UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => shootin' the shit => Topic started by: cheque on December 30, 2022, 12:47:57 am
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Let’s hear ‘em.
Previous years:
Aims for 2008 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,8416)
Aims for 2009 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10711)
Aims for 2010 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,13192)
Aims for 2011 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,16685)
Aims for 2012 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,19228)
Aims for 2013 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,21363.0.html)
Aims for 2014 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23430.0.html)
Aims for 2015 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,25121.0.html)
Aims for 2016 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,26617.0.html)
Aims for 2017 (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,27706.0.html)
Aims for 2018 (https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,28583.0.html)
Aims for 2019 (https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,29777.msg575948.html#msg575948)
Aims for 2020 (https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,30389.0.html)
Aims for 2021 (https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31046.0.html)
Aims for 2022 (https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31674.0.html)
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Last year was a little lacklustre. Plenty of great days out with lots of good banter but no big numbers (for me). 🙂
I tend not to focus on one discipline at a time but I'd love to see:
Font 7B
f7c
Onsight E5
Headpoint E6
I've had them all in the past but it feels like a lifetime ago, and I'd love to get there again.
2023 bring it on!!!
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1) Unjustified. I've linked the headwall from the big undercut but thats the easy bit! Also need to put a new belay in on it, ideally before the spring.
2) The Groove (again!)
3) Cashmere Cat
4) Font 8A?
5) Get new bathroom in the house.
6) Enjoy having a dog but still go climbing; basically make him good to take to the crag.
7) Set up PhD for the final year push in 2024.
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For the following year I wish to avoid any unessential injuries, climb with friends and climb some nice boulders in an off piste setting.
I'd also like to succeed in climbing the 2 projects I was close to doing this time last year, and find another amazing crack boulder to compliment the 2 that fiend found me to convalesce on.
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First year with a young child so keeping it simple
Fingerboard > 100 times
Climb indoors > 50 times
Climb outdoors > 10 times
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I didn't set any goals last year and ended up a feeling a little bit aimless at times. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like having a bit more focus in 2023.
At least 3 of the following existing projects. These range from having had a brief play, to having had 4-5 sessions on and repeatedly falling at the chains. *Cough* Biological *Cough*.
Canyonlands, Devil's Gorge
Nanabozho, Llanddulas
Broken Dreams, Dinbren
Bad Bad Boy, LPT
Biological Need, Kinsey
Herbie, Malham
At least 1 of the harder routes I've had my eye on. This list may evolve if other stuff takes my eye.
Hades, Devil's Gorge
Statement of Youth, LPT
Insomnia, Dinbren
Beat last year's record of 5 trad routes.
20 boulders 7A+ and above.
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Sort out the garden: Dog-proof it with new fences, dig up the drive and replace with lawn, plant a couple of trees, cut the hedge back to manageable proportions.
Get a dog.
Actually use my fingerboard.
Sport climbing: Silk Purse at Dunkeld is my obvious target. I'd also like to do one of the 7cs at Tunnel Walls and have a play on Axiom.
Trad: Get a couple of weekends doing big, hardish mountain routes in the E2-5 range. Have a bash at Lady Charlotte and Rat Race at Dunkeld. A trip elsewhere would be good too.
Winter: Bag 3 classic winter routes this season, ideally at new-to-me venues, but I'm not fussy.
Other: I've been working on plans for a link-up project that I'd like to film if possible. The idea would be to cycle from home (Bridge of Allan) and have a big day in the mountains, inspired by Colin Kirkus's exploits. From here that would mean either cycling to Glen Coe, or more likely doing a link-up of winter routes near Tyndrum, with the whole thing taking probably 3 days. Even better if I can repeat with a summer rock version.
Hopefully, attain fulfilling employment. My bar for this is pretty low after a series of really shitty employers! Simply feeling valued and having prospects for future progress both professionally and in terms of skills would be good. Course to hopefully accelerate this starts in January.
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Keeping it simple and achievable as usual.
Sport: 7b+, anything harder is a bonus (which means I'll end up trying an 8a).
Bouldering: actually do some, 7A hopefully.
Trad: who knows? Hopefully Fiend will drag me to the quarries and I'll lead another route. Let's go E2 this time. Ambitious but possibly achievable.
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Outside Climbing
20+ days outside climbing
Have great family trip to El Chorro
Onsight 6c
Onsight 6b+ x3
Redpoint 7a in a day
Depot Goals
Complete 80% of a purple circuit
Complete 2 of a yellow circuit
Climb 5 yellows
Flash 10 purples
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Climbing
1. I would be pleased to do any E5 off the list of half a dozen or so South West routes that I always put off trying cos they look too hard and/or scary. Il Duce would be the ultimate, but not sure I will have both the courage and a partner to try it.
2. Climb something decent outside of Devon & Cornwall. Ideally something in the Lllanberis pass, or Gogarth or the Llyn.
Life
3. Get better at jumps on my recently purchased mountain bike, hopefully without smashing myself to pieces.
4. Get promotion at work.
5. Have a family holiday abroad that everyone enjoys.
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Climbing
1. I would be pleased to do any E5 off the list of half a dozen or so South West routes that I always put off trying cos they look too hard and/or scary. Il Duce would be the ultimate, but not sure I will have both the courage and a partner to try it.
2. Climb something decent outside of Devon & Cornwall. Ideally something in the Lllanberis pass, or Gogarth or the Llyn.
Life
3. Get better at jumps on my recently purchased mountain bike, hopefully without smashing myself to pieces.
4. Get promotion at work.
5. Have a family holiday abroad that everyone enjoys.
I can't believe you haven't done il duce luke, I would've thought it'd be right up your street.
I'll happily admit that the belay at the end of the 3rd pitch was the most scared I've ever been
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I'll happily admit that the belay at the end of the 3rd pitch was the most scared I've ever been
I skipped that belay, which given the ensuing rope drag in that terrain was possibly no less memorable, in fact I wrote a story about it.
https://www.molehillsclimbing.co.uk/post/culm-undone
(by way of explanation, the Rockfax database at the time did categorise Tintagel as culm)
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I can't believe you haven't done il duce luke, I would've thought it'd be right up your street.
In my defence I have tried it twice!
On the first attempt about 8 years ago I took a whipper from the roof, smacked my leg pretty bad and had to reverse the first pitch to get out then crawl up the grass slopes.
On the second attempt a year or two later I went back with a rope gun with the plan of getting him to lead the crux pitch but it was soppy wet and he quickly lost enthusiasm for climbing Il Duce or anything else on High Cliff. I’ve not been back since.
Does anyone have any beta for the roof? I remember attempting to monkey straight out using a biggish hold on the face of the small overlap that goes out below the roof (on your left side if you lean straight backwards while under the roof). I had this hold with both hands and then tried to match my right heel onto it, but promptly fell off.
How do people climb this section? Jamming the crack? Using face holds on the little overlap? Heading straight out, or turning to your left and undercutting with feet on the overlap?
It’s been 6 or 7 years since I was down there so my memory of that section might be a bit hazy, but any pointers would be appreciated!
Oh, and did you get any gear in the roof? I didn’t have anything after the top of the crack that you climb to get there.
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I can't believe you haven't done il duce luke, I would've thought it'd be right up your street.
In my defence I have tried it twice!
On the first attempt about 8 years ago I took a whipper from the roof, smacked my leg pretty bad and had to reverse the first pitch to get out then crawl up the grass slopes.
On the second attempt a year or two later I went back with a rope gun with the plan of getting him to lead the crux pitch but it was soppy wet and he quickly lost enthusiasm for climbing Il Duce or anything else on High Cliff. I’ve not been back since.
Does anyone have any beta for the roof? I remember attempting to monkey straight out using a biggish hold on the face of the small overlap that goes out below the roof (on your left side if you lean straight backwards while under the roof). I had this hold with both hands and then tried to match my right heel onto it, but promptly fell off.
How do people climb this section? Jamming the crack? Using face holds on the little overlap? Heading straight out, or turning to your left and undercutting with feet on the overlap?
It’s been 6 or 7 years since I was down there so my memory of that section might be a bit hazy, but any pointers would be appreciated!
Oh, and did you get any gear in the roof? I didn’t have anything after the top of the crack that you climb to get there.
It took me three visits to get it done. The corner is slow to dry as, although it's a long way above the sea, a decent swell gets funnelled up it. A late afternoon in summer might be a good idea. We were not helped by dawn starts to swerve the entrance charge (my partner at the time thought it morally wrong to pay to climb anywhere ever) and avoid the hassle of writing to English Heritage for a permit. Fortunately this is all a lot more straightforward now.
At the time (the last century, so factor in memory-loss) it felt reasonable for E5 and it is clearly within your powers. A great route and one of the North Cornwall Big Three so an essential tick for the aficionado. The technically hardest bit is the crack up to the roof. After that it felt like E3/4 5b/c territory. I am completely confident I didn't use my heels in any way. If I recall correctly, I turned left and undercutted the roof briskly and gearlessly to the lip then posted myself into the chimney where you get a spectacular hands-off rest and it gets easier. Contradicting this, the photo in Extreme Rock shows gear in the roof and description suggests jams. I don't remember the moves being hard but, as usual with a Pat Littlejohn E5, "a confident approach pays dividends".
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Usual running/climbing split for me. Managing the balance is always a challenge, so just being happy with one or the other would be great!
Climbing :-
- 1. Do more stuff on a rope.
2021 2022 isn't a high bar to beat, but would be good to get back to enjoying routes. Ideally come back from a day on the ropes feeling more physically tired than mentally (a sign of how much by head game has disappeared over the last 3/4 years of minimal route climbing). - 2. Commit to some hard(er) boulder problems - failed at this in recent years so need to make more effort before the wet Autumn weather writes the season off and I scuttle back indoors. I'll put a number on it to try and make it more specific - 10 problems F7B and above.
- 3. Have a weekend away somewhere - I was promised one for last year's birthday that never happened, just need to make some work headspace and get something booked in. Make the effort to meet up with friends more, rather than going solo all the time.
- 4. Some arbitrary numbers - 20 new problems F7A and above, 5 new (to me) crags.
Running :-
- 1. 2 PBs on the road - still feel like my 10k time lags behind the rest of my PBs by about 30/45 seconds, so keen to right that wrong. Also another HM effort. 10-mile PB would be a gimme if ever entered another!
- 2. Train a bit more specifically for the fells in the spring and see what happens in English Champs and club champs races from May onwards
- 3. Some arbitrary numbers - 50+ Oxstones runs to/from home, 30+ different trig points.
Life :-
- 1. Finish off house projects - just the kitchen to go once the decking/garden get done in the new year.
- 2. Make more time to spend with my wife and without the kids. Do something nice for her 40th.
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Thanks Duncan, that’s super helpful and has got me psyched to go back.
I found the starting crack a bit pokey but basically ok, then got totally flummoxed by the roof so maybe I was trying a crap sequence. I guess I will have to try again!
It’s the last of the Littlejohn SW big three that I need to complete so I’m pretty keen to get it ticked.
If anyone did the roof differently to Duncan then do pipe up!
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Get better from long covid, ie be able to function like a regular human being. This looks like being able to work, walk around, do some sort of exercise at any level. If I can get that done consistently then obviously I’ll be doing some sort of climbing, I will be happy with anything at the moment even just going to the wall.
If I make it to this point any time over the next year then I can think seriously about more tailored goals, let’s see where I’m at in six months.
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Thanks Duncan, that’s super helpful and has got me psyched to go back.
I found the starting crack a bit pokey but basically ok, then got totally flummoxed by the roof so maybe I was trying a crap sequence. I guess I will have to try again!
It’s the last of the Littlejohn SW big three that I need to complete so I’m pretty keen to get it ticked.
If anyone did the roof differently to Duncan then do pipe up!
I pulled on the peg like PL. ;)
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I pulled on the peg like PL. ;)
:lol: If only it was still there!
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I pulled on the peg like PL. ;)
:lol: If only it was still there!
I can't remember, other than thinking it was hard.
The next pitch is great, but I got properly spooked at the belay. Spent about half an hour trying to find anything to belay off at the ledge, and ended up doing the whole "don't fall off" call to partner. I don't know what others have done, but all I found was 1 pretty average sideways big wire a bit above the ledge. Maybe some people move out right to the crack and do a hanging belay? I had run out of sufficient gear to do this. Did there used to be pegs at the belay?
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My aim for 2023 is to boulder outdoors lots, not injure myself, maybe do a 7B, enjoy climbing as much as I can rather than treating it as a constant challenge that I must improve on. I'd like to climb the various projects I've made progress on (Violence, Nazgul, Bumlog Millionaire).
In terms of non climbing but physical stuff, I'd like to cleanly bench 100kgs (my PB last year was 95kgs so seems very possible), I'd like to do a one armer, I'd like to do several reps of strict muscle ups on rings. Just generally be stronger and more gymnastic. I'd also like to learn to snatch and C&J, not bothered about numbers just like the movement.
Non physical goals; pass driving test, renovate bathroom, get a promotion at work, continue good work in my mental health, volunteer regularly at the local youth club, cook more, go to some festivals.
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This autumn I totted up the list of trad routes I’ve yet to lead clean despite having attempted them more than once, some a ludicrous amount of times. None were that hard or far from where I live and I think if I tried most of them for the first time now I’d onsight them but they’d just got in my head for various reasons. I ticked some this year and each time it gave me such a confidence boost that I want to climb the remaining 11 (for want of a better term) bogey routes so I can get more of that boost and move on with my climbing.
Sometime in 2021 I became curious about what would constitute my Best trad year ever. The answer (27+ HVSs, 7+ E1s & 2+ E2s) seemed pretty impressive then but now, buoyed by nearly five years of rehab, training, gradually improving performance and possibly also that confidence you get when it’s a while since you last went climbing, I feel both disappointed in how little trad my past self did when he was climbing at his best and, far more importantly, that I could not only achieve but possibly even smash that relatively feeble total in 2023. Let’s GO.
I improved from problematically inflexible to passably flexible in 2022 by doing at least some leg stretching for 242 days of the year. Let’s see what improvement I can make with 300+ days leg stretches.
39+ days with a fingerboard session to keep it ticking over.
Repeat my strength PBs Rolled over from the last two years. I honestly don’t think that not being able to do (for example) a pull-up with 30kg added is going to be the stopper on my more important goals but I want to keep ticking the lot as an aspirational aim as it stops me neglecting conditioning aspects and keeps me motivated in the winter.
10+ days on high moors or mountain crags I’ll be happy if they’re all just on moorland grit really.
Take more photos than just action & landscape I’m so focussed on these two areas (mainly just the first one really) that I never really take others, even with my phone, when I’m out climbing. My Dad’s at the end of his life and he has a huge variety of pictures that he took throughout his life that have become both his memory bank and his main source of entertainment. I don’t want to be in his position but with nothing but climbing action shots that I don’t remember the context of.
Fuck it, let’s throw perfect Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now on the bass in there too ;D.
Good luck everyone! :thumbsup:
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1. climb outside at least once a month
2. consistently get my weight down a bit (3/4kg)
3. go to 5 different bouldering venues
4. climb above the sea
5. get the new home feeling like home and install a home board
6. take some photos of local rugby and climbing
7. relaunch science at school and attempt a meaningful science week
8. Last but not least, same as ever, flash the L2 set on the wave.
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Interesting year coming up because I'll be actively invested in the goals of others as well as my own much more than in previous years due to finally getting my act together and starting offering coaching.
1) Knuckle down and get some momentum on this coaching venture. Hopefully find some of the mythical organic growth.
2) Consolidate at 8A on multiple rock types/styles.
3) Flash 7C on rock (several candidates identified on the local sandstone in the Schwarzwald.
4) Put some sessions in to the Vhard ultra-optimism project.
5) Get decently route fit for at least two months of the year.
6) Make it to Norway and climb anything on Kjerag (weather dependent!).
7) Very likely go back to University :o
8 ) Make as much use of the van as possible.
9) re.8 - visit at least 6 new climbing areas.
10) Spend more time outside of my comfort zone both in life and on rock.
11) Finish the book I've had 2/3rds done since May and try to publish.
:great:
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Having always been an opportunistic all-rounder with an allergy to structured training, I'm going to try setting a few more specific goals this year. Not with the aim of setting loads of new PBs, but just to see what it's like and whether having more focus keeps me more consistently motivated.
Climbing specific
Finish local E8 proj
At least one boulder problem =>7C
5 sport routes in the 7c-8a range
Maintain some condition through the winter season (i.e. wall or board twice a week, assuming opportunities to climb outside don't happen)
Sailing trip to Norway (subsidiary aim to climb one or two new routes)
Non-climbing specific
Stretch upper body every time I go climbing
Stretch lower body every day (will not count this a fail if it's not literally every day, but aim to get close)
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Keeping the climbing goals simpler and self-specific than usual. And, for once, forbearing the non-climbing goals, as they usually rely on becoming a different person and I want to pre-empt the disappointment.
Start sport climbing in the UK again - off to the Costa Blanca in 2 weeks, using a rope for the first time in 3 years (the last time I tied-on was in Siurana, when I first heard rumours of a virulent flu-like illness in Wuhan.... a man bites a bat - the whole world stops - and I personally, and possibly society as a whole, went a little insane). If it goes well, try to return to the Yorkshire limestone in Spring, and if I enjoy relearning its intricacies, work my way back to f7b+ and try to find a project worth aspiring to for next year (lots of "try"s and "if"s there I admit).
At least one F7B+ boulder... as always, weather and psyche for long drives in marginal conditions will probably be as much a limiting factor as my physical feebleness.
More short holidays / trips to visit new crags, and preferably get more value from my copy of North Wales Bouldering - Mountain Crags.
Keep up the mid-week training / conditioning habit, 3-4 times a week have a finger-board session, do sets of pull-ups, do sets of kettlebell swings / squats - the type of exercise not as important as just making an effort to do something.
and I'll allow one non-climbing ambition, get the guttering sorted out!, should be a goer as it will hopefully just require spending money and no self-abnegation or discipline!
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Not usually a fan of definitive goal-setting but my climbing in 2022 was made a lot more productive by focusing on two specific goals so I thought I'd make more of an effort.
Boulder 8B by 30 (Have until 30th July to complete)
30 8th grade boulders at 30 (starting 30th July) - Not usually a fan of volume related goals but this sounded like a fun idea
UK Trip - Cornwall again? North Wales? Scotland possibly? Who knows
Abroad trip - Most likely Swiss, if not then probably Albarracin or Font
Find a new boulder that will force me to push my level - I've done this twice previously and really enjoy the process. Not necessarily bothered about doing the boulder in 2023 but would like to have an idea of what it might be.
Learn to climb more in the Summer - I'm generally awful at this and tend to just train through the heat but 2022 proved that I might be able to function in the heat if I'm clever about it.
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Kenzoku. A hard problem that challenges and inpires me, simple as that.
Climb a moderately hard 3 star problem in Wales or The Lakes (cosmic wheels, starshot sit, ???).
At least 10 sessions on rock with other people. My good mates from Leeds have all emigrated to Australia or the USA over the last few years. Since I work at home and usually climb alone, I rarely interact with other humans outside of my household. Hopefully, achieving this goal will help keep me sane.
Something on a rope that takes a few sessions. I have no intention to train endurance, so it will need to be fairly bouldery. Agent Provocateur at WCJ looks good.
5% increase on my max hangs PB.
I already have a couple of family holidays booked but I'd like to aim for one trip with mates, whether that's for climbing, surfing or bikes, it doesn't matter.
Get CEng
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E3 Trad
7b boulder
5x Hard Rock Routes
Try Strapadictomy
Try Nosferatu
More fun trips with great people!
Finish PhD
Good luck guys!
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I normally do these things in my head or diary, but putting it out there makes one more accountable.
I'm a 40 something punter from the South East, I'm getting back into climbing.
Goals are simple, tick off my 100th 7a boulder, ditch some fat. Get back to the Southern Sandstone, few trips to the Peak, Wales etc... I also bought a new BMX & DH bike last year, so keen to ride a bit more.
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I’ve not had a decent season since the end of 2019 / covid, so need to be organised to try to make this a good one.
Climbing
Climb outside more regularly. In 2018-19 I embraced the SE sandstone (mainly shunting routes with a bit of bouldering) and had my best season in years, so going to try to get back to doing this.
Focus on south coast sport for the first part of the year, maybe with a few bouldering days thrown in. Make in a session and flashing the dominant themes, entirely in the interests of getting as much stuff done as possible.
If my standard goes up sufficiently, start travelling a bit further.
Climb with more people off here, get better at networking re other climbing parents with kids similar ages to mine - 11 and 8 - and generally try to have more options for stuff near and far.
Figure out some good trips for the kids. More routes (and get daughter leading regularly and up into the 7s (which she’s more than capable of). An Easter or summer bouldering trip somewhere fun.
Get on some trad too, but try to keep it productive and fun vs getting freaked out at Swanage and then locking my gear in a cupboard.
Training
Lose loads of weight. It’s by far the most significant thing holding me back, and I have a good track record of getting thinner, so just need to get on with it. I think I could probably eventually get into the 70s, but 80-85kg would be a good start.
Reorganise what I’m doing so part of the week I’m focusing on route-specific stuff, rather than having it in the back of my mind - i.e. train like a route climber who wants to push his bouldering, vs someone who thinks he’s a boulderer who occasionally gets distracted by other things.
Get better at using the 40deg board for route specific stuff, inc 4x4s and 20kg move type things.
Set and work towards various strength-related goals (147, 1 arm pull up, BM slot hang, etc) because they’re simple targets that would be nice to tick off.
Work consistently on flexibility, which is currently in a fairly shit state of affairs.
Finger strength is not a weakness, but I do still want to get back to consistent fingerboarding as it’s nice seeing numbers progressing vs the lucky dip of achieving it via board climbing. Also I think I need to do more drag training.
Life
Finish work-in-progress books, script, and generally work hard to hopefully avoid having to return to conventional employment.
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Copy Paste Go
Climbing
- 5 V9s
- V10
- Go on at least three trips
Training
- Get down to 10% BW assistance hangs on one-arm BM2k slot
- Get weight down to 80kg
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Fix back problems
Annular tear has had me scunnered for over 3 years {age/wear and tear}, Do regular specific Yoga to help alleviate issues.
Finish off the remaining problems in New development area #1
Last Kingline is a 20/30 move, 10 degree overhanging rising arete {Yes another one} called Epimetheus {the Greek god of bad excuses} It’s high, hard and intimidating with shite landings thus being left till last. Tick off the collection of trad lines on the same outcrop and the handful of outlying problems beyond this.
Organise access to Area #1
Private road and private parking, need to agree on public access and parking with the Estate.
Set up Strathnairn Bouldering club
This is tied up with access to various sites in the Strath, in order to give specific access to its members. To provide accountability and communication with the various Estates and Landowners re good behaviour according to Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Train specifically for my last line in Rooftown
It’s an awkward dyno, which is fine but with the knackered back I have worked out I can get about 8 to 10 goes before the landings screw my back and put me out of action for a few days.
Finish off last line in Barry Valley
Might be the hardest thing i have ever tried, if this went I would be over the moon.
Finish Strathnairn guide
Hopefully this gets done in 2023.
Open up New Development area #2
Another great wee area within Strathnain but has a bit of a hike in.
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Finish off the remaining problems in New development area #1
Last Kingline is a 20/30 move, 10 degree overhanging rising arete {Yes another one} called Epimetheus {the Greek god of bad excuses} It’s high, hard and intimidating with shite landings thus being left till last. Tick off the collection of trad lines on the same outcrop and the handful of outlying problems beyond this.
Sounds like some good excuses rather than bad ones there!! Like the name though
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Finish off the remaining problems in New development area #1
Last Kingline is a 20/30 move, 10 degree overhanging rising arete {Yes another one} called Epimetheus {the Greek god of bad excuses} It’s high, hard and intimidating with shite landings thus being left till last. Tick off the collection of trad lines on the same outcrop and the handful of outlying problems beyond this.
Sounds like some good excuses rather than bad ones there!! Like the name though
The excuses pop up when you move closer and closer toward the first ascent, unfortunately.
The trad line { 8m } that intersects the Arete {and his brother, Prometheus} is death on a stick, zero excuses for that one. Im NOT doing it, i will leave it for Benj, Robbie P or Dave Mac.
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Finish local E8 proj
Whats the Proj Andy?
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HNY all!
CLIMBING:
-Planning on training through Jan and Feb and into March with the aim of hitting Malham in the Spring. Would love to finish off Predator and really want to climb Bat Route. Plan to go on other routes there too to help build fitness and dial into the style again. Had a nice session in the Autumn reacquainting with Bat Route, and it definitely feels doable. Just needs time on it. May get a Euro trip in here somewhere for some fitness and Vit D but work changes mean I can't commit as don't know when I'm on leave yet.
- Insomnia as a local sport proj. Found how to make the heel beta work in Spring '22 so this should be doable.
-Get back to doing more Fr8a's and above. Think I only did 1 ? in 2022. basically cycled most of the year and got weak for climbing. Aim for >10
-Whilst training this next few months will try to get out locally and want to finish off Sub-Moron (Tom Newman's Fb8a at Grinshill) and maybe the odd day out elsewhere to keep the motivation up. Roof of Baby Buddha, Wonderwall, The Big Smile are all things I need and want to finish off.
- Would love to get to Glen Nevis. Loads of trad I want to do there but would love to get on Stolen.
-Hopefully carry some form and fitness out of the Spring and just enjoy some good climbing around the country through the summer. I've got loads of trad and sport routes that have been on my wish list for the past few years now. With the kids I've had to manage my expectations better so I will be grateful for just doing anything really, I just want to feel like I've pushed myself. Dream Topping would be a good early one as my Bro wants to do Strawberries. 39 Slaps and Trumpet Blowers on Scimitar.
-Finish some things on the Slate like Quarryman Groove and Wall Within and Wish You Were Here (Very nearly did this in a sesh in '22 but fell on last tricky move with foot slip, went back week later and it was soaked!).
- I would like to try Unchi Maka on the Sialouze in the French Alps if I can create an opportunity to get out there at the right time with somebody psyched. Would need to have good overall all day crag fitness and be feeling psyched/not afraid for pushing it on a big scary wall out of comfort zone.
-Couple of routes that I never got back on after getting very close to doing in a session are Supercool and Nemesis so be good to finish these off.
-If I get to Pembroke and am feeling fit and have any trad momentum would be keen to try From A Distance and Big in America and more routes in the Leap.
LIFE:
-Got a 2 and a 4 year old so I'm always trying to get the balance right of doing my bit at home to maximise time away from the family, and juggling it all with work and being knackered. This has improved loads through 2022.
Generally can climb in Wales most weekdays and also do a longer day away. be good to do some more multi dayers to places like Scotland.
Changing into new role at work so hopeful will have a bit more mental energy to expend on the climbing.-Not committing to any biking this year. I'm sure I'll possibly get out on some rides when the weather is nice, but don't want inflexible legs and bulky thighs so going to keep it causal.
- Have done a few park runs this winter. Got PB of 17.40 so far (its got a hill in you go up twice). Will try to keep getting this down towards sub 17, (done sub 17 on flat easy treadmill), but only going to train generally by using treadmill in work time. may also do local road 10km.
Game on! :2thumbsup:
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Finish local E8 proj
Whats the Proj Andy?
The Rising Son on the Grochan.
I got close a few times in the autumn and took big falls, just need to get up there in good conditions with a couple more % in the tank and keep trying really hard!
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I may move at some point in the not so distant future, and this will influence if I will have a local project near Toulouse or not. Anyway, making plans past July is futile right now.
We plan to go to the Taghia valley in the High Atlas in May. I want to be in reasonable shape for vert-slab onsighting on sharp rock for that. I am hoping to do Les Rivierès Poupres with my bh and L'axe du mal with a mate in reasonable style.
I aim to train for this somehow and not just show up an hope that inspiration will take me to the top.
I would like to do my project on Super Manjoc this spring.
I realise that my goals are incompatible.
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Ah the annual internal fight between my wildest dreams and the crushing reality... let's see if I can get the balance a bit better in my goals this year
Bouldering: Do some cool boulder problems which - despite my proclivity to only do things within my comfort zone - actually take me more than 10 minutes of effort. For example: Darkthrone, Stottie, Blackfoot, The Horn etc..
Trad: Fair-style my way up some harder routes. Try hard enough to fall off some / give any onlookers a spectacle. Get committed on some big cliffs. Let’s say half a dozen E6’s / sandbagged E5’s
Do some more dirty cracks, culminating in success on the mightily butch (and big spanking from ’22) Circular Saw (E2!)
Sport: Based on previous years’ abject failures, let’s set the bar a bit lower and aim to do a decent pyramid of sport routes back to 8a. Then let’s take it from there, ideally doing more than one and/or reaching a bit higher than that
Miscellaneous: Go abroad but continue our personal moratorium on flying; do a route at Malham (last time was 2013! [roll over goal from last year]); bivvy / wildcamp somewhere cool (roll over goal from last year); climb some choss; climb on slate; do some DWS; visit a Scottish island.
Training: Maintain strength over summer (FB or board, at least weekly); stretch - get better at middle splits
Non-climbing: soundproof entire house (or at least the bedroom, so our sleep isn’t interrupted by the neighbour having a shouting match with their teenage sons every morning [roll over goal from last year]); depending on money, sort the kitchen; have more friends round for dinner / barbecues in the back garden; continue learning French; read more (I can only think of one book I’ve read since finishing my PhD in 2019!).
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I don't think I've done annual goals before, so here goes, I guess.
- Sort out the current dodgy A2 and then stay uninjured. I'll do that by exercising self discipline to drop the intensity when the volume increases, rather than just recklessly going all out all the time.
- Do more DWS. Did it for the first time last year and had great time despite being rather shit at doing more than 5 moves!
- Do some training for DWS, or at least something a bit transferable like sport or long boulder linkups. Not because I want to send hard, but because being able to better manage the pump would probably get me more value out of it.
- Consider day trip-able DWS options around North Wales (driving from Shropshire):
*Nant Gwrtheyrn and maybe more Lleyn potential
*Various Orme bits
*Penmon and maybe more Anglesey potential
- Rigpa, but subject to pad logistics and finger health.
- Visit some of the "grand full day out" list:
*St Bees
*Sampson's Stones
*Cwm y Foel
*Rhinogau in general
*Howshaw/Back Tor
*Simon's/Lord's Seat
*Great Wolfrey
*Anafon
- Do some exploratory/development days.
- Visit some of the "why haven't I been here yet" list:
*Pac-Man Boulders
*Cwm Glas Bach
*Carreg y Foel Gron
*Llyn Celyn
*Wimberry
*Wolf Edge
*Secret Garden
- Revisit some of the "got all or most of the moves done so could be a goer" problems:
*The Mentalist
*Lizard King
*Harvey Oswald SDS
*Cosmic Wheels
*Hannibal
*Severus Snape
*Brass Monkeys
*Cruella
*Grasswind
*Bad Moon Rising
*The Captain
*Old King Cascade
*Suavito
*Cholesterol Traverse
*Beef Growler
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Bouldering
- 1. Rehab rotator cuff
- 2. Get out at least once a month
- 3. Get out on the local sandstone more
- 4. Have a foreign trip not too Font
Life / fishing / running
- 1. Drop a day to work 4 days a week
- 2. Maintain current balance that enables all the hobbies and happy family medium
- 3. Enter a few more fishing matches
- 4. Get running fitness back up to the point where I run 10 miles on trail whenever I want or have the time
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Few goals for me this year. Just the overview rather than the means.
Climbing
1. Try 7B, just to make sure I’m aiming high enough long term
2. Visit Lulworth in summer
3. Tie on a rope
4. Focus on consistency in training above all
Life
1. Get off my phone
2. Sleep habits as ever
3. Maximise family time
4. Organise career faff better
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I would like to do my project on Super Manjoc this spring.
This one, JWI?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geBLuKB6WYw&t=306s
I can't remember if it's one you've done already. Either way, it looks very, very good.
everyone with DWS in their aims
Let's make a date for a UKB meet in August in Devon. Easy and less-threatening venues such as London Bridge, short bouldery ones for boulderers at LQP and utterly world class journies of the mind on Berry Head. Happy to guide on all the (easier) ones. It's what people did for me..... karma an' that.
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I would like to do my project on Super Manjoc this spring.
This one, JWI?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geBLuKB6WYw&t=306s
I can't remember if it's one you've done already. Either way, it looks very, very good.
I've done that one, it is really good! Hard as well.
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Rollover year with added details:
1. Stay alive and try to find something worth living for.
- keep up with self-care and maintenance in various forms.
- try to find some greater purpose in life in lieu of climbing prowess
- just keep moving.
2. Try to stay active enough not to deteriorate further.
- try to transmogrify my depression into DMac-style "obsessive exercising depression" instead of "hide under the couch and hope the outside world fucks off" depression.
- do more regular gym sessions to complement climbing and regain some lost gym prowess.
- keep up with the "less sporadic than previous years" stretching.
3. Keep pushing to stay in contact with friends, climbing partners, and maintain social life.
- keep putting myself out there with local climbing groups and wall nights even when it's not promising
- be more flexible socially with venues and where and when I go
- try to become more involved and productive in the community (guidebooks, cleaning, clubs)
- meet more climbers whom I share other things with esp. music taste and general vibes
4. Try to be careful enough to heal elbow a bit more.
- keep up with the steady mid-grade mileage indoors as it seems to be working
- add in additional rehab exercises if wrist-curls have plateaued
- do not get fucking complacent
- introduce something vaguely akin to training (Depot 30 board?) as elbow allows
5. See 1.
- if it works I might aim for some climbing goals.
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Let's make a date for a UKB meet in August in Devon. Easy and less-threatening venues such as London Bridge, short bouldery ones for boulderers at LQP and utterly world class journies of the mind on Berry Head. Happy to guide on all the (easier) ones. It's what people did for me..... karma an' that.
Sign me up.
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That would be ace. I'm actually in the New Forest second week in July for some family birthdays, not sure of plans after that, might head to Dorset or to parents in Dawlish, if that could tie in with anyone. Nice to do some DWS without the risk of hypothermia.
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Let's make a date for a UKB meet in August in Devon. Easy and less-threatening venues such as London Bridge, short bouldery ones for boulderers at LQP and utterly world class journies of the mind on Berry Head. Happy to guide on all the (easier) ones. It's what people did for me..... karma an' that.
Sign me up.
And me as well, please!
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I'd be interested, never done any DWS but sounds fun!
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1. Try hard. Fall off a trad. route, or entertain onlookers [© reeve, an excellent measure]. Fall off sport routes lots of times.
2. Put some time into a good 7b/+. Possibles include, in roughly increasing order of unlikelihood, Living Dead, Empire..., Road Rage, Paradise Lost, Cave Route RH.
3. Get on a classic seacliff E5.
4. Rematch with Supersonic.
5. Climb at four from: Scottish Highlands, Islands, Fairhead, Lundy, Llŷn, and the north Cornwall coast.
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
7. Climb in places new to me, including somewhere in the excellent Northern Rock guidebook. Gordale or Malham would be great (not completely new but I’ve only been once, in the previous century, for the trad. of course).
8. Climb with some new people. New indoor partners would be good too, if anyone goes to the Westway or Castle get in touch.
I've omitted non-climbing goals this year as whether I complete the bathroom refit is of no interest beyond close family!
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That would be ace. I'm actually in the New Forest second week in July for some family birthdays, not sure of plans after that, might head to Dorset or to parents in Dawlish, if that could tie in with anyone. Nice to do some DWS without the risk of hypothermia.
That's disappointing! I'm in/near Aberdeen the second week of July for a wedding and was planning on hitting you up for a tour.
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Noooo! it's 14/15/16 weekend and the week after so actually the 3rd weekend?
I can give you some lowdown if I'm not here.
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Climbing
Get over finger injury.
Get a couple of local bouldering projects done.
Tick a couple of good established problems repeated (best option being Rankin's new ones at Johnsheugh).
Get a mountain route or two done.
Get some DWS done, some of the longer Murrayheugh routes.
Get Kyle leading.
Get to some other Scottish bouldering, Strathnairn, Torridon and Dromore
Running
PB a road HM (1:38:00 or better).
1000 km for the year, (1200 as a stretch goal).
Not sure what else, maybe a marathon or a trail ultra.
General
Do a CPR / Defib refresher
Get a couple of local ski tours done
Surf more
Get work needed on house done
Get to 50 mark on family Munros (currently 23). Getting trickier as we get the nearby ones ticked off.
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1. Return to full body functionality. Rehab my hamstring, regain the ability to heel hook, sort my shoulder out, try to work on flexibility too (part of hamstring rehab too)
2. Get out of Dorset a bit more. Aside from actual holidays, I didn’t get away much last year, got into a bit of a rut of local things. Even if it’s just short weekends to Dartmoor or day trips to Avon or Wye, every little helps. I’d also like to sort out some cool holiday trips as well.
3. Work out a sustainable balance of family and more focused climbing. MiniAJM seems to be really enjoying toproping and MrsAJM has got back into climbing a bit more recently. But at the same time almost all the local trad and much of the better sport is in fairly child unfriendly locations or needs child unfriendly time windows (eg Portland west coast evenings), so working out a way to do some more focused days or evenings and some family days and getting a sensible mix.
4.I said it last year, but I’d like to get more trad done - even if it’s just easier starred stuff - although preferably back into the E grades.
5.More dws. I’d like to build the CV at Portland, Swanage and/or Devon, and I’d like to get to the point where I’m falling off the top of Mark of the Beast like all my mates rather than wussing out of the scary bit at the bottom. Or ticking it, obviously.
6.I’d like to try hard on some sport again, be that some good onsight attempts (low 7s?) or some redpointing (high 7s?)
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Very interested in Devon dws meet-up, and happy to show people round the Dorset dws if I’m around.
Also Duncan many of your 7b/+s and venues are on my list, so keep me in the loop!
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3. Get on a classic seacliff E5.
5. Climb at … Llŷn.
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
8. Climb with some new people.
Vulture? OK so it’s E4, but could still tick off a few from your list in one go …
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5. Climb at : Scottish Highlands,
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
8. Climb with some new people.
If grades aren't too insane, could help tick a few of those. Seeing as you climbed at Craig Stirling which I can see from my front window and didn't even stop in for a coffee :)
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3. Get on a classic seacliff E5.
5. Climb at … Llŷn.
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
8. Climb with some new people.
Vulture? OK so it’s E4, but could still tick off a few from your list in one go …
I've interpreted Duncan's 'fairly long' as around the upper limit of what's possible in the UK, i.e. St John's Head or Foula, with the longer ~8 pitch mountain routes maybe just scraping in?
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I've interpreted Duncan's 'fairly long' as around the upper limit of what's possible in the UK, i.e. St John's Head or Foula, with the longer ~8 pitch mountain routes maybe just scraping in?
Yeah I know “fairly long” suggests something more than just a standard multi-pitch.
I was only being half serious. I’m not entirely sure Vulture is the sort of route you’d get on the first time climbing with someone you’d never met before, given that the guidebook says “A fall on either the first, second, or third pitch could result in a serious accident for one or possibly both members of the team.”
Not that I’m ruling it out Duncan … ;)
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Thanks for the enthusiasm chaps. PMs heading in various directions.
I've interpreted Duncan's 'fairly long' as around the upper limit of what's possible in the UK, i.e. St John's Head or Foula, with the longer ~8 pitch mountain routes maybe just scraping in?
I meant (https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,18533.0.html) a route that takes a long day and after which you feel like a long lie-down! As Andy says, there are very few of these in the UK but they definitely include St John's Head. Torro doesn't make the cut as, despite being 8 pitches, had I been usually fit I'd have been up for a second route that day. Automatic disqualification.
I was only being half serious. I’m not entirely sure Vulture is the sort of route you’d get on the first time climbing with someone you’d never met before, given that the guidebook says “A fall on either the first, second, or third pitch could result in a serious accident for one or possibly both members of the team.”
Not that I’m ruling it out Duncan … ;)
Thanks for the vote of confidence! 1996 model Duncan would have been up for it, however I think that bird may have flown...
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Climbing
- Limit projecting to 2 or 3 c. 4 week periods in the year
- Outside of those periods no more than 2 sessions on anything
- Long trips to Ireland and Switzerland
- Climb indoors more whilst training, not just on the boards
- Warm up on my home board before going out, particularly for projecting
- 100 sessions on rock
- When trying crux moves / sequences, when you stick it climb all the way to the top. Do this at least once a session.
- If you try a move and nearly stick it but fall off, either pull straight back on (if possible) and try to do the next move, or visualise sticking the move and continuing climbing.
- Climb with other people more regularly
Grade Chasing
- >50 7B and up
- >15 7C and up
- 8A
- 100 Vpoints in a day at Almscliff or Caley
Life
- Move house
- Keep exploring potential to move abroad for an extended period
- Eat lots of vegetables
Training
- Stick to plan / don't get distracted by going outside
- Do my ex-projects warm up circuit; x4 problems which I've done before but took me ages. One go on each at the start of a session. Current PB is doing 2 of them and dropping last or penultimate moves on the other 2.
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This is my first foray into setting my goals out officially for a year. Usually, my health has been too unpredictable, making concrete aims more likely to be disappointments.... But 2022 was my best 12 months health-wise for a long, long time, and I'm hoping that this will continue. So here goes:
1) Recover from my Font ankle injury, and then DON'T GET INJURED for the rest of my life! To facilitate this goal, I plan to be extra vigilant about pad arrangements, prepared to walk away from situations or landings that feel dodgy, and generally to pay attention to the little voices in my head that predict injury/ disaster - they seem to know what they're on about.
2) Climb some proper trad routes. Preferably a trad trip somewhere exotic like Cornwall, Pembroke or Scotland, but I'd settle for North Wales and the Lakes too.
3) Keep working on Bat Route. I'm punching above my weight here, yet I feel the process is useful for the rest of my climbing, it's a privilege to be up there and, well, you never know....
4) Try a 'proper' 8A boulder. Find one that I like, at a venue that has something to keep Jordan interested too, and stick with it.
5) Do some actual training. I've got goals to be able to do a front lever, a one-armer (hah!) and to improve my fingerboarding ability (which is woeful compared to my rock performance). I'd also like to climb more on training boards. Let's say 12 sessions on boards other than my own.
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3. Get on a classic seacliff E5.
5. Climb at … Llŷn.
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
8. Climb with some new people.
Vulture? OK so it’s E4, but could still tick off a few from your list in one go …
You’d certainly be unlikely to be up for another route. The guide is a little melodramatic, the first pitch is the only one that felt dangerous, albeit 4c climbing. Second is literally walking across a ledge, quite a big ledge, unprotected but it’s not climbing. Third seemed more conventional but still HVS climbing, fourth surprisingly hard, goes from E1 4c overall to proper E4, but in a fairly conventional style, I regretted wearing my biggest boots.
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....trad trip somewhere exotic like ,,,,,Scotland,
Not words I thought I would see in the same sentence...
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Anywhere is exotic compared to Lancashire
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Exactly! I love Lancashire, but the trad routes I did there over the past year did not register on my adventure-o-meter....
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Well give us a shout if you venture to NE Scotland again, can offer a decent coffee if nothing else.
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Sorry for being late. Context: Work forced me to watch a 90-minute meeting on goal setting, so I thought I might as well optimise the use of that time. I also added a few additional ideas
A ranking (.) of importance has been added to each goal
Correlative goal:(-) A goal that is correlated to the amount of work you put in to the goal.
Causative goal: (--) A goal that is directly caused by the amount of work you put into that goal.
Correlative goals are not necessarily reflective of input, so for each correlative goal I have a causative goal to assist it.
Improve finger strength in acute positions
-Front-3 half crimp (or more acute) 8-2 repeaters comfortably at BW on the Beastmaker2000 outer edges.
--Do at least 1 repeater session every week.* (4)
Improve flexibility
-Hamstrings- Get both of my heels to the top of the fridge with no assistance other than balance stabilization.
-Hips-Side splits progress to both heels outside of the 6 tile range in the kitchen.
--Continue to stretch before dinner on standard rest days, targeting these areas as well as general mobility and rehab work. (3)
Minimise injuries and injury risk (goals are gonna get more complex for this)
-No major injuries (defN: 3-months or more of impaired climbing or worse such as serious impairment)
-Only up to one new medium injury (defN: (1-3)-months of impaired climbing)
--At least 1 lower intensity volume/technique session per week. (1) (e.g repeaters followed by trying problems up to 3 times before moving on.)
-Come up with creative ways to enjoy lower intensity sessions.
The following is one goal (2)
--Before each school session honestly assign it to a category and try to keep sessions in their box.
power (high intensity)
finger strength (high intensity)
power and finger strength (high intensity)
volume (lower intensity)
technique (lower intensity)
other (lower intensity)
--No more than 2 sessions a week with high intensity power. Such sessions must have at least 2 days in between them.
--No more than 2 sessions a week with high intensity finger strength. Such sessions must have at least 2 days in between them.
*This will usually be 4 sets of hangs for a warmup. Deviations from this are allowed for a holiday. This has intentionally been set as a very simple goal to allow for deviations in acute finger training while still being able to keep up with this underlying goal all year round.
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Good grief Goat - are we even related?
Aim this year - to have as good as good a year as last year but climb a bit harder and tick a couple of long term projects.
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Good grief Goat - are we even related?
Quite obviously! Although he's certainly outdoing you on the deep and meaningful soul climber spiritual inspiration there ;D
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Rollover year with added details:
1. Stay alive and try to find something worth living for.
- keep up with self-care and maintenance in various forms.
- try to find some greater purpose in life in lieu of climbing prowess
- just keep moving.
2. Try to stay active enough not to deteriorate further.
- try to transmogrify my depression into DMac-style "obsessive exercising depression" instead of "hide under the couch and hope the outside world fucks off" depression.
- do more regular gym sessions to complement climbing and regain some lost gym prowess.
- keep up with the "less sporadic than previous years" stretching.
3. Keep pushing to stay in contact with friends, climbing partners, and maintain social life.
- keep putting myself out there with local climbing groups and wall nights even when it's not promising
- be more flexible socially with venues and where and when I go
- try to become more involved and productive in the community (guidebooks, cleaning, clubs)
- meet more climbers whom I share other things with esp. music taste and general vibes
4. Try to be careful enough to heal elbow a bit more.
- keep up with the steady mid-grade mileage indoors as it seems to be working
- add in additional rehab exercises if wrist-curls have plateaued
- do not get fucking complacent
- introduce something vaguely akin to training (Depot 30 board?) as elbow allows
5. See 1.
- if it works I might aim for some climbing goals.
Thanks for posting this, speaking as someone whose 2023 goals are rapidly evolving into "1. Stay alive" and "2. Stay out of psych hospital", with the proviso that if needed I will sacrifice 2 for 1.
Also I quite wanna get Pebble Mill Traverse ticked.
- try to transmogrify my depression into DMac-style "obsessive exercising depression" instead of "hide under the couch and hope the outside world fucks off" depression.
Yeah, how do we do this trick?
We really need Lattice or some other folks to meet the real needs and do a podcast on "how to train when you're depressed as fuck".
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Thanks for posting this, speaking as someone whose 2023 goals are rapidly evolving into "1. Stay alive" and "2. Stay out of psych hospital", with the proviso that if needed I will sacrifice 2 for 1.
Also I quite wanna get Pebble Mill Traverse ticked.
Two naturally similar goals there!
Yeah, how do we do this trick?
We really need Lattice or some other folks to meet the real needs and do a podcast on "how to train when you're depressed as fuck".
Yup!! It's funny / frustrating how it affects people in different ways. I have a new, openly autistic, friend here who deals with their mental health by training at the gym AND wall 4 times each per week (with the proviso that they always do steady enough sessions to "make sure I can do the next day's exercise"). Dafuck. They're refused offers to gene-splicing with my useless unmotivation too....
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Taken a bit of time to get these down but here goes...
Climbing
More F7b's than last year - maybe even one onsight!
F7b+
Get on F7c - F8a project
Moonboard 7A
At least one big trad day
Verdon again
Kalymnos again
Go climb somewhere abroad that I've never been
Other Sports
Surf every month of 2023
Do a bit of fell running
Life
Rebuild relationship with wayward son - hopefully see him get at least a couple of GCSE's
Take daughter somewhere awesome and keep encouraging her climbing (gently...)
Manage long-term injuries so they continue to not cause issues
And it was written.....
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I had this as a goal last year as well but ideally:
- Reduce volume under 7B/+
- Consolidate 7C - 2 questionable ones done according to all my friends (terrace and bullet) but ideally I’d like to reach 10
- Climb 1 7C+/8A
- stay injury free (good luck to me)
- work on my skin tactics and stop getting splits in the same spots.
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I had this as a goal last year as well but ideally:
- Reduce volume under 7B/+
Interesting first goal, I would have thought that a healthy grade pyramid for the year would be a prerequisite to your following goals?
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I had this as a goal last year as well but ideally:
- Reduce volume under 7B/+
Interesting first goal, I would have thought that a healthy grade pyramid for the year would be a prerequisite to your following goals?
My pyramid is already fairly healthy
- 92 7A
- 40 7A+
- 23 7B
- 7 7B+
Problem is if I spend sessions on lower grade volume I expend energy and skin I could put into working projects so it’s a bit of a trade off
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I had this as a goal last year as well but ideally:
- Reduce volume under 7B/+
Interesting first goal, I would have thought that a healthy grade pyramid for the year would be a prerequisite to your following goals?
My pyramid is already fairly healthy
- 92 7A
- 40 7A+
- 23 7B
- 7 7B+
Problem is if I spend sessions on lower grade volume I expend energy and skin I could put into working projects so it’s a bit of a trade off
I have a couple of similar goals
- >50 7B and up
- >15 7C and up
I know those look like number chasing, but the idea behind them was more around time management, and trying to encourage myself to spend more time in that 80-90% zone.
All that said, I'm a big fan of Jesse Firestone (what a name!). Couple of interesting things he's posted recently which are related and have got me thinking:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgR8PrmLoyn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.instagram.com/p/Chcm7G9LSlX/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ConCghKJDA3/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
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I'm a big fan of Jesse Firestone (what a name!)
You wouldn't get tyred of it!
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I had this as a goal last year as well but ideally:
- Reduce volume under 7B/+
Interesting first goal, I would have thought that a healthy grade pyramid for the year would be a prerequisite to your following goals?
My pyramid is already fairly healthy
- 92 7A
- 40 7A+
- 23 7B
- 7 7B+
Problem is if I spend sessions on lower grade volume I expend energy and skin I could put into working projects so it’s a bit of a trade off
I have a couple of similar goals
- >50 7B and up
- >15 7C and up
I know those look like number chasing, but the idea behind them was more around time management, and trying to encourage myself to spend more time in that 80-90% zone.
All that said, I'm a big fan of Jesse Firestone (what a name!). Couple of interesting things he's posted recently which are related and have got me thinking:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgR8PrmLoyn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.instagram.com/p/Chcm7G9LSlX/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ConCghKJDA3/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I’ve not read those before but that’s exactly the conclusion I came to and started practicing a while back, using a project at limit as a goal and building up through grades in a similar style which basically builds your pyramid naturally whilst helping you home into the style and learning the intricacies.
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Bit late (and cheating cos I've ticked one) but a few bits:
Abroad: couple of trips this year, one just finished.
Spain/Greece:
Climb well, have fun, onsights and quick ticks.
UK places: I've got more weekends free this year so want to make the most of it.
North Wales at least once - been ages
Peak at least twice - as above, but have mates to meet up with too.
Portland twice - great couple of weekends last year and really keen to get down again.
Ansteys - best sport on the south coast, I don't go nearly often enough.
Trewortha Tor: went once and it rained, but this genuinely looked better than Dartmoor, need to go back in the dry
Uphill Quarry - nothing exciting, but I've never been, which is ridiculous as a Bristol based climber.
Torbryan - as above, never been.
Spacehunter at least twice - best wall in Cheddar and I still haven't ticked anything on it.
Sunset Buttress - see above...
Climbs:
Bristol Weed - had a really good initial session on this last September and then injured my elbow.
Return of the Gunfighter - just amazing quality, need to get back up there
Just Revenge - the most realistic of my Ansteys wishlist
Tennessee - so good! First tried over 20 years ago so would be nice to finish
Ultimate Warrior - have had a pic of this on background rotation for aaaages.
Number chasing:
7c first go - did this in Chulilla a couple of weeks ago, see YYFY thread
3 8's - got to keep up standards
7C again - it's been a while (2019??)
Finish the Cheddar 7a's - 11 to go
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Tennessee is brilliant! Can’t wait to get back on that one.
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Tennessee is brilliant! Can’t wait to get back on that one.
Very keen to get on that too
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We'll be queuing up at this rate! You know how hard it is to get connies on it right? And the tide window?
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We'll be queuing up at this rate! You know how hard it is to get connies on it right? And the tide window?
Combination of enough wind to dry it without being too much to soak it in spray, some sun, but not too hot and hopefully all that when its not underwater. Something like that.
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you forgot minimal swell
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Nice brisk easterly / south easterly will get dry air blowing onto it, flatten any swell and mean minimal spray. Draw a Venn Diagram :)
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We'll be queuing up at this rate! You know how hard it is to get connies on it right? And the tide window?
Well, I need at least one other person who wants to go down there to hold the rope, and once I discount the people who’ve already done it and the people who wouldn’t have anything of interest to do down there, I get left with the sort of pool of potential partners which could do with expanding!
For me I think the crux (as on most routes these days!) would be arranging the afternoon passes with the family ;)
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Torbryan - as above, never been.
Oh you lucky bastard
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Torbryan - as above, never been.
Oh you lucky bastard
Say whuuut. I'm exactly the sort of person who likes to look down my nose at shit bits of limestone, but Torbryan is a good little crag!
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Maybe he means I'm lucky to still have such a great experience to come? :-D
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That was my guess too Duma - I’ve only been once but thought the quality was amazing for such a tiny slice of rock.
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Maybe he means I'm lucky to still have such a great experience to come? :-D
Exactly, Torbyran is possibly my favourite crag.
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I couldn’t believe Torbryan when I got there. It was like a Bond villain who had decided he wanted to start climbing had ordered a little chunk of Spain to be packed up and shipped to Devon…
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Maybe he means I'm lucky to still have such a great experience to come? :-D
Exactly, Torbyran is possibly my favourite crag.
Ah sorry total misinterpretation, I thought you meant you were sick of it!
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Excellent weekend ticked 2 boxes:
Abroad: couple of trips this year, one just finished.
Spain/Greece:
Climb well, have fun, onsights and quick ticks.
UK places: I've got more weekends free this year so want to make the most of it.
North Wales at least once - been ages
Peak at least twice - as above, but have mates to meet up with too.
Portland twice - fortnight ago had a couple of days at the cuttings, and this Easter weekend has been excellent fun on the (far superior) West coast.
Ansteys - best sport on the south coast, I don't go nearly often enough.
Trewortha Tor: went once and it rained, but this genuinely looked better than Dartmoor, need to go back in the dry
Uphill Quarry - nothing exciting, but I've never been, which is ridiculous as a Bristol based climber.
Torbryan - as above, never been.
Spacehunter at least twice - best wall in Cheddar and I still haven't ticked anything on it.
Sunset Buttress - see above...
Climbs:
Bristol Weed - had a really good initial session on this last September and then injured my elbow.
Return of the Gunfighter - just amazing quality, need to get back up there
Just Revenge - the most realistic of my Ansteys wishlist
Tennessee - YYFY! Good session yesterday in decent conditions (relatively), got past the pocket but couldn't get heel up for the top crux. Today was much worse connies but psyche prevailed and both me and Remus got it done. Got to be one of the best at the grade in the country, despite the faff with tides and Smeg.
Ultimate Warrior - have had a pic of this on background rotation for aaaages.
Number chasing:
7c first go - did this in Chulilla a couple of weeks ago, see YYFY thread
3 8's - got to keep up standards
7C again - it's been a while (2019??)
Finish the Cheddar 7a's - 11 to go.
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Nice one Duma :dance1:
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Just realised I never posted mine.
My theme for this year is longevity.
- finger health over everything. I've got finger woes that have been developing over the past few years and I would rather not make them any worse. So prioritise mobility and health over everything else
- work towards being able to do a pain free one arm pull up/deep lock off
- work towards being able to do a pain free handstand. Currently hurts my wrists just to do regular push ups...
- 5 off the never ending “why have you not done these yet?” list
- 5 climbing trips (weekends away, holidays)
- 5 training room PBs
- 5 new UK crags
- 5 FA’s (including shitty link ups)
- 5 percent increase on my powerlifts (squat, bench, and deadlifts)
- 5 things related to mobility to fit into this stupid list format
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Six months review. It should be possible to nudge some of the oranges in the right direction. Most of the reds involve committing to longer trips and I'm going to have to make choices on which are the priority.
1. Try hard. Fall off a trad. route, or entertain onlookers [© reeve, an excellent measure]. Fall off sport routes lots of times.
Almost green. Trying hard quite often, taken a good number of sport falls, >150 practice falls. This is a real change from recent years. Have not had a proper trad. battle yet although my rapid reversal of the crux of Robert Brown yesterday was probably quite entertaining for the onlooker.
2. Put some time into a good 7b/+. Possibles include, in roughly increasing order of unlikelihood, Living Dead, Empire..., Road Rage, Paradise Lost, Cave Route RH.
Five sessions on La Muerte del Sponsor and one and a half on The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Got very close on the former. Enjoying the process, to be continued.
3. Get on a classic seacliff E5.
Not been to a sea cliff since February and not really gone for it on trad.
4. Rematch with Supersonic.
Not yet, but climbed at High Tor after a six year break and enjoyed myself so putting in the mental preparation
5. Climb at four from: Scottish Highlands, Islands, Fairhead, Lundy, Llŷn, and the north Cornwall coast.
Fair Head, which was so good it probably counts as two. A spell of unanticipated single parenting in April-May scuppered a trip to Scotland. Hopefully will get to one or two of these places in September-October.
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
Nothing and no concrete plans due to usual partner being occupied and family commitments this summer. If anyone is free in September-October and interested in this kind of thing get in touch
7. Climb in places new to me, including somewhere in the excellent Northern Rock guidebook. Gordale or Malham would be great (not completely new but I’ve only been once, in the previous century, for the trad. of course).
I’ve done the complete opposite and climbed at the highly familiar Uphill, Brean Down, Portland, Pembroke, Siurana, and Fair Head!
8. Climb with some new people. New indoor partners would be good too, if anyone goes to the Westway or Castle get in touch.
Enjoyed filling out my indoor and outdoor dance card
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Good idea with the halfway review.
At least 3 of the following existing projects. These range from having had a brief play, to having had 4-5 sessions on and repeatedly falling at the chains. *Cough* Biological *Cough*.
Canyonlands, Devil's Gorge
Nanabozho, Llanddulas
Broken Dreams, Dinbren
Bad Bad Boy, LPT
Biological Need, Kinsey
Herbie, Malham
One down (Broken Dreams), one quite close (Canyonlands). Haven't been back on any of the others yet.
At least 1 of the harder routes I've had my eye on. This list may evolve if other stuff takes my eye.
Hades, Devil's Gorge
Statement of Youth, LPT
Insomnia, Dinbren
Insomnia is essentially a harder finish of Broken Dreans, so I now have the start dialed and have had a quick play on the upper moves. Doesn't seem totally infeasible.
Beat last year's record of 5 trad routes.
11! Thanks to a couple of Pembroke trips they have mostly been top quality too. First Blood and Ultravixens probably the highlights so far.
20 boulders 7A+ and above.
12. For once I haven't totally stopped bouldering once rope season has started and have enjoyed a great couple of days out because of that. Would be 13 if I hadn't fallen off the last move of Whisky Bitch last weekend.
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Can't find any goals from me so will add what I was working towards anyway:
3 8As or above
- done 1, have done 1 in very overlapping halves with 10s rest between falling off and pulling on again, but I feel the summer temps might have ended trying that one. Have another that if I can build a bit more fitness on it might go.
30 7Cs or above
- currently at 15
Should be off to Font Sept to early Dec, which may make my first goal tough to achieve as I don't want to spend that time projecting, just more enjoying quality session grade boulders. Would be nice to get one more done before I leave and potentially return to the one that's close in December.
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Kenzoku. A hard problem that challenges and inpires me, simple as that.
Got this one done by the end of January on the 7th session of trying it. The whole process was very enjoyable experiencing linear progress from one session to another unlocking the moves, then climbing the boulder on the 2nd session of proper goes from the bottom. It probably has the most interesting moves I've done and it's a rare quality line for limestone in a lovely spot.
Climb a moderately hard 3 star problem in Wales or The Lakes (cosmic wheels, starshot sit, ???).
Aside from Kenzoku, I haven't climbed outside of Yorkshire this year, but I've done a lot of good lines that in my opinion are even better than cosmic wheels or starshot. At this stage, I'd be pretty satisfied spending the rest of the year climbing in Yorkshire, but a trip to the Lakes would be nice too.
At least 10 sessions on rock with other people. My good mates from Leeds have all emigrated to Australia or the USA over the last few years. Since I work at home and usually climb alone, I rarely interact with other humans outside of my household. Hopefully, achieving this goal will help keep me sane.
Easily. In a complete 180, I've seldom climbed on my own this year.
Something on a rope that takes a few sessions. I have no intention to train endurance, so it will need to be fairly bouldery. Agent Provocateur at WCJ looks good.
Kind of, but not sport. I've practiced several things on a rope that I've gone on to highball/solo. Soon hoping to lead a few things on a rope.
5% increase on my max hangs PB.
No idea, but my fingers feel stronger subjectively, so i'm ticking this.
I already have a couple of family holidays booked but I'd like to aim for one trip with mates, whether that's for climbing, surfing or bikes, it doesn't matter.
No climbing, surfing or biking trips booked yet. There's talk of a DWS trip.
Get CEng
Qualifications accepted by the Engineering Council, I just need to stop being a lazy fuck and write my report.
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Happy with progress so far:
Abroad: couple of trips this year, one just finished.
Spain/Greece:
Climb well, have fun, onsights and quick ticks.
UK places: I've got more weekends free this year so want to make the most of it. Also had weekends in the Lakes and Yorkshire so reckon this is going well enough to be orange
North Wales at least once - been ages
Peak at least twice - once so far
Portland twice - fortnight ago had a couple of days at the cuttings, and this Easter weekend has been excellent fun on the (far superior) West coast.
Ansteys - best sport on the south coast, I don't go nearly often enough.
Trewortha Tor: went once and it rained, but this genuinely looked better than Dartmoor, need to go back in the dry
Uphill Quarry - nothing exciting, but I've never been, which is ridiculous as a Bristol based climber.
Torbryan - as above, never been.
Spacehunter at least twice - best wall in Cheddar and I still haven't ticked anything on it.
Sunset Buttress - see above...
Climbs:
Bristol Weed - had a really good initial session on this last September and then injured my elbow. Three sessions this spring, think the sequence is pretty much settled, and very close to in two halves now
Return of the Gunfighter - just amazing quality, need to get back up there
Just Revenge - the most realistic of my Ansteys wishlist
Tennessee - YYFY! Good session yesterday in decent conditions (relatively), got past the pocket but couldn't get heel up for the top crux. Today was much worse connies but psyche prevailed and both me and Remus got it done. Got to be one of the best at the grade in the country, despite the faff with tides and Smeg.
Ultimate Warrior - have had a pic of this on background rotation for aaaages.
Number chasing:
7c first go - did this in Chulilla a couple of weeks ago, see YYFY thread
3 8's - got to keep up standards
7C again - it's been a while (2019??)
Finish the Cheddar 7a's - 11 to go. 4 to go
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Sort out the garden: Dog-proof it with new fences, dig up the drive and replace with lawn, plant a couple of trees, cut the hedge back to manageable proportions.
One new fence, part of driveway removed, a bit of landscaping. Need some budget to sort the other parts, but making progress.
Get a dog.
Not yet
Actually use my fingerboard.
I was pretty consistent for once over the winter, tailed off a bit now.
Sport climbing: Silk Purse at Dunkeld is my obvious target. I'd also like to do one of the 7cs at Tunnel Walls and have a play on Axiom.
Have had a couple of sessions on Silk Teddies, all the moves done but need some mileage to get back to fitness.
Trad: Get a couple of weekends doing big, hardish mountain routes in the E2-5 range. Have a bash at Lady Charlotte and Rat Race at Dunkeld. A trip elsewhere would be good too.
My head's not been in it for trad this year. I've done some good easier mountain routes, but not felt like pushing it at all. Not helped by mate decking on Rat Race (but miraculously getting away with it)
Winter: Bag 3 classic winter routes this season, ideally at new-to-me venues, but I'm not fussy.
Didn't get a single one last winter due to being too busy retraining.
Other: I've been working on plans for a link-up project that I'd like to film if possible. The idea would be to cycle from home (Bridge of Allan) and have a big day in the mountains, inspired by Colin Kirkus's exploits. From here that would mean either cycling to Glen Coe, or more likely doing a link-up of winter routes near Tyndrum, with the whole thing taking probably 3 days. Even better if I can repeat with a summer rock version.
Building up to a big link, I've had some good, big days in the hills cycling and riunning, and soloing some easy routes. Beinn a' Bhuird was great.
Hopefully, attain fulfilling employment. My bar for this is pretty low after a series of really shitty employers! Simply feeling valued and having prospects for future progress both professionally and in terms of skills would be good. Course to hopefully accelerate this starts in January.
The course was great. I really enjoyed it and learned loads. It definitely got me over the initial hurdle to a point where I can learn new things more confidently on my own. I've made some full-stack projects and have a few other personal projects for my portfolio. Unfortunately the recruitment side of the training company are useless, and trying to farm us out to roles we aren't trained for, but the excellent training was free, so can't complain. I'm in the process of applying to other places now. In the meantime I'm doing some work for the SMC and online maths tuition, which I'm enjoying.
A mixed year so far. I've lost my mojo with climbing a little. I'm enjoying days in the hills, and enjoying the climbing I'm doing, but I'm not very motivated and definitely not motivated to try hard at the moment, plus more anxious than normal on routes. I think it's a combination of low residual stress of other factors, like job uncertainty and a niggling shoulder injury, but life is pretty good and hopefully I'll find my mojo as the summer progresses.
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First year with a young child so keeping it simple
Fingerboard > 100 times
Climb indoors > 50 times
Climb outdoors > 10 times
Fingerboard 14/100 - not on track with this!
Climb indoors 24/50 - on track
Climb outdoors 5/10 - on track
Still struggling with energy/motivation to fingerboard - but getting back into roped climbing indoors has done wonders for my motivation. I've also managed to tick a route off the life list with a headpoint of A38 at Blaise Castle Gorge. Will be doing 4 day weeks at work from September onwards so hoping I can make a bit more progress on that list.
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Having always been an opportunistic all-rounder with an allergy to structured training, I'm going to try setting a few more specific goals this year. Not with the aim of setting loads of new PBs, but just to see what it's like and whether having more focus keeps me more consistently motivated.
Climbing specific
Finish local E8 proj
Succeeded in April, 3rd ascent of The Rising Son. Enjoyed this more than any route project I've done, and won't be disappointed if it's the highpoint of my headpointing career - suited me perfectly, both in style of climbing and in being so close to my house.
At least one boulder problem =>7C
Got to the arete on Jerry's Roof on second or third session, but tweaked a finger in the process (god knows how, I'd warmed up and it's not fingery). Otherwise I think I'd quite likely have done it by now, so I'm optimistic for the autumn.
5 sport routes in the 7c-8a range
If I can count Rising Son I might still have a slim chance, but this is looking very unlikely. Not getting away for a trip in January as planned didn't help, and the sore finger doesn't help either. I also just can't bring myself to focus on sport projects in North Wales in summer (neither slate nor the coastal limestone suit or inspire me), or to have projects that aren't close to home (unless I'm on a committed sport trip, which I tend to do only in the winter). I've defaulted to doing the sort of thing I'm naturally drawn to instead and I've been enjoying it, which I guess is ultimately better than ticking a set goal anyway.
Maintain some condition through the winter season (i.e. wall or board twice a week, assuming opportunities to climb outside don't happen)
Very pleased to have kept this up, by setting a fairly low but realistic target to fit around tiring work.
Sailing trip to Norway (subsidiary aim to climb one or two new routes)
Wap-waa. After a rewarding but challenging test week in the Small Isles, I/we essentially chickened out of crossing the North Sea and spending three weeks on a small boat. Psyched for more island-hopping boat adventures in future though.
Non-climbing specific
Stretch upper body every time I go climbing
Have lapsed a little at times but not doing too badly
Stretch lower body every day (will not count this a fail if it's not literally every day, but aim to get close)
As above, need to get back to standards of the first three months when I was doing really well
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I've also managed to tick a route off the life list with a headpoint of A38 at Blaise Castle Gorge
Jealous! Nice work, that's on my list too.
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For the first time, maybe I have not been ambitious enough. I credit all of this to my woodie, all hail the board :bow:
Copy Paste Go
Climbing
- 5 V9s
Done 2 but finding good form so confident of this
- V10
YYFY - board paying off :strongbench:
- Go on at least three trips
Moe's, the South, Roy, Squamish - killing it
Training
- Get down to 10% BW assistance hangs on one-arm BM2k slot
Yes on LH, hit -15lb HC at 177lb BW, RH not. BW hangs one arm OH however
- Get weight down to 80kg
Yes, period of more careful eating, heavier training and peloton got me from 86kg -> 80kg Jan to Jun
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Just realised I never posted mine.
My theme for this year is longevity.
- finger health over everything. I've got finger woes that have been developing over the past few years and I would rather not make them any worse. So prioritise mobility and health over everything else (saw a physio, got a plan)
- work towards being able to do a pain free one arm pull up/deep lock off (recently completed a weight pull up training block with no real issues, so going well)
- work towards being able to do a pain free handstand. Currently hurts my wrists just to do regular push ups... (followed a mobility plan, think it made them worse :-\)
- 5 off the never ending “why have you not done these yet?” list (0)
- 5 climbing trips (weekends away, holidays) (lakes, magic wood, one day at Mitake)
- 5 training room PBs (weighted pull ups up by 5kg, front 3 one arm BM2K middle rung for 5 sec RH, 4 sec LH, having managed 0 seconds previously)
- 5 new UK crags (6)
- 5 FA’s (including shitty link ups) (4)
- 5 percent increase on my powerlifts (squat, bench, and deadlifts)
- 5 things related to mobility to fit into this stupid list format (WIP)
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For the first time, maybe I have not been ambitious enough. I credit all of this to my woodie, all hail the board :bow:
:bow: :bow: :bow:
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I've also managed to tick a route off the life list with a headpoint of A38 at Blaise Castle Gorge
Jealous! Nice work, that's on my list too.
Thanks, it’s well worth a flash or on-sight go as the gear is very good and obvious.
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Climbing
- Limit projecting to 2 or 3 c. 4 week periods in the year - not really one I can tick off but so far so good have generally kept to 2 sessions or less on everything, think I've only had more than that on 4 problems. Even Ben's Groove Sit only took 2 sessions this season! It's got me thinking about challenge levels versus experience, and I think as nice as it is when you do things in a session or quickly what I'm really looking for are things that take 3 sessions, maybe 4. And really no longer than that without going away, training and coming back later.
- Outside of those periods no more than 2 sessions on anything - as above
- Long trips to Ireland and Switzerland - a month in Ireland and a month in Austria, plus a week in Magic Wood coming up soon. It's been great, albeit also tough at times.
- Climb indoors more whilst training, not just on the boards - have so far had more general indoor sessions than the whole of the previous 3 years combined
- Warm up on my home board before going out, particularly for projecting - haven't always done this but a few times it's been really helpful
- 100 sessions on rock - currently on 59, so very much on track albeit outdoor psych seems to have evaporated a bit after coming back from Austria
- When trying crux moves / sequences, when you stick it climb all the way to the top. Do this at least once a session. - have done this quite a bit albeit I normally seem to then fall off higher up!
- If you try a move and nearly stick it but fall off, either pull straight back on (if possible) and try to do the next move, or visualise sticking the move and continuing climbing. - have done this a lot, although as above always seem to then fall off again!
- Climb with other people more regularly - this was going really well until I spent my two months away climbing almost exclusively by myself. In fact the one time I arranged to climb with other people they turned up over an hour late, cutting short the time I had that day to actually climb before I had to be home.
Grade Chasing
- >50 7B and up - 39 done so far! Purpose with this was far less about the number actually achieved and more to focus my time. Seems to be working. Perhaps worth changing it to "don't spend time on anything less than 7B"
- >15 7C and up - 16!
- 8A - 3! I think....easy to pick holes in these things. 1 is 8A everywhere you look, and has dozens of repeats including loads of absolute mega wads so seems completely solid, but I did it in a session and because of that I didn't get the experience I think I'm really looking for (see above), so I'm maybe not as bothered as might previously have thought I'd be about doing 8A in a session. Weird. 1 gets a slash grade in the guide so is at least soft (but took me 3 sessions and felt probably more satisfying than the 1 I did in a session). And the other is Ben's Groove Sit which was infinitely harder for me than either of the others, or indeed any of the other 15 "8s" I've supposedly done, so....
- 100 Vpoints in a day at Almscliff or Caley - had one session at Almscliff which I thought of as prep, then got distracted by other things
Life
- Move house - our house has been on the market for 2 months and we've had 1 viewing...
- Keep exploring potential to move abroad for an extended period - things have tightened up at work which doesn't help this at all. Also going away and coming back has made me realise what I would most like is if my office could kindly just move to somewhere mountainous. Doesn't seem likely.
- Eat lots of vegetables - done well with this
Training
- Stick to plan / don't get distracted by going outside - this went perfectly until April's training block was disrupted by extended lovely grit conditions and getting close on a project. I didn't mind at all though.
- Do my ex-projects warm up circuit; x4 problems which I've done before but took me ages. One go on each at the start of a session. Current PB is doing 2 of them and dropping last or penultimate moves on the other 2. - managed 3 and dropping the penultimate move of the 4th. Haven't climbed on my board yet post long trip so will be interesting to see where I am with it now!
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I don't think I've done annual goals before, so here goes, I guess.
- Sort out the current dodgy A2 and then stay uninjured. I'll do that by exercising self discipline to drop the intensity when the volume increases, rather than just recklessly going all out all the time.
The old left ring A2 is back to strength which I'm chuffed with, but annoyingly a couple weeks ago my left index A2 decided it wanted to be injured. Not sure on the cause, but I feel like I was being sensible so shall award myself green for the rest of it. Maybe just to make me feel better!
- Do more DWS. Did it for the first time last year and had great time despite being rather shit at doing more than 5 moves!
Yup, had a day at Nant Gwrtheyrn a couple weeks ago. Too wimpy to get on the >10m stuff but had a really fun time and still ended up in the drink a few times.
- Do some training for DWS, or at least something a bit transferable like sport or long boulder linkups. Not because I want to send hard, but because being able to better manage the pump would probably get me more value out of it.
Been doing some linkups at the dugout. Perhaps not as transferable as I thought, I think a more beneficial ability would be recovering on the wall, which the dugout is generally too steep for, or the rests are hands-off and don't really train much!
- Consider day trip-able DWS options around North Wales (driving from Shropshire):
* Nant Gwrtheyrn and maybe more Lleyn potential
*Various Orme bits
*Penmon and maybe more Anglesey potential
As before, had a good day out at Gwrtheyrn, not been to the others but still early in the season!
- Rigpa, but subject to pad logistics and finger health.
Had one really good session a couple months ago, when the old A2 was getting really good and the weather was cold, but shall have to wait for the new A2 to heal, and for more cold weather to come.
- Visit some of the "grand full day out" list:
*St Bees
*Sampson's Stones
*Cwm y Foel
*Rhinogau in general
*Howshaw/Back Tor
*Simon's/Lord's Seat
*Great Wolfrey
*Anafon
On paper this doesn't look great, but I have been having grand days out at other venues, like the Infinity Boulder and Simonside woods, so maybe I've earned a little orange here?
- Do some exploratory/development days.
Tick. Bryn Castell and Craig y Wrysgan immediately spring to mind, though didn't bear much fruit as the projects are hard! Good exploration at other backwater venues as well.
- Visit some of the "why haven't I been here yet" list:
*Pac-Man Boulders
*Cwm Glas Bach
*Carreg y Foel Gron
*Llyn Celyn
*Wimberry
*Wolf Edge
*Secret Garden
- Revisit some of the "got all or most of the moves done so could be a goer" problems:
*The Mentalist
*Lizard King
*Harvey Oswald SDS
*Cosmic Wheels
*Hannibal
*Severus Snape
*Brass Monkeys
*Cruella
*Grasswind
*Bad Moon Rising
*The Captain
*Old King Cascade
*Suavito
*Cholesterol Traverse
*Beef Growler
Ticked off Severus (in tremendous style, I must modestly admit), and tickled Harvey SDS a bit. I think I've sussed a sequence but I haven't been there fresh or uninjured enough to seriously consider it revisited.
I don't think I'm doing too bad, most sections have some sort of green or orange to show.
Interestingly I didn't mention any sort of international climbing goals, but I enjoyed a week in Font in March with good friends old and new, and also a spontaneous long weekend in Magic Wood, catching a lift from a French friend with a spare seat! No magical soft 7Cs, but had a great time regardless.
Hoping to keep enough annual leave free to book a long weekend in Font in autumn, if there's a good weather window.
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Half way point
20+ days outside climbing
Have great family trip to El Chorro
Onsight 6c
Flashed
Onsight 6b+ x3
Done
Redpoint 7a in a day
Not yet.
Depot Goals
Complete 80% of a purple circuit
Complete 2 of a yellow circuit no
Climb 5 yellows
Not yet.
Flash 10 purples
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I realise that my goals are incompatible.
Unsurprisingly, I got some form of elbow tendinopathy from trying to combine my goals. Did not achieve any of them either.
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My goals were to climb on new rock types, avoid injury, enjoy bouldering and maybe do 7B
I'm confident I can do 7B, but not done one yet. Have done them on the board though which is cool. I have had a few injuries, which is frustrating, but rehab is going well. I've climbed on three new rock types and had the absolute time of my life in Font, and I've come to love bouldering as something I do and not a record of names and numbers. Excited for the future :)
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I can't remember mine and don't really want to look, so have rewritten them to tick plenty off:
Avoid tackling any inspiring trad climbing - / green tick
Have the worst strength / fitness / confidence for 16 years - / green tick
Aim to be on track for an even worse climbing year than 2023 - / green tick
Swap golfer's elbow for shoulder impingement and torn lumbrical - / green tick
Be six months more demoralised by age and weight than at the start of the year - / green tick
Have the longest time without any romance / intimacy for 20 years - / green tick
Maintain a relative paucity regular close knit climbing partners - / green tick
Have no idea what I'm doing with my climbing nor myself - / green tick
Seems to all be on track.
Plan for the rest of the year:
Bury head in sand, pretend it's all okay, and hope something happens out of thin air.
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Aw Fiend mate :(
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Forgot:
Be more of a moany cunt about it all - / green tick
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I'm sure this won't help but I felt the same last year about all of the points your made above fiend other than the romance one as luckily I have a lovely wife to lean on
Basically I have just given up climbing since November, partially due to injury but more so as it made me a moany c**t
As you so eloquently put it
Not looked back since, happier now for sure
I will go back to it I reckon but the break is really doing me good as I've been mostly just climbing for 20 years without much pause to even question why I was doing it
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Not usually a fan of definitive goal-setting but my climbing in 2022 was made a lot more productive by focusing on two specific goals so I thought I'd make more of an effort.
Boulder 8B by 30 (Have until 30th July to complete)
Climbed Isla de Encanta in mid-January. Would like to try to make it 3 8Bs by the end of the year
30 8th grade boulders at 30 (starting 30th July) - Not usually a fan of volume related goals but this sounded like a fun idea
4 weeks until I start trying to climb 8s like a mad man, not sure if I'll enjoy trying to do this but I like the idea of it and should help me put the effort in to get outside loads
UK Trip - Cornwall again? North Wales? Scotland possibly? Who knows
Cornwall planned for September, pretty psyched to get stuck into some more stuff on the coast
Abroad trip - Most likely Swiss, if not then probably Albarracin or Font
Doesn't look like this is going to happen but I'm not too fussed as I'm able to put money into making my van a bit more habitable than just sleeping on pads
Find a new boulder that will force me to push my level - I've done this twice previously and really enjoy the process. Not necessarily bothered about doing the boulder in 2023 but would like to have an idea of what it might be.
I think I have a few ideas but nothing has really grabbed my attention just yet. I'm also super interested in improving my mindset at the moment which seems to have been a bit up and down lately. I am itching to start putting some time into something hard again though.
Learn to climb more in the Summer - I'm generally awful at this and tend to just train through the heat but 2022 proved that I might be able to function in the heat if I'm clever about it.
So far pretty successful, have been focussing more on session-level volume lately but was really happy to climb Bara Brith Low on a really hot day a few weeks back among other recent boulders in some shady caves
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Get better from long covid, ie be able to function like a regular human being. This looks like being able to work, walk around, do some sort of exercise at any level. If I can get that done consistently then obviously I’ll be doing some sort of climbing, I will be happy with anything at the moment even just going to the wall.
If I make it to this point any time over the next year then I can think seriously about more tailored goals, let’s see where I’m at in six months.
Get better from long covid - I am definitely getting better and am much better than I was at the start of the year. No longer in regular pain, get decent refreshing sleep, can do more activities during the day.
Be able to function like a regular human being - Nope, a fair way off this.
Work - No way, can't manage to concentrate for a full day or half a day. But I have started doing odd bits of work prep.
Walk around - Kind of. Have made it into central London on several occasions recently but needed a rest day afterwards. Slowly increasing my walking but nowhere near a normal person yet.
Do some sort of exercise - Have done over 470 days of continuous stretching, feel vaguely flexible (my sessions are very short so fewer gains than you'd expect). Most other sorts of exercise have not occured, this has almost certainly helped my recovery a huge amount. I think about doing more a lot but I don't yet feel a spark of energy.
Overall I'm slowly improving but I don't think too much about the future as it is too uncertain. Hope to make some serious inroads into the goals above over the next six months.
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Glad for the progress you have made Sean,, fingers crossed you can keep improving.
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Get better from long covid, ie be able to function like a regular human being. This looks like being able to work, walk around, do some sort of exercise at any level. If I can get that done consistently then obviously I’ll be doing some sort of climbing, I will be happy with anything at the moment even just going to the wall.
If I make it to this point any time over the next year then I can think seriously about more tailored goals, let’s see where I’m at in six months.
Get better from long covid - I am definitely getting better and am much better than I was at the start of the year. No longer in regular pain, get decent refreshing sleep, can do more activities during the day.
.
This must be really difficult, but encouraging when you can see progress beginning to build. Hope this continues in the right direction for you.
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Get better from long covid, ie be able to function like a regular human being. This looks like being able to work, walk around, do some sort of exercise at any level. If I can get that done consistently then obviously I’ll be doing some sort of climbing, I will be happy with anything at the moment even just going to the wall.
If I make it to this point any time over the next year then I can think seriously about more tailored goals, let’s see where I’m at in six months.
Get better from long covid - I am definitely getting better and am much better than I was at the start of the year. No longer in regular pain, get decent refreshing sleep, can do more activities during the day.
That's huge, serious kudos on that!
It's so hard to hang in there with long-term illness and work out how to pace yourself so that you don't overdo it and set things back. Respect for your patience and discipline, and fingers crossed for continued progress!
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Thanks for posting this, speaking as someone whose 2023 goals are rapidly evolving into "1. Stay alive" and "2. Stay out of psych hospital", with the proviso that if needed I will sacrifice 2 for 1.
I am pleased to say that I have been absolutely crushing my goals so far this year, maintaining an unbroken record of being alive and not in hospital.
Godawful chronic illness flare-up is improving slowly; mental health is less scary than it was.
Fingers extremely crossed that this trend continues.
Also I quite wanna get Pebble Mill Traverse ticked.
I have not even made it over to Pebble Mill Traverse yet.
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Happy with progress so far:
Abroad: couple of trips this year, one just finished.
Spain/Greece:
Climb well, have fun, onsights and quick ticks.
UK places: I've got more weekends free this year so want to make the most of it. Also had weekends in the Lakes and Yorkshire so reckon this is going well enough to be orange
North Wales at least once great weekend in late August
Peak at least twice - once so far
Portland twice - fortnight ago had a couple of days at the cuttings, and this Easter weekend has been excellent fun on the (far superior) West coast.
Ansteys - best sport on the south coast, I don't go nearly often enough.
Trewortha Tor: went once and it rained, but this genuinely looked better than Dartmoor, need to go back in the dry
Uphill Quarry - nipped by after work last month for a shunting session, want to get back to lead Jimi Hendrix.
Torbryan - as above, never been.
Spacehunter at least twice - been up twice since it reopened after summer bans, so so good.
Sunset Buttress - not yet...
Climbs:
Bristol Weed - had a really good initial session on this last September and then injured my elbow. Three sessions this spring, think the sequence is pretty much settled, and very close to in two halves now
Return of the Gunfighter - Brilliant route, best I've done so far in the gorge, and got to be up there with the best in the country (like Tennessee below...).
Just Revenge - the most realistic of my Ansteys wishlist
Tennessee - YYFY! Good session yesterday in decent conditions (relatively), got past the pocket but couldn't get heel up for the top crux. Today was much worse connies but psyche prevailed and both me and Remus got it done. Got to be one of the best at the grade in the country, despite the faff with tides and Smeg.
Ultimate Warrior - have had a pic of this on background rotation for aaaages.
Number chasing:
7c first go - did this in Chulilla a couple of weeks ago, see YYFY thread
3 8's - got to keep up standards
7C again - it's been a while (2019??)
Finish the Cheddar 7a's - 11 to go. 4 to go Done!
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Nice
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Going to jump the gun a bit on this, because all hope is lost for any improvements.
Few goals for me this year. Just the overview rather than the means.
Climbing
1. Try 7B, just to make sure I’m aiming high enough long term
The aim here was to make sure I got out and tried something hard for me. I wasn’t close to 7B level. I did try two boulders graded 7B although both are debated. That wasn’t the point though, both are hard for me with opposite styles. Looking forward to trying again next year!
2. Visit Lulworth in summer
I could have made this happen, but I was never going to achieve anything. Most of my year was influenced by injury.
3. Tie on a rope
Same as above. I also found it hard to commit to a open ended day away from the family. A morning bouldering alone is easier to justify.
4. Focus on consistency in training above all
Initially I went from basically nothing back up to climbing 7A+ which was my difficulty pinnacle this year. Consistency was key to this. Unfortunately I wasn’t conditioned enough to tolerate the intensity of the training, hence the injuries. I was really lucky to get the 7A+ when I did as after that I couldn’t really train any more and got weak again.
Life
1. Get off my phone
Its not been consistent. At times better than others. Biggest aim has to not be checking phone around children. Definitely making progress.
2. Sleep habits as ever
I couldn’t point to a time this year when I’ve been consistently happy with this. But I’m reasonably optimistic for the year ahead after taking active steps to help.
3.Maximise family time
I think I’ve done this!
4. Organise career faff better
A nebulous goal in many ways, but without going into boring detail I would say this has been achieved with room for further improvement.
Injuries dominated my climbing year. I can’t be sure but I think they have recovered. Can’t be sure as currently not really stress testing. Goals for this year will somewhat depend on how rehab and reconditioning goes!
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Good idea Monk, following suit.
1) Unjustified. I've linked the headwall from the big undercut but thats the easy bit! Also need to put a new belay in on it, ideally before the spring. New belay went on at the start of the year. I then started trying it in earnest and made good progress. Quickly linked from crux to top and started redpointing as soon as it was dry. Unfortunately just as it started clicking and I was making it through the crux onto the headwall conditions started getting way too hot. I was expending a lot of energy getting through the boulder and then had very little left on the crimps just before the rest. I kept thinking I just needed one cool day with a breeze and I would do it but it didn't come, and I reluctantly binned it off in the May heatwave intending to come back to it in the Autumn. I have barely been back on it since as it hasn't dried at all at the crux. It definitely goes though, and I'll be back on it in the spring.
2) The Groove (again!) did not try - was wet all autumn.
3) Cashmere Cat - good intentions but never went, will rollover to next year!
4) Font 8A? Just started to feel more feasible in the last few months. I still need to actually try one in earnest but no longer feel like its a stretch goal.
5) Get new bathroom in the house. - success
6) Enjoy having a dog but still go climbing; basically make him good to take to the crag. General success - dog is great at some crags and shit at others, but I get round this by simply not taking him to eg Malham.
7) Set up PhD for the final year push in 2024. Keeping on keeping on. 15 months to go....
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Rollover year with added details:
1. Stay alive and try to find something worth living for. yes, kinda, I'm still here at least
- keep up with self-care and maintenance in various forms. I keep trying
- try to find some greater purpose in life in lieu of climbing prowess guidebook stuff and quarry cleaning cleaning
- just keep moving. a bit but not enough
2. Try to stay active enough not to deteriorate further. no, all physical capacity deteriorating
- try to transmogrify my depression into DMac-style "obsessive exercising depression" instead of "hide under the couch and hope the outside world fucks off" depression. quarry cleaning but to my detriment
- do more regular gym sessions to complement climbing and regain some lost gym prowess. no, nowhere near enough
- keep up with the "less sporadic than previous years" stretching. a bit but not enough
3. Keep pushing to stay in contact with friends, climbing partners, and maintain social life. yes but still challenging
- keep putting myself out there with local climbing groups and wall nights even when it's not promising yes but still challenging
- be more flexible socially with venues and where and when I go by necessity
- try to become more involved and productive in the community (guidebooks, cleaning, clubs) a bit but to the detriment of climbing
- meet more climbers whom I share other things with esp. music taste and general vibes not really
4. Try to be careful enough to heal elbow a bit more. broadly less but picked up other injuries
- keep up with the steady mid-grade mileage indoors as it seems to be working yes
- add in additional rehab exercises if wrist-curls have plateaued yes
- do not get fucking complacent yes
- introduce something vaguely akin to training (Depot 30 board?) as elbow allows no and was rubbish on almost all attempts
5. See 1. yes, kinda, I'm still here at least
- if it works I might aim for some climbing goals. no
Further commentary about the climbing year saved for later.
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For the following year I wish to avoid any unessential injuries,
sore wrist but now rehabbed, a2 pulley rupture back to strength occasionally sore, sore neck being sorted. Not quite a success but manageable. Could do better.
climb with friends and climb some nice boulders in an off piste setting.
More of a success. Some good trips with Dave Fiddler, and mates from work, as well as an impromptu PebbleHelm meet
I'd also like to succeed in climbing the 2 projects I was close to doing this time last year,
I at least visited them, but sadly there is a lot of training to do.
and find another amazing crack boulder to compliment the 2 that fiend found me to convalesce on.
Not yet, although I succeeded on on of Fiend's presents
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I had this as a goal last year as well but ideally:
- Reduce volume under 7B/+ seems to be working well, if I go out now it will usually be to try stuff at 7C or above and it means I’ve sent a number of harder problems
- Consolidate 7C - 2 questionable ones done according to all my friends (terrace and bullet) but ideally I’d like to reach 10 haven’t quite hit 10 yet but made some great progress, hard to with the weather we’ve had but I’ve done 7 7Cs now
- Climb 1 7C+/8A 2 7C+ done now, be good to keep building on that pyramid
- stay injury free (good luck to me) fixed my A2 sprain on my left middle finger after 7 months of rehab and then got one on my right hand ring finger haha, luckily it’s very mild and warms up fine
- work on my skin tactics and stop getting splits in the same spots. this has improved loads I think due to having less tries on problems and if I do get a hole or split immediately stopping and then trimming it down really well and letting it heal properly so it doesn’t reopen
All in all not a terrible year other than the shite weather. Luckily next year I have a number of trips abroad planned.
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Climbing
1. I would be pleased to do any E5 off the list of half a dozen or so South West routes that I always put off trying cos they look too hard and/or scary. Il Duce would be the ultimate, but not sure I will have both the courage and a partner to try it.
Went to try Il Duce but it was wet. Climbed King’s Arete instead which was a decent consolation price. Also took a day off work in October to climb Andromeda Strain which was ace. Nothing else off the list of SW E5s though so this goal will roll over to next year.
2. Climb something decent outside of Devon & Cornwall. Ideally something in the Lllanberis pass, or Gogarth or the Llyn.
Didn’t manage North Wales, but had a good weekend in the peak at the start of the year and a fantastic week in Wadi Rum at the end of the year. This was my first trip abroad in the decade since I’ve had kids - hopefully I can negotiate further trips in the future.
Life
3. Get better at jumps on my recently purchased mountain bike, hopefully without smashing myself to pieces.
I’m still in one piece and am better than I was, but am still pretty timid. Basically stopped going out on the bike once I had booked flights for Wadi Rum as I was too worried about injuring myself and not being able to go on the trip. Need to get back into it, but am pretty focused on climbing at the moment.
4. Get promotion at work.
Promoted to partner at work so definitely green, although it’s always jam tomorrow.
5. Have a family holiday abroad that everyone enjoys.
Had a great week in Morocco in May. Wouldn’t necessarily be my choice lounging by a pool for a week, but the Mrs and kids loved it which is the main thing.
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Keeping it simple and achievable as usual.
Sport: 7b+, anything harder is a bonus (which means I'll end up trying an 8a). Did one 7b+ in spring before a finger injury stopped all hard climbing for 5 months. That healed then a back spasm on my first trip out put me in bed for a week and curtailed any more trips out. Ahh well, there's next year
Bouldering: actually do some, 7A hopefully. See finger injury
Trad: who knows? Hopefully Fiend will drag me to the quarries and I'll lead another route. Let's go E2 this time. Ambitious but possibly achievable. Got some trad done, might have done an E1. My youngest breaking his median epicondyle in a fall at the wall two days into the summer hols meant I didn't get out with him as planned
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Climbing
1. I would be pleased to do any E5 off the list of half a dozen or so South West routes that I always put off trying cos they look too hard and/or scary. Il Duce would be the ultimate, but not sure I will have both the courage and a partner to try it.
Went to try Il Duce but it was wet. Climbed King’s Arete instead which was a decent consolation price. Also took a day off work in October to climb Andromeda Strain which was ace. Nothing else off the list of SW E5s though so this goal will roll over to next year.
That's got to be a green hasn't it? Andromeda Strain looks lethal and surely E5!
It took me three goes to get Il Duce not soaking wet and/or with waves crashing up the corner. Keep trying. I'll try to get down to N. Cornwall myself in 2024.
1. Try hard. Fall off a trad. route, or entertain onlookers [© reeve, an excellent measure]. Fall off sport routes lots of times.
Trying hard fairly often, a good number of sport falls, >150 practice falls. Did not have a real trad. battle. though rather embarrassingly fell off Thin Wall Special an E1 I'd done several times before.
2. Put some time into a good 7b/+. Possibles include, in roughly increasing order of unlikelihood, Living Dead, Empire..., Road Rage, Paradise Lost, Cave Route RH.
Seven sessions on La Muerte del Sponsor and one and a half on The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Got close on the former. Quite enjoyed the process but still can't beat an onsight fight in my view. To be continued.
3. Get on a classic seacliff E5.
Not felt close to doing harder trad. and didn't even try.
4. Rematch with Supersonic.
Not yet but revisited High Tor and felt comfortable there.
5. Climb at four from: Scottish Highlands, Islands, Fairhead, Lundy, Llŷn, and the north Cornwall coast.
Eleven glorious days at Fairhead, a couple of days in Cornwall, didn't make it to Scotland once.
6. Do something fairly long, somewhat hard, and mostly free.
Verdon. H’s first trip there and a fine time was had. I’m not completely sure if La demande counts as it is not very hard nor that long and a repeat from 43 years ago but I’m taking it!
7. Climb in places new to me, including somewhere in the excellent Northern Rock guidebook. Gordale or Malham would be great (not completely new but I’ve only been once, in the previous century, for the trad. of course).
So far this year I’ve done the complete opposite and climbed at Uphill, Brean, Portland, Pembroke, Siurana, Fairhead and The Verdon. All in the comfortably familiar box.
8. Climb with some new people. New indoor partners would be good too, if anyone goes to the Westway or Castle get in touch.
Have made an effort and filled out my dance card somewhat, climbing with more than ten new people indoors and outdoors even including some new-to-me people at the Westway. This is an achievement for someone so naturally antisocial.
A decent go at these aims and writing them down in public definitely encouraged 1. 2. and 8.
Despite a good start at Pembroke and Fairhead, I did not kick on with the trad. As usual, coordinating fitness, partners and family is big part of the challenge. And the weather seemed shit in the latter half of the year. There is a fear of failure too: I'm not going to get up things if I don't even try them. I've just got to get on these routes and not worry so much about "losing the onsight".
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1. Return to full body functionality. Rehab my hamstring, regain the ability to heel hook, sort my shoulder out, try to work on flexibility too (part of hamstring rehab too)
My hamstring was fine by the spring, but my shoulder has been a grumbling problem that has taken out much of another year. Making some progress now, but definitely not as planned...
2. Get out of Dorset a bit more. Aside from actual holidays, I didn’t get away much last year, got into a bit of a rut of local things. Even if it’s just short weekends to Dartmoor or day trips to Avon or Wye, every little helps. I’d also like to sort out some cool holiday trips as well.
Definite highlights here, we had a great trip to Pedriza in the spring, some trips to other places (a good day at shorncliff for example), a half term trip to Wales in glorious weather and a holiday to Scotland in the summer. Retrenched a bit later in the year, but I'll give it a green on the grounds there aren't going to be many others
3. Work out a sustainable balance of family and more focused climbing. MiniAJM seems to be really enjoying toproping and MrsAJM has got back into climbing a bit more recently. But at the same time almost all the local trad and much of the better sport is in fairly child unfriendly locations or needs child unfriendly time windows (eg Portland west coast evenings), so working out a way to do some more focused days or evenings and some family days and getting a sensible mix.
pluses and minuses here. Climbing with family would potentially be a green, the kids have enjoyed climbing, we have even managed to do some trad just the 4 of us (Jetty crag and also on Haytor). A consequence of other things going on though is that I've not really managed to sort the climbing excl family at all - once or twice but nothing you could say is a sustainable framework.
4.I said it last year, but I’d like to get more trad done - even if it’s just easier starred stuff - although preferably back into the E grades.
I did manage more trad - days at shorncliff and Symonds yat, a bit in Wales, Haytor, Scotland etc. Got a number of HVSs done (some technically repeats from a decade back) and perhaps a nominal E1. Hardest stuff probably Red Rose Speedway, Vandal and Ann and Looning the Tube. But as with other things I started well and by and large tailed off as the year went on. Greeny-orange.
5.More dws. I’d like to build the CV at Portland, Swanage and/or Devon, and I’d like to get to the point where I’m falling off the top of Mark of the Beast like all my mates rather than wussing out of the scary bit at the bottom. Or ticking it, obviously.
Rubbish year for dws. After that good run of weather in May and early June everything just failed to come together and I barely got out at all.
6.I’d like to try hard on some sport again, be that some good onsight attempts (low 7s?) or some redpointing (high 7s?)
I've not done much sport at all this year. I did a soft 7b at llanymynech, but that may have been the only 7 of the year?
A lot of stuff going on this year. Moved job at the end of the year which puts a move to Bristol on the cards some point soon, which will be disruptive but also create more opportunities for future.
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Congratulations to everyone for whom "stay alive" was a 2023 goal and who has made it this far! We did it!
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First year with a young child so keeping it simple
Fingerboard > 100 times
Climb indoors > 50 times
Climb outdoors > 10 times
- Fingerboard 30/100 - guessing a bit here, definitely failed on this one. Was perhaps a stretch given I didn’t have a fingerboard up for most of the year.
- Indoors 50/50 - managed to average nearly 1 visit a week to the wall - doing more on a rope really helped with psyche this year.
- Outdoors 16/10 - even with the horrendous weather since October, still managed to get out a bit more than expected - mainly thanks to top-rope soloing and an unexpected month or so of freedom in the summer.
I also made some other goals part way through the year when psyche returned, but didn’t post them up here.
E4 onsight - done
Onsighted the headwall pitch of cream. Proud of this off the back of zero trad.
8a inside or out - not done.
I did climb an 8a indoors (and onsighted another) but both were very soft. I came within a whisker of climbing an indoor 8a+ which felt legitimately hard and I put 5 sessions into - so would have counted that. Didn’t try any outdoors apart from a half-assed go on Adrenochrome.
1x route off the life list - done
managed 4. Darius, Cream, A38 and Mark of the Beast
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Congratulations to everyone for whom "stay alive" was a 2023 goal and who has made it this far! We did it!
Assuming we make it to the end of the week, anyway.
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Some great years all!
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At least 3 of the following existing projects. These range from having had a brief play, to having had 4-5 sessions on and repeatedly falling at the chains. *Cough* Biological *Cough*.
Canyonlands, Devil's Gorge
Nanabozho, Llanddulas
Broken Dreams, Dinbren
Bad Bad Boy, LPT
Biological Need, Kinsey
Herbie, Malham
Canyonlands, Broken Dreams and BBB. Didn't get to Yorkshire at all this year.
At least 1 of the harder routes I've had my eye on. This list may evolve if other stuff takes my eye.
Hades, Devil's Gorge
Statement of Youth, LPT
Insomnia, Dinbren
Had a quick play on Hades and Insomnia but decided to prioritise training for RRG in the autumn which was my original planned window for this.
Beat last year's record of 5 trad routes.
12!
20 boulders 7A+ and above.
Headed out to the Orme today to get the 20th done.
A decent year all in all but looking forward to trying some harder stuff next year.
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- Sort out the current dodgy A2 and then stay uninjured. I'll do that by exercising self discipline to drop the intensity when the volume increases, rather than just recklessly going all out all the time.
Big flop. Sustained loads of finger injuries/reinjuried on my left hand this year, ring thrice, index once, and middle once which I'm currently progressing. Some of them were reasonably minor, so I had to throw in a short-lived left shoulder injury to keep things interesting. I think it's due to creeping up session volume (particularly hard board stuff) when it just wasn't necessary, and it simply had a great risk of overuse. Right side is strong as fuck and uninjured though!
- Do more DWS. Did it for the first time last year and had great time despite being rather shit at doing more than 5 moves!
Half flop. I did technically do more than last year, but didn't try anything hard as I had a terrifying experience in early July which knocked my headgame, and then that scorcher weekend in September I had a knackered shoulder! Ah well, next year is another chance, with lessons learned.
- Do some training for DWS, or at least something a bit transferable like sport or long boulder linkups. Not because I want to send hard, but because being able to better manage the pump would probably get me more value out of it.
Nah. This might've been an optimistic one, but I don't enjoy sport/trad/being pumped enough to actually do this. I don't think it's necessary for enjoying it anyway, just means I'll get burnt off by sport climbers!
- Consider day trip-able DWS options around North Wales (driving from Shropshire):
*Nant Gwrtheyrn and maybe more Lleyn potential
*Various Orme bits
*Penmon and maybe more Anglesey potential
Sort of success. Penmon now seems to lack access and didn't make it to Anglesey at all. Gwrtheyrn was great but has challenging conditions. Orme was scoped out, seems reliable conditions-wise but never climbed on due to failing headgame. Heel Hook Look area looks good but shallow, so you'll want good tides for the top bits of any routes to be safe. Pigeons Cave area looks good and possibly better water but the exit wasn't obvious from where we were stood so I'd want to have that figured out (any beta?) before getting on anything. There are some staples on top which might be handy for an ab rope.
- Rigpa, but subject to pad logistics and finger health.
One good session between finger injuries, but that's all folks!
- Visit some of the "grand full day out" list:
*St Bees
*Sampson's Stones
*Cwm y Foel
*Rhinogau in general
*Howshaw/Back Tor
*Simon's/Lord's Seat
*Great Wolfrey
*Anafon
Not a single one! Had a big day up at the far top end of the Wavelength boulders which hit the experience, bouldering until dusk, sprinting to the car and grabbing a curry before the local house shut for the night.
- Do some exploratory/development days.
I did have a couple, so green may be fair but after the weather went to shit in June I only ever tried established routes like a classic boulder consumer, so orange feels more appropriate. Enjoyed little visits to Bryn Castell and Craig y Wrysgan though.
- Visit some of the "why haven't I been here yet" list:
*Pac-Man Boulders
*Cwm Glas Bach
*Carreg y Foel Gron
*Llyn Celyn
*Wimberry
*Wolf Edge
*Secret Garden
Only visited Cwm Glas Bach, and that wasn't particularly comprehensive anyway. I did go to a fair few new places this year which weren't on the list, so I'm not too disappointed with orange.
- Revisit some of the "got all or most of the moves done so could be a goer" problems:
*The Mentalist
*Lizard King
*Harvey Oswald SDS
*Cosmic Wheels
*Hannibal
*Severus Snape
*Brass Monkeys
*Cruella
*Grasswind
*Bad Moon Rising
*The Captain
*Old King Cascade
*Suavito
*Cholesterol Traverse
*Beef Growler
Fuck it, I'll give myself green for this one. In a year where I've been working around injury so much, and considering how much I normally like to go to new venues rather than the same ones anyway, I think I've done rather well to round off two pretty hard things. Harvey SDS will have to wait further, but it dries dead quickly and is super accessible. Bit minging on the skin though...
It's been an interesting year indeed...
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That's got to be a green hasn't it? Andromeda Strain looks lethal and surely E5!
It took me three goes to get Il Duce not soaking wet and/or with waves crashing up the corner. Keep trying. I'll try to get down to N. Cornwall myself in 2024.
Andromeda Strain was less scary than expected. Some big runouts above iffy gear, but relatively easy climbing. Great positions and moves up that huge slab too - recommended.
I’ve been to try Il Duce three times already now! Fell off on my first visit and had to retreat, and was soaking wet on my second and third visits. I’ll keep persevering!
BTW - did we meet in passing at Bosi this summer? I was down there soloing with a friend and I think it might have been you that sent some photos to me via WhatsApp afterwards?
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Bit of a shambles of a year! Post-Covid symptoms for the first two months (unpleasant, but not too bad in comparison to what came next), a few decent months of recovering and getting some fitness back then 6 months of post-viral symptoms that seemed to be set off by a cold. Terrible sleep, rundown, persistent headaches and debilitating tiredness in response to exercise. Started to ease after 3 months and climbing is almost back to normal now, running still below par but at least it's improving.
Climbing :-
- 1. Do more stuff on a rope.
2021 2022 isn't a high bar to beat, but would be good to get back to enjoying routes. Ideally come back from a day on the ropes feeling more physically tired than mentally (a sign of how much by head game has disappeared over the last 3/4 years of minimal route climbing). About the same as last year. - 2. Commit to some hard(er) boulder problems - failed at this in recent years so need to make more effort before the wet Autumn weather writes the season off and I scuttle back indoors. I'll put a number on it to try and make it more specific - 10 problems F7B and above. Tried nothing hard, see above.
- 3. Have a weekend away somewhere - I was promised one for last year's birthday that never happened, just need to make some work headspace and get something booked in. Make the effort to meet up with friends more, rather than going solo all the time. Weekend in the County in November. No ticks of note but great to be there. Also made more effort to climb with a few folk locally.
- 4. Some arbitrary numbers - 20 new problems F7A and above, 5 new (to me) crags. Very few new 7s, about 5 I think, but did manage the 5 new crags - Grasshopper Ridge and Farley Woods in the Churnet, Church Crag, Carrhead Rocks, Back Bowden, White Edge.
Running :-
- 1. 2 PBs on the road - still feel like my 10k time lags behind the rest of my PBs by about 30/45 seconds, so keen to right that wrong. Also another HM effort. 10-mile PB would be a gimme if ever entered another! See above, only races I did were on the fells in the few months of not being f**ked.
- 2. Train a bit more specifically for the fells in the spring and see what happens in English Champs and club champs races from May onwards Won vets' prizes at a few local races in May, felt ready to push on with some targets in the second half of the year and then spent 6 months in a deep, dark hole (metaphorically speaking).
- 3. Some arbitrary numbers - 50+ Oxstones runs to/from home, 30+ different trig points. Hit the Oxstones target (53 currently), nowhere near on the trigs (20) due to 4-5 months of doing very little.
Life :-
- 1. Finish off house projects - just the kitchen to go once the decking/garden get done in the new year. Decking done, calamitous roof failure meant the kitchen got postponed as we needed a new roof.
- 2. Make more time to spend with my wife and without the kids. Do something nice for her 40th.Post-viral symptoms over the summer meant I didn't have the energy to do much. We did manage a spa day for my wife's birthday and have been making the effort to get out for meals without the kids, despite it being awkward at times.
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Only one significant update on my six month review...
Having always been an opportunistic all-rounder with an allergy to structured training, I'm going to try setting a few more specific goals this year. Not with the aim of setting loads of new PBs, but just to see what it's like and whether having more focus keeps me more consistently motivated.
Climbing specific
Finish local E8 proj
Succeeded in April, 3rd ascent of The Rising Son. Enjoyed this more than any route project I've done, and won't be disappointed if it's the highpoint of my headpointing career - suited me perfectly, both in style of climbing and in being so close to my house.
At least one boulder problem =>7C
Got to the arete on Jerry's Roof on second or third session, but tweaked a finger in the process (god knows how, I'd warmed up and it's not fingery). Otherwise I think I'd quite likely have done it by now, so I'm optimistic for the autumn. Got it done in the autumn as hoped, just before I went to Antarctica and all climbing ceased.
5 sport routes in the 7c-8a range
If I can count Rising Son I might still have a slim chance, but this is looking very unlikely. Not getting away for a trip in January as planned didn't help, and the sore finger doesn't help either. I also just can't bring myself to focus on sport projects in North Wales in summer (neither slate nor the coastal limestone suit or inspire me), or to have projects that aren't close to home (unless I'm on a committed sport trip, which I tend to do only in the winter). I've defaulted to doing the sort of thing I'm naturally drawn to instead and I've been enjoying it, which I guess is ultimately better than ticking a set goal anyway. No change here, did almost no sport climbing this year.
Maintain some condition through the winter season (i.e. wall or board twice a week, assuming opportunities to climb outside don't happen)
Very pleased to have kept this up, by setting a fairly low but realistic target to fit around tiring work.
Sailing trip to Norway (subsidiary aim to climb one or two new routes)
Wap-waa. After a rewarding but challenging test week in the Small Isles, I/we essentially chickened out of crossing the North Sea and spending three weeks on a small boat. Psyched for more island-hopping boat adventures in future though.
Non-climbing specific
Stretch upper body every time I go climbing
Have lapsed a little at times but not doing too badly
Stretch lower body every day (will not count this a fail if it's not literally every day, but aim to get close)
As above, need to get back to standards of the first three months when I was doing really well
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Looking at the deluge outside I doubt there's owt else going on this year so let's ave a look!
Climbing
More F7b's than last year - maybe even one onsight!
Seemed to not find as many F7b's that piqued my interest or I had a chance to get on but did manage a cheeky onsight of Arvanitakis Extension in Leonidio so gonna take the green tick - Had intended to RP but the GF struggled on the warmup so I was aware that I probably only had the one go - was right up my street and felt at the low end of the grade but I'll take it. I did manage to pull off a pretty large rock after the crux which was scary as fuck but still managed to pull it out of the bag - Great!
F7b+
Get on F7c - F8a project
Managed to do Zephyr F7c 1st RP and got on and did all the moves on Myself not a Fish F7c+/F8a - YYFY! Did also snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on Vertigo, another F7c that I couldn't have been closer to without doing so will be going back for that.
Moonboard 7A
2 7A's and a 7A+ - Not benchmarks though so I'll take the green tick with a hint of shame (probably 6C+) :-[
At least one big trad day
2 Hard Rock ticks at 2 new crags - The Grooves on Cyrn Las and White Slab on Cloggy - 2 of the best days of my life!
Verdon again
Bought flights and ended up binning them as the forecast was atrocious - went to North Wales instead and had one of the best 4 days climbing in years (See above + LPT and Slate - Got spanked!)
Kalymnos again
Tick - Had a month there this year! 2 weeks with the GF, a week on me tod and a week with Energizer bunny and both our daughters - Ace!
Go climb somewhere abroad that I've never been
Leonidio in Feb - Tick!
Other Sports
Surf every month of 2023
Big fail - Jan to March was sweet as I surfed loads then it all went south - time and commitments meant that swell and availibility never coincided... Arse!
Do a bit of fell running
A bit - not much tho, would have liked to do more!
Life
Rebuild relationship with wayward son - hopefully see him get at least a couple of GCSE's
Work in progress but definitely moving in the right direction - He got 4 GCSE's so big YYFY!
Take daughter somewhere awesome and keep encouraging her climbing (gently...)
Yep! Font and Kalymnos
Manage long-term injuries so they continue to not cause issues
Yea - got a new case of golfers but the preexisting ones (shoulder, tennis and hips) are all proper bo!
Good slew of greens again this year - actually managed to get on hard stuff and somehow actually did some of it! Pretty pleased looking back! Life goals weren't too shabby either - time to put together 2024's list now!
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Get better from long covid, ie be able to function like a regular human being. This looks like being able to work, walk around, do some sort of exercise at any level. If I can get that done consistently then obviously I’ll be doing some sort of climbing, I will be happy with anything at the moment even just going to the wall.
If I make it to this point any time over the next year then I can think seriously about more tailored goals, let’s see where I’m at in six months.
Get better from long covid - Have continued to improve throughout the year, except for getting reinfected with covid in September, which put me back, but doesn't seem to have done too much extra short term damage. I have a bunch of drugs from the consultant now and an actual diagnosis, which I don't feel covers everything but it's a start. Still not well, but way better than I was.
Be able to function like a regular human being - Hmmmm no not really, though now I'm very rarely in the vegetative state I endured in the early part of the year. I've been out to eat loads of times this year (couldn't do that in 2022), have met up with friends a bit, have been able to listen to music again.
Work - I wish! Health still too all over the place, concentration improving but still not great.
Walk around - slowly improving. Over the winter I went into central London a couple of times but needed a full on rest day after, in the autum I've done similar but with just a quiet day following. Managed a hospital appointment followed by a visit to the shops afterwards, all in the same morning - unimaginable earlier on in the year. I've stopped shuffling and am back to normal walking.
Do some sort of exercise - I went to the climbing wall for the first time in two years! :strongbench: Major YYFY for me obviously, I cautiously think that short bursts of effort followed by laying around don't exacerbate things too much. Have stretched every day since March 2022. I'm still pacing myself very carefully.
I wouldn't say I'm particularly consistent in anything except for stretching and meditation (which I also do daily, recommend it, again I'm basically microdosing but it's good), but my overall level is both way better than it was at the start of 2023 and still a long way off normal. My mental health has been pretty decent apart from a very dark few days in late summer, but they soon passed, for sure I get frustrated and angry at the state of the world (particularly with respect to long covid funding, don't get me started), but on the other hand, who doesn't get frustrated and cross? As per so many posteres on the "best of 2023" thread, thank fuck for my partner who has basically kept me alive. And thanks to all the friends who make the effort to keep in contact or make the trek to meet up near me.
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Climbing
- Limit projecting to 2 or 3 c. 4 week periods in the year -
- Outside of those periods no more than 2 sessions on anything - yeah did both of these, helped that I had the >7B grade chasing goal I think to focus on quicker ticks most of the time, whilst projecting was entirely focused on one problem which remains outstanding! Did a few things in 3/4 sessions which is always a nice zone to be in, albeit most of these were on trips and I don't really count 3 sessions in the space of a week as a project. Also felt like I did fairly well at despatching things, with quite a lot of problems done in a session but towards the end of the session which is always satisfying knowing you don't then have to go back. Helped a lot getting Ben's Groove Sit done in only 2 sessions this year (much more on that in the Best of thread)...
- Long trips to Ireland and Switzerland - spent a month in the Ring of Kerry in Ireland, living close to family whilst I worked remotely and climbed as often as possible. It worked brilliantly, my wife got to spend lots of quality time with her Grandma, my daughter loved getting to know her Great Grandma, and I managed to get out loads and loved the climbing plus didn't completely stuff it at work. There's not actually that much bouldering despite some promising previous reports on here, but what there is is very good, with some truly exceptional rock. The weather was great and I was especially lucky to get in touch with some locals who kindly gave me a tour of a newly discovered area.
Followed that with a month long holiday in Zillertal, Austria! It was brilliant as a family holiday, unfortunately I let high expectations reduce my enjoyment of the climbing early on, but thankfully pulled it round after the first week or so.
- Climb indoors more whilst training, not just on the boards - yep have made a good consistent effort with this whenever I've gone to a wall.
- Warm up on my home board before going out, particularly for projecting - sometimes
- 100 sessions on rock - I'm on 93. Pretty pleased with that. It's not the most efficient thing sometimes but I genuinely think there's no substitute for keeping you moving well than getting on rock regularly. Really thought I'd make the 100 this year but I didn't get out as often as hoped in Austria and then the awful July weather put me even further behind.
- When trying crux moves / sequences, when you stick it climb all the way to the top. Do this at least once a session.
- If you try a move and nearly stick it but fall off, either pull straight back on (if possible) and try to do the next move, or visualise sticking the move and continuing climbing. - done both of these pretty consistently. Absolutely no idea if it helps or not!
- Climb with other people more regularly - this was going brilliantly until I spent two months abroad climbing entirely by myself. Haven't really rectified it since either tbh, but would very much like to.
Grade Chasing
- >50 7B and up - 56
- >15 7C and up - 21
- 8A - 4 - very chuffed with all three of these. I felt like I massively regressed in my climbing during and after the pandemic. With my daughter then arriving everything is harder, so I'm very proud to have been able to recover some ground and essentially get back to where I was in 2019. Gives me real hope for the future.
- 100 Vpoints in a day at Almscliff or Caley - had one attempt at Almscliff on a warm day at the end of August but spent ages on a few things and finished on 74. Went back on a mild blustery day at the end of September and managed 92 in 2.5 hours, which I'm happy with. I'd highly recommend it as a fun thing to do. Every time you do something first go you get a little buzz of elation. I think Almscliff particularly works beautifully for it too as the layout lends itself to the circuit; starting naturally at the area around Morrell's which is a perfect warm up, yet includes Problem Rib which is always incredibly droppable. Move on to the burly steepness at the front of the Virgin and Keel boulders (I didn't actually do the Keel though). A little respite can be found easing up The Matterhorn before more burl on the Egg, after which you arrive at Patta's Arete hoping it doesn't take too much skin! At this point, especially if you're on a clock, it feels like you're never going to make it, but thankfully heading up to Demon Wall gives such a highly concentrated sequence of thoroughly repeatable (as long as Pebble Wall doesn't shut you down) V5-7s that you can make all the time back. I was really hoping to finish with Syrett's Roof so as to top out the crag having done exactly 100 points, but I forgot to do Que Fastido down the bottom and the wind was absolutely howling at the top so the pads wouldn't stay down for more than a second, hence stopping at 92. If anyone's interested happy to share the problem list. Caley next!
Life
- Move house - put our house on the market whilst we were away in May and June. Eventually took it off in September having had one viewing in total. Just not the right time.
- Keep exploring potential to move abroad for an extended period - very much in the 'too hard to even think about' pile atm
- Eat lots of vegetables - ups and downs
Training
- Stick to plan / don't get distracted by going outside - for the most part, although distracted in April trying to get my grit project finished before going away. Meant I never even went to try the problem I was most keen for in Zillertal as I just didn't feel confident. Shall have to go back!
- Do my ex-projects warm up circuit; x4 problems which I've done before but took me ages. One go on each at the start of a session. Current PB is doing 2 of them and dropping last or penultimate moves on the other 2. - best day was doing 3 out of 4 and getting close on the other. Not bad. Have since moved on to some other things.
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HNY all!
CLIMBING:
-Planning on training through Jan and Feb and into March with the aim of hitting Malham in the Spring. Would love to finish off Predator and really want to climb Bat Route. Plan to go on other routes there too to help build fitness and dial into the style again. Had a nice session in the Autumn reacquainting with Bat Route, and it definitely feels doable. Just needs time on it. May get a Euro trip in here somewhere for some fitness and Vit D but work changes mean I can't commit as don't know when I'm on leave yet. Got 2 Winter/Spring Euro trips in which watch great to get back into climbing after 2022 on the bike. Never got up to Malham this year. Partners never really aligned to make the big 6+hrs round trip worthwhile to get projecting.
- Insomnia as a local sport proj. Found how to make the heel beta work in Spring '22 so this should be doable. Had a couple of sessions on it. Didn't do the bottom crux of Broken Dreams. Had one frustrating attempt, and then pulled on from after the move, and set off for a link and did it, so its totally on. Think I mildly tweaked my finger though so didn't get back on it this year.
-Get back to doing more Fr8a's and above. Think I only did 1 ? in 2022. basically cycled most of the year and got weak for climbing. Aim for >10 Tick. Think I did 12, got very close to doing a few more in few goes and didn't go back. Sometimes good training when you don't tick. I felt like I did the Thumb 3 times one day in the summer. Great route that one, keen for the rematch.
-Whilst training this next few months will try to get out locally and want to finish off Sub-Moron (Tom Newman's Fb8a at Grinshill) and maybe the odd day out elsewhere to keep the motivation up. Roof of Baby Buddha, Wonderwall, The Big Smile are all things I need and want to finish off. Did Roof of Baby Buddha and SubMoron-Shropshire Lass and SubMoron-In His Head links. Didn't get back to the others.
- Would love to get to Glen Nevis. Loads of trad I want to do there but would love to get on Stolen. Didn't get there.
-Hopefully carry some form and fitness out of the Spring and just enjoy some good climbing around the country through the summer. I've got loads of trad and sport routes that have been on my wish list for the past few years now. With the kids I've had to manage my expectations better so I will be grateful for just doing anything really, I just want to feel like I've pushed myself. Dream Topping would be a good early one as my Bro wants to do Strawberries. 39 Slaps and Trumpet Blowers on Scimitar. Tried both whilst trying to get used to new TAz Lov. Made good links on Dream Topping. Led it on pre placed kit in 3 sections. To top of Strawbs crack. Then to the good wire halfway up DT, then to the top. Was honestly a bit wigged out to give full beans for a proper attempt, quite intimidating up there, and the weight of not doing much climbing and trad since pre Covid years definetly hasn't helped. Only tried Trumpet Blowers on Taz but super keen to get this finished off in 2024.
-Finish some things on the Slate like Quarryman Groove and Wall Within and Wish You Were Here (Very nearly did this in a sesh in '22 but fell on last tricky move with foot slip, went back week later and it was soaked!). Went on The Medium and nearly did it. Top roped it clean after few tries which was happy with but then fell off on lead tickling the hold, and a few other crap goes. Went back few days later and it was really warm and got on worse. Have a pair of sanded edge shoes at the ready, so now it's on the list of y unfished slate projects.
- I would like to try Unchi Maka on the Sialouze in the French Alps if I can create an opportunity to get out there at the right time with somebody psyched. Would need to have good overall all day crag fitness and be feeling psyched/not afraid for pushing it on a big scary wall out of comfort zone. Didn't go there, think the mentioned lack of volume and trad momentum for not being gripped would have held me back on this this year. Hopefully going to try in summer 2024.
-Couple of routes that I never got back on after getting very close to doing in a session are Supercool and Nemesis so be good to finish these off. Didn't get to them. I did possiby have similar level to when I nearly did Nemesis so thats a positive, but when a few of us were going to head across, the cons report said the cornice was gopping and think that was the Cornice story for much of '23.
-If I get to Pembroke and am feeling fit and have any trad momentum would be keen to try From A Distance and Big in America and more routes in the Leap. Didn't go. And similarly wouldn't have been ready.
LIFE:
-Got a 2 and a 4 year old so I'm always trying to get the balance right of doing my bit at home to maximise time away from the family, and juggling it all with work and being knackered. This has improved loads through 2022.
Generally can climb in Wales most weekdays and also do a longer day away. be good to do some more multi dayers to places like Scotland.
Changing into new role at work so hopeful will have a bit more mental energy to expend on the climbing.-Not committing to any biking this year. I'm sure I'll possibly get out on some rides when the weather is nice, but don't want inflexible legs and bulky thighs so going to keep it causal. Tick to all of the above. Kids getting easier all the time. Job getting better. All gains for the energy pot for climbing.
- Have done a few park runs this winter. Got PB of 17.40 so far (its got a hill in you go up twice). Will try to keep getting this down towards sub 17, (done sub 17 on flat easy treadmill), but only going to train generally by using treadmill in work time. may also do local road 10km. Didn't do any running until the Autumn. Have recently done a 17.36 on treadmill, did 16.58 on same treadmill around time i got the SY parkrun 17.40 so not a million miles off. Didn't realise how much the '22 Cycling aero engine played into running fitness last winter.
Overall happy with getting climbing form back slowly. More trad and general volume required, and also a bit more snap on the board. And need to get the conversion rate up next year, never really got that momentum of getting stuff across the line this year despite getting close on loads of cool stuff. Great fun though so all good. :great:
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Sort out the garden: Dog-proof it with new fences, dig up the drive and replace with lawn, plant a couple of trees, cut the hedge back to manageable proportions.
Sorted a lot of the garden, but things had to be pushed back for various reasons (needing planning permission for the fence due to the layout of our house for one). Final part of dog-proof fence is on its way in the New Year, but we've got a temporary one round the back for the time being.
Get a dog.
Jen has wanted a dog for years and when it came to it she decided she was too excited to have good judgment and I would have to find one for her. We wanted something that was a mix of working breeds. I grew up with (working) Collies and Huntaways and her with (pet) GSD crosses. We've ended up with Hamish, a Lab, Collie, GSD and Komondor cross, who is a ball of bitey energy at 3 months, and a little confused about whether he's herding, guarding or retrieving.(https://factortwo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PXL_20231220_102225747.PORTRAIT-1.jpg)
Actually use my fingerboard.
I was pretty good for the first 4 months of the year.
Sport climbing: Silk Purse at Dunkeld is my obvious target. I'd also like to do one of the 7cs at Tunnel Walls and have a play on Axiom.
Made good progress on Silk Purse, but was too busy for proper training over the winter and had nowhere sear the endurance for it. Shoulder injury meant I didn't go back.
Trad: Get a couple of weekends doing big, hardish mountain routes in the E2-5 range. Have a bash at Lady Charlotte and Rat Race at Dunkeld. A trip elsewhere would be good too.
Did hardly any climbing all year and never got my head together for harder trad before taking a rest with injury.
Winter: Bag 3 classic winter routes this season, ideally at new-to-me venues, but I'm not fussy.
Too busy with a course from January to April, and didn't get out at all!
Other: I've been working on plans for a link-up project that I'd like to film if possible. The idea would be to cycle from home (Bridge of Allan) and have a big day in the mountains, inspired by Colin Kirkus's exploits. From here that would mean either cycling to Glen Coe, or more likely doing a link-up of winter routes near Tyndrum, with the whole thing taking probably 3 days. Even better if I can repeat with a summer rock version.
I've made progress on planning a few adventures like this, and had a great day cycling, running and soloing at Beinn a Bhuird in May.
Hopefully, attain fulfilling employment. My bar for this is pretty low after a series of really shitty employers! Simply feeling valued and having prospects for future progress both professionally and in terms of skills would be good. Course to hopefully accelerate this starts in January.
A job was not forthcoming after the course, I managed to get 2 interviews and got good feedback, but one job then didn't actually exist. Feedback from applications has been good, but I'm in the Catch-22 of needing experience to get a job, and only being able to get a job with experience... In the meantime I'm tutoring maths online, mostly A-level, but I'm also doing undergrad maths for scientists and engineers, which is interesting. Low stress and I'm enjoying teaching again. Completed some more work for the SMC integrating their guides with the RF App.
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Ah the annual internal fight between my wildest dreams and the crushing reality... let's see if I can get the balance a bit better in my goals this year
- I'll let you be the judge, given the amount of amber and red and the scarcity of green!
Bouldering: Do some cool boulder problems which - despite my proclivity to only do things within my comfort zone - actually take me more than 10 minutes of effort. For example: Darkthrone, Stottie, Blackfoot, The Horn etc.. Did a couple of these, but hardly overcame my tendency to only try things I'll probably do in a session so amber seems fair. To be fair, I was well up for getting stuck into a proj for Winter but I've only been bouldering once so far this season! Stupid weather.
Trad: Fair-style my way up some harder routes. Try hard enough to fall off some / give any onlookers a spectacle. Get committed on some big cliffs. Let’s say half a dozen E6’s / sandbagged E5’s Probably about three, at least one entertaining spectacle and one big committing cliff. Feels like some wins on a technicality but really not enough of the kind of experiences I was really looking for so again I'll have to be happy with an amber
Do some more dirty cracks, culminating in success on the mightily butch (and big spanking from ’22) Circular Saw (E2!) Another session down and still haven't done the bugger!
Sport: Based on previous years’ abject failures, let’s set the bar a bit lower and aim to do a decent pyramid of sport routes back to 8a. Then let’s take it from there, ideally doing more than one and/or reaching a bit higher than that Infuriating! Did 5 7c's, all in a session, then spent sometime trying an 8a+ at the Cornice that then got wet, then had four sessions (spread over August, September, and the middle of October!) on Aberration on which I managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory! See biggest spankings in the other thread...
Miscellaneous: Go abroad but continue our personal moratorium on flying Font and Annot!; do a route at Malham (last time was 2013! [roll over goal from last year]); bivvy / wildcamp somewhere cool (roll over goal from last year); climb some choss; climb on slate; do some DWS; visit a Scottish island. - probably the best thing I did this year.
Training: Maintain strength over summer (FB or board, at least weekly); stretch - get better at middle splits Nothing spectacular but pleasing for me.
Non-climbing: soundproof entire house (or at least the bedroom, so our sleep isn’t interrupted by the neighbour having a shouting match with their teenage sons every morning [roll over goal from last year]); depending on money, sort the kitchen; have more friends round for dinner / barbecues in the back garden; continue learning French; read more (I can only think of one book I’ve read since finishing my PhD in 2019!).
Pretty mixed bag overall. I've found a lot of 2023 frustrating in terms of not quite getting things done. Hard to pinpoint exactly why things haven't happened. Perhaps I've been a bit passive in terms of setting up partners and hustling to get on what I really want to do - something to work on in '24
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Kenzoku. A hard problem that challenges and inspires me, simple as that.
First session of the year I think.
Climb a moderately hard 3 star problem in Wales or The Lakes (cosmic wheels, starshot sit, ???).
Barely climbed outside Yorkshire this year, but I've sought out and climbed a lot of good lines that in my opinion are even better than cosmic wheels or starshot (e.g. Red Alfa, The Waiting Line)
At least 10 sessions on rock with other people. My good mates from Leeds have all emigrated to Australia or the USA over the last few years. Since I work at home and usually climb alone, I rarely interact with other humans outside of my household. Hopefully, achieving this goal will help keep me sane.
Easily.
Something on a rope that takes a few sessions. I have no intention to train endurance, so it will need to be fairly bouldery. Agent Provocateur at WCJ looks good.
Kind of. I've practiced several things on a rope that I've gone on to highball/solo.
5% increase on my max hangs PB.
No idea, I don't do them anymore but my fingers are stronger, so i'm ticking this. It's probably worth saving for another thread but max hang / grade correlations from Lattice and others have negatively affected my training for around 5 years. I now believe it's pretty useless information for an individual climber.
I already have a couple of family holidays booked but I'd like to aim for one trip with mates, whether that's for climbing, surfing or bikes, it doesn't matter.
No climbing, surfing or biking trips.
Get CEng
All done at my end, just waiting on them!
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Can't find any goals from me so will add what I was working towards anyway:
3 8As or above
- done 1, have done 1 in very overlapping halves with 10s rest between falling off and pulling on again, but I feel the summer temps might have ended trying that one. Have another that if I can build a bit more fitness on it might go.
30 7Cs or above
- currently at 15
Should be off to Font Sept to early Dec, which may make my first goal tough to achieve as I don't want to spend that time projecting, just more enjoying quality session grade boulders. Would be nice to get one more done before I leave and potentially return to the one that's close in December.
Ended up doing 30 odd 7C and 2 8As, didn't get chance to go back to a few things but also probably overstretched myself having 4 8s that I ended up having in very overlapping halves each to go back to next year and a bunch more I did all the moves on.
Hopes I'd get one more chance to close this off today but the weather didn't allow for it.
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Nice work everybody with green on here. :thumbsup:
Up until the middle of the year I was on track and pretty confident of ticking almost all of these but getting really sick for a few weeks in the summer (didn’t have long Covid or anything but it took a while to get back in the saddle climbing-wise, mentally more than physically) and the unexpected resolution in late November of a “conveyancing issue” that had been rumbling on all year meant that it all went out of the window while we bought a house and moved our stuff into it. That’s not the sort of goal I write about on here but it’s bigger than all these in a way so I’m not disappointed at all ;D
climb my remaining 11 (for want of a better term) bogey routes
To recap, my definition of a “bogey route” was a trad climb I’d failed to lead clean on more than one occasion. I’ve actually ended 2023 with only 1 less than I started it with :lol: I did tick off 5 of the original list though (and it felt great each time I did), I just added 4 more… I didn’t take into account that I have lots of routes that I’ve tried and failed on once and giving some of those another shot increased the list. If I’d have been really focused on this goal I could have not tried any of those routes and been more proactive in getting partners to belay me on the ones on the list that I didn’t try but while last winter I thought it would be really useful for my climbing to tick this aim it didn’t feel that important once I actually got out climbing again in the spring.
Best trad year ever. (27+ HVSs, 7+ E1s & 2+ E2s)
Ticked the HVSs easily (well into the thirties by the end) and the E1s without too much bother (I managed 8, they were feeling pretty routine by the end of the season and I did a few tough ones) but while I did attempt some E2s on the sharp end, I wasn’t successful.
This means that I equalled 2012 (when I set those totals of the first two grades but had yet to lead E2) but not 2014 or 2017 (when I did nothing like that trad volume but got up two E2s) so it’s an orange one overall. The full tick remains for 2024!
300+ days leg stretches.
Boom, did this. 301 days. Regard me ;) Did 328 days of upper body stretching and stretched my back on 209 days too. Made loads of progress in my range of movement, back to what feels like pre-accident levels now, and I think the fact that I completely cleared up last winter’s shoulder and elbow gripes and didn’t get any more injuries is partly down to this too. Moving house has meant that I’ve barely stretched for a month though so need to get back on it.
39+ days with a fingerboard session
29 in total. Did 19 sessions between January and April with 20 saved for September- December so I was on track. However moving meant that fingerboarding fell by the wayside… and now it’s not even on a wall. :spank:
Repeat my strength PBs
This is a list of 39 PBs that I dredged from my training diaries back when I couldn’t walk. Every year I try and repeat them all. In 2023 I got to within 5 and ticked a few that I hadn’t done since my accident (only 2 remain in this category) so while this is another that suffered from lack of attention at the end of the year, it’s doable in 2024.
10+ days on high moors or mountain crags
11 in total. Mostly moorland grit but some mountain days in there too and I haven’t counted days hiking or scrambling, only ones with roped climbing involved. Best ever year for this :2thumbsup:
Take more photos than just action & landscape
Yeah, just about. Didn’t get great results but did make some effort and it’s a nebulous aim so I’m ticking it.
Perfect Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now on the bass
There’s always one you don’t even remember isn’t there?! I can definitely play it but I wouldn’t say I’ve perfected it, certainly not enough to do a video as proof which I think was my intention. Towards the end of the year I got more into playing the keyboard and now all my music gear has been packed away for a month!
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Final results
Outside Climbing
20+ days outside climbing
Have great family trip to El Chorro
Onsight 6c
Managed to flash 2. No Onsight.
Onsight 6b+ x3
Achieved
Redpoint 7a in a day
No. Took 3 sessions/ 8 tie ins.
Depot Goals
Complete 80% of a purple circui
Achieved
Complete 2 of a yellow circuit - NO
Climb 5 yellows- NO
Flash 10 purples - Yes
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Best year yet credited to the board and staying uninjured!
Climbing
- 5 V9s
Topped my fifth V9 of the year on the last day of the year - just managed to sneak this in :D
- V10
YYFY - managed to do three in four, three and two sessions respectively
- Go on at least three trips
Moe's, the South, Roy, Squamish, Joe's. A good year for trips
Training
- Get down to 10% BW assistance hangs on one-arm BM2k slot
Hit 10% on LH, close on RH. Fingers have been tweaky throughout the year but glad to be consistently in the -20 to -25lb range
- Get weight down to 80kg
I did for the summer then bounced back up. On my way down again for a trip to the South at the end of Jan
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EOY Review
Climbing
Get over finger injury.
Yep, feeling as good as ever (touch wood)
Get a couple of local bouldering projects done.
Can't remember what these referred to, but found and did a few cool new probs
Tick a couple of good established problems repeated (best option being Rankin's new ones at Johnsheugh).
Nope - had one session trying some of the JH ones, but no go,
Get a mountain route or two done.
Nope - trad rack gathering dust
Get some DWS done, some of the longer Murrayheugh routes.
Did some, couple of great days, but didn't do any of the longer routes
Get Kyle leading.
Yep, leading well indoors, getting low 6 leads done consistently. Need to get outdoors now...
Get to some other Scottish bouldering, Strathnairn, Torridon and Dromore
Nope, not climbed outside the shire
Running
PB a road HM (1:38:00 or better). - nope - one HM and blew out
1000 km for the year, (1200 as a stretch goal). Yep, hit 1000 on last day of the year
Not sure what else, maybe a marathon or a trail ultra. nothing
General
Do a CPR / Defib refresher refreshed scout leader 1st aid training, which included defib
Get a couple of local ski tours done no scottish skiing again
Surf more more than last year, but still not loads. Had some great days
Get work needed on house done yes, driveway redone, was the big one!
Get to 50 mark on family Munros (currently 23). Getting trickier as we get the nearby ones ticked off.
LOL, massive fail, did 1. Tricky with daughter now diving on saturdays and swimming on sunday.
Not a bad year, given the person stuff that's gone down I can't complain about what I've managed
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I’ve not had a decent season since the end of 2019 / covid, so need to be organised to try to make this a good one.
Climbing
Climb outside more regularly. In 2018-19 I embraced the SE sandstone (mainly shunting routes with a bit of bouldering) and had my best season in years, so going to try to get back to doing this.
Focus on south coast sport for the first part of the year, maybe with a few bouldering days thrown in. Make in a session and flashing the dominant themes, entirely in the interests of getting as much stuff done as possible.
If my standard goes up sufficiently, start travelling a bit further.
Climb with more people off here, get better at networking re other climbing parents with kids similar ages to mine - 11 and 8 - and generally try to have more options for stuff near and far.
Figure out some good trips for the kids. More routes (and get daughter leading regularly and up into the 7s (which she’s more than capable of). An Easter or summer bouldering trip somewhere fun.
Went to Font twice, plus Switzerland. Didn't achieve a vast amount, but kids and I had fun.
Get on some trad too, but try to keep it productive and fun vs getting freaked out at Swanage and then locking my gear in a cupboard.
Training
Lose loads of weight. It’s by far the most significant thing holding me back, and I have a good track record of getting thinner, so just need to get on with it. I think I could probably eventually get into the 70s, but 80-85kg would be a good start.
Yo-yoed back and forth. Eventually gave up worrying about doing this on my own and booked a nutritionist, starting imminently.
Reorganise what I’m doing so part of the week I’m focusing on route-specific stuff, rather than having it in the back of my mind - i.e. train like a route climber who wants to push his bouldering, vs someone who thinks he’s a boulderer who occasionally gets distracted by other things.
Get better at using the 40deg board for route specific stuff, inc 4x4s and 20kg move type things.
Board syke was one of the main highlights of the year. Had vastly more fun / made more progress doing that than everything else.
Set and work towards various strength-related goals (147, 1 arm pull up, BM slot hang, etc) because they’re simple targets that would be nice to tick off.
Was doing pretty well with a Gus-style fridge ticklist of this stuff, until my attention got diverted in the autumn.
Work consistently on flexibility, which is currently in a fairly shit state of affairs.
Orange, but right at the very far end nearest red.
Finger strength is not a weakness, but I do still want to get back to consistent fingerboarding as it’s nice seeing numbers progressing vs the lucky dip of achieving it via board climbing. Also I think I need to do more drag training.
Hardly did any.
Life
Finish work-in-progress books, script, and generally work hard to hopefully avoid having to return to conventional employment.
Finished a TV script which has taken 18 months, though most of it came together over November and December, during which time I completely forgot about climbing, sometimes forgot I had children, worked through quite a few nights (twice in a row on one occasion, because I was having so much fun), and finally sent it off shortly before arriving in Ticino, where I arrived almost perfectly de-trained. Fingers crossed.
Also avoided any conventional employment, deleted my LinkedIn, and have a couple of backup projects underway to hopefully keep things ticking over...
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I find your life path both enviable and terrifying at the same time. Kudos to you.
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A ranking (.) of importance has been added to each goal
Correlative goal:(-) A goal that is correlated to the amount of work you put in to the goal.
Causative goal: (--) A goal that is directly caused by the amount of work you put into that goal.
Correlative goals are not necessarily reflective of input, so for each correlative goal I have a causative goal to assist it.
Improve finger strength in acute positions
-Front-3 half crimp (or more acute) 8-2 repeaters comfortably at BW on the Beastmaker2000 outer edges. Yes
--Do at least 1 repeater session every week.* (4) Green?
I exploited the constraints on my training (1) and overtrained repeaters. I probably completed 50 sessions by the end of the first 6 months. For a fleeting moment, I was probably the strongest I have ever been. I then got injured likely due to over-training repeaters.
Improve flexibility
-Hamstrings- Get both of my heels to the top of the fridge with no assistance other than balance stabilization. Yes
-Hips-Side splits progress to both heels outside of the 6 tile range in the kitchen. No. Still 6 inches off, but I chose to deprioritized this stretch
--Continue to stretch before dinner on standard rest days, targeting these areas as well as general mobility and rehab work. (3) Yes, I have stuck to this well. I have made good gains with bunched hip flexibility
Minimise injuries and injury risk (goals are gonna get more complex for this)
-No major injuries (defN: 3-months or more of impaired climbing or worse such as serious impairment)
-Only up to one new medium injury (defN: (1-3)-months of impaired climbing)
Ok on the whole. Six months of not being able to train crimp or crimp aggressively, but the impairment to my climbing wasn’t too bad. Now fully recovered.
--At least 1 lower intensity volume/technique session per week. (1) (e.g repeaters followed by trying problems up to 3 times before moving on.) Yes, I have stuck to this well but dropped the repeaters after 6 months (see above)
-Come up with creative ways to enjoy lower intensity sessions. Yes, I am enjoying my low intensity sessions on account of this
The following is one goal (2)
--Before each school session honestly assign it to a category and try to keep sessions in their box.
power (high intensity)
finger strength (high intensity)
power and finger strength (high intensity)
volume (lower intensity)
technique (lower intensity)
other (lower intensity)
--No more than 2 sessions a week with high intensity power. Such sessions must have at least 2 days in between them.
--No more than 2 sessions a week with high intensity finger strength. Such sessions must have at least 2 days in between them.
Yes, I honestly assign all of my sessions in a week to a category now.
*This will usually be 4 sets of hangs for a warmup. Deviations from this are allowed for a holiday. This has intentionally been set as a very simple goal to allow for deviations in acute finger training while still being able to keep up with this underlying goal all year round.