[Coops_13]

Four months into an injury which has stopped climbing makes it difficult to make aims...

Injuries

Fix current wrist injury and remain uninjured for the rest of 2020 What a punter - may need to look for a new sport

Climbing

5 7C / V9s This is looking very unlikely

Training

Do some sort of training / exercise at least four times per week (starting now) I have been very consistent with training at least

At least two phases of max hangs Did one in lockdown so on track I suppose

Trips

Two week-long trips, most likely to US destinations

At least four weekend trips to venues such as Roy, Joe's, Moe's, Wyoming... Nothing yet, plans cancelled - hoping for something...


May add more once an end to this injury is in sight...

[Bradders]

Good luck everyone!

Climbing

-15 new problems 7C+ and up (can include link ups) - this was going really rather well pre-lockdown, did 5 and had dropped the last move on 2 others, got close on a third and generally felt good. Lot of pressure on Autumn now given how much I'm struggling with the heat in summer.
- go to Switzerland - more likely to go to Fairhead now, which I wouldn't mind at all
- as ever, it'd be nice to do more from This is Yorkshire...still have some relatively low hanging fruit to enjoy
- do a high quality 7C in both Scotland and Wales

Training

- 7C on the Depot board - training hard on my home board for my Depot board projects...
- stretching >3 times per week - couple of times a week average atm

Life

- get married -  should have been 25th April...now moved out to December so might still get the tick this year!
- move house to somewhere I can build a board - have sold STC and offer accepted STC on a lovely house with space for not one but two boards...fingers crossed all goes through smoothly now
- build board - lockdown bonus getting a home board sorted much sooner than I'd anticipated. It's brilliant.

Bit of a sea of red. It was all going so well.

[jwi]

1. Climb three 8bs or harder.
eh... a half? so far? ... kind-of... (can I count 8a+/b as half an 8b)? Oh well. I spent the two best months of the year in lock down.
2. Try to do a somewhat challenging multipitch route in good style. Routes and styles that would count would be things like RACS in Ordessa (o/s), Ayahuesca in Verdon (a few hangs), Troutherpie in Aiglun (RP after work).
. The only half-hard multi-pitch I done in Kallistée, but the style was substandard (onsight required style at this level).

This will be achieved by

1. Improving pull strength. I've had an injured shoulder for the last year and a half that stopped me from doing basic strength work. It seems fine now. Let's say 25 pullups, full ROM, no kicking, but at any cadence I like. Around 19-20 at best.
2. Improving finger strength, i.e. improving 2kg on both hands on my benchmark edge in the half crimp. (This seems extraordinarily difficult for me, so this is likely a weight loss goal). Being serious about variation of load.
1.5kg improvement on both hands, I'll take that.
2b. A basic 3-4-5-...-15 ladder up the thinnest rungs on the campusboard at the gym.. 4-5-13 at best.
2c. At least 8 weeks of systematic training of the two finger and one-finger pairs in the gym before going to Margalef in the spring. I started some training a bit too late for Margalef (since I had a local project requiring crimp strength instead) then came the lock-down.
3. Improving flexibility. At least 30 min of stretching a week, at least two sessions.
I did this during the confinement. After that, nothing.
4. Practice what I preach. At least one block of high volume/low intensity work. Probably in the summer. Ugh.
This will not happen this year, barring a second lock down.

[Coops_13]

Good luck everyone!

Climbing

-15 new problems 7C+ and up (can include link ups) - this was going really rather well pre-lockdown, did 5 and had dropped the last move on 2 others, got close on a third and generally felt good. Lot of pressure on Autumn now given how much I'm struggling with the heat in summer.
- go to Switzerland - more likely to go to Fairhead now, which I wouldn't mind at all
- as ever, it'd be nice to do more from This is Yorkshire...still have some relatively low hanging fruit to enjoy
- do a high quality 7C in both Scotland and Wales

Training

- 7C on the Depot board - training hard on my home board for my Depot board projects...
- stretching >3 times per week - couple of times a week average atm

Life

- get married -  should have been 25th April...now moved out to December so might still get the tick this year!
- move house to somewhere I can build a board - have sold STC and offer accepted STC on a lovely house with space for not one but two boards...fingers crossed all goes through smoothly now
- build board - lockdown bonus getting a home board sorted much sooner than I'd anticipated. It's brilliant.

Bit of a sea of red. It was all going so well.

sorry to hear about the postponed wedding Bradders, hope it all goes well in December!

[36chambers]

- move house to somewhere I can build a board - have sold STC and offer accepted STC on a lovely house with space for not one but two boards...fingers crossed all goes through smoothly now

I'm in the same situation. STC both ways and the potential new place can easily house two boards.

[cheque]

can I count 8a+/b as half an 8b?

Surely a 4a is half an 8b? 

Impressed that anyone has anything but red. We can’t be that hard on ourselves for not reaching goals we set in late December really.

[Bradders]

sorry to hear about the postponed wedding Bradders, hope it all goes well in December!

Ah cheers, fingers crossed! Very lucky it didn't cost us anything.

- move house to somewhere I can build a board - have sold STC and offer accepted STC on a lovely house with space for not one but two boards...fingers crossed all goes through smoothly now

I'm in the same situation. STC both ways and the potential new place can easily house two boards.

Nice, remember you saying you were looking. Seems lockdown has kicked lots of people into action!

[Fiend]

Fairly down-to-earth ones for me:

1. Regain trad confidence as follows:

> Falling practise indoors (and outdoors if suitable) - outdoors only and only since lockdown, but I am doing it
> Stamina training - lockdown etc
> Complementary training (fitness, flexilibity, calf raises) - have kept up with a bit of stretching and tried to keep fitness through lockdown but it's particularly inimicable to me
> Don't get sucked into too much sport climbing - have mostly done sport to try to get strength / fitness / motivation back
> Make use of sport climbing for falling practise - yes! i have actually done this and deliberately incorporated it into climbing days
> Avoid trad climbing with people who walk up my lifetime ambitions after I've backed off them - mostly apart from the odd blip which indeed coincided with failing on stuff
> Keep up with easier trad routes in uncomfortable styles to work my weaknesses - not really
> Sometimes boulder / train on vaguely relevant terrain for particular trad routes - not really
> Aim 3. below as it's a big hinderance physically and emotionally - a bit

2. Use confidence to tackle inspiring routes. - nowhere near, last indications on pre-lockdown grit were very poor
3. Focus more regularly on healing digestion. - I've kept up with this, stuck to a more rigid diet, kept up with supplements etc, still slowly progressing, might be fully healed in a few more years
4. Do more climbing trips away. - no, but am getting more determined than ever once it's feasible
5. Keep flexible with conditions and venues/styles. - yes, actually done well at this, the crazily changing weather has forced this and I feel I've done well switching from suntraps to shadepits as needed
6. Keep up theraputic exercises, stretching etc. - a bit, done more stretching than usual and have looked after any little niggles
7. Go to more hardcore / dnb nights. - no, but there's a fucking BANGER in October
8. Keep decluttering and selling stuff. - a bit, people keep buying my weird old hard dance CDs which is nice.

Mostly fucking dire as expected. The main signs of any progress have been a bit more stretching at home, and doing falling practise on sport from the very first routes after lockdown eased. Where this will all go, fuck knows.

Edit: One thing I forgot to add is ticking a lot more UKBers this winter, sharing pads or ropes or resin holds with: shark, yetix, spidermonkey09, mark20, fatneck, El Mocho, stone, mark s, plus retro-flashing nik at work and Johnny Brown, and meeting Ru, kristianc, abarro81 and JackPal. Almost all of whom were not cunts.

[yetix]

-get a lot better sent as many 7Cs and above as I did last year despite lockdown and a finger injury, also have lined up many 7Cs and above I feel like. Feel like I'm ticking things below that faster than ever so think I'm moving in the right direction with this one.
-get a little stronger finger injury at the start of lockdown meant a regression, back to previous PBs a week or so ago.
-7C+ sent Lou Ferrino in March.
-get out on a rope more than 2019 (2 sessions) none yet.

[moose]

Mostly fucking dire as expected....

Edit: One thing I forgot to add is ticking a lot more UKBers this winter... Almost all of whom were not cunts.

I've given myself a bye re Aims for the rest of this climbing year. Akin to lower division football deciding its final standings by "Points per Game"; I'm telling myself I would've had a decent season as I was feeling okay in February!

In the meantime, I've been amusing myself with the Mandela Traverse  at Kilnsey (fell whilst hitting the finishing jug yesterday... damn!), and with bouldering at various other weather resistant limestone venues. The main aim is just to getvout of the house enough to mitigate the mental and physical effects of an isolated, WFH Covid-life.

PS I am, and will likely remain, a count.

[nai]

Have lists of stuff up to 7C

Initial focus on bouldering, see how that goes into summer. If I can do Cave Problem Sit...

I worked Ben's and CPS a few times over winter but never when it was all fully dry.  Managed to do the sit section into the stand but never made the next move. Was going ok into March so reckon I coulda, maybe woulda, if I'd been able to get there when it was fully dry, etc
Did Ben's in two halves. Wasn't likley to get that I don't think

Would be nice to get a Kilnsey tick, a Crag X tick, a multi pitch tick on a big trad crag and do Jerry's Roof. 
I had an early March trip planned to have a crack at Jerry's but the weather looked filthy so I headed to Northumberland instead. Managed Hitchikers as a consolation but was most fortunate to have chosen the first week rather than the third so at least got away.

Now have an injured finger and tweaky shouolder and serious case of can'tbearsed, have kids off school and the summer holidays looming.
 
I am stretchier though, gained about six inches of split range. Go me.

[Aussiegav]

Good luck everyone!

Climbing

-15 new problems 7C+ and up (can include link ups) - this was going really rather well pre-lockdown, did 5 and had dropped the last move on 2 others, got close on a third and generally felt good. Lot of pressure on Autumn now given how much I'm struggling with the heat in summer.
- go to Switzerland - more likely to go to Fairhead now, which I wouldn't mind at all
- as ever, it'd be nice to do more from This is Yorkshire...still have some relatively low hanging fruit to enjoy
- do a high quality 7C in both Scotland and Wales

Training

- 7C on the Depot board - training hard on my home board for my Depot board projects...
- stretching >3 times per week - couple of times a week average atm

Life

- get married -  should have been 25th April...now moved out to December so might still get the tick this year!
- move house to somewhere I can build a board - have sold STC and offer accepted STC on a lovely house with space for not one but two boards...fingers crossed all goes through smoothly now
- build board - lockdown bonus getting a home board sorted much sooner than I'd anticipated. It's brilliant.

Bit of a sea of red. It was all going so well.

Loving the RAG rating.

[Wil]

I had a pretty good year in 2019. I was left with a few loose ends to clean up which can hopefully provide easy motivation for the Spring.

Trad:
Clean up some outstanding projects from 2018/19. Right Wall, Pacemaker, Darkinbad, Barbarella. It would be good to get a few other classic E5s in as well, e.g. Supersonic, Tales, Positron. If I get to the Autumn with 10 E5s under my belt I'll be very happy. I'm less concerned with whether I've onsighted them, but I do want to feel I've given the OS a good steady burn.

Harder routes: It would be great to finally put Master's Edge and Point Blank to bed.

No chance. I've led 2 trad routes all year, might be feasible as we get to late August.

Sport:
I've not got major objectives with this. I've got a short trip to Chulilla booked in, usual goals really of consistently onsighting low 7s and getting my try-hard head in gear. I don't have any UK specific sport goals.

Chulilla and Ceuse trips cancelled 

Life:
I've become a bit fat and useless this Autumn/Winter. SO has moved jobs and I've eventually moved house (to Coventry) so don't have hills or crags on the doorstep, although not a million miles away. Basic life goals are to get back to regular fitness and motivation, and clean up sleep and alcohol habits. I've also gone full time freelancing which is mildly terrifying but hopefully liberating in the long run. I need to make sure I finish the year with a clearer idea of what the next decade might look like in that regard.

Was doing well over the winter. Lots of productive time at the wall and did a lot of yoga, felt really strong in my core and flexibility was good. Lost all motivation in lockdown, just ticking over with a bit of fingerboarding, a bit of running, but not enough consistency. Sleep habits have improved, alcohol habits not, but not significantly worse either. Full time freelancing is back onto "maintain cashflow" status, but making progress.

Not a great start to the year. I had a really good base to build from in March, probably the fittest and strongest I'd been since injuring my wrist in 2015. I've lost a lot of those gains over lockdown, but I've really enjoyed the climbing I've done when I've been out, exploring new spots and doing more bouldering than normal. Hopefully as things start to open up more (Wales) and weekend trips become an option I'll get my mojo back.

[Footwork]

Keeping these strictly climbing related.

Five 7C+ or harder - Keeping this one from last year
So close on Curious Yellow and almost did Frank first day back after lockdown lift. Did Mein Vein at Caseg but this is 7C really.

Three routes off the sport list - Looking at Spidermonkey to force me 
Been raiding Hollywood Bowl and ticked Illywacker (bloody great), Kleptomania (bloody chains) and Sunset Boulevard (blood left on the top). Also dropped the bloody chains of Subculture. Bought myself a 70m sport rope to fully commit to clipping bolts.

Climb E6 or harder - If Sam Marks can then I can
Climbed desperate Dan at Ilkley above 18 pads... I'll get a real E6 tick when grit comes back.

Some proper sessions on something hard - It feels like a long time since I've put serious effort in to push my limits
Not really. Grooved Arete, Militia or the Oak might fit the bill. Fingers too broken to properly try hard on the blocks. 

Physio/ stretch or yoga once a week - No excuses why I can't find 20 mins a week for this
Struggling to find routine right now.

Good luck everyone!

[spidermonkey09]

- complete the Yorkshire Triple Crown. 8a+ is a problem grade for me in my pyramid and doing a few of them would redress the balance nicely.

Not being in Yorkshire so far this year has meant I havent even started this. Put good time into an 8a+ which will go at some point though so I am at least attempting to address the weakness in the pyramid.

- tick a few things off the left wall at Malham.

As above. Holding out hope of at least partial success in the autumn.

- have a few sessions on a gritstone 8A. Exorcist at Almscliff a potential but likely to be in the Peak more often this winter. Any recommendations appreciated.

Nope. Crap winter didnt help but mostly couldnt be arsed.

- spend a few days trad climbing in the summer especially.

Been tradding once in an effort to avoid the crowds.

- be diligent with max hangs. Got up to +26kg on the Moon/monkeyboy protocol in the summer. Would be good to get to 50% bodyweight but no idea how realistic that is.

Definite success here. Consistently over 50%+ bodyweight on two arm hangs. Briefly down to a few kilos assist on the one arm version.

- keep doing regular core work and generally keep myself in good non climbing specific shape. I am a lazy bastard on this score so this might be challenging.

Frequent core during lockdown seems to have been maintained. Stretching less so, but whenever I check I seem to have maintained the bendy gains.

At least the training goals have gone ok! Ideally by the end of the year I'll be consistently managing one arm max hangs with a kilo or so of assist.

[JohnM]

6 month review!

Climbing

Climb at least French 8b bolt clipping again. I managed to do a route that gets 8b+ in the guidebook but it is probably only hard 8b. At least I know it is definitely 8b! 

Do a challenging alpine route at either Rote Wand, Wilder Kaiser or the Dolomites. Finding a psyched partner will probably be the initial crux on this one. Got a potentially psyched partner but was hoping to do something around this time but the weather has been gash recently and very unstable. Still plenty of time so hopefully soon.

If I go to Australia next autumn I would like to do some classics in the Blue Mountains and in the Gramps such as Serpentine. This was all cancelled for obvious reasons.

I won't bother with any specific bouldering goals as my outdoor sessions are rare and sporadic, but it would be nice to climb a classic 7C outdoors if I get into one. Did a little bit of bouldering in Maltatal when I was there. Looked at a 7c briefly which felt doable, but it was much too warm/humid that day. Keen to get out bouldering soon to Silvretta.

Running

Finish both of the 100 km+ races I have entered into (Innsbruck Trail Festival and Eiger Ultra) and do the Bob Graham round in June if there is a good weather window. All my races were cancelled. I ran the Innsbruck route anyway but gave up before the last 8km as it was getting dark and I ran out of motivation. I am still happy I ran over 100km though. This has been rescheduled for September so maybe I will get a chance to complete it then. I would still love to have a crack at the Bob Graham round but who knows when I am going to make it back to the UK again. I don't think I will get a chance before the second wave arrives after they open everything up again. My partner for the Bob Graham also had to undergo a major unplanned surgery this year so maybe it will be best to wait until he recovers for next year if he still has the motivation.   

Misc/life

Get less anxious about work related stuff. It has not been too bad this year. Usually I get stressed about managing everything and keeping everything under control but strangely during the lockdown I felt completely calm about that side of things as I felt it was all out of my hands anyway and there was nothing I could do about it! I feel a bit anxious now as all the work seems to have dried up but similarly I have no control over the global economy so there is only so much I can do about it. Luckily I am personally ok at the moment but I will need to work again at some point! Worryingly one of my larger UK clients are asking me if I have work for them! 

Read more for pleasure + as others have said - less mindless internet scrolling. I bought a Kindle to address this and read one short novel called Train Dreams that I enjoyed. However, it is now covered in dust! I am reading a Norwegian (translated) crime thriller at the moment which I am enjoying and have a few other books lined up so hopefully this will improve. I still do way too much mindless scrolling!

Improve my conversational German. My vocab improved a lot during 2019 but I still actively avoid conversing in German! This has got a lot better although I wouldn't say I actively seek to converse with people in German. I speak with a tutor in Vienna on Skype every week and go running with a French guy who has lived in Austria for 20 years. He doesn't speak English so our common language is German so that is good for practice.

Improve my living situation and get a quieter, more spacious flat with a home office space. I moved in with my girlfriend which was decided and executed within one afternoon/evening the day the lockdown was announced. Much nicer and quieter here and I have a good working space. I still need to do some stuff to make it official but that should be finished within a month or two.

After cancelling out any benefit of giving up booze last November by drinking like a fish throughout December, I will now attempt to give up alcohol until I climb 8b, Preston North End get promoted or I finish the Eiger Ultra. Whichever happens first! I already cracked before the end of January when visiting friends in Switzerland and deciding having a fondue with water was just not going to happen. I did have a few weeks off booze though but I didn't climb 8b until May, the wheels have fallen off at Preston and my Eiger Ultra race was cancelled! Still probably boozing on average a bit too much.

So far so good this year, all things considered. Lockdown was actually good for me mentally as it allowed me to slow down and not have such a frantic hyper-anxious mindset that I had to be working on stuff all the time! It was also beneficial physically as I did a lot of basic strength training that I would normally avoid, particularly in the spring when I would just be climbing outdoors. The cruxes on routes felt a lot easier afterwards and I have maintained the training to a certain degree. I will keep the aims the same for the rest of the year with the focus on trying not to worry about work too much but also trying to generate some income after the summer. I will add a goal of completing my first bike packing tour as I am about to receive delivery of nice XC MTB bike that I ordered with this in mind.

[Ged]

Climbing:
Actually try and do some hard problems instead of being happy with anything with a 7 in it. Cast off and Devon sent for the first few months.
Epic fail. Appendicitis ended bouldering ambitions in Jan and Feb, then rain, then lockdown.

Do project at potato head (after moving bolts)
Done, just a couple of weeks ago. Bit easier than originally hoped for, but has got me totally inspired for more new routes there, which are currently in progress.

Cyber dog
Fail. Been to Ansteys about twice.

Have a proper look at Christine, even if it doesn't get done.

Got fairly close after lots of sessions. Really enjoyed the process. Will be back next summer.

Running
Something big and hilly in Europe in the summer
No races for obvious reasons, but got in good shape during lockdown, until a calf injury put a stop to all running since May. OK now, but been too interested in climbing again to do much.

[Wil]

Trad:
Clean up some outstanding projects from 2018/19. Right Wall, Pacemaker, Darkinbad, Barbarella. It would be good to get a few other classic E5s in as well, e.g. Supersonic, Tales, Positron. If I get to the Autumn with 10 E5s under my belt I'll be very happy. I'm less concerned with whether I've onsighted them, but I do want to feel I've given the OS a good steady burn.

Harder routes: It would be great to finally put Master's Edge and Point Blank to bed.

A bit of a non-starter this year. I had a great trip to Lewis though, where it rained a little bit every day, but not enough to spoil it. Did Painted Wall, which I'd wanted to do for years, and loads of other great routes.
The only other day was getting spanked at Hen Cloud, being unfit and having forgotten my jacket so freezing my nuts off,but it was a good day.

Sport:
I've not got major objectives with this. I've got a short trip to Chulilla booked in, usual goals really of consistently onsighting low 7s and getting my try-hard head in gear. I don't have any UK specific sport goals.

No trip to Chulilla or Ceuse for me. Did some good routes at Moy Rock in a quick hit, and a few near Edinburgh that were ok. Had a very muddy trip to Portland pre-lockdown.

Life:
I've become a bit fat and useless this Autumn/Winter. SO has moved jobs and I've eventually moved house (to Coventry) so don't have hills or crags on the doorstep, although not a million miles away. Basic life goals are to get back to regular fitness and motivation, and clean up sleep and alcohol habits. I've also gone full time freelancing which is mildly terrifying but hopefully liberating in the long run. I need to make sure I finish the year with a clearer idea of what the next decade might look like in that regard.

We've now moved to Edinburgh for the latest chapter. Beats Coventry! SO job going well. My freelancing ok, but lockdown put paid to being full time. I saved money during lockdown though, which has enabled me to get stuck into bigger projects in the Autumn, including decent headway on writing a book.

[Ged]

That sounds interesting wil, what's the book about? I would happily read a book version of your podcast

[Wil]

That sounds interesting wil, what's the book about? I would happily read a book version of your podcast

This one is about my experience working in a care home during lockdown. We'll see if anyone wants to publish it! I'm about 25,000 words in and at the point where I can hopefully polish up a few chapters to send to agents. If nothing else it's been good to develop a better writing habit and a cathartic experience in framing a very weird time.

I've been working on plans for Factor Two and an offshoot that could result in a book down the line.

[TobyD]

Trad Actually get out trad climbing this year. Some classic,  memorable routes up to E3; but trickier if I feel okay mentally.  Not really done any meaningful trad for nearly 4 years now, and given that I was feeling pretty confident on sighting E5/6 10 years ago, I feel that I need to pull my finger out.

Sport Get finger injury healed, good volume of mid to high 7s in Leonido in March. Do Cave routes at Gordale, the Groove at Malham,  seek out new venues at home or abroad. 

Life Find a more bearable job, I used to believe in what I do and any semblance of that has totally vanished.  Start writing again even if its recreational.

Soo, a good time in Leonido, quite a few quick ascents of up to 7c+, feeling really good in mid March. Then not a great deal of successful things since. A few things in the peak up to 7b+.
Trad, mostly failure unsurprisingly. Did a bit of soloing.
Life, left sh*t job done, now writing and looking for a new career...

[T_B]

Do a grit king line (e.g. Screaming Dream)
Do some grit routes in the spring
Heathen Chemistry
Salathe Wall Assis
Climb Font 8a again
Climb F8a again
Mark of the Beast
Road PRs for 5K and HM
An Ultra (V3K in June)
A Lakeland Classic AM and an AL (e.g. Newlands/Coniston/Duddon/Langdale)
Finish top 3rd in a race
Continue yoga 3 times a week

Do a grit king line (e.g. Screaming Dream)

Nope. I’ve had one quick look at SD on a rope. Grit bouldering wise I’ve felt well off the pace this autumn. Certainly not up to climbing anywhere near 8a.

Do some grit routes in the spring

Yes! A couple of micro routes in the spring (the best being Tin Drum at Curbar), then in the autumn tried a few different things with Crypt Trip and White Water being highlights. Fell off Beau Geste after the crux, so that’s top of the list, but likely 2021 now.

Heathen Chemistry

Nope. Never been back since early January.

Salathe Wall Assis

No Font trip this year.

Climb Font 8a again

Nowhere near. Only managed a couple of 7c+s and these were the ones at Lees, which are soft/not 7c+.

Climb F8a again

Yes! Only did one as focussed on trad, but did Call of Nature at the Tor in a couple of sessions. Also on-sighted one 7c (The Squealer), which is pretty much my top on-sight level.

Mark of the Beast

No DWS.

Road PRs for 5K and HM

Yes! And 10k as well. Ran a virtual half in the spring on a hilly course and felt like I got my maximum potential out of it. The 5k wasn’t a proper effort really but the 10k was recently and a full effort, knocking 3 mins off my PB.

An Ultra (V3K in June)

Nope. Only ran more than 30k twice.

A Lakeland Classic AM and an AL (e.g. Newlands/Coniston/Duddon/Langdale)

Nope.

Finish top 3rd in a race

1 real race. Trigger back in January. Half way up the field (ish).

Continue yoga 3 times a week

Managed January

... so actually my best efforts this year climbing-wise weren’t on my aims. That is leading proper trad E5s and E6 again after 10 years placing very little gear.

[Duma]

Don't think I did this last year, going to be an odd 2020 as other half has an injury that's going to stop her climbing at all until spring, leading until early summer, and bouldering until autumn. Plus the distraction of a big non climbing trip in Sept, so will see how we go...

General
Continue elbow rehab - has been a long process but feel like I can see the end now, climbing is fairly unrestricted, just need to get to a point where strength and power training is OK.
still the occasional tweak, but calling this a win.
Keep weight Av 70kg from 71ish last few years - should be doable if I succeed in next aim...
wasn't paying much attention to this first part of the year but been on target since summer
Drink less often - I rarely drink to excess, but probably have a beer ~70% of days. I doubt this has a major effect on climbing, but it seems more habit than anything else, and the calories must add up.
maybe slight reduction,
but minimal at best.
Don't die on a motorbike in the Himalaya.
didn't go, obvs

Climbing
Do something hard for me on dartmoor again, not really felt the psyche since Devon Sent a couple years ago, but Squire's new stuff has stirred something. Will probably require learning to love saddle tor, but might have a look at James's new arete (Interstellar) at Bovey, or attempt jungle VIP again.
started well with Weekend Warrior, but then covid...
Boulder in N Wales. Shamefully didn't manage it this year. Would really like to do Ultimate Warrior if poss.
didn't go
Go to Ansteys, finish CS, and try something trickier.
barely orange, but at least I went once. CS damaged my knee, took until now to feel better, so didn't get back
Pembroke, have fun, an E4 O/S would be nice.
couple of really fun weekends in Pembroke plus the amazing Sacre Coure at blackchurch. I technicallymanaged an E4 G/U, but it was dangerous bouldering really.


Not on the list but covid meant massive win on local sport climbing, has been great fun.

[Wood FT]

I twinged my knee on CS too, was it in the heel/toe for the final moves?

[spidermonkey09]

Good reading all these!

- complete the Yorkshire Triple Crown. 8a+ is a problem grade for me in my pyramid and doing a few of them would redress the balance nicely.
Having an orange on this one despite not doing any of the Triple Crown. I did however get a few 8a+'s done in quick time (for me!) which was satisfying and shored up the pyramid for a while longer.

- tick a few things off the left wall at Malham.
Definite tick here which was pleasing after losing the whole spring season. Managed Mighty Fine Ass, Henrys Route, Minimum Fuss, GBH, Baboo and Straightened. Main one left below 8b+ is Vogue, then its time to try some of the extensions!

- have a few sessions on a gritstone 8A. Exorcist at Almscliff a potential but likely to be in the Peak more often this winter. Any recommendations appreciated.
Total fail, don't think I even pulled onto one. Took ages to get going on the grit in January and there are so few 8As that would suit me in the peak as far as I can see, they all seem to be 7C+!

spend a few days trad climbing in the summer especially.
Borderline on this, didn't pan out the way I thought it would. One days trad at the end of lockdown 1 at Dovestone Tor followed by a good few days at Stoney where I did Wee Doris and Bitterfingers, both of which I enjoyed.

- be diligent with max hangs. Got up to +26kg on the Moon/monkeyboy protocol in the summer. Would be good to get to 50% bodyweight but no idea how realistic that is.

Tick. Got above 50% quite quickly in the winter before switching to one arm hangs. Down to 2kg assist now so the never ending mission to do a bodyweight hang on the bottom middle of the 2000 will be next year!

- keep doing regular core work and generally keep myself in good non climbing specific shape. I am a lazy bastard on this score so this might be challenging.
Sod it, I'm having this. Was really diligent during lockdown and did loads of core, stretching and TRX. Predictably dropped off a bit afterwards but have avoided injury so far (touch wood) and am definitely more flexible than previously. I have no desire to actually be good, I just want to be able to bridge wide and touch my toes so perhaps no surprise it was achievable...