[fried]

M - 31°
T - 33°
W - 40°
Th - 32°
F - 35°
Sa - Barbeque, a much cooler evening, dropping below 26°, hopes for some action tomorrow.

Su - Rocher canon for the second consecutive Sunday (unheard of). Left early and arrived just as some thunderstorms had passed, not too hot, but muggy and oppressive. Warmed up on some yellows, then went to have another look at Caprice http://bleau.info/canon/1766.html. The Sun immediately popped out from behind a cloud, so I had a couple of crap goes, then went off to find some shade, Stupidly left my guide book at home.

Repeated a couple of light blues, but was getting fed up dragging my very large mat around, so settled in for a go on Bateau pilote http://bleau.info/canon/1663.html. Terrible conditions, but that'll just make it easier in the autumn. Finally worked out the start, but the hold were getting too greasy. Got the start wired, but yet another to return to in better conditions. I should be easy circuiting....

I had a six day break this week and I ache more than when I climb (before climbing), shoulder feels off, elbow was playing up.

[Muenchener]

STG: redpoint 7a #3
     weight below 80kg - currently about 82
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: Beastmaker max hangs. A kilo heavier or a second longer compared to Friday on seven out of nine sets: good.
T: Evening bouldering, Kochel. Working another 7A+ traverse: a bit beyond me, but encouragingly not *that much* beyond me. Only a couple of moves I couldn't do. Bouldering on real rock is so much better than going to the wall. The evening lightshow on the Karwendel was an added bonus on the drive home.
W: Bike to work 25km
T: Bike to work 25km
F: Beastmaker max hangs. I can hang a medium campus rung at bodyweight four seconds longer than I could in January. Good.
S - S: Family alpine wild camping weekend with M jnr & some friends. Was only two minutes slower on the approach hike than the same event last year despite 23kg rucksack full of glamping gear, temps in the low to mid 30s, and barely having done any aerobic training since the fiasco that was last years alpine non-summer. More importantly: no recurrence of the Mystery Calf Injury, so I won't have to cancel this year's alpine summer plans just yet. 

(And why was my rucksack so heavy, you may ask? Five kg heavier than last year, in fact? M jnr in full Fitzcarraldo mode, determined to carry his inflatable dinghy up to the camping lake, so I ended up with the rest of his stuff. I feel strongly that Fitzcarraldo-esque determination to carry boats to alpine lakes is a thing to encourage in growing lads.)

[tomtom]

Evenin all... Like fried - much of this weeks climbing decisions have been dominated by the weather...

M: Blackwell. Went to scope out the new problems there. Good visit - got spanked by everything but a 6B - but some psyche for some new projects there. Could see the numbers on the problems - just not strong enough to do them.. Mooched over to the Tor to see if Shark was there - he was and teased me for being a forum wrecker

T: Work in 'ull. Drove back - car said the temp ranged from 30 to 28...

W: Day trip to Liverpool with work.. half the train was empty as the aircon wasnt working in that half! Then took 30 min to get from Deansgate to Oxford road (broken trains ahead..). Sweaty tram home.. Over 30 in manchester.. Did some assisted one armers in the evening - for some reason!

Th: Felt awful. Really bad - like I was hungover - sat / lay on the sofa all day and watched wimbledon. Didnt eat anything until 5pm..

Fr: Still feeling a bit wobbly - but determined to get out as it was a bit cooler than the previous days.. Went to Helsby and had a really good session - strange - did nothing major - just felt good to be moving well.

Sa: feeling drained still - and after the rain of the night before and warm temps figured it was a day best not spent climbing.. but strangely motivated to do a 45 min Beastmaker session (not done one for a few months) and felt light and strong. God knows whats up with my body at the moment!

Su: Went to Warton for the first time... took me about 1/2 hour to find the crag, and as the brambles strafed my ankles as I bushwacked through I repeatedly cursed Grimer and his map - but when I found the crag all was well. Lovely spot - nice climbing. Didn't manage anything hard, but had a good tussle with Voodoo thingy and a couple of other 7's that I think could succumb to some lack of technique climbing...

All in all an odd week. I've felt strangely down on energy and felt like I've had a mid level hangover for much of the week, despite not drinking! I wondered if it was a heat thing, but I've not been that hot - and have travelled/been to plenty of hotter and more humid places without feeling like that for long periods.. Who knows!

[nik at work]

I feel strongly that Fitzcarraldo-esque determination to carry boats to alpine lakes is a thing to encourage in growing lads.

No idea who or what Fitzcarraldo is but the concept of kids taking boats to inaccessible places meets with strong approval

Fried I struggle with anything more than a couple of days completely off climbing, it just leaves me sluggish, sore and injury prone feeling whether I'm doing other non climbing exercise or not. Nothing helpful to add beyond a bit of solidarity...

Tomtom Voodoo is classically considered a bit evil if you're tall, but I think Warton is a lovely spot and the problems are nice. A few years ago me and the g-unit spent any a day driving up there to sprocket around in the pleasant-ness. Have to say on the surface your symptoms sound like classic dehydration, maybe drink more alcohol free liquids?

STG -trad project(s) and sport link up
MTG - 8c and 8A
LTG - 9a
BHAG - Bruderliebe

M - outside, training traverse wall. Did standard traverse (7b/+) 6 times to warm up with no rest other than walking back to the start. Then had a dabble on the project eliminate, found a new sequence for first crux and managed to link from start to second crux, but only having one pad (under the first crux) didn't really throw for it, and was boxed out of my mind. Then had a play on Dougs hard boulder problem (~7C??) and did all the moves (couldn't touch one of the moves last year). Then had a play on a new boulder problem, only three moves but one of them is hard and the other two are harder. Finished off with the standard traverse x10.
T - BM session +20kg and one armers, levers, ladders etc. good session.
W - nothing
T - outside. Back to the training traverse, with a second mat. Warm up on standard traverse x5. Then place the pads and do the two cruxes of the eliminate traverse in isolation, then try the full traverse and get it done!! Only just though, banjaxed by the end and very nearly drop the last (very much piss) move. Well pleased to do this as I thought it was going to take ages and also it's really power endurance-y which is kind of route specific for future aspirations. Then after a rest I blast out Dougs hard boulder problem first go and then after several attempts, and a fair dollop of more resting I manage my project boulder problem (7C+??). Good times. Then trash my fingers trying to come up with a harder finish to the no longer a project eliminate traverse, come up with something that feels desperate, which is nice. Skin destroyed so finish off with 12x the standard traverse. Monster brilliant session.
F - outside. Decide to get on steep trad project. Tried this earlier in the year and it is super hard, probably fr8b+/c and a bit spicy at the start. Had a play on the spicy start and it was going pretty well until I pulled off the crucial crux hold. Leaving behind a gaskins-sequel micro crimper, from what was a reasonable first joint edge. Bugger! I think the route is still just about climbable but ooof hard.
S - nothing, daddy daycare all day.
S - daddy daycare again but sneak in a harried and somewhat mediocre BM session.

A good week, pretty intense again but successful. Still not decided if I' gutted or ok with Friday's hold collapse, I guess it depends how climbable the remains are.
Also really enjoyed the women's football, just saying...

[moose]

I feel strongly that Fitzcarraldo-esque determination to carry boats to alpine lakes is a thing to encourage in growing lads.

No idea who or what Fitzcarraldo is but the concept of kids taking boats to inaccessible places meets with strong approval

[tomtom]

Cheers Nik - I can get my toe up - reach the rh side pull and start to rock over but it feels rather strained

Be surprised if it was dehydration - that was my initial thought as I'm used to the symptoms and spotting it from working in hot places - But I've been drinking plenty, piss a sensible colour and not drunk booze all week. Strange. Might head to the docs to see if blood work is ok if it persists

[nai]

God knows whats up with my body at the moment!

Same as, mines completely given up the ghost, no energy, tired all the time, strength and endurance just disappeared.  Heat doesn't help but can't believe it's solely down to that. 

[nai]

Goals
manage finger injury until summer hols, RnR.
summer - train (finger dependent)
autumn - crush          "


M - rest
T - tried to escape the heat at Craig-y-Biceps, got on Laughing at the Rain. Couldn't do the undercut move (i.e. the move). Pulled through on a draw and would probably have linked to the top if my partner could pay out slack at the right time, ended up having to grab a draw when it didn't come. One 'kin job he had.... Tried the 7a+ just left but fell low. Might have had a bit of a tantrum.
w nowt
th nowt
F Cornice, had to redpoint the warmup. Tried Big Zipper, first go fell at the first hard move, 2nd go fell at the second hard move... Went home.
S went to garage in the morning to find it had flooded overnight. Emptied garage.  Managed 4x10 mins Deep Water Aerocap PM.
S fucked

WC 29/6/15 needs to be locked in a box and buried in the salt flats.

[the_dom]

Haven't had the best week either - what was it with this week?

Mon: 40 min trail run
Tues: Lunchtime weights: 5 x (5 DL @ 110kgs, 25 KB swings @ 24kgs); 4 x 5 bench press at 70kgs
Wed: Decent indoor bouldering session, max one arm hangs (tired, sore and demotivated) and core afterwards
Thurs: Hangboard session - max one arm hangs and repeaters and core
Fri: 30 mins on the treadmill at lunchtime
Sat: AM Hangboard - CWP protocol & repeaters & core. Was hoping to get out for a sneaky boulder in the PM but started feeling fluey after hangboarding. Spent rest of the day in bed.
Sun: In bed / on couch. Flu-ish.

Reckon I've been going quite hard the last few weeks and this has made me more susceptible to the pharyngitis that my fiance has been suffering from, which has finally caught up with me. Oh well.

Condolences to everyone else who's had a crappy week.

[shark]

11.5-6

M. Weighed 11.8 first thing but then had 2xBM's so classifying it as a void reading. AM Tor Bit warmer than ideal. Two goes on AM crux section. OK on moves but lacking PE. Nice morning until Cassandra showed up. With hotter weather forecast decided to train some endurance for rest of week.
T. Noon. Systems board. PE. 2 sets of 3 then 4 lots of 14 moves with a hardish start. Boiling weather
W. Noon. Did some hardish pulls then a couple of goes on a harder version of tuesday's problem with some fingery moves PM 4 x 14 moves of Tuesdays circuit. Sweaty work
T. Eve. Fingerboard. Better session than Sunday - and 1 sec improvement on two of the targeted max hangs from previous tuesday (Full crimp 16mm rounded edge + 15kg). Finger strength takes soooo long to gain 
F. Lunch and Late PM Systems borad - Two short hits 3 goes on harder PE circuit and then later managed to do the eEasier version x4 with only 1 min rest between goes but too busted for a second set
S. Noon eatswood Late start till mugginess dissipated For a change decided to go to eatswood as would be a more endurance oriented venue. Path had got overgrown with bracken and brambles and trousers got soaked on way in so a great excuse to climb in my underpants. Lovely conditions with a nice breeze blowing on to the crag. It really is an idyllic spot. Played on the second half of eatswood Reverse for a couple of hours till busted. Cleared the path on the way out. Got home had a nap then overto Lagers BBQ 
S.

Good week. Stayed off the pop till Thurs eve. Good weight range. Also played on bachar ladder at the various times including burning eldest son's climbing mates off. Lets see if the enduro work pays dividends tomorrow..

[nai]

11.5-6
 overto Lagers BBQ 

Ball,s forgot all about that 

[kelvin]

Hurry up hayfever and depart - 5 or 6 antihistamines a day and this heat meant I've been overly lethargic. Worked everyday too.

Mon -  Big Rock bouldering. Good session, tried hard. Got up nothing.
Tue - Run. Hill sprints. The gits had cut the grass, so mileage was out of the question.
Wed - Worked late. Run.
Thu - Did shuttles of ceramic tiles up 43 steps, weight between 34 and 43kg. Knackered.
Fri - Pinnacle bouldering.  Worked gastons with the right hand and then had a play on the roof.
Sat - Worked,  then went to bed early feeling crappy.
Sun - Masson Lees. Pottered about then had to retrieve the draws in the rain. Work after.

Managed to keep on top of the tendonitis, climbing isn't too much of an issue but sanding at work and using a roller really is.

Not climbing well at the minute but managing single moves I couldn't have done a couple of months.

A couple more weeks and hopefully the lungs will clear.




Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[tomtom]

Hurry up hayfever and depart - 5 or 6 antihistamines a day and this heat meant I've been overly lethargic.

I get bad hayfever - and this time of year is a total lottery for me... I take both Beconase (nasal spray) and Citrizide Hydrochloride (used to be branded Zirtek) which largely keeps it under control. But even if I'm not sneezing I feel wacked out. It's as if I'm suffering the after effects of the symptoms without the symptoms of that makes sense. Sometimes bouldering sessions in summer for me are limited by how long I can be out of the car/house before it gets too bad...

[kelvin]

This is the first year since I was in my early thirties Tom, that I've felt like I've needed an inhaler too - been too busy to get to the docs tho. Nasel spray is a must! As you said, the drugs alleviate the symptoms but I still feel rough.. Ah well.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[tomtom]

Mines strangely been better this year - maybe at 45 in finally 'growing out of it' as I was always told would happen since the age of 9...

As a result I generally don't like summer and have an urge to napalm all vegetation and concrete the world

[petejh]

STG: The Brute (by 6th Sept); Diamond proj 8a/+; Detritus Wall trad proj; G.Orme trad proj.
MTG: Onsight attempts on The Hurting, Cathedral, Banana Wall, Anubis (next winter)
LTG: 8c (within 2.5 years)
Ultimate goal: undecided

Last 2 weeks spent resting.

1st week of base phase
M. Quad/hamstring strength and stretches following v.minor meniscus tweak.
T. Devil's Gorge. First day back on rock in over two weeks and couldn't get up Grand Canyon or Broccoli without pumping out. Good. 6 pitches.
W. Core and mobility sesh.
T.
F. Chapel Head Scar. Hotter than a fuck-off hot thing and not possible to climb in the sun. Did some sandbag 6a warmups then did some sandbag 6b warm up then some sandbag grade 7s. Chapel Head 3 star 7a = loose belay-killer blocks that have to be climbed around; average moves; no line and a sandbag grade. Woohoo! Left unimpressed, the Orme is Rodellar in comparison. Probably unfair 
S. Core and mobility sesh
S. Abbed into bottom of Twll Mawr and waited around for the rain to stop, then climbed Desolation of Smaug in beautiful evening sunshine. Amazing - well impressed with the climb! Highly recommended.


Pottering easy base week. Another to follow with some strength mixed in. Enjoying the shuffling.

[duncan]

STG: OS E3. Double or Quits (by 19th July). Navarro-Rabada, Naranjo de Bulnes.
MTG: E5 by end of September. 7b by end of year.
LTG: Long hard (for me) rock routes in the Alps, Dolomites, Picos and Scotland. 7b+ RP.

M - Shoulder stability routine. Step-ups.
T- See Physio. about hip, have exercise programme to follow
W - Hottest July day on record, west London hottest place in UK, so did the sensible thing: Westway, aerobic capacity (10mins on /10mins off x3)
T - Westway, aerobic capacity (10mins on /10mins off x 3)
F - Shoulder and hip routine.
S - Portland with the retired super-Alpinist. What were we thinking! Everyone in SE England was heading to the coast, slow-moving nose-to-tail for 5 and a half hours, literally from the start of the M3 to Weymouth. Went to Godnor to avoid the sun, stick-clipping F3+ scenes! Luckily the climbing was good, company and weather excellent, did 8 routes, stopped at 7.30 with gas still in the tank but another epic drive loomed.
S - Family stuff. Shoulder and hip routine. Micro fingerboard session.

Quite good week, shoulder about 60%. Plan: more of the same, mainly mileage on rock and plastic. Do some kind of exercise every day. One fingerboard and/or bouldering session a week. Fall off some routes.

[AJM]

S - Portland with the retired super-Alpinist. What were we thinking! Everyone in SE England was heading to the coast, slow-moving nose-to-tail for 5 and a half hours, literally from the start of the M3 to Weymouth. Went to Godnor to avoid the sun, stick-clipping F3+ scenes! Luckily the climbing was good, company and weather excellent, did 8 routes, stopped at 7.30 with gas still in the tank but another epic drive loomed.

I had planned for full on sunbathing and swimming conditions over on the west coast, but actually the breeze made it quite reasonable and I was in shorts for a lot less of the day than I would have expected...

[T_B]

85.6Kg

M -  School lunch. Mainly 50 degree. Finished by finally doing the Purple 7c+ circuit (having sorted out then end drop down on my warm up).
T - The Dark Room. Bit damp, but considering it was 29 degrees out, not an unreasonable option. Did all moves, but only crux once. OK, so the climbing is kind of novel/fun, but the venue - urggh!
W - yeah right
T - School lunch - 10 x 1 min on, 30 secs off x 10, then 10 mins rest and 12 x 1 min on, 30 secs off. Pumped!
F - Foundry lunch - 20 mins on, 5 mins rest, 20 mins on.
S -
S - 8.30pm decided to head out to Burbage for a potter. Gorgeous evening, even managed to do Blind Date (don't think I've ever done it in July - had to remove a fern from right hand pocket!)

Youngest child got chicken pox this wk, so weekend climbing plans scuppered.

Enjoying the hard work of foot-on campussing and rather than reducing rest, think I will try and work towards 15 x 1 min on, 10 mins rest and another 15 mins.

Outside projects need cooler temps, so happy to do what the weather dictates.

[T_B]

STG: The Brute (by 6th Sept); Diamond proj 8a/+; Detritus Wall trad proj; G.Orme trad proj.

Pottering easy base week. Another to follow with some strength mixed in. Enjoying the shuffling.

Pete - I'm intrigued. Given that Diamond season starts potentially 2 or 3 weeks from now, the Brute is a PE route and you have a cut off date of 6 Sept, I would have thought you'd be hammering the AeroPow at the moment? Then topping up your power with some bouldering? Prior to getting on it. Or do you just intend to get fit on the route? It's a lot longer than the Oak, isn't it i.e. the endurance end of PE?

[duncan]

S - Portland with the retired super-Alpinist. What were we thinking! Everyone in SE England was heading to the coast, slow-moving nose-to-tail for 5 and a half hours, literally from the start of the M3 to Weymouth. Went to Godnor to avoid the sun, stick-clipping F3+ scenes! Luckily the climbing was good, company and weather excellent, did 8 routes, stopped at 7.30 with gas still in the tank but another epic drive loomed.

I had planned for full on sunbathing and swimming conditions over on the west coast, but actually the breeze made it quite reasonable and I was in shorts for a lot less of the day than I would have expected...

We were a mixed ability group  - not the retired super-Alpinist - which was another reason to stay on the east side. Wallsend would have been a bit much sadly (well done on Realm of Chaos). Ironically, by 7pm it was very greasy and even 6b was a bit of a struggle.

[Doylo]

STG: The Brute (by 6th Sept); Diamond proj 8a/+; Detritus Wall trad proj; G.Orme trad proj.

Pottering easy base week. Another to follow with some strength mixed in. Enjoying the shuffling.

Pete - I'm intrigued. Given that Diamond season starts potentially 2 or 3 weeks from now, the Brute is a PE route and you have a cut off date of 6 Sept, I would have thought you'd be hammering the AeroPow at the moment? Then topping up your power with some bouldering? Prior to getting on it. Or do you just intend to get fit on the route? It's a lot longer than the Oak, isn't it i.e. the endurance end of PE?

It's about 40 moves so almost beyond power endurance but the lack of shake outs means it's not really a endurance route either. On the cusp as you say.

[AJM]

We were a mixed ability group  - not the retired super-Alpinist - which was another reason to stay on the east side. Wallsend would have been a bit much sadly (well done on Realm of Chaos). Ironically, by 7pm it was very greasy and even 6b was a bit of a struggle.

Thanks 

Fair enough - it's not the most mixed of venues!

The breeze dropped for us later in the day which meant we got deteriorating conditions as well - thankfully they were quite good earlier in the day so it was a case of good going to middling rather than middling going to poor.

Tricksy conditions, but a great crag... We got out just after sunset in the end after having to take a more faffy line at the top of the boulder beach on account of the swell.

[mr chaz]

STG 8a redpoint

M. Power endurance at the wall. Foot on campus board. 1min on 1, min off x 6, large rungs. Followed by max length hang on large rung ~ 7min 10s.

T. WCJ Cornice. 4 redpoint goes on Free monster, only got past the crux once and then immediately dropped it in the hard clip.

W.
T.

F. Max hangs with 5.5kg pulley assistance.

S. Rest

S. Squeezed in a session at WCJ Cornice. 2 redpoint attempts and ended up falling off the last move of Free Monster. F*ckin' bollux 

Mixed emotions as I feel I should've put the project to bed by now, but pleased to know that success is surely close. However, its getting a bit rainy....

[jwi]

STG:
Getting better
Easing back into climbing

MTG:
Flashing a few non-vertical white boulderprobs in the gym.
Onsight one 8a or five 7c+'s this year. Preferably both.
Do something fairly challenging in Taghia in September.


Mon: Rest. Still sick, but much better.
Tue: Abbreviated Strength programme. Super weak. Out of breath.
Wed: Easy bouldering in the gym.
Thur: Rest
Fri: Granite slab climbing in Cavallers. Didn't need arms, so that helped a bit. 6b+, 7a, 7b, 7a all onsight. Was pretty tired/listless afterwards.
Walked up to the refuge at Travessani with haulbag. 1h45min hiking from 1700 m to 2200 m asl. Beautiful hike. But very tiring in my physical state.
Sat: Climbed vertical granite in Vermell/Travessani at 2300 m asl. 6c, 7c+ o/s attempt. Fell at the top crux. Very hard to read and seriously crimpy. Was absolutely broken after. 7c+ top-rope/checking out moves. Then the sun hit.
Walking back and forth to the Refuge for dinner 1h total
Sun: 6b horror show. Dirty. Elbsandstein-esque bolting. 7c+ RP. 8a o/s attempt. Did the first crux, fell on second. Too tired for more. Sun hit.
2h hike down to the car.



Progression:
Weight: 69-70 kg
8a's onsighted this year: 0/1
7c+'s onsighted this year: 2/5
Overhanging whites flashed in gym: 0