[mindfull]

Intense training week. Got some itchy feeling in the knee on wednesday and dropped squats for the rest of the week. Bested my benches and on the campus though. Endurance is getting better in running too. Overdid the ab-roller thing so left that out for the remainder of the week too.

76Kg/53bpm

MO:
- Tempo run (5K)
- Stretching
- Strength (bodyweight): abroller/pullups/dips/legraises/pushups(diamond-wide-regular)
- Strength (weight): shoulders/triceps/biceps/shrugs/flies/squats/benches

TU:
- Stretching
- Power Endurance (bodyweight): abroller/pullups/dips/legraises/pushups
- Power Endurance (weight): shoulders/triceps/biceps/shrugs/flies/squats/pushups

WE:
- Stretching
- Strength: benches
- Climbing gym: around 25 boulder problems up to 6B, then some campussing, felt powered out

TH:
- Stretching
- Strength: same as monday minus abrolls and squats

FR:
- Stretching
- Strength: benches
- Slow distance run: 10k

SA:
- Tough day emotionally, physical rest, some Tai Chi

SU:
Climbing gym: Did a 5, a 6b (pumped me out), then a 6a slab. For the rest mostly a social event.

[fried]

You're too quick for me

STG - 10 pull ups

Mon-Thurs - Feeling under the weather, despite taking my climbing stuff to work on Tuesday and then again on Thursday, I still couldn't summon up the willpower to spend 2 extra hours on the metro to get to my wall. Slouched on the sofa.

Fri - Feeling better, nice indoor session. paid my yearly subscription, I'm going to try to record how many of the blue (6Aish) problems I manage to tick off as they get set, so far 2/3. An excellent slab problem was the last, I had one last go and got it.

Sat - Family, did 7 pull-ups, but my finger still isn't happy about it, so I won't be pushing it. Didn't drink too much either.

Sun - Early start to try to get the best of the dodgy looking weather, got to 95.2 car park and it was soaked. Happily the climbing was mostly dry, had a fantastic morning ticking off some blues/ reds, a couple of which had been trying my patience for years. First decent conditions since spring and it was nice to see some progress had been made. Still smiling.

[mindfull]

 

[mindfull]

You're too quick for me

Luckily, you're not a girl ;-)

[webbo]

Mon. Nothing.
Tue. Board did a couple of new things, then repeated most of the new things I'd done over last week or so.
Wed. Nothing.
Thu. Off work waiting for BT engineer. Board did a session form this time last year, flashed most things that had taken a couple of sessions. Did a few things with screw ons for feet. Turbo 1 hour.
Fri. Off work bike 60.18 miles 3 hr 15 mins 18.48 mph.
Sat. Board did a few new things that were harder versions of other problems, ended up with a new project. Achilles really sore.
Sun. Damp and misty eventually went out on my winter bike. Once away from the Humber the sun came out. About 46 miles.

[Muenchener]

M:
T: Beastmaker 10 sets: same grips & times as Sunday +2kg
W:
T:   Wall, Boulderwelt. Started off not feeling strong or motivated, but wanted to meet up with some folks I hadn't seen for a while. Ended up fueled by group psyche getting a comp wall 6B+ roof third go, which is pretty respectable performance for me.
F: Bike to & from work 30km
S: Wall, Boulderwelt. Mental training on the comp wall, which I'm normally afraid of. I think it's more the lack of easy ways down than the height as such*. Finished off with weighted pullups 5x3 x +12.5kg
S: Winter northwalling  : easy multipitch on the Alpspitze with M jnr in glorious autumn weather

* Jumping off the top of bouldering walls for 50-something climbers is:
(a) harmful for arthritic joints
(b) beneficial shock loading for bones that might otherwise tend towards osteoporosis
(c) both
(d) real Anasazi Pinks

[Schnell]

STG: 7B YYFY, this might be the first power club goal I've actually achieved in more or less the timescale foreseen.
New STG: Another 7B, have picked a local classic for this one. More importantly fix shoulders/posture to avoid finger injuries.


M: After a weekend of heavy duty drinking, by my lightweight standards, I did some heavy training on Monday. Did finger curls and max hangs in the morning, getting to 8.5 kg added on the BM crimps. Afternoon went to wall and did long session including 'strength/hypertrophy' exercises, ie lock offs, assisted one-armers and muscle-ups. After all that I had a a few ill-advised one-last-go's on a hardish problem. Later in the evening I noticed a twinge around my old A1 pulley injury but more or less dismissed it.
T. Continuing/worse twinges in the finger
W. Finger still very tender so I skipped finger boarding. For some reason decided to go to the wall anyway and did a fairly normal training session without feeling too tweaky. On the way home finger starts to ache.
T. Pain is weirdly extending into my palm and I'm convinced I've totally knackered my A1 again. NNFN's and moodiness ensues, girlfriend is irritated by the drama and makes me call the physio.
F. According to physio I've strained a lumbrical muscle, something I've never heard of. All importantly it's not a tendon so it'll heal on the double. YYFY. Advice is to avoid pinches  but more or less continue as you were. However she did remark on my torrid history of finger injuries and decided to have a look at my shoulders. Diagnosis: chronic shoulder/scapular instability is making me over-compensate with my fingers, with predictable results. Got some funny pull-ups and rows to do which should help and potentially improve my climbing. Wins all round it seems.
S. Feeling a bit invincible, not to mention well-rested after taking a break from the max hangs, I go have a lovely day outdoors and tick a 7B I'd tried a couple of times before. Also came ultra-close on a hard 7A+ but for an unfortunate dab and then fatigue/lack of focus.

A weird week which didn't look like it would end with a climbing high point. Sorry to subject readers to the minutiae of my fingers but I thought that the diagnosis of shoulder problems causing finger injuries was potentially interesting to fellow sufferers. The current focus is on fixing my shoulders as much as possible though it'll be an ongoing/long term campaign.

[fried]

What are dem 'funny pull-ups' Schell? Sounds interesting.

[Schnell]

What are dem 'funny pull-ups' Schell? Sounds interesting.

If you didn't have wonky shoulders to begin with I think these would be quite similar to proper pull-ups, the focus is on keeping correct posture with shoulders/back engaged and shoulder blades down and in. Start hanging from a bar with normal 'bad' posture, ie shoulders up around your ears. Keeping arms straight pull into correct posture by engaging back muscles, shoulders should come down and away from ears. Do a pull-up and lower back into 'bad' posture. The aim is to do five sets of five.

I can do about 15-20 'normal' pull-ups but about 4 of these. This is partly because I'm doing them slowly and very controlled, but mostly because I'm used to bad technique.

[kelvin]

Cheers for starting it.

Mon - Rest. Drive to Swanage at 11pm... little sleep.

Tue - Guillemot Ledge. Just seconding today, Tensor in one pitch and then The Scoop. Both cracking routes. Heavy downpour in the middle of the day didn't end play. Also did plenty of prussicing up the abb rope - never had to do this before, so was good practice and actually pretty knackering. All in all a great bit of cliff, not too loose and pretty technical and sustained. Rain forecast for the next day, so headed back north.

Wed - Big Rock, MK. Autobelay 4x4s on overhanging 5b. Bouldered one-handed on some easy things and then harder stuff on the slab. Then a route 6a (felt easy) and a 5b, then 5 x 4a on the autobelay to warm down. Yoga class, which was harder than last week. Enjoyable day

Thu - Warmed up with 3x 5+ no rests, then got on a crimpy, vertical 6a+ on TR and fell after the crux, powered out. Finished route, then lowered and jumped straight back on and fell at the same place. Rest, then cruised through it easily. Will have a go at lapping this tomorrow.

Fri - Rest

Sat - 10x10 boulders (V0-V2) 15min per set inc rest. Climb time for up and down about 6/7min depending on problems. Lots tougher than last week and shaved a huge chunk off rest time. Slight pump at end of sets but by final sets, was powering out. (For reference - not managed a V3 this set.)

Sun - Took mate to the boulder room for the first time. Was bolloxed from yesterday but managed a few things I hadn't done before but a go on the roof showed just how un-recovered I was.

First go on an auto-belay... got the cold sweats the first time I went up. That was scary.

Saturday was hard, think I got it about right for an aerocap session. Still working out what I can and can't do and what the effects are. My current thinking is that I have decent ancap abilities but really shit aerocap and that's possibly the cause of the mindblowing flash pump I get in the left arm. Work probably plays a big part in that also.

So lots of mileage this month is the plan. This week, allowing 2.5m height gain per boulder problem, I've done about 400m upwards and 280m downwards. Or 23 x 30m pitches, mostly within three grades of my current max. Not sure if that's a lot to other people but it's a big step up for me.

Onwards.

[nik at work]

STG - Trad project (but probably not, see below...)
MTG - Maraglef (two weeks now, very much in STG territory really)
LTG - Be like Lore

M - After weekend of LOTS of rain decided to chance a trip to the chasm to see how the project is fairing as the temps have dropped. Drop a rope down the line despite a couple of ominous looking seepage streaks (and the obviously totally (literaly) dripping wet holds in the middle section. Then proceed to top-rope it cleanly despite having to stop to chalk up mid-crux and all the "good" holds around the mid height "rest" section being sodden. Reminded again just how conditions (or more accurately temp) sensitive my climbing is. Conditions were by the look of things probably the worst I'd ever tried the route in but the cooler temps meant the dry holds felt sooooo much better. Pleasing session all things considered.
T - BM session, no added weight but upped hang time for each set of holds from 10s to 20s. Feel much lighter without 35kg of steel hanging rom my waist (Durrr....)
W - Nothing
T - The most rushed BM session ever, just under 10 minutes. Did +35kg but dropped to +20kg for the mono's. Tight time window meant rushing was needed but really felt like I was pusing it in terms of getting warmed up etc. Not a super high quality session, and certainly not a style I'll adopt with any frequency, but this week has been a bit hectic so rather than do nothing it was worth the gamble (I think).
F - Managed to get a quick hour at another project that I haven't been on for a couple of months or so I'd guess. It's an old new route I did about 8-9 years ago that has lost a long flake off the start and is unclimbed in it's current state. Felt desperate last time I tried it, still does but managed all the moves. Then pulled a big flake off the middle of the route, and with it most of the holds for the crux sequence. Grrrrr, anyway found a new harder sequence going slightly rightwards, to be continued....
S - Working in the morning then dash down to the chasm project to see how it's looking after further wet weather. The top half of the rout is now just one big seepage line, fucksticks. I'm not sure if it will dry out again this year. Frustrating. Then later on inspired by Lore's YYFY mono one armer I decide to just try doing some things on the BM.
45's - I'm normally pretty relaxed about nesting and a little sneaky under pinch thumb action with these but I decided to get strict and for the first time managed a proper no nesting/thumb involvement 10s 45's hang.
Bottom row 2-finger sloper. Managed to hang these two handed for 30s!!! Not sure what happened there...
Finished with doubles from every pair of holds on the bottom row to the 35's
Also installed lower chin up bar for #1 son, he's SYKED
S - Further inspired by Lore's efforts...
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10659251_10152799707322442_4601928242599538029_n.jpg?oh=2168f2a57969aaefcf122fe6c4e56a03&oe=54F67B38&__gda__=1425468462_91de09ea5593aaba8fd8f1f8f65fdd1b
Sorry if that doesn't work.

Annoyed by state of the trad project but syked out of my tiny mind for Margalef. Also got my nice new bright orange E9 trousers (cheers for the recommendation boulderisation pantloons peeps) and a new lime green hoodie. Just need to find a powerful t-shirt to assure a successful trip methinks...

(sorry I've warbled on loads again)

[kelvin]

S - Further inspired by Lore's efforts...

Any thoughts I had of being content with my week are now gone. Beast.

[Duma]

Just need to find a powerful t-shirt to assure a successful trip methinks...

http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/collections/clothing/products/t-shirt

[nik at work]

I was thinking something more like this:

[tomtom]

Rock chick!

[csl]

October Goals
10 7's in Spain
Onsight 7b+ in Spain
Stick to training plan - going well.
Find a UK project for the winter - 7c/7c+

Mon - Fingerboard + AnCap
Tue - 4x4's
Wed - Rest
Thu - Bouldering
Fri - AnCap
Sat - Rest
Sun - Cheddar.
6c at Pride Evans to warm up. Then tried to flash House Burning Down 7b+, got to the last hard move, with a bit in the tank and slipped off when my foot popped! Annoying! Had one abortive go to work out how i did the crux, then did next go reasonably easily. Then onsighted some choss 7a at Tsunami and tried the 7c out the prow on the wave. Good day!

[Sasquatch]

STG - Manage Weight, and maintain training.  Snow fell, so the seasons over. 
MTG - Mandala
LTG - To Bolt

M- FB - Repeaters, Levers, Abs
T- Pullups, ATBS, Rows, and Pushups.
W- Active Recovery
T- FB-MAW, moonboard.  Poor FB Session, great moonboard session... odd
F- Pullups, Pushups, Row
S- Routes w my wife. OS 12 routes - 7c, 7b+, 7b+, 7b, 7b, 7a+, 7a, 7a, 6c+, 6c+, 6b, 6b Felt surprisingly good since I haven't done any endurance work in months.
S- FB-Repeaters, Levers, Abs

[Muenchener]

My goal of getting several .12d routes ticked by the end of the year now seems hopeless though I have the moves dialed on several, and could jump back into redpoint mode if the weather miraculously improves.

Same here. The weather is actually still pretty good here, and I know I should be able do my project next time I get on it, but it's deep in the woods and once it's wet it won't be dry again until spring.

[JackAus]

In Syd on ropes all week. Just one session indoors. Was sore for days afterwards though... Good session on the campus board and BM2K.

[T_B]

82.7Kg 

M - Rest
T - Warm ups, then working go on Les Chacals. Rested whilst Bob worked Aporia and Mia Sanyara Baby. 1st RP attempt, got through the crux, motored on to the shake out and got a bit of a knee bar. Kept going, scraped through the droppable headwall. Power screaming as I got the pocket jug and somehow managed to claw back the pump. Punched out the final few moves. Psyche! 1st RP of my hardest sport route (get's 8a+/8b on one guide, but I think 8a+ for me).
W - Re-worked Gracia Fina in the sun (taking it for the team) then had two RPs in the evening, but tired. Sorted out powerful crux.
T - Rest
F - Gracia Fina first go in the morning. Afternoon at Ventanas. Bob worked A Crabita so I could have a flash attempt, but the heavens opened. Had an O/S attempt on Kings of Metal but fell off.
S - Warmed up on 7b left of A Crabita, then had a flash go, falling at the set up to the throw. Next go fell off at the top, nailed it 2nd RP. Finished on a 7b at Cafe Solo.
S - Forecast was for biblical rain, but it was actually fine. Just chilled as happy with trip and v tired.

Great trip to Rodellar. Pretty much perfect cons. Turned into a quick redpoint trip rather than o/sing/flashing as I fell off the harder stuff I tried to flash! And I wasn't so inspired by the stuff around 7c. Les Chacals was the line for me and so chuffed to do it quickly. The really steep stuff is fun, but hard if you don't have proper recovery fitness. If I'd had more time I would have got on Corridor, but hey ho.

The plan now is to have a break as I have lots of domestic duties, then start a strength cycle.

[csl]

Good trip T_B! Gracias Fina looks so good! Well done on Les Chacals.

[cheque]

STG- Normal middle fingers. Ticking this as I reckon they're as normal as they'll get. They're not inhibiting my climbing.

2014 goals- 20 13 E-points, back to 7th grade in sport and bouldering.

LTG- 8a sport.

M-

T-

W- Black Rocks. Scrambing around a soaked crag, while filming a cool timelapse.

T- Notts Depot. Short session trying hard problems after some circuit board. Didn't succeed on a single problem but it felt like good training.

F- Rest.

S- Walk along Derwent Egde.

S- Black Rocks filming then Millstone for a session on Technical Master. This was the first real bouldering session I've had all year and it felt hard to make the transition from easy soloing and trad to technical climbing and trying moves where I felt like I might fall off. I was basically a total wimp and din't do it even though I know I really can. It felt great to push on and properly fall off from high up on my last go (until I punched myself in the balls on the way down) though.   

Another underwhelming week climbing-wise, but very successful filming-wise so not disappointed- happy to keep it ticking over and making small progress while I'm making the film.

[shark]

STG: 7B YYFY, this might be the first power club goal I've actually achieved in more or less the timescale foreseen.

After a week of ups and downs I got out for a session today in great conditions and ticked my first rock-solid, incontrovertible 7B, go me!

You are going to have to name that problem and ideally supply video evidence before I am prepared to consider wadding you 

11.8-9

M.
T. AM Malham with Paul Reeve, Steve and Neil Mawson. Grizzly weather - ideal conditions for a Bear in fact. Malham was dry, Ok temp to start but then got cold. Led Appetite with a rest and Taking the Space clean. Dogged up Mescalito. Have tried this from time to time over the years when other projects have been wet but not been n it on consecutive days. Moves felt much better than I remember from before when tried when it was sunny. Had a few goes from the ground and managed to claw my way to third clip. Struggled dogging it at end to strip it.
W. PM Systems board. PE. Good result on the edges particularly given that I'd climbed the day before. Also did a 20:10
T.
F. Drove to Northumberland with John and Jon. Dropped kit off at Rothwell (Tomlisons bunkhouse and cafe - recommended) and went to Redhaugh. Did some easy bouldering and soloed an exciting VS. Managed to do the supposed 6A+ - "Easier" which was very good. Headed over to Edlingham which was hard to find from above. It started to rain but the bouldering stayed dry. Tried Deforestation (7A+) and got matched at the top on slopers from standing but not in control. Eve Beers and curry but
S. Nice day. Slogged up to Simonside. John nearly stepped on a large male adder. Joined unexpectedly by Chris205 who waas on way to Torridon with his mate Andy. I failed to do a 6C and joined in on Dulcinea 7A+ with everyone else. Jon did it turned his ankle with an unexpected dismount high up. Everyone else did it too except me. Repeatedly went at it and got to within snatching distance of the finishing holds 3 times but didnt seal the deal  - facebook video

Post

. It did start raining on my very last go so the official line is that I was rained off. Long hobble out for Jon. Good night at the Queens Arms.
S. Sore tips, back and legs. Another lovely day. This time to Hepburn. Uncanny resemblence to rock at Font. Managed to do Titanic Arete (7A) by skin of my teeth. Be keen to go back a bit fresher with a bigger team to try Northern Soul. Drove home. Great weekend.
   
Getting keen again - at last. 2 weeks to Kalymnos.

[tomtom]

Simon, I'm glad you didnt put up the 'about to snog' picture of you that was doing the rounds on Twitter...

Good effort Schnell.

Anyway... on to this weeks report..

M: Work

T: Work

W: Logport wall... due to rain showers. Good session - felt worked but not strained.. managed most of the V5's and the odd V6 (well one). My indoor grade is so much lower than my outdoor standard...

T:

Fr: Widdop. Found 50p warming up! I wanted to get back and have a go on Fight on Black - seeing as I was getting darned close the week before. It had rained, but was windy - and the parts of the blocs that were in the sun were in great shape



But - whilst the arete holds on FoB were in good shape - the break was not. Several times I slapped up to the break and was met with a wet/licheny hand.. I couldnt even scramble down to clean the holds, as the ramp was a slippy mess of green death. So, it seems like its going to have to wait for a sustained period of dry weather before I get another go... Frustrating - done the 'hard' part - and can't finish it off. (sounds like West Side Story again..). Still a good though frustrating day.

Sa: Bored (no football ) decided to see if Harmers was in at about 3pm - on a whim - and it started pissing down shortly before i arrived. Had a coffee and went home...

Su: Seemed to be lots of mist about on the various web cams - so went west and went high - Back to Thorn. I had my eyes on Fix my Sink (a 7B with a big lunge/dyno thing) that I have made progress on in previous visits.. I tried to warm up on 'For my next trick' (7A) and having done the easier stand - just couldnt get near the sit.. Hard for the grade me-thinks. Anyway, worked some less strong person beta for Fix my Sink and bashed by hip/arse quite badly falling backwards into a large block behind one part of the problem. Decided that I needed a spotter and headed up to one of the blocs behind and had great fun on Monster Minds (7A+). Looking at Gregs beta vid we do it very different ways - and this felt like a fairly easy 7A this way - but still a really cool problem..



Then wandered over to the trackside boulders, tried a 7A with a nasty slopey landing (gave up) and did a 6C traverse along a wonderful seam. Good day - though feel trashed now..

[shark]

Simon, I'm glad you didnt put up the 'about to snog' picture of you that was doing the rounds on Twitter...

It was a special moment