranella Centre

On previous trips, due to quite a few days spent redpointing Zona-0 and Ramadan and trying Migranya, I hadn’t made it round to the Suiranella crags before and I was keen to change that and sample what they had to offer. We ventured round to Suiranella Centre on the 3^rd day and I managed to onsight a 7b+ without any problems. The following day, I was starting to feel like my ankle was getting back to normal whilst climbing and I managed to bust out a couple of 7c onsights at Raco de la Finestra, a superb pockety crag in Margalef.

Pockety fun on Magic Festival 7c Raco de Tenebres, Margalef - don't forget the kneebar ;)

After a rest day, and not having a 2 day hangover for a change ;), we decided to hit up Suiranella Centre again. After warming up onsighting a 7b+ and fluffing a tricky 7c, I decided to have a go at Memorias de una Sepia, a crimpy looking 8a after watching another climber crush it and taking mental note of all the foot bumps on the crux. There seemed to be a left foot heel hook move using some poor slopey crimps to deadpoint for some better holds leading into a scoop by the 4^th bolt. I had been informed that from here to the top is 7b+ so I knew this should be doable. The heel hook crux went exactly as planned with a few desperate slaps and was the first heel hook since my sprain so I was psyched it still worked and there were no ill effects. Getting into the scoop was satisfying but the rest wasn’t quite as good as I had hoped. Nothing for it but to quest on upwards! Knowing that an 8a flash was on the cards if I could keep it together was a great incentive to keep cranking and I took my time over the next 6 bolts, milking the rests and trying to keep my cool on the last redpoint crux, a crank on some tiny crimps with a left foot jam in a crack leading to a monster jug and easy ground. I was made up to be back climbing nearly at my best onsight/ flash level so soon into my ankle recovery. 

Victory pose after flashing Memorias de una Sepia 8a, Suiranella Centre

To celebrate, I redpointed a tricky 7c, Matarrates, further left on the same crag and eyed up La Crema, a famous 7c+ wall climb I had wanted to try the next day.

The bulge of Matarrates, a quality 7c at Suiranella Centre

After a few beers in Goma Dos, the new local bar for climbers in Cornudella, the next day, I warmed up on a 7b and then set off on my onsight attempt of La Crema. It all went well with some tricky, technical moves interspersed with good shakeouts (so much so that I had to force myself to leave them at times). A total hands off rest 3 bolts from the top is the nail in the coffin of the route being 8a (it isn’t, despite the abundance of 8a ticks on scorecards out there ;)) and allowed a complete recovery before tackling the top crux. This involves a few intense cranks on some tiny crimps on a slab which allow you to do a hopeful rock-up for some more positive crimps and the jug of glory! I was pleased with this one as while on paper it was my ideal route being a crimpy, vertical wall climb, it still has to climbed at the end of the day. Setting off is the hardest part as always and once into the rhythm of climbing, I enjoyed every minute until the chain was clipped.

Onsighting La Crema 7c+ Suiranella East

Unfortunately, I split a tip on the top crux and had to tape up my right index finger for the remaining 2 days of climbing. This didn’t stop a productive day at Margalef however during which I managed to flash a 7c, La Corva de Felicitat at Raco de Tenebres, a cool, steep conglomerate/ pocket crag and redpoint 2 others including Tsunami, a powerful short one that had got away on my last visit to the area in 2012. 

  

Tsunami 7c at Sector Laboratori, Margalef (no walk-in required!). Brian Weaver climbing in lower picture

On the final day, we both felt quite tired but last day psyche kicked in and we both managed to redpoint La Ardilla Roja, a tricky 7c right of Zona-0 at El Pati after we had failed to onsight it. With an hour to go before we had to bail to Barcelona airport for our evening flight back to Manchester, I managed to onsight a 7c at El Primavera Sector to round off a highly enjoyable trip.

I was happy to be back climbing after the ankle incident and whilst the swelling is still there and I am not allowed to jump down from boulder problems for another 10 days, I am pleased with progress so far and psyched to get back to bouldering training. Interestingly, I have always found that a fitness trip like this usually kickstarts my bouldering for some reason, no idea why, maybe a break from a power cycle or something rests the muscles!? I will leave that one to the training boffins out there J Happy climbing folks.

Suirana Village from Suiranella Centre

My Trip Ticklist above 7b+

8a

Memorias de una Sepia(flash)                                                        Suiranella Centre

7c+

La Crema (onsight)                                                                          Suiranella South

7c

Antologica(onsight)                                                                         Raco de la Finestra, Margalef

Festa Fotre(onsight)                                                                        Raco de la Finestra, Margalef

Estratosferica                                                                                  Suiranella Centre

Matarrates                                                                                       Suiranella Centre

Mucho Tronco poca Madera                                                            El Pati, Suirana

Magic Festival                                                                                  Raco de Tenebres, Margalef

La Corva de Felicitat (flash)                                                            Raco de Tenebres, Margalef

Tsunami                                                                                            Sector Laboratori, Margalef

La Ardilla Roja                                                                                 El Pati, Suirana

Hijos de la Pedri (onsight)                                                               El Primavera, Suirana

7b+

Teoria Punset                                                                                   Suiranella East

La Refinaria (onsight)                                                                      Suiranella Centre

Berrio Cabrero (onsight)                                                                 Suiranella Centre

Source: Suirana/ Margalef 2016

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Winter bouldering and Spring trip back to Smith

Hi folks, I thought I would write a little round up of the training and bouldering I've been doing over the last 6 months and my latest trip to Smith Rock along with my goals for this summer. The winter was spent training hard, doing a lot of bouldering at the excellent Manchester Depot and fingerboarding on my new beastmaker. I have a nasty ankle sprain back in December to thank for getting me more into 'hangboarding' as the yanks would call it. While laid up in December and before I could jump off properly again in early February, I had a period of intense sessions, often doing 7 climbing sessions per week spread over 5 days, with 2 rest days. Weekends were spent bouldering in Wales, mainly in Parisella's Cave but with frequent visits to Pantymwwn, Tremeirchion and the excellent micro crag, the Gop, near Prestatyn. This was hard work but I was psyched because it was with the overall aim of raising the bar strength-wise so I could have a good chance of making a breakthrough on or actually doing my project 'Just Do It' out at Smith and also to put me in good shape for my projects on UK lime. 

Smoke a Bloke, Font 7b+ at the Gop, North Wales (Pic: Sam Pratt)

When you want something badly enough, you'll go the extra mile and make sacrifices to achieve your aim whether that is an hour less in bed before work, fingerboarding

The last move of Solomon's Seal Font 7c+ (Pic: Sam Pratt)

Solomon's Seal 7c+ (Pic: Sam Pratt)

at 7:15am or busting out an extra lap on Rockatrocity when the wind is whistling through the back of the Cave and its 3 degrees. I knew I had to get stronger to have any chance on the savage crux of Just Do It, situated by the 14th bolt and it was with this in mind that I set myself mini goals of doing Hatchatrocity 8A in the Cave, 36 Chambers Sit start 8A at Tremeirchion and Blokesmoker Low 8A at the Gop. I even threw in as a goal a grit 8A called Solomon's Seal Sit start at Stanage after getting the stand start (Font 7C+) wired. 

 

Ticking off anything remotely hard is satisfying and it was gratifying to tick off Hatchatrocity and 36 Chambers sit start both on the same day in March on my best day's bouldering since 2009. The others will have to wait as shortly after this, I had to do some emergency stamina training at Stockport Wall with 3 weeks to go before my flight and had to postpone attempts on these other projects. Sometimes its hard being an allrounder! Even though bouldering is great as a way of training endurance as well as power (aka Jerry Moffat's training philosophy), the thought of setting off on a 30m monster pitch having done no roped climbing for 3 months was sufficient to scare me into putting some time into this aspect of my climbing. 

36 Chambers Sit, Font 8A (Pic: Sam Pratt)

The reachy starting moves of 36 Chambers Sit (Font 8A) Pic: Sam Pratt

Sam Pratt, a talented photographer and climber living in Manchester has been coming out with me to Wales and the Peak and has been taking some snaps, some of the best ones are here. Thanks a lot for all these shots Sam!  

Hatchatrocity, Font 8A (Pic: Sam Pratt)

The last few moves of Rockatrocity on the link in from Hatchatrocity, Font 8A (Pic: Sam Pratt)

A couple of weekends before flying out to Smith, I had a couple of pretty cold outings to Malham where I managed to tick 'A.B.H' 8a+, a pumpy link up of GBH into Baboo Baboo, which was a good early season outing. I'm looking forward to some more Yorkshire action this summer, with True North, unfinished business from last season, being my primary objective. With Kilnsey already dry, attempts have begun at the time of writing, but more on that in future blogs :).

Under the Bridge, Font 7b+, Pantymwyn (Pic: Sam Pratt)

Early on in the lower pitch (Bolts 1 - 10) Pic: Julien Havac

I have been trying Just Do It for a year now, spread over three, 2 week trips. So, how did this trip's attempt go? Well, after 4 days re familiarising with the moves doing some links into the crux from the belay at the end of the first pitch (at bolt 10), I decided to concentrate more on top-down links rather than try repeatedly from the ground as this had started to become quite frustrating on my previous trips. We were hit with 5 days of very warm weather in the middle of the trip which was not ideal. It was like summer with temps as high as 79 degrees Fahrenheit making serious attempts out of the question. The Monkey is cooler than the lower climbing areas and often much windier but this has limits and on one abortive attempt, I literally has moist fingertips before bearing down on the left hand crux crimp, which meant pulling on the razor blade hold was a non starter it was so painful! Thankfully, on the last day of these warmer temps, a nice breeze was blowing when I set off on my link go from bolt 10 at 7:30pm. Climbing through the last 3 bolts of the yellow rock (a 10 metre 7b+ leading up to the upper resting ledge at bolt 13 just into the purple band) I realised conditions were actually pretty good due to the effect of the wind. Indeed, that same evening my friend Peder Groseth, a local Bend strongman, sent Starvation Fruit, a long 8c on the Picnic Lunch Wall that day so they can't have been that bad!

Gaining the porthole rest at bolt 15 (Pic: Julien Havac)

My goal on this link attempt was to get to the top and I was chuffed to get to the resting 'porthole' (shown in the picture below of the first ascentionist Jibe Tribout back in 1992) for the second time that session. I realised also that I wasn't that pumped at this point, unlike on many of my other link goes. The moves leaving the porthole constitute the redpoint crux of the route and although not as hard as the crimpy V9 moves gaining it, they are a major hurdle to clipping the chains. 

(See my earlier blog post for more detail and photos of these moves: 

http://tedkingsnorth.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/progress-on-just-do-it.html). 

It was the move shown in the picture below that I managed to stick for the first time linking from bolt 10, a stab off a tiny left hand gaston crimp into a deep 2 finger pocket with a tiny smear for your right toe that requires a fair degree of accuracy. Unfortunately I fell off the last hard move of the pitch, a throw off a slopey sidepull crimp for your left hand for a crimp rail by bolt 16, which marks the start of the exit moves to bolt 17. Still I was pleased to have nearly done the 8b+ link from the top of the first pitch to the top. 

So, with 4 climbing days left, I surely had to try from the ground and luckily was blessed with some cooler temps when I next came up to the Monkey with my friend Calvin. On my first go from the ground this trip, I was really pleased to get to the porthole at the 15th bolt for the first time, this link is 8c I reckon if the whole route is 8c+. I was buzzing as on my previous 2 trips I had fallen around 12 times from this move from the ground; it was the breakthrough I had been looking for. In retrospect I hung around too long in the porthole and didn't have the best way of holding it to rest. It is pretty awkward to hold as although it is a good jug, you have to hold it cross handed and there is only room for 7 fingers and the feet are not great so you are mostly on your arms. So when I embarked on the redpoint crux I didn't have much left to give and fell off 3 moves into the traverse rightwards. 

The upper crux by bolt 15 (Pic: Heather Furtney)

I was then faced with a dilemma with 3 days left. Do I rest 1 day then try the next to last day with the possibility of another attempt on the last day? Or rest 2 full days before an attempt on the last day? Or do some lighter climbing tomorrow then take a single rest day before have a last day attempt? I chose the latter strategy as I felt I was gaining fitness from doing other, easier pitches both on the same day after attempts on Just Do It and also on the next day before taking a rest day. A tick of Churning in the Ozone, a long, pumpy 8a probably in retrospect took more out of me than I expected but I enjoyed the pitch and it is so difficult to judge these things just right. Anyway, the last day dawned and my friend Andrew Hunzicker and me warmed up in Aggro Gully before heading up to the Monkey where we were greeted with really good conditions. After my initial warm up go, I set off feeling really good but unfortunately, the draw on the 14th bolt, which most people don't clip on the lead, stabbed me in the chest during the crux move as I was trying to get really close into the wall, pushing me off the move! I was gutted as this was the first time this had happened and I was feeling really good. No matter, after an hour and fifteen minutes rest and the draw safely removed from the 14th bolt, I had another go and got a new highpoint, making 2 moves further than my previous session and reaching the porthole for the second time. This time I had made a conscious decision not to outstay my welcome and set off after around a minute's shaking out. I had very little left for the pocket stab move but was psyched to have finally got there and had a go in anger. Would I have been fresher after 2 full rest days? Who knows, all I know is that I have proved to myself that this rig is possible for me for sure and that I'll be back next year for hopefully 3 weeks or a longer trip, can't wait! Here is a little video of my best attempt:

I was definitely feeling stronger this trip than October last year from all the bouldering and training and now know that as the route is so bouldery, it suits me to go in the Spring rather than the Autumn when a summer campaign of routing will inevitably mean a slight drop off in power at the expense of increased route fitness. So, here's to Spring 2017! In the meantime, there are plenty of hard sport routes to be dealing with here in the UK and I have been on Evolution as well as True North in the last few sessions, its certainly exciting to get involved with all these classic hard routes. Til next time, enjoy your climbing out there!

Source: Winter bouldering and Spring trip back to Smith

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Project updates from Kilnsey and Smith Rock

Hi folks, I thought I would update you all on progress on projects which I have been trying this year. As anyone who has devoted more than 3 days to a redpoint project can attest, the closer to your limit a route is the more things have to fall exactly in place for a send to take place. I have been beavering away at 2 main projects this year, at two crags that could not be more different but which I love spending time at in equal measure. The first is True North 8c at Kilnsey in Yorkshire and the second is Just Do It 8c+ at Smith Rock out in Oregon, USA. Having multi year projects has its challenges both mental and physical but I am hoping to seal the deal on both of them as soon as I can, roll on next season!

Leaving the Full Tilt belay on the first crux of True North (Pic - Dale Comley)

I have been out to try Just Do It twice this year, the first time was back in April this year. I was unexpectedly presented with the opportunity of a longer trip than usual at the start of September being in between jobs and didn't hesitate to head back there for a month for another crack but I'll come onto that later.

The upper crux of Evolution 8c+, Raven Tor (Pic - Sam Pratt)

First up, I'll pen a few lines on this years attempts on True North. (My blog on last year's attempts is here: http://tedkingsnorth.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/a-kilnsey-summer-and-campaign-on-true.html). After returning from Smith at the end of April, I had a few weekends on Evolution 8c+ at Raven Tor, the other hard project I would like to do eventually if all goes to plan. I made progress on the upper wall and had some good sessions with George on it who was very psyched before picking up a tweak to his finger on Weedkiller :( However, a split tip from repeatedly sessioning the crux move (a vicious lock on the lip of the roof left of Chimes using a tiny 6mm edge) meant I had to take some time off the route, by which time it had warmed up and True North was dry.

Locking the gaston pocket up to the left hand mono at the end of the first crux of True North (Pic - Dale Comley)

Looking back on how the summer panned out, I spent pretty much every weekend at Kilnsey from mid May through to the end of August, including a couple of half days in mid week and spent a lot of time on the route. After a complete sequence rebuild I was able to work out my ideal beta by mid July and made it to the last move for the first time. I got there 6 times in total by mid August which was a breakthrough in itself after failing at the penultimate bolt multiple times last summer, i.e. at the part where it steepens up to 60 degrees around a chunky glued block. What made the difference was firstly going out right by the third bolt on Full Tilt, which actually saves power for higher up on the route, even though its more long winded than going direct. Actually, for all but the most flexible, the direct moves are now basically defunct after a crucial foot spike for the flag move crumbled away (along with a few others, fortunately not irreparably ;)) Also, by keeping my feet lower on the first move after the Full Tilt belay (see pic at top of the page) and bridging out down and to the right so the moves using the razor crimps were less bunched up was much easier than my previous method. On the moves at the glued block, Luke Dawson pointed out that it is easier to throw a left heel up before you slap up for the big slot by the last bolt, which was a huge help and put me on the last move, which was exciting. 

Clipping the penultimate bolt on True North, at the 'eyes' and before the glued block (Pic: Dale Comley)

On the last weekend in July, I got to the last move 3 times on the saturday and sunday and it looked like I had a good chance of doing it. However, it wasn't to be as the crag proceeded to get progressively wetter, catastrophically so in mid August, putting paid to all suitors' ambitions for another year (apart from a certain Alex Megos who was the only (2nd go) ascentionist this year). Oh well, this is part of the challenge of the route and it means that you have to really tick it in May/ June or risk running the gauntlet of the crag turning into a waterfall. Next year, I plan to hit the route early and take strategic leave days in May/ June for the campaign. Now knowing my perfect beta, which has definitely been hard won (!) no sessions will be wasted working stuff out so its all down to training and execution. 

Wrestling with the glued block, which guards entry to the last move, strenuous stuff! (Pic - Dale Comley)

Sticking the slot by the last bolt (don't do it this way, whack your left heel up on the block first!) (Pic - Dale Comley)

After North Buttress got wet, I took advantage of the chance to head to Smith at short notice that changing jobs had offered. One moment I was doing a lantern session at Rubicon, the next I was tying on under Just Do It on the Monkey Face, shaking off the jet lag! With a long stretch of 30 days to go for attempts, I was careful to try and avoid trying it too much and in the first 10 days or so, had second day sessions on White Wedding 8b+ or 5.14a in Aggro Gully to mix things up a bit, which I managed to send (see the video below):

So how did the redpoints go? Well at the end of my trip in April, I was pleased to make it to the 'porthole' (see my the second half of my blog post here: http://tedkingsnorth.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/winter-bouldering-and-spring-trip-back.html). With a bit more time to play with this trip, I initially spent a few sessions on links in the upper part of the route, managing for the first time to link from the belay of the first vertical 8a+/8b pitch (at the 10th bolt) to the upper chains, which is a 15 meter 8b+ in its own right. Logically, if you can do this link then you should be able to seal the deal from the ground as there is a very good stemming rest just down and right of the 10th bolt, the famous 'Sharma' rest where he takes his jumper off in the Pusher video from 1997, where you can stand around for up to 3 minutes. However, I found during repeated redpoints from the ground that in spite of this rest, the upper crux feels substantially more pumpy than when you approach it just having done the 3 bolt 7b+/7c from the belay. 

Not a wet crimp in sight! (Pic - Bob Loomis)

On redpoint from the ground, I would get through the lower crux by the 14th bolt (a savage Font 7b+ crimp move in the steep purple rock) most redpoints (8 times this trip in total) but fail to get through the upper crux due to very high levels of pump. The porthole is such a good hold, albeit with very poor feet that it is tempting to outstay your welcome there. I would generally spend 45 secs to a minute there trying desparately to expel all the lactic acid from my forearms before pressing on. The upper crux feels extremely taxing in that state of pump as it is an insecure Font 7b stab to a deep 2 finger pocket that requires you to retain good form using an awkward right smear and executing a big cross through to a tiny left hand gaston crimp and then to the deep 2 finger pocket. Funnily enough, the stronger you feel and less pumped you are, the easier these moves feel, go figure! 

At the first shake by the 5th bolt (5.13b or 8a to here (Pic - Bob Loomis)

 I was hit with a 6 day warm spell at the 2 week mark after having 4 or so  attempts where I was quite close to sticking the pocket. However, for some reason, I kept repeatedly getting the gaston too low on the cross through and once that happens there is no way back, no adjusting is possible! Hard climbing was pretty much out of the question with temps up to 93F on one day. After some trail building in Cocaine Gully and a few training sessions in shady Aggro Gully, it was time to resume attempts. However, there was now an element of time pressure as I had less than 2 weeks left. The problem with a route of this nature on a relatively short trip is that you need a full rest day between serious attempts due to the sharp nature of the rock and the fact that you are pretty much wasted the next day! The days soon mount up and suddenly I was down to the last week. I was taking 2 full rest days to be totally fresh after a chat with Sonnie Trotter (which was rad!) who gave me some more ideas for foot beta - he sent it back in 2000.

The first crux of the upper section by the 14th bolt, the porthole rest up and left (Pic - Jason Bagby)

I gave it a really good go with 3 days to go with Calvin in pretty much perfect temps of 56F and had one finger in the back of the 2 finger pocket on the upper crux and felt the least pumped yet in the porthole.  However, as soon as my left fingers bit into the sharp gaston on the cross through I knew I was a little too low on it again, my body sagged downwards slightly and my left elbow went up... I was off again! On my last attempt on the last day after only one rest day where the very friendly French climbers Nina Caprez and Christophe Bichet were enjoying their second day in the Park up on the Monkey I didn't manage to make it to the porthole due to still being fatigued from my last attempt.

:Leaving the porthole, the big span for the first 2 finger pocket (Pic - Heather Furtney)

I am more motivated than ever to return as I have a better idea of what is required in order to send this beast having been up to the redpoint crux a fair few times now. You need to be both fit and strong at the same time, not an easy combo! There are plenty of climbers out there with multi-year projects in a similar situation who I draw inspiration from. Back at Malham and the Tor and in a new job, I am reflecting on the experience and already planning my winter's training for next year's bout on both Just Do It and True North. Thanks for reading and keep the faith on your projects out there!

Just Do It 8c+, East Face of the Monkey, Smith Rock (Pic: Adam McKibben)

Source: Project updates from Kilnsey and Smith Rock

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Happy Easter! Update on bouldering and training

I thought it was about time I put pen to paper, so to speak, and write a little update on my winter's bouldering and training for you to digest while you are all munching your Easter eggs! The last time I blogged last year I was about to embark on a period of indoor training and bouldering with all the crags either already seeping or about to. I had some interesting sessions at Malham and Raven Tor right at the end of the routes season on Pete Dawson's new route Something for Nothing 8c and Evolution 8c+, making some mini breakthroughs on both, which has given me something to think about over the winter. 

Texas Hold Em Font 7B+, Trowbarrow  (Pic: Sam Pratt)

From November onwards up until recently, I have been doing the Chris Webb Parson's one arm hang programme before work on Tuesday and Thursday mornings followed by an evening session of either bouldering at the Manchester Depot or Rockover or routes at Stockport wall. I had a highly enjoyable week in El Chorro over New Year where I managed to get two fantastic 8a's done which I had tried 16 years (!) previously, Lourdes and Musas Inquietantas, the latter route being these days very difficult to get on with the Gorge walkway being now commercialised.

Musas Inquietantas 8a, Lower Gorge, El Chorro (Pic; Adam Bailes)

Porrot 7c+, Makinodromo, El Chorro

Since getting back from El Chorro, I have been getting out bouldering at the weekends as much as possible - pulling down on real rock at regular intervals is important for psyche after all! A lot of visits have been to Parisella's Cave where some extremely cold and windy sessions were had but also to Pill Box Wall and Sunny Wall on the Orme and Tremeirchion and the Gop near Prestatyn plus a day at Trowbarrow in the Lakes. I was chuffed that I have managed to tick off some of my hardest boulder problems, including my longstanding nemesis, Drink Driving V12 on Pill Box Wall, which has been satisfying. Halfway House V10 and In Life (lite) V11 in the Cave, Silence of the Trams Sit V10 at Sunny Wall, Enter the Dragon V12 at Tremeirchion and Push the Button V10 at the Gop have been stand out problems. I'm well keen for more though, its addictive this bouldering game! I have done some videos on my Youtube and Vimeo of some of these boulders if anybody is interested in getting any beta for their own ascents:

Youtube bouldering                                Vimeo bouldering

Here are a few pictures of the bouldering I've accumlated over the last few months:

Halfway House Font 7C+, Parisella's Cave (Pic: Ally Smith)

Pit Problem Font 7B, Trowbarrow (Pic: Sam Pratt)

Texas Hold Em Font 7B+, Trowbarrow (Pic: Sam Pratt)

The Lizard King Font 7C, under Dinas Mot (Pic: George Dunning)

The Tracks Font 8A, Barrel Cave (video still)

The last few weekends, I have managed to get to Llanberis Pass as the weather has improved to try out some problems I have heard a lot about at some new venues, which I think is important to do in order to avoid going stale at your regular crags. It has been cool to climb stuff like The Tracks V11 in the Barrel Cave and the Lizard King V9 under Dinas Mot and Corridors of Power V10 in the Cwm Glas Bach boulders over a handful of visits, which has left me hungry for more!

Pump up the Valium Font 7c+, Raven Tor (Pic: Ally Smith)

Recently, I was psyched to do a one arm hang on the central bottom rung of the Beastmaker 2000 without rotating and with no weight taken off for the first time, which is definitely progress! Here is a little video of the first time I did this on my right arm:

Now, thoughts are turning to the forthcoming routes season and I have already been back to Raven Tor and Malham to get involved with some of my projects there. This year, I am going to try and boulder as much as possible as well over the summer, to keep the power up - its got to help on those route cruxes. So, stay psyched out there and whether you are going for boulder or route projects this spring, try hard and all the training will be worth it in the end!

Views from Sunny Wall, Great Orme

Source: Happy Easter! Update on bouldering and training

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Spring in Yorkshire: Something for Nothing and True North

I thought I would bring you all up to date with what I've been up to over the last 2 months or so on the Yorkshire sport crags. Since mid April and pretty much as soon as both crags properly dried out, I have been heading to Malham and Kilnsey with some unfinished business in mind. High up on my list of projects were Pete Dawson's Something for Nothing 8c at Malham and True North 8c at Kilnsey, both of which I had been involved with since 2014.

The crux of True North 8c at Kilnsey (Pic: Sam Pratt). My old, duff method!

By early April, I was making good progress on one of my projects in the Cave, In Hell V12 but I made the decision to cease attempts on that for now and divert all my energies into sport projects. My aim was to capitalise on a sustained period of bouldering and deadhanging since November last year. In Hell will always be there and is one of the driest problems around so it was an easy decision to make, even though I had been close, falling off 3 times after the flake match on Rockatrocity. Only one way to find out if I would be fit enough for Yorkshire, get involved! 

I had had some good burns on Something for Nothing back in November when Pete did the first ascent, getting halfway through the crux sequence by the last bolt. However, there is a savage crank off a 2 finger pocket to a distant undercut on the crux and this always stopped me cold trying it from the ground. With this in mind, my first objective on day 1 this year was to try and get the key link climbed from the 6th bolt of Cry Freedom (before the 1st crux of that route) to the top. On a half day off work with Al belaying, I shocked myself by climbing this link on my second day back on the route. This piece of climbing must rate 8b+ and only leaves the small matter of the introductory 7c of Cry Freedom leading to the undercut shakeout at the 6th bolt to link in. I felt way better than when I was last trying the rig in November, game on!

The crux of Something for Nothing 8c at Malham (Screengrab from video footage)

Barely able to contain psyche in between visits to the crag, I started the familiar process of trying to batter the route into submission. It took a few more visits on strategic half days off work to get it in the bag. I found that the stopping point on all of my redpoints was standing up into the crux undercut that you cross through to with your left hand off the 2 finger pocket. I must have had about 7 redpoints (2 a day) reaching this point before I finally managed to creep over the line and stand up to quickly reach over for the sloper which marks the end of the crux sequence. With Rich Waterton belaying it was an incredible feeling topping this one out, the end of 4 year saga! 

Video of Something for Nothing 8c

So, one down and my thoughts turned immediately to Kilnsey where I had already had a few sessions in late April refreshing the moves on True North. Kilnsey in April is not for the faint hearted and several baltic sessions were had where the only respite from the bitter north wind was hiding in the car inbetween burns. Iain McDonald kindly held my rope on a few occasions where I didn't have a belayer and, desparate to keep momentum up and with nobody keen to freeze their asses off, I rocked up at the crag on my own, a big shout out to him!

Nearing the top of True North (Pic: Sam Pratt)

I have blogged about my efforts on this one twice previously for those interested in a bit of background to the campaign:

Blog from 2015 attempts            Blog from attempts last year

So, without rehashing what I have already written about, I will just add that this time around, I was very lucky in that the crag co-operated in kindly remaining bone dry from mid April until early June, a period of 8 weeks, which to North Buttress regulars is almost unheard of. Regular sessions on the route on saturday and sunday coupled with the fitness I had gained from my Malham stint soon resulted in me getting up to the last move again, a highpoint I had last reached in August last year. The whole season was ahead of me this time, which made a massive difference mentally. Knowing that there was plenty of time to finish the route off even if it got wet, only left the small matter of actually climbing it, easier said than done!

Hanging out on the last bolt of True North (Pic: Sam Pratt)

I kept on with the sequence on the last move I had tried a lot last year, involving a deep right foot dropknee onto a low fin with my left foot still on the glued block. Unfortunately, I kept getting spat off as the recoil when coming out of this dropknee was savage! I was able to link through this fine from the Full Tilt belay and it was doable, although not every time, from the kneebar by the 5th bolt on Full Tilt. As soon as I tried it from the ground though, even after 2 full days rest and a perfect go where nothing went wrong, I was still getting shut down. When my falls off the last move (including last year) went into double figures, I knew it was time to change things up a bit.

Reaching the 'eyes' on True North (Pic: Dale Comley) I reverted back to a sequence that Will Kelsall and Tim Palmer had told me about involving taking the crux crimp with my left hand and slapping straight for the sloper below the finishing jug with my right hand. Although this was a powerful slap, it had the merit of being quick, involving only 2 moves as opposed to my old method's 4, plus even fewer footmoves. I had tried this method last year but had discounted it as being too powerful.

Steepening up! Stretching for the glued block on True North (Pic: Dale Comley)

The first time I tried from the ground with the new method was way better than last year and I immediately knew this is the way it would go down. I had a very close couple of goes where I tickled the sloper twice on the day when Pete Dawson sent it first try (a totally awesome effort!!) I knew I would have a good chance the next saturday as long as the route was dry. After a final light session doing routes at Manchester Climbing Centre on Wednesday and 2 full rest days on Thursday and Friday, I headed to the crag on Saturday morning trying to keep focused. 

Approaching the crux on Mandela 8a+ at Kilnsey (Pic: Kris Suriyo)

On my first go, I felt really good, the best I have ever felt on the route. I was amazed to finally stick the sloper from the ground and thought surely, this is it! Unfortunately, I couldn't find the small, white toe hold needed to stand up and roll over to the finishing jug and I dropped off unexpectedly, utterly gutted! I forced myself to recompose and had 90 minutes rest. I went back to the car to keep warm and gather my thoughts. On the second go, I had in mind that I had done Something for Nothing on my second go of the day so knew it was possible. I didn't feel quite as good as my first try but soon found myself at the last move. I gave it everything I had and grunted my way up to the sloper again. This time there was no mistake and with the last ounce of energy I had left, I rolled over with my left hand into the jug, it was done!! I was ultra focused on the still tricky, balancy rockover shared with Urgent Action and then took my time on the final groove. Clipping the belay was a massive relief after the efforts of the last 4 years and brought to a close a big investment in the route. I was too far down the road to quit, the stuggle must continue to the bitter end!

                                          Video of True North 8c

Over the last month, I have enjoyed briefly being project free at the crag. I ticked Mandela 8a+ the other week, which was a long term ambition of mine. 

New project time! The lower crux of Progress 8c+ at Kilnsey (Pic: Kris Suriyo)

I have also started to make inroads into my next project, Jerry Moffat's 'Progress' an 8c+ 10 meters to the left of True North. This one remains a lot drier than True North and perhaps suits my natural style a little better, being more fingery. Until next time and good luck on all your projects out there! 

Powerful moves by the 4th bolt on Progress (Pic: Kris Suriyo)

Source: Spring in Yorkshire: Something for Nothing and True North

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Summer and Autumn round up (Yorkshire, the Peak and Smith Rock!)

Hi folks, its been a while since my last blog but having unfortunately fractured my heel bouldering at Burbage West two weeks ago, now seems a good time to round up the second half of my climbing year. 

A long way to go! Starting up Cry Freedom on the link-up 'The Great Escape 8b+ Malham (Pic: John Thornton)

Since I last blogged in June, I was psyched to move onto new projects after closing out True North and Something for Nothing and invested considerable effort over the summer into Progress 8c+ on Kilnsey's North Buttress, thirty foot to the left of True North. First, I ticked Mandela 8a+, a king line through the main overhang which I had wanted to do for years. It didn't disappoint!

Mandela 8a+, Kilnsey (Pic Kris Suriyo)

Opening my Account on Progress 8c+

I invested 20+ sessions in this awesome power endurance/ stamina beast over June and July, often going after work on a Tuesday night and taking some strategic half days off and hooking up with the keen local climbers. I got it down to two overlapping halves (or a 'one hang' ascent as the Yanks would say). Although there is still a long way to go in terms of getting it done, I was encouraged to get the key link from the ground to the 'eyes' at the 5th bolt (the first opportunity to shake and chalk) quite early on in the process (see video below), which is a fierce 8b piece of crimping.

Working Progress 8c+ at Kilnsey (Pic: Kris Suriyo)

I also went from the third bolt to the top a few times, which has to be a meaty 8b+ link in its own right. Unfortunately, the knuckle of my left index finger is a little too fat to get a shake in the first 'eye', which is a little shake out for those with thin fingers, but I'm confident I will be able to rest a couple of moves later by swapping my hands in the eyes. Sadly, as soon as we hit August, North Buttress practically turned into a waterfall and even though I held out hope of having another chance, it wasn't to be and the anticipated 'Indian summer' failed to materialise.

 Link on Progress 8c+, Kilnsey (from the ground to the 'Eyes' at the fifth bolt) (Video: Andy Tappa)

  Attempts on Dalliance 8b+

While Progress was out of commission, I decided to first tick some routes I hadn't ever got round to trying on the impressive wall to the right of the corner of Balas. First I did the tricky Puppeteer 8a and its short extension, Drenka 8a+ and then managed to flash Neil McCallum's good new addition up the wall just to the right, Dark Stranger 8a.

The Puppeteer 8a, Kilnsey (Pic: James Turnbull)

I then put my energies for the rest of August and September into some unfinished business from last year, the tricky Dave Pegg classic, Dalliance 8b+ (on the right hand end of the crag) as this stays drier for longer. I got close to doing this in August using my old sequence from last year of sticking my left heel way up and left on a spike and then slapping up into a big undercut. Unfortunately on one of my best goes my left hand ripped out of the undercut and I fell off backwards and inverted, painfully slamming my left shoulder into the rock. After lowering off, I realised that I was having trouble raising my arm above my head and sure enough, it stiffened up overnight and a lovely yellow, green and purple bruise appeared around my shoulder joint. A visit to my physio confirmed that I had torn some ligaments. I had to take a couple of weeks out to heal this up and by the time I got back on the rock, suddenly the season was rapidly running away.

Training on Comedy 7c, Kilnsey (Pic: Kris Suriyo)

After speaking to Paul Bennett, I changed my sequence to his method on the top crux, which is much safer and involves keeping your feet lower and with less risk of inverting in a fall. By this stage, in late September, even Dalliance was seeping badly and even though I stuck at it til the bitter end, it was a losing battle against the wetness. I was happy to get to the last move using the new method (see video below) several times and linked from the third bolt to the top three times on a particularly wet session when going from the ground was out of the question. Again, this one will have to wait until next season. The battle is over but the war is not yet won!

 Link on Dalliance 8b+, Kilnsey (from the upper rest to the top)

Peak Bouldering and Training at Malham

I had 2 weeks in Smith Rock booked to look forward to in the first two weeks of November to escape the wetness of the UK crags and was really looking forward to another crack at Just Do It 8c+ my project of the last 2 years. 

Byker Groove V9 (Sean's Roof, Blackwell Dale, Peak District)

After a long season at Kilnsey, I was conscious of the need to top up my bouldering for the savage V9 crimping crux on Just Do It as inevitably, if you predominantly climb routes for a long period, you will be lacking some top end power. I was getting out after work to the Peak a fair bit and had managed to do Ru's Traverse, a stout V11 at Griff's Buttress in Blackwell Dale at the end of June but was getting shut down by the next challenge at that crag, the burly Mutton Busting V11. I decided to drop the grade a little in order to get some ticks as some success is always good for the soul. Over July, August and September, I did Neil's Wall Sit V9, Byker Groove V9, Advanced Training V10, Alacrity Sit V9 and Converter V9, great training for the fingers and all enjoyable problems.

Alacrity Sit Start V9 (Cucklett Delph, Peak District)

I also changed up the pace by starting going back to Malham for the first time since May with the aim of keeping my endurance topped up.

Cover to Cover 8b, Malham

After re-climbing Climb of the Century 8a+/8b on the upper tier, I took it to the top of the crag via Breach of the Peace to do Dave Birkett's excellent linkup 'Cover to Cover' 8b for a particularly memorable outing.

Cover to Cover 8b, Malham

Getting into October and with even Malham starting to seep badly, it was time for some final training pitches. On a cold afternoon off work, I managed to do The Great Escape 8b+, a bit of a cop out link breaking out left into Predator before the final crux of Cry Freedom but nevertheless guaranteed to produce a good pump! 

The Great Escape 8b+ Malham (Pic: John Thornton)

Trip to Smith Rock

I was joined on the trip by Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, who was keen to try Just Do It with me. It was great to head out there with another Brit to share beta and psyche after several solo missions. It had been 13 months since I had last tried the route in the autumn of 2016 when I was out here for a full month (see my blog from last year http://tedkingsnorth.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/project-updates-from-kilnsey-and-smith.html). I had done a lot of bouldering, training and routes since then so I was keen to see if I was any stronger on the route. 

The upper crux of Just Do It 8c+ by the 15th bolt from an unusual angle (Pic: Jon Roderick)

After a couple of days of re-familiarising the moves, I reclimbed some key links and started putting in some burns from the ground. Unfortunately, it was hellishly cold on a lot of the days we were up there, even when the infamous Monkey Face wind wasn't blowing a houlie. We even enlisted the help of a portable propane heater in an effort to bring some life to our freezing fingertips. Even when you managed to get warm enough to climb, you were so exhausted from the constant running up and down, star jumps and taking off 7 layers of clothing that by the time you got on the rock, you had likely already used up a lot of your energy reserves. Despite this, I was pleased to get up to the porthole rest by the 15th bolt three more times in total. On one go where I arrived at the crux with numb fingers and had to shout take, as I could no longer feel the holds(!), after the hot aches had subsided, I rested a few minutes on the rope then, after lowering down to the 12th bolt, went from there to the top (see video below). Sometimes, when things don't go to plan, this is just the filip that you need in order to try a new link. 

Link on Just Do It 8c+ (from 12th bolt to the top)

Mina did really well on the route, quickly learning all of the complex moves and redpointing the lower part (8b) with ease on her 3rd day on. I have never climbed on this route other than on my first day on due to the rugged nature of the climbing on both the muscles and skin so this was a very impressive effort. She was doing some great links on the upper pitch in the purple rock and even found an alternative method on the reachy crux move involving a very crimpy undercut (Malham comes to Smith Rock!) but was very unlucky with some split tips. The extremely cold conditions were also not making it any easier for both of us. I'm sure she will be back with fresh skin and in wamer temps to seal the deal. 

Mina on Aggro Monkey 5.13b (8a)

On the last day after Mina had left, I had my best ever burn. I somehow got to the porthole feeling quite fresh, despite feeling tired on the lower pitch. I think relaxing and letting go is just what your mind needs at times on these long term projects. By subconsciously giving up the possibility of climbing the route, I tricked myself into getting through the V9 crimp crux below the porthole despite it being my second go of the session on my 7th day on the route in 14 days. I was surprised to feel my energy coming back like never before in the shake out. I think I even shook out too long (a full minute) as I was so used to having to stay there that long from previous redpoints in order to get any kind of recovery. I had a really good go at the upper crux where I got the gaston crimp for the left hand solidly for the first time and was pretty close to sticking the deep 2 finger pocket that marks the end of the really hard climbing. 

Mina cruising on Churning in the Wake 5.13a (7c+)

Having run out of time again, I left feeling encouraged that I had actually improved on the route in the preceding 12 months and will be back as soon as I can for another crack, hopefully with temperatures 20 degrees warmer! 

Accident at Burbage 

Sadly, the second weekend after I got back, on a bouldering outing to Peak gritstone with Pete Dawson, I fractured my talus bone (the small bone that the head of the tibia rests on) falling off the top moves of West Side Story, a classic font 7b+ at Burbage West. I have done the problem including the 3 move top out several times in the past so was possibly lulled into a false sense of security. It was one of those moments where I was probably more tired than I realised after a full session over at Burbage North and quite a few attempts to repeat Western Eyes. It was also a little damp in the air (not on the rock) and my right foot slipped on the foothold as I was standing up into the crimpy sidepull before reaching for the top of the crag. 

Out the game! Fractured talus from fall off West Side Story (small fracture not really visible)

I fell straight down with my feet on a level with the top jug of the boulder problem and unfortunately, the second pad was stacked on top of the first one in such a way as to create a downward slope which my right foot landed straight on. I rolled over on my ankle which dislocated and then popped back into joint after a couple of seconds. I initially thought I had got away with it as my foot wasn't swelling up too badly but an x ray and CT scan at Sheffield General A and E confirmed that I have got a small, non-displaced fractured of my talus bone near to the edge of the joint. I would like to say a massive thanks to Edale Mountain Rescue team who quickly attended the scene and stretchered me out in the dark. Without volunteers like these, we would all be in a much worse position when accidents strike. 

Luckily, the fracture clinic at the Manchester Royal Infirmiary have confirmed that I don't need any screws putting in but will be non-weight bearing for 6 weeks and will no doubt need lots of physio thereafter to get back in action. Oh well, a timely reminder of the dangers of bouldering, take care out there! Now, time to get strong on the hangboard! 

Attempt on In the Flick of Time Font 7c+ 1 hour before my fall (Burbage North, Peak District)

Source: Summer and Autumn round up (Yorkshire, the Peak and Smith Rock!)

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Just Do It!

I've been back in Manchester for a few days now and have had a chance to reflect on my latest trip to Smith Rock. Flying back this time felt like the end of an era in some ways, complete with the usual jet lag and kipping on airport benches at 3am, good times! This was my 6th trip in 3 years to try Just Do It and I was aware that time was running out for completion of this project due to the pressures of keeping on trying a route so far away from my home. I said to myself at the start of the trip that it was important to get it done this time around so I could move on with my climbing and free up time and effort to sample some of the classics closer to home. I was lucky enough to have been given the option of staying out for a longer period of time before flying out due to my work circumstances so I had this up my sleeve. 

The slap up to the 'sidepull sloper' on the upper crux (Screengrab: Nate Gerhardt)

In the back of my mind was my talus fracture back in December and how well I would be climbing compared to previous trips. Luckily, on my first session up on the Monkey I quickly realised that I felt stronger than my last trip and my fitness was decent due to a recent spell at Malham and some indoor routes at Stockport Wall. I had also been lapping my replica of the route at Rockover Climbing Centre that Tom Stewart, the owner, had kindly let me set on their auto belay area. I had been adding ever increasing amounts of climbing going up and down different routes before shaking out on the first hold of the replica (a hold very similar to the big flat hold at the 13th bolt which marks the start of the upper cruxes in the purple rock) and then finishing up it, which I had never been able to do training on the same set up last year. So, just the small matter of climbing the real thing!

The lower crux in the purple rock (Pic: Mike Doyle)

On the first day, it was a case of getting reacquainted with the moves as usual and keeping jet lag at bay. On the second session, I went for the key link from the 1st chains to the top (which weighs in at 14a or 8b+) which I had done once before in 2016 but which I had never had the chance to get solid on due to the pressure to keep trying from the ground every time on shorter trips. I surprised myself by getting through the upper crux twice and very nearly going to the top on my first attempt, getting shut down on the last big move of the upper crux sequence, to a relatively big flat crimp before the final, hopefully not droppable (!), moves up to the final shake out guarding the chains. I had never done this so early in the trip and was in 2 minds as to whether to keep trying this link or start trying from the ground. I decided to try from the ground. After a session or 2 of narrowly failing to reach the porthole, I managed to get up there before the end of the first week, which is the earliest I have ever managed this on all of my trips. The porthole rest follows the first crux section in the purple rock on crimps which is around V8 or so. (For those interested in my previous trips to try Just Do It, check out my previous blog posts from 2015 onwards: tedkingsnorth.blogspot.com/2015/06/attempts-on-just-do-it.html)

Approaching the porthole rest (Pic: Jason Bagby)

This time I could feel that I had a bit more fitness in my arms from all the training over the winter and had a good stab at getting past the upper crux, another powerful V8 boulder problem. This sequence is more sustained than the crux before the porthole (comprising 8 hard moves in total) and the hardest 2 moves involve a powerful lock off and cross over from a 1st joint 2 finger pocket to a poor, gaston crimp and then holding this to then fire into another, better, 2 finger pocket. From this pocket, 4 slightly easier moves follow without rest before the relative sanctuary of the 'big, flat crimp' by the 16th bolt and the still tricky exit moves. 

On my next session, I was mega psyched to finally stick the upper crux pocket stab to the 2 finger pocket on a session with Steven Dimmitt. This was the breakthrough I had been looking for and what the previous 15 or so redpoints up to the porthole over my last 3 trips had led up to. I very nearly stuck the next big move to the 'sidepull sloper' too but was so surprised at finally having stuck the pocket stab move that I fell just short of it, but I didn't mind as I knew it was now on, I could do this!!

After sticking the upper crux for the first time from the ground (Pic: Steven Dimmitt)

I still had a few days before my flight was due so I persisted in trying it in hot conditions with only 1 rest day between attempts in the hope of snagging the route without having to rebook my flight. Unfortunately, conditions were too warm so I the slight setback of having regressed from my highpoint with the nagging doubt as to whether I would ever get up there again. Luckily, having not got on the flight, the pressure was off in some ways as with no fixed return date, I had the luxury of being in a position to pick and choose my redpoint days. Little did I know that it would take another month before I was clipping the chains!

After a mini-heat wave of 80+F temps, I returned with Crit Concrad and managed to get a move higher, holding the sidepull sloper but not having quite enough power to get crimped up on it, which you need to do in order to execute the next throw to the 'big flat crimp'. Since failing on this move on the link from the 1st chains on my second session, I couldn't decide whether to move my feet 4 times using some intermediate footholds (which seemed to be less strenuous and more in balance) or to stick with my old foot sequence, which was only 2 foot moves and more powerful but quicker. I went with the former option and chanced introducing some new foot moves as these moves felt OK on the link from the porthole. Unfortunately, on my redpoint, I ended up stranded below the throw move with no hope of sticking it as I was too pumped to move my feet! I went for it anyway and took the ride with a new highpoint under my belt of 2 handmoves further up the wall, which was good progress nevertheless. The lesson I took from this was not to tinker with your sequence, best to stick with the devil you know!

The first 2 finger pocket move on the lower pitch (Pic: Mike Doyle)

I was fully expecting to be able to rest 2 days then head back up to the Monkey and send but the weather had other plans. Another mini-heatwave rolled in and I was forced to train in the morning cool of Morning Glory Wall and Aggro Gully. This was no bad thing as I was able to reference my fitness on my favourite training routes such as Churning in the Wake 13a, Aggro Monkey 13b, Disposable Heroes 13a and The Quickening 12c. I even chucked a lap on Full Heinous Cling 12c in the Dihedrals, for old times sake ;). I clocked up 4 or 5 such sessions over 6 weeks and I think this helped me to avoid burnout. Still, it was not ideal having to wait more days than necessary when I was on the brink of success and there were times during the hot spell when I began to doubt whether it would ever cool off and I would get another chance. It was at such times that I found it important to stay focused and positive during the long hours away from the crags. Using the time productively was important as one of the problems of all the resting was how to keep your mind from constantly obsessing about the route, which could be counterproductive. I spent many happy hours in Redmond library reading classic novels like Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' and Thomas Hardy's 'Return of the Native', books I will always associate with my time out in Oregon. 

Just below the good rest above the 9th bolt, the chains of the first pitch just above  (Pic: Mike Doyle)

I had one abortive early morning session with Brady Kendrick getting up at 5am for a 6:45am start up on the Monkey to beat the heat. I shall always remember Brady pulling up in his truck and the whooping and hollering and 'Heck yea's' for no particular reason other than pure psyche as I cranked out some hangs on the Tension flashboard hung up in the parking lot while the coffee kicked in. This session was not a success as the entire route was in the sun by 8am before even one redpoint was possible, leading to an impromptu training session in the gully on the way back - at least we tried!

The stemming rest at the 9th bolt (Pic: Jenny Abegg)

By the time temps cooled down, I had spent a week without any redpoints since my highpoint and was nervous about whether I would be able to get past the upper crux again. Probably the low point of the trip came after my first redpoint that first session back when I failed to get up to the porthole. To be honest I was gutted as I began to wonder whether I had burnt out and would ever regain my highpoint. A change of pace was in order and I elected not to have a second redpoint from the ground for once. I bolt to bolted up to the 9th bolt and then managed to do a link from there to the top, which was a massive confidence boost as it was one bolt better than the link I had been aiming for on my second session and a personal best in still warm conditions. It also involved climbing into and out of the main stemming rest above the 9th bolt. Every move felt the best it had ever felt and I had power in reserve at the chains. I needn't have worried about fluffing my previous redpoint and had turned the session around. The moves on small crimps leading to the porthole are so hard on the link from the ground that it is inevitable that you won't have a 100% strike rate. If you put your feet a few cm's left or right of the sweet spots on each foothold then you are liable to be spat off. Sometimes, redpoints don't go well purely down to the law of averages - you can't always climb at your best. 

Big move at the 12th bolt (Pic: Mike Doyle)

The next session with Brady and Jenny Abegg proved to be a turning point and it was a rare occasion when the weather allowed me to take rest 2 days and then go back up for another session without having to wait for a longer hot spell to dissipate. In hindsight, I could have done it this session as I stuck the pocket stab move twice, which I had never done in a single session before. Unfortunately, I didn't get the second 2 finger pocket as well as I would have liked which left me short on the slap to the sidepull sloper so I didn't quite make my highpoint again.

Focus required! Just below the 3 finger crimp on the 1st crux of the purple rock (Pic: Mike Doyle)

The Monkey was still intent on testing me though as yet another 5 day heatwave rolled in with some pretty horrible, humid thunderstorms thrown into the mix. I made a tactical error of coming out one evening for a session to try and keep momentum going as I had rested 2 days already and felt really fresh. This was a mistake as I fell off the upper crux in really humid, warm conditions. Lesson number 2, don't bother trying things at your limit in bad conditions, rest up instead! In retrospect, I should have gone training at the gym in Bend or something, anything but try Just Do It! 

Starting the upper crux: locking the first 2 finger pocket, about to crossover for the gaston (Screengrab: Nate Gerhardt)

Crossover move from the 2 finger pocket on the  upper crux (Pic: Heather Furtney, from Oct 2015)

I managed to steady the ship with a session sticking the pocket stab again with Mike Doyle on a session when he came super close to sending the East Face Crack 13d without clipping any of the fixed gear, taking an impressive fall in the process (he sent it with ease next session). However, I didn't make any impression on the slap to the sidepull sloper, which did nothing to ease my fears of having peaked too soon. I decided to try the 1st chains to the top link without lowering off after my second burn and after 10 mins hanging at the 1st chains. This link felt the easiest it had ever felt using my old, quicker foot sequence. I knew I was getting closer and it was only a matter of time.

The redpoint crux - stabbing into a 2 finger pocket  off a small gaston crimp (Pic: Heather Furtney, from Oct 2015)

I was destined to have one more close session and made the trek up there with Jon Roderick, who has been trying the East Face Crack and who I belayed on a very smooth ascent of the lower pitch (12c on trad), way to go Jon! This session, I failed on the pocket stab move twice, despite 2 full rest days so I was stressing out wondering whether I had lost the power needed for this move. However, the saving grace was another 1st chains to top link after 10 minutes rest following my second burn. Jon put up with me offloading a load of doubts about conditions and beta on the walk down, sorry Jon!

The weekend looked warm so I would only have one rest day before an attempt on Friday, which looked like half decent temps with the forecast saying 70 degrees. I scoured my contacts for a belayer and luckily Lukas Strauss-Wise agreed to come out at short notice on Friday night, which was a big ask. It felt warm in the air in the gully but hanging out there with my good friends Andrew Hunzicker and Nate Gerhardt helped to create a relaxed atmosphere. We could feel a warm breeze blowing down the gully and all agreed conditions felt good, despite the heat. I left it until the last possible moment to allow for one burn before sunset before hiking up to the Monkey. The initial bolt to bolt go felt good and I was psyched to have the chance for a decent attempt before resting through the heat of the weekend after which substantial rest I should then be in a position to have a full blooded go on Monday.

The big move to the sidepull sloper  (Pic: Heather Furtney, from Oct 2015)

To my horror, I proceeded to fall of the move cranking a tiny right hand sidepull just above the 3rd bolt, a move I hadn't fallen off in over 2 years. I put it down to the relative heat then lowered off and rested 15 minutes, which is all the time there was left before it would start to get too dark to see footholds. Without any expectations, just before 8:30, I set off again and managed to slap through the sidepull move. I had extended the 8th draw on my previous session which enabled me to clip it from lower down in a position of balance and made it less strenuous. I arrived in the rest above the 9th bolt feeling fresh and for some reason started for the first time to alternate putting my weight over my right then left foot as I shook out each arm in turn, which I think helped. After my regulation 2 minutes shake, I set out up the familiar 12d section leading up to the 13th bolt shake. I realised I was feeling really good and so didn't stay more than a couple of shakes on this hold before attacking the next big move up and right leading into the crux crimps. I made it through these moves to the porthole with relief and then tried to calm my breathing down. 

           My send video. (Advisory, contains some slightly 'rum' language)

After 45 seconds and 2 shakes on each arm, I eyed up the upper crux then set off. One thing I had learnt on my previous session was to be sure of adjusting several times in the first 2 finger pocket to get it really well so I really twisted my fingers in deep and adjusted 4 times. Another key bit of micro beta was to do an old fashioned foot swap on the sika crimp on the cross over move to the gaston crimp rather than place your feet next to each other on this hold. My outside left foot came down on the foothold perfectly after the swap and I cranked up to the gaston. I fully crimped this and placed my right toe on the dicey smear. This time, I hit right in the back of the second 2 finger pocket and only needed one adjust before moving my feet up for the slap to the sidepull sloper. After a power grunt, I got more than enough height to get crimped up on the sloper using the crucial crystal at the top of the hold and before I knew it I was crimping the intermediate sidepull and moving my left foot out in readiness for the throw up to the big flat crimp. I went for it and my fingers latched the hold, I was in! The exit moves went on autopilot and the next thing I knew, I was shaking out in the final jug before the last moves 5.12 guarding the chains. Thankfully these went without incident and I was clipping the chains! It was a great feeling to put this project to bed and be able to fly back to the UK without any unfinished business for a change. 

Post send pic (Pic: Lukas Strauss-Wise)

I would like to thank everybody who came up to the Monkey to belay me or offer support, it means a lot! Coming from the UK with no partner this time, I was relying on finding partners out here. The fact that I was able to keep coming up there for 6 weeks with not a single time when I had to skip a good day for lack of a partner is a testament to the awesome Smith Rock climbing community. A special mention to my friend Calvin Landrus who came out to belay me a tonne back in 2015 and 2016 but who has recently sadly contracted leukemia. I am happy to hear that the chemo has been going well and best of luck with the recovery. 

Happy climbing out there and good luck with all of your projects!

Beers in Bend!

Source: Just Do It!

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Kilnsey Progress Update

Hi Folks, its been a little while since my last blog so I thought I would pen a few lines to let you know what I've been up to over the summer, now that it is but a distant memory! Since getting back from Oregon in early June, my objectives for the summer were to capitalise on fitness gained at Smith Rock to get stuck in to some projects from last year at my favourite crag in Yorkshire, the mighty Kilnsey! 

The first crux on Progress - (Credit: Marc Langley)

I decided to have a crack at Dalliance 8b+ first up as this was some unfinished business from last October when I had been stopped by seepage. After a few sessions back on it, it was satisfying to clip the chains after a beta tweak from Paul Bennett on the redpoint crux at the top, cheers Paul! Here is a clip of the send go, some closure at last was satisfying on this tricky number.

                                                         Dalliance 8b+

Next up was Progress 8c+ which is a considerably harder affair and one which I had invested many sessions in from May to July last year. I had got through to the redpoint crux above the 4th bolt and the 2 undercut 'eyes' quite a few times but had been shut down by the very powerful crux on flat sidepulls and pinches with poor foot smears that immediately follows. It must be 8b at least to get to the eyes so it is no small undertaking to crank your way up to a position where you can challenge the redpoint crux. This year, after a good start refreshing the moves and doing some good links from the 3rd bolt to the top, the heatwave struck in July. 

By the first bolt on Progress (Credit: Martin Atkinson)

I found it increasingly difficult to make any headway with the sweaty conditions that ensued and began to think that I must be weaker than last year as I couldn't get back up to the eyes. I did manage to do a key link from the 2nd bolt to the top, which I was pleased with but which is actually still some way from redpointing the entire thing. Thankfully, I needn't have worried about the lower section as in mid July on some odd cooler days I finally made it back there and after some beta tweaks courtesy of Jordan, began to get more reliably up to the 4th bolt.

Another view of the first crux on Progress (Credit: Martin Atkinson)

Unfortunately, by mid August, the annual monsoon rolled in and the crag turned into a waterfall - from heat to wetness in 24 hours! Such are the trials of the Kilnsey regular and the route was out of commission for more than 2 weeks. I took the opportunity to keep my bouldering tuned up by visiting Griff's Buttress and doing some crimpy limestone numbers like 'King of Lambs' Font 8A, 'Mutton Bustin' Font 8A and 'Mint Sauce Right Hand' Font 8A, all excellent problems (see video below).


                   
                           Bouldering at Griff's Buttress, Blackwell Dale

By the time September rolled around (or is that Sendtember!) thankfully connies were much cooler and I surprised myself by getting up to the eyes 3 times in a session, which made clear how vital cool conditions are on this line. I re-engineered my beta on the redpoint crux to a higher step up with the feet which seemed to make the move a little more manageable from the ground.

About to clip the 3rd bolt on Progress (Credit: Martin Atkinson)

I had 2 sessions in even colder conditions where I got up to the eyes on every redpoint and finally stuck the redpoint crux (see picture below). This was a great feeling after trying this rig for more than a year!

Sticking the redpoint crux on Progress (Credit: Martin Atkinson)

The next go that session I got a move further but realised that I was stranded as my feet cut and I was left dangling from 2 poor pinches! Sadly, there were no further opportunities for me as the next round of wet weather blew in and that was it for the year. I have made a video of my highpoint (see below) and am beyond psyched to get stuck back into this beast as soon as the crag dries out in the spring, bring it on!

                                   My best attempt on Progress

                            

Source: Kilnsey Progress Update

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New Year Trip to Suirana

Hi guys just thought I would pen a few words about my recent 11 day trip to Suirana in Catalunya, Spain. I headed out on Boxing Day and arrived in the campsite late that night after a full day's travelling from Exeter that morning! I had rather optimistically decided to camp this trip but did not fully appreciate how cold it was going to be. My sleeping bag was a 4 season down one but was totally outclassed by the bone chilling cold experienced. Luckily some friends lent me a duvet and in combo with about 5 layers of clothing, it was doable. It was good to go back to basics and suffer a bit, makes you appreciate the finer things in life back home! Mucking in to cook in the miniscule cooking area every morning and night with all the fellow climbers was a good experience. Many a tuna/ pasta surprise was concocted in the cramped quarters to replenish diminished glycogen reserves. 

Migranya 8b - Credit: Charlie Egan

After a day or 2 to shake off Christmas excesses, I started to feel good on my main goal for this trip, Migranya 8b, a steep, powerful testpiece in Sector L'Olla at the head of the canyon past the famous La Rambla 9a+. I had tried this in 2013 but didn't quite have the level for it back then and despite being able to do all the moves OK, it had remained unticked since then. I learned from one of the locals that a left hand handhold on a crucial sloper in the lower half of the route had crumbled away since I had last tried the route so it was harder now into the bargain! After a couple of days reworking it and some beta tweaks, I started doing links from the end of the crux to the top and felt my route fitness suddenly come back after a period of mostly bouldering in November/ December.

The crux traverse on Migranya

For once, on New Year's eve I resisted the temptation to go overboard and after a nice celebration in the bar where we sipped some beers, had a glass of cava each and ate 12 grapes in close succession on the stroke of midnight, I eschewed the dubious pleasures of a night out on the tiles in Cornudella and headed to bed at 1am. After a rest day of reading and chilling, the next day it was business time and I headed up to L'Olla with Alex to do battle.

Migranya - the crux

Video of Migranya

I had been close to getting through the crux move before New Year but a heel toe cam for my right foot seemed to be holding me back on the sloper move and I would always fall just short of sticking the next move. After a rethink, I decided to just use a heel rather than a cam as well and bingo, it worked. I stuck the crux and swung my way to the shakeout below the halfway roof. After a minute shaking out, I embarked on the still tricky exit moves which involve a crank on a 2 finger pocket and a dicey stab to a powerful gaston for the left hand. Thankfully, my time spent working the links on this section was not wasted and I got through this section to clip the chains. I was a good feeling to get this one ticked and be project free for a while.

Post send on Migranya Send burgers and beers

The rest of the trip was spent getting some mileage in as it is sometimes nice not to have the pressure of a hard send to deal with and just enjoy some classics and there are certainly plenty around these parts! I had failed on the last move of the classic arete of Lua 7c 5 years previously due to a hold snapping and remember taking a huge whipper so it was cool to get revenge on this one. Also, Outback 7c+ was an enjoyable steep route which I remember sitting on every bolt of on a previous trip! I was close on the retro flash, falling off the final sequence but had to settle for a next go send.

Outback 7c+, Sector Negociee Credit: Buster Martin

After another rest day, I wanted to have a go at onsighting the classic Pren Nota 8a on Sector Negociee, which is a long steep wall with the crux near the top. I had a decent go but didn't get as far as the crux after trying to rest in a 'non-rest' before the real rest a bolt higher. I don't think I would have got through the next bit onsight anyway so was not too fussed to lob off. I hope to get better at on-sighting with more practice in the future as I have not done as much of it as I would have liked. No redpoint stress here, it all stays at the crag! I got the route next go which was great fun and a reminder of how pumpy these rigs can be - best not neglect the stamina training I reckon.

Sectors El Pati and Primavera

After a short rest, we headed back round to sector L'Olla to finish off the short but powerful Pota d'Elephant 7c+ which I had tried a couple of days previously. This has a couple of cranks on some pockets and some short lived tufas before a funky pull up onto the top slab. I then had a good flash go on Anemone Nipapa 8a but was stopped cold by the top crux moves, which are pretty hard for an 8a! I had another go just before it got dark but didn't have much left in the tank, one to come back for.

Pota d'Elephant 7c+ That evening in the bar, it was nice to hang out with the Brits I was lucky enough to spend time with this trip and sip a few beers. There was a good crew out this year, all supportive of each other and their projects, which is one of the awesome parts of trips like this. Buster on Copa di Cigala 8a+ The next morning was my last so it was a slightly frenzied dash down to Can Piqui Puqui sector, which I had not yet visited this trip for a go on Gigololo 8a+, the right hand version of the ultra classic Anabolica 8a. Gigololo was another one I had tried 5 years previously. I sussed the crux moves briefly and had time for one burn but the exertions of the previous day were still in my arms and although getting through the roof onto the headwall, I got shut down by a big move from a pocket to a crimp. I don't feel too bad about this one as I got back and had a peek at the 8a.nu comments on this one - apparently this move shut down a young Adam Ondra in 2006! I feel a little gutted nevertheless that I didn't have time to rest and have another burn but I had a plane to catch so leaving such thoughts til next time, I marched up the hill to my waiting hire car and before I knew it was cruising the coastal roads en route to Barca airport. Hasta luego Suirana!

Source: New Year Trip to Suirana

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New Year Trip to Suirana

Hi guys just thought I would pen a few words about my recent 11 day trip to Suirana in Catalunya, Spain. I headed out on Boxing Day and arrived in the campsite late that night after a full day's travelling from Exeter via Liverpool airport that morning! I had rather optimistically decided to camp this trip but did not fully appreciate how cold it was going to be. My sleeping bag was a 4 season down one but was totally outclassed by the bone chilling cold experienced. Luckily some friends lent me a duvet and in combo with about 5 layers of clothing, it was doable. It was good to go back to basics and suffer a bit, makes you appreciate the finer things in life back home! Mucking in to cook in the miniscule cooking area every morning and night with all the fellow climbers was a good experience. Many a tuna/ pasta surprise was concocted in the cramped quarters to replenish diminished glycogen reserves. 

Migranya 8b - Credit: Charlie Egan

After a day or 2 to shake off Christmas excesses, I started to feel good on my main goal for this trip, Migranya 8b, a steep, powerful testpiece in Sector L'Olla at the head of the canyon past the famous La Rambla 9a+. I had tried this in 2013 but didn't quite have the level for it back then and despite being able to do all the moves OK, it had remained unticked since then. I learned from one of the locals that a left hand handhold on a crucial sloper in the lower half of the route had crumbled away since I had last tried the route so it was harder now into the bargain! After a couple of days reworking it and some beta tweaks, I started doing links from the end of the crux to the top and felt my route fitness suddenly come back after a period of mostly bouldering in November/ December.

The crux traverse on Migranya

For once, on New Year's eve I resisted the temptation to go overboard and after a nice celebration in the bar where we sipped some beers, had a glass of cava each and ate 12 grapes in close succession on the stroke of midnight, I eschewed the dubious pleasures of a night out on the tiles in Cornudella and headed to bed at 1am. After a rest day of reading and chilling, the next day it was business time and I headed up to L'Olla with Alex to do battle.

Migranya - the crux

Video of Migranya

I had been close to getting through the crux move before New Year but a heel toe cam for my right foot seemed to be holding me back on the sloper move and I would always fall just short of sticking the next move. After a rethink, I decided to just use a heel rather than a cam as well and bingo, it worked. I stuck the crux and swung my way to the shakeout below the halfway roof. After a minute shaking out, I embarked on the still tricky exit moves which involve a crank on a 2 finger pocket and a dicey stab to a powerful gaston for the left hand. Thankfully, my time spent working the links on this section was not wasted and I got through this section to clip the chains. I was a good feeling to get this one ticked and be project free for a while.

Post send on Migranya Send burgers and beers

The rest of the trip was spent getting some mileage in as it is sometimes nice not to have the pressure of a hard send to deal with and just enjoy some classics and there are certainly plenty around these parts! I had failed on the last move of the classic arete of Lua 7c 5 years previously due to a hold snapping and remember taking a huge whipper so it was cool to get revenge on this one. Also, Outback 7c+ was an enjoyable steep route which I remember sitting on every bolt of on a previous trip! I was close on the retro flash, falling off the final sequence but had to settle for a next go send.

Outback 7c+, Sector Negociee Credit: Buster Martin

After another rest day, I wanted to have a go at onsighting the classic Pren Nota 8a on Sector Negociee, which is a long steep wall with the crux near the top. I had a decent go but didn't get as far as the crux after trying to rest in a 'non-rest' before the real rest a bolt higher. I don't think I would have got through the next bit onsight anyway so was not too fussed to lob off. I hope to get better at on-sighting with more practice in the future as I have not done as much of it as I would have liked. No redpoint stress here, it all stays at the crag! I got the route next go which was great fun and a reminder of how pumpy these rigs can be - best not neglect the stamina training I reckon.

Sectors El Pati and Primavera

After a short rest, we headed back round to sector L'Olla to finish off the short but powerful Pota d'Elephant 7c+ which I had tried a couple of days previously. This has a couple of cranks on some pockets and some short lived tufas before a funky pull up onto the top slab. I then had a good flash go on Anemone Nipapa 8a but was stopped cold by the top crux moves, which are pretty hard for an 8a! I had another go just before it got dark but didn't have much left in the tank, one to come back for.

Pota d'Elephant 7c+ That evening in the bar, it was nice to hang out with the Brits I was lucky enough to spend time with this trip and sip a few beers. There was a good crew out this year, all supportive of each other and their projects, which is one of the awesome parts of trips like this. Buster on Copa di Cigala 8a+ The next morning was my last so it was a slightly frenzied dash down to Can Piqui Puqui sector, which I had not yet visited this trip for a go on Gigololo 8a+, the right hand version of the ultra classic Anabolica 8a. Gigololo was another one I had tried 5 years previously. I sussed the crux moves briefly and had time for one burn but the exertions of the previous day were still in my arms and although getting through the roof onto the headwall, I got shut down by a big move from a pocket to a crimp. I don't feel too bad about this as I got back and had a peek at the 8a.nu comments on the route - apparently this move shut down a young Adam Ondra in 2006! I feel a little gutted nevertheless that I didn't have time to rest and have another burn but I had a plane to catch so leaving such thoughts til next time, I marched up the hill to my waiting hire car and before I knew it was cruising the coastal roads en route to Barca airport. Hasta luego Suirana!

Source: New Year Trip to Suirana

[comPiler]

Lancashire Bouldering Update

Hi folks, its a been a while since my last post but here goes with a little update for you. Like everybody else, its been tough during this pandemic without access to any climbing walls to train properly. Still, I've made the best of it and after a lockdown spent on my beastmaker and rudimentary sideways campus workout above my balcony door (!) I finally managed to make it out to the nearest local crags I could find to get back to rock climbing.

Learning the climb in the mid 90's, I first started out trad climbing in quarries such as the Wiltons, Denham, Anglesarke, Parbold and Brownstones and it has been fun going back to these places with over 20 years's of experience and fresh eyes. It has been a bit of a trip down memory lane at times thinking back to old days out. But enough of the past, with no board to train on, I was sorely in need of some steep athletic bouldering to shock the system and introduce some dynamic moves into what had become quite a formulaic experience doing max hangs and pullups every few days.

I have managed to document a large proportion of the problems I have climbed over the last 3 months since lockdown ended in Lancashire since purchasing the excellent bouldering guidebook by Robin Mueller. I started out going out tentatively as lockdown gave you a wierd feeling that maybe you shouldn't be going out but at the end of the day Boris had given exercising in the outdoors the nod as had the BMC so it was fair game. As the Peak District was off the agenda initially as we were meant to be staying local, I stuck with Lancashire and I'm glad I did. It has been refreshing to not have more than 35 - 40 mins of driving to do compared to over an hour going to the Peak or even longer to North Wales or Yorkshire. It brought it home to me how much driving I have actually done over the years in pursuit of this sport!

My ticklist of climbs over Font 7C post lockdown is below and I was psyched to get a first ascent of a sit start to one of Mike Adam's 7C+'s at Parbold 'Danger Dusk', which I named 'Danger! High Voltage', which I have given 8A (repeats needed to confirm). The name is something of a misnomer as there is no danger involved as its finishes at around 12 foot up matching on the last hold before the wall blanks out above.

Font 8A

Rhamnousa Sitter (Wilton 4) (SECOND ASCENT)
Danger! High Voltage (Parbold Quarry) (FIRST ASCENT)

Font 7C+

Nemesister (Wilton 4)
Rhamnousa (Wilton 4)
Danger Dusk (Parbold Quarry)

Font 7C

Clinton Barton (Cadshaw Quarry) (SECOND ASCENT)
Copernicus (Cadshaw Quarry)
Laminar Flow (Wilton 2)
The Starship Wilton Direct (Wilton 3)
Nemesis (Wilton 4)
Meeting Palms (Ousel's Nest)
No Tome for Losers (Baby Denham)
Legs Not Included (Healey Nab)
Dawid's Reach (Lester Mill Quarry)
Blister (Lester Mill Quarry)
Grasshopper LH (Stronstrey Bank) (FIRST ASCENT)
The Noisy Cricket (Stronstrey Bank)
Hellebore Sit (Stronstrey Bank)

Here are some of the best video's I have put together from my Lancashire sessions, there are more on my Youtube Channel, I hope you enjoy! 

                                                                                      
Its been awesome to be able to get some of that bouldering snap back climbing in what has been an exceptionally dry spring (although at the time of writing it is at risk of degenerating into a soggy summer! Having not trained on a 45 degree board for over 3 months I was worried that my power levels and technique on steep rock might have suffered but getting out regularly to the quarries, I have been surprised that I actually feel perhaps stronger than ever on real rock. There is really no substitute for trying hard on real outdoor problems and you get a real sense of momentum with a few ticks under your belt. The moonboard can wait!

Now for the tough transition back to outdoor routing. I have been back at Kilnsey since this was permitted back in May and not having tied in since my trip to Margalef over New Year over 4 months previously, 50 for 5 felt way too pumpy at first. Happily, stamina has now come back to a semblance of what it was and I'm getting stuck back in to Progress, my project on North Buttress which I got close on last year. Lets pray for a dry July and August on UK crags seeing as nobody will be jetting off to the continent just yet - have fun out there!

Stronstrey Bank sunset

Source: Lancashire Bouldering Update

[comPiler]

Lancashire Bouldering Update

Hi folks, its a been a while since my last post but here goes with a little update for you. Like everybody else, its been tough during this pandemic without access to any climbing walls to train properly. Still, I've made the best of it and after a lockdown spent on my beastmaker and rudimentary sideways campus workout above my balcony door (!) I finally managed to make it out to the nearest local crags I could find to get back to rock climbing.

Learning the climb in the mid 90's, I first started out trad climbing in quarries such as the Wiltons, Denham, Anglesarke, Parbold and Brownstones and it has been fun going back to these places with over 20 years experience and fresh eyes. It has been a bit of a trip down memory lane at times thinking back to old days out. But enough of the past, with no board to train on, I was sorely in need of some steep athletic bouldering to shock the system and introduce some dynamic moves into what had become quite a formulaic experience doing max hangs and pullups every few days.

I have managed to get on video quite a few of the problems I have climbed over the last 3 months since lockdown ended in Lancashire since purchasing the excellent bouldering guidebook by Robin Mueller. I started out going out tentatively as lockdown had given a wierd feeling that maybe you shouldn't be going out but at the end of the day Boris had given exercising in the outdoors the nod as had the BMC so it was fair game. As the Peak District was off the agenda initially as we were meant to be staying local, I stuck with Lancashire and I'm glad I did. It has been refreshing to not have more than 35 - 40 mins of driving to do compared to over an hour going to the Peak or even longer to North Wales or Yorkshire. It brought it home to me how much driving I have actually done over the years in pursuit of this sport!

My ticklist of climbs over Font 7C post lockdown is below and I was psyched to get a first ascent of a sit start to a Mike Adams 7C+ at Parbold 'Danger Dusk', which I named 'Danger! High Voltage', which I have given 8A (repeats needed to confirm). The name is something of a misnomer as there is no danger involved as its finishes at around 12 foot up matching on the last hold before the wall blanks out above.

Font 8A

Rhamnousa Sitter (Wilton 4) (SECOND ASCENT)
Danger! High Voltage (Parbold Quarry) (FIRST ASCENT)

Font 7C+

Nemesister (Wilton 4)
Rhamnousa (Wilton 4)
Danger Dusk (Parbold Quarry)

Font 7C

Clinton Barton (Cadshaw Quarry) (SECOND ASCENT)
Copernicus (Cadshaw Quarry)
Laminar Flow (Wilton 2)
The Starship Wilton Direct (Wilton 3)
Nemesis (Wilton 4)
Meeting Palms (Ousel's Nest)
No Tome for Losers (Baby Denham)
Legs Not Included (Healey Nab)
Dawid's Reach (Lester Mill Quarry)
Blister (Lester Mill Quarry)
Grasshopper LH (Stronstrey Bank) (FIRST ASCENT)
The Noisy Cricket (Stronstrey Bank)
Hellebore Sit (Stronstrey Bank)

Here are some of the best video's I have put together from my Lancashire sessions, there are more on my Youtube Channel, I hope you enjoy! 

                                                                                      
Its been awesome to be able to get some of that bouldering snap back climbing in what has been an exceptionally dry spring (although at the time of writing it is at risk of degenerating into a soggy summer! Having not trained on a 45 degree board for over 3 months I was worried that my power levels and technique on steep rock might have suffered but getting out regularly to the quarries, I have been surprised that I actually feel perhaps stronger than ever on real rock. There is really no substitute for trying hard on real outdoor problems and you get a real sense of momentum with a few ticks under your belt. The moonboard can wait!

Now for the tough transition back to outdoor routing. I have been back at Kilnsey since this was permitted back in May and not having tied in since my trip to Margalef over New Year over 4 months previously, 50 for 5 felt way too pumpy at first. Happily, stamina has now come back to a semblance of what it was and I'm getting stuck back in to Progress, my project on North Buttress which I got close on last year. Lets pray for a dry July and August on UK crags seeing as nobody will be jetting off to the continent just yet - have fun out there!

Stronstrey Bank sunset

Source: Lancashire Bouldering Update

[comPiler]

Lancashire Bouldering Update

Hi folks, its a been a while since my last post but here goes with a little update for you. Like everybody else, its been tough during this pandemic without access to any climbing walls to train properly. Still, I've made the best of it and after a lockdown spent on my beastmaker and rudimentary sideways campus workout above my balcony door (!) I finally managed to make it out to the nearest local crags I could find to get back to rock climbing.

Learning to climb in the mid 90's, I first started out trad climbing in quarries such as the Wiltons, Denham, Anglesarke, Parbold and Brownstones and it has been fun going back to these places with over 20 years experience and fresh eyes. It has been a bit of a trip down memory lane at times thinking back to old days out. But enough of the past, with no board to train on, I was sorely in need of some steep athletic bouldering to shock the system and introduce some dynamic moves into what had become quite a formulaic experience doing max hangs and pullups every few days.

I have managed to get on video quite a few of the problems I have climbed over the last 3 months since lockdown ended in Lancashire since purchasing the excellent bouldering guidebook by Robin Mueller. I started out going out tentatively as lockdown had given a wierd feeling that maybe you shouldn't be going out but at the end of the day Boris had given exercising in the outdoors the nod as had the BMC so it was fair game. As the Peak District was off the agenda initially as we were meant to be staying local, I stuck with Lancashire and I'm glad I did. It has been refreshing to not have more than 35 - 40 mins of driving to do compared to over an hour going to the Peak or even longer to North Wales or Yorkshire. It brought it home to me how much driving I have actually done over the years in pursuit of this sport!

My ticklist of climbs over Font 7C post lockdown is below and I was psyched to get a first ascent of a sit start to a Mike Adams 7C+ at Parbold 'Danger Dusk', which I named 'Danger! High Voltage', which I have given 8A (repeats needed to confirm). The name is something of a misnomer as there is no danger involved as its finishes at around 12 foot up matching on the last hold before the wall blanks out above.

Font 8A

Rhamnousa Sitter (Wilton 4) (SECOND ASCENT)
Danger! High Voltage (Parbold Quarry) (FIRST ASCENT)

Font 7C+

Nemesister (Wilton 4)
Rhamnousa (Wilton 4)
Danger Dusk (Parbold Quarry)

Font 7C

Clinton Barton (Cadshaw Quarry) (SECOND ASCENT)
Copernicus (Cadshaw Quarry)
Laminar Flow (Wilton 2)
The Starship Wilton Direct (Wilton 3)
Nemesis (Wilton 4)
Meeting Palms (Ousel's Nest)
No Tome for Losers (Baby Denham)
Legs Not Included (Healey Nab)
Dawid's Reach (Lester Mill Quarry)
Blister (Lester Mill Quarry)
Grasshopper LH (Stronstrey Bank) (FIRST ASCENT)
The Noisy Cricket (Stronstrey Bank)
Hellebore Sit (Stronstrey Bank)

Here are some of the best video's I have put together from my Lancashire sessions, there are more on my Youtube Channel, I hope you enjoy! 

                                                                                      
Its been awesome to be able to get some of that bouldering snap back climbing in what has been an exceptionally dry spring (although at the time of writing it is at risk of degenerating into a soggy summer! Having not trained on a 45 degree board for over 3 months I was worried that my power levels and technique on steep rock might have suffered but getting out regularly to the quarries, I have been surprised that I actually feel perhaps stronger than ever on real rock. There is really no substitute for trying hard on real outdoor problems and you get a real sense of momentum with a few ticks under your belt. The moonboard can wait!

Now for the tough transition back to outdoor routing. I have been back at Kilnsey since this was permitted back in May and not having tied in since my trip to Margalef over New Year over 4 months previously, 50 for 5 felt way too pumpy at first. Happily, stamina has now come back to a semblance of what it was and I'm getting stuck back in to Progress, my project on North Buttress which I got close on last year. Lets pray for a dry July and August on UK crags seeing as nobody will be jetting off to the continent just yet - have fun out there!

Stronstrey Bank sunset

Source: Lancashire Bouldering Update

[Teaboy]

I read all three copies because, let's face it, it's hard not get carried along with Ted's enthusiasm!

[comPiler]

Lancashire Bouldering Update

Hi folks, its a been a while since my last post but here goes with a little update for you. Like everybody else, its been tough during this pandemic without access to any climbing walls to train properly. Still, I've made the best of it and after a lockdown spent on my beastmaker and rudimentary sideways campus workout above my balcony door (!) I finally managed to make it out to the nearest local crags I could find to get back to rock climbing.

Learning to climb in the mid 90's, I first started out trad climbing in quarries such as the Wiltons, Denham, Anglesarke, Parbold and Brownstones and it has been fun going back to these places with over 20 years experience and fresh eyes. It has been a bit of a trip down memory lane at times thinking back to old days out. But enough of the past, with no board to train on, I was sorely in need of some steep athletic bouldering to shock the system and introduce some dynamic moves into what had become quite a formulaic experience doing max hangs and pullups every few days.

I have managed to get on video quite a few of the problems I have climbed over the last 3 months since lockdown ended in Lancashire since purchasing the excellent bouldering guidebook by Robin Mueller. I started out going out tentatively as lockdown had given a wierd feeling that maybe you shouldn't be going out but at the end of the day Boris had given exercising in the outdoors the nod as had the BMC so it was fair game. As the Peak District was off the agenda initially as we were meant to be staying local, I stuck with Lancashire and I'm glad I did. It has been refreshing to not have more than 35 - 40 mins of driving to do compared to over an hour going to the Peak or even longer to North Wales or Yorkshire. It brought it home to me how much driving I have actually done over the years in pursuit of this sport!

My ticklist of climbs over Font 7C post lockdown is below and I was psyched to get a first ascent of a sit start to a Mike Adams 7C+ at Parbold 'Danger Dusk', which I named 'Danger! High Voltage', which I have given 8A (repeats needed to confirm). The name is something of a misnomer as there is no danger involved as its finishes at around 12 foot up matching on the last hold before the wall blanks out above.

Font 8A

Rhamnousa Sitter (Wilton 4) (SECOND ASCENT)
Danger! High Voltage (Parbold Quarry) (FIRST ASCENT)

Font 7C+

Nemesister (Wilton 4)
Rhamnousa (Wilton 4)
Danger Dusk (Parbold Quarry)

Font 7C

Clint Barton (Cadshaw Quarry) (SECOND ASCENT)
Copernicus (Cadshaw Quarry)
Laminar Flow (Wilton 2)
The Starship Wilton Direct (Wilton 3)
Nemesis (Wilton 4)
Meeting Palms (Ousel's Nest)
No Tome for Losers (Baby Denham)
Legs Not Included (Healey Nab)
Dawid's Reach (Lester Mill Quarry)
Blister (Lester Mill Quarry)
Grasshopper LH (Stronstrey Bank) (FIRST ASCENT)
The Noisy Cricket (Stronstrey Bank)
Hellebore Sit (Stronstrey Bank)

Here are some of the best video's I have put together from my Lancashire sessions, there are more on my Youtube Channel, I hope you enjoy! 

                                                                                      
Its been awesome to be able to get some of that bouldering snap back climbing in what has been an exceptionally dry spring (although at the time of writing it is at risk of degenerating into a soggy summer!) Having not trained on a 45 degree board for over 3 months I was worried that my power levels and technique on steep rock might have suffered but getting out regularly to the quarries, I have been surprised that I actually feel perhaps stronger than ever on real rock. There is really no substitute for trying hard on real outdoor problems and you get a real sense of momentum with a few ticks under your belt. The moonboard can wait!

Now for the tough transition back to outdoor routing. I have been back at Kilnsey since this was permitted back in May and not having tied in since my trip to Margalef over New Year over 4 months previously, 50 for 5 felt way too pumpy at first. Happily, stamina has now come back to a semblance of what it was and I'm getting stuck back in to Progress, my project on North Buttress which I got close on last year. Lets pray for a dry July and August on UK crags seeing as nobody will be jetting off to the continent just yet - have fun out there!

Stronstrey Bank sunset

Source: Lancashire Bouldering Update

[SA Chris]

I read all three copies because, let's face it, it's hard not get carried along with Ted's enthusiasm!

Fourth time's the charm.

[comPiler]

Power Ranger 8b+ and Projects Update

I hope you're all making the best of the changes this year has brought to our climbing and training plans. I like many others have had to forego the usual plans to visit Spain and Font around this time of year but never fear, now a vaccine has been found, with any luck we'll all be able to get back out there sooner rather than later. 

Progress 8c+ (lower crux) attempt from 2018 (Credit: Richard Waterton)

The silver lining of the confinement of many of us to UK crags has been the increased focus on home projects. Over the summer, I made some big efforts to get Progress at Kilnsey done but it has eluded me for another year due to the late start in June and some predictably wet late summer connies. Still, I can take comfort from some positives in that I found some improved and more efficient beta and even a new rest by the 6th bolt which I had previously discounted which may prove to be the key to unlocking the world of pump which this rig turns into once you get beyond the 'eyes' which is the first staging post at the 5th bolt. Here is a video of my best attempt (not using the new rest) back in August which was only 5 hand moves off my previous year's high point just shy of the 8th bolt. I was more consistent this year, getting the 7th bolt clipped on around 5 or more occassions before the traverse right to the 8th where the climbing finally starts to ease. Roll on next year for some more attempts, the siege continues! 

My best attempt on Progress 8c+ in August 

Once Progress got wet, I decided to investigate Northern Exposure, the short Steve Dunning 8b+ to the left, which I believe has not had an ascent since Adam Ondra's back in 2011 as part of Northern Star 9a/+ despite some attempts over the years. Rumours of broken holds abounded but I was stoked to find that its still possible and that a slightly crumbled sidepull by the 3rd bolt does not affect the clip or crux moves significantly. I put some good burns into this thing and got close but again was foiled by the approaching end of the season and some persistently wet pockets. I tried my best to dry them with kitchen roll but my increasingly desparate attempts to eke out further redpoints had to face reality at the end of October. Here is a clip of my best go - I have since found better beta which makes the sequence higher percentage than the jump method I was using. Again, bring on next season for a continuation of the campaign! 

My closest go on Northern Exposure 8b+ in September 

Happily, the season was to yield some success for me in the form of Power Ranger 8b+ at Malham, Tony Mitchell's quality extension to Wasted Youth 7b+. I had tried this off and on for the last 2 years whenever I went to the Cove but never with any consistency as I was always so engaged with Progress. This year, I devoted some more sustained attempts to it once Progress got wet and was rewarded with the discovery of an improved sequence through the crux bulge and a good kneebar resting strategy at the Wasted Youth belay which was the key to doing it in a oner. Eder showed me another kneebar just before the move over the bulge where it is just possible to take your hands off if you have a core of steel (!) but this was actually more useful to clip the crux draw off of rather than rest. (Its a pain wearing 2 pads climbing but worth it if you can get up it!) Several redpoints battered the route into submission slowly and it was a rewarding moment to be embarking on the upper wall knowing that all I had to do was avoid fluffing these still tricky 7b+ moves before reaching the final hands off scoop up and right of the final bolt where the route finishes. Here is my video of the send go:

Power Ranger 8b+ in October 

The route did not have a proper lower off so I decided to sort this out as there is nothing worse than a route without a clearly defined end point. So I went back with Jim and slammed a new belay into the scoop (as well as sorting out the position of the Connect 4 belay and crux clip). I also went back on a second occasion to rebolt Snidely Whiplash 7a+ which will form a logical continuation to Power Ranger leading to the top ledge for any psyched future candidate! No extra grade for this project but the kudos of taking the route to the top like on Overjustified to the left. I even spotted a gap to the right of Snidely which I equipped and which will start from the new Power Ranger belay - one for next year. I'm pleased to have found my first UK new route project that I bolted myself, it might be 7a+ or impossible, time will tell. It may be in a fairly inaccessible location requiring an abseil approach but its still new rock waiting to be climbed, can't wait to try it in 2021!

Finishing the crux sequence on Power Ranger 8b+ (Credit: Marsha Balaeva)

Another view of the crux sequence on Power Ranger 8b+ (Credit: Marsha Balaeva)

Post send pic (Credit: Simon Durbridge)

I leave you some thoughts on with my current project at the Tor, Devolution 8c. Here is a vid of my best link go starting from both feet in the lower break and one hand on the block. I have decided to divert my energies into trying this rather than Evolution as the lower roof is so hard (around Font 8A from the ground) that even getting over this is proving to be a major challenge, never mind linking into the top 8b wall! Its worth being realistic at a certain point and its been fun focusing on the roof alone this year with the comparitively easy top wall of Chimes (up which this link finishes) not adding too much to the grade equation. I've been battling with a split tip since doing this link in November and getting some good redpoints in from the ground. Now even this has got wet, it could be time to train!

Devolution 8c , Raven Tor - best link go

So, keep up the psyche and crushing on home turf. There will be plenty of opportunity to head out to the promised land of Espana or Font I hope in the time ahead! 

Source: Power Ranger 8b+ and Projects Update

[comPiler]

Power Ranger 8b+ and Projects Update

I hope you're all making the best of the changes this year has brought to our climbing and training plans. I like many others have had to forego the usual plans to visit Spain and Font around this time of year but never fear, now a vaccine has been found, with any luck we'll all be able to get back out there sooner rather than later. 

Progress 8c+ (lower crux) attempt from 2018 (Credit: Richard Waterton)

The silver lining of the confinement of many of us to UK crags has been the increased focus on home projects. Over the summer, I made some big efforts to get Progress at Kilnsey done but it has eluded me for another year due to the late start in June and some predictably wet late summer connies. Still, I can take comfort from some positives in that I found some improved and more efficient beta and even a new rest by the 6th bolt which I had previously discounted which may prove to be the key to unlocking the world of pump which this rig turns into once you get beyond the 'eyes' which is the first staging post at the 5th bolt. Here is a video of my best attempt (not using the new rest) back in August which was only 5 hand moves off my previous year's high point just shy of the 8th bolt. I was more consistent this year, getting the 7th bolt clipped on around 5 or more occasions before the traverse right to the 8th where the climbing finally starts to ease. Roll on next year for some more attempts, the siege continues! 

My best attempt on Progress 8c+ in August 

Once Progress got wet, I decided to investigate Northern Exposure, the short Steve Dunning 8b+ to the left, which I believe has not had an ascent since Adam Ondra's back in 2011 as part of Northern Star 9a/+ despite some attempts over the years. Rumours of broken holds abounded but I was stoked to find that its still possible and that a slightly crumbled sidepull by the 3rd bolt does not affect the clip or crux moves significantly. I put some good burns into this thing and got close but again was foiled by the approaching end of the season and some persistently wet pockets. I tried my best to dry them with kitchen roll but my increasingly desparate attempts to eke out further redpoints had to face reality at the end of October. Here is a clip of my best go - I have since found better beta which makes the sequence higher percentage than the jump method I was using. Again, bring on next season for a continuation of the campaign! 

My closest go on Northern Exposure 8b+ in September 

Happily, the season was to yield some route success for me in the form of Power Ranger 8b+ at Malham, Tony Mitchell's quality extension to Wasted Youth 7b+. I had tried this off and on for the last 2 years whenever I went to the Cove but never with any consistency as I was always so engaged with Progress. This year, I devoted some more sustained attempts to it once Progress got wet and was rewarded with the discovery of an improved sequence through the crux bulge and a good kneebar resting strategy at the Wasted Youth belay which was the key to doing it in a oner. Eder showed me another kneebar just before the move over the bulge where it is just possible to take your hands off if you have a core of steel (!) but this was actually more useful to clip the crux draw off of rather than rest. (Its a pain wearing 2 pads climbing but worth it if you can get up it!) Several redpoints battered the route into submission slowly and it was a rewarding moment to be embarking on the upper wall knowing that all I had to do was avoid fluffing these still tricky 7b+ moves before reaching the final hands off scoop up and right of the final bolt where the route finishes. Here is my video of the send go:

Power Ranger 8b+ in October 

The route did not have a proper lower off so I decided to sort this out as there is nothing worse than a route without a clearly defined end point. So I went back with Jim and slammed a new belay into the scoop (as well as sorting out the position of the Connect 4 belay and crux clip). I also went back on a second occasion to rebolt Snidely Whiplash 7a+ which will form a logical continuation to Power Ranger leading to the top ledge for any psyched future candidate! No extra grade for this project but the kudos of taking the route to the top like on Overjustified to the left. I even spotted a gap to the right of Snidely which I equipped and which will start from the new Power Ranger belay - one for next year. I'm pleased to have found my first UK new route project that I bolted myself, it might be 7a+ or impossible, time will tell. It may be in a fairly inaccessible location requiring an abseil approach but its still new rock waiting to be climbed, can't wait to try it in 2021!

Finishing the crux sequence on Power Ranger 8b+ (Credit: Marsha Balaeva)

Another view of the crux sequence on Power Ranger 8b+ (Credit: Marsha Balaeva)

Post send pic (Credit: Simon Durbridge)

I leave you with some thoughts on my current project at the Tor, Devolution 8c. Here is a vid of my best link go starting from both feet in the lower break and one hand on the block. I have decided to divert my energies into trying this rather than Evolution as the lower roof is so hard (around Font 8A from the ground) that even getting over this is proving to be a major challenge, never mind linking into the top 8b wall! Its worth being realistic at a certain point and its been fun focusing on the roof alone this year with the comparitively easy top wall of Chimes (up which this link finishes) not adding too much to the grade equation. I've been battling with a split tip since doing this link in November and getting some good redpoints in from the ground. Now even this has got wet, it could be time to train!

Devolution 8c , Raven Tor - best link go

So, keep up the psyche and crushing on home turf. There will be plenty of opportunity to head out to the promised land of Espana or Font I hope in the time ahead! 

Source: Power Ranger 8b+ and Projects Update

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Progress!

Having recently climbed my 5 year project last month, Progress at Kilnsey, I have just been re-reading my previous blog posts about the route, which become something of a nemesis. Starting in 2017, they follow the process up until last year in some detail - hopefully useful to those planning their own campaign!

Reaching the 'Eyes' by the 5th bolt (Credit: Joe Crolla)

Success this year came from a number of factors, not least of which was the discovery of a new kneebar by the 6th bolt by Eder Lomba Lopez de Ipiña. I initially discounted this as I was so used to climbing quickly through the pumpy redpoint crux moves between the 6th and 8th bolts without even stopping to chalk and had done my 2nd bolt to top links in this manner. I also was concerned that the 4 extra handmoves required to climb into and out of the kneebar would add in more time on the rock and extra pump, despite the new opportunity to rest. However, after speaking to Josh Ibbertson who kindly shared his strategy with the kneebar (having sent the route the week previously), it became clear that it would be possible to climb straight into the long move up from the 6th bolt straight out of the kneebar cutting out some of these extra footmoves. Therefore, on balance, it was a no brainer for me to use the new rest. Why ignore a perfectly good kneebar?! My Youtube video of the climb (below) shows the discovery of the kneebar for any aspirant ascentionists:

                                    Video of the route 

Another factor in getting over the line this year was building my own board in January during the last lockdown. In February and March, I set some pretty savage problems on dowel pinches and basic birch ply grips which certainly helped to maintain power levels while the walls were closed. Once I got back on the route in late April, I was initially worried that I hadn't got the strength for the crux as I couldn't do the moves from the floor but this was just a lack of recruitment and just like last year, after a few sessions back on the rig, the muscle memory kicked in and all my board training paid off. Before long, I was climbing back up to the eyes by the 5th bolt, an 'entry level' link which is pretty much mandatory prior to getting in some proper redpoint burns. Shortly after this, the crag got one of its regular drenchings and North Buttress was out of commission for a couple of weeks in May with some unseasonably cold weather to boot.

Starting the crux at the 2nd bolt (Credit: Joe Crolla) As soon as June rolled around, I got back into gear and with the arrival of warmer weather, managed to do the 3rd to top link and could feel the project coming together. I was about to go for the 2nd to top link after 2 rest days as it was quite warm but a crag regular persuaded me to go from the floor instead. I'm glad I did as I got up to just below the 7th bolt before I even knew about the new kneebar - it was on! Shortly after this good go, the 6th bolt kneebar was discovered and after commiting to using it, I experimented with different rest times to allow for optimal recovery. From the 6th bolt to the top is about 8a I would say but you have already climbed 8b+/8c to get there so you will not have much left in the tank...unless you are ultrafit and/or strong! On a really good go which was filmed by Marsha Balaeva (starting at 6:05 in my video) after one rest day, I managed my second best ever go from the ground in excellent, breezy conditions getting to just below the 8th bolt before the terminal pump kicked in and I was summarily ejected from the rock!

Tough moves at the 3rd bolt (Credit: Joe Crolla) Of course, there is no direct comparision to my high point in 2019 when I reached 2 moves further (but without the kneebar) as the route is now undoubtedly more manageable with the new shakeout for those able to reach the 6th bolt. I guess I will never get to find out if I could climb it without the kneebar and get the satifaction of smashing through my old highpoint. However, this is tempered with the realisation that I had discovered a new shakeout at the end of the season last year at the 6th bolt at exactly the same place as the kneebar (see my post from last year) which allows a similar recovery for the right arm, allowing you to refresh it for the long move. So, in reality I would never have adopted my 'extreme sprint' approach (with only one chalk of each hand at the eyes) again which made getting the perfect go with the required minimum 2 rest days and decent conditions very tricky indeed. I am happy to have ticked the route using the knee which allows me to move on and do some much needed new climbing. Regarding the grade, comparing it to others around this difficulty level, I am confident that the kneebar, whilst making the route more approachable, does not bring the route down to 8c, just a little lower in the 8c+ grade.  Another view of the crux by the 3rd bolt (Credit: Marsha Balaeva) After my close go, I rested up 2 days and was confident of taking it down but was torn as to whether to go for it as it was pretty warm and lacking a decent breeze, or come back the following day when conditions would be likely better. Luckily Adam Lincoln convinced me to have at least one burn and after my initial bolt to bolt go and an extra warmup pitch (to kill some time while it cooled down slightly) I found myself setting off on my attempt.

Reaching better holds at the 6th bolt (Credit: Joe Crolla) The power of the psyche of other climbers is a big factor in getting up rock climbs as I found out over the next 5 minutes as Eder and Josh shouted up their encouragement. The redpoint went well up to the 6th bolt despite the heat as I felt stonger than ever and even not catching the pinch quite right with my left hand on the redpoint crux below the 6th bolt (due to the heat affecting grip on the smooth, rounded sidepull) didn't matter. Relaxing into the kneebar, I decided to allow myself two shakes of each arm only and stayed there 30 seconds rather than the 45 seconds of the previous session. The kneebar is pretty marginal for me at least and is definitely not hands off. At a certain point you start to 'lose more than you gain'!  The traverse moves between the 7th and 8th clips (Credit: Joe Crolla) The moves up past the 7th clip went well and before I knew it, I was moving right and up towards to the 8th clip and my highpoint. My fingers bit into the right hand undercut and I stepped my left foot down to a low foothold as I had worked out the last few sessions. This beta tweak added an extra footmove and a few more seconds on the rock but thankfully removed the left foot pop which had been the demise of several previous redpoints. I felt fresh enough for a cheeky adjust with my right hand on the undercut and moving up to the better holds I knew I was in with a good shout. Climbing past my highpoint and reaching the undercuts where I could reach down and clip the 8th bolt (using a long slip blu-tacked to the rock for ease of clipping) was an amazing feeling. The top kneebar slotted in ideally and I was able to recover well for 2 minutes before steeling myself for the top roof. Summoning every ounce of remaining power in my body I threw everything at these strenuous, reachy moves. Standing up into the big left hand undercut and grabbing the big pinch at the end of the difficulties, I could barely believe I was about to clip the chains and finally close this chapter in my climbing. Thanks to everybody who has belayed me over the past 5 years. For those of you with long term projects, stick at it, work hard and success will come! Send meal with the Manchester crew!

Source: Progress!