just came back from the trip - went fairly well, here's what worked and didnt':
skin
-like everyone was saying, skin was absolutely key . went hard on sharp granite the first day and blew through to the tips -- had to cut the day short. trip was saved by climbing on smooth granite the second day + tip juice + antihydral + superglue
-superglue is essential - a thin layer on blasted tips each attempt worked wonders without ruining sensitivity.
-antihydral works great but it seems to have a delayed effect for me. I applied it the night before the first day of climbing but it didnt really take effect till the 3rd of climbing so if you're climbing on wednesday, you should start applying it monday. It dries fast once worked into the skin so you can put it on and then carry on with your regular routine
fitness
-starting 2 weeks before the trip i increased my volume of climbing per week as suggested including climbing 2 or 3 days in a row. this seemed to work as I made more attempts than my partner yet was less tired at the end of each day.
Tactics
-Lower volume per day is key. Better to do it by increasing rests between attempts rather than shortening the climbing day.
-A chilled out 3rd day worked wonders and let me go hard on the 4th to send my "proj"
-Don't plan for big sends the first day on unfamiliar terrain - instead, take the first day to do a bit of volume at moderate grades to get used to the rock and style of climbing. If you go hard the first day you will probably just wear yourself or your skin out instead of sending anything hard.
