[Duma]

M - feeling knackered after Sunday's session, still not quite over this cold too.
T - am/lunch pack van, drive. Pm N Wales. First stop Ultimate Warrior, I managed to lose/forget my guide, but as ever, UKB came to the rescue. Only had an hour at the boulder before I had to leave to meet Ollie in the pass, so couldn't afford to thrash around. Not bon con, but the wall was in the shade, and after a bit of flailing while I warmed up managed the stand, then the full line soon after. Super psyched with this one, been on the list forever. Not been so happy with a send since Hipotermia I think. No time to revel in my triumph, straight back to the van and over to the pass, met Ollie at the Barrel. Barrel LH 6B a couple of times to re warm up, then Bulling 747 7A and The Minimum 7A+ in a few goes each, followed by a fair bit of work on The Barrel Traverse 7B+, didn't ever really work out the middle section well enough for real attempts. Then trek over to Wavelength, lost the will to live slightly on the stomp up the hill but revived by the glorious rock on this boulder. Flagging by now but inspired by Ollie cruising it, I managed to drag myself up King Of Drunks 7A for the third classic tick of the day. Midges were closing in but we snuck up Wavelength Groove Sit 6C, unusual (and great fun) problem to finish an epic day.
W - N Wales, Ogwen. Trekked over to the Lily Savage Cluster in full sun like the overly keen fools we are, but session saved by occasional cloud and decent breeze. Warmed up on Paul O'Grady 6C+, I'd done this a few years ago but brilliant as ever. Attempted The Canon 7A, but wasn't keen to cheesegrater my chest so sacked it, on to the main event. I couldn't make any headway on Lily Savage 7B years ago when I did Paul O'Grady and the sit, but having a mate to share beta with made the difference this time. Got the stand (shelf) start fairly quick, but both pulling on from sitting, and the slap to the shelf, seemed brutal. An hour of head scratching, chatting, and squeezing later, and we worked out how to twist into the feet and unlocked the move, both getting it soon after. Amazing problem and great to both get it same session. Was still mid afternoon but a few attempts on Lily Savage LH confirmed we were knackered.
T - N Wales, Gwynant Roadblock. Couldn't face any sort of walk 3rd day on. Few of the easy things to loosen up, I thought Question Time 5+ was particularly nice. Got Seadog's Arete Sit 7A in a few goes, then failed completely to work out the sit of Roadhog, so moved on to the stand at 7A+. Scraped up it in the end, but took a lot of effort and could definitely feel the last couple of days. Finished off with a flash of The Hitcher Stand, pretty generous at 7A. Swim in the lake to cool off before the drive home. Great little midweek holiday.
F - aft TCA, 90 min. Steeper stuff, whites and blacks. 3 problems, 2 whites second go, spent a while working a black, got all the moves but not much linked. Felt surprisingly ok considering the last 3 days. 12 hr night shift.
S - 12 hr night shift.
S - 12 hr night shift.

72 kg.

[duncan]

That sounds like a great trip to N Wales Duma. I can’t imagine doing much more than lying down in a cold and dark room on Wednesday or Thursday so good effort on climbing on both days!

M -

T - Fingerboard pick-ups: 41kg half and full crimp, 36kg 3 finger drags. Hip flexibility.

W - Shoulders conditioning. Glyndebourne festival for Giulio Cesare: baroque opera with bollywood-style dancing; great picnic weather and all great fun. 

T - Down to Weston. 600m swim in the marine lake. Very warm but a brisk wind made the water  very choppy (waves coming over the sea wall) so more of a challenge than the distance would suggest. No-one else swimming which should have been a clue.

F - Friday evening drove to Pembroke to meet the Environmental Agent, managed to sneak in the very pleasant Nightmare (HVS) at St Govans as it was getting dark.

S - Madman’s Point (new crag), swapped leads on The Gong (E2 Fr6a+) which was great: steep fun on big holds. And how often does a route incorporate a musical instrument? (A♭, since you ask). Had earmarked A Pink Buoy Named Emma as the route to do next but it has suffered a rockfall and was being threatened by the tide so we transferred to St Govan’s and I led the brilliant Test Case (E3 Fr6c) which I can’t believe I've not done before. It’s one of those routes that have become easier relative to other trad. E3s from the early 80s, the holds are huge and gear plentiful, so is now a soft touch for mid-grade sport climbers. It’s steep and was beginning to condense in the evening, so a good test for me.
S - Huntsman’s Leap, with 6 or 7 other teams. The west wall was bone dry and the usual E4s and E5s were getting climbed. The tide was very low and it would be a great time to get on Darkness at Noon, Woeful or more esoteric seaward end routes. Ed Morris did The Black Lagoon which looks excellent and tough especially as Gibson’s old pegs must be useless now. The monster face was still quite wet for the first 40’ so The Environmental Agent led The Beast from the Undergrowth (E2 Fr6a+) and I led Strap Up (E3 Fr6b) which needed some engagement as it was a bit damp. Both are very good, I love Pembroke two star routes!

Really should get on something harder than E2 once the cold/C19/whatever goes away.

Happy to do two E3s this weekend, the first since about this time last year. Both were good challenges and I had to engage a little try hard on Test Case. Will likely be in London for most of this week for various family and other social events so I may have to do some training!

[remus]

I love Pembroke two star routes!

Usually as good as the three star routes, but with none of the polish or queues!

[csl]

North wales was glorious wasn't it Duma!

July goals: Got a trip to N Wales planned for end of July and I'd like to be in the right headspace for something like Right Wall.

I wasn't really in the right headspace, but I tried it anyway with some persuasion and fell off the tricky bit between the two ledges.


A double for me:

Mon 22nd - Sun 28th.
A few autobelay sessions to go with a busy work week.
Generally just went up down up on all the routes, best efforts linking 3x vertical 7a's in some last ditch stamina training for Wales, neglected all other structured training and stretching as work pushed me to the edge 😩


29th - 4th August

Sunday night (after a full on day at a safari park for my daughters 2nd birthday) drove 5 hours to North Wales.

Mon 29th
We went up to hidden walls to find some shade and did El Guide Direct, then wandered across to the Cromlech for the main event. I made the mistake of warming up on something I'd done before (mostly) and found Left Wall Direct harder than expected, this totally put me off trying Right Wall, bugger.

Partner walked up Right Wall like it was a path and I decided I wasn't up to it and went up Cemetary Gates which I found trickier than expected too. I promised to return for Right Wall the following afternoon - pint and a takeaway in Llanberis as we got down around 10pm.

Tuesday 30th
Spent all day anxious and stressed and trying to think of excuses, almost to the point of self-sabotage. Again we went to Hidden Walls and I followed What a Difference a day makes. Partner attempted to onsight Pretty Girls, but failed. Then very nearly did second go, but kicked a wire out and got panicked. By the time we got back to the car it was half five, I had a 6 hour drive home ahead of me and was totally convinced I wasn't going to try Right Wall and had a huge list of excuses and ways to get out of it floating around in my head. .

I walked up to the Cromlech planning on climbing Foil, but my partner managed to persuade me to just get racked up and stood underneath Right Wall and see how I felt. Then he suggested I at least climb onto the grassy ledge and see how I feel up there. Once I got up there I decided I may as well try it.

Long story, I fell off the trickier moves on the left after getting a bit flustered and pumped on the big pockets, in hindsight I probably should have reversed a couple of moves and tried to recover but overall very glad I got on it - partner led up Cemetary Gates and abbed for gear, again, in hindsight I wish I'd gone for another attempt ground up but thought it would be quicker to do this.

I don't think I've ever built a route up so much in my head before, essentially spent a whole day with a feeling of dread and anxiety, but I guess it has a big reputation and I'd not tried an E5 for a decade. Glad to have broken the spell and keen to get back to finish it off.

Rest of the week: very little, back to work, more stress, kids birthday parties etc.

August Goals: Get set up for 6 weeks off work
- 1x day out climbing
- consistent training, try and maintain/improve fitness a bit

[spidermonkey09]

Absolutely exactly the same happened to me csl when I tried RW; spent the night before tossing and turning and built the route up to a ridiculous level in my mind.

I fell off in exactly the same place as you around those big pockets between the ledges; definitely the crux for me. Worth remembering what you did wrong for when you go back as when I eventually got round to finishing it off a few years ago I nearly fell off there again and failed to place the key bit of gear as well, would have been a monster.

Well done for getting on it, better to try these things.

[Fiend]

Next week STG: Avoid the stupid fucking heat - actually did this.
The usual STG: Stay focused and don't make silly mistakes - n/a. Do something challenging and inspiring on a rope (fuck above a pad) - no, did some fun easy routes but nothing remotely challenging. Keep in regular contact with suitable friends and partners - some decent social contact but outweighed by the number of people who don't keep in touch, don't reply to messages, don't initiate contact, or suddenly aren't available. Falling practise if I do routes indoors or out - yes, decent ones on Wed, but still not enough. Look after injuries - mostly, feel creaky but not too bad, (gym x 1), elbow rehab x 2 - yes, shoulder rehab x 2 - yes, stretching x 3 - once and needed to do a lot more.


M - Active rest. 2 hours fern clearance. A bit tiring but not too draining. Warm to start then cooled right down in evening with breeze.  Elbow and shoulder rehab.

T -  Active rest. 20 mins walk. F6a, F6b x 2, F6b+. Mundane but tolerable. Warm to start then cooled right down in evening with breeze. Excellent dog / bear-disguised-as-dog action in the local pub.

W - 1 hour walk. Worked moves on a F7b. Feels like with a few sessions getting fitness up I could do it. Some good practise falls. Shoulder tweaky from yarding out boat anchor rope though gri-gri. Elbow and shoulder rehab.

T - 40 mins walk. 2 x E2 in the shade. Still warm but nice.

F - Active rest. 20 mins walk. 2nded E2 I'd led before. Stretching session.

S - 40 mins walk. 2 x E1. Attemped E3, couldn't commit due to rock quality. Confirmed that I'm about at 50% trad ability.

S - Active rest. 30 mins walk. 2 x HVS.


The decline continues - albeit without any acceleration - and the pipe dream of 2 x E3 in a weekend doesn't seem any closer. At least on Wednesday I tried harder on moves and took some decent (deliberate and accident falls), and I've kept fit with some walking.


Next week STG: See if I can try hard on a trad route.
The usual STG: Stay focused and don't make silly mistakes. Do something challenging and inspiring on a rope (fuck 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 2, shoulder rehab x 2, stretching x 3.

[Nibile]

Power Club

Mon - light weights, back work, BW gymnastic.
Tue - DL PB from half blocks. Bentover rows.
Wed - weights, ab wheel.
Thu - regular weights. It's incredibly hot.
Fri - boxing bag.
Sat - regular weights.
Sun - tired! Weights, light jog.

Last six months of training gave the results I was looking for. Alla via così.

[Duma]

Hey csl, guess that must have been you we saw on RW from across the pass on Tues eve then? Well done for getting past the nerves and getting on it, and good luck for next time!

[Duncan Disorderly]

Post snip club...

M: 1.5 mile gentle walk
T: Nowt
W: Nowt
T: Nowt
F: Nowt
S: 6 mile run in't Peak.... Slow and steady and very pleased to not have any pain....
S: Boulder @ AW, generally easy as didn't want any unexpected falls but did do a couple of pinks and a yellow (V5-8)... Routes @ AW - 3 routes, 6a+- 6B+ good to see how things are progressing, think it's all gonna be fine for La Foret.... Phew!

[SA Chris]

M - 10.5 km run. Tired after hillwalking day before.
T - pick ups. Not a lot.
W - lunch run 6.5 km. Pushed pace, but buckled a bit as soon as I got in shelter out of wind . Evening boulder. Warm enough that plan A & B were a tinge greasy in the shade, so opted for plan C and arsed around on eliminates in the sun. Good fun, skin a bit crap.
T - not a load. Hedge cutting phase 1 - kills shoulders
F - as above.
S - hill walk with family up Glas Tulichean- 16km. Only got rained on twice. Some good looking boulders in that glen, including one that looks like Grand Hotel from a distance.
S - Johnsheugh for round 3. Conditions good! Warmed up on a couple, then back on project.  Got two halves wired, decent rest, and did it!! Followed swiftly by Rich using a horrible sequence to make up for his woeful heelhooking skills. If it is the 7A+ the FAist gave it, it's my first. Made up. Finished cutting hedge, then did 19km run in evening after dropping son and mates at cinema. Felt pretty knackered by evening.

[Duma]

Nice one Chris!
And glad your recovery seems to be going well DD!

[SA Chris]

Thanks Duma. I was so surprised to get it done I never even filmed it. Back around..

[duncan]

I love Pembroke two star routes!

Usually as good as the three star routes, but with none of the polish or queues!

Absolutely. And usually much less of the psychological load that can come with wanting to not muck-up the 'classics'. See below!

I walked up to the Cromlech planning on climbing Foil, but my partner managed to persuade me to just get racked up and stood underneath Right Wall and see how I felt. Then he suggested I at least climb onto the grassy ledge and see how I feel up there. Once I got up there I decided I may as well try it.

Long story, I fell off the trickier moves on the left after getting a bit flustered and pumped on the big pockets, in hindsight I probably should have reversed a couple of moves and tried to recover but overall very glad I got on it - partner led up Cemetary Gates and abbed for gear, again, in hindsight I wish I'd gone for another attempt ground up but thought it would be quicker to do this.

I don't think I've ever built a route up so much in my head before, essentially spent a whole day with a feeling of dread and anxiety, but I guess it has a big reputation and I'd not tried an E5 for a decade. Glad to have broken the spell and keen to get back to finish it off.

Getting on stuff is emphatically the right thing to do (do as I say, not as I do...). I nearly had a similar experience on Right Wall in 1983 (ran up and down the pass, from Nant Peris to Pen y Pass, the previous night to be sufficiently tired to sleep). Being forced to sit at the base of the route for about 6 hours due to lack of belayer calmed me down enough for it to go. I had a very similar one on Foil in 2021: trying and falling off even though I knew various factors were not optimal was good for me. When I came back to it a couple of years later the holds felt huge and I wondered what all the fuss had been about.