[Bradders]

Will - great post, enjoyed it a lot. I've always thought you were an absolute giant though. I think your next course of action needs to be to go and do Frank at Ilkley, as clearly Ben has a bee in his bonnet about that one and it'd obviously be piss.

Take Frank at Ilkley for example. If you're 6ft (or have a reach thereabouts) you can span from the starting left hand hold to a really good pocket. It avoids doing a violent drop down off an ok intermediate. There's a queue of tall people who use this beta and say its 7C+. Is this the true grade? Probably not. It's just the great majority of people who climb it/ post it on social media are all notoriously tall and their voices drown out the minority.

There's a similar queue of short people who say that Impropa Opera Sit is 7C+, and Grand Sit is 8A, whereas I've seen the first move characterised by taller folk as almost being 7C+ on it's own!

I've no idea what grade Frank is but I had a session last year just after having done a handful of other supposed 8s in similar style and couldn't touch it; literally couldn't do a single move. It then took me two sessions this year plus lots of training in the intervening period. On the other hand, walking in to Crookrise with a friend recently I mentioned that I'd like to try Razor. He promptly suggested I'd think it was about 7A+ due to my size, to which I replied that this would be my fourth session on it!

My point is that morphology is one thing but having the strength and skill to haul oneself up the problem is quite another! I think this is sometimes forgotten.

I'd agree that sometimes certain voices will drown out the majority but I think that's more because people will often gravitate towards things they excel at or which suit them. It's then more likely that they'll do the problem, which allows their view to propagate over the opinions of those who aren't suited to it, find it harder and are therefore less likely to try/do it.

Slash grades are the way forward if you ask me, but then no one wants to do a 7C+/8A. Of course the well rounded climber should focus on things they can't do as much as things they can.

I'm glad you consider it worthwhile. I've also just remembered that I never got round to finishing your ZY replicas.

It's quality, much appreciated. Really ought to re-acquaint myself with those as well.

[tomtom]

Ape is far more important than height IMHO.

I've climbed with not tall people with quite positive ape indices who despite being at least 6" shorter than me could reach or nearly reach pretty much everything I could..

I've also climbed with someone (at the wall a few times) who had a -4 ape index. They really struggled on most problems. 

[Duncan campbell]

Decided to get in on this in order to hopefully shame myself into doing a bit less fun climbing and a bit more “training”. Sort of feel like if I want to keep improving it is something I need to embrace.

Guess I’ll add in some goals to give context and it seems to be the done thing...!

STG (rest of this year) bouldering. Climb some quality 7A-Bs. 7B+ would be a PB. This is to help build up power for later goals, so if the weather is bad going indoors is no biggie. Also do odd route/circuit session to keep modicum of fitness up.

MTG (next year) 7c o/s, 8a quicker, 8a+ (mon dieu), more E6 o/s

M; up at 4:30 to drive to Wales for work. In the eve did lattice core workout and stretching.

T; Indy. Warmed up by climbing then did 10s on 10s off x 6 x 6 with 2 kg added on bottom bm 1000 rungs

W; rest (good boy)

T; Indy. Good session bouldering. Did Black 7A+ smoothly first go of the session. Techy, crimpy just off vert so my style but the top move is tricky if short. Also did purple 7A that has a big volume on that I struggled to grapple on previous occasions. Felt convincing on other problems too.

F; drove home and went to pub. So sort of rest.

S; felt hungover... shit weather so went to foundry. Had ok session on the wave, got close-ish on far right green spotty L5 but a reachy move at the top thwarted me. Did t do as well as a previous session on green spotty L5 on left of wave but still felt quite good considering. Did loads of pinks and yellows quickly as warm up. Bit more booze this eve too.

S; not hungover! Shit weather so hung out with gf until mid Arvo. Went to works with a good crew and got schooled on new wasps. Really enjoyed it as they felt doably hard, unlike last set which I rattled most off with relative ease.

[jamesturnbull97]

Forgot to do last weeks so here's 2. More time on projects and few ticks in between the random weather, t-shirts one day snow the next.

12th - 18th Nov

T. Transworld – Good session, linked from middle of first boulder to the top so probably time to start red pointing

W. Bob Marley Crag. No Redemption 13b 3rd go. A vert route with some great technical climbing and something very different to the usual Red steep jug hauls

F. Woke up to 5cms of snow on the ground! Transworld morning – 3 goes from the deck, first 2 fell in first boulder then decided to change the LH to a slightly different hold for the hard move. Feels like it makes the more a slightly harder lock off instead of a deadpoint so a high percentage move. Third go got through first boulder and fell on the stab to 3 finger sidepull pocket in second boulder. Did Hellraiser 12c at Purgatory in the afternoon.

S. Transworld – 3 more goes from the ground. Twice off the slab to the slopey slot at the end of the second boulder. Once made it through to going for the good crimps where there is a little shake with a poor kneebar before the top crux. Good progress.

 

19th- 25th Nov

T. Transworld - First go new highpoint, thought the if I stuck the first good edge at the end of the second boulder I’d do the next two moves into the shake. Turns out not the case when absolutely boxed, dropped in going to the rest hold taking a huge whip having skipped the previous 2 draws! Second go numbed out as soon as I left the rest but still almost match my highpoint. Third go managed to break through to the kneebar for the first time and manage to get all the way to the last hard move out left to where you shouldn’t drop it. Getting closer now.

W. Purgatory to belay Mina. Warmed up on the 12a we hadn’t done which turned out to be a very nice route. Tried Paradise lost 13a, dropped the last move on my flash go, then proceed to fall off it twice more before clawing up it on my last go. Felt tough for the grade, wouldn’t argue with it still being its original 13b grade.

F. Transworld – Felt rubbish on it today for some reason couldn’t get through the first boulder again, decided to climb on something else instead. Had a good flash go on Snooker 13a, fell just before ¾ height rest. Went easily second go, pretty hot in the sun for a change

S. Solar Collector/Gold Coast. Good warm ups on the SC wall, Buddha hole 11d and Blue-Eyed Honkey Jesus 12b. Moved over the try Golden boy 13b classic power endurance sprint to a hard slap to a sloper. Bolt to bolt to suss the moves, then 4 times off the slap. Gold coast is such a beautiful wall definitely keen to get that one finished off at some stage.

1 week left now but this week is brutally cold making any hard climbing pretty challenging. We have a flight on he 3rd but next week is looking really good at the moment so potentially going to extend for another 5-7 days.

[shark]

Sounds like it’s worth extending your stay if you can.

How’s Mina getting on?

[Will Hunt]

Have you talked anyone off a route yet, James? Gotta make dem gainz 

[jamesturnbull97]

Mina's doing well on her proj, doing big links but struggling with a stopper move from the ground. Just difficult to climb your hardest when it's so cold.