[Duma]

M -
T - eve, TCA, 150 min. New blue set (7A to 8A). Tried 9, no flashes, did 2 quickly (and 2 others that then got tweaked), 1 after quite a bit of work, lots of tries on 3, couple of tries on 3 others.
W -
T - eve, Cheddar, lion rock. Back on Lion Sleeps Tonight. Arrived a bit later than hoped but good conditions. Felt good warming up and getting clips in, all sections felt ok. Next go got through to undercuts, but fingers pretty cold. Recovered pretty well though, and felt good across the traverse but then blew up on the arete. Struggled on, just about managed last clip but fell going to the letterbox (last significant hand move, although there's a tricky foot move immediately after). Worked out better (but blind) foothold and came down. 3rd go did it, more tired but had done a better job staying warm while belaying. Similar up to the undercuts, worse across the traverse, but better up the arete, chalking up where I was redlining the previous go. Psyched, 8 years to the day since I did Shadow Walker. Pint, pickled egg, and pork pie in the crown on the way home.
F - aft, TCA, 120 min. Feeling a bit broken from yesterday but wanted to get a session in before parenting this weekend. R elbow worryingly tender (L elbow is just ongoing tender). Blues, tried 8, did 4 (including the 2 that were tweaked on Tuesday) and all the moves on another. Surprisingly good session considering how I felt to start with.
S - hr walk up the hill in the sunshine.
S - aft, run, 6k, hilly, trail, 31 min.

71.5 kg.

Excellent week, obviously psyched to do LST but also just so good to see some sun and finally feel like we might be coming out of the endless wet of the last 6 months.

[GazM]

Nice work Duma. Which Crown was it for the pint? Churchill?

[monkoffunk]

M - Busy overnight at work. Totally exhausted and slept under about 1530. Only rest, yoga and meditation to avoid getting too wired to sleep at night.

T - Actually slept ok and woken up at 0700 by daughter which was probably useful. Physio stuff early in day, pushups, grip reverse bicep curls and external shoulder rotations. Have been struggling with prescribed lock offs but sort of ‘duh’ moment watching Alex Puccio’s one arm pull up reel. Cracked out the extra heavy theraband to meet my level of weakness. Three pull up bar one arm locks with assistance, 8 seconds for each arm at quarter lock, and then a further three at half lock. It’s a start! Yoga.

W - Gym. Deadlifts to 100kg, not above as I think my form is slightly off and want to get someone who knows what they are doing to look before trying harder. Basically I think I’m doing the right steps but after engaging the scapulars and starting to drive with the legs I feel like my lower back takes slightly more than it should due to the weight leaving the ground later than it should. Might be form, might just not have built up enough. Weighted pull ups to +22.5kg x5, next time might do something heavier for less reps. Incline dumbbell press, new one to me but have some undercut projects. One arm rows. Hammer curls. Ran out of time! Yoga.

T - Yoga.

F - Portland after work. Amazing conditions beautiful night with clear sky. T shirt weather until 0100, but didn’t feel too hot. Pulled some moves on a new problem and almost did in a session, falling on last move that felt easy in isolation. One more good go but grabbed a hold slightly wrong and sliced a chunk out of right middle finger on a sharp spike. Tried to tape, but impossible to climb with it. Realised chunk actually was far enough down finger tip to not affect crimping, but next few goes only achieved a good dowsing of blood over the boulder. Down to the last warning on my lamp battery, so sacked it and cleaned off all the blood. Learned some nice micro beta that made the first moves more efficient. I’m optimistic for next time.

Driving home almost became more exciting than I wanted. Was so task fixated on getting to the rock after work that I hadn’t allowed myself enough petrol for return journey. After a series of closed stations I found myself in a 24 hour unmanned Tescos without any means to pay. Thankfully the Shell in Dorchester was manned or I’d have been sleeping in a car park. Avoided a candidate for the lamest epic of the modern world caused by an over reliance on Apple Pay. Home around 0300, so went to sleep skipping the yoga.

S - Yoga

S - Submax hangs. Skin ended play. Yoga.

[Duma]

Nice work Duma. Which Crown was it for the pint? Churchill?

Yup, the discerning Cheddar climbers' pit stop of choice!

[Aussiegav]

Well Duma.
Is this your celebration ritual? Pint, pickled egg, and pork pie in the crown on the way home.


Monday -

Complete rest day. Felt rubbish. Upper respiratory tract & right lung infections . On antibiotics for next 5 days.

Tuesday
Sick & recovery

Wednesday
Sick & recovery

Thursday
Fingerboard on 18mm edge. Half crimp
Six 10sec hangs. Total weight 76kg.
.

Friday
Still coughing a lot of phlegm up.

Saturday
Stoney Garage, managed to get an afternoon session. First time I’ve climbed at Stoney and first time outside climbing since my operation and October last year. Had a great afternoon.
Flashed four routes at the right hand end.
The last stop. 5b.
Just end it. 6a+
End,stop, finale. 6b
Nowt about change. 6b

Elbow felt good felt awesome to be out climbing again.

Sunday
spent the day in Liverpool. Then peloton ride in the evening.

[GazM]

Nice work Duma. Which Crown was it for the pint? Churchill?

Ah, many a happy memory there. Not as a climber, but as a vague local. Great pub.

Yup, the discerning Cheddar climbers' pit stop of choice!

[Duma]

Hey Gav, glad you're feeling better and got out! Re the Crown, tbf I stop most evenings after a Cheddar session, regardless of success!

[SA Chris]

Nice one Duma. But you can keep the pickled egg. Pork scratchings though...

[teestub]

Great work Duma! #TeamPickledEgg

[mr chaz]

Nice one Duma.

Power Club;

M. In Birmingham for work so popped into Creation for my ‘lunch’ break. Short session, managed one of the harder problems on the overhang, supposedly 7B+, but more like 7A.
T. Evening board session - nothing remarkable, usual limit style bouldering.
W.
T.
F.
S. Had a 2 hour window so decided to check out the local spot, Ippikins Rock, which is only 15 mins drive from me. Had seen a vid of a new line which looked worth trying at 7B, worked out all the moves but couldn’t quite link to the end. Will be back with fresh arms, and to try some of the other lines. Very much a locals venue that one 
S.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - AM session x1, shoulder static holds.
Tue - board climbing. Useless. Pull ups, back work.
Wed - thruster, bar work. Short on time.
Thu - board climbing, climbed a problem. Skin is an issue. Back work.
Fri - DL 531 week 1. 135 kg training 1RM.
Sat - boxing bag.
Sun - 3x AM session.

[duncan]

Well done Duma, sounded like you were close last week but that’s not the same as sealing the deal!

M - Hip flexibility: frog stretch, pancake stretch, sumo squats. Shoulder and elbow care: handstands, side planks, reverse curls

T - ~10km brisk walk.

W - Some kind of lurgy. Hip flexibility.

T - Still bleurgh. Hip flexibility. Fingerboard pickups, left only.

F - Mildly bleurgh. Hip flexibility. Shoulder care.

S - Maham, first time at the cat walk! Did the three easiest sport routes on the crag, elbow was sore after. Shark’s sixtieth soirée, great fun despite the failure of the attempt to burn down the village hall.

S - Stoney Bank with Bruce. Easy trad. is my go-to for elbow rehab. Possibly in response to the despicable retro-bolting here, my elbow didn't like the former easy trad. routes we did at all.


Great weekend socially, good to get out into the country, the climbing was a bit frustrating.

Malham is magnificent of course but the drive reminded me why I've not been more often. According to guidebooks I visited once in 1988, during my semi-retirement, and did Carnage. I have no memory of this although I do recall wandering up Gordale and chatting with Andy Pollitt about retro-bolting aid routes around the same time. In some ways it was fortunate the routes I aspire to (Yosemite Wall) were dripping otherwise my elbow might be (even) worse.

Also, my first time I've been to Bradford since about the same time. Driving through will only give a superficial impression but it did not look in good shape  .

Plan: continue elbow rehab., hip flexibility.

[SA Chris]

Also, my first time I've been to Bradford since about the same time. Driving through will only give a superficial impression but it did not look in good shape  .

It didn't look great when i worked there in the late 90s, wonder how it looks now? Only time we ever went out there was to get a cheap curry. Challenge was to spend over a tenner and manage to eat it all.

[Duncan Disorderly]

No Power Club...

M: MB @ 25 Degrees - 10 problems inc. 6C flash and fast repeat of soft 7A (6C+ish)... 3 x 1 min foot on campus 20mm edges.
T: Rest
W: 4x4 @ AW - Auto Belays F6a+ - F6b+, 3 x 1.1 mins foot on campus 20mm edges.
T: Rest
F: MB @ 25 Degrees - 10 problems inc. repeat of hard 6C (6C+ for sure!) 2 x 1.15 mins foot on campus 20mm edges.
S: 9 Miles of walking in't Peak.
S: Bouldering @ Curbar - Energizer Bunny dragged me to do Arse of Japan. They did it, I didn't. Did some mid 6 stuff, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on a 7A dyno and dropped the top of UGE at the jugs due to being tired and having no skin left - Top day of failing to get up anything noteworthy (or even repeat anything I'd done before) but still enjoying being outside with me best mate... 

[shark]

M

T. Tor. Tin Of with Andy C. Didn’t redpoint it this time but had a decent session and found out I could do the old way on the crux again and then also figured out a better foot sequence and body position

W

T Back with Ben S. Good connies and rock drier. First go got warmed up on the bottom section. Second go got thru to high on headwall on redpoint and only came off because my hand slipped off a large sidehold. Third go redpointed it. Fourth go on TR got through crux again but got sidehold badly and slipped off trying to pull through to shake

F

S. Malham. 60th birthday 😱 Great day with Tommy and Seb - joined by Duncan, Matthew and Sharon. Fell off Consenting but then redpointed it. Retro flashed Free and Even Easier. Had three tie ins on the starting section of the Oak but couldn’t do a move. Seb wasn’t much better. Tommy did much better despite having given up climbing a couple of years ago. Super evening bash in the village hall.

S.

Now in Kalymnos for 10 days

[Duma]

Happy birthday Shark! And enjoy your trip!

[Will Hunt]

Also, my first time I've been to Bradford since about the same time. Driving through will only give a superficial impression but it did not look in good shape  .

Bradford has some diamonds in the rough (science and media museum, theatre, brilliant curry/Persian restaurants etc). Sadly the diamond:rough ratio isn't great. I think its biggest problem is Leeds, which it converges with at Pudsey, which has better infrastructure and attracts all the investment.

[stone]

[Challenge was to spend over a tenner and manage to eat it all.

My recollection of 1990s Bradford curry house meals is that chapatis were provided as a free accompaniment with more being offered if you ate the ones provided. So "eating it all" would, I guess, entail depleting global wheat  stocks!

[ali k]

Bradford has some diamonds in the rough (science and media museum, theatre, brilliant curry/Persian restaurants etc).

Don’t forget Waterstones (in the former Wool Exchange building). Worth a visit just for that IMO - doubters just google it, particularly the interior. Lots of other amazing architecture remains from its heyday if you look above the ground floor signage. Shame a lot of the best in the centre got demolished.

[SA Chris]

[Challenge was to spend over a tenner and manage to eat it all.

My recollection of 1990s Bradford curry house meals is that chapatis were provided as a free accompaniment with more being offered if you ate the ones provided. So "eating it all" would, I guess, entail depleting global wheat  stocks!

I expect you are right, I think I forgot that detail.

[Fiend]

Not quite as late as Duncan Disorderly usually is....

Next week STG: Gentle shoulder rehab x 3 - yes. Gentle shoulder mobility x 3 - yes. Reduce intensity - not really overall. Easy trad if possible - barely. Get back on the social wagon - yes but usual uphill battle.
The usual STG: Stay focused and don't make silly mistakes - I guess so. Do something challenging and inspiring on a rope, or above a pad - yes. Keep in regular contact with suitable friends and partners - yes, put the not-entirely-reciprocated effort in. Falling practise if I do routes indoors or out - n/a. Look after injuries - mixed bag, did rehab but pushed a bit too, gym x 1 - yes, elbow rehab x 1 - yes, shoulder rehab x 3 - yes, stretching x 3 - 2 but one was LONG.


M - Rest. Gentle shoulder rehab. Shoulder sore and impinged.

T -  Active rest. Gym. Misc conditioning core / legs, TGU, a few tests with light arm weights (almost unbelievably weak, the weakest I've been in decades, probably due to shoulder fatigue). Elbow rehab, lots of shoulder rehab, 55 mins stretching. Shoulder impinged but slightly less sore around the area.

W - Rest. Depressed. Stretching session. Gentle shoulder mobility. Shoulder impinged but slightly less sore around the area.

T - Indoor bouldering @ Bloc Haus. 6 x V2-4, 6 x V3-5 (flash, all piss), 2 x V4-6 (flash). Tried another 2 x V3-5s and 6 x V4-6s (mostly desperate) and couldn't do them. Lost the will to live. Fed up with too much "all or nothing" setting with wild moves without enough natural small footholds, very much the indoor equivalent of Moonboard thuggery. Shoulder sore and impinged. Gentle shoulder rehab. Gentle shoulder mobility. A bit depressed.

F - 1 hour walking. 6B, 6B+, 2 x 6C, 6C+. Shoulder impinged but slightly better than previous day.

S - 1 hour walking. 3 x 6C, 4 x 6C+. Great day. Felt like myself again. Shoulder a bit impinged but really quite decent given the volume.

S - 40 mins walking. A bit of Easy Trad. Shoulder feeling quite a bit better. Post script: Both shoulders a lot more sore overnight and into the next day for no reason at all.


Up and down week managing shoulder and mental health but had a very fine day at the weekend. Shoulder nonsense is up and down especially given how well it coped with a big day bouldering vs how neither shoulder coped with a good night's sleep on Sunday


Next week STG: Not sure.
The usual STG: Stay focused and don't make silly mistakes. Do something challenging and inspiring on a rope, or above a pad. Keep in regular contact with suitable friends and partners. Falling practise if I do routes indoors or out. Look after injuries, gym x 1, elbow rehab x 1, shoulder rehab x 3, stretching x 3.

[Yossarian]

M - Pre - drive to wall 20mm edge pulls - up to (80kg x 5) x 3.
Wall. Board. Felt a little bit lacking in oomph initially, but that passed fairly quickly. Trying to do more dynamic / Kilter board-style / check me out leaping like Tarzan type problems on the board at the wall because the home board is proving so good for the opposite / I can barely hang on half the time. Getting much better at the former (from a very low starting level) but it does tend to trash my skin a bit.
T - 50 mins on the home board, then some wide-weighted pull-ups later on. Felt like a bit much tbh.
W
T - Spent a few hours putting the rest of the holds on the home board and so knackered by the end that I didn't actually climb anything significant.
F - Day / evening out in London, inc unintended boozing.
S - Wall. Was expecting it to be a bit of a write-off thanks to woozy head, but started on the board and felt fucking great. I think actually doing some proper strength training again + actually climbing quite a lot (rather than nursing various muscle pulls pre Font) has already had quite a positive effect. Booked another Font trip for early / mid July and wondering whether I can lose 10kg by then...