[spidermonkey09]

Mostly it was good to see that even someone of her calibre was struggling to do the route and that I just had to ignore the grade and try really hard.

Nothing like the realisation that you aren't shit to get the job done! Nice one John- did your competitor do it as well?

M - rest. Some core in the evening. Felt nails.

T - finger felt a bit better but didn't fancy one armed hangs so did some two armed max hangs for the first time in ages. I am miles stronger than when I last did these which was pleasing. Worked my way up from 20kg, 10 secs to 37.5kg, 10 secs. Previous PB is about 32 I think. Had a hail mary go at 40kg, which is all the weight I own, and managed about 5 seconds. Main issue with these hangs is the logistical effort of moving all the weight around and the very real risk of crushing my own toes or fingers. Stability hangs to finish.

W - rest.

T - repeaters. Deliberately decided to keep the volume low so went for half crimp hangs on reasonable size edges. Managed a full set of anderson hangs on bottom outside with a base weight of 6.25kg. This is my PB from lockdown 1 so pleased with that. Failed on the very last rep on the 20mm edge, same base weight, but was just fatigued I think. 50 pullups to finish.

F - rest.

S - Turningstone Edge. Out to do a bit of trad with girlfriend. Walked in from new parking, pain in the arse but not too bad really. Did Overton's Arete and got quite pumped. Overton Wall next to it was a very good VS. Finished with Amber Buttress which felt hard and bold for HVS but always hard to tell when you haven't trad climbed in a while. Did Pagen Cross on the way out which was excellent, although a bit sketchy without a pad!

S - Stanton Area. Dropped into Doll Tor first. After a sketchy clean of Valley of the Dolls I wobbled up this and started trying Gathering Storm. This is really good. Took me a while to sort out the start but once I got it consistently the rest was ok. The lower start looked ok but seemed a bit arbitrary so moved on. Did a horrifying f4 arete that felt about E4 and decided to go elsewhere. Went into Crag Z and did Snellen, Mallard and Mallard sit. These are all brilliant and on perfect rock. Really nice day.

Good week. Finger seems to have settled down a bit, touch wood. Feeling more optimistic with some sun about and improving pandemic stituation.

[SA Chris]

M - kettlebells. not much, shoulder still tweaky
T- board session. Moderate. managed orange crimp problem quite easily, even to almost matching the top hold. Unprecedented
W - 6.5 K lunchtime run. Felt Saturday's run in legs, Gracilis quite sore afterwards. Bit of stretching in evening, been neglecting it.
T - fingerboard - max hangs.
F- not much, sorted out kit, drove to Braemar
S - Skis and boots on back, biked 7.5km up Glen Derry until we picked up the path up to Beinn Bhreac, uphill boggy walk until we hit snow on  burn line, then skinned up to just short of west top of Beinn Bhreac (east was too bare to bother with) and then over plateau to the dome of Beinn a Chaoriann, lovely (but short) descent on perfect spring snow, then back across the plateau on one of the nicest days I've had in the mountains, whole of Cairngorms clearly visible in every direction. Back over the shoulder of BB, then picked up a burn line that had enough snow (starting with spring snow and ending up more like sorbet!) that took us nearly to the path (16.5 km in total). Just one burn crossing, back to the bikes and back to van. Stunning evening driving back down Deeside, was the moon rise about 6 times behind various hills.
S - walk with kids on the coast, beautiful day.

[tomtom]

Epic Saturday Chris!!

[tommytwotone]

Goal - new (to me) Font 7a outdoors somewhere


M-F: not much, think I did a TRfauX workout one day.


Sat: solo pass so went out to Shipley to put my interpretation of Lurcher Low Traverse to bed - it's the hardest I can make it and it feels like 6c if you a) start low and don't traverse in from the lip and b) don't use an intermediate that's obviously off-line between the crux and the arete. There's scope to join it to the right arete to make a proper super low / super eliminate R-L traverse, but try and I might I couldn't make it work.


Bailed to St Ives to check out Will's new stuff there and got royally humbled. Didn't get up anything, and spent an hour working a 6a in vain.


Sun: kids requested a day climbing, so back to Shipley again to let them loose on the kids' circuit. Think they climbed for about 2 hours! Went up the other end I did a few easy high gap-fillers I haven't done before just to keep ticking over. Great day.

[dunnyg]

Which 6A stumped you at St Ives? I found the main arete on the left nails, and Will called me names...

[JohnM]

Mostly it was good to see that even someone of her calibre was struggling to do the route and that I just had to ignore the grade and try really hard.

Nothing like the realisation that you aren't shit to get the job done! Nice one John- did your competitor do it as well?

M - rest. Some core in the evening. Felt nails.

T - finger felt a bit better but didn't fancy one armed hangs so did some two armed max hangs for the first time in ages. I am miles stronger than when I last did these which was pleasing. Worked my way up from 20kg, 10 secs to 37.5kg, 10 secs. Previous PB is about 32 I think. Had a hail mary go at 40kg, which is all the weight I own, and managed about 5 seconds. Main issue with these hangs is the logistical effort of moving all the weight around and the very real risk of crushing my own toes or fingers. Stability hangs to finish.

I actually don't know if she did it or not. I watched her last attempt but she fell on the "7c+  " lower half. I was done by midday and went straight back home to train on the finger board 

40kg is good going! That must be well over 150% BW. I am aiming to get to 150% BW by April. I may be able to do it now but I hold back a bit with the added weight as I am never as fresh as I would like to be and I am trying to maintain a strict half crimp. Are you doing any particular grip type or just the one that gets the job done? 

[tomtom]

I darent load my fingerboard with me and 30+kg.... I’ve tried 25 and it made all sorts of ominous creaks (the board not my fingers!)

[SA Chris]

Epic Saturday Chris!!

Yeah felt pretty blown by the end. Enjoyed sitting down and sleeping through some good telly with the kids when i got back.

[tommytwotone]

Which 6A stumped you at St Ives? I found the main arete on the left nails, and Will called me names...

Yeah, the arete off the pocket (Stone Love I think it's called?) - partly being on my own with one pad, and partly scrittle / rock sharpness. Not that I've done it but 6 feels pretty modest for that crux!

[Will Hunt]

I'm pretty confident in the grade of Stone Love - more so than the other stuff on the buttress. Apart from Absent Friends it's the only problem there that I flashed. There was a bit of scrittle on the pinch hold but I just readjusted it away and carried on. The pocket is very good so it's just a case of finding your balance (undercut the pocket once your feet are both up). From rewatching the video of me doing it, it looks like you lock into position when you twist your hips to the left slightly, which pulls you nicely into the pinch. I can imagine it feels difficult to commit to if you've only got one pad down!

[spidermonkey09]

I actually don't know if she did it or not. I watched her last attempt but she fell on the "7c+  " lower half. I was done by midday and went straight back home to train on the finger board 

40kg is good going! That must be well over 150% BW. I am aiming to get to 150% BW by April. I may be able to do it now but I hold back a bit with the added weight as I am never as fresh as I would like to be and I am trying to maintain a strict half crimp. Are you doing any particular grip type or just the one that gets the job done?

Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. 167% BW according to my maths. Obviously only one 5 second hang at that weight though so not sure how representative it is! Maybe I will try again tomorrow to see if I can replicate. In terms of grip type I try to be pretty strict with the half crimp. My form was pretty good up to 37.5kg, but started to fail on the 40kg hang, hence i dropped off. Seemed an unnecessary risk to take!

[Duncan Disorderly]

Back once again....

Some good shit going down this week... Big up yer bad selves!

M: Glorious evening - Horseshit with the GF, managed one F6a before the light went... Board sesh 4-7 move max - full power! Tried reallly hard!
T: Blackberry wall - managed entire traverse from cold... Did a good few laps of bottom half then did it again with a slip or two... Fingers felt worked!
W: Shoulder stability and L Sits on bar
T: Glorious morning - Horseshit with GF, bunch of F5's and F6's... Lovely!
F: Stanage Apparent North - Solos and easy boulders. Have a  crimpy 6C  problem that I tend to use as a benchmark for how my fingers are doing; when they're doing good I can flash it, when they're not it takes a while (or doesn't even go!)... Pissed it!... Nice confidence boost.
S: 25+ miles on the bike - only the second time out this year... Glorious afternoon, pretty unfit speed wise but burned 1500 Kcals which is great for shifting the lockdown weight... Shoulder stability stuff.
S: Horseshit again - Seem to have no problem getting a belayer to go here! Lovely mileage day - 9 routes up to 6b+...

Great volume week, been feeling tweaky recently so really good just to work on movement and actual climbing on rock... Do feel I need to ramp up the difficulty in the coming weeks but it's feeling good to be building up the endurance without anything actually hurting...

Ace!

[dunnyg]

I think I would have struggled to commit to the pinch with one pad! I fell off plenty of times before I got up. The pinch is just a little bit scrittly, and I couldnt work out where you would end up if you pinged off. I was similarly humbled on 6A arete at thimble stones. At least they wont be downgraded amy time soon!

[Nibile]

I darent load my fingerboard with me and 30+kg.... I’ve tried 25 and it made all sorts of ominous creaks (the board not my fingers!)

Lucky you. Flexing my fingers, as of late, makes the same sound of opening a bag of crisps.

[SA Chris]

Mine sound like someone clicking a handful of Parker pens.