I don't have many specific aims apart from a new route on the Orme (should go if there's enough dry weather).
Rethink after epic failures on all of 2012's goals...2013:1. Recover from current injuries (dodgy neck, torn pulley). In progress but slow going. Belay glasses massively helped my neck2. Not get any more injuries. Strained a back muscle for 2 weeks in the summer but otherwise good!3. Trad - do some. I live in Devon and have easy access to Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset etc, how hard can this be? Go to Pembroke & Swanage. Managed a couple of weekends in Cornwall so technically success but more would be good. Complete fail on the Pembroke and Swanage fronts4. Sport - Stop repeating Thread Flintstone ad infinitum & do at least a couple of 7s that are new to me. Only did one this year and that was softer than a soft thing that's been squashed by Mr Softy. Yes, but in retrospect not a demanding goal... 4 new 7a's and b's, 2 at Brean, 1 at Ansteys, 1 at Torbryan. 3 were 1st or 2nd redpoint and the 7b was 2nd session.5. DWS - do more than the one afternoon we did this year. Complete fail, not sure I've even dipped a toe in the sea this year!6. make use of CC membership & use the huts.No. Fail again. But to my complete surprise the missus came camping more than once and claimed to enjoy herself!7. Take more photos. Yes, impulse buy of a half-decent zoom lens has massively improved climbing photos and a better case means I actually carry the camera once in a while which unsurprisingly means more photos...8. 1.5 BW deadlift (without putting my back out again). So ~112kg. At which point I can justify some grown up olympic weights... Managed just before I came offshore. Loss of a couple of kilos of bodyweight helped as target weight became 110kg. More to come I hope.No specific route goals as that invariably means I won't even get on them but vague aspirations locally: Call to Arms, the Lynch, Threadbare, Rainbow Bridge, White Rhino Tea, White Life. Writing wish lists down still means I don't do them! Made it to the last clip on Threadbare (LH start) and linked the Lynch in 2 sections otherwise haven't even looked at any of the others this year...
1. Wales: organise successful München DAV Wales Trip. Yes. Climb E2 (Strand / Left Wall / Daisy / Dervish) No. It was probably never realistic to leap straight back into trad climbing after more than ten years away and immediately climb above my previous standard. Also learned that organising a climbing group in a (for them) foreign country takes a lot of time and energy and isn't really compatible with single-minded pursuit of one's own climbing goals. Big mental build-up for not much result. Disappointed.2. Frankenjura: as regularly as possible. Appalling spring weather meant a late start to the season, but got some good trips in early summer. Autumn was a complete cock-up for various reasons related to family and climbing partners, hardly got out at all despite some excellent weather (right now for example). Must do better in the spring.3. Dolomites: two or more big alpine rock routes. Went to Ailefroide instead and only succeeded on one big multipitch, Snoopy Direct. Class route though and was much impressed with the Ecrins area generally. Would definitely go again, and have already heard some mates are planning to go to La Berarde next summer.
Re-establish regular climbing and training - move somewhere/ meet people that makes this possible. Gone the wrong direction and ended up in London, getting a job took precedent over climbing this year. However, am training regularly, and do enjoy indoor climbing so not all bad. Just need to get outside a little more in the new year. SportClimb more 7c sport routes, and a 7c+. Climbed one more 7c this year. Came fairly close to doing another (Dominatrix) and very very nearly climbed Privilege du Serpent. Go to Ceuse - Finish off Vagabond. Try Les Collonetes and Priviledge du Serpent.Ceuse was sick, did vagabond and came really close to PrivilegeBeat last years '7's' - 18 13/18 - But spending 10 months of the year nowhere near rock didnt help.TradGet back up to E4 onsights again. Done. Only one this year but did it after not climbing for a month so confident I could have done more.Wall of the Worlds/ any other cool looking E5.Not done - didnt try any E5'sBeat last years E-points - 78 Nowhere near. 22 E-points in 8 days trad climbing, did some great routes though. Great Wall and Zeppelin in particular.Climb Freeborn Man not done - hopefully will do this now I'm closer to Swanage.Sub 18minute 5k Done
Right this year I'm going to get my shit together.1 - Carried forward from 2012 - the sea arch traverse. If the planets align and we get a decent dry spell it will go.fail - was out of country in decent weather2 - get sorted with new houseYup, kind of got in the way of everything else.3 - get woody up in new housefail hopefully in next month4 - get bouldering fitness back on above mentioned woodypartial - got some back, but at wall and on BM5 - get to wall once a weekish and get on some routespartial - been down the wall a fair bit, but mostly bouldering and a few routes.6 - NYD I tipped the scales at 14 st 1.5, my heaviest yet. Aim to be back down to 13 st by the time clocks change.fail - closest I got was 13st 107 - maybe take on a proper redpoint project for the first time since 2005. If 2 above pans out maybe get on thishttp://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=198382 as it will be on the doorstep.Fail - didn't do a route outside8 - get on some of the 30 or so FAs I have earmarked for developmentPartial - did some, still a load to do9 - get on some traddy stuff - esp potential new local crag and some west coast spots esp ArdnamurchanFail - not one route108 - yoga at least once every 2 weeks, preferrably weekly.fail - not been once10 - surf more. Maybe get an inflatable SUP to cruise around coast (subject to 2 as well)partial - been in a few times, no SUP though11 - ski / board moreall relative to previous year, but had some good days in Scotland12 - sort out shit at work either by fight or flighthmmmmmmmm13 - Maybe do Passportes if UKB massive are out again. I will definitely be in Les Gets at that time.Fail - had some good MTB when out there, but not there at Passportes14 - Get decent desktop and get better at photo and video editingFail at present, but Xmas is only 2 days away.......a few more than the 2 last year!
1. Finish my Red Wall Link Up Project Only been on rock twice.2. Boulder 7c. It'd be nice to do a 7C that doesn't instantly get downgraded too. Ditto.3. Reacquaint myself with Silverdale after a year of not visiting. Ditto.4. Build a woody, and more crucially, use it Built and used a few times- I'll get on it more after Christmas.5. Tick two problems from the last few years Aims For lists Not been out.6. Run another marathon or two Did Manchester, and the Rivington Ultra Trail. Doing two more UltraTrail 26s next year. 7. Go to Font Tick. Nothing hard but had fun. 8. Do at least twenty new Wainwrights Never got past 12!9. 7b in Font. No chance. 10. Read ten more books from the BBC Big Read top 100 Working my way through Bleak House still.
TradSolid E2 - not solid but did one or two in canada depending on which grade comparison you checkSome E3 - Seconded some clean in CanadaSportLead 7b - Jam Session at bruixes solid 6c onsight - all have been second go so pretty close but not really sports climbed since early juneBouldering7A - no chance with out a miracleSpecific stuff:Top out the cheif - Tick Banana peel>granville street>Squamish buttress>butt lite link The grand Wall - Squamish by best possible style - Was not ready so did not try I did feel better when I heard of tom and petes epic Pebble Wall - Fail dont think I have been on it this year other than pullling on twice poor show really with the amount of time I have spent at almscliffFlying arête - Ticked Finally Crucific traverse and low - not really put any effort into thisClimb at gogarth - fail
Climbing:Font 7c - Nothing harder than 7a+30 new 7s (new to me, not new problems) - Managed 10 before mini-galpinos arrivedTick the problems on The List - NopeE5 (Optimistic)- Nope7c (Doubtful)- NopeOrion Face Direct- NopeRunning:Sub 19 5k- Nope. Didn't even run a 5KSub 40 10k- Nope. Managed a 48 off the couch not long after the arrival.Sub 90 half- Nope. Managed a 98 on the back of 4 weeks training so not the end of the world. My wife said I was very satisfying to support as I looked like deathParty Trick:One arm pull-up (both arms)- Ha ha, not a chance
Is that officially "getting your shit together" Chris?
Should of
Can hit 20ft gap jumps on my bike.. Can launch 15 strep ups and step downs.. Not got hospitalised, that's a result.
8a - woulda, shoulda, coulda got Call of Nature if weather and partners hadn't been so fickle this year. Be looking to get it done early and move on to Chimes, Powerplant, Roof Warrior, Raindogs, Statement depending what dries and how many away-days I can wangle.more E4s, ultimately Flaky Wall & ResurrectionAnother 7C, stop just talking about it and give Brad Pit a good go. Revisit Tetristry to be strong and fit (relatively) rather than just one or the othercouple (or more) of Wales tripsboulder somewhere in Yorkshire other than the cliff (I know, I know, strike me down)clear the garage and build my board at last
What a drag it is getting old.
1. The project. Facilitated by the means stated below (to be religiously adhered to)i) A training plan that incorporates running to stay leanii) Continue to eat as healthy and disciplined as I have done for the past month and a half. iii) Stretch three times a week.2. Make the most of my time until August in Leeds to exploit prime grit days and tick some classics. 3. Continue to tick through the classic novel collection on the shelf.3.Work out what I'm going to do with respect to Part II of education. Something might have to give (to be written about).4. The year we finally get the greyhound.5. PASS THAT BASTARD DRIVING TEST AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! / Don't be a pussy.6. Trip to the US with m'lady and get some classic Yosemite bouldering ticks.Bests to all.
Train really hard all year with minimal injury Worst injury was an insect bite to the finger in Ceuse, despite training pretty hard in London over the winter, then climbing loads from Leeds and in the south of France.Lou FerrinoOnly had one session on it, which was mainly spent reworking the sequence. Made the drive to North Wales a few times but realised that I'd much rather go to Twll Mwr instead.Enchantress YESSSSSSSSS! And Magician, very unexpectedly (as I can't span between the holds on the original sequence and had work out a sequence using the back of my neck). I seem to be best at a style of bouldering that very nearly doesn't exist, i.e. overhanging quarried slate. It would be so much more convenient if I could climb on grit!Start sitting on my arse in Parisella's and climb out (i.e. The Wire or Greenheart) (optimistic)See above. Now I live closer to rock, I'm going to try and keep hard linkup projects to local crags.Sport 8a+/bclimbed out of a cave in Boffi at 8a+ (Big Bug).Infinite GravityOnly got down to Swanage twice, first time the route was totally soaked, second time, 30 foot waves made the approach a bit too dangerous Bit gutted as I reckon I'd have had a really good chance on this at the peak of my Euro fitness, but at least it means I still have a reason to get on the best route in the country! Climb more on slateDid a lot at Forest Rock, and had some sessions on the Quarryman. Wish there was some slate closer to Bristol!.Don't go big wallingMajor success on this. Closest I came was a 500m bolted 6a slab in the Ariege. Feel like I've improved quite a lot physically from clipping bolts all year and now I want to try something big again to put it to good use!
Quote from: SA Chris on December 23, 2013, 09:06:30 pmWhat a drag it is getting old.Thanks Mick
1. Finish off Zoo York - only had 1 session on it then got a strained pulley on my LH ring finger2. Try Jason's Roof - Ticked in a session YYFY3. Do more Bloc 8A's - Exorcist and Freehang SS4. Try some 8A+'s - Not really apart from some of the harder links in the cave.5. Get Stronger fingers!! - Check6. Attempt some sport climbing - Did Harry tuttle at the G-spot (Fnarr)
1. complete my 12 week training plan without getting horribly injured or slacking off. tick! Went well, felt strong after, grew some arms for the first time2. Climb Louis Armstrong. FAIL - But managed 2 recent sessions pissing it in 2 halves several times. Need to keep trying it now. Good progress at least.3. Climb Red Baron at Shipley. (Standup) FAIL - didn't go back4. Double body weight deadlift. FAIL - Got up to 135kg weighing 70 but felt too sketchy for my back so had to back off. Could maybe do it with a longer build up and some coaching
Stop eating loads of shit.Try to do some more sport routes.Do the Ace!
Targets for 2013immediate:Climb my mixed proj on Clogwyn Du. Tick! Lateo, very proud of this.As many new mixed routes in N.Wales as conditions, ability and time allow. Tick! 6 other new routes, 4 of which are brilliant.Onsight Cracking Up. Didn't try it.Climb Anubis. Didn't leave Wales.Finish the N.Wales lime guidebook and app. Fail, but almost there now!Keep on developing sick dry-tooling routes in the Crafnant mines and quarries. Tick! The Burner is amazing!Fit some bouldering in when I can. if winter conditions turn out to be rubbish put effort into a good font 8a. 2 days bouldering all year?by mid-year: Sport trip anywhere, ideally new routing TaghiaFirst F8bKeep tradding the multitude of classics in N.Wales and try to fit in some trips My E7/8 projby late-year:Onsight E7Headpoint an E9 that has protection and hard climbingOr, move to Canada in Summer never to return.Everything else = epic fail, severely fucked back leading to surgery in September and no climbing between May - November except 5 days pre-op in August.
Well I've never publicly announced my goals before but it will be interesting which goals (if any) I manage to complete by this time next year!1. CREATE A TRAINING PLAN! FAIL2. Start an antagonistic exercise routine and complete 3-4 times a week. FAIL3. After 2 weeks of antagonistics, start addressing poor core/finger strength (pinches/half-crimp first), use training board more often. FAIL4. Improve Diet, initially snacks and then... everything. Partial pass5. Climb majority of F7's / 8a's in Cheddar/Wye area (Starting with Academic and Wrist Business whilst bouldering strength is decent). Mainly a fail but I had a good excuse and I managed to climb Wrist Business early in the year6. Boulder some 7C's, most likely in the Bradford area as I have to do a compulsory 2-3 day trip up to Bradford every month (for Degree). Any recommendations welcome! Tetris on Grit and Rock Atrocity on Limestone. There is a 7C+ 10 minutes drive from work so give that a try long term. Climbed a handful of 7C's but none of the ones listed here due to being on a Euro roadtripOh yeh, finish my bloody degree, decide if I want to stick at teaching or not (holidays - good, being very organised - annoying). FAIL but I've re-enrolled for January
