[shark]

10.13-11.2 Average 154.7lbs down 1.6lbs. 

M. Noon. 157.4. Up with Tommy - probably the first time he’s been back since ticking Raindogs in spring 2016. Catwalk to ourselves. Bit too sunny to start with but then nicely cool and breezy Oak now dry Consenting x3 and F&EE x1 to warm up. Go 1 on Oak worked throw. Go 2 tried second bolt to horn almost doing it 3x in a row - interval training. Go3 Did the same but just touching rather than almost holding horn x2 Went for walk to top of cove and back Go4 tried throw to top but busted after doing throw then fogged to top with difficulty and stripped it Hauled up to dry the undercut then came down and was able to climb to it but not pull on it as this time too tired. Go 4 Pulled up to third bolt then did throw to greasing off pulling into rest at start of top traverse - conditions had deteriorated. Busted by now so stripped it. Finished off with a short Fingerboard session of 6 strict half crimp hangs to failure

T.

W.

T. Afternoon. PM Malham up with Tommy and Jerome. Beck up and drizzly but not that cold considering how gash the weather was. FE&Ex2 and Consenting x1. Felt good. Joined forces with a chap called Steve who had his rope in on the Oak. Go1 Warm up mainly playing with thethrow move. Go2 2nd bolt to greasing off the horn Tried link again and almost got it again bashing my tips Go3 From ground to almost getting horn Go4 From ground got the horn but not the best and greased off Go5 short rest and another go from ground but tired and came off by third bolt Go6 pulled up to 3rd bolt and experimented with Tommy’s foot beta on throw then a few goes to do it my way and carried on to middle of top traverse falling coming into sidepull, short rest then undercut at start of top traverse to top. Felt much stronger and lighter than Monday and climbed decisively and well. Couple of deadhangs on portable board before Tommy took it down prematurely.

F. Eve. Fancied some easy soloing and noticed there was a 3star VS at Stanage I couldn’t remember ever having done (Titanic). Very hot. Went up with dogs and ended up mainly backing off stuff so ended up only doing Titanic which I found pretty taxing. I see the PDNP has put up some annoying signs on the verges encouraging people to use the paid parking Apart from the signage being visually intrusive the message conveyed is that everything “you see” is somehow down to them which is bollocks.

S. Midday. Systems board Hot work even with the fan. Pinged off a pinch warming and missed that mats and landed on a shovel. Reacquainted myself with old Oak circuits. Felt pretty good with plenty of snap. Hopefully set up to do a solid 3 sets next time.

S.AM short max weighted hangs on ergo edge. 135kg DL almost (didn’t straighten out). Drive to Devon

Pleasing progress this week and climbed well feeling light and springy and always encouraging going sub 11stone. Didnt quite get the links I aimed for on the Oak but not far off in not the best conditions. Broadly been benchmarking and mimicking the activities and rest and weight loss that I had in 2015 which led to my best season on the Oak and all time high point Sept 15. Currently feel like I’m in good enough shape and sufficiently driven to match that level of performance, conditions permitting. We’ll see how things unfold.

Tommy is making good progress - crushing the lower section of the Oak but he’s struggling with the upper traverse at the moment. He’s perplexed how I piss that section but not for long I expect.

Tommys and Steve H use different footholds on the throw. I’ll experiment more with those options next time which is planned for Thursday. By using a lower right foot they are driving off the left foot and it’s obviously less bunched up and powerful as well as more directional and stable. However with Steve  H at 5’11 and Tommy 6’1 they have reach to spare compared to my 5’8/9 and so my right foot is more likely to pop on getting the horn that way. If I can get my foot to stick it could be a game changer.

[mark20]

I see the PDNP has put up some annoying signs on the verges encouraging people to use the paid parking Apart from the signage being visually intrusive the message conveyed is that everything “you see” is somehow down to them which is bollocks.

Drove past yesterday and the plantation car park was very quiet and lower part of it completely empty. Yet loads of cars on the verge.  And a huge line of parked cars on the verge coming down from the popular end. They should scrap the parking charges and encourage people to use it.

[SA Chris]

everything “you see” is somehow down to them which is bollocks.

Talk about playing God.

M- intervals in the park while Kyle at Athletics - hot, hard going.
T - nothing
W - easy treadmill session
T - nothing
F - Nothing
S - easy run with kids
S - Great Aberdeen Half. Too damn hot! Temp mid 20s, barely a breath of wind and cloudless. Gave it my best shot 1:42:08, 2 minutes off the PB I was hoping for. I guess i should be happy getting a good time in crappy conditions.

But I'm not. I'm pissed off that after all the training I get fucked by the weather on the day.

[shark]

They should scrap the parking charges and encourage people to use it.

Yes - especially as their objective is to promote public enjoyment of the Peak - charging raises a barrier. Unfortunately they are too bereft of imagination to see ways of generating money beyond charging for parking and scraping a minimal income from the camping, buildings and farm yet are unwilling to let go of the Estate to a deeper pocketed and more forward looking management organisation.

[Nibile]

I'm pissed off that after all the training I get fucked by the weather on the day.

Ha! Never get into climbing, then!

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - fingers PE on portable hangboard, 10/10 x6. Pull ups, lock offs, weights.
Tue - tired from 230 kms of turns. Swimming, 6 lengths at max speed.
Wed - lunchtime, swimming 2 lenghts x10, good speed. Evening, various hangs, pull ups, weights, abs.
Thu - lunchtime, swimming 2 lenghts x10, good speed, already getting better. Evening, weights.
Fri - weights, rings, bar work.
Sat - boxing bag, weights. Torrid.
Sun - rest.

[SA Chris]

I'm pissed off that after all the training I get fucked by the weather on the day.

Ha! Never get into climbing, then!

Thing is, boulders are always there. You train for a race which is on a fixed date, and you can't control conditions on that specific day.

Even if you are travelling somewhere to climb you can look at a forecast, and at least have a window in which you might get good conditions, unless you are really unlucky and it pisses down the whole time. I've got projects on the coast that are rarely in good condition, but I can go and get on them whenever they are.

[Nibile]

Hey it was just a joke, it wasn't meant to be taken seriously!
 
But since you did take it seriously, the analogy remains, because it's about trying go get to a "test" in top form. So, yes, boulders are always there but your best form isn't.

[SA Chris]

True, just the window is a bit bigger. Only one race start time, whereas it's amazing what good conditions you can get if you get to Stanage early enough.

And are spotted by a passing Spaniard on a bicycle.

[gollum]

S - Great Aberdeen Half. Too damn hot! Temp mid 20s, barely a breath of wind and cloudless. Gave it my best shot 1:42:08, 2 minutes off the PB I was hoping for. I guess i should be happy getting a good time in crappy conditions.

But I'm not. I'm pissed off that after all the training I get fucked by the weather on the day.

That’s a bloody great time in the conditions that have been this weekend. Strava is just full of people having a really tough time. Well done.

[gollum]

M - Skip morning weights, so nothing until lunchtime when I do a pretty comfortable treadmill 10k followed by some ankle work to prevent recurrence of injury.
Zip to the Depot in the evening. Warm up with some scapular work which seems to be getting stronger. Then some campus work but know before I start that I’m not going to be breaking any records tonight. Do okay but not great. Then on to do some repeaters. First set of crimps with 20k added, then solid on all other grip types. Throw in a new grip using 10mm BM edge for one set and 8mm edge on Transgression board, both of which seem to work well, will try slightly smaller holds next time I try this, but not a bad start.
Bit of weights in the 10-12 range as I feel guilty for skipping this morning. Nothing too brutal, dumbbell press on the flat bench, band flys, front and lateral shoulder raises and incline press as s killer drop set all the way down the rack. A good burn after other stuff.
Finish off with a few easy circuits, resting for the time it takes to do the circuit. Forgot how much I dislike doing that many moves in a row.

T - Pull day. Start with rack pulls and work up to two reps at 170k which goes really well and back is feeling strong at the moment. Move on to do five weighted strict pull ups on the minute starting at body weight and adding 5k each set up to 30k. I need to up this a it next time I do it. A superset of prone rows with an isometric hold at the top and Aussie rows on bands works well and helps core stability. Finish the session with some face pulls, with scapular movement at the extremes of movement. Happy with that as a session.
Late afternoon trip to the Depot. Projecting yellows and the remaining few pinks. Get one of the combo problems sorted in about 5 tries, although 3 of those were sussing out the start sequence. Make good progress on another, which might go if I was fresh. Good progress on yellows, get one done and getting close on a couple more with plenty left to go at.

W - Lunchtime visit to Big Depot for a repeater session on the board. All went well and did four finger crimp, four finger drag and front two fingers with a 10k weight added and all the rest of the grips were solid enough. Quick bit of camp using to finish but just a few moves. It’s definitely the right plan to campus before deadhangs as seems to affect my ability much more this way round.
Evening rehab for Achilles and shoulder before a 10k steady run on the treadmill.

T - Run at lunchtime. First 5k at Marathon pace, second 5k at 5k pace. Legs were tired after that.
Evening at the Depot. Started with Max hangs for 10 seconds at between bodyweight and minus 4k, starting light and getting progressively harder. Felt like a pretty tough challenge. The plan was then to have a go at one of the two remaining comp problems and zip round the blacks. Comp problem felt hard and I was further away than last session. Blacks felt tough and I ended up dropping with sweat. First time in a while I’ve not flashed the set.

F - First day of a long weekend. Go over to Manchester Depot to get a comp score.  Do alright and happy with my score although some of the harder problems involve wrestling box volumes that’s just not my bag. Reckon Problem 21 wasn’t set with three one arm pull ups in the middle which is what I ended up doing as I kept messing up the sequence. An entertaining hour and do like the fact  that I have such a different approach here than at Leeds where I am much more tactical about it and here I turn up once and see what I can get done in a session.
In the afternoon I go out for a longer run and clearly after last week pride comes before a fall. Was struggling with the heat and managed about 18 miles in three and a half hours but was feeling sick and wasted. Despite drinking 2 litres during the run was still 4 pounds lighter at the end. Topping up with isotonic beer in the evening. A mixed but happy day.

S - Set off early for what was meant to be a recovery run. Kept Heart Rate nice and low to top of hill and then decided was feeling good do repeated the route from yesterday. Running to pulse rate and keeping it all steady. A very different experience. Marginally quicker but felt so much more comfortable. Got to mile 15 without any water but was doing okay until then and nipped into supermarket for sone water. What a difference a day makes.

S - Nice steady treadmill run testing zero drop shoes, followed by a 10k home from the gym along the canal.

Happy enough with my climbing but it’s been a warm one again. Pleased with the running which has all been at a steady plod as it’s been so freaking hot.

[Nibile]

And are spotted by a passing Spaniard on a bicycle.

Pedro - or whichever his name was - says hi.

[Will Hunt]

Tu - after work at High Stony Bank with Paul. Checking the newly retroed routes for the guide. Some nice routes there up to 6c+ to go at. Had a go on Jocasta at the end but Paul gave me whack beta and fell off the hard bit at the top. Worked out how to do it properly but no time to redpoint.

Su - High Stony again to finish checking those new routes out. Got most of them done, so about 10 routes. Did Jocasta before the sun came onto it so at least felt like I'd done something vaguely tricky.

[tomtom]

M: Anston. Warmed up and spent the whole time working Reservation. Good progress - managed all the moves (apart from the very last - wouldn’t mind a spot for that) in three just about overlapping sections... Time to move to repoint mode...

Tu: Beginnings of a cold...

We: Trowbarrow - Lemsip-ed up to get on Shallow Grave. Got it second go. Story here: https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,30195.msg588899.html#msg588899

Chuffed. Even went and did it again for the camera... (wasn’t expecting it to go before!). Then went over to the Shelter Stone and got stuck into Pit Problem. Again.... It appears this is now legitimately started *at 7B* with the RH on the side pull... I can’t seem to pull on like that - though having since seen videos of people on it I may just need to be more french in my starts.. Its nicer starting with both hands lowish and moving into the sidepull (which felt good). Though finding the correct place for my left foot for the push up is going to be important - and something I couldn’t quite get right... Managed the final moves too (opposing heels ) which felt good.

Thu: Developing cold

Friday Drive to Norfolk... still there... 30 degrees... but nice by the sea. Cold has finally gone now (Monday eve).

Norfolk trip will mean a full week off climbing... see if first rest in ages helps (or hinders)!!

[Coops_13]

W: In Seattle for the week. Stone Gardens Bellevue. Drank too much alcohol the night before at a work event so not firing at all. Fingers felt weak and grades felt stiff. Just climbed a load of moonboard problems up to 6B+ to increase session fitness and skin. Deadlift up to 275lb (PB since break). Cables and biceps to finish

S: Upper Chaos. First time up there, significantly further than Lower. Warmed up and got on Skipper D V8. Amazing problem up a steep wall / prow / arete - 11 moves to high jugs then a top-out. Almost sent it first proper go, fell from big move to jugs. Failed a load more times (this boulder takes so much out of you) over the next few hours. Tweaked beta slightly. Randomly felt good after a shorter break and fired it off. So psyched, as seen by psyche screams when I got to the jugs... Pretty knackered after that, had a play on Right El Jorge but too crimpy for me at the moment so called it a day Video below:


S: Nice hike up James Peak 13,294ft via St. Mary's Glacier. Good 10 mile hike, which was a good addition to the 7 miles I did the day before…

[teestub]

Awesome that looks like a flipping great problem.

[Coops_13]

Awesome that looks like a flipping great problem.

Cheers mate, the right-hand pinch (crux move) is such a cool hold

[nai]

M garage bouldering, don't recall much about it, week five of school holidays, done too many of these sessions (although better than not having the board or inclination to rise early enough to fit it (although this is the worst summer holiday I've had in terms of outdoor sessions, one trip to Lee's Bottom is all I've managed))
Core

T garage PE circuit. New circuit from last week which is only managed three times in three sections. Did it 5 times today, completed twice in one, other three made it to the last few moves. So probably not as hard as I first thought but it does generate a building pump rather than a sudden power out which is what I wanted.
Core
PM headed off on a short break to Lincolnshire.

W flatness
Th flatness

Fri early morning garage session, climbed terribly, I blame exposure to flatness. Sacked it, did TRX and core instead.

S in the garage first thing again, oddly warmed up really quickly and felt good. 5on, 5off format again but concentrated on working hard moves throughout and managed to complete a new problem
Core obvs

Eve took a window of opportunity to fit in Sunday's planned/hoped for AnCap session. Ended with tips and toes on fire but worth it

Sun 10x1 min laps of 7a circuit.

[AMorris]

Top effort on Shallow Grave TT, looks like a great problem!

Making the most of the good weather this week.

M - Hang session. 3x8s half crimp one arm bottom BM2 rung + 3kg, both arms. Same for front 3 dragging + 7kg. Other assorted one arm hangs.

T - 5x12 training is working an absolute treat. 4th week on and I have gone from being able to do 0/5 to 4/5, with the last one previously feeling impossible now very close.

W - Enduro day.

T - Rest

F - Back to Tan y Grisiau with Ian for some sharp moelwyn rock. Ian crept his way up Tempest, about the best 7A anywhere, which was a great sight. On a high, we went off to Flick of the Wrist (7C/+), which I was eager to get back on after getting so close to it the session previous. Unfortunately the pinch and slopey notch were a little damp and greasy, so I did a good 15 minutes of brushing and drying until it finally felt okay. After a bunch of tries and falling off after the crux a few times, I topped it out with a great deal of shouting. I even managed another lap for the camera. I ended up sacking off any of the faffy sequences and just pulling hard on the pinch with a low right toe, then going again to the top jug. Double ascent day, a good start to the weekend!

S - North wales was absolutely crawling with tourists, it being a sunny bank holiday and all, so we went off and lucked out on a spot in ogwen. Decided on Gallt yr Ogof from here for what turned out to be sweltering climbing on small sharp crimps. Warmed up on the slabby 6A and 6B, which were superbly tricky little 'just stand up' numbers in the heat, before moving on to the ramp. This felt powerful and hard for 7A, unless I did it totally wrong. Had a play on Smackhead: if anyone has any idea how to do this let me know, I couldn't touch it! The first move of Sway On felt absolutely mental, especially in the heat (though that was far from the limiting factor), so I moved on to Regeneration (7B) and after some try harding and weird foot positions on the first move (is everything on this block desperate?) I got to the top. We managed a team ascent of the 6C arete and then nabbed an unexpected ascent of Regeneration extension (7B+/C) which felt hard too, but probably more like B+ than C. By this point our fingers were shredded so we retired to Llanberis for coffee. We managed to find a spot in the pass in the evening and headed up to the barrel for Ian and James to try Bulling, and so I could have a play on the traverse. Repeated Bulling and Minimum a few times and worked out the sequence on the traverse, but by this point I did not have the square power left to link it, so moved on to the traverse link into Bulling (7B/+) for a consolation prize, superb moves! James and Ian got so close to holding the top, but no cigar, so we headed back to the hut for a bbq and some beers to toast a great day getting shut down on sharp rock!

S - Absolutely wrecked, so we went off the Tremadog for some gentle shuffling on Valeries Rib. On the second pitch belay we heard news about the cricket score, so we got the phone out and watched Stokes create something miraculous out of absolutely nothing, standing 30m off the deck on a 1ft wide ledge, what a win! I lead the top pitch which was superb easy treading in a lovely position. Great finish to a fantastic weekend.

[tomtom]

Great cricket stance!!

[Plattsy]

True, just the window is a bit bigger. Only one race start time, whereas it's amazing what good conditions you can get if you get to Stanage early enough.

And are spotted by a passing Spaniard on a bicycle.

Assuming the race course isn't through private land a PB over the course on a random cool breezy Sunday morning still counts Shirley?

[spidermonkey09]

M - rest.

T - Malham. A frustrating evening session waiting for three people, all of whom were working the route, to finish. By the time they were done I was pissed off, rushing and conditions were deteriorating. Still got through bulge second go and high on headwall again before the still, humid conditions defeated me. Not sure whether I was being selfish/unrealistic, but thats the game at busy crags I suppose. Still good form; should be close when conditions return.

W - rest.

T - Headingley for the cricket. Good day inbetween the rain showers. Lots of heckling!

F - Lake District for the long weekend. Went to Wallowbarrow for the afternoon and seconded and soloed a few VS'. Drove to Wast Water afterwards.

S - walked up to Great Gable to do Napes Needle and Tophet Wall. Pretty surprised to see toilets have been removed at Wasdale Head; surely this is incredibly short sighted from the National Trust? Knee started hurting on way up. After a minor domestic where I fucked the route finding, necessitating some scrambling, got to the needle, mercifully first. The crack section was irredeemably grim climbing saved only but its historic interest. Top 2m 'pitch' and downclimb much more interesting; cool little summit. Walked back to Tophet Wall as the Needle began crawling with punters and led it in two massive pitches; jesus, thats an amazing route. Deserving classic status. Walked back down and consumed massive amounts of food, not used to this big mountain day shenanigans!

S - swimming at Wast Water and a bridge near Birker Fell; too hot for climbing and knee playing up. Drove back and was extremely surprised/delighted to find news that we somehow won the cricket!

M - roasting again but went to Malham to keep my hand in. Nearly got through bulge in roasting conditions but the next go it felt like my skin was through to the bone. Tweaked a muscle in my neck/chest which I'm hoping will settle down over next few days. Might go back Thursday or might train before the weekend, not sure yet as evening sessions haven't been great performance wise recently. Confident I can give myself a shot in good conditions.

[SA Chris]

In the afternoon I go out for a longer run and clearly after last week pride comes before a fall. Was struggling with the heat and managed about 18 miles in three and a half hours but was feeling sick and wasted. Despite drinking 2 litres during the run was still 4 pounds lighter at the end. Topping up with isotonic beer in the evening. A mixed but happy day.

When it's really hot and you are sweating loads, I find water doesn't help. I really like the SiS Tablets you drop into the water (make sure it doesn't blow out the bottle as they are a bit effervescent), but my partner swears by Tailwind. If I m doing a long race or run where i need to top up water I carry a couple of the tablets in one of the plastic capsules from a Kinder Egg, they fit perfectly.

[monkoffunk]

STG - Sport projects. Do more DWS
Maintain Lose weight back 74kg.
MTG - Portland Font 7A+/B from unfinished list, autumn (or summer evenings).
LTG - 7C

M - First evening out after work. Never been working close enough to rock before, it’s great being able to leave work and head straight to the crag. Still only time for a quick session with the light, probably going to be lamp bouldering before too long.

Went to Cuttings for conditions. Fell off my 6b warm up to set the tone, rapidly realising that my vague plans to get on a 7c/+ project wasn’t really on. Had a go at Shiver Me Timbers, a pretty tough (IMO) crack that I never remember how to do having tried once a session for a few sessions when trying Fighting Torque. Finally finished off with only just enough light to see feet and some skin of teeth power screaming. 7a but wouldn’t have argued if it was given 7a+ I reckon.

T - Rest

W - Day off. Oakwood. Circuits. Not feeling fit so figured this could be helpful. Not sure how much benefit I got although did put some effort in. I just don’t really know how to sensibly train longer endurance efficiently, struggle to find the balance between too hard and too easy. A couple of the circuits at Oakwood are jug hauls separates by desperate boulder problems half way through, which doesn’t help.

T - Anderson style repeaters session. Been a while and felt weak on this, but was second day. Also weigh more. Struggled through, had to drop weight and increase hold size. Almost sick at the end but finished the reps.

Core on the bar once I had recovered, should do more of this.

F - Long day, rest.

S - Mostly decorating. Squeezed in core on the bar and a few sets of pull ups to failure.

S - Not quite planned rest.

Feel better at end of the week than I did at the beginning. Weight still high. Should get a couple of sessions out next week.

[Stabbsy]

True, just the window is a bit bigger. Only one race start time, whereas it's amazing what good conditions you can get if you get to Stanage early enough.

And are spotted by a passing Spaniard on a bicycle.

Assuming the race course isn't through private land a PB over the course on a random cool breezy Sunday morning still counts Shirley?

Anyone that can run PB pace in anything other than a race has my admiration, but I doubt I could get within 3 mins/5% of my HM PB without the closed roads, people to work with, etc.

Chris - no question it’s tough when you have limited opportunities. I’ve been in a similar position, getting within 90 secs of the time I wanted in 2017, further away in 2018 due to injuries and then squeaking under in 2019 despite life trying to get in the way. All I can say is that the feeling when you do succeed is that much sweeter and it’s worth it.

It’s more like your hardest trad on-sight than projecting boulder problems - there’s other E5’s out there but you only get to on-sight Right Wall once (insert alternate appropriate route/grade here). The feeling of crossing the line with the time I wanted after that much hard work was pretty similar to being sat on top of the Cromlech years before and the high lasted just as long. Take a break, reboot, race some shorter distances, find a new target and go again.

[shark]

T - Malham. A frustrating evening session waiting for three people, all of whom were working the route, to finish.

Tricky scenario. Did you ask? Not many would object to: “is there any chance I could sneak in a quick redpoint while conditions are good? I got really high last week”.

[spidermonkey09]

Tricky scenario. Did you ask? Not many would object to: “is there any chance I could sneak in a quick redpoint while conditions are good? I got really high last week”.

No; in hindsight I should have done as I wouldn't object if I was on the other side. It was tricky though; one on the bulge, one on the headwall levels of busy! C'est la vie I suppose.

[SA Chris]

Assuming the race course isn't through private land a PB over the course on a random cool breezy Sunday morning still counts Shirley?

Not if it's a closed road race. If I wanted to i could probably run 21 km up and down the old Deeside railway line for example - i did 16.3 km there on my own one cool evening in 1:16 just to see how it felt, especially with a couple of mates pacing, but if it's not a timed race it doesn't really count.

Aberdeen Great Run has always been the race I train up for, and I've PBed each time. This is the last time Great Run are doing in, they are not renewing their 3 year contract, apparently race isn't profitable enough like Stirling Marathon they've pulled out of too.

[SA Chris]

I got really high last week”.

I was going to go and climb, then I got high, la da da da da dadada.

[Kingy]

I got really high last week”.

I was going to go and climb, then I got high, la da da da da dadada.

Worked for Sharma! 

[cheque]

Rehab Diaries Week Fifty-three

STG- Sub-HVS *** Peak Trad list (11 8/27 remain), onsighting HVS/ low 6s by end of September.

M- Rest.

T- Worried that I'm getting weak so decided to do two pullups on the doorframe of the staff kitchen every time I made a cup of tea at work. Did 14 during the course of the day. 

W- Yarncliffe. A couple of months ago I decided that the excellent Zapple would be a good first post-injury HVS- It's got lots of gear, and I did it with one hang in 2011 so I know there's no nasty surprises and I wouldn't be pissed off to blow the onsight (to be honest this doesn't piss me off any more anyway) so, feeling pretty ready I checked it out a few weeks ago. It was filthy and full of plants so I decided that when the evenings were a bit too short to do trad I'd clean it up in advance- it's a shame when good routes get dirty but in a place like Yarncliffe (only really used by outdoor groups and the few good ones are on the almost perma-shaded back walls) and this would also give me some good time on abseil which I need for my head.

So here I was. Abbed down and cleaned the fucker which wasn't very quick at all due to the aforementioned dirtiness and the whole wall being damp- brush moving the wet crud around rather than removing it scenes. Scared on the rope at first but gradually relaxed. Nice to remember that I have all sorts of cleaning skills (and gear) from past "jobs" like this too- another little forgotten bit of my previous life.

T- Back at Yarncliffe to clean Zapple's left-hand start and the ** VS to it's left, Fall Pipe. Abbing down Zapple it had dried up and my work from the previous evening was evident.  The LH start took a good while though which didn't leave anywhere near enough time to do Fall Pipe which is really, really dirty.

F- Rest.

S- Chew Motherfucking Valley.  A perfect moorland grit day- blue skies but not too hot and a decent breeze so no midges. That slight late-August "autumn is coming" hint in there too.  Went up to Alderman Rocks first- my route here is called Great Slab. I'd soloed the first pitch (which is the slab itself) in October 2015 but backed off soloing the second which is a short and mean wide-hands crack. Seconded the slab then did the crack second go after putting a hole in my hand. A guy in the other group who sounded local told us he'd never climbed there as it was normally wet which is a classic example of the sort of bullshit people believe about high moorland crags- Alderman is right at the top of a windy hill with nothing to drain onto it.

Next we went to Standing Stones. A fortnight after I checked it out in horizontal rain but today the weather was somwhat different- I was walking about barefoot between routes! Did both the routes off my list there, Womanless Wall (which took me two goes as I freaked when presented with wet holds and missed the huge just that was right in front of my face) and Fairy Nuff which is incredibly good  . Seconded loads of routes too, including two E1s. A really, really good day. Standing Stones is not so much a crag that's underrated as unrated as barely anyone's even been there- I imagine it's a lot more deserving of the bloke at Alderman's "always wet" comment than most moorland crags but between VS-E2 it is seriously up there.

S- Rest. Went to Trent Bridge to watch Notts play Yorkshire. As I've only been paying attention to cricket for a few months, live in Yorkshire rather than Nottinghamshire these days and was actually born in Lancashire I've no idea who I support in this game but Notts won and England won an international (most of the crowd were more interested in following this than the match in front of them) both of which made my other half very happy which is all good. We were in a south-facing stand and I don't think I've ever sweated so much in my entire life. 

M- One year since I first went to the climbing wall again. Ive done alright considering I couldn't get my foot up onto the holds back then really. Went to Yarncliffe very early with a plan to warm up on the big sandy slab while it was in the shade then get some lunch at Outside before returning to do Zapple. This went fine until I found that the back wall was soaking wet (wetter than in midweek- must have been condensation) and the bottom of it, which I hadn't cleaned as well as the top but contains Zapple's crux, was slimy as fuck. Couldn't do it but it was good belay practise for my girlfriend who'd never belayed a dogging leader before. Abbed for my gear after sacking it and was encouraged to find that the top 80-90% of the wall was dry and would havebeen prefectly climbable. Went for a lovely walk around the Longshaw Estate after.

Good week. After a week of trying three routes from my list but demoralisingly failing on them all I got three done in a day! It's still very unlikely I'll tick the lot this year but looks like I might get close- with hindsight yesterday's early start would have been better used by getting another one done before it was too hot but I think some more easy mileage was good too. Going to do some more Yarncliffe cleaning this week.

[gollum]

In the afternoon I go out for a longer run and clearly after last week pride comes before a fall. Was struggling with the heat and managed about 18 miles in three and a half hours but was feeling sick and wasted. Despite drinking 2 litres during the run was still 4 pounds lighter at the end. Topping up with isotonic beer in the evening. A mixed but happy day.

When it's really hot and you are sweating loads, I find water doesn't help. I really like the SiS Tablets you drop into the water (make sure it doesn't blow out the bottle as they are a bit effervescent), but my partner swears by Tailwind. If I m doing a long race or run where i need to top up water I carry a couple of the tablets in one of the plastic capsules from a Kinder Egg, they fit perfectly.

That’s a great tip re Kinder Egg. Will give it a go. I tend to use Zeros with and without caffeine.  I also swear by Erdinger AF when I get back and usual crave a bag of crisps, presumably for the salt.

[duncan]

Summer was back and no mistake.  Sounds like cheque was making the wisest choices regarding venue.

STG: enjoy climbing, don’t get injured, try another E4. Tick, tick, tick!
MTG/LTG: tbc

M - Fingerboard hangs with +5kg. Get me!  Shoulder strength: IsYsTs
T - Westway routes to 6b+, maintaining the intensity, reducing the rest times. Forearms felt blasted.
W - Weighted pull-ups with 22.5kg. Shoulder strength: IsYsTs.
T - Hip and knee strength: squats, pistols.
F - Hip flexibility stuff.
S - Alpine start for the drive to Pembroke, roads quiet at 5am. Met AJM, strolled over to St Govan's East and did Lotus Europa and First Blood between chatting with old friends. Then headed for The Castle but it was hard to walk past a dry Huntsman’s Leap with abseil ropes in place so got on Quiet Waters (Direct). Didn’t entirely trust the gear in the first 15m: it's not bad but the rock is a little brittle and I was not at my most confident. Had a quiet word to myself and pressed on and up. The top slab was interesting too, I was surprised to read the old ring piton has stopped at least two falls in the last couple of years. It’s perfectly positioned, does anyone know if the placement was drilled?
S - The Castle. Warmed-up following Andy up Too Much Pressure then tried Under The Influence which was the original plan for Saturday. Got the gear to the crux (copious and unimpeachable) but lacked the oomph to go for the move. Downclimbed, retreated up Davy Crockett, abbed for the gear and did Too Much Pressure again. Relocated to Stennis Head and did the fine Riders on the Storm and the very satisfying Manzoku. More socialising.
M - Bank Holiday bonus. Chapel Point, followed Ultravixens. Got a bit lost on Ultravox (guidebook at the wrong end of the abseil rope) and ended up doing something that closely resembled Sly Fox. A worthwhile route if you’ve done the two Ultras. Skin loss, sleep deprivation, heat and general fatigue stopped play. Drove home.

Pembroke was at it's very considerable best. Great social scenes, this feels like my local crag, a shame it’s 4.5 hours drive. No roped climbing for 7 weeks meant I was not as decisive on the sharp end as I’d have liked but this will come back quickly. I was happy to do Quiet Waters despite not feeling very confident. Would have liked to have at least fallen off Under The Influence but, on reflection, I should have tried this on day one in the late afternoon as originally planned: I need to be fresh and the crucial finger jams and foot smears to be bone-dry. Doing three relatively heavy sessions earlier in the week probably didn’t help either.

Plan: eat, sleep. Have a restful week then reassess finger strength. Next week I'll be back in bachlor mode and getting out regularly again.   

[Steve R]

M - rest. 
T- Max hangs one arm on bm2k edge.  Then board problems.  Good session.
W - rest
T-  Max hangs one arm on bm2k edge.  Then board problems. Long day working but felt good again once warmed up.
F- rest 
S- Grotte de Sabart am.  felt quite good warming up and got on Big Mac again.  Breakthrough on crux - took a while but have good method sorted now.  Unfortunately blood blistered middle finger pad on crux crimp though.  Ready to start redpoint goes next visit.  Easier granite sport pm.
S- Alliat pm.  Crag in full shade but still too hot really.  Revisited a burly 7c+ I tried last year, felt hard and greasy.  Sacked it after 1 dog - will try again when a bit cooler.  Felt quite tired so just some easier milage.

Weight down 1kg to 76.5.

[Yossarian]

Two weeks...

M
T - Wall. Vague memory of this being a fairly productive session on new wineglass set.
W
T - Mile End. Physio with Cris Costa who did various things to my problem shoulder including acupuncture, which I’d never tried before. Hopefully this will lead to some sort of recovery before too long. Climbed for a couple of hours afterward - flashing some V4s and nearly but not quite doing 2 V5/6s in the brilliant cave corner. I climbed at Mile End in the mid / late 90s when it was a sweaty grothole. It’s not exactly Villa d’Este, but the crack den vibe seems to have been dispelled in favour of the typical London & SE beard / tattoo / black Lycra balletic meathead appeal. Anyway, possibly slightly overdid it...
F - Felt fucked. Did prescribed shoulder rehab.
S - Wall. Rushed warm up and then immediately felt tweaky, so gave up.
S

M - Ansteys. Warmed up on Omlette Wall. Did Empire bolt to bolt. As hoped, it felt totally amazing and exactly my favourite type of sport route - flowy long moves, jugs and a bit of cut loose. Planned to do some links but felt ok at the break so carried on, dropping it at the throw to the big LH after the crux. Then climbed from the initial break to the top which felt comparatively easy so made the mistake of expecting it to go down quickly. Then cocked up crux a couple of times, missed that throw again, slipped off move below the break, and wore myself down to the point that i had to go bolt to bolt to get the draws out. Considering the mammoth drive down and early signs of promise, I should’ve been distraught, but it’s such a good route I actually wasn’t that bothered. Hopefully returning before too long to finish it off. Mainly delighted that I’m back on a 7b and it felt ok / fun / not too hard, and that recent shite performance on Portland is mainly down to it not being my favoured style.
T - Drove to Font with daughter. Massively drained from previous day’s antics. Canche aux Merciers. We did first ten problems of the orange circuit. Mostly felt desperate.
W - Roche aux Sabots. Confidence plummeted. Did Passage a l’Acte which I’d done on previous visit in early 2000s. 5+? Felt desperate and terrifying. Other notes reveal recurring themes including “nails”, “couldn’t get off the ground”, etc. I think I did another couple of reds.
T - Isatis. Baking hot. Slightly better progress, though starting to feel v worn out. Tried Rick Hochet and Little Karma - bot felt totally desperate. Daughter was getting into her stride, and though tired too kept on pushing. V proud.
F - Went to Paris. Walked 14km, ate nice stuff, looked for my work in French bookshops.
S - Another rest day.
S - Bois Rond. Did first 6something of trip - Friction et Realite. Tried some harder things. Most still feeling desperate.

Bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Totally syked by Ansteys, and completely set on following Empire with the Direct, then Avenged, LWM, etc as it’s pretty obvious that progression on Empire wall has all the advantages of shared sections / linkups, etc and it’s all such high quality. Going to be much more selective about Portland routes for a while.

Font on the other hand has been eye opening for rather different reasons, illuminating totally shit technique, poor short-term sequence memory, chronically bad footwork and (judging from video footage) considerable excess weight. By the end of Sunday I was wondering about returning home early to avoid further torment. Thankfully, things eventually picked up.