[Sasquatch]

STG-project 2(8a-ish), plus a couple of 8a/+ boulder projects.
MTG- project 1 (8b+/c-ish)
LTG- to bolt or not to be

M- rest
T- Back to new project for day 2 - Warmed up, then replaced anchor on projects.  Got on a second project next to the first that shares the same anchor.  Managed to figure out the moves and do it in two sections.  Should go next session or two.  Prob in the 8a/+ range.  The hoped back on big project.  Improvement from first day on, but still nails.  Did all of the moves, and linked each crux section except the last.  Refined beta on first crux to make it a touch easier.  also found slightly better rest at 6th bolt, which will likely be key. 
W- fingers feel fucked from all the hard crimping.
T- Light aerocap as fingers still feel fucked... 1:15 hard mtn bike.  then 
F- light fb
S-Boulder session, repeat a few v8's and a v10, then work out beta on project. 
S-light FB/strength/stretching session. shoulder feels achey.  need to get it sorted before it gets worse. 

Amazing day on project on Tuesday, but fingers were worked for 3-4 days after from all the crimping. swollen joints and pulley's.  I was worried I actually injured one of them. Overall really high psyche this week. 

Indoor week in looking likely as forecast calls for rain for the next 7-10 days.

[lagerstarfish]

gulp

number goal = 7C

actual numbers 14st 12lb

M - drive back from France thinking about bouldering
Tu - washing and general unpacking from holiday, zero barbel session on Don (one lost), stretching
W - work, stress, zero barbel session on Don (no bites)
Th - work late, good buzz from doing good work
F - work, ate from cake table, thought about starting climbing
Sa - Stanage le Bois, surprisingly OK August connies, surprisingly OK performance for first session in several months, loved it, socialized with unknown southerners and foreigners in a good way, lost skin on soft toes and fingers. barbecue (aced new dish). thought about climbing
Su - ache like fuck everywhere, toes sore. sub-moderate parkour tottering. excellent lunch at mother-in-laws with Jasper (kir and red wine). evening barbecue and beer with Big Ed. really don't want to go to work tomorrow. thinking about climbing

forgot to contact GME about fishing

[36chambers]

Amazing day on project on Tuesday, but fingers were worked for 3-4 days after from all the crimping. swollen joints and pulley's.  I was worried I actually injured one of them.

Have you seen the "voodoo flossing" thread?

[nik at work]

STG trad projects
MTG 8c in Margalef
LTG 9a
BHAG Bruderliebe

M - evening outside on steep trad project. Did mid height gear to top in oner, also did ground to crux two moves in oner. Still not done crux two moves. Did after crux two moves to mid height gear in a oner (only two moves so not that exciting...). A good session, top half is feeling steady-ish (probably 7c+/8a in it's own right), bottom half of bottom half is also ok (maybe font 7B??) to crux moves. Crux moves are hard, as are the next two moves to mid height. Then to end the session had a top rope on Dougs project, got through the crux from the ground but came off a few moves later mis timing a dead point to a pocket.
T - nothing
W - nothing
T - evening outside. Went in the chasm. Horrible humid smeggy conditions, top roped project twice, this is so game on but just soooo bold. Practiced placing the gear, which is blind. Just fine tuning and waiting for conditions (weather and mental). Then went to traverse wall and did a bunch of traversing.
S - nothing
S - outside afternoon. Crazy hot and low team syke meant the group were top roping routes when I got out. I joined the party, did half a dozen or so E2 - E5 routes on top rope, all a bit pointless but nice enough in the sun I suppose. Then dragged Doug into the chasm for another hot humid smeggy top rope on the project, did it clean again.

3 weeks without touching the BM, I feel ashamed. Some good climbing this week, good progress with steep project. Chasm project is coming to a head, hopefully conditions will be good before it becomes stale.
F -

[rodma]

Mon: weights dynamic campussing and dynamic bodyweight exercises. Feel ok, despite training the day before.
Tue: staticky campussing half crimp and two-fingered to failure followed by beastmaker
Wed: wall session. Still manage a pretty good session despite previous days' efforts
Thurs: sports massage in the evening
Fri: I have a thirst on
Sat: wall session, since the wee man still isn't quite recovered enough to take away any distance. Broken from massage still.
Sun: agassiz rock. Have never climbed here before. It's quite like of you imagine a piece of choss that's rotated until it's 45 degrees overhanging. It's a wee suntrap and the wee man doesn't mind being there.

Pretty good week all in, despite not getting a single full night's sleep. Have had it too easy for the last ten months and had forgotten what lack of sleep was like.

[tomtom]

When are you back in the midweek game Lagers?

[fatneck]

Mon - Pilates sans instuctor, beasting all moves on the video I'm using so one STG completed
Tue - nowt
Wed - nowt
Thurs - Pilates with instructor - good to do some leg based stuff which I have't been doing when using the video
Fri - nowt
Sat - walk in Wales followed by some fishing
Sun - BBQ, lots of awesome food and ales of outstanding quality

Poor week training wise, work insanely busy. Pleased about Pilates progress. On holiday again from tomorrow but hoping to get the Noodle and wife out on some esoteric Teesdale grit, do some walking and fishing...

[andy_e]

Gis a shout if you're out on some evening Teesdale grit lid!

[T_B]

M - Dinas Rock via Swansea PlayZone and Greggs. Gopping. Toweled and did Launch falling off at topDid the odd dry move on Fat Cat Roof and Carpenter's Apprentice.
T -
W - Shipwreck Cove. Did 6c+, then due to limited time got on One Ton Depot 7b+, falling off at top crux. Redpointed then had a look at the classic 7c+. Too pumped to redpoint so stripped it. Dogged 7b on left which was a bit damp. Impressions: weird to be on trad style rock above the sea on bolts but fun holiday  stylee.
T -
F -
S -
S - Pembroke. Craig Caerfai with Mrs T_B. Warm up then Armorican HVS, then another easy one and some coasteering. Brilliant chilled and fun day in perfect weather with no one around.

[lagerstarfish]

When are you back in the midweek game Lagers?

Tuesdays in between school drop/pickup from September and Thursdays until 10am

available for night time heckling too

I'm available for all of next week

charging full rates for beta up to 6C, but offering a 25% discount above that.

probably going to do a BOGOF offer on spotting sometime soon

[duncan]

STG: Don’t get injured. Do some training. Climb something long and fairly hard (for me) in Switzerland in September.  Excalibur (a 6b that’s an E4 in disguise apparently) on the Wendenstock or Gletschersinfonie on the Wellhorn?
MTG: E5 OS and 7b RP by end of year.
LTG: Long hard (for me) rock routes in the Alps, Dolomites, Picos and Scotland. 7b+ RP.

M - S: Family holiday in Bavaria, 16 hours of glorious music and perverse theatre. Hearty walks in the forest most days, shoulder and hip routine every day. Three sessions of dead-hanging on the wooden beams in the flat. 

A healthy non-climbing holiday. Thanks to Muenchener for the bouldering beta, I packed shoes and harness but the temperatures were sweltering (32-37C) and I wasn’t very tempted. We’ll probably be back next year. Getting stronger fingers is important for my long-term progress so it’s good to be easing back into dead-hanging. Shoulder and elbow tolerant so far.

Plan: work, family trips to Edinburgh and Dorset in next two weeks, so not much climbing on rock. One or two fingerboard sessions a week, one or two long and easy sessions a week.

[tomtom]

Bit of an epic week...

M: Forecast was cool, overcast, odd showers clearing - so feeling psyched by Mike Adams vids of new problems at Dove Lowe Lancs, I headed out of there.. Having arrived and got my gear organised, the heavens opened - but with a stiff wind and a 30-40 min walk in I figured I could wait it out. It hooned down, but 10 min later I started walking accross. Got a little damp in the remnants of the rain, but in the distance I could see Dove Lowe changing colour as it dried and as I got closer. I warmed up, and what I thought were low flying aircraft (its often on the inbound flight path to Manc airport) turned out to be thunder... Looking out accross the fell towards Manchester I could see a band of dark clouds - the off flash of lightning and now lots of thunder rumbles. For those who have never been - Dove Lowe is a rocky outcrop on the top (ish) of pretty high but flat moorland... think a mini Almscliff but in higher flatter surrounds. There is no natural shelter - a valley - gulley or anywhere else to shelter. It seems I was caught out - in open exposed country with an impending thunderstorm.

Never mind - google will help me. Yet in a comedy moment, my phone used up all its data - and I had to buy some more (clock ticking...) as the rumbles got closer. A quick search (and a rather concerned tweet) suggested that near - but not close to the rocks was the best option - and crouched on a mat (they recommended a camping mat - but I assumed a bouldering mat was miles better). Leaving my bag stuffed under a dry rock - I went and crouched (or sat huddled) on my mat - some 5-8m away from the base of the rocks. And waited. It pissed it down for 10 min - big stinging drops of rain - my softshell couldnt cope. My nice comfy bouldering mat had a sag where I was sat - so I ended up sitting in a puddle - but (amazingly) no lightning near by - as if it stopped just before.

It stopped (mostly) raining - soaked to the skin, I changed into some dry clothes I had in my bag (spare bouldering trousers - a climbing vest and a thin hoody) and stuck my clothes up on some rocks to dry... Despite being somewhat withered by the last 30 min of outdoor experience, I figured I may as well wait for the rock to dry. Sadly - several smaller drizzly showers buzzed througha nd after an hour I a gave up - and walked/stomped the 30 min back to the car with kit that weighed a considerable bit more than on the way out... but alive and well...

Tu: Forecast better - back to Dove lowe. Wasn't going to let it beat me



Well worth going back - Tangled up in blue - the first prob in the clip (7A) is superb... really balancy, body position critical problem. It would be a worthy starred classic if it were at Burbage etc.. Also managed Talking Shillibut (7A+ - not in the film) which is different (a little harder) after I broke a pebble trying it last time... and Extemporise... I normally steer clear of ANY problem that involves the words Mantle - and ended up doing two that quite heavily involved them...

W: Battered. Shattered (I think) from two days of longish walk ins (for me) and a hard day climbing on tues. Triceps were in agony (mantling... ). Tried to do a beastmaker session - did one set on the big holds - then went and had a beer and watched TV..

Th: Still knackered! Andy Popp was heading out in the morning to work on his Harmers project - so keen to catch up (more to chat than to climb) I set out - but having got 10 min into the journey - M56 shut/knackered so turned back. I really didnt fancy a long drive anywhere - so ended up going to Hobson Moor. Enthusiasm flagging, I got my stuff out of the car, walked towards the quarry - saw it was full of a kids climbing party thought aaaaaghh! and turned around.

I then stood in the middle of the road, not sure what to do - but decided to go back and see what I could get done in the quarry... Actually, they were very well behaved in a well run group from Logport Wall - and I pottered (and failed) on some problems on the back wall and headed up to the house on the hill. Repeated the 7A LH version pretty fast (feels soft..) and set to work on the 7B RH version (feels nails). Crimpy crimpy pulling. Probably fine if you practice on a board all the time - but I don't BUT - from having previously not been able to do anything on it apart from barely pull on - after warming into the problem I managed all the moves in isolation - then ran out of skin and strength...

Fr: Work. Curry. Beer.

Sa: MrsTT away for the weekend - so a long day planned at Blackstone. ANOTHER long walk in... Windier - colder and the odd bit of drizzle. Temps in the low teens - a strong wind and overcast - good conditions... Started at the trig point - then worked what I thought was a new sit start to Paggered (6B+) then realised the guide said it was a SS :D tore a couple of holes in my tips - and it felt more like 7A than 6B+.. REALLY good problem though... Techy - and very hard to hold the first barn door - some cunning toe under stuff to just keep it in...



Then managed to do "the Lushering" 7A - that I did - but was blown off the top out last time I was there! (using a pinch on the slopey gaston is some sneaky beta) - and a quick repeat of Con - Air (good value). Had a nice chat with a bloke up there taking pictures of the wind farm developments for planners - then retreated to the less windswept back boulders. Started to feel trashed and had blood coming from three tips... but didnt want to waste the walk in - so creaked up Home improvements (6C) and worked the 7A traverse on that block - managing it with crimps using taped up tips (squirming around!) - a really good problem and worthy of its star (a cheeky heel toe at the end helped..)

Went home - felt shattered - was social with neighbours having a mini street party. Drank tea instead of wine...

Su: Rest. Nurse tips. Feel tired.....

[shark]

11.1-4   

M. Last day in Squamish  AM Head out with Ben to the Grand Wall boulders. Bit greasy. He gets Sloppy Poppy and Easy in an Easy Chair. I had another go at Super Daddy Long Legs V6 and did it in overlapping halves but didnt seal the deal. PM Travelling
T. Travelling
W.
T. 7am jet lag induced session. OK scores
F.
S. Temps looked OK and light so went to Malham with Tommy and Cheque for a benchmarking session on the Oak. Fingerboard warmup before we left and warmed up on Consenting and F&EE when we got there. Dogged up the Oak. Did throw straight off and linked left traverse to top. 3 goes from ground getting established but busted on third undercut. Had a walk and a long rest and then a 4th go with sore tips and toes but still got to touch the undercut. Overall not a bad session so worth persisting. Tommy went on Raindogs and did all the moves I think.
S.

At a year low weightwise and not looking gaunt or low on energy. Scales say 10% body fat which if accurate means potentially more to lose which would be an adult life time low which is an exciting prospect. Will try and arrange to get a reading at the Sheff Uni sport lab to find out if the fat % is accurate and what my body comp is.

Back to Malham tomorrow afternoon (tuesday).   

[petejh]

Did throw straight off and linked left traverse to top. 3 goes from ground getting established but busted on third undercut.

Which is the third undercut Si, the one just before the throw?

[shark]

Did throw straight off and linked left traverse to top. 3 goes from ground getting established but busted on third undercut.

Which is the third undercut Si, the one just before the throw?

Yes - meant to say undercut by third bolt.

Getting there 3 x in a row is a reasonable result for me after a lay off from it. See how tomorrow goes. If I'm having solid goes getting up to making the throw move then worth persisting whilst temps are still reasonable. Otherwise I will be focussing on upping Power Endurance as the individual moves are currently feeling fine.   

[kelvin]

Three weeks here, sorry.

STG - Salbit South Ridge (ticked)
New STG - 7a on the trip
MTG - Incapacity Benefit, WCJ inside a year (current best is 6b flashes to give some perspective)
LTG - Salbit West Ridge and something (anything) on Kleinwinterhoek in SA

Mon - Fri worked late
Sat to Mon - Portland. Far too tired, so a bit hit and miss but did some moves that stopped me earlier this year, tried bloody hard and pulled an inner core muscle. Ouchy ouch.

Tue - Fly to Zurich, train to Luzern and dinner with friends in Kriens before getting 4hrs kip and an early alarm
Wed - Salbit South Ridge. Parked in the valley, did the direct start which kept us in front of those starting from the hut and topped some 7hrs after leaving the car, some 2000m in ascent. Two beers and my legs fell apart on the last 500m of descent. No mountain training, thin air and never having climbed on granite before makes me think that it'd be perfectly feasible to shave at least an hour off this, as a team of two pitching it. Awesome day! The climbing is really nice, no pulling hard. The crux pitch is harder than 5a - more like 6a and is the only bit I'd not be too happy soloing as the crux is delicate balancing on crap feet. I could spend day after day on that ridge and not get bored.

This is Salbit Sudgrat reflected in a pool on the walk in.



Thu - Friaki, Pilatus. 50min walk in to a perfect limestone crag not in any guide, bolted back in 2003 by Rene. Very Peak style with lots of sidepulls and undercuts. Too battered from day before and the pulled core muscle, so had a boulder about at the bottom before deciding rest was right. The hard 7s and 8a/+s looked amazing, genuine lines up the rock. Certainly one to go back to after the trip. Pierre ticked his first 7c at the age of 57, just seven years after starting to climb.
Fri - Gig. Al-berto and the Fried Bikinis new album launch at the Yucatan in Engelberg. Cracking night, beer, food and friends.
Sat - Newly bolted granite slab in Gosherenalp. Rene did nine FA, I ticked some 2nd ascents and had a most amazing time. New routes are dirty, I have a new found respect for FA climbers and bolters. Felt really privileged to be there and almost bagged the 6c. The crag goes up to 7b slabs with some easier climbs in the 5s, and a certain 3 star 6c.

Pierre on the second ascent of a new 6c.



Sun - Rest day.
Mon - Gosherenalp. Granite slabs in a guidebook this time that Rene bolted back in 1989, interestingly the grades are higher in the guide than those painted on the rock. Didn't get any easier I guess as they got cleaner. Really pleased to have flashed a 6a+ that had a nasty font-esque mantle ( I can't mantle at all well) and the sun shone again. Beer after.
Tue - Fly home
Wed - Water-cum-jolly Cornice with Muenchener. Incapacity Benefit, perfect day really. Only got the crux moves to sort now which is all down to where to place my feet, as usual. Just love this place.
Thu - Staden Quarry. Another nice day but not at all bothered about single pitch trad on limestone, so let Alan lead everything. I'm becoming a sports climber for sure.
Fri - Rained all day but we went to Rubicon and had a play on Small but Perfectly Formed. jeez. A boulder problem in the sky! Nails for me, total anti-route haha. Climbing Unit, Derby boulder comp. Got to problem 7 and got bored. Cake, coffee and the circuit board.
Sat - Rest day.
Sun - Smalldale. Main Wall was a nice bit of rock, tried the 6c+ to the side but it seemed fiercely technical at the bottom and top. Nice climbing tho. Wandered to the easier area to find loose rock (removed loads off one route) and had a sense of why did I bother. Shame to end the hols in a quarry but was being sociable with mates.

Things learnt - I like easy multipitch trad. I like sports and bouldering. Single pitch trad is not for me. I hate quarries in general. Dinorwig I adore. By lowering my feet, I keep my right shoulder in and can use the dodgy right wrist much better. Pierre has inspired me to try and climb much harder. There's a whole world of amazing crags in Switzerland that are not in the guides, bolted well and aren't polished. The Fried Bikinis new album is great. Regula and Rene are amazing hosts - I met Rene whilst bouldering in Engelberg about three years ago and stayed in touch through facebook. Facebook can be ace. Rest days even on short trips are massively important. Don't climb three days in a row. Power Club is great too, the psyche was high after last week thread. Cheers to Muenchener for the quick visit too.

 

[petejh]

STG: The Brute (by 6th Sept); Diamond new route proj; 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)


M. Massage.
T. Diamond, started out poor connies, got slightly better later but never good. 3 burns on Brute top half. Met Will S. - impressive flash go, me and Caff looking on wondering if this was going to be the first brit flash. Then looking solid on his working goes. Focussed and structured beast with a plan, good to see.
W. Diamond. Good connies after sun hit. Dithered a bit and only had 1 working burn from cold on Brute. refined a couple of moves on headwall and drop-knee move. Will got high on redders, clearly gonna go down. Really bad idea not warming up as I got home and realised I'd tweaked the right bicep longhead tendon frigging on a draw, idiot.
T. wine/chocolate/pizza self-indulgent injury sulk.
F. ditto. Voodoo wrap arrived. Did left shoulder old scar tissue, well impressed with results.
S. Diamond. Amazing conditons - wind, low humidity, everything mint. Luckily, as it was the busiest ever day down there - 28 climbers including 6 8c+ wads. Great to see. Bicep tendon not good so no Brute (also queues 5 deep). Got on The Shining, utterly brilliant stam route with no hard moves, well psyched for this while shoulder heals. Flossed various body parts with good result inc. bicep tendon.
S. Core and mobility workout. Flossed both shoulders and forearms, felt amazing.

Bit gutted to injure bicep longhead frigging a draw while cold, dickhead. Prob lay off Brute while it heals and prob won't do it this season. Still loads of amazing rotues to go at that shouldn't stress it too much, inc. the trad ones.

[petejh]

Did throw straight off and linked left traverse to top. 3 goes from ground getting established but busted on third undercut.

Which is the third undercut Si, the one just before the throw?

Yes - meant to say undercut by third bolt.

Getting there 3 x in a row is a reasonable result for me after a lay off from it. See how tomorrow goes. If I'm having solid goes getting up to making the throw move then worth persisting whilst temps are still reasonable. Otherwise I will be focussing on upping Power Endurance as the individual moves are currently feeling fine.   

Yeah a fine balance of power and endurance that route.. I found geting from the ground to the first undercut at the start of the leftwards traverse was my starting point for links, and from there I'd get one move further along the traverse each go until it went. Flicking the hips in for the 'right foot-in moves' on the traverse was crucial for me. Kneebar finish works well. Never got the start that fluid and would drop it on some goes.
Oh and if you latch the throw on the link then you really 'should' get to the first underut on traverse, can get some back on the horn.

[shark]

Yeah a fine balance of power and endurance that route.. I found geting from the ground to the first undercut at the start of the leftwards traverse was my starting point for links,

Still not got that high but I live in hope.

[lagerstarfish]

Will try and arrange to get a reading at the Sheff Uni sport lab to find out if the fat % is accurate and what my body comp is.

how much does this cost?

got any contact details?

ta

[petejh]

Yeah a fine balance of power and endurance that route.. I found geting from the ground to the first undercut at the start of the leftwards traverse was my starting point for links,

Still not got that high but I live in hope.

Latch that throw and you should get to the start of leftwards traverse.

[shark]

Yeah a fine balance of power and endurance that route.. I found geting from the ground to the first undercut at the start of the leftwards traverse was my starting point for links,

Still not got that high but I live in hope.

Latch that throw and you should get to the start of leftwards traverse.

Yes - should do though fallen off moving right and going for the sloper a far few times now.

This time it WILL be different. Hopefully

[dave]

Will try and arrange to get a reading at the Sheff Uni sport lab to find out if the fat % is accurate and what my body comp is.

how much does this cost?

got any contact details?

ta

If you get in the machine and the reading says "one at a time please" then you pay double.

[shark]

Will try and arrange to get a reading at the Sheff Uni sport lab to find out if the fat % is accurate and what my body comp is.

how much does this cost?

got any contact details?

ta

Its not an official thing - I know someone who works there. Ill ask what the score is when I next go.

[shurt]

Yeah a fine balance of power and endurance that route.. I found geting from the ground to the first undercut at the start of the leftwards traverse was my starting point for links,

Still not got that high but I live in hope.

I think a lot of people on this board do too. I'm sure you'll get up the thing...