[shark]

11.7-10 average 162.6 up 0.9lbs

M. Home FB warm up. PM Tor. Awful. Seeping and condensed. Dried the holds on the hard bit of Bens, did some moves but just a waste of time really. Hard to gauge where I am with it. Best hold out for decent conditions

T. AM Foundry. Warm up on campus rungs. Can hold BM lower middle slot for a second which is good considering I’m weighing heavy. Went up an easy route on Foundry main wall to work crux top moves on the headwall of the white 7a. Four burns from the ground getting to base of headwall twice which is progress. Tried 4x4’s in Furnace starting on a 6b+ but burnt out trying a second set. More volume than last session
Late Eve. A few max hangs on ergo edge. Best hang +20kgs x 8sec half crimped

W.

T. Meant to be overcast but blue skies. Lovely walk at Stanage following a cool path not been on before from the toilets dropping down the hill and connecting back up to the far end parking then around Causeway and back to the toilets

F. AM Forecast bad but blue skies again. Home FB warm up. Cancelled Foundry sess (sorry Keith).
PM Lovely on the tops cloud inversion in the valleys. Misty at Tor and 1.5 degrees. Luck was in holds were dry and warming up could tell how much better it was than Monday. Surprised to see Nick and Ben there doing laps on Tin Of which was wet in places. Cross thru at first attempt. Throw at second attempt thru to almost doing cross thru - getting but not holding pinch which turned out to be the best burn of the session. Then three goes at throw holding the crimp on the second and third go but in the wrong place. Then three goes at the throw bashing my finger (with a blood blister to show for it) on the first go, massively overshooting second go then holding it third go and climbing through to failing on kick move. Next attempt got crimp first go and fell getting RF on top of pinch. Dark and struggling to see hold but went from pinch and crimp to failing on kick. Heavy fog driving home.

S.

S.

Weather forecasts all over the place this week. Back on track with Ben’s following two dismal sessions. Gleaned a bit of micro beta for getting foot on the pinch. Finger strength has felt really good recently. Weight at year high. Trip to Spain in January looking increasingly unlikely.

Tommy tested positive for Covid last night for second time which has thrown Xmas plans up in the air. In better family news goat has landed on his feet with an amazing first job based in Sheffield.

[Duma]

Thanks Shark
M - work, 12 hrs.
T - work, 12 hrs.
W - work, 12 hrs.
T - TCA, hard bouldering, not great, took a while to get going, but managed one more blue (an easier one, but steep, so good for me) and good progress on another.
F - run, 8k, hilly, muddy, off-road, 52min. Took it easy, felt pretty knackered on the way back.
S - Brean, Kraken (6b+) and Chepito (7a) to warm up, then 3 tie ins working Milky Bar Kid. Bypassed the lower crux again, concentrating on the middle and upper sections. Was hoping to link these today but not close, best attempt was from ground to the end of the hard climbing on Bullworker, but fell on the traverse into El Chocco. Didn't manage to even link from jug after Bullworker crux to top, which will need to feel ok if I'm going to manage it on the link. Not sure whether to keep trying this, think I'll def need to improve my recovery to manage it, and I'm not psyched to train fitness atm...
S - Gf is thinking of entering a tri, so we did an exploratory duathlon to see how she went. 24k bike (flat, easy/medium) and 5k run (flat, very easy). Gentle pace for me, but still long time out and it was cold, so feel like I burned some energy.

72.5 kg. Def a problem now, weighed in at 73 this morning, all time high! Thought I was doing ok as Mon and Tues were both around 71.5, but clearly not. That sort of swing is not unusual for me but it's normally associated with night shifts (not done a night shift for over three weeks), and I normally go down before I go up! Apparently I'm full of shit so going to try and eat more fibre...

[duncan]

Congratulations to the goat and his parents; hope the rest of you avoid the dreaded lurgy.

M -
T - Very brief fingerboard session: 5 or 6 “max.” hangs.
W -
T - As Tuesday
F - Shoulder conditioning. Side-planks, handstands, resumed IYTs very gingerly.
S - As Tuesday
S -


Bleurgh all week. LFTs and a PCR all negative so I presume this is just a winter cold that’s gone on for a bit. Also had a bonus gum infection.

Short bursts of activity seem OK, anything remotely aerobic is out of the question. Fingers are pretty strong despite weight at a lifetime high. If I can resume training PE fairly soon and shift some of the lard I should do alright on rock after a week or two of acclimatisation. Still hoping to get away somewhere in January, not sure where or when.

[Will Hunt]

Saturday: Great Wolfrey. A few problems. Climbed fairly poorly but very nice to be out.

[Aussiegav]

Monday rest.

Tuesday
Awesome Walls after work.
Climbed 5c, 6b, tried yellow 6c. Tried green 6c, 6b, 6b+ failed flash, RP,   6a Fluro, 5c.
Rushed warm up and didn’t have much to eat before climbing. Got a flash pump from Onsighting the 6b. Happy to do it Onsight but doing it second climb of the day was tactically not clever. 

Wednesday:
Peloton 45min ride

Thursday rest.

Friday:
Peloton 60min ride

Saturday:
Limit boulder session.
6am session at the School listening to the cricket on TMS.
Taking the learning from the other post where I asked on structuring this session. I shortened the warm up and did more variety at limit. Used the 50 degree board and the 40 & 25 degree Moonboard.

Finished with conditioning.
4x5 body weight power pull ups.

Sunday
A social session at Awesome Walls in the afternoon. Did 8 routes: 5a+, 5b, 5c, 5c+, 6b+, 6b, 6b, 5c+ then came home and did a 45min ride on the peloton.
Took 1 fall on the 6b+ at the top. Seem to be consistently Onsighting 6b.

Roll on the lead up to Christmas.

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful Christmas & festive season.

[mr chaz]

Wed. Escaped from parent duties for 30 mins for a short Dead-hang session, 18mm, 2 arm.
Thurs. Longer deadhang session. 18mm and 10mm edges, 2 arm.

Little man is being kind so far and giving us a fair amount of sleep at night… there you go, jinxed it.

[Fultonius]

Mon-Sat: Broke phone while working on the van (potentially left it in the engine bay and drove off, maybe) kind of negating the saving of doing it myslef but at least I now now how to do the aux belt, take off the air con pump and alternator...

And therefore lost my notes for the week...

From memory:

Mon: General boulder session
Tues: Nowt
Wed: AnCap Repeaters (75% max as per crimped app). So, BW-10kg IIRC, 6 x 6 (7:3). I find it really hard to chalk up on 7:3.
Thurs: Nowt
Fri: Nowt - wasn't sure if I was going to climb sat or Sunday, as I was maybe going to have to work Sunday
Sat: 20 mins yoga
Sun: Lattice Assessment!!!!!!!

Turns out my finger strength is about average for my grades (1arm 83% BW).
I managed 57 moves on the 20degree board, then, interestingly (which seems to have made my outcomes quite....conflicting....are) I managed 43, 43, 43 on my 3 laps in the fatigue test.  Which apparently means my Aerobic Capacity is pretty well developed for my level, but my (I presume AnCap??) "Metabolic Conditioning Phase" is "under-trained".

Slightly confused by this, might query it.

The big surprise was my core is shit, which is a very nice thing to be shit at!  Seems like it's something I can easily work without any more risk of elbow/finger injuries and might reap some GAINZ.

[cheque]

I find it really hard to chalk up on 7:3.

Have you tried liquid chalk?

[Aussiegav]

I find it really hard to chalk up on 7:3.

Have you tried liquid chalk?

Second that! Liquid Chalk 

[cheque]

I’ve never needed liquid chalk while actually climbing but I’ve also never used chalk on my fingerboard due to not wanting chalk dust in my flat.

Realised that friction was becoming a limiting factor on it last month so tried liquid chalk. Fuck me that stuff is effective.

[Bradders]

M - conditioning; bicep curls, leg lifts, lateral raises and external rotations. Then foot on campus ladders, 8x 60 secs on / 90 secs off.

Tu - rest

W - lunchtime fingerboard. 3x 10s half crimp 26mm edge +40kg, 5 seconds in reserve, 3 min rests. Then 20mm edge pick ups, 6x each of 10s on middle 2 and front 2, upped weight again this time to 27.5kg on all of them. Could maybe have done a little more on M2 but F2 was pretty maximal.

Th - nipped in to Caley with lamps on the way to Otley, thinking Slapstick Arete Sit would be dry. Warmed up on Roof of the World and then realised Slapstick was soaked from run off. Then a session on Tim P's board. Started poorly not being used to small footholds (more on this below), but gradually warmed up and remembered how to dig in a bit more. Made it to the top of a handful of things that took a few goes each and tried hard. Tim was monstrous as per.

F - rest, stripped 50-odd holds off my board prepping for a reset.

Sa - put a bunch of new footholds on my board, all decent in size but at weird and wonderful angles. I currently have a lot of very uniform, horizontally orientated, 20mm edges which I've decided aren't ideal, so experimenting with alternative options. Going to put some smaller ones back on too.

Anyway, then fingerboard 6x 10s half crimp 26mm edge, 3 min rests. At the end of my warm up decided to experiment with a +52kg hang and surprised myself by doing 10s with a couple to spare, so decided to stick at that weight and managed all 5 of the remaining hangs, apart from dropping the last second of the last rep! Considering my tested max on this edge was +35kg in July that's awesome!

Then had a 90 min board session, mainly trying out the new footholds to see how they worked with existing problems. Also finally managed all the moves on a gaston problem Liam set me, albeit having to use a jug foothold for one of the moves as the original method was completely beyond me. Still taken a few sessions to do the move this way. Finished with a few mediums +4.5kg weight belt.

Su - PM started with first pad pinch pick ups x15 at varying times and weights. Then after some warm ups board doubles x6, made slightly harder than last week with the new footholds and failed the 2nd rep on 3/6, powering out at the end. Then conditioning; pull ups, Arnold Press, front raise and external rotations. And finally 10 mins of continuous climbing and shaking at a low pump.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Nice one Simon... Hope Tommy is ok and you avoid the dreaded lurgy, congrats to goat!

Oldfella: Say hi next time you're at AW, seems you're always there when I am... Look out for a red, gold and green bobble hat..

Still hoping to get away somewhere in January, not sure where or when.

We have flights booked for a week in Costa Blanca 9th of Jan, GF isn't sure she wants to go now (even if we can that is) so may have a spare ticket from Manchester and/or be looking for a partner that week?? Drop me a message if you're interested.

##20 mins shoulder conditioning before and after every climbing session##
M: Rest
T: Routes @ AW - Warmed up then felt tweak in shoulder. on F6b+.. Sacked it off just in case.
W: Fingerboard @ Home - Beasty 6C repeater session... Failed at the end... Destroyed!
T: AW with daughter - Autos up to F6c and messed on new yellow circuit (V6-V8+), flashed 2 problems and worked another in a few goes... Soft methinks!
F: AW - Onsight session, routes up to F6c... Cold and not feeling it, shoulder was good tho!
S: Rest
S: Redpoint Session @ AW - Worked new F7b (new for me)... Either it's bloody stiff or I was climbing badly as I'm pretty sure I've found the moves on their F7c's easier! Did all moves but not sure it'll go down this side of New Year, has one very long span on marginal feet that could be a shoulder wrecker ... Felt worked tho.

Good volume week, didn't push as hard as I'd wanted as am still tentative about the shoulder, seems fine on paper tho... Glad I stopped when I thought I'd tweaked it and even happier that it was fine the next day... Covid jab today so going to take it easy as I was wiped out after the last one. Consultant appointment Wednesday, wish me luck 

Happy Christmas Y'all!

[not_an_athlete]

I find it really hard to chalk up on 7:3.

Have you tried liquid chalk?

Second that! Liquid Chalk 

If you’ve got a wooden board liquid chalk isn’t great for them IMO

[User deactivated.]

Every day: 12 max hangs to failure or close (generally 4 half crimp, 3 open hand, 3 full crimp, 2 wrist wrench). I've now done 16 sessions over 2 weeks and reversed a 7 month plateau/regression by gaining 10kg on my max hangs in most positions. Strength is still on the up so will continue with this madness next week.

M: Board, rings
W: Board. Finally done move 2 on my full moon replica
T: Rings
S: Board. Managed to repeat 5 problems in the session that were set as hard projects 6-8 weeks ago!
S: 4 hour round trip to Stoupe Brow to find it completely soaked  . Requiem looks the business though. Stopped at the Satellite boulder on the way home to measure up the other problems for replicas, and, you couldn't make it up... the world's wettest boulder was borderline dry! Unfortunately the starts and tops were a bit damp so I didn't bother retrieving the mats from the car.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - boxing bag.
Tue - post vaccine rest.
Wed - board climbing. Singles. One foot bouldering + 2 kg and BW on PE1 and 2. Hadn't climbed 8 problems in ages.
Thu - deficit DL. Weights.
Fri - boxing bag.
Sat - weights.
Sun - 30" farmer's 100 kg, 30" rest, 30" shoulder carry + 1' overhead x 7. 2'30"

[Duma]

Saturday:
Limit boulder session.
6am session at the School listening to the cricket on TMS.
Taking the learning from the other post where I asked on structuring this session. I shortened the warm up and did more variety at limit. Used the 50 degree board and the 40 & 25 degree Moonboard.

Finished with conditioning.
4x5 body weight power pull ups.

How'd it go compared to previously?

[Wellsy]

Mon-Sat: Broke phone while working on the van (potentially left it in the engine bay and drove off, maybe) kind of negating the saving of doing it myslef but at least I now now how to do the aux belt, take off the air con pump and alternator...

And therefore lost my notes for the week...

From memory:

Mon: General boulder session
Tues: Nowt
Wed: AnCap Repeaters (75% max as per crimped app). So, BW-10kg IIRC, 6 x 6 (7:3). I find it really hard to chalk up on 7:3.
Thurs: Nowt
Fri: Nowt - wasn't sure if I was going to climb sat or Sunday, as I was maybe going to have to work Sunday
Sat: 20 mins yoga
Sun: Lattice Assessment!!!!!!!

Turns out my finger strength is about average for my grades (1arm 83% BW).
I managed 57 moves on the 20degree board, then, interestingly (which seems to have made my outcomes quite....conflicting....are) I managed 43, 43, 43 on my 3 laps in the fatigue test.  Which apparently means my Aerobic Capacity is pretty well developed for my level, but my (I presume AnCap??) "Metabolic Conditioning Phase" is "under-trained".

Slightly confused by this, might query it.

The big surprise was my core is shit, which is a very nice thing to be shit at!  Seems like it's something I can easily work without any more risk of elbow/finger injuries and might reap some GAINZ.

The prospect of MAD GAINZ is always pleasing to hear of!

[Fultonius]

Anyway, then fingerboard 6x 10s half crimp 26mm edge, 3 min rests. At the end of my warm up decided to experiment with a +52kg hang and surprised myself by doing 10s with a couple to spare, so decided to stick at that weight and managed all 5 of the remaining hangs, apart from dropping the last second of the last rep! Considering my tested max on this edge was +35kg in July that's awesome!

Not reckon it's time for 1-arm????   

I'm only +30kg ish 2 armed and the coach doing my lattice assessment reckoned at -13kg one armed, I should be doing a lot more 1-arm work rather than loading up massive weights 2 armed.

[Bradders]

Yeah maybe, reason I went for +52kg was because that's equivalent to one arm weight at an average bilateral deficit of 1.7.

Haven't actually tried to one arm hang it yet though.

[Fultonius]

I find it really hard to chalk up on 7:3.

Have you tried liquid chalk?

Second that! Liquid Chalk 

 

[iain]

General goals:  stay injury free, maintain finger/general prehab routines
Short: find (and hopefully do) some bouldering projects, it's all a bit wet and humid just now :/
Medium: Unleashing and Why Me in the spring

Weight: 69.1kg average, a little up but fine given the last couple of weeks


Mon - Foundry, surprisingly busy for a mon eve.
bouldering then 4th aerocap in block. Bouldering felt good and aerocap was a noticable step up from previous sessions.

Tues - rest

Weds - Home board, limit session, nothing new but tried hard.
Shoulder and hip mobility/strengthening

Thurs - rest

Fri - am booster shot, eve Depot. Unfocussed and a bit half arsed, should've gone to Foundry for more aerocap

Sat - rest

Sun - Depot again in the eve with S, thought I was feeling ok after booster but wiped out.


Feel like I've lost momentum a bit with sessions over the last couple of weeks feeling flat, definitely illness/booster affecting things, think I've been resting enough t try recovering but maybe overdoing it.
See how things feel today and if good have a heavy week and if not take some time off.

[Wellsy]

Long term goals: 8A
Medium: 7B+ in 2022
Short: consolidate on grit and get stronger

Monday: rested

Tuesday: went to go try Bumlog. It was wet. Went to the Works instead and did a session of light bouldering focusing on deadpoint moves, hangboarding (8x 10 seconds 22kgs added) and pushing (OHP 3x10 10kg dumbbells, Bench 3x10 20kg dumbbells), Weighted pullups 3x 5 15kgs added.

Wednesday: rested

Thursday: Went to try bumlog. Couldn't repeat the top (crux into topout). Felt sad. Stopped before skin got wrecked. Unsure if will continue the project or put it off for a few months. Went to works following for a bouldering session.

Friday: rested

Saturday: Big session at Depot, lots of power and strength max bouldering. Felt good and strong. Had a brief evening works session for something to do.

Sunday; hangboarding (same as above) and bicep curls (3x10 16kgs) rows (3x10 16kgs).

Think I might look for a new project. 5 sessions and going backwards a bit; it will go at some point but potentially needs a 6 week break or something to do some other stuff and then get back into it fresh. Did core and mobility yesterday as well planning it on Sunday but felt like it wouldn't be quality.

[cheque]

When your aim’s to consolidate on a certain rocktype or style I’d aim more for trying to do a load of problems at a lower grade (like, 5 more at your current top grade and/ or 10 more at the grade below that) rather than trying one specific project that’s a grade or two up.

There’s only so much consolidation you can gain from doing the moves on one route or problem and bashing your head against one thing can be the path to disillusionment.

[Wellsy]

Yeah generally I do try to get in a decent amount of volume and this is why I'm sort of thinking about cutting my losses; what was originally a trip to take a look at a cool problem (at a grade I've done although I harbour thoughts that it is a sandbag) with a friend became a well I've done the top and the bottom in overlapping links in two sessions, should go next time, I just did another 7A no problem, good to push myself in a style that's not my usual best etc. That then didn't happen and it became a five session siege more by accident and now its like, do I go again? Or do I go and do a load of 6Bs to 6Cs which is what I was doing before? And I think the answer is probably the latter, more appropriately, as you say.

[SA Chris]

Depends if you are in it to tick a short term big number, or are in it for the long term and want to be a better boulderer overall...

[User deactivated.]

Wellsy, once you've begun falling out with a project but have already invested time/energy into it (and are reasonably able to do it), I think the best course of action is to visit it once out of every x outdoor sessions.

For me, x would be about 4, but that will depend on how much you get out. This way you can get lots of climbing in, but shouldn't lose your progress like giving it up for the season would.

tldr: keep turning up but not all the time

[dunnyg]

It's nice if there are other things you want to do at the crag as well. This means you can go with the main aim of trying other stuff, and just have a look at bumlog. Means you can keep your eye in  but not get too bogged down in negative psyche

[Wellsy]

Thanks for the advice guys. It'll go at some point, I'm confident, just a case of getting the most out of outdoor sessions!

[spidermonkey09]

Thanks for the advice guys. It'll go at some point, I'm confident, just a case of getting the most out of outdoor sessions!

Are you using a kneepad on it? I could barely get the knee to touch the rock without one, my shin just wasn't long enough. Obviously makes it easier but I think also makes it more balanced.

[Wellsy]

I didn't but I find the kneebar fine and the bottom into the crux dynamic move I've got dialled to do every time. And if I stick the dynamic move the top is fine I'm confident on that. It's just the dynamic crux move that is so ethereal and some sessions I can't do it by itself, in isolation

[spidermonkey09]

I didn't but I find the kneebar fine and the bottom into the crux dynamic move I've got dialled to do every time. And if I stick the dynamic move the top is fine I'm confident on that. It's just the dynamic crux move that is so ethereal and some sessions I can't do it by itself, in isolation

The crux move being the move to the lip? That is an odd move. It was such good conditions when I did I probably just got lucky. Can you do it from a stand fairly consistently? Just wondering if you're powering out slightly going from the bottom.

[Wellsy]

I cannot do it from the stand consistently at all. I spent a session trying it, did it from the stand three times in a row the following session, then couldn't do it from the bottom, and last session I went back to trying it from the stand (in great connies, fresh) and didn't stick it even once from the stand though I did get close.

The frustrating thing is I've gone backwards, which hasn't ever happened before. I need to basically relearn the stand before I can go back to the sit into the stand but I could easily just spend the next session not doing it for two hours again.

[Bradders]

I'd do what others have suggested and go and do something else for a bit.

[Wellsy]

I think that's what I'll end up doing, yeah

[Bonjoy]

Maybe go back with others when you do return. helps sometimes with me. Sometimes it'll unlock some beta subtly, even when you think there's nothing to be found, or just seeing others do something can get you up it if you're already close.

[mark20]

I think it’s a tough 7A at the best of times, and particularly conditions dependant. and it’s often a struggle to get really good conditions at that crag - wooded / sheltered and a bit green.
Best go on a really windy day, with lower humidity, rather than just cold (and usually more humid)

[Wellsy]

I'd love to blame the connies but I can't really. I think it's just a very technical move that one cannot just pull hard on and I can't get it right, which is just how it goes for the time being. The real solution is "get technically better" and that will happen in time.

I will certainly go back with others for sure:)

[Aussiegav]

Saturday:
Limit boulder session.
6am session at the School listening to the cricket on TMS.
Taking the learning from the other post where I asked on structuring this session. I shortened the warm up and did more variety at limit. Used the 50 degree board and the 40 & 25 degree Moonboard.

Finished with conditioning.
4x5 body weight power pull ups.

How'd it go compared to previously?

The cricket was great. 

Seriously, thanks for asking. The session was a lot better and I felt better on the problem I tried last week.
Variety of board was also helpful. I’m feeling quite jaded and fatigued on the 50, getting on the Boards was great.
I finish this block after the new year and will replace the limit session with a boulder mileage session and reintroduce finger boarding.

[Aussiegav]

Oldfella: Say hi next time you're at AW, seems you're always there when I am... Look out for a red, gold and green bobble hat..

Will do, I’ll be there every Tuesday evening (subject to partner availability). Had no one to climb with last night