[JackAus]

STG: More V7s. Sub 75kg.
MTG: V8. Fear Factory List. 6/10 done.
LTG: V11.

M: Lindfield. Long weekend (bank holiday), so went here in the morning with a bunch of newish guys. Put them on all the old classics which are all fairly high and commiting. I managed to flash Upper Pipe Dreams at V5 and Big Wednesday V4, so that was good. Pretty much everything else I did was part of my circuit of like 30-40 problems.
T: Rest. 3 days on, 0 skin.
W: St Leonards. New stuff. Got bored and had a good solid fingerboard session. Left middle finger has steadily been getting sore-er over the last few weeks.
T: Rest.
F: Rest. Travel down to Nowra.
S: Flat Rock and Cheesedale. Late start, Flat Rock first, re-cleaned and warmed into an old project. Wide compression up an arete with a low percentage, moon kick dyno for the last move. Fell off that move twice from the start... Managed to do it in the end. Gave it V6.
On to Cheesedale for Pearl Necklace. Alot of attempts and managed to fall off the last hold (attempt in photo...). Watched Lee Cossey attempting Cheesy Afro Box 33/8c.
S: Lot 33 and Cheesedale. Lot 33 first, mates were there already trying Joe Joe Dynamo V9, so got straight onto it with them. 2 of us were pretty close but Ev wasn't really. V9 jug to jug dyno probably wasnt the best warm up but oh well. We all headed to Cheesedale. Finally managed to tick Pearl Necklace. Maybe 5th go today. Worked Locked & Loaded V5/6ish and Monkey Grip V9 after. Back to Sydney after.

Good little weekend. Got both things I had hoped to do!

Pics:

Catching the crux dyno on The Circus.




Holding tension on the crux move of Pearl Necklace. This was the attempt that I fell off the last hold.

[fried]

Cheers JackA

LTG - Do this.

M - Nothing
T - Indoors - Finding it difficult to remember what I did, or structure anything indoors since the weather improved. Various injury rehab bits. Shoulder stretches.
W - Nothing
Th - Same as Tuesday. Very hot indoor session. Shoulder stretches.
F - Nothing
Sa - Longish drive down to Petit Bois to get some cooler conditions. Managed to buy the last pain aux raisin in Chapelle la reine, warmed up, did some blues, then started trying to get a sequence together for a red circuit problem called le pendule 6A/+ depending on where you look, need to be a bit fresher for this one. Did Quelle conque which is always fun. Still a bit damp in places, and full of mosquitos.

Had a break and drove back to the trois pignons to have a look at a couple of problems in  Anarchodrome. Eventually found the problem I was looking for. http://bleau.info/anarchodrome/9600.html

Gradually worked it to the last move, but really sequency and balancy, took a long time to work out the best holds. I'd forgotten my phone too which meant no sneaky beta checking. I probably should've started with the other foot....another in a very long list of probs that need to  put to bed. I wanted to get this one, but it was getting far too hot and late.

Su - Had a lie-in, did some ironing, will spend the rest of the day learning to cook Sichuan food. Shoulder stretches.

[tomtom]

Nice one Jack...

M: Back to cragX for a determined effort on Jericho Reurd (as its pronounced in Hull). No energy - second day on - just had no bounce. Good to meet a couple of other folk towards the end (hello!) in James and was that you Chain?

T: Rest

W: Rest properly - for a full on assault on Jericho Road on Friday

Th: Bah.


6 Full on efforts. proper 10-15 min rests between. In the effort above I'd not got my hand in the HUUUGE slot in the roof properly and was trying desperately to udge it in better.. It'll succumb eventually, but there are 3 or 4 'percentage' moves for me..

Fr: Up to Helsby. Good session - felt worn by the end of it.

Sa: Rest

Su: Back to Trowbarrow for the first time since I hurt my back after visiting (last October..). Had fun on Red Wall - esp with Shallow grave that I couldnt quite get right until I ran out beans.. is there a secret way of getting that slopey-recessed-halfpad-crimp hold of grimness on the left - or is it just always shit? (and impossible to clean without a ladder..).

But then went back to Pit Problem, that I strongly suspect triggered off my back issues - so a bit of a test... I'm a wee way off doing this problem, BUT, was stronger and better at it than last time. This is an interesting benchmark - as last Oct I felt I was at my best ever overall bouldering condition/state - and now I am better! Anyway, sat out some drizzle and worked a couple of the moves backwards - and it felt like it could come together... All good stuff...

[Muenchener]

Get that fingerboard out. Often funny quick onset things like that end up disappearing just as fast.

I seem to have got lucky with my mystery calf injury. Bit worrying - if it came and went without any obvious reason or explanation then it could come again. But for the time being at least:

STG: be able to walk normally
MTG (2015): 7b redpoint
            Beastmaker 5A routine: 94.3%
            Muscle Up
            Sautanz
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl West Face (Dülfer),  Marmolada south face (Vinatzer Messner)

M: Resting the calf injury
T: Ditto
W: Ditto. Pretty much able to walk normally again although still sore
T: Beastmaker 5A routine. Best effort so far at 94.3%. Hard.
F: Knee/elbow/shoulder prehab & mobility stuff
S: Wall, Thalkirchen. 40 minutes cautious two-footed bouldering to warm up - went ok - then campusing
S:

[cha1n]

Nice one Jack. Glad to see you're still yarding about on dynos, not much changed from TCA days!

Mon AeroCap on FB
Tues Boulders at the works. Comp wall problems around 7A/+. 30 mins AeroCap. Leg raises and L hangs on a bar.
Weds AeroCap on FB. Reverse fly variations with chairs.
Thurs WCJ to have another crack at Vindicator http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=16320 Only had 2 RP goes and got through the crux twice but changed my sequence for a low percentage section after crux just before my 2nd RP and ended up forgetting key foot move and caused me to blow the 2nd RP. Too tired/getting dark for more attempts. Will go next time for sure.
Fri Rest
Sat Lowish intensity FB session followed my lots of core exercises.
Sun Bouldering at the works. Did most of the new pink/purple circuit then did the black (furthest right) on the comp wall. I'd guestimate around 7B/+ but it has been a while since I've bouldered in that  style. 30 mins AeroCap.

Not an overly successful week. Feeling quite tired from my first week of a Randall training plan and I have 3 extra training units to do next week, need to get more efficient!

Annoyed not to get Vindicator this week. Can do all of the moves easily but just lacking a bit in endurance, though I'm sure it would have gone that session if I'd had longer. Really good little route, a future classic in it's style I think (short and bouldery).

Hope the body adapts to the extra volume soon.

[the_dom]

Mon: Indoor bouldering - decent session on steep problems
Tues: Treadmill intervals & mobility
Wed: PM hang board (max hangs and encores), mobility & some core exercises
Thurs: AM hangboard - Webb Parsons programme, pushups and core; PM hangboard - one arm max hangs
Fri: Rest day, drive to Rocklands
Sat: Rocklands - Champside. Head up to Sean’s Roof (7C) - have tried this over a few sessions since 2007, never more than one session every 2 years or so. It always feels hard and tensiony and has four or five droppable moves in a row. For some reason, I figured a good sequence and everything stuck. YYFY, my first new 7C in ages. Really chuffed with this. (Even more so because a stronger mate of mine couldn’t do it)
Sun: Rocklands - 8 Day Rain. Very warm. Head out early to get some volume but struggle with sharp holds and soft skin in the heat. Leave after nearly doing a few 7Bs nursing a nascent split on one tip. Blah. Annoying. A short hang board session in the evening.

Overall, chuffed with Sean's Roof, but wish conditions had been better on today (and I'd not been so shit)..

[andy popp]

M - nothing, had climbed the day before.
T - early morning session on the Harmers project. Try the top some, its clearly doable but isn't really getting any easier. I then try the crux lower half from the ground for the first time and solidly reach the first crucial crimp several times but can't do the hard foot move from there, though I half get close. Board session in the evening, bouldering. Actually turns into a really good session and I feel quite strong and try hard. Unsurprisingly feel battered by the end after two sessions in a day. I'm too old for that kind of thing.
W - wake feeling pretty sore but feel surprisingly recovered by the end of the day.
T - AM, horrendous drive to Sheffield, meeting, drive out to Hathersage and buy and new pad. Its hot and I can't decide where to go. I ended up at Burbage West and a desultory warm-up is very depressing. Look at WSS and decide to pull on for old times sake, it must be nearly 20 years. First go I get the second side pull well, then have two shit goes, but thereafter can consistently get solidly set-up for the move to the third. I thought I'd held it once till my left greased out of the crimp. I was pretty pleased given the conditions, it didn't feel a million miles off.
F - bit hungover to be honest. Horrendous drive home from Sheffield
S - family stuff
S - could have done something today but I'm going out tomorrow morning.

[nai]

June/July - strength & AnCap phase + Peak savageness (currently 8 routes being worked on)
August/September - More strength + PE phase in school hols
Autumn goals - Raindogs + whatever's leftover from summer

M - rest

T - eventually managed to string some moves together without fucking up and finished Stone The Loach, no celebration just relief, dragged on far too long.
     5x 5 on, 10 off Repeaters x 6 grips

w - rest

Th - Why Me? felt tired since waking, struggled to warm up and didn't feel like I ever really got going. Climbed the bottom wall terribly every time, managed to hold the blocky gaston and move RF to sloper though, so progress.  Nasty fall slipping off while clipping third, thought I was going to deck.

F - garage - hour of open-hand, small-feet bouldering - good, did a medium term project;
     max hangs - PB on 35s & equalled PB on back 2.

S - AM - AnCap - 3 x 4 x 45s (16 moves) , 1:30 rest. 2kg weight belt for sets 1&2. Failed late in set 3. Good workout
     PM - PE - 8 x 1:30 (35 moves), 3 mins rest. Fails backward from move 30 from rep 5 onwards. Quite poor at this and I think it's what I need for Raindogs so need to improve, should maybe wait til August though.

S - Shouldn't have but got bored and couldn't help myself - 3 x 10 mins Aero.

[Sasquatch]

STG-Climb stuff outside(mostly find project to drive the psyche), drop weight(current 173-goal by end of June is 170)
MTG-Climb more stuff outside(work moves on new-found projects), drop more weight(drop to 167 by end of July)
LTG-Climb some really hard stuff outside(send new and old projects), drop rest of excess weight(drop below 165 by end of August)

A couple of weeks off powerclub, so here's the last 3 weeks.

Week of May 25-May 31 was spent in Seattle for a 4 day visit to Seattle Children's for a 3 day seizure study on my daughter.  Overall the week went well, but very stressful.  No climbing.

Week of June 1-June 7 - did a campus session, which went a bit poorer than hoped.  climbed outside for 45 minutes on Friday and managed to do the FA of a new v8/9ish.  Saturday- hungover and HUGE hike  11miles and 6000 vertical feet in 4hrs round trip. Sunday- exhausted, but Hike/bike into Archangel to check out new area.  Get hailed out, but managed to clean and climb a few new problems.  Excited to get back to this area as the summer goes on.  4 day of week spent dealing with son#2 issues...

Monday-Morning at courthouse. Campus at Lunch, better than previous week, but not quite where I was hoping, but closer. 
Tuesday-Morning in Court. Soccer game in evening. shooting boots were on-4 goals
Wednesday-Moonboard session.  30ish problems up to 7B. 
Thursday-Rest, short easy bike ride, work done at house...
Friday-Campus at Lunch- 3 x 1-3-6 each arm.  Soccer game in evening, lightly strained hammy at beginning of 2nd 1/2 so took rest of game off.
Saturday-Rest, family time. 
Sunday-Short session outside with friends.  family time Soccer game

Life has been insanely busy, so just trying to stay afloat with short sessions and engaging with family. 
Continuing to improve though, and if life let's up a bit, there may be some good climbing to be had...

[tomtom]

Reading between the lines sounds like it's been a tough couple of weeks in the non climbing sense Sasq.. Hope all well..

[mrjonathanr]

Hope things well for your girl.

[Sasquatch]

Reading between the lines sounds like it's been a tough couple of weeks in the non climbing sense Sasq.. Hope all well..

You could say that.  teenagers-

Hope things well for your girl.

Nothing new on that front. Just trying to make progress on diagnosis and treatment options.  We had exhausted local abilities. 

Thanks for the thoughts and concern though.  Things seem to be on the uphill, so just trying to hold it all together for a few more weeks to make sure we're not gonna relapse into the downhill mode.

[duncan]

STG: OS E3.
Maintain/improve shoulder.
MTG: E5 OS, 7b by end of September. Get flock of ducks in a row to enable trip to Picos, amongst others, this summer.
LTG: Long hard (for me) rock routes in the Alps, Dolomites, Picos and Scotland. 7b+ RP.


M - Fairhead: 4 x E1.
T - Fair Head: Warm-up then Mizen Star E2.
W - Fair Head: The Doffer E1. Raced to Belfast for flight home.
T -
F - Westway with Conor. 10x routes to 6b. Not much but felt like a training session rather than rehab. for the first time in 7 months.
S - DIY (shoulder intensive). Shoulder rehab.
S - More DIY. Short fingerboard session.

Fair Head is the best crag in Britain. If you have not been, go now. High summer works well, the latitude means the NW facing cliffs get 8 hours of sun. I hear it has some pretty decent bouldering too. Northern Ireland, the place and people, are also generally lovely.

The continuous climbing style might take a bit of getting used to and grading can be a bit old school in places. In particular, The Doffer was an eye-opener for E1. Where else in the UK (outside Dalriada) do you get 100’ of continuous fist crack and offwidth? Solid 5.10, considerably harder than Elder Crack.  "Not as vicious as it looks" says the guidebook; correctly, it is much worse. I climbed with one of the first ascensionist, Dermot Somers, a couple of years after in 1979.  He told me he was in Sheffield to learn to climb cracks. I’m now wondering if I was subtly being had. 

Various non-climbing stressors at play the last few weeks but some of these are resolving.

Plan: gradually ramp-up the fingerboarding. Mix of bouldering and routes to keep me going on the trad. over summer.

[mrjonathanr]

6 Full on efforts. proper 10-15 min rests between. In the effort above I'd not got my hand in the HUUUGE slot in the roof properly and was trying desperately to udge it in better.. It'll succumb eventually, but there are 3 or 4 'percentage' moves for me..

Looks very stretched ..why not put your feet up when you go for the slot and stay high to get the flake? I bet it's easier .

[kelvin]

  teenagers-

Had a few worrying/tough times with mine but my daughter (21) came down from Liverpool on Friday and we went for a meal and to the cinema - days like that make the frustrating ones worth it.

[tomtom]

6 Full on efforts. proper 10-15 min rests between. In the effort above I'd not got my hand in the HUUUGE slot in the roof properly and was trying desperately to udge it in better.. It'll succumb eventually, but there are 3 or 4 'percentage' moves for me..

Looks very stretched ..why not put your feet up when you go for the slot and stay high to get the flake? I bet it's easier .

Normally if I get the lh good in the flake once I reach out right I can cut loose etc... But that time it was like my first joint went in and I was desperately trying to wind it into a a crimp to recover - but didn't.. All the matching moves are marginal.. One of those where if you get the gold 100% first time you save 4-5 secs of adjusting/faffing time.. And the meter doesn't stop running!

[shark]

Sat: Rocklands - Champside. Head up to Sean’s Roof (7C) - have tried this over a few sessions since 2007, never more than one session every 2 years or so.

Nice one. Got any footage?

Week of May 25-May 31 was spent in Seattle for a 4 day visit to Seattle Children's for a 3 day seizure study on my daughter.  Overall the week went well, but very stressful. 

Heavy duty - hope everything OK now.

T - eventually managed to string some moves together without fucking up and finished Stone The Loach, no celebration just relief, dragged on far too long.
   

Not bad... for a short arse

[HazelR]

STG
Reduce working hours to something a bit saner - fail, try again...
Get to the wall more than once a week - tick

This year
Tick some outstanding 7b+/c projects
Something harder?

Double update owing to slackness.

Mon - Short fingerboard. Terrible to start, a little better once I brushed the dust off the fingerboard.
Tues - Wall? I think.
Wedns - Wall, mostly to return accidentally borrowed tent to friend. Had a short crap boulder whilst there.
Thurs - Better boulder session at wall. 
Fri - Rest.
Sat - Glorious day at Wallsend in the sunshine. Realm of Chaos near enough in two sections but can't get through the crux from the ground, running out of power a few moves too early - recovering well in the rests higher up though.   
Sun - Short day doing a bit of onsighting at Blacknor.
Mon - Rest.
Tues - Wall. Intended to do circuits but too tired to contemplate it so just bouldered.
Wedns - Rest.
Thurs - Wall, short boulder.
Fri - Rest.
Sat - Cuttings. Hall of Mirrors.
Sun - Cuttings again, back on Hall of Mirrors. One move I'm really low percentage on but can't figure out what's different the times I do it to the times I don't. Climbing partner cruised it last go of the day, her first 7c 

Duncan - agreed re: Fairhead, it's incredible!

[Luke Owens]

M: Rest

T: Dinbren - 2 goes up Flowers for the Dead, got familiar with the moves again, same old story as last year the 2 moves between clips 1 and 2 feel the living end for me and I only manage them individually once every few goes. while hanging on the rope and I can always climb to the top from there... Felt psyched to get back on it.

W: Rest

T: Had planned to go to Dinbren but had some bad family news.

F: Rest

S: Rest

S: Dinbren - warmed up on Climb High (E4 6b/French 7a) stupid idea crux is mega sharp and fell off. Watched a strong guy basically walk up Flowers for the Dead and made the hard (for me) moves look like nothing. Very inspiring. Discussed beta with him and tried some things out but it just seems like I'm not strong enough for the route, which is a first for me. I've always had the problem of getting too pumped or powering out but for the first time I just fall off right at the start because the moves are just nails. It was greasy in the sun though to give myself some sort of credit.

This was my 10th session on the route albeit most of the sessions short ones. I'm thinking I'd be better off trying something else and come back to this when I'm stronger, it's a hard decision though as I've invested a lot of time into it. I am just grade chasing a 7c and there's another at the crag (Extreme Ways) which I've been told has easier moves but is more sustained, a style which I'm better at these days. I'm thinking of just getting on this instead. Decisions...

[nik at work]

STG - Gotham Extension
MTG - trad projects when bird ban lifted (end of June) 8c in Margalef
LTG - 9a
BHAG - bruderliebe

M - DIY day then bat cave in the evening. First go up Gotham extension get through the (wet) roof and am rocking round the lip to the head wall when massive body failure occurs. Next go, get through the (still wet!) roof then successfully rock round the lip and preceded to spend 20 minutes very slowly and carefully climbing the relatively straightforward head wall, but tactics pay off and the chains are reached STG ticked, yay The Dark Knight 8a+
T - DIY
W - DIY then evening at the training traverse. Do best link yet of current eliminate project get from start through first crux sequence and climb on to fall at the second crux, which I honestly wasn't even close to doing. Then do from just after first crux through second crux to the end. So two very overlapping sections, linking the whole thing still seems miles off though...
T - DIY
F - ?Me and the wife scored pit passes for senior race day of TT, lording round the pit lane, amazing experience. No training value.
S - DIY day then late afternoon at the bat cave. Trying Dougs new route. Conditions were horrendous as the sea cliff nature means until the sun has dried the rock it is like wet graphite. Had four red points but kept falling at the top, greasing of wet slick sloppy sidepulls. By six thirty the rock was starting to get the sun...  But I had to get home, bah!
S - DIY and teaching an unwilling eight year old long division. Then after putting the spuds to bed raced out to the bat cave, get there at 8:00. First two red points its boiling sweaty grease fest and I predictably fall off the same move, but at 9:00 the temps drop a few degrees and red point number 3 is successful. Far too many red points but an uber condition-ey route.

A good week in terms of ticking things off the to do list but no real training, Doug is injured right now so time to get back on the training tip toot suite.

Sass I hope non climbing things continue to head in an upward direction.

[mr chaz]

Finally managed to get out this week, and got 4 indoor sessions in as well as another wishlist boulder in N. Wales.

M. 40 degree board
T. Max hangs. 5.5 kilos on the pulley.
W. Power endurance - foot on campus boarding. 1 minute on, 1 minute off x 6. Rest of time working projects.
T. Took a friend indoor bouldering. No training involved, just took it easy and repeated lots of problems.
F. Rest
S. Rest
S. Day out in Llanberis Pass. Had a good day, the highlight being an ascent of Bus Stop. New pair of shoes and the heel felt great this time, took about 5-6 efforts before the send. I've looked at this before and either not been able to do the first move or not been able to keep the heel from popping off. Also repeated Cromlech Roof Crack and The Minimum, both done about 2 years ago.

[T_B]

86.2Kg

M - School lunch. Light session as finger and thumb taped. P.M. F/board repeaters. The usual. Felt pretty strong and PBs on lock offs.
T -
W - P.M. cragx. Warmed up re-trying sections of Moffatrocity. Felt a bit smeggy. Had a couple of tries on the pinch but smeggy and right thumb had been split on it on Saturday and hadn't healed, so sacked it. Tried various other things quickly but decided to head off to check out Badger Cove. After a bit of thrashing around in the undergrowth having not bought the guide and just working off JB's description in another thread, found the crag. Wow! Had a few goes trying Badger etc, the 8A, hitting the pocket a few times but not holding it. Need to come back with more pads and a ladder. 55 mins from base of crag to home, so only an evening option for me.
T - Burbage South quarries avec Missus. Thought I'd ease her into some trad with Millwheel wall and VS to the left. She "hated every minute of it"  Not looking so good for week in Pembroke in August.
F - School lunch. Good session, mostly 30 degree board, repeating Dave's problem with a tricky catch at the top.
S - Snook in a 50 minute F/board session.
S - Woke up to back in spasm (again). Ended up going to the School once it has eased and did some stretching over the fitness ball, plus 4 x 5 or 6 minutes foot-on campussing.

Massively psyched for Badger etc. Not massively psyched about underlying lower back issues. Supposed to be going to Badger Cove on Tues, but will have to see how back is...

[T_B]

Fair Head is the best crag in Britain.

It's strange, as on paper it is, but somehow I found it all a bit too good. Soulless, lacking in character, predictable? Line after line of 4-star E3 and E4 got a bit boring after a while. No spice. Every route merged into one. Almost like a session doing routes down the wall. Abseil in, place perfect runner, move up on perfect rock, empty rack for 50 metres and repeat. Also, once you get above E4 there are very few clean routes. It's funny as it's not somewhere I'd rush back to (though it would be a great place to 'get back into it'). All that said, Dark Forces is like doing a route in Yosemite and is probably the best 2-pitch crack route in the UK.

[dave]

6 Full on efforts. proper 10-15 min rests between. In the effort above I'd not got my hand in the HUUUGE slot in the roof properly and was trying desperately to udge it in better.. It'll succumb eventually, but there are 3 or 4 'percentage' moves for me..

Looks very stretched ..why not put your feet up when you go for the slot and stay high to get the flake? I bet it's easier .

Yeah you lanky cunt, pick your fucking feet up! Once you've got slot with LH the RF goes on ones of the obvious foothold and LF on the little sidepull at the start, keys you in nicely for move to that finishing crimp.

[Doylo]

This was my 10th session on the route albeit most of the sessions short ones. I'm thinking I'd be better off trying something else and come back to this when I'm stronger, it's a hard decision though as I've invested a lot of time into it. I am just grade chasing a 7c and there's another at the crag (Extreme Ways) which I've been told has easier moves but is more sustained, a style which I'm better at these days. I'm thinking of just getting on this instead. Decisions...

Extreme Ways might not be a good one if you're grade chasing though, isn't it getting 7b+ in next guide?