[mindfull]

Rest week after fun Font weekend.

MO:
Total rest. Feeling a total wreck.

TU:
Total rest. Still feeling very weak.

WE:
Total rest. Feeling better.

TH:
Stretching
Strength(bodyweight): planks-pullups-pushups-dips
Strength(weight): biceps-tricpes-wrists-shoulders-chest-squats

FR:
Endurance(Slow Run): 6km (Not bad for a first in years). Also quit smoking.

SA:
Rest. Some Tai Chi

SU:
Went to the climbing gym to do some bouldering. Did some boulders but then was asked to belay someone. Did some easy slabs to warm up. Then onsighted an overhanging 7a that felt like a 5+. Was feeling exceptionally strong.

[shark]

Thanks mindfull

11.6-8

M. Eve. Disappointing scores on crimps - didn't have time for drags
T. Noon. Systems board. Finally got round to doing this. Predictably strong but no PE on edges. Was OK doing a set of 20/10's on jugs though
W.
T.
F. AM. Tor. On own to start with then tomtom turned up. Concentrated on start and got a PB with Tom's encouragement when tired but muffed getting foot on to get knee in - see below.
S. AM. Embankment with Tom. Puntered around with an unpsyched boy. Called it a day early.
S.

Been busy with work. Starting to ease back into endurance training

[kelvin]

Sorry for the less than positive vibes but it's been a rubbish week.

Mon - Rest shoulder.

Tue - Puking up all day.

Wed - First day at work for nearly two months. Enjoyed it actually.

Thu - Curbar. First time. Feeling weak from the sickness and Curbar felt strong. Second a HVS crack, fell off. Led a VS crack/arete easily. Then tried to follow up Maupassant (?) HVS... dear god in heaven, why?! Horrific for me. Had a go at some E1 slab but way too hot for that to feel safe, shoes were squirming everywhere. Jordon led some VS offwidth and made a right meal of it. I seconded in fine style, total fluke I know but I made it look easy. No effort at all. So like a mug, I was persuaded to lead a vertical sloper horror show of E2 5c. Bailed after two bits of gear, went on second and still couldn't climb it. Then like twats went to Laurencefield at teatime. Midge heaven. Never been before and liked it more than Millstone BUT midge heaven. No guide, so led some crack that turned out to be HS. Felt easy, so I'm getting better at jamming. Midge heaven. Did a runner to the three quid campsite and had a bbq.
Fri - Bouldering at Cratcliffe and Robin's. Felt battered. No energy and got up basically nothing. Tried some 6B traverse at the Hermit's Cave but by halfway it was all over. Might keep working at this. Then went to the boulder with the huecos. I liked there. Jordon worked the right hand 7A+, I felt shit but at least climbed to the hueco a couple of times. Arms were all blistered from the bites - not good.
Sat - Proper rough. Felt like I'd been ran over and I have been ran over before. NHS think I've been bitten by horseflies, dunno but had a reaction to something. Lots of antihistamines, hence drowsy and vague.
Sun - A little better than today but not by much. Won't be working tomorrow.

Getting frustrated with climbing at the moment as I'm so inconsistent. No idea why, I just am. I have one climb a day in me it seems and boy does it feel easy when it happens but the rest of the time, I'm shit. I'd still be rubbish in the scheme of things even if I could do my best on every climb but at least I'd know what climbs I could try. It's guesswork every time I get on lead and I really don't know which me will turn up. It's affecting my confidence I think, at the very least it's making my head noisy and full of nonsense.
Glad I got on the E2, also pleased that when I tried to second it that I found it was still unclimbable for me.

Curbar felt 'strong' as in you needed strength as well as technique. Will be back there lots this winter. Some of the tough things just look ridiculous. Insane would be the right word.

[Sasquatch]

STG - 5 local FA's 7C+ and harder (3 done, next two are MTG's? )
MTG - Local 8B boulders (3 days on it, all the moves go, now to link), and 8A+(2 day this year, need perfect conditions)
LTG - Mandala in November

Weight - 166 lbs - (lowest during the week was 164.2)

M- Nothing - Exhausted from previous days
T- Campus, MED, DL - good session.  Matched personal best and felt like I might continue to improve next session.
W- Active Recovery - 40minutes ARC
Th- Rest
F- Campus, MED, DL - good session.  Set new personal best  and felt like I might continue to improve next session. stayed up a bit late drinking with friends
S- Soccer Game, stayed up a bit late drinking with friends
Su-Soccer Game with middle son

Training only week, and hoping to get 2-3 more days before the season closes out here.  I've got a crazy schedule for the next month though, so we'll see. 

[JackAus]

STG: Another V7 and development.
MTG: DWS. Almost time to be STG.....
LTG: V11

M:
T: Lot 33. Mileage day. Loads of easy stuff up to V4. Nearly did a V6, just need to hold a big sideways cut.
W:
T:
F: Flat Rock. Finally got on a rope and cleaned a new highball. Measured it and its 8m high with a thin slopey crux at 6m.... Can't wait to get on it.
S:
S: Rode up to Sydney for the next week. Stopped in Sutherland for a climb. Ticked a bunch of easy stuff at Jannali then tried to flash the crag classic soft V6. Got pumped off the top out on flash. Foot popped on top out 2nd go, then did it 3rd no probs. Lost alot of skin. Fun line though.

[Muenchener]

STG (Autumn): 7a redpoint: Edelbitter, Konstein.
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl West Face (Dülfer), Marmolada south face (Vinatzer-Messner)

M: Kettlebell 20kg. 2 x 1 per side TGUs, 3 x 25 swings. Mobility / knee physio / core before & after
T:
W: Kettlebell 20kg. 3 x 1 per side TGUs, 2 x 30 swings. Mobility / knee physio / core before & after
T: Wall, Thalkirchen. An hour's bouldering to warm up then campusing.
F:
S: Building support for home Beastmaker. Decided my doorways are too wide / awkwardly placed, so opted for a free standing collapsible rig instead*. Attempted to calculate 45 degree measurements for diagonal braces from scratch, but it turns out Math is Hard and in the end I had to sneakily borrow a protractor from M jnr's school bag.
S: Wall, Boulderwelt. Boulders up to 6B; intended as warm-up for campusing but left middle finger felt sore/tweaky so opted for discretion over valour.

* Hopefully more emphasis on "stand" than "collapse". Time will tell

[csl]

Sept Goals
Book October Spain Trip
Stick to training plan
RP Tennessee
More trad - more E3-5

Mon - Rest
Tue - Fingerboard + Bouldering
Wed -
Thu - PE + Locks
Fri - Nowt
Sat - Nowt
Sun - Cheddar. First time here and really enjoyed it. Did a 6b, and then Raw Deal to warm up. Tried Still Waters Run Deep, which was great. Stupidly just dogged the bolts in as easily as possible and didn't really work out most of the moves. So when i actually got on it second go i flailed my way to the last hard move and then fell off! Felt tired on my next RP and fell off again. Should go easily next time, but could have gone 2nd go if i'd not been silly.
Then warmed down on a 6c.

 - Missed 2 sessions this week (AnCap + Campus) but not too bad overall.

[Sasquatch]

Fri: with AndyR back at Tuesday's venue. Sent my .12d project 

Well done!  Time to get on stuff that doesn't suit you

[nik at work]

Rejoining the fray as I'm off to margalef in a few weeks time so this should keep me SYKED to train...

STG a couple of local trad projects
MTG rip margalef a new one
LTG either of the cave projects

M bm. I'm not so keen on the one arm hangs right now as they were giving me shoulder issues. So instead I'm going two arms with additional weight. Currently a session is roughly
Strap on 15kg
Fifteen pull ups hands facing one way
15 pull ups hands facing other way.
Ten second hangs on every paired hold with ten second rest between hangs.
Increase rest to 20 s for monos.
Remove weight and do mono hangs with ring and index finger.
A set of slow leg raises and a front lever.
Will probably up the weight to 20kg over the next week or so.
T cleaning project
W bm as above
T nowt
F gear hunting on project. Got a poor peg at just below half height and a blind rp placement in brittle rock halfway through the crux sequence. Neither piece is convincing.  When does unjustifiable become game on...
S nowt
S nowt

Need to up the volume a bit next week.

[T_B]

84.5Kg

M - Foundry lunch, 10 mins on, 4 mins off.
T - P.M. School. 4 x 4 rep AnPow on 50 degree. 4 x first 28 moves of 7c with rest reduced to 1min 30 secs. Then 13 mins rest, failed on 3rd rep of next set.
W -
T - Lunch School. Turned up just as Yuji et al were arriving, so did a mix of stuff as timed circuits not very practical  Tried to pick up some tips from the man who first on-sighted 8C.
F - P.M. School, AnPow as per Tue, then tried some problems with Dave on 50 degree. Finished with AeroPow as per Tues with same rest periods.
S -
S -

3 weeks to Rodellar trip. Looking forward to tapering as a bit knackered and have a) loads on at work and b) 5 weeks into an extension on our house. Bit more AeroPow, but pysched to just boulder and do some campussing 

[cheque]

Kelvin- sounds like a standard first visit to Curbar!

STG- Normal middle fingers. Still feeling good, in fact I can climb and fingerboard without them taped and experience no discomfort either during or after now.
2014 goals- 20 14 E-points, back to 7th grade in sport and bouldering. Realistically my 2014 goal is now to get my film finished and continue my campaign to tick Black Rocks up to E1 (and possibly beyond). With no trip booked I can't see myself clipping a bolt before the spring. If I can get bouldering seriously again before 2015 I'll be very pleased- this is a possibility.
LTG- 8a sport.

M- Rest.

T- Bit of a walk round a local park in the evening.

W- Nothing.

T- Black Rocks. Planned to get ropes down parts of the crag to find filming angles. Ended up filming people I met at the crag. Fun evening, lovely light and conditions. 

F- Introduced a friend to the delights of Black Rocks and the concept of back & footing. Filmed him soloing too. Got a chimney I'd never dared solo done- turns out it's easy. Probably still wouldn't dare solo it though.

S- Rest.

S- Walk around Chatsworth followed by a trip to Black Rocks for a little bit of filming. Did some soloing too, including a crap little route no-one ever does partly 'cos it's never dry. It was dry for the first time in ages (and surely the last time this year as it's rained overnight now) so bizarrely pleased to do it. Did some pullups in the evening.

[the_dom]

Bit of a weird week - some positives, but I didn't really feel like I got enough done.. Forced myself not to run, but I think I may have gotten a little fatter as a result. Started the road back to climbing - have noticed that finger is fine during training, but a little sensitive afterwards. Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Mon: Rest day - was feeling knackered and couldn't get off the couch.

Tues: Tentatively felt out my finger by doing some hangs on my 2cm rung, along with pullups on the big BM slots, pushups, air squats and tuck jumps.

Wed: 5km row in the morning before work. More hangs on my 2cm rung, pushups, air squats and tuck jumps in the PM.

Thurs: A 40 minute core workout at home. Quite hard.

Fri: Hangs on the 2cm rung, pushups, air squats and tuck jumps.

Sat: Very hungover. Got up early for a boulder at a small boulder near my house. Should have been enthusiastic about my first day out in weeks, but was too hungover. Managed to do a classic 7A though, which made me happy.

Sun: Got out in the PM for a surf in small and crumbly beachbreak peaks. More fun than I thought it'd be.

[tommytwotone]

Then tried to follow up Maupassant (?) HVS... dear god in heaven, why?!

Two words, and the second one is "Whillans".

[kelvin]

Two words, and the second one is "Whillans".

I'm getting the sense lately that Whillans and Brown were slightly stronger than me - I really need to start looking at guidebooks properly. Or get stronger.

[Muenchener]

Perhaps they were. We can be fairly sure they also had vastly superior crack climbing technique.

[kelvin]

vastly superior crack climbing technique.

I would have said it's tough to practise this when you live in a rock free area but the Wideboys have proven that not to be true. Jordon moves in this month and fancied converting the cellar to have a woodie but I was thinking maybe to copy Tom Randall and build some crack stuff. Crimping can be worked at the indoor wall eh?

[Muenchener]

Well, I'm currently engaged in building a frame for my Beastmaker but that's as far as current plans go.

I recall seeing footage of Joe in his prime and being very impressed, but it doesn't seem to be on youtube or vimeo.

[duncan]

STG: two sessions fingerboarding or bouldering a week. Lose 2kg.
MTG: 7b RP this winter. E5 OS, something vertical, classic and not dangerous, next April.
LTG: Long hard (for me) rock routes in the Alps, Dolomites, Picos and Scotland.

Weight: 74kg!!! 

M -
T - Shoulder stability stuff
W -
T - Shoulder stability stuff
F -
S -
S - Aerobic capacity: moderate pump 220m / 90min. L inner elbow sore. Finger sore.
M -
T -
W -
T - Aerobic capacity: moderate pump 200m / 60min. L inner elbow sore. Finger OK.
F -
S -
S - Cheddar with Conor and John. Warmed up on something easy, failed on something a little harder. Worked Still Waters Runs Deep: great climbing, shame about the roadside ambience. Just about managed all the moves, with perhaps a little help from the rope once or twice, felt some way off and will be interesting to see how much this changes with practice. Three particularly tricky sections for me, still open to alternative sequences. How do people do the first hard couple of moves over the overlap?

Felt run-down and elbow and finger started aching in the rest week. On the mend now after a couple of moderate therapeutic/aerobic capacity sessions. Doing nothing is not good for me.

Working SWRD was yet more proof I’m short on basic finger-strength. It’s a good project since it doesn’t seep badly and Cheddar is easy to combine with family stuff. It suits my alleged strengths being vertical and technical. Hope I can get a couple more sessions on it before it becomes too cold.

I might institute Paradise Lost as a long-term goal. It’s an inspiring route on an fine lump of rock and a little removed from the boy-racers, charidee motorcyclists and “lunatic preaching”. It has the necessary emotional resonance for a proper goal: I failed on it when it was a pseudo-trad. route with an aid-point and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since. I’ll need to be in shape to do 7bs first or second go, which feels some way off at the moment.

Plan: ease back into fingerboarding and bouldering.

[fried]

STG - 10 pull-ups

Mon- Wed - Too much work, tired. Can't do any BM stuff or pull ups as my middle finger is still sore. Rest.
Thurs - Indoor, Arkose, not my usual wall but more convenient today. Finger still sore but it need a bit of mileage. Do loads of easy problems and the wall being small I repeat most a few times. Pick off a few Blue circuit problems and back off a few more that need sharp pulls on the left hand. Fine.

Fri-Sat - Rest - Finger still sore

Sun- Ummed and ahhed and finally decided to go to Mont Ussy. I wanted to do an orange circuit that I didn't know that well, but also be able to warm-up on a yellow. Not in the sun. Warmed up, did most of the second half of the orange circuits, did one of the unmarked blue problems. Very tired, didn't sleep well plus too much wine the night before. Spent a while doing a 6A overhang but the last move is impossible at the moment (and I need a spot as usual). Go home. Try a couple of experimental pull ups, but get to 3 and my finger says 'stop'.

[a dense loner]

This might be the time to rest from climbing a little while fried

[fried]

I dunno, I usually find it's better to just slow down than stop completely. What else  would I do? I'd just drink too much.

[tommytwotone]

vastly superior crack climbing technique.

I would have said it's tough to practise this when you live in a rock free area but the Wideboys have proven that not to be true. Jordon moves in this month and fancied converting the cellar to have a woodie but I was thinking maybe to copy Tom Randall and build some crack stuff. Crimping can be worked at the indoor wall eh?

Sadly, best thing for crack climbing (at least this is how I got halfway decent at them) is to just climb cracks, and lots of them. I was lucky enough to have a) a 3 month window when I wasn't working and b) the motivation of moving to Yorkshire and as I didn't want to be the stereotypical southerner who can't jam I got stuck in and have to say I found the process painful at times, but hugely rewarding!

If you're looking to consolidate at the HVS-ish grade on the odd Peak weekend away I think route choice is going to be paramount - make sure you play to your strengths (there are loads of good non-crack routes at that grade at pretty much every crag), or suck it up and start your crack climbing odyssey ripping yourself apart on Severes!

[tomtom]

M:

T: Almscliff. Back to my spiritual climbing home Evening trip with 3T and a good chance to catch up... 3T had intentions to try Barley Mow.. I didnt - it looked scary. Thankfully it also felt scary and reachy to both of us so we moved on

A really good session - I felt light and floaty. The Cliff is my benchmark - and after a summer of largely limestone I was interested to see how much of my grit nouse I'd lost and how much strength I might have gained... The answer was not much and a fair bit.. Managed the 6C blockless start to the low arete in between Barley Mow and Morels etc.. (also dropped Morels on the last move :D ) Then went and tried some horror sit start slope hugging blunt thing - and we both failed. Ended up Nr Teaspoon cave - tried Pattas (for the umpteenth time) until my tips nearly went through - then saw out the final mins until dark playing on the arete and the 7A+ traverse..

W: Sore

T: Still sore! especially pecs!

F: TorTure with Shark. Shark seemed to benefit from my cajoling on Bens (he needs a motivation app for his phone - that shouts 'stick it', 'come on', 'rad man', 'you da boss' or 'YOU ARE WEAK' etc.. randomly every 1-3 seconds...). I, however, was fairly shit to average. However, when Shark had left I did a couple of 8A's and had a nice sandwich. OK, I went and looked at the big turd under Saline Drip, tried R&H until my fingers hurt (getting the heel toe up now) and did some of the moves on Bens consistently (whereas I'd only just got them before previously)... so progress. The first half of Bens is ace for me.. none of it feels too difficult - but I can't do it! Perfect!!

S: Sofa day. Listened to football and pissed about on the computer all day. Picked up a maggotted mrsTT from a Hen do in Chester at 10:30... (at least she didnt gip inside the car this time...)

Su: Thorn. Thorn, Thorn, beautiful Thorn. What a wonderful crag you are... I always ask myself it its worth it huffing up that chuffing hill - to warm up scrittling around getting used to slopey nothingnesses again... but its ALWAYS worth it... A pleasant gibber up Jalapeno arete and I set to work on my project for the day 'Mothership Reconnection'. This is such a good problem... a 7A+ that involves a crimpy lungy SS, follwed by arete slapping, a canny heel that makes a hard move silky smooth, fridge hugging shizzle, a slap, a share and a final desparate slap for the top...

It really really spanked me... I lost loads of skin and rubber working out just the right way to do it - and then felt spent... On what felt like my last go I greased off the crimps at the start and swore a lot. I pulled on again - threw - felt solid and swore my way to the top... a very loud expletive referring to female anatomy popped out as I forced my pumped arms to slap for the top - and it was done \o/ Thankfully no one was there to hear or to witness the non fine style of my ascent Feeling tired but not spent enough for a 35 min walk in, I wandered to the other blocs and worked the moves on 'Fix my sink'... made progress but had to go when slapping for the slopers made me scream in pain (literally..).

[AJM]

Worked Still Waters Runs Deep: great climbing, shame about the roadside ambience. Just about managed all the moves, with perhaps a little help from the rope once or twice, felt some way off and will be interesting to see how much this changes with practice. Three particularly tricky sections for me, still open to alternative sequences. How do people do the first hard couple of moves over the overlap?
[...]
I might institute Paradise Lost as a long-term goal. It’s an inspiring route on an fine lump of rock and a little removed from the boy-racers, charidee motorcyclists and “lunatic preaching”. It has the necessary emotional resonance for a proper goal: I failed on it when it was a pseudo-trad. route with an aid-point and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since. I’ll need to be in shape to do 7bs first or second go, which feels some way off at the moment.

It's been a while since I was on it, but from memory (feet and hands may not be in entirely correct order!):
- left hand in the top of the flake/crack holds under the overlap, right hand comes up and over to undercut in the overlap, underneath the right hand of the two sidepulls. Left over to the left sidepull which has the thumbcatch atop it.
- right foot in and moderately high on something poor and rubbered, left foot up pretty high and out left on a black and slightly shiny edge. Right foot I think goes onto something in or near the crack to make a dropknee.
- right hand comes up, not to the good edge by the clip, but further up and right to a smaller hold on a micro rib thing. Then pop left hand to the edge and clip.
- then run feet up, left foot onto the thumbcatch of the sidepull, right pushing into the back of a groove just above the overlap (either front on or twisted, your preference), and reach high and left to the right end of the crimp rail up and left.
- right foot comes up into the edge above the overlap, cross through with right hand to the better bit of the crimp rail, and left can go out to the big sidepull.
- adjust feet, relax slightly, and make the next clip
- run feet up until foot is on crimp rail, with assistance from some sort of poor right hand, stand up, quite balancey, I flag feet a bit somehow but I can't describe how, and wobble left hand up into the big undercut.
- rest, and then it's about 6b to the top!

I'd like to do paradise lost and bird of paradise too. Both look very inspiring.

[duncan]

It's been a while since I was on it, but from memory (feet and hands may not be in entirely correct order!):
- left hand in the top of the flake/crack holds under the overlap, right hand comes up and over to undercut in the overlap, underneath the right hand of the two sidepulls. Left over to the left sidepull which has the thumbcatch atop it.
- right foot in and moderately high on something poor and rubbered, left foot up pretty high and out left on a black and slightly shiny edge. Right foot I think goes onto something in or near the crack to make a dropknee.
- right hand comes up, not to the good edge by the clip, but further up and right to a smaller hold on a micro rib thing. Then pop left hand to the edge and clip.
- then run feet up, left foot onto the thumbcatch of the sidepull, right pushing into the back of a groove just above the overlap (either front on or twisted, your preference), and reach high and left to the right end of the crimp rail up and left.
- right foot comes up into the edge above the overlap, cross through with right hand to the better bit of the crimp rail, and left can go out to the big sidepull.
- adjust feet, relax slightly, and make the next clip
- run feet up until foot is on crimp rail, with assistance from some sort of poor right hand, stand up, quite balancey, I flag feet a bit somehow but I can't describe how, and wobble left hand up into the big undercut.
- rest, and then it's about 6b to the top!

I'd like to do paradise lost and bird of paradise too. Both look very inspiring.

That's great. Much of it sounds worryingly familiar but there are a couple ideas to try. Getting my right foot up and into the drop knee was eluding me. Mainly I need to pull harder...