[Footwork]

Will, I love how when you do problems they're easy and probably soft, and when you don't do problems they are also easy! Have you ever climbed anything and thought it was really hard?

Fake news.

Hard at the grade: Free Range, Pebble Wall, Blockbuster, Handy Andys, Angle Ben's, Colt, Mouse Wall (there are easier 6C+s), Sounds and Silences, The Green Traverse at the Glen, Omo, Gemenid Trail etc etc etc.

It's just your confirmation bias talking. Crouching Tiger felt as hard as English Rose which is very similar in style. The top moves of it are a doddle which effectively makes it a one move problem. One move 7B+s are vastly harder than Crouching Tiger.

He's always like this Stubbs.

Crouching Tiger is a one move tricky deadpoint (which if you're less than 5'11 you will struggle not dabbing) followed by very small crimps. Will excels at this type of wall climbing and has a decent baseline for it. It's funny he finds Geminid Trail so hard because his power endurance or anything which requires heels is shocking. See pebble wall also which is essentially just sitting on your heel. English Rose is a totally morpho lank fest which I would have no hope of sending. Will saying it's a similar style just goes to show how blinkered he is on the difficulty of things.

If he ever does Red Baron Roof it will be 7C. 

[tomtom]

Tall person with strong fingers finds some problems easier than others in the grade shocker?? :D

[spidermonkey09]

A short one from me this week to spare you a route by route run through of Siurana last week. Suffice to say a lot of onsighting was done with the best redpoint being L'Escamarla; superb route for anyone who might have a look in the future. I went to have a look at Hot Knife as suggested by Wood FT last week but disappointingly found the top wet.

Lots of Estrella was drunk in the bar over the week and climbed 8 days straight without a rest. Feeling pretty wasted today.

Skin surprisingly ok so loooking forward to a bit of indoor action this week and hopefully out on the grit at the weekend. Putting the rope away for a few months now; a good excuse to wash it!

[andy_e]

Are you going to be resuming your residency as the "Almscliff Wall Bollocker" now Jim?

[andy popp]

Will, I love how when you do problems they're easy and probably soft, and when you don't do problems they are also easy! Have you ever climbed anything and thought it was really hard?

Fake news.

Hard at the grade: Free Range, Pebble Wall, Blockbuster, Handy Andys, Angle Ben's, Colt, Mouse Wall (there are easier 6C+s), Sounds and Silences, The Green Traverse at the Glen, Omo, Gemenid Trail etc etc etc.

It's just your confirmation bias talking. Crouching Tiger felt as hard as English Rose which is very similar in style. The top moves of it are a doddle which effectively makes it a one move problem. One move 7B+s are vastly harder than Crouching Tiger.

He's always like this Stubbs.

Truth!

To be fair, one movers can be hard to grade: to state the blindingly obvious, if you can do the one move they feel ok, if you can't then they feel impossible. New Rose is a classic example (that I predict Will would give about 7A).

[spidermonkey09]

The plan for this winter is to only go to the cliff on extremely marginal days and explore Yorkshire a bit more; but rest assured that if the need arises, the bollocking shall be delivered!

I gather that its been remarkably quiet up there so far this season, nowhere near the numbers of last year. Perhaps people are branching out?

[duncan]

STG: strength work (bouldering / fingerboard) 2-3 times a week. Manage aches and pains. Do a Kettle movement drill each time I go to the wall.
MTG: a proper 7b+ this winter.
LTG: a classic Pembroke E5; 5.13 at 60

M - Shoulder stretches, shoulder strength (side planks, reverse flys, inclined pull-ups)
T - Fingerboard: very brief max. hangs.
W - Shoulder stretches
T - Shoulder stretches
F - Shoulder stretches, shoulder strength
S - Shoulder stretches, hip and knee strength (squats, bridges). Fingerboard: very brief max. hangs.
S - Hips and knees strength, shoulder strength.

As for last week, work/cold/shoulder tweaks/other aggravations have limited training. I’m going to pat myself on the back for keeping things ticking over.

Plan: shoulder, knee and hip strength/conditioning twice weekly. Sign-up for a month at Blocfit and ease back into bouldering. Give prayers and offerings to the weather Gods, some outdoor climbing would be really good for my general well-being.

[AMorris]

Tall person with strong fingers finds some problems easier than others in the grade shocker?? :D

I have always wondered about this actually, but what is considered "tall" in climbing? I occasionally get accused of "lanking things", but I am only 5'11 with +1 ape so usually just take is as complimentary of something or other.

[AMorris]

M - Good strong session at the wall, getting up some fairly hard stuff and feeling strong on the board proj.

T - I can feel something coming on... oh god I hope it isn't...

W - Tonsillitis, fuck sake
<repeat>

Went that way for the rest of the week, antibiotics since Weds. What a total washout!

[andy_e]

I gather that its been remarkably quiet up there so far this season, nowhere near the numbers of last year. Perhaps people are branching out?

That or the weather's been so utterly wank as to even put the keenest individuals off!

[36chambers]

Tall person with strong fingers finds some problems easier than others in the grade shocker?? :D

I have always wondered about this actually, but what is considered "tall" in climbing? I occasionally get accused of "lanking things", but I am only 5'11 with +1 ape so usually just take is as complimentary of something or other.

Don't worry about it. With that ape index you're still allowed to complain about things being too spanny, just ask Dave Mason

[teestub]

If he ever does Red Baron Roof it will be 7C.

This is exactly what I was thinking! I'll write Will's PC entry for later this winter:

"S: Shipley Glen, best conditions I've ever experienced, velcro would love to be as adherent as the rock was today. Warmed up on the usual circuit of technical aretes and walls (all soft by at least 2 grades) and then got on Red Baron Roof. Did it third go of the day, ending my multi year siege. Felt easy, probably only a grade harder than Demon Wall Roof really, just didn't really suit me."

[yetix]

m:rest
t:max hangs
w:BUK 55 board worked on a few things I was trying for a while pre injury, still need to get the last move of fish and chips dialed though!
t:rest
f:max hangs
s:BUK 55 board working more projects and getting close on a few others. hoping to finish off a few next session on the board!
s:depot easier mileage with the other half

max hangs are up +29kg half crimp (or masonic crimp, thought this was the standard half crimp ngl) at 63kg on the bottom BM 1k hold for 10s, not far off previous PBs suggesting my fingers getting better again. groin feels a lot better since pulling it doing the splits, hopefully I'll be able to get outside again in another week or so.

[tomtom]

Tall person with strong fingers finds some problems easier than others in the grade shocker?? :D

I have always wondered about this actually, but what is considered "tall" in climbing? I occasionally get accused of "lanking things", but I am only 5'11 with +1 ape so usually just take is as complimentary of something or other.

I'd consider above 6' (including any +/- ape index corrections) to be 'tall'.

Thats a E5 6b, F7a+, H5 type approximation...

On a personal note, I'm happy to take whatever grade a problem is given. Thought theres no fucking way that Big Marine (that I was unsucessfully trying today) is only 7A+..... :D

[spidermonkey09]

That or the weather's been so utterly wank as to even put the keenest individuals off!

That was precisely how the crag got a load of hammer last year to be fair. There were even people from the Peak up there. I gather Plantation and Trackside take longer to dry than DWR 

[yetix]

Tall person with strong fingers finds some problems easier than others in the grade shocker?? :D

I have always wondered about this actually, but what is considered "tall" in climbing? I occasionally get accused of "lanking things", but I am only 5'11 with +1 ape so usually just take is as complimentary of something or other.

I'd consider above 6' (including any +/- ape index corrections) to be 'tall'.

Thats a E5 6b, F7a+, H5 type approximation...

On a personal note, I'm happy to take whatever grade a problem is given. Thought theres no fucking way that Big Marine (that I was unsucessfully trying today) is only 7A+..... :D

Never thought at 5'9' I'd be considered tall...

[AMorris]

Tall person with strong fingers finds some problems easier than others in the grade shocker?? :D

I have always wondered about this actually, but what is considered "tall" in climbing? I occasionally get accused of "lanking things", but I am only 5'11 with +1 ape so usually just take is as complimentary of something or other.

I'd consider above 6' (including any +/- ape index corrections) to be 'tall'.

Thats a E5 6b, F7a+, H5 type approximation...

On a personal note, I'm happy to take whatever grade a problem is given. Thought theres no fucking way that Big Marine (that I was unsucessfully trying today) is only 7A+..... :D

Yeah I tend to think the same. There seems to be a bias towards top level climbers being smaller individuals, clearly height, and therefore lanking ability, does not scale as well as power to weight/finger strength/ability to easily front lever at the higher levels.

And yes I agree with the philosophy of "take the grade it gets" wholeheartedly! Though, because I am a climber with fairly apparent strengths (yarding off/to bad edges or pinches), I do find myself taking lower grades for quite a few things, especially in North Wales where you can find these moves very often. Seems I have brought this back full circle! 

[moose]

Thought theres no fucking way that Big Marine (that I was unsucessfully trying today) is only 7A+..... :D

That problem is my complete anti-style... but every year I devote at least a session to it, in the futile hope that another season of stamina-plod sport routes has made me better at explosive four move sequences! 

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - fingers, garage session. One arm hangs on 1,5; a few regular hangs on 0,5; tests on 0,9 and Lattice edge.
Tue - rest.
Wed - weights of some sort.
Thu - some board climbing. Knee didn't like it.
Fri - 1' overhead barbell walk (30 kg), 1' farmer's walk (60 kg), 1' rest x10. Brutal. No straps.
Sat - boxing bag. Pull ups. Abs.
Sun - rest.

[tomtom]

Thought theres no fucking way that Big Marine (that I was unsucessfully trying today) is only 7A+..... :D

That problem is my complete anti-style... but every year I devote at least a session to it, in the futile hope that another season of stamina-plod sport routes has made me better at explosive four move sequences!

Its very frustrating... last year I think I was fairly often doing the first move then screwing up the next one (didnt trust my LH on the large slopey edge - maybe I should crimp the edge or something..). But today, I just couldnt get the right placec for my LF on that first deadpoint.. theres a large obvious one thats just a teeny bit too low (I catch the hold but cut loose) and another thats way too high - and one in the middle that is a bit shit and not quite right for my body morph. Grr. Annoying those 'figuring out how you last did it' sessions...

Made progress on Fertile Delta though - dropped the penultimate move (swinging up frmo the sidepull to an edge with my LH) 3-4 times before ran out of juice/motivation etc...

That place takes no prisoners..

[user deactivated]

I’ve got a ‘weak mans’ beta vid if that would help?

[tomtom]

I’ve got a ‘weak mans’ beta vid if that would help?

Yes please

[36chambers]

Yeah I tend to think the same. There seems to be a bias towards top level climbers being smaller individuals, clearly height, and therefore lanking ability, does not scale as well as power to weight/finger strength/ability to easily front lever at the higher levels.

I can't remember where, but someone looked at the statistics for the top 100 climbers on 8.nu and the height distribution was the same as for the general population.

[Bradders]

Had the week off work just using up holiday really. In summary, had to climb indoors twice where I felt strong, and managed two outdoor sessions where I didn't.

M - weather and skin meant a visit to Trowbarrow. I came really close on Iron Man back in May just before it got stupid hot, so to be fair I am keen to get stuck back in. Best conditions I've ever had there. Repeated Ned's Stand and The Groove first go, Vitruvian Man second go and VM RH after a few goes. Then worked on the link from the start of The Groove into Vitruvian Man (I.e. Iron Man but without the first three moves from the sit). Didn't do it. Got to the crux RH slap a few times but never felt really close to sticking it. Finished off repeating Jazz Phenomena and Ned's Sit both first go so I at least know I have the sit start moves wired still.

T & W - nada, rain

T - still wet and was getting cabin fever so went to The Leeds Depot. Basically warmed up then had an experimental campus board session. I've not done this since my first initial forays into training for climbing years ago. Best I managed was 3-5-7 leading left hand on the large rungs. Couldn't quite do it leading right but did 3-5-6.5. Dreadful basically. Kept it very short, roughly 30 'impacts' on the campus board.

F - Carrock Fell. Cold but very humid and little breeze. Warmed up on and got stuck into Toejam & Earl. Unfortunately I didn't quite read the beta that would work for me quickly enough, so although I got close a few times trying it one way I was a bit shot by the time I found a higher percentage method on the crux. Thereafter I made it through to the very final moves on my best go but just didn't have the beans. Had a blast though, amazing problem.

S - drove to two different wet crags before admitting defeat and heading to The Depot. Warmed up then went on the board. Surprised myself doing Austrian Mock first go, then repeated the problem I managed for the first time last week, also first go. A friend then very nearly flashed what I'd thought would be a fairly tough problem on the 30 so had a few tries myself and did it. Nowhere near as hard as I'd thought it'd be. Lastly had a few goes at the upper moves of one of 36C's problems on the 50 (A Steady Intro for those familiar) and again surprised myself by actually managing most of the moves and a half decent link! I've always shied away from this given how small the holds are so really pleased to be making some progress.

S - nada, dug the garden up a bit

[user deactivated]

Weak mans big marine

Vid 1 slip off wet jug

Vid 2 catch dryish jug with same beta- towards end of vid
Second vid isn’t really helpful tho

Reckon I kept my feet low and popped to hold a slight swing

Watch Longridge on Vimeo:

Watch Big Marine bet on Vimeo: