[nai]

Having been foolish enough to declare my elbow on the mend last week it promptly flared up again but Steve's from Hallamshire Physio's online diagnosis gives me hope that it's not actually elbow but referred pain, so onwards...

M - Partner let down so soloing at Stanage followed by Ancap board circuits (21 moves).  Managed 5 til a tweak in my forearm suggested I stop.
T - 1100m swim, core
w rest
Th - partner let down so easy bouldering at Plantation, one Aerocap set then had to quit.
F - 18.km mtb ride, core
S - core
S - Chossy Matlock Sport Climbing, OS'd the decent 7a on New Bridge Buttress but the rest looked/was utter choss; fell on OS attempt at Supercrack at LPQ, wasn't psyched to try a RP (what a horrible place); looked at Bend & Pic but not inspired.

[tommytwotone]

STG: Brimham "Dirty Dozen" up to and including E1
LTG: Font 7b

M: Nowt
T: Nowt
W: Nowt
T: Weather intervened with proposed Brimham after work offwidth session so went plastic crimping at The Depot instead (talk about the wrong training!) - got shut down on particularly annoying comp problem
F: Nowt
S: Snatched a couple of hours at the Depot in the afternoon, did lots of the new wood V4-V6s and closed the account on the comp problem from Thurs night
S: Nowt, went to the missus' family's for Father's Day, did mess about trying to demonstrate a headstand to the little 'uns which I guess counts as a bit of core training

[shark]

11.4-6

M.
T. Tor. Bouldering and a quick play on GA. TR on Tin Of at end of day belayed by Ben Moon  actually not so cool as it was a total greasefest and I had to fight like fuck to do it. Eve. Foundry with Poppy some bouldering and a few hangs and pulls on BM
W.
T. AM weighted deadhangs. Good session
F. Eve Drove to Edinburgh
S. Ratho YCS. Deadhangs and campusing. Felt tweaky. Tom and Poppy placed mid field. Ate too much.
S. Drove back

Felt warm and fuzzy this week after my new route from Sunday. Also now weighing at my fighting weight at last. Psyched for return visit to High Tor tomorrow.

[Dolly]

M physio. A bit disappointing. No real progress
T. Docs who teld me to take loads of painkillers and carry on with the physio. Shed in the evening
W. lots of painkillers and stretching. Started to feel a bit better
T 20 odd level 1 probs at The Wave and a couple of 2s which felt hard. Worked till 00:40. Tired
F lots of work
S Free weekend At the gym so went to something called Yogaletes which was actually very good despite the class being run by a fatter and more orange version of Pink from Rotherham. Of course she was loads more flexible than I will ever be but she was a) from Rotherham and b) has never climbed 8a so I felt OK
S Another good shed sess. Back feels a lot better. Hopefully will makeit outside next week

[krymson]

Monday
   Fingerboard +  "steep board training" from the Ned Feehally vid - very effective at working the core(the WHOLE core, none of that ab-cruncher bs) to shreds.
Tuesday
   Bouldering Gym. Felt strong, super solid on all the crimps. Hanging front 3 is paying off tremendously.
Wednesday
   Route climbing - warmed up by onsighting a slightly overhanging 10c. Pulling lips feels almost easy with a strong core.
   Better at verticals but still getting stopped by balancy moves where the hands arent able to pull and its all about the delicate dance of the feet.
Thursday
    Rest  and  meet with a friend to check out the latest R&I  -- I made it in the issue!!!!  (...in the Dr. J section)
Friday - Lead climbing on the steep wall. a hard warm up(11b repeat) helped my head game for trying hard stuff. finished by getting halfway up a solid 5.12-- absolutely thrashed.
Saturday - tried to boulder but couldnt do shit. note to self - 5.12 climbing is no joke.
Sunday - whimper, cry, hope that i can climb hard come Monday

[Muenchener]

STG: Anything from this list of Frankenjura classics
MTG (2013): Frankenjura VII onsight; Alpine multipitch VI; Welsh trad E2
   Redpoint UIAA VIII-, then 7a, then 5.12a. This should allow for a satisfying amount of Big Grade progression in a relatively short period of time
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl west face (Dülfer), Marmolada south face (Vinatzer-Messner)

M-F: Busy with family stuff and laid low by hayfever. Didn't manage anything but physio-prescribed knee exercises & short bike rides, plus a few sets of pressups

S: Frankenjura. Weather beautiful but lots of crags still wet e.g. Edelsteine, Herbstwand. Stadelhofener Wände dry but crowded & polished. Did various things in the 6a/+ range.
S: Frankenjura. Time to start gaining some experience on Frankenjura 8s (8- is about 6c+) Was recommended one that really suited me - vertical, technical on small but positive pockets. Worked the moves first go, one rest second go, fell off third go and was powered out. Next time. Then met up with some friends of friends in the ZZ Top Grotte, a cave full of 8as and 8bs. Clipsticked my way bolt to bolt up the warm up route, also 8-. Was totally intimidated, don't think I've ever been on anything so steep before, but the moves were actually ok and fun. Sore lats this morning.

Conclusion: projecting 6c+ is more interesting and less scary than onsighting Frankenjura-standard runout, polished 6a.

[T_B]

Been able to climb all week - back still OK, though overdid it towards the end of the week.

STG - get base level of fitness/strength back. Focus on PE (circuits and foot-on campussing) for some Dorset DWS in August and generally as a means of not falling/jumping off much due to back.
LTG - lose 3Kg (from 88 - 85Kg) and get in bouldering shape for trips to N'umberland in September and Font in October

87Kg

M - Foundry @ lunch. Rising traverses across wave. 18 moves on big holds. Felt quite good.
T -
W - Works evening. 12 black problems then circuit board. 6b, 7a and 7b/+ to half way along bottom.
T -
F - Foundry @ lunch. Worked out a new 20 move circuit on the board. Did twice. Some pull ups.
S - Works 2 hours. A few up problems, then circuit board. 6b, 7a, did the 7b/+. Bit of recovering coming through. Tried black/red 7b+ and started work on brown 7c+/8a (could do with some beta for both of these). Did a bit of foot on campussing - fingers felt weak half crimped
S - Was meant to go to Almscliff, but youngest child ill and knackered anyway. Took oldest child for first boulder in his new rock shoes at Apparent North - slightly gripping. Fitness ball work in evening.

Switching to strength work (less pressure on lower back than steep circuits) and fingers this week. Also, need to increase fitness ball work as slackened off this last week.

[Eddies]

Monday: REST
Tuesday: Beerhouse Buttress – 4 Routes 6a-6c. Bad finger felt OK
Wednesday: REST
Thursday: Room Routine (3 sets of: 30x pushups, 10x pullups, 10x18kg bicep curls on each arm. 3min rests between sets)
Friday: REST
Saturday: REST
Sunday: Beerhouse Buttress – 4 Routes 6a-7a. Bad finger felt OK

Fingers slowing improving with rest

[cheque]

M- Rest.
T- Masson Lees. Two 6as which turned out to be a shit warmup for the 7a I wanted to redpoint, which was damp. More easy stuff.
W- Rest.
T- Pull-up pyramid on Beastmaker.
F- Rest.
S- Portland Cuttings/ Blacknor North. 6b warm-up then went all-out onsight on a 6c, taking a superman- esque whipper off the last hard move, then was almost too cooked to do the easy top section! Was rewarded for letting 5 people climb the route on my clips while I rested by one of them starting to siege the 7b left-hand version, tying up my first three clips  . Resultant faffing dissolved my redpoint mojo- ended up dogging it then heading off for some ridiculously windy tufa fun.
S- Weather better than expected but still a bit wet. Partner wasn't psyched for shower-dodging so drove back.

Six steep pitches on Saturday. Lots of fun mileage this week, but the summer so far is disappointingly low on harder ticks.

[tomtom]

2013 totals:
Outdoor: 53   
Indoor: 3 
Training: 6

A good week - though a bit hit and miss. Managed to get out four times, visit a new crag and get my 16th new 7 of the year done.

Monday: I'd been climbing on the Sunday - and felt pretty wacked, but Grubes posted up on twitter wondering if anyone was about in the morning - and so I headed up to Holmfirth for a small session. Grubes was trying a 7A he's working and it was really too warm and a bit muggy to be trying crimpy 7A's on grit and neither of us were really making any progress.. Still, it was all miles in the bank - and I managed not to tear any tips - and at the end managed a cheeky repeat of Old Lace - which climbs really nicely even when the smears are a little slippy!

Wednesday: Feeling refreshed - I headed over to Harmers to work some more on Harmadillo... it works up four mono's (drill holes) up to a teetering crimpy finish.. The second mono was home to a quite weighty (and juicy) slug that had to be forcibly removed with the sharp end of a tootbrush, before its mucus could be dried out with a sock (rammed into shot hole with the same sharp end of a toothbrush)... I'm now quite used to the Mono's so while in previous years they limited me to 3or 4 attempts before my middle fingers were screaming at me, now I can get to c.10 efforts before they feel tired, and to be honest the rest of me is getting knackered by that point to. Its an interesting problem as I can get to the top two final crimps quite easily but am then fully stretched out - that combined with only just being able to keep myself on with the crimps means the next move (bringing a foot up somewhere) is eluding me. I'm trying different foot combo's to give myself a bit more room to manoeuvre, but its not really feeling like its working properly. Some say these two final crimps have worsened considerably - so maybe I'll have to give it up in the end - but it feels like a good work out in the meantime anyway..

Saturday: I'd made plans with Andy Popp to head out on Sunday - but he gave me a text saying he was off to Harmers to do some route cleaning - and with nothing better to do I headed back to Harmers. It was really too wet to try anything decent - so had 1/2 a session really. Repeated Yates' Wine Lodge (which I think is a quality problem) in the other quarry - and started playing on a new eliminate in the main that Andy nearly flashed...



Sunday: Up early to head to Ruthin escarpment - see pic above. First time I'd been there - and first time on N.Wales limestone apart from at the Cave of habitual disappointment After a bit of thrashing through the undergrowth to find out where it was we emerged to find a really good quality limestone buttress. Nice rock, no polish, solid... We started on the 6B and 6A+ of the Butterfly collector and Fritillary Flake - both good lines and the starts of sports routes. Typical of many lime problems on short overhanding butresses they both involved good handholds, high feet and lunging for a variety of holds.. Took a while to get into the swing of things (literally) but then it started to come good and both were dispatched and repeated as the hands and shoulders warmed up. Andy was keen to have a look at the 7A when the clocks go back, but I'd got stuck into the sit starts to the Butterfly collector and FF (same start really) both give 7A+. The sits felt like they were well suited for me - the moves vaguely reminiscent of Demon Wall roof - reaching out for a slopey crimp on the lip, with a footlock out the back, and moving hands up to crimps on the main wall then following the 6B above..



(Owen McShane on Simons start 7A+ from northwalesbouldering.com)

These proved quite knacky - but I had worked all the moves in 3 or 4 attempts and set about linking them. First decent attempt and I had a solid footlock and I floated up the first few moves - it just clicked into place. Sadly I then fluffed the first two moves of the 6B (bigish lunging rockover) and had to re-adjust and go again a couple of times. I was then pumped by the final move and having a go - despite having little capability to grip left saw me grab the finishing jug and fall off So close... Meanwhile Andy was getting close - and having to work a slightly different foot sequence to reach the same holds. A good 5-10 min rest saw me set off again... this time it was a fight. The footlock was not really in correctly, and it felt like every move under and around the roof was pushing me off but I stuck it together, and this time made the moves into and through the 6B with efficiency and made the jug. Superb. Andy followed up on his next attempt - looking as rocky as I had felt. Excellent a team ascent...

After this I was done in - there was nothing left! Even the 6B to the left was futile I just couldnt pull on with any real meaning.. headed along to have a look at Clocks go back - which looked quite do-able (one hard move I think) and decided it was one to leave for another week.

[Luke Owens]

Back off my holiday now so here's a double update:

M: Rest
T: Dinbren - Got on new F7b+ proj "I Punched Judy First". Just about managed all the moves. Need to refine beta and get some good links going. Different style to what i'm used to (It's steep and powerfull) so i'm psyched!
W: Ty Newedd - Did a short F7a "Clitoris Allsorts" first go after trying it a couple of weeks ago and also did a F6c "Foobar" first go which I had tried briefly last year.
T: Packing/Sorting
F: Packing/Sorting
S: Travelling
S: Holiday

Last Week-

M: Holiday/ Lots of Walking
T: Gym - Did body weight lat pull downs, some 40kg bench pressing, Body weight deadlifts and some core on the roman chair.
W: Holiday/ Lots of Walking
T: Holiday/ Lots of Walking
F: Holiday/ Lots of Walking
S: Traveling
S: Feet on Fingerboarding:
5 x (1:30 on, 2 mins rest x 3 - Rest 5 minutes)

[fried]

Monday - Nothing
Tuesday - A very sweaty indoor session, I drank a lot of water apart from that I don't recall much.
Wednesday - Due to moving, work stuff blah,blah,blah I've let slip my core and antagonist stuff, so I did a session of pull-ups, push-ups and a shortish BM session
Thursday - Aches confirm that I need to do more of this type of stuff.
Friday - Still ache and had planned a BM session, but I'll be outside tomorrow so I opt to just drink wine instead.

Saturday - Strange weather conditions but decide to continue running some classic circuits that I've never done (all of). Strangely dark and humid early on, so I go and book the summer camping. I eventually decide stick to my original plan and do the orange at Isatis. Start of fine, skip the high-ball slabs at the beginninhg, miss a bit of the circuit 'cos I forgot the topo. Eventually I'm back on course and moving quickly, although there are some ridiculously undergraded slabs halfway round. Then the finish is much easier. Have some nuts and then repeat a few of the blue problems at the start, a red slab and then it's time to go home.

Sunday - BBQ and I dig up some roots for the sis-in-law which counts as some sort of exercise I suppose.

Still too fat.

[kelvin]

Two weeks for me - was just a bit too busy after an amazing road trip. Anyways...

Body - hip area still playing up and tweaky right elbow. Stopped wearing knee brace.

Mon - Tough session. f4 x2, 5 (fail WTF?!) 6b+ (fail). Boulder room - worked V4, V3, V2. Fingers 14x7/3 with foot on. Minute rests. Core work on Tara's wheel of pain. 2 or 3 sets of 9. Couldn't do one six months ago. First try since then.
Tue - DOMS!
Wed - V4 and V3 worked, lots of traversing in the main room. Skin gone!
Thu - Travel to the Lakes with new climbing partner. Fit, female and keen to get out. Result.
Fri - Raven's Crag Langdale. Revelation HS 4b. First time not on limestone or grit for a while... oh yes. So happy. Cruised the route. Drove to Glencoe.
Sat - Aonach Eagach on a perfect day. Views to die for and the old couple who needed to get the munros were fine. Just 6 left for them. Beers and whiskey in the Clachaig.
Sun - Curved Ridge and Crowberry Tower. Again, amazing day. Drove to the Peak.
Mon - The Roaches. Led Yong HVD easily enough, then seconded Magda on Black Velvet. Took a while for her to man up and get up on the first ledge but she did eventually. No more time to try anything else. Home.
Tue - Rest
Wed - Pressups and work
Thu - Worked.
Fri - Drove to Portland via London to get Magda.
Sat - Cheyne Weares. Onsighted some 5s and a 5+ easily enough and then got on a short 6a sandbag. Top moves were just stupid and I took fall after fall. Magda too. Then more falls for me. left in draws for the lads who were breezing 6b - utter fail from them too. New route that's just not 6a, Hayfever attack on a 6a+ after and it was game over for the day. Swollen eyes, weak etc. Consoled myself belaying Magda and admiring her arse. It's a very fine arse.
Sun - Magda wakes me at 6.30 to go get ready to climb as it's dry (she's keen) and we're there by 8am but the rain starts. Walked to Chesil Cove and found a fossil. Headed home after.

One of the very best trips of my life! The Lakes, Glencoe and the Roaches. Just brilliant weather and amazing company. Really didn't want it to end. Nice to be back on a rock I understand in the lakes and FINALLY found a grit venue that inspires me. I'll go back to the Roaches for sure. Valkyrie actually looks my sort of climb and I fancy the traverse at the top of Hollybush Crack.

First time to Portland too but I really missed the trad thing. Didn't have to chat to myself as I climbed  and I missed that. Another venue tho, so even if I'm not climbing hard, I'm learning.

The new climbing partner? YYFY!

[csl]

5 week update.

Went to Ceuse and climbed some things.

Mixed weather so not as much done as i'd have liked but lots of o/sing up to 7a+ and RP'd 4 7b's and a 7c. Pretty happy to have managed to prepare entirely on plastic, mostly at a tiny bouldering wall but make the transition to rock easily.

Gutted to not quite manage to RP Privilege du Serpent. Was so close, managed to fall 1 hard move from the top then pull back on lower down and link to the chains so definitely should have done it, would have been first 7c+ and all. Will be back for it!

Goals now.

7c in UK - hopefully something at Kilnsey this week.

Get back on Trad! e4 onsights and if going well something like Right Wall or another mega classic E5.

running again - prepare for snowdon race.

[tomtom]

Great week Kelvin...

[kelvin]

 

Great week Kelvin...

Shame they can't all be like that eh? 

Shark - meant to say well done for last week. Very nice.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Goals: Rehab elbow, get fit for summer euro trip and month in Spain at end of the year  (still working on the last one ). F8a before I die!

M - W: Not a lot, bit of stretching, some deep tissue massage and some RICE (minus the E)
T: Grindleford Fell Race - Beat last years time by nearly 2 mins (42:18) although I felt like shite after having run Edale 4 days previous (not used to that level of intensity when running) - YYFY!
F: Works - Easy rehab circuits, threw in some Yellows and some steep shit as I got bored - Sore elbow afterwards
S: BBQ...
S: Widdop - 20 mins doing the circuit then run like hell from the worst midge attack in years - looked like I had chickenpox!!

Still plugging away - couple of physios think the elbow is a brachioradialis tear which is an odd one and really only affects my pinching but as I discovered on Friday pinching is pretty useful when climbing so gonna have to continue rehab before getting on anything hard.
Planning the summer trip in the van in earnest now - it goes: Font - Cham - Mello - Finale (haute?) - Beach - Ceuse - Font. Gotta have the elbow sorted by then and some semblance of routes fitness too so going to have to ramp up the AeroCap and hope it doesn't aggrovate the elbow....
Almost got the nod for a month in Spain from the missus at the end of the year so gotta plan a route to seige and sort out work to accomodate this - big tings a gwaan!

This week: Run Forest Run!! AeroCrap!

:D

[Dolly]

Great week Kelvin...

Yep sounds like it was great fun

[webbo]

Mon. Drive home from Lakes. Board repeated an old problem then did its mirror image first go which was old project. then worked out several harder finishes, couldn't do one of them.
Tue. Home early. Bike 69.76 miles 3hrs 51 mins 18.06mph.
Wed. Nothing.
Thurs. Board. Did tues unfinshed problem first go. Worked out a couple of problems using  undercuts. left hand one went first go, righthand due to the undercut being poorer didn't go. Fell off matching finishing hold.
Fri. Nothing.
Sat. I was planning to go to Forrest Rock as its near my daughters, but due to shit weather went on the board. 16 problems and each ones mirror image added a couple of harder finishes.
Sun. Bike from Cottesmore home avoiding a roads and Lincoln. a bit further than I thought. 101.19 miles 5 hrs 33 mins 18.20 mph. Well stuffed didn't eat and drink enough used 4,423 cals according to H/R rate monitor. Back sore when I finished.

[tommytwotone]

Thursday: Room Routine (3 sets of: 30x pushups, 10x pullups, 10x18kg bicep curls on each arm. 3min rests between sets)

Had a crack at this while at the gym on lunch yesterday - have to confess I only did sets of 20 x pressups, 10 x pullups and 10 x 20kg barbell curls...certainly gives you a good workout doesn't it...can barely lift my arms above my head today!

[Bonjoy]

S - Chossy Matlock Sport Climbing, OS'd the decent 7a on New Bridge Buttress but the rest looked/was utter choss; fell on OS attempt at Supercrack at LPQ, wasn't psyched to try a RP (what a horrible place); looked at Bend & Pic but not inspired.

Long Tor Quarry is head and shoulders above all the other sport climbing in the Matlock area (except maybe a couple of sport routes on High Tor). Way better than LPQ (is this crag not an active building site at present!?). The only downside being that the real quality is in the 7c-8a+ range.

[nai]

Cheers, cofe said the same re LTQ, might be worth a look once/if-ever fit/strong again but currently after stuff around 7a.

Looks like there's been a house built in front of it on the road, maybe 50m from the quarry.  Approaching did feel like we were very close to being on the site but the crag is fairly well chalked.
 

[Duma]

S/MTG - keep niggles in check, run regularly, get out more. If I do any hard stuff that'll be nice too.
LTG - 8A, 68kg

M -
T - quick play on the new whites at TCA for an hour before work. managed a few in the high 6's/low 7's
W -
T -
F -
S -
S -
70kg.
not my finest week, but the rest will hopefully be good for my current tweaks...