[duncan]

M - Battered from climbing and driving. Walked 10km.

T - Pull-ups, sets of 3. Shoulder, wrist conditioning. biceps curls, reverse curls, ring rows, side planks, Ts on the rings. 12km walk. Tannhäuser at the Royal Opera, Wagner nonsense with the spectacularly good Lise Davidsen.

W - Drove to Weston. 3km shuffle along the prom.

T - Brean with shark. Lovely weather, good company. Warmed-up on Coral Sea with the new finish. This was less of a battle and more appropriate for a warm-up than I was expecting. Had a go at Chepito on a TR but fluffed the first red-point try due to indecision over clipping. Worked it again taking some good falls. After a tactics pep-talk from Simon managed to do it the following go. A grey point but had to try quite hard and satisfying none-the-less.
 
F - Walked 10km. Hospital stuff with mum. Drove back to London. BBC Symphony Orchestra concert with friends to see the other half performing in Szymanowski’s 3rd symphony. All the hallmarks of late romantic excess: a stage packed with musicians (possibly the loudest non-amplified concert I’ve ever been to), singing a text of 13th-century Persian mystic poetry translated into Polish. Composed in 1916, the Great War put a stop to anything like this for ever more.

S - Weighted pull-ups, sets of 3. Shoulder, wrist conditioning. biceps curls, reverse curls, ring rows, side planks, Ys and Ts on the rings. Fingerboard: hangs on a 20mm edge.  Met up with Falling Down at the Barbican for The End of the World (!), an audiovisual extravaganza featuring Lubomyr Melnyk, Julia Kent, Shards, and SPIME.IM. The music was pleasant - new-agey noodling - and the live image manipulation was ingenious but the total felt less than the sum of the parts. Oldies like me might think it owed a considerable debt to Koyaanisqatsi. The best bit was meeting up with Ben.

S - Pull-ups, sets of 2 or 3. Westway, bouldering: short session including one steep V3/4 and several failures/works-in-progress.

A good week. First 7 of the year, wrist survived first fingerboard session with full bodyweight for 6 months and some lightly-weighted pull-ups. Lots of culture, great to meet Simon and Ben.

Falls: 95
Try-hards: 4

[shark]

After a tactics pep-talk from Simon managed to do it the following go.

Success was certain following the ingestion of two yellow jelly babies

[Wellsy]

Monday - Training, lots of time spent doing a red at the Works. Bit of volume afterwards.

Tuesday - Training. Did one armed hangs on the BM2000 20mm edge, 3 seconds right, about 1.5/2 left. Massive PB! Very pleased. Did loads more hangs, assisted one armers (BM1000 jug and back two on the edge) five sets of three. Dumbbell overhead press, curls, hammer curls, ring rows.

Wednesday - Hanger, light volume of purples, tried the new cave yellow on the right and put all the moves together. Seems v hard.

Thursday - assisted one armers, ring rows

Friday/Saturday - planet zogg till 6am, then chilled on the sofa until 8.30 cos couldn't sleep, went to Cratcliffe. Did loads of easy stuff, a few 5+s, a 6A+, 6B, almost did No Hueco 6C, did the Lark 6C+/7A(?) and felt incredibly chuffed, couldn't do the crux a year ago, pissed it in like four goes. Super happy with that. McDonalds, bed by 9, brill.

Sunday. Hour doing hard traverses at the Works. Ring Rows. Squats up to 70kgs x 5 for 3 sets. Learned to Snatch and picked up the technique pretty fast apparently, did 20kgs using a training bar. Super fun!

[Coops_13]

M: G1. 20mm hangs 7s +70lb *4sets. Kilter 40deg. 2 V4, 2 V5. Lots of attempts on harder boulders. 45deg V7 to finish.

T: 30 mins skipping - linked cross and uncross. 100 press-ups

W: G1. 20mm hangs 7s +75lb *4sets. Kilter 45deg. 2 V4, 1 V5, 2 V6. Limit bouldering trying V9s - close-ish on a couple

T: 30 mins skipping - linked cross and uncross and double unders

S: Clear Creek Canyon. Third session on Return of the Mossman V9. Warmed up and remembered moves, tweaked end beta slightly. Was having trouble doing crux move, having confidence and committing. Managed to get through crux once then dry-fired on last harder move. Heartbreaker Couldn't get back there. So limit I need to execute well and be fresh enough to send.

S: 30 mins skipping - linked cross and un-cross X5. 100 press-ups. G1. Legs and chest. Bulgarian split squats 75lb X5 *5. Bench press 175lb X3 *3. RDLs 185lb X5 *5. Cable flys, Chest cable ups, Bicep curl, Shoulder press.

[Duma]

M - rest
T - El Algarrobo and Oasis. Top of the Rock (7a)(OS), and El Viaje a Cuba (7a)(F), to warm up. Both really good, bar a couple of snatchy bits at the start of the former. Happy to feel like fair bit in reserve on both. Then got on one of the main targets this trip, Hipotermia (7c) and flashed it placing the draws, YYFY! Had good but not completely detailed beta from Ant, and it's the least pumpy of the 7c's on this wall I believe, so best suited to me. So chuffed, managed the (fairly low) crux fine, but then really good fight to the chains. Brilliant route and day, especially as I'd come here a year ago with the same aims (7c first go) but backed off the first hardish route I got on and wrote the rest of that trip off for trying hard. Nice to have a bunch of really good mates at the crag too.
W - rain so early rest day
T - Oasis/El Algarrobo again, OS Plan Z Dos (7a) to warm up, bit flash pumped, felt harder than the ones further left. Then got the clips in Los Incredulos (7c+). Love this, 10m of continuous crimpy goodness above the half height break. We were in a three so not time to refine anything, meaning redpoint go was probably doomed, and proved so when I fluffed it at the 4th bolt. Made some decent links though.
F - Tesoro for easier day, lots of easy angled mileage 5a to 6c+.
S - El Algarrobo for a last try at Los Incredulos. Was knackered and a not that psyched for another day in the shade but thought I should give it a bash. Warmed up putting clips in, plan was bolt to bolt  but got to 7th where realised I couldn't place the draw from the clipping position. Improved foot sequence for final moves of the resistance section. Next go was excellent, real flow up to 2 moves from the jug at the end of the resistance part where foot slipped. Another great fight, I was really boxed but might have made it. Linked from a few moves down to the top with little rest, but couldn't face waiting around in the cold for an hour on my last day for another go so stripped it and went to get some sun. Had a great time on this one despite the "failure", it was lovely to be able to leave it feeling really positive.
S - travel
? kg

[csl]

Feb Goals
- Transition from "getting back into it" into trying to improve (have a plan) - not done, struggling a bit to fit it all in.
- Outside x1: 1/1
- Indoor x4: 0/4
- Fingerboard x8 1/8

A couple of weeks.

30th - 5th.
1x indoor - not sure, mostly boulders and then a couple of attempts on the 6c on the circuit board. Distinct lack of plan.
1 day out on Portland with Duncan. I should probably make a bit more of these opportunities by trying to climb more but was feeling a nervous given the total lack of climbing. TR'd a 7a which felt alright, fell off when I missed a hold at the very top. Next time out I really need to get more volume in.

6th - 12th.
Failed to make it indoors, or fingerboard for most of the week. Stretched on 4 days, and did repeaters on Sunday.

[SA Chris]

pick up from end of sharkathon

1st - flap about, fly to Geneva. ended up doing 10k steps walking about Heathrow. Late night drive, just me and bro on this trip
2nd - Les Gets / Morzine - later start than intended and big burger and a couple of free rum shots - 42km. 7.9k vert
3rd - Avoriaz - 48.5km, 9.4k vert great day
4th - Megeve - 46km, 9k vert - new resort for me!
5th - Grand Massif - 43km, 8.4k vert. Once again zero viz in exactly the same area on the way back, free for all!
6th - Praz de Lys - 36km - 6.4k vert - clouded in again, so sacked it off early. Walked to frozen waterfalls - 1.5km
7th - last morning - Mt Chery - 16km. 3.8k vert. Back to Geneva, delayed flight, overnight in London

Total for the week - 45k of vert - 5 Everests! I love going out with mates on the slopes, but get so much more done with 2 or 3 like minded people. No fresh snow, but given how it was 3 weeks before I won't complain.

8th - red eye. Tried to work, not much done. Some weights in evening
9th - not much - worked, some fingerboarding at lunch. Weights
10th - as above.
11th - First wall session in 2 weeks. Felt OK and flashed some of the new stuff. Shoulder still not 100% will continue with rehab.
12th - sorting house out. 11km run, flexor a bit tweaky. Went to Spectra free light show in Aberdeen, queues something else, so sacked off most of it.

[Duncan Disorderly]

After a tactics pep-talk from Simon managed to do it the following go.

Success was certain following the ingestion of two yellow jelly babies

Sounds like doping to me 

Good work guys! Smashing it Duma... Psyche!!

M: Elbow rehab
T: Moonboard - 10+ problems inc new 6B+ (!!) benchmark! Decided to set a goal of MB 7A by the end of 2023...
W: Rest
T: Hangar with daughter - She crushed! Best I've ever seen her climb... I did some reds.
F: Rest
S: Horseshit in the sunshine with the GF - Did some F6's inc. a new (for me) F6b that almost fell down as I was climbing it - Good times! Felt somewhat underworked so went to AW and had a MB session cleaning up all the unlogged benchmarks up fo 6A/+ and working some harder things (mainly 6C's) - tough!
S: Surfing @ Cayton - Ran into loads of folk I knew, sadly just as I was getting out tho - Great to be in the water again (plan to surf every month of 2023 going well). While it was a good swell and the wind was good I think I got in a bit late for the bunkers sandbars and pumphouse was a bit erratic, as I was on my tod I was also a bit spooked on the bigger sets - caught a couple of good clean waves, got tumble dried then spent a good while in the white water working on my pop-up (until I started shivering basically), still shit but definitely getting smoother. Absolutely trashed and nearly fell asleep on the drive home... Had a pint and a curry.

Great week! Elbow is still there but Ozzy's estimation that I just dial it back a notch or two seems to be working - MB sessions seem to not be causing any problems but definitely being careful - 2 weeks to go til Leonidio.

[Yossarian]

M - Good* board sesh, inc getting better at doing other people's stuff, plus trying new things in different styles to my typical ideas. Spent some time on something vaguely based on Pendragon, going up diagonally via long moves on small input crimps and awful feet.

T - Physio, dealing with my (much improved) biceps tendon issue. Back to the wall. *Middle finger DIP on right hand was not happy at all. Painful aching on top of the joint, which got progressively worse. Slight alarm bells.

W
T
F

S - Back to wall. Spent a long time trying to warm fingers up and managed to do some stuff on bigger edges, but DIP still not very happy. Should've gone and dicked around on big blobs for a bit, but there was a comp happening later in the day and all the good stuff was cordoned off.

Have spent a while thinking my fingers are fairly indestructible, but I think I've now found (and exceeded) my limit. Bought some squeeze balls and dug out some acupressure rings I got for xmas a couple of years ago. Assume best plan is to keep climbing whilst avoiding exacerbating it, drag more stuff, and avoid aggressive full crimping for a while. If I were 20kg lighter I might well've avoided this altogether...

[SA Chris]

After a tactics pep-talk from Simon managed to do it the following go.

Success was certain following the ingestion of two yellow jelly babies

I know those type of jelly babies.....

[James Malloch]

Sounds like a great trip, Duma. Makes me psyched to get something planned in!

I missed last week so here’s both.

M. Gym
DB Bench 24kg x5, 24kg x5, 24kg x4, 22kg x5
Weighted Pullups 4 sets of +10kg x5
OH press 30kg x5, 30kg x5, 30kg x4, 30kg x4
+ Some leg stuff

T. One arm hangs. Felt weak on RH so dropped time for both this week.
10kg Assistance for 10s, 7s, 7s, 8s

W.
T.
F.
S.
S.

Did do walks etc but looking to move house so lots of time taken up with viewings, finances etc etc.

M.
T.
W.
T. Put offer in on house.
F. Board and one arm hangs. Ticked a few unclimbed things (not many unclimbed things left now).
One arm hangs. 10kg assistance LH and 12.5kg assistance RH.
4x 10s hangs for each.
I got a better setup this week for the hangs (proper mounted edge). But decided not to push it on my RH as I was always failing at 10s. RH had a finger and wrist injury in the last year so it probably makes sense why it’s weaker. Good realisation to know I should maybe hold back a little with it.

S. Night out in van - first since the trip.
S. Walk up whernside.


House things have got in the way this last week. Should find out about our offer today but things should be back to normal now training wise (hopefully).

[shark]

Nice tick Duma

Weight ~11.9/10

M.

T. Weighted deadhangs on Metolius Edge. FC,HC and Drag3x 3 pull-ups up then 10, 10 and 10 secs at BW, +12.5kg FC,HC&D 3x2 pull ups then 10,10 and 10 sec hang.+17.5kg FC,HC and Drag 3x1 pull up then 8, 10 and 10 +25kg  FC,HC and Drag 3x1 very poor / failed pull ups then 6, 10 and 12 secs

W.

T. Rendezvous with Duncan at Brean. Lovely day. Just one other team there. Warm up on Coral Sea and set up a top rope on Chepito 7a which my logbook tells me I’ve I’d done before. With Duncan having worked out the sequence I retroflashed it (if that is ok to say). Moved on to Royal Flush 7a+. Tough start which I managed to get through but came off the headwall going the wrong way but probably would have come off anyway if I’d gone the right way. Worked it and thought redpointing would be a challenge but turned out to anti-climatic. Good to see Duncan get Chepito.

F. Was dubious about the forecast but risked heading up to Lower Sharpnose with Simon H. Early start and the tide was only just retreating when we got there and starts were wet. Waited a bit to give it chance to dry out more before abbing in. Simon led the Smile E1 but a squall came in while he was half way up and soaked the whole route. Needed a tight rope on the hard start and followed with freezing fingers. Clag looked set to stay so headed home. 164 mile round trip with little to show for it. Should have gone with my instincts and pushed harder for Torquay / Telegraph Hole instead.

S. Weighted deadhangs on Metolius Edge. FC,HC and Drag3x 3 pull-ups up then 10, 10 and 10 secs at BW, +12.5kg FC,HC&D 3x2 pull ups then 10,10 and 10 sec hang.+17.5kg FC,HC and Drag 3x1 pull up then 8, 10 and 10 +27.5kg FC, HC and drag 6, 10 and 13 secs

S.

Not been doing the type of climbing and training I should be in run up to a return visit to Datca next Tuesday. However, gratified to see the progress with my max hangs over the last 5 sessions - see below. Not done a benchmark session but reckon Im back in PB territory factoring in relatively high bodyweight. Funeral tomorrow.

27.1.23 +20kg FC,HC 10, 10 and 10 secs

31.1.23 +22.5kg  FC,HC and Drag 4, 5 and 8 secs

2.2.23 +22.5kg  FC,HC and Drag 10, 8 and 14 secs

7.2.23 +25kg  FC,HC and drag 6, 10 and 12 secs

11.2.23 +27.5kg FC, HC and drag 6, 10 and 13 secs

[mr chaz]

Power Club:

M. 
T. 
W.
T.
F.  Fairly quick evening board session, decent warmup and about 45 mins trying some moderates, trying not to overdo it with right arm.
S.
S. Roaches bouldering. Late exit, traffic and parking wars etc meant quite short on time. Easy circuit in the lower tier and then did Ascent of Man start and variation, before heading to upper tier for better connies. 30 mins trying Broken Wing, but had a total footwork failure every time I transitioned into the (5+ !!) finish. Humiliated and battered, spent an hour doing easy problems on the upper tier. Total confidence check, felt really uneasy getting towards the top of some of these boulders - shows what extended periods of time off rock will do to you. 20 min walk back to car pondering such existential questions as, why is it on grit I would give myself equal odds of getting to the top of a 7A or a 6A?

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - quick weights session, very short kn time.
Tue - garage session. Strong on clean. One armers, press.
Wed - board climbing. Amazing progress on old project. Did crux twice, almost linked in two halves. Onwards. Back work.
Thu - BM pockets and monos. It seems to work. Thruster, ab wheel, back work, loaded carries.
Fri - one armers. Good mornings, bentover rows. Volume.
Sat - boxing bag.
Sun - TBDL from blocks, volume.

[Fultonius]

I had to have a bit of a low volume week this week, as I was starting to feel the onset of a bit of a niggly elbow. (too much manual work on the van).

Tuesday: Routes session at GCC.
warm up: 2 autobelay routes, then about 10+ mins continuous climbing on autobelays (6b ish).

General Leading (all o/s):

6b, 6c (felt hard), 7a+ managed to fight through and climb quite well *while* pumped. Noticeable improvement in ability to keep pulling rather than just redline and come off (usual scenario). 7b not a long rest and got back on this (like, 15 mins instead of 45 as I would if I was trying decent holiday o/s or rp burns) and climbed through some quite powerful stuff, again feeling surprised at my ability to keep trucking while seemingly massively pumped (or more powered out - short routes).

7a went fine, even got some recovery on a not great hold 2 clips from the end.

6c+

Flagging by this point. Not sure if, in a session like this , I should be able to keep going longer? was about 3 hours and 200m ish of climbing?

W: Nothing, felt pretty wrecked from yesterday!

Thurs: 20min yoga, hip release and strength

Eve, prop store. New pinks, therefore just a fun session of flashing and quick sends. Nearly flashed a 7A, got it 2nd go. 10 or so problems., 6B+ to 7A. Spent a bit of time on a steep cave problem 7A to work on weaknesses. Managed to find good beta and do all moves, just need to link it.

Rest of week: nothing. Like I said, elbows complaining and wrist still too fragile to do much rehab (press-ups etc.). Been trying to do some gentle stretching and extensor massage)

[Rocksteady]

Looks like some good weeks had above. I liked Chepito Duncan & Shark, good tick. I remember there being a bolt on it that looked like the ringpull of a can opener that was very offputting - is that still there?

I have a 2 week update.

Previous week:
- Good routes session indoors - managed first 7a for about 6 months. Good to get some fitness back. Usually 7a indoors translates to 7b outdoors for me which before kids was my usual baseline.
- Did some benchmarking using the https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/metrics-for-climbers. Basically below where I'd like to be on most everything, but it's the endurance / ancap measures where I am way below. On weighted pull ups and campus max throws I am already at the level I need to be.
- Went mountain biking around Swinley and had a good ride, although all the fun downhill runs were shut off. Made some good technique gains re: pumping terrain more effectively.

This week:
- Density hangs on FB at bodyweight. Good session, hopefully starts to work towards addressing weakness in max hang time on a 20mm.
- Routes session: Good progress on another 7a, should get this next time on 4th go. Felt fitter.
- Trashed myself bouldering on comp problems at Arch Acton. Managed a brilliant arete problem that was one of best indoor problems I've ever done, really felt like an outdoor boulder. No idea of grade. Made progress on my project on 50 degree board, now can do it in overlapping halves. First time I managed the top section so good news.

Whole family had horrible  bug so lost a lot of sleep and did lots of cleaning up and missed my planned bouldering day trip.

On the plus side everyone on the mend now and have a long weekend in the Peak for half term and fingers crossed will get a couple of mornings bouldering.

[Aussiegav]

Finely a week of reasonable health and energy.
Monday -

3x 90% max hangs half crimp (100kg) & Open (106kg).

Tuesday
3x 20min sets on purples at the Depot. Did all three.


Wednesday
Peloton 30min Stretching

Thursday
4x4 boulders on reds at the depot

Friday

Saturday

4min problems
Purple circuit at the Depot

4min

-

• Fatpinches flash

- [ ] Toe hook prow. Terrible
- [ ] Volume arête. Couldn’t hold volumes
-

• Roof wall 2nd go

- [ ] Slab volume arête
-

• Cross over on crimps 3rd go

Finished with 3x4s
On the hardwood circuit board.

Sunday

30min Peloton ride