Power Club 774 7-13 Oct 2024

UKBouldering.com

Help Support UKBouldering.com:

Duma

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2005
Messages
6,004
Location
in the moment
Too much work and very little climbing this week. Shoulder niggle seems to have settled out at least.

M - 12 hr shift.
T - 12 hr shift.
W -
T - eve, TCA, 120 mins. Vert to moderate overhang. 5 whites (4 flash, 1 second go), 4 blacks (1 flash, 1 with lots of effort, 2 just a few tries). There was 3 blues too but I barely tried them.
F - 12 hr shift.
S - 12 hr shift.
S - 12 hr shift.

71 kg.
 
Thanks Duma,
Very light week for me, trying to load up on calories.
72.3kg as of Sunday night.

Monday -

Rest

Tuesday

Fingerboard session at home
18mm edges
2 hangs BW + 7.5kg
3 hangs total weight 90.5kg.
BW + 15kg


12mm edges
total weight. 80.5kg.
Five hangs body weight plus 5kg.


Wednesday
Rest

Thursday
Rest

Friday
Rest

Saturday
Horseshoe Quarry

A short session with Harvey & Jake. Top roped Private Prosecution to warm up & check out the route. Did all the moves.

Did first pitch of Men at Work in between goes to put Jake on a climb. Belayed Harvey on Rotund Rooley. Then it started to rain.

Went back up Private Prosecution but it was freezing and my fingers felt numb on a few small holds.
Thought this is a great route. Several sections of difficulty with spaced bolting at the top.
Look forward to getting back on it.


Sunday
Rest day
 
Power Club:
78.0 kg

M.
T. Evening board session - normal session, warmup on fingerboard, then limit bouldering.
W.
T. Evening board session as above.
F.
S. Let my brother talk me into joining them at their local wall with my toddler son. Their daughter who is 3 and a half has started toproping and seems to love it. Quite predictably, my lad (nearly 3yr old) was not interested in anything other than darting around being a total hazard to himself and others - we quickly left. Think I'll wait another few months (years!) before attempting that again.
S.
 
Next week STG: Condition body and try to train a bit more (rollover AGAIN) - No, set things back and got worse.
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, failed on unchallenging stuff. Keep in regular contact with suitable friends and partners - only a bit, had to sack off plans, felt a bit detached. Falling practise if I do routes indoors or out - n/a. Look after injuries - No, (gym x 1) - No, elbow rehab x 2 - x 1, shoulder rehab x 2 - 0, stretching x 3 - 0 and really should have.


M - Tree clearance, branch cutting, excavating, brushing. Felt fine, not fatigued.

T - Tree clearance, branch cutting, excavating, brushing. Had planned to rest but felt fine, not fatigued, and knew Wednesday could be good rest day.

W - Rest. Shoulders stiff and tired, but mostly okay. Elbow rehab. Should have stretched, but didn't.

T - Demoralisation Day #1. Outdoor warming up, then mini indoor bouldering @ RockOver Shartson. Fancied a bit of a top-up / re-recruitment - motivated, not at all fatigued, positive to start. 7 x V2-4 (flash), 7 x V3-5 (6 flash, 1 x 2nd go), attempted 6 x V4-6 and managed 0 (zero) in 3 goes each. Comedically bad session, possibly a new low, felt like I'd dropped a full grade in my "try hard but do quickly" max. Just dire.

F - Demoralisation Day #2. Attempted a brief session of easy trad. Beyond dire. Imagine how far "dire" is below "norrmal / neutral", and I felt that far below dire again.

S - Rest. 45 minutes walk, 15 mins of which in the pissing rain.

S - Back To Square Zero Day. Mini indoor bouldering @ RockOver Shartson. Wasn't sure about climbing but a friend invited me down and I focused on easing back into things. 6 x warm-ups, 6 x V2-4 (5 flash, 1 x 2nd go), 6 x V3-5 (flash, plus attempted one that was too bad for GE), 2 x V4-6 (flash, plus attempted 4 more that were too hard or too bad for GE). Short session that seemed to have an okay balance?? Felt quite out of breath on the warm-ups and had to rest in between, but okay on the middling stuff. I'm wondering if there is some weirdness with the current setting and fuck all overlap with V3-5s and V4-6s?? Was vaguely sensible and curtailed things before I felt fatigued. Golfer's elbow very sore on a few later steeper problems that I shouldn't have done / tried. Pissed off about that. A few minutes cold water shock treatment as my punishment.


Well, I really hope I've just been a fucking idiot this week by doing too much fatiguing exercise too soon after being ill (despite my body lying to me and telling me it was fine....), and there's a good sensible reason for it being an even shitter week than the previous shit weeks, rather than another inexplicable and irreversible decline drop. Assuming the former - back to square zero and work up gently, especially for the now-chronic and very susceptible right arm golfer's elbow.


Next week STG: Ease back into activity gently. Use golfer's elbow gently.
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.


P.S. Private Prosecution is a cool route, I remember it being a bit goey with the bolts too. In fact the whole main wall at Hozzleshizzle is great, pity about 1. The rest of it, and 2. The climbers.

P.P.S. Hope the shoulder easing is a good benefit for a, err "deload" week Duma.
 
Fiend said:
P.S. Private Prosecution is a cool route, I remember it being a bit goey with the bolts too. In fact the whole main wall at Hozzleshizzle is great, pity about 1. The rest of it, and 2. The climbers.

I resemble that remark!


M - Still a bit bleurgh. Mini fingerboard session (20 and 15mm rungs, all grips, 3-4 seconds each), a warm-up for most people.

T - Mini fingerboard session. Shoulder/elbow/wrist conditioning: YsTs, reverse curls. Hip flexibility.

W - Mini fingerboard session to warm-up. Westway autobelay: 40 routes ~500m of easy. I must be weird as I really enjoy these sessions.

T - Shoulder/elbow/wrist conditioning. Walked 10km.

F - Walked 7km.

S - Wet in the morning. After a quick social call at Raven Tor (busy) retired to Horseshoe Quarry (quiet...but included, I now realise, AussieGav. and team :wave:).

Creaked-up A Right Earful (6a+), knackered forearms from Wednesday and generally tired and under-confident. Tried Legal Action and Private Prosecution (both 6c). Struggled with a hard-for-me low move on the former, arms and confidence gave out half way up the latter. Might have tried redpointing PP but the primary aim of the day was to not knacker myself as the weather was supposed to be better on Sunday. OK, let's be honest, I was climbing crap. Fortunately the rain returned on cue as I hung on the fourth bolt so I could retreat with a modicum of dignity. Good to meet petejh at the CC hut :wave: although I always imagine mixed climbing beasts as close relatives of Thor and, disappointingly, he could almost pass for a sport-climber!

S - Stoney West. Felt cold and damp. A Time And A Place (6a) and Shake, Rattle and Roll (6b). We don’t count falling off warm-ups, right? Flashed Procession (6b+, going on 6c) and onsighted Don’t Talk To Strangers (definitely 6c). In between had an exciting belay for Hugo’s very onsight of Northerners Can’t Climb (E5). Reportedly excellent and looks to have some decent gear albeit not exactly where you want it. Good to see this is still a trad. route, it's worthy of consideration by folk steady on ~Fr7a above natural protection.


A decent week. Had to try-hard a bit and happy to onsight a bouldery 6c or two. Great to climb with Hugo, albeit this weekend was a left-over from a cancelled trip to the Verdon :'(

New crag and two new ukb ticks! Stoney West was a good recommendation from shark: I enjoyed the place and the road noise was not too intrusive on a Sunday. A tree by the main area has a discrete wooden sign The Boss attached. I am not usually a fan of memorials at climbing areas but a quick poll at the crag suggested I was the only person that day who understood what it was about. Its meaning is clear to those who know of his significance and not forced on those who don’t.

Check your knots and so on, before you climb and before you lower, every single time.
 
Matt, I take it you've been to see someone, anyone! about your issues? Checks for testosterone and other levels etc?

Kinda hard to watch your issues pan out in real time and not be able to help! If I saw you at the wall I'd at least be able to have a chat but you buggered off down south (up North)...!

Tues: Am pre-work session. Some warm up laps on the circuit boards and then strength conditioning on the moonboard (1 min on, 3 mins off - aka "the neslon protocol". Some stretching.

Thurs: after a mate knackering his neck doing deadlifts on Weds I thought I was going to be stuck inside on a lovely day*. Scrambled another mate and hit the bunker. Warmed up on the 7a that had given my some jip in the sun on my first visit. Took it easy go 1 and figured out moves, then led it. A surprisingly tricky wee bugger. Moved onto Hirohito, the nice "7c" I nearly got least time.
Equipped, then 1st go was very nice and smooth, almost causal, in fact, too casual and forgot to try hard at my crux.
Next go had a little bit of "it should go this time" nerves and some rain had started to fall which wouldn't help the slab finish!
Pretty smooth and with a wee power grunt got through the crux and to the chains. 100% would have got it first session with a tiny beta tweak to a terrible, but sharp and surprisingly secure quartz crimp at the last droppable move.

Personally, I think it will settle at 7b+. Originally mooted at 7b, then two upgrades later (the last by Dave Mac - what does he know about 7c :lol: ). Or I'm going well....!!

Had one go on the 7a+/7b but it was heels by ears bouldering nonsense so quickly bailed.

Saturday: Ratho. 6b, 6c, 7a (o/s), 7b**, 7b (o/s). Finished some autobelay - 6c triple lap with moderate downclimbs in between, then 7a up, easy down, 7c+ up.
185m climbing. Didn't fuel enough and felt shit on Sunday....
Sunday: DIY instead of mountainbiking as I thought I was maybe coming down with the lurgy B has had all week.

Crept up to 79.8kg after getting down to 78kg in the summer. Might be creatine water weight.?!

* damn my silly mate getting injured and almost scuppering my day, the inconsiderate...XXXX :lol: (he's on the mend)
** someone at the wall reckoned the 7b is 7b+/c. It was definitely a good 3/4 grade harder than the 7b's I onsighted without too much fuss. It was pretty pumpy and needed some digging deep, but chuffed to get it 1st RP after the o/s attempt last week.

I guess there's not much I more I can do in 4 weeks before the trip, so I'm just going to try to keep power topped up, volume down a bit and not get INJURED!

(slight tweaked wrist after ratho/DIY.)
 
Thanks for the comment Puntonious. Not wanting to derail too much so I will give a concise rundown as to the various things going on.

1. Doing too much after a coldy viral illness - has made my muscles feel weak - just need to restart this week and ease into it gently.
2. Right arm golfer's elbow - has reduced my ability to pull hard on that arm, or train atm - just need to be sensible, avoid aggravating it, do my rehab, etc.
3. General depression - has reduced my ability to pull hard and determination / confidence - just need to cheer up.
4. Overall general decline - has reduced everything to some degree BUT not specific to the last month's debacle - may indeed be something else going on like Low T and will book a GP's appt at least.

Also, worth noting, I moan a LOT at the moment. It's accurate but also belligerently unfiltered.


P.S. Duncan, well if I'd known The Climbers at Horseshoe were of the ilk currently described, I'd have popped over to say hi! And maybe even diverted to the CC hut for a bit.
 
Hi Duncan.
Great to have a face to the name to all the great trip reports. :coffee:

Happy to meet up for a climb in the future if you’re interested.

I’ve always thought a Right Earful is a great grade 5 with a really horrible move to ruin the route at the end. IMO the route would be better if it finished at the last bolt.

I’ve just got confirmation my operation for my achalasia is this Friday :eek:. Relieved & worried but needs to be done.

I’ll be out of action for 4-6 weeks. Hope I don’t lose too much in terms of climbing.
 
Best wishes for the op Gav. Hopefully I too can meet you in a grotty peak quarry in a couple of months.
 
Power Club

Mon - back work; bentover rows, volume. Lattice edge various hangs.
Tue - pecs, back work, BM mixed hangs.
Wed - triceps, lat pull down, volume. GM volume, 10x5 90 kg.
Thu - rings, farmer's.
Fri - back work, push ups, 4x AM session.
Sat - weights.
Sun - DL tests (never again), shoulder static holds tests.

Best wishes for the operation, Gav.
 
Font

Sunday - dry for about 30 mins! Did a great 6B called No Mojo and some other blocs then got rained off

Monday - soggy visit to the Chateau

Tuesday - Beauvais Nainville, many hours of glorious sunny evening blocks. Did a great 6C called Le Fossoyeur or something.

Wednesday- extremely wet, was happy and peaceful

Thursday - 27k bike ride off road in the occasional rain; loved it, def getting an off road bike

Friday - massive session at Nainville and then Isatis. Lovely Moroccan food in the evening

Love Font so much. What a great trip with lovely people, can't wait to go again. Really my favourite place in the world!
 
Bit if f a blur last week, but think this is about right…

Mon - nothing
Tues- Awesome Walls with the youth. Half a dozen or so autobelays up to 7b, and managed to cadge a belay for a couple of leads. Then on to the Kilter board when the child got bored of clipping.
Weds - nothing
Thurs - Works, pretty good session on the Murples.
Fri - nothing
Sat - Me and the kid were part of the throng at the Tor. Saw someone who I thought might have been Duncan, turns out it was! Will say hello next time. I joined the gaggle of kids on Rooster Booster, made decent progress compared to my shambles last week, but still miles behind the youths.
Sun - took Sam and the dogs up to the Plantation. Was rammed, and the puppy was in loony mode. So I spent the session just holding the
lead.

Suspect I might be gracelessly slipping into a predominantly spotting/belaying role…
Kaly in 2 weeks, should be a good trip
 
duncan said:
Good to meet petejh at the CC hut :wave: although I always imagine mixed climbing beasts as close relatives of Thor and, disappointingly, he could almost pass for a sport-climber!

Lovely to meet you Duncan :thumbsup:, based on performances this year I would not pass as a sport climber..
 
Fultonius said:
** someone at the wall reckoned the 7b is 7b+/c. It was definitely a good 3/4 grade harder than the 7b's I onsighted without too much fuss. It was pretty pumpy and needed some digging deep, but chuffed to get it 1st RP after the o/s attempt last week.

I guess there's not much I more I can do in 4 weeks before the trip, so I'm just going to try to keep power topped up, volume down a bit and not get INJURED!

Well well. Seem that maybe a hard redpointing session up the hill (that didn't feel too draining...) followed 2 days later by a monster session at Ratho maybe built up some major fatigue, coupled with probably not eating enough Saturday after Ratho, feeling shitty on Sunday culminated in a really poor session today. Struggling on my usual warm up grade of boulder...

Woops!
 
Aussiegav said:
I’ve just got confirmation my operation for my achalasia is this Friday :eek:. Relieved & worried but needs to be done.

I’ll be out of action for 4-6 weeks. Hope I don’t lose too much in terms of climbing.

Best of luck. You'll loose fitness for sure but it will come back quite quickly. Could you stretch? Do fingerboard pick-ups??


petejh said:
duncan said:
Good to meet petejh at the CC hut :wave: although I always imagine mixed climbing beasts as close relatives of Thor and, disappointingly, he could almost pass for a sport-climber!

Lovely to meet you Duncan :thumbsup:, based on performances this year I would not pass as a sport climber..

Likewise! And I think you've got money in the bank for sport and mixed climbing. Hope the Dollies trip is a good one.

nik at work said:
Sat - Me and the kid were part of the throng at the Tor. Saw someone who I thought might have been Duncan, turns out it was! Will say hello next time. I joined the gaggle of kids on Rooster Booster, made decent progress compared to my shambles last week, but still miles behind the youths.

Please do! Although I'm not a Tor regular - Saturday was second visit in 4 decades of climbing and getting strong enough to dog the warm-up is still an aspiration - I also see belaying there in my future.
 
Fiend said:
Welcome aboard Fultonious you silly sod :icon_beerchug:

Thanks mate!

Oh, and to top it off I'm probably under siege from my partner's Lurgy which probably hasn't helped (had lots of symptoms of maybe starting to get it that always went away and then I felt fine...)
 
Posting after a long hiatus as actually did some climbing outside.

Mon: Physio on lower back, could have done with a harder massage tbh. Did physio exercises in the evening.

Tues: Physio exercises and stretching.

Wed: Flew to Colorado to surprise my brother for his 40th birthday.

Thu: Bouldering in Rocky Mountain National Park, Lower Chaos Canyon. Park was very busy and we went round and round for a bit waiting for parking with a slight altercation with very officious parking attendants. Then a 45 min hike up the hill with 2 pads and a rucksack which I felt very out of shape for - or maybe hiking at 10,000ft would always be hard? Anyway was beautiful scenery slightly spoiled by number of tourists and questions about what we were carrying. The best reply I thought of was a 'moose saddle' but wasn't quite brave enough to use it.
'Lower' was a great venue, good warm up boulder then went to the Gobot Boulder to try Autobot V5. At first sight I felt there was no way I would do this as it climbed out of a 30ft pit reminiscent of some of them at Magic Wood and it seemed a bit bold for my cowardly tastes. However, after I played around on it a bit I realised unless you slipped off totally unexpected you could sort of step back onto the boulder behind you in most places without falling down the hole. So after a few goes I did it.
Definitely one of the best boulders I've ever done! Bit of spice with the deep hole, some good hard moves from the start, then a lovely flowing easy section at the top into a topout that suddenly brings you into an incredible view of Lake Haiyaha with the mountains high above.
After that tried Revenge V6 which was a good problem slightly spoiled by being a bit dabby. Did in 2 overlapping halves but didn't quite link and ran out of time.
Tried Mikaila V7 but the starting moves were too fingery and powerful for me. Felt powered out after lots of goes on the V6 at my limit though.
Hike down I was buzzing and it felt easy. Went out for dinner and drinks.

Fri: Chilled day for my bro's birthday, went go karting in a hillbilly place outside Boulder where hard braking made the rear wheels lockout and spin. Got absolutely destroyed by my bro and the 2 other people on the track, I didn't really trust the kart to turn where I wanted. Thumbs very sore afterwards! Went out for quite a big night in Boulder. After being low level ill the whole time I mostly lost my voice.

Sat: Bouldering with my bro and his missus at Guanella Pass in the Colorado Front Range. Interesting drive through mining towns from the Gold Rush. Tiny walk in this time to a beautiful warm up boulder of pink and grey and black tiger striped gneiss. Area felt very reminiscent of Magic Wood but easier to navigate. Did all the problems within my range on this boulder including a V5 that I got second go, though it was then called into question whether one of the holds was in at that grade. Eliminating this hold felt about V7 though so I'm taking the tick. Guanella Slab at V2 was probably the nicest, climbed like a grit slab. Then we went and tried Ninja Pony Ride, a lowball V6 with nice moves. Did all the moves, did it in two halves, but couldn't link through. Then my brother found a way of getting a double toehook off the floor without touching any of the other holds - was able to tick it off using this method though defo reduced the grade down, albeit a bit worrying holding a 'head pendulum' in the new crux move. Did a lovely V4 Trailside Problem then immediately repeated it, then went to check out my bro's V11 project which was very cool but super powerful. Crux was hauling the pads over the talus field. Chilled evening at a friend's house who had an awesome climbing barn for training.

Sun: Flew home. Awesome trip, my surprise visit really delighted my brother so went as a I hoped. I need to make it over to Boulder more often and not just for special occasions.

Overall I was pleased with how I climbed - moved house 6 weeks ago and have been way off on training volume, mostly going bouldering once a week and sometimes getting some indoor routes in. Seemed to perform at my usual level for the last few years. Had a lot of psyche which helped, just was very determined to make the most of a few days away from the family etc. Where I failed seemed to be more to do with mobility and movement patterns than out and out finger strength which is an interesting thing to work on.
 


Write your reply...

Latest posts

Back
Top