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Project 8a (Read 47160 times)

thekettle

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#100 Re: Project 8a
July 13, 2018, 08:28:20 pm
If it's any help for psyche, I've just done my first 8a last week, and 18 months ago my best was 7a.
To put it in context I came into it after 8 years of bouldering/child-rearing (preceded by another 15 years of tradding), so had a surplus of strength but pitiful endurance. Built an 8ft garage wall, used it twice weekly to get fit, and focused on climbing my anti-style (long enduro routes with high cruxes) in the 7's for the first year. Found a short bouldery 8a last week and it went in 5 tries :-)
Now resuming work on my weaknesses on classic 7s. For me the deal breaker was showing up to train, even if just for an hour at 9pm, week after week. Some changes in my diet also hugely improved recovery and resilience of my knackered shoulders and elbows, allowing for more volume.

Catcheemonkey

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#101 Re: Project 8a
July 14, 2018, 05:46:15 pm
John - what changes did you make to your diet, that helped improve recovery?

I’m trying to increase my training volume at the moment, but am feeling absolutely battered.

thekettle

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#102 Re: Project 8a
July 14, 2018, 09:54:02 pm
Did a dietary assessment with Rebecca Dent. As a result Iincreased the antioxidants in my diet (more berries and dark leafy greens), doubled my protein intake to 2g/kg BW, and started on creatine.

Catcheemonkey

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#103 Re: Project 8a
July 15, 2018, 07:37:28 am
Thanks.

I’m starting to think I’m the only person in the country not taking Creatine.

Wood FT

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#104 Re: Project 8a
July 15, 2018, 08:30:32 am
Thanks.

I’m starting to think I’m the only person in the country not taking Creatine.

I’m on the Crea-mtea diet, going well.


duncan

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#105 Re: Project 8a
July 15, 2018, 10:43:59 am
I’m on the Crea-mtea diet, going well.

Devon version for me.  Project 6a.

tomtom

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#106 Re: Project 8a
July 15, 2018, 02:00:51 pm
John - what changes did you make to your diet, that helped improve recovery?

I’m trying to increase my training volume at the moment, but am feeling absolutely battered.

Whenever I’ve upped volume or intensity - I’ve always felt done in for a few weeks as I adjust to a different level/regimen(that makes it sound far more deliberate than it actually is!!)

But it’s really hard with work/family going on all the time to not feel battered generally anyway!!

BTW Baby carrier still going strong thanks!!

Catcheemonkey

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#107 Re: Project 8a
July 15, 2018, 10:38:31 pm
You’re right, daily life is certainly a primary contributor to that battered feeling, but creaking elbows are definitely in the mix.

Glad the carrier is going well - I bet you’ve improved fitness hauling Tom Jnr around!

DAVETHOMAS90

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#108 Re: Project 8a
July 16, 2018, 05:26:41 pm
John - what changes did you make to your diet, that helped improve recovery?

I’m trying to increase my training volume at the moment, but am feeling absolutely battered.

I was also going to say, it sounds like Cream-tea-time .. or kicking back with a beer and some good old fashioned fish and chips  :2thumbsup:

Catcheemonkey

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#109 Re: Project 8a
July 17, 2018, 08:03:07 am
Thanks for the tip. Think I’m going to double down on the cream-teas, then introduce a block of fish and chip repeaters.

Yossarian

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#110 Re: Project 8a
July 17, 2018, 08:48:27 am
If it's any help for psyche, I've just done my first 8a last week, and 18 months ago my best was 7a.
To put it in context I came into it after 8 years of bouldering/child-rearing (preceded by another 15 years of tradding), so had a surplus of strength but pitiful endurance. Built an 8ft garage wall, used it twice weekly to get fit, and focused on climbing my anti-style (long enduro routes with high cruxes) in the 7's for the first year. Found a short bouldery 8a last week and it went in 5 tries :-)
Now resuming work on my weaknesses on classic 7s. For me the deal breaker was showing up to train, even if just for an hour at 9pm, week after week. Some changes in my diet also hugely improved recovery and resilience of my knackered shoulders and elbows, allowing for more volume.

That’s really interesting - thanks.

I’m currently looking at it as a longer term project than I possibly previously envisaged. Portland has emerged / been confirmed as the most efficient venue to visit regularly but, similarly to you, the predominant style is not the one that I generally excel at. But rather than focus too early on target projects further away, I’ve come round to the idea of working through the grades there, and considering sporadic visits to more distant venues to see if I can push my grade a bit further.

I’ve finally got my weight down into the 80s, and reckon that 80/82kg is quite acheiveable, rather than the 85 that I had originally set as a goal. Even without any other improvements I think that should move things on quite significantly.

The current dilemma is exercising discipline in terms of full sessions of endurance training, rather than just tacking it on the end of other stuff. The weather hasn’t been terribly helpful in that regard, but I suppose it’s not going to last forever...


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#111 Re: Project 8a
July 17, 2018, 11:09:22 am
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The current dilemma is exercising discipline in terms of full sessions of endurance training, rather than just tacking it on the end of other stuff. The weather hasn’t been terribly helpful in that regard, but I suppose it’s not going to last forever...

Fucking sunshine. How are we supposed to get stronger when the weather is so good?

DAVETHOMAS90

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#112 Re: Project 8a
July 17, 2018, 11:38:50 am
Thanks for the tip. Think I’m going to double down on the cream-teas, then introduce a block of fish and chip repeaters.

Without wanting to hijack the thread - and I think I can put this in the context of Yossarian's last post too - my post was really entirely serious.

It sounded as though what was needed was good quality recovery! That can be the hardest thing to prioritise, particularly when you've been able to make apparent performance gains.

It's still important to make increases in volume target focused.

In the context of "working up through the grades" - important to not let the next grade become the target. Instead, think about how you want to feel at a given grade in order to make the longer term goal feasible. There are some excellent posts earlier in the thread, to that effect.

Focusing just on increasing volume could mean that you become too trashed to allow climbing/training at the right intensity level.

 :popcorn:  :icon_beerchug:

Yossarian

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#113 Re: Project 8a
July 17, 2018, 11:47:59 am
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Fucking sunshine. How are we supposed to get stronger when the weather is so good?

What I say is you can’t beat drizzle, and smog, and mist...

Yossarian

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#114 Re: Project 8a
September 09, 2018, 04:57:14 pm
Seeing as this thread is now a year old...

Thinking of a trip to Portland in the next fortnight to check out Fighting Torque.

Monkoffunk - did you get this ticked? Do you (or any other southern operators - Duma, etc) have any beta you could share? Obvs there are a couple of vids, but anything you could share would be gratefully received!

AJM

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#115 Re: Project 8a
September 09, 2018, 08:02:19 pm
Seeing as this thread is now a year old...

Thinking of a trip to Portland in the next fortnight to check out Fighting Torque.

Monkoffunk - did you get this ticked? Do you (or any other southern operators - Duma, etc) have any beta you could share? Obvs there are a couple of vids, but anything you could share would be gratefully received!

Easy to start to the arete. Then left hand to a pocket, right on a small sidepull, slap up the arete with the left and balance across to the flowstone undercuts.

Then there are a variety of ways. I got beta for going out left. Right hand up to a rat crimp in the groove. Then feet up a bit, toehook round the left arete and pull across to a pocket just round the left arete. Then feet come across, right foot outside edge on a little edge on the arete, slap up the flowstone to an intermediate and then to the flowstone boss. There's a flat thing on the bulge and a sidepull for the right and go up to better holds under the bulge. I forget exactly what happens to the feet for this section, sorry.

Easier above.

monkoffunk

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#116 Re: Project 8a
September 10, 2018, 12:48:39 pm
I haven’t got it yet and haven’t been on it regularly enough to make consistent progress. Mostly been bouldering or with partners who don’t want to go to cuttings!

I can’t quite remember the details of my beta, I go out right though up the groove.

Similar start, easy up to the arete, moves to the undercuts are reasonably straightforward. Then I think I do something a bit different with a stretched out move with a low right foot. I think I gaston the flowstone shield thing right hand and then reach over to the good crimps on top of it with left. All quite stretched out but using the best feet. That bit is a bit hazy though. Next bit is the crux for me, high horrible left foot in the groove, rock over to a gaston thumb catch type thing which seems very improbable and stand up reaching left to easier ground.

I should have written it down I’m not sure if that’s exactly right but it’s close to what I do I think.

Need to get back on it and refresh my memory!

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#117 Re: Project 8a
September 11, 2018, 01:37:06 pm
What did you guys do re: clipping for the crux section of Fighting Torque? Most people I know who've done it skipped the clip but this is a bit scary. Any decent clipping beta?

Yossarian - Fighting Torque is also a longish term project for me. I've been trying to work my way through the grades at the Cuttings, and have actually come to really enjoy the style of climbing there. A ticklist that might help work your way into it:

Holy Hand Grenade - 7a, very fun
Live by the Sword - 7a+ or Mindmeld (soft/bouldery 7a+)
I am reliably told that Want Out is amazing at 7b, though when I tried it years ago it stumped me. Dumbfounded is OK at 7b, soft if you're 6ft or over.
For 7b+ lots of people do Sign of the Vulcan but I think this is at least V6 boulder and very disjointed. For me Infernal Din is a fantastic route and since hold breakage closer to 7c. I've tried this lots of times but not ticked it yet, hopefully this year. It's escapable but taken directly it has really fantastic moves.
Nightmare Scenario - 7c, I did this in 2016 and really enjoyed it. My first 7c so suspect it's soft. Hall of Mirrors is next on my list.

After that I'd be inclined to skip 7c+ as although The Mind Terrorist looks amazing it looks really weird and hard. Fighting Torque seems more accessible.

monkoffunk

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#118 Re: Project 8a
September 11, 2018, 03:01:19 pm
Skip the clip I think.

Want out is excellent. Really interesting sequence. The crux has some really powerful obvious beta, or some really unpowerful unobvious beta which unlocked it for me when I figured it out. Hall of Mirrors defo a good one for the list.

7c+ an odd grade there, have heard some say that Hurricaine on a Millpond is more like 8a+, but I wouldn't know!

If anyone wants a partner for Fighting Torque let me know!

remus

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#119 Re: Project 8a
September 11, 2018, 03:06:40 pm
What did you guys do re: clipping for the crux section of Fighting Torque? Most people I know who've done it skipped the clip but this is a bit scary. Any decent clipping beta?

Not much help as I also skipped the clip, but I caught a mate who fell off above the skipped clip and it's definitely in the 'big but safe fall' category.

Duma

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#120 Re: Project 8a
September 13, 2018, 07:17:47 pm
Can't remember re the clip, or tbh much of anything - tho in my defence it was 15 years ago! Monk of funk's beta sounds vaguely familiar, but that's all I can offer...

iain

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#121 Re: Project 8a
September 13, 2018, 09:11:30 pm
There is, or was, a hard to see but good flake/pinch up and right of the bolt that you can use to clip around your waist. It also took the sting out of the last bit of the crux for me.
(I went to the flake/pinch with the right from the left hand gaston/thumb thing monkoffunk talks about)

Or at least that was plan until a friend who was working it left some long slings which got in the way and I couldn't clip it anyway. (thanks Nick ;) )

I can vaguely remember my beta up the groove from the undercuts, similar to monk but more moves. Something's broken off there I think though but no idea how it might change things.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2018, 09:18:49 pm by iain »

monkoffunk

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#122 Re: Project 8a
November 20, 2018, 10:25:34 pm
Hey all...
Some slightly unfortunate news. Today I was trying Fighting Torque up the groove.
My beta at the top of the difficult bit is: from the two crimps top of the flow stone shield thing, high left foot in groove, rock over to a thin gaston left hand and then good high right foot on flow stone shield, and over with right hand to good side pull right before you are on easy ground. As I was doing this (rolling over to the side pull) the gaston hold broke, basically a large sheet of rock came away leaving behind a holdless scar. If any one else was using that hold, I'm afraid it's a lot harder now... I still think its possible and almost did the move without it, going straight to gaston the side pull with my left hand. It's almost certainly still 8a up the groove, but is significantly more difficult.
The rock basically broke in the air. I have the sheet of rock in the boot of my car, but from examining it I can't see the actual hold itself; I think it probably broke off and is gone. I don't think there would be any merit in gluing it back on.
Most importantly I didn't kill belayer, or his dog.......

If anyone is interested I'm pretty keen to get back there and try it again on Monday 26th, just lacking a partner currently!

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#123 Re: Project 8a
November 21, 2018, 06:41:22 am
Do you know if it's one of the holds you'd use if you go out left too? In terms of right hand movements only, I went from a little rat crimp on the left wall of the groove to an intermediate on the flowstone sheet to a more obvious lump/horn/bobble thing on top of a bit of the flowstone sheet, and then eventually to a sidepull in a crack.

monkoffunk

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#124 Re: Project 8a
November 21, 2018, 09:55:09 am
I have not done the left hand sequence but I am almost certain you wouldn’t use it going straight up arête.

I think my right hand movements are basically the same as yours. This was a left hand gaston between the right hand hold on top of the flow stone sheet and the right side pull in crack.

 

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