[Will Hunt]

What this thread needs now is an update from Shark on his progress with the Oak.

[36chambers]

Tim Palmer opined that were it off the deck, the bat route bulge would be 7a+. Opinions?

He's probably just being nice and he actually thinks it's more like 6C

[tim palmer]

Tim Palmer opined that were it off the deck, the bat route bulge would be 7a+. Opinions?

He's probably just being nice and he actually thinks it's more like 6C

To clarify i think that is pretty damn hard after doing the preceding route, hence why i haven't climbed the route!

[shark]

11.3-6 Average 158.8 (0.8lbs up on last week)

M.

T. AM. Tor. Thick mist on drive there. Thought I’d arranged to meet Nick but we’d got our wires crossed. Joined by Ethan, Holly, Ben, Ben, Ray and Buster. Warmed up and did THFML x2 and worked a bit on kick move. Go1 straight thru start to kneebar and fell off on kick Go 2 As Go1 but lost tension coming out of kneebar Go 3 From kneebar straight thru into THFML and pumped out 10sec rest then did THFML Go 4 3 attempts from kneebar failing and flailing on the kick move.
Eve Fingerboard Max hangs

W.

T. Went to Tor but it had condensed out. Back to Sheffield and the Foundry. Did a campus session. Joined by Steve. Marginally worse session than previous Friday even though I had rested the day before. Went on Wave after. Gus there. Reworked green black spots left of centre. Moves felt ok but fingers gave out when tried to do it so called it. Burned out worryingly quickly. Two rest days needed methinks. Maybe more

F.

S.

S.

With Nick’s prompting decided on Saturday to take 10 days off – possibly more. This feels like a big step. The longest break I’ve had all year was 5 days off at the end of June after I had two teeth extracted. Other than that my longest rests have been 3 days (x4).

Apart from the physical side I’ve taken a bit of mental battering doing badly on the Oak in the Autumn and my strategy of juggling several other secondary projects in the lead up to it  (Bens Roof, Anger Management, Roof Warrior, Moffatrocity, Soul Crusher) backfired badly as I ended up in succeeding on none of them. Hopefully taking some time out should help regain some perspective and positivity.   

I’ve started to put together ideas for a winter training plan. 

[shark]

virgin post here.

Having a newborn at home makes touching rock nowadays near impossible.

Congratulations and 

[spidermonkey09]

With Nick’s prompting decided on Saturday to take 10 days off – possibly more. This feels like a big step. The longest break I’ve had all year was 5 days off at the end of June after I had two teeth extracted. Other than that my longest rests have been 3 days (x4).

Apart from the physical side I’ve taken a bit of mental battering doing badly on the Oak in the Autumn and my strategy of juggling several other secondary projects in the lead up to it  (Bens Roof, Anger Management, Roof Warrior, Moffatrocity, Soul Crusher) backfired badly as I ended up in succeeding on none of them. Hopefully taking some time out should help regain some perspective and positivity.   

This sounds like a good plan.

Historically Simon, have your notable successes on problems or routes come from the above approach or from single minded sieging? I've always thought that given none of us are full time 'athletes,' given we're juggling work and life as well as climbing, the most efficient way to get something done should logically be specifically training for that and only that. Thats certainly what has worked for me thus far, but I am yet to burn out on something (it'll happen!) so understand how one could end up thinking the opposite. Interested to hear how people have managed this in general actually.

[shark]

This sounds like a good plan.

Historically Simon, have your notable successes on problems or routes come from the above approach or from single minded sieging? I've always thought that given none of us are full time 'athletes,' given we're juggling work and life as well as climbing, the most efficient way to get something done should logically be specifically training for that and only that. Thats certainly what has worked for me thus far, but I am yet to burn out on something (it'll happen!) so understand how one could end up thinking the opposite. Interested to hear how people have managed this in general actually.

Single minded seiging has always been my thing. Mixing it up this year with several projects was an attempt to introduce a bit more variety and volume. Also I am to all intents a full time athlete now since resigning from the BMC - my wife describes me as a 'professional climber who doesn't get paid'. My business activities are organised deliberately to be minimally time-consuming and living in Sheffield means it is easy to get out. I'd love to just go outside climbing all the time but I recognise that wont get me up the Oak.

I had 24 sessions on the Oak this year. Next Spring if I don't get through past the horn in 3 or 4 sessions then my winter training objective will have failed. I'm aiming that the indoor training will be 100% geared towards the Oak. In fact I'd be quite keen at some stage to have a session with you on the Oak replica at the Depot you mentioned and your welcome to have a go at my replica problems on my home board provided you don't leave your draws in them.

[spidermonkey09]

Single minded seiging has always been my thing. Mixing it up this year with several projects was an attempt to introduce a bit more variety and volume. Also I am to all intents a full time athlete now since resigning from the BMC - my wife describes me as a 'professional climber who doesn't get paid'. My business activities are organised deliberately to be minimally time-consuming and living in Sheffield means it is easy to get out. I'd love to just go outside climbing all the time but I recognise that wont get me up the Oak.

I had 24 sessions on the Oak this year. Next Spring if I don't get through past the horn in 3 or 4 sessions then my winter training objective will have failed. I'm aiming that the indoor training will be 100% geared towards the Oak. In fact I'd be quite keen at some stage to have a session with you on the Oak replica at the Depot you mentioned and your welcome to have a go at my replica problems on my home board provided you don't leave your draws in them.

Makes sense. Maybe move to Airton?

I've noticed your window for trying it is quite short; ie spring and autumn. Is that because the Oak takes a bit longer to dry than other routes and/or that it becomes unclimbable in warmer conditions? I've made big gains in the past trying things in considerably less than mint conditions which has perhaps meant I've made quicker progress when they improved. Equally those two things may not be linked. Also, does the section to the horn actually get wet? Is it plausible to keep your eye in on it on a sunny day over the winter to make any necessary adjustments?

Keen for a session at the Depot for sure. I'm normally there a few nights a week. I have never been on the route in the flesh so would be interesting to see how/if it corresponds to any actual sequences. When I next find myself down your way I'd happily fall off the replicas for a while also. No promises re the draws though!

[jamesturnbull97]

I'd be quite keen at some stage to have a session with you on the Oak replica at the Depot you mentioned and your welcome to have a go at my replica problems on my home board provided you don't leave your draws in them.

You're more than welcome to make the effort to go and try Austrian Mock but I don't think it's the best representation of it being crimps on a 50 degree board. But then again I haven't done either this or the real think so what do I know.

[shark]

I've noticed your window for trying it is quite short; ie spring and autumn. Is that because the Oak takes a bit longer to dry than other routes and/or that it becomes unclimbable in warmer conditions?

Unclimbable for me certainly - temperature conditions make a massive difference and the route is at my absolute limit. I go on it as soon as it is dry in the Spring and carry on till either my performance has gone downhill or it gets too warm to hope to be able to redpoint

I've made big gains in the past trying things in considerably less than mint conditions which has perhaps meant I've made quicker progress when they improved. Equally those two things may not be linked. Also, does the section to the horn actually get wet? Is it plausible to keep your eye in on it on a sunny day over the winter to make any necessary adjustments?

Repeatedly turning up hasnt worked for over 10 years. I think my time is best spent training or staying local but not averse to a benchmark session in the winter though its academic as it is one of the last to dry as the undercut by the third bolt is particularly prone to seepage. 

[SA Chris]

M- Nowt
T - Lunch Trail Run - 6.5 km
W - wall session. Got there late after several "errands", but had an OK session, finished off with a light campus session and new circuits, actually quite well set for once. Managed sections of 3 probs i was working, but no links.
T - Lunchtime yoga - hard.
F - meant to run, but work said no.
S - kids at panto with drama group, so escaped for a few hours, had great session at wall, ticked the three problems i intended doing in first 45 mins, so at a bit of a loss for rest of session, mostly campusboard and circuits, as kids group invaded bouldering area. Actually feel quite strong. Curry and beer in evening.
S - ropey start, helped out at school Xmas Fair, struggled through until evening then gorged on pizza.

[spidermonkey09]

You're more than welcome to make the effort to go and try Austrian Mock but I don't think it's the best representation of it being crimps on a 50 degree board. But then again I haven't done either this or the real think so what do I know.

To be fair, the move that I can see as being halfway representative is that cross through with the left hand to an undercut. The rest of it, god knows.

[andy_e]

Bradders told me it was 8A. It's certainly got a fair few moves on it though.

[Bradders]

Hold on, hold on, hold on. What I said was it's as physically hard as any 8A I've done outside. It's certainly not anywhere near to being in the same league as other board '8As' like Generally Wrong or Malc's Warm Up.

You're more than welcome to make the effort to go and try Austrian Mock but I don't think it's the best representation of it being crimps on a 50 degree board. But then again I haven't done either this or the real think so what do I know.

To be fair, the move that I can see as being halfway representative is that cross through with the left hand to an undercut. The rest of it, god knows.

And here's me, Mock pretty much totally wired nowadays, thinking I'll just rock up to Malham next season and casually bosh out the Oak on my first visit, maybe flash, and you're telling me it's nothing like it?! That move into the undercling isn't even hard!! What have I been doing with my life?! 

[36chambers]

It's barely board 7B

[Bradders]

It's barely board 7B

Exactly.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - fingers, BM 10x4. Strong but tired, +4 kg. Weights, rest pause. Fantastic.
Tue - rest.
Wed - weights: good mornings; power cleans 70% 6x8; pull ups x5 in between sets, warm up included (14 sets, 12th set at 10 reps). Hackey pulls 10x2. Fantastic.
Thu - overhead carry 1', shoulder carry 1', rest 1', x10. EMOM pull ups 5x10. Lock off 30". Abs hollow position 30"x4.
Fri - rest. 
Sat - trap bar deadlift, warm up then singles up to 2xbw. Then a brilliant EMOM set, 80% 3x10. Brutal.
Sun - bicep curl x10, lateral raises x6, tricep planks x10, abs x20, all x6. Overhead walk 2". One sided carry and lateral bends.

[shark]

So it’s not an Oak replica - it just happens to have an Oak like move

[Murph]

Thanks James, Chris. Appreciate the pointers.

[teestub]

So it’s not an Oak replica - it just happens to have an Oak like move

It’s on a 50 degree board with fixed feet, so no. It’s probably of a decent difficulty level to be aiming for if the oak is a long 7B but i wouldn’t drive to Leeds for it!

[spidermonkey09]

Shows what I know!

[tomtom]

I'm going to structure my week a little differently....

Positives
M: Went to Craig Y Longridge - got spanked by Big Marine even more so than usual - but did Fertile Delta lots of times - apart from the final move(s) - the ones after the luuuurvely sidepull. So, I didnt do it etc..

"the ones after the luuuurvely sidepull"... isn't there just one move after the sikka'd sidepull? Get the sikka'd hold as a sidepull (or a gaston if you are an eliminate loving traditionalist)... smear-up and hit the top?

Yup - one or two ish... get sidepull - paste feet into holds (they're better than smears) and lank LH up to crimpy edge up left (positive - below and left of finishing jug) and launch to victory. Kept dropping that darned edge. Its good enough - get a good 1 1/2 pads on it and its positive - I was just gassed out I think..

[highrepute]

So it’s not an Oak replica - it just happens to have an Oak like move

Out of interest Simon. What are your best links on the Oak and when did they occur?

I remember seeing you do quite a good one a few years ago from not many moves in to the top. You were so casual that when I started shouting encouragement you were able to reply "this is not a redpoint!".

[slab_happy]

Last week slab_happy described blocfit thus:

It's tiny and scrappy and can only be found by venturing down an underground tunnel filled with garages; I felt like I probably lost years off my life from the petrol fumes. What you see in the photo on the website is most of the wall -- there's a balcony which (IIRC) has TRX stuff, and a weights area under it, and that's it. I liked it a lot!

The Board de Lune is 40 degrees so don't know if that's a dealbreaker for you. It's all very short so would be ankle-friendly.

It would be absolute rubbish if you want to boulder and have lots of nice new problems each time, but would be very good for doing focused training because it doesn't give you any other options.

Forgot to say, nice atmosphere -- based on one visit, it seemed friendly but non-intrusive and not snobby. Obvious assumption that if you're there you're there to train and have your own plans for what you want to do, but no sense that anyone who's not doing 1-5-9 is out of place.

That’s an excellent summary. I thought it was great and totally what I’m after. I imagine it will appeal to more than a few Power Clubbers. They also had a crack machine (a little expando.at present) and King Tubby on the Hi Fi, both of which made an old man very happy! 

Plan: more of the same.

They have a crack machine now? That's new since I was last there; can't wait to get back there and check it out. Anyway, I'm delighted it lived up to the billing!

[tommytwotone]

So it’s not an Oak replica - it just happens to have an Oak like move

Out of interest Simon. What are your best links on the Oak and when did they occur?

I remember seeing you do quite a good one a few years ago from not many moves in to the top. You were so casual that when I started shouting encouragement you were able to reply "this is not a redpoint!".

You're lucky he didn't call you a See You Next Tuesday!