[TobyD]

How do I get strong calves Toby? It’s the hip flexibility that would pose the biggest challenge on El Matador for me to be honest!

Get on The Rasp ...I am going to at least have a go this year.

1 run (or walk briskly) up steep hills, weighted heel raises, lots of sustained bridging routes.... I did 2 routes on DT, matador and a 5.9 or 10a I think called production line or something like that,  which was more like 3 of 4 pitches of millstone hand cracks . The summit is weird, it's just a big flattish grassy field. Check out the Dakota needles if you're up that way, they're good. Some ok sport climbing at Mt Rushmore as well. 

2 I'd be interested in going out on some stuff like the rasp with you if you're in need of a partner

[tomtom]

Is this one for spending a couple of hours on autobelay slabs with no tests?

[Fiend]

The Rasp is a good aspiration as it's (unusually for grit) very compatible to train for - relevant indoor angles on rounded / angular jugs.

[SA Chris]

A sub 4 hours at Barcelona marathon would be good, but I better get my finger out soon if I have any hope of achieving that.

You should be fine, I managed 4:00:12 in London on one long easy run on a weekend and two short hard lunchtime runs, starting from nearly 0 running fitness at this time of the year.

[james-m-h]

My aims for the year 2020,

Training
1 - get into a proper regime 3 sessions a week
2 - one arm pull up would be lovely even one
3 - one arm hang the lattice rung (20mm) with everything engaged (slight arm bend, engaged shoulder)
4- Campus 1-4-7

Boulder
1 - Complete five 7Bs
2 - get rid of some old nemesis problems, green traverse and King of Drunks

Sport:
1- Do more sport
2- Flash 7a that isn't on the slate or inside

Trad:
1- Do more Trad
2- Do more Trad

[Footwork]

Keeping these strictly climbing related.

Five 7C+ or harder - Keeping this one from last year

Three routes off the sport list - Looking at Spidermonkey to force me 

Climb E6 or harder - If Sam Marks can then I can

Some proper sessions on something hard - It feels like a long time since I've put serious effort in to push my limits

Physio/ stretch or yoga once a week - No excuses why I can't find 20 mins a week for this

Good luck everyone!

[SA Chris]

Climb in Scotland Seems ridiculous given how widely I’ve climbed in England and Wales but before I got the SMC Scottish Climbs book last week I knew almost nothing about climbing north of the border. Now I have the book I’m psyched. I have no plan of how I’ll achieve this but I’d like to do at least something up there this year.

I know it's not the most obvious first port of call, but if you are up NE / Cairngorms way give me a shout, I have a hankering for getting something done up in the mountains this year. Otherwise feel free to tap the collective Scottish UKB mind for beta.

[cheque]

Sweet, you’re on Chris.

Physio/ stretch or yoga once a week - No excuses why I can't find 20 mins a week for this

Really showing your age with this “a week” business! 

[spidermonkey09]

Three routes off the sport list - Looking at Spidermonkey to force me 

 

[galpinos]

Training
....
2 - one arm pull up would be lovely even one
3 - one arm hang the lattice rung (20mm) with everything engaged (slight arm bend, engaged shoulder)
4- Campus 1-4-7

Boulder
1 - Complete five 7Bs
2 - get rid of some old nemesis problems, green traverse and King of Drunks

If you achieve those in training the boulder goals should be a path.

[jwi]

Training
....
2 - one arm pull up would be lovely even one
3 - one arm hang the lattice rung (20mm) with everything engaged (slight arm bend, engaged shoulder)
4- Campus 1-4-7

Boulder
1 - Complete five 7Bs
2 - get rid of some old nemesis problems, green traverse and King of Drunks

If you achieve those in training the boulder goals should be a path.

Agree. Anyone who's not a short person who can one arm a 20mm edge should be able to boulder 8A at least, no? And if you achieve those bouldering goals 7c onsights should be well within the realms of possibilities?

[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

Climbing

5 7C / V9s

Training

Do some sort of training / exercise at least four times per week (starting now)

At least two phases of max hangs

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...


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

[gme]

Can i get a rewind. Pretty much copy and paste from 2019 but this year is all about climbing at the top of the list. Have decided that if i cant get it to work out this year i am going to get fatter, drink fine wine and take up golf

Routes - Redpoint 8a> Have decided this is just about the physical so could be a traverse or circuit instead of a route. Not much sport climbing where i live so makes sense.

Boulder outside - 7C and 50 new to me 7s ( guidebook grades, grovels and link ups allowed. Very much a quantity thing not quality)

Boulder School - 7C

Trad - do some again, a few things i would like to do in the county.

Training - 1-4-7, one arm hang BM2k slot for 5 secs, front lever, 2 x BW DL. 1.5 x BW BP. 77kg body weight (84 at minute).

Work - Was going to drop to a four day week but have decided against and rather take more days off as i need them instead. rigid 4 days wont work for me.

Life - dont volunteer to do anything other than climbing. Be a cunty selfish climber for a bit, the family have been warned.

[James Malloch]

Some very achievable ones for me, mainly good climbs at reasonable grades to try and make me get to some of the crags I wish I went to more.

Tremolo 7c @ Malham. Hopefully in 2-3 sessions.

Onsight Yosemite Wall 7a+ @ Malham. I’ve been saving that for too long - time to give it a go.

Night Glue 7a+ @ LPT. A good reason to go there - preferably onsight.

Grand Canyon 7b+ @ Devil’s Gorge. Been wanting to give it a go for ages.

Electric Warrior or Wargames or Super DuPont @ Chapel Head Scar. One of these ticked off would be great and get me back to the crag.

Smooth Torquer 7a+ @ Kilnsey. An old nemesis...

Try to stay injury free.

If everything works out I’ll have had a great sport climbing year!

[Fiend]

gme joining the divorce massive in 2020

James - Broccoli and Ice Cream is another good one at Devil's Gorge. Bouldery low-down then jug-pulling the whole way, I thought it was steady and a good flash candidate if you get the start right. Super Dupont was cool, it's got a hands-off rest and all. Quite cranky and power-endurancy in the first half.

[James Malloch]

I’ll give that one a go too then, thanks! I just had a great trip to Spain with some flash/onsight climbing so I’m quite keen for some UK stuff at that kind of 7a-b level to test myself out on it here too. Beats months on a project!

[Trail]

Aims for 2020:

1) Sort out my elbows by actually doing my physio, got the magical combo of golfers and tennis elbow that's put a dampener on things the past couple of months

2) Hamstring stretches, having managed to tear my hamstring twice on heel hooks in the past couple of years i've hopefully finally learnt the lesson

3) Flash 7A

4) Climb 7B+, there's one in particular i've got my eye on

5) Only really started fingerboarding with any consistency towards the end of the year, and noticed some massive gains, so 2 fingerboard sessions a week would be good

6) Do a muscle up on rings (no particular climbing related reason for this)

7) Go climb some 7s in Font

[duncan]

Aims for 2020:

1) Sort out my elbows by actually doing my physio, got the magical combo of golfers and tennis elbow that's put a dampener on things the past couple of months

2) Hamstring stretches, having managed to tear my hamstring twice on heel hooks in the past couple of years i've hopefully finally learnt the lesson

3) Flash 7A

4) Climb 7B+, there's one in particular i've got my eye on

5) Only really started fingerboarding with any consistency towards the end of the year, and noticed some massive gains, so 2 fingerboard sessions a week would be good

6) Do a muscle up on rings (no particular climbing related reason for this)

7) Go climb some 7s in Font

At the risk of giving conflicting advice, Hamstrings strength is more likely to be important than flexibility for heel-hooking.  Some specific exercises were suggested in a thread here last year.

[SA Chris]

Hmm, I skipped this this last year, but I guess  I need to do something list wise so;

1) Get woody built by end of Jan.
2) Get some ski tours done if we ever have a winter. Something on the west coast would be nice.
3) Sub 2 hours for Forfar Multi terrain half next month 
4) Complete John Muir Way Ultra (stretch goal under 6 hours).
5) Balmoral 15 miler in under 2 hours or Lairig Ghru race. Or both..
6) Surf more
7) Do last couple of boulder projects on the coast.
Do some mountain routes
9) Do some more bouldering a bit further afield in Scotland; Clova, Lednock, Torridon.
10) Do some bouldering in England for the first time in ages; Lakes, Northumberland or Grit.
11) Climb somewhere abroad, not overly bothered where.
12) Do a bit of Mountain Biking, feel like I've neglected it for too long now.

[Trail]

At the risk of giving conflicting advice, Hamstrings strength is more likely to be important than flexibility for heel-hooking.  Some specific exercises were suggested in a thread here last yea

Cheers - just had a look. Always assumed that it was a length rather than strength was the issue. Will add to the regime! Might finally be the year I sort out my general crapness at heel hooks 

[nai]

I did both of mine too, I started with hip thrusts/bridges then variations with elevated shoulders, with weight and one legged, then hamstring extension on a swiss ball then floor, then one legged and finally the drags.  Also made it a habit to perform a selection DL, squats, KB swing, lunge every week.
Make sure you're enagaging your glutes and core properly before you start these and when you get on to the extensions try to keep your hips elevated to get the most out of the exercises.  Good luck, these exercises should work for you.

[battery]

OK not done one of these before but saying it publicly might make it more real and doable....

Get back to something like reasonable fitness post pregnancy
without breaking myself (like I did the first time).

Build shoulder and core strength and technique for overhangs.

Consistently be able to do 1 minute plank and 4 pull ups.

Find the energy, time and motivation to put in the necessary work to achieve all of this...

Not give myself a hard time if it doesn't happen because I've been up half the night with a hungry baby/upset 5 year old.

[SA Chris]

I think last one should be top priority! Good luck, enjoy the moments. Second one seemed to grow in the blink of an eye compared to the first.

[Ged]

Good luck, and yes that last one seems the most important! Tricky little buggers aren't they. A friend of mine always said "theyre lucky they're so cute!"

[Monolith]

Keeping it simple this year being a Dad now.

Be a good Dad and partner.
Complete a long distance running event/challenge
Climb a boulder problem of any grade whatsoever.
Supplant social media access with book reading as fully as possible
Secure job role from interim to permanent


Good luck to all of you. Where there's a will there is always a way.

Have tweaked a few of these as shifted focus the past week. I've read two books so far this January using the time on my commute when I'd normally mindlessly access social media. It won't be possible to completely abstain from it for work purposes but I feel mentally so much better for reading already.

FWIW, There is No Map in Hell and Running the Red Line are superb running titles; the latter is one of the best and most personally poignant books I've ever read.