[duncan]

M - Westway: Fingerboard warm-up then max. hangs.  ‘Short endurance’: ~2 mins on / ~4 mins off x3 x3 sets. 9km walk.
T - Battered and hungry. 7km walk.
W - Hip and knee conditioning: double and single-leg squats. 7km walk
T - Substation Brixton with The Editor. Some casual bouldering to ~V2 and short endurance on the circuit board x3 x2. Shoulder conditioning (IsTsYs, handstands, side planks). Walked 10km.
F - 7km walk. First night of The Proms with the lad. Italian Catholic opera composers know how to portray the day of judgement.
S - Westway: Brief fingerboard warm-up then six max. hangs.  ‘Short endurance’: ~2 mins on / ~4 mins off x3 x4 sets. 9km walk.
S - Hip and knee conditioning, shoulder conditioning, tea drinking.

The Substation is very swish and nu-Brixton. There were more people in the cafe than climbing. It’s expensive but the off-peak price is more reasonable and I got an additional discount due to being ancient. The young woman at the desk successfully feigned astonishment when I proffered my old person’s travel card which further enamoured me to the place. We needed to repair to an echt-Brixton greasy spoon after to decontaminate.

I won't make it part of my regular circuit I think, it's just too vertical. There is a steep route roof thing, but on the bouldering there is only one tiny section which is steeper than 25º. It was just a quick visit but I think there are quite a few walls I prefer in London.

I was surprised how uniformly slabby it was. Not somewhere that will appeal to the ukb massive who should probably try Blocfit if they are in the area. It is in an underprovided part of London and should do well.

A decent training week. Still finding short endurance, AeroPower or whatever you want to call it, flattens me for two days. However I have managed to avoid tweaks so far and am very slowly increasing the volume and reducing the rest times.

Plan: dissolve in a pool of sweat. Perhaps do some rock climbing later in the week if it cools down a bit.

[Duma]

M - had picked up an extra night shift on Sunday so tried to sleep but the heat meant only got a few hours. TCA 90 min, trying new black set (6C - 7B). 12 hr night shift.
T - 12 hr night shift.
W - 12 hr night shift.
T - sleep, melt, meal and drinking for mates bday
F - headache. Final stage of dismantling Covid wall and moved to garage (which is across town so involved a lot of lugging ply and 2x4s around)
S - 2 min plank with variations and press ups. Out all afternoon and evening for mates bday.
S - TCA eve, circuits. Obviously too hot but 30° board has been reset, much better than last lot. Flashed the easy and middle (prob 7a+, this would be good for doubles) routes, fell off one move from end of the hard one (prob 7c). found a better sequence for the end, next few goes dropped powerful undercut crux just after halfway. Final attempt got through crux but failed to latch the finishing hold. Not lots of volume but nice to get pumped after a few weeks of bouldering. 2 min plank with variations and press ups.

71.5 kg
2022 plank total 195 min

[shark]

11.5-8 average 160.8 up 0.3lbs

M. AM Home warm then Moat with Ben S. Jumped straight on Excalibur for what I expected to be a quick redpoint. Kept making silly mistakes and holding sloper in the heat was hard. No tick but found yet another foot sequence for second hard move that took some of the power out of it. Spot of traversing at Rubicon to finish. Eve drove to Bristol

T.  Was meant to be Bens delayed graduation but he tested positive. Drove back from Bristol 😠

W.

T. AM Home warm up. Tor. 15 degrees, fresh, occasional breeze. Decent conditions obviously not mint. Tried Bens. Took things more seriously this time. Managed to do whole thing in 3 sections. Poorer performance on throw - took 6 attempts I think to do it then linked to falling on the cross through. Start to the throw touching the crimp at pretty much first attempt and then cross through to end at second attempt, falling off THFML at first attempt. Tried a bit more on crux section but was spent. Gave some thought to what specific training would help me consistently link the middle crux section ie throw to cross through.
Eve Experimented with some supplemental bar work - slightly assisted  (bungee cord foot loop) alternating one arm locks pronated (R) and supinated (L) grip x3. Couple of single french chin ups and pull-ups with +30kg.

F.

S. Bbq 🥂

S. Hangover.

Off to Athens next week to escape the British heat with niece and daughter. Keen for more trad climbing from 7th August

Vid of me on the crux section on Thursday from the throw to falling off the cross through move.

If I can get to the point of completing this link twice in a session I’m in with a good chance of doing the whole thing. Currently feels like I’m at about 90% of my capability on the individual throw move and the cross through move.

[User deactivated.]

M: am - density hangs 4x30s
pm - 1 hour limit board session, 30 mins mobility work.

T: weighted pullups 4x3 +50kg, 4x3 power pullups @ bodyweight, ring pressups +20kg, dumbel wrist curls 4x4 30kg, core max strength session 

W: 45 min mobility focusing on side splits  front splits and pancakes

T: am - density hangs 4x30s
Pm - 12 reps of a 14 move board problem with 3 mins rest. Completed the first 6 but then none after. Struggling to get the intensity right on this session. Pistol squats 4x6 +20kg

F: dumbel shoulder rotations, 45 min general mobility

S: Went to Odin Cave in an attempt to escape the heat and try the Dark Room but got distracted by the undocumented prow at the entrance to the cave. Hard to believe this hasn't been done as it's a fairly obvious feature, but I figured out a sequence and got it done in a couple of hours. Genuinely great moves -tensiony and squeezy! Unfortunately it stops in the middle of the roof, but that's just limestone and its a logical jug finish.

I've not done many new things, so grading isn't something I've really had to think about before. It would be safe and fashionable to sandbag it, but instead I've given it a grade relative to the rest of the crag. Edge of Darkness 7B+ is easier and the Dark Room 8A is harder, so I've gone with Prowl 7C. If it's wrong then it doesn't really matter as it's an unimpressive level of difficulty at a seldom visited venue. It's already had 1 repeat, hopefully this video gets others psyched to do it:



S: I's, Y's and T's on the rings, 20 min core session, 30 min mobility.

Edit - False Alert! Sam Lawson has claimed it, but agrees the grade is about right.
 

[User deactivated.]

Shark, I've never tried that problem before but it looks like standard power fade on the video rather than a specific weakness. Can you do the move in isolation?

[shark]

Shark, I've never tried that problem before but it looks like standard power fade on the video rather than a specific weakness. Can you do the move in isolation?

Yes I’ve done the move in isolation dozens of times with two different methods and also done it from holding the crimp I catch on the throw to the very finish. Is there a cure for power fade other than get stronger on the moves?

[Fiend]

S - TCA eve, circuits. Obviously too hot but 30° board has been reset,

Well named then!

[User deactivated.]

Shark, I've never tried that problem before but it looks like standard power fade on the video rather than a specific weakness. Can you do the move in isolation?

Yes I’ve done the move in isolation dozens of times with two different methods and also done it from holding the crimp I catch on the throw to the very finish. Is there a cure for power fade other than get stronger on the moves?

Maybe try 3 powerful board problems separated by 1 minute rest. This is one set. Rest for 5 minutes between sets and complete 3 sets. In week 2 do 4 sets, and in week 3 do 5 sets. Lattice have this session for short end power endurance (I think it's on the free crimpd app).

[abarro81]

IIRC Simon doesn't believe in An Cap 

[Coops_13]

M: G1. Legs. Squats 175lb X5 *5. Bulgarian split squats 65lb X5 *3. RDLs 60lb X2 X5 *3sets. 10 mins Stairmaster, 9mins level 9, 1 min level 10

T: Got to wall late, tweaked A4 on LH middle warming up too quick so went home

T: G1. Kilterboard 45 degrees. 2 V3, 2 V4, 3 V5, 3 V6. Finished with 2 V5 and 2 V6 wall boulders

S: Area C, flashed all moves on Room with a View V8 in isolation the proceeded to fall off the last hard move a lot. Skin was failing but pulled it out of the bag. Went up to Area D and had some throws on Slander V10 with a good crew. Flashed the highball top out and made progress on crux


S: G1. Volume on kilterboard 40deg. 2 V3, 4 V4, 12 V5. Shoulder press (45lb) and chest press (55lb) to finish

[shark]

IIRC Simon doesn't believe in An Cap 

Not quite sure where you picked that up from - I’ve regularly done An Cap / PE interval training on a systems board in the past. Think you recommended a structure I followed at one point for the Oak.

[CapitalistPunter]

M - Great training session. Worked my weakness on the campus board and managed to do 1-4-7 on medium rungs both sides 5 times each. Going right hand first felt oddly weaker than left despite being right handed.

Later did max hangs. Managed to a one arm hang on the 20mm with 10kg added for 7 seconds with good finger form. Later attempted 12kg and questionably held it for 5 seconds. Can hopefully do this hang solidly for 7 seconds when not at the end of the set next time.

Its nice to be working back up to my old Pb from when I was 5kg lighter at 57kg. Putting on the 5 kilos has absolutley benefited my climbing and helped me be more all round to try harder on the grit.

Session ended with a bit more climbing. Absolute torture in the 30 degree heat.

T - A bit more training although I went a bit too hard the previous session and didnt have much energy. I did some pinchy powerful board climbing to let my fingers rest a bit, then did as much volume as I could handle in the heat.

W - rest

T - very weak feeling, possibably hayfever or I might just be ill. Still got a bit of climbing in which was focusing on movement and flow on the wall. Dancing up problems feels amazing, especially when you push it and flow your way up something you once found difficult.

F - bbq, lots of meat.

S - A truly wank days climbing. Boiled in the sun and felt ill. I pretty much pottered about on a couple of fairly easy problems and then slimed off anything hard.

Later I played perhaps the shittest game of chess imagineable agaisnt my friend who missed 4 different mate in ones. I'm not sure who is worse, him for missing all of the mates or me for losing to him.

S - Exhuasting day moving out of my uni halls to a house. Spent most of the day walking back and forth in the sun and unpacking!

Looking forward to my time here. Planning to build a cellar board and already have a set of holds ready.

Still feeling ill!

[Aussiegav]

Still rehabbing- but feels less so.

Monday -

Low Pain repeaters Stage 1
• Open Hand: 2x per week, 1 set of 4 reps, 7 seconds on, 3 seconds off, 3-minute rest between sets
• Half Crimp: 2x per week, 1 set of 4 reps, 7 seconds on, 3 seconds off, 3-minute rest between sets
• 3 Finger Pocket: 2x per week, 1 set of 4 reps, 7 seconds on, 3 seconds off, 3-minute rest between sets
Did these using the lattice edge in farmer lifts. I’ve not tried a proper hanger from a board yet.
Did a extended warm up. Squeeze ball, 3x 10 forearm extension & flexion curls with 7.5kg
No pain repeaters. 3×7 open hand. 3×7 half crimp.
Then did low pain hang stage 1 with 10kg. Then repeated it with 15kg. Mild pain in half crimp & 3finger grip.
For the right hand- good hand. I repeated the above but started at 15kg, 20 kg and then 27.5kg.

No pain after the session.

Tuesday
7 weeks post op today. Knee feels about 85% now. Still wary of big high steps & rock overs.

Went to Hidden Quarry, making the most of this great weather & long days. Unfortunately Gareth didn’t make it due to his work. It was very busy, about 10 people. I went up to the Hidden Quarry slab again. I was going to do some roped solos & hopefully get a belay and Redpoint the route I did on top rope on Saturday, Big Knife Cider Show-Off.
Did the 6a about 3 times & then moved left on to, Big Knife Cider Show-Off. I worked the crux a few times. Looked for any improvements on the sequence. I did the top half 3 times & then came down for a rest.
I went to the main wall & asked if someone would belay me. Pete, who goes to Awesome Walls offered to belay. I did the route comfortably and then stripped the route.

Finger & knee went well. Finger felt a bit tired & tender for a bit after.

Wednesday -
Rest day

Thursday -
Finger rehab- Low Pain Repeaters. Same as Monday.

Friday - 45 min Peloton ride

Saturday -

The weather was very hot & sunny. Went to Crustacean Wall at Goddard Quarry. Stays in the shade all day.
A small compact wall. I did 6 routes, all Onsight.
Ledges They Are 5b
Corner, Is It Not. 6a. There were two moves that I had to work around my knee as it’s not 100%.
Brachiopods Bite Back, 6b+. This was an amazing climb.
Pearls from the Shell. 6a+
Nematodes. 6b.
Corner, it is. 6b
Tried Crustacean (7a+). It was hard, very fingery. I didn’t try very much as I was worrying about aggravating my finger.

Very pleased with the day out. A day full of Onsights. Good crag & good climbs. Best day of climbing in ages.

Sunday.
90min peloton ride. 

Managed to get  2 days climbing outside this week. Weather has been lovely. Life’s good.

[abarro81]

IIRC Simon doesn't believe in An Cap 

Not quite sure where you picked that up from - I’ve regularly done An Cap / PE interval training on a systems board in the past. Think you recommended a structure I followed at one point for the Oak.

I always think of you as being very resistant to trying an approach similar to the one that Tom, Stu or I would take, i.e. a long base phases with 1-2 an cap sessions every week (+aero cap). Maybe I'm misremembering!

[Duncan Disorderly]

Way too Northern European for this bloody weather... Club!

M: Auto Belays @ AW - 1 hour with minimal rest to maintain pump... F6a, F6a+, F6b, F6c, F7a+ (fell off last blooming move), F6c... Destroyed!
T: Sheaf bloc - Slimed off traverse, couldn't do crux move but did the rest - not bad for day 3 on!
W: Rest
T: Bouldering @ The Depot - Really not feeling the indoow bouldering vibe! Was feeling tired, managed a few purples (V5-V7) and did a load of the easier stuff... Not sure if it's me but it feels like most indoor problems (not just comp ones) are becoming less and less like climbing outside (or at least the oundside climbing I do), maybe I'm just getting old...And weak(er)...
F: Rest
S: Routes @ Masson Lees - Great fun! Warmed up on some F6a's in the sun then got on the shady side... Super cool and surprisingly decent conditions. Got on a good looking F7a (Hilti Sound System), foot popped on the onsight, bolt-to-bolt then a botched RP having not worked out the lower moves (meaning I hit the top crux pumped out of my mind and lobbed at the very top)... Went pretty steadily next go... Wanted to try another cool looking F7a but ended up not being able to get anywhere near it as someone had decked out and MR were all over the place (hope the guy is okay, fell the length of the back wall by all accounts - was conscious and talking when MR arrived)... Kinda blew the wind out of the sails so retreated to a shady pub!
S: Harpur Hill - Mileage day... Lovely shady spot with routes up to F6b. Did 7 of them (F6a-F6b) then retreated to a shady pub... Great day out!

Good solid week - Feeling like I'm making progress.

[shark]

Maybe try 3 powerful board problems separated by 1 minute rest. This is one set. Rest for 5 minutes between sets and complete 3 sets. In week 2 do 4 sets, and in week 3 do 5 sets. Lattice have this session for short end power endurance (I think it's on the free crimpd app).

Liam - thanks for the suggestion which I’ve been pondering. I’m averse to climbing or training indoors as I can go outdoors whenever I want to. Given a choice between optimal training indoors or sub optimal training outdoors I’d rather do the latter. With that in mind I will apply the same rep/set structure when I go on Bens from now on by doing the crux section in 3 individual chunks.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - board climbing. Short links on project. Did from 3rd hold to top twice. Breakthrough session.
Tue - clean session, EMOM doubles x25 65kg.
Wed - EMOM boxing bag. Tired.
Thu - board climbing. Did from holds 2/3 to top and then from 1/2 to top. Psyched.
Fri - one arm hangs on 1,5 cm edge after ages, not (too) bad. Weights.
Sat - weights.
Sun - EMOM boxing bag.

[User deactivated.]

Maybe try 3 powerful board problems separated by 1 minute rest. This is one set. Rest for 5 minutes between sets and complete 3 sets. In week 2 do 4 sets, and in week 3 do 5 sets. Lattice have this session for short end power endurance (I think it's on the free crimpd app).

Liam - thanks for the suggestion which I’ve been pondering. I’m averse to climbing or training indoors as I can go outdoors whenever I want to. Given a choice between optimal training indoors or sub optimal training outdoors I’d rather do the latter. With that in mind I will apply the same rep/set structure when I go on Bens from now on by doing the crux section in 3 individual chunks.

Rather than being a compromise, I'd imagine outside is actually better. You're getting specificity and steep lime is like a board anyway. I think for this type of session you want a level of difficulty that allows for around a 70% completion rate, so if it's too easy or hard using sections of Ben's then you could pick other boulders or sequences at the crag. If I remember correctly, the Lattice approach is for each boulder to be 5-6 equally powerful moves long.

[abarro81]

I will apply the same rep/set structure when I go on Bens from now on by doing the crux section in 3 individual chunks.

I assume Liam means more like 4-8 move problems (I don't know what the lattice app uses but I would guess that kind of range), e.g. splitting the whole of Ben's (or probably something a bit easier) into sections rather than splitting the crux into sections of 1-2 moves

[edit - from Liam's post it looks similar to my expecations]

[shark]

The whole of that section (in the video) is arguably only three (hand) moves long though there are six foot (and centre of gravity) moves so maybe that Lattice structure isn’t especially applicable if each of each of the three problems is 4-8 moves.

[Aussiegav]

someone had decked out and MR were all over the place (hope the guy is okay, fell the length of the back wall by all accounts - was conscious and talking when MR arrived)...

Wowzers that’s a sizeable fall.

[User deactivated.]

The whole of that section (in the video) is arguably only three (hand) moves long though there are six foot (and centre of gravity) moves so maybe that Lattice structure isn’t especially applicable if each of each of the three problems is 4-8 moves.

Time under tension is probably more important. 6 moves on a board is circa 20-30s.

[shark]

Time under tension is probably more important. 6 moves on a board is circa 20-30s.

OK - so what I’m looking to do is 3 laps of something that is similar in duration and nature to the crux section but will obviously need to be significantly easier (maybe Too Hard for Mark Leech would fit the bill)
I thought that you meant doing something of similar difficulty and duration but broken down into doing them back to back is the sort of thing I should be aiming at.

[Duncan Disorderly]

someone had decked out and MR were all over the place (hope the guy is okay, fell the length of the back wall by all accounts - was conscious and talking when MR arrived)...

Wowzers that’s a sizeable fall.

Innit... Under Fuck Your Gods/Long Black Veil (not sure which) and the landing is shocking! Hopefully the chap is okay, sounded like his belayer may have dropped him so I'm sure she'll be struggling too... Not seen owt on the MR sites re. what the outcome was but they were all over the scene and professional as always - given me a kick up the arse to donate some cash...

[Aussiegav]

There’s always more than one victim in accidents. Sounds like a horrible experience for all. 

[James Malloch]

M. Malham. Hot! Bolt to bolt on rose coronary to warm up. Went for a Yosemite Walk onsight but bailed. Wasn’t feeling it and got stopped in my tracks staring at a hold with a cross on it which I wanted to use. Lowered off the perms draw half way. Finished off doing Hartley Hare putting the draws in.

Zora linked most of Rose Coronary which was cool to see. Hopefully get back there when it cools down.

T. Swim at Burnsall

W. Trollers Gill. Thought about trying Jim Grin but someone had draws in Smouldering Globules of Lust 7c and didn’t want to get back on it. I had a bolt to bolt and worked out a sequence and it went next go. Glad I can stick with the quick RPs in Yorkshire too!

T. Drove to Ullswater

F. Little walk around grasmere

S. Quick Boulder at Threshthwaite Cove/Rolling Rock. Didn’t bother with the latter due to the landing and being on my own. Did a nice 7A called The Antelopes Ear and a 7A+ called Thresher. Tried a few others but didn’t manage to work out a few Key things.

S. Walk from pooley bridge.


Was nice to be back in Yorkshire limestone for a change and other than Yosemite Wall I feel like I was going well. Nice scene at trollers too. Keen to get back there soon.

[duncan]

someone had decked out and MR were all over the place (hope the guy is okay, fell the length of the back wall by all accounts - was conscious and talking when MR arrived)...

Wowzers that’s a sizeable fall.

Innit... Under Fuck Your Gods/Long Black Veil (not sure which) and the landing is shocking! Hopefully the chap is okay, sounded like his belayer may have dropped him so I'm sure she'll be struggling too... Not seen owt on the MR sites re. what the outcome was but they were all over the scene and professional as always - given me a kick up the arse to donate some cash...

A recent update from Derby MRT suggests a remarkably positive outcome.

[Neil F]

A recent update from Derby MRT suggests a remarkably positive outcome.

Wow, that's amazing, though it sounds like an out of control lower (or catch).   You aren't going to walk out after free falling the height of Long Black Veil.  Best for a speedy recovery to everyone involved, and make sure you get back on that horse just as soon as you feel ready...

As someone who has had the sobering experience of being stretchered out of ML (after breaking my hip pulling off a big block), I can confirm the efficiency and professionalism of Derby MRT.

Neil

[Duncan Disorderly]

A recent update from Derby MRT suggests a remarkably positive outcome.

Wow, that's amazing, though it sounds like an out of control lower (or catch).   You aren't going to walk out after free falling the height of Long Black Veil.  Best for a speedy recovery to everyone involved, and make sure you get back on that horse just as soon as you feel ready...

As someone who has had the sobering experience of being stretchered out of ML (after breaking my hip pulling off a big block), I can confirm the efficiency and professionalism of Derby MRT.

Neil

That is incredible! I'm really glad he's okay...

I didn't witness the fall but did hear the scream (actually thought it someone dropping a redpoint  ) Eyewitnesses did say he slowed half way before picking up speed again and decking which may well have saved his life (or back) which supports your assessment...

Has fortified my resolve to wear a lid and use a grigri (or similar) when sport climbing though...

[JohnM]

4-10 July

M - Rest

T - Trail run 12.49km +340m

W - Rest

T - Trail run 18.55km +949m

F - Indoor routes - mostly failing up to 7c.

S - Trail run 25km +1,797m

S - Climbing at Spachen - crappy humid weather. Failed on the hardest 6c+ in the world Super Crack! Tried an awesome 8a I had tried before (Johnny Walker). Went pretty well but struggled to make big links. Tried a 7b+ but had crappy bolting so backed-off. Finished on a 6c.

11-17 July

M - Rest

T - Rest

W - Trail run 7.62km +260m

T - Drive to Grindelwald

F - Resting

S - Eiger Ultra 101km +6,700m. Ran a really good first 50km but then the heat got to me and I started puking. Managed to finish but the last 25km was really slow as I couldn't keep anything down. 

S - Bit of swimming.