[tomtom]

2013 totals:
Outdoor: 62   
Indoor: 3 
Training: 6
New Grade 7's 17

This week has been a tale involving 3 rock types, trying to avoid the baking hot weather and getting nowhere

Monday and I went to Harmers wood about 9:30 am... it was baking... the rock seemed to be sweating, and after warming up on the usual problems I started trying to pull on the crimps - and it felt as if someone had liberally oiled them... fingers were just rolling off the tops of them - so nothing hard was going to be repeated or done there, so I gave up on harmers and headed over to Helsby in the woods. There, I was hoping to get a little more cool from being in the trees - but it was not great there either... The project I'm working (below) has a slopey hold on the lip that you need to have well to bring the LH out - every time I had it, it felt like my palm and tips was rolling off the holds... I tried a good few times to get the muscle memory up, but really it was futile. I had  an ice-cream in Helsby and went home...



Eyeing up the forecast, it looked good on wednesday - ie some cloud and lower temps - so I got out of Manchester as early as I could and headed up to Blackstone edge. I got to the crag about 9:30/10 and it was in pretty good condition for summer. It was overcast, about 18 degrees and the rock didnt feel too bad. But - I'd forgotten how rough moorland grit was - and my skin is used to nice gentle sandstone and lime. Either friction was not good - or my grit knack was bad, as things felt hard.. I really struggled up the arete and slab on the Hueco bloc, and had to give up on a couple of 6's on the lower bloc as they just hurt too much! Looking back on things, some of the holds where slopey dishes/edges and I think in the depths of winter these would stick.

Anyway, the main event for me was Ape Hour - a 7A+ one (and maybe a bit) mover on the side of the Hueco bloc. On my first visit to Blackstone, Plattsy flashed this - or got it second go - and I was nowhere near. I just flapped about. The problem takes a roundy crimp (that feels better open hand) for the RH, a high good pinch for the left - then work a foot or feet high up a wall on a couple of very sub average smears to slap up for the slopey, but OK top... typical grit fare really, and having spent the early part of the summer getting much better at vertical/steep crimpy walls I was feeling quite cocky about getting this. My optimism was much misplaced! I found I had to work a lf up first then get a RF on a even worse smear to push up for the top. I slapped, and slapped and slapped - and slapped the top two or three times but did not hold. I then rested for a good while, turned my RH into a crimp - which gave me a bit more leverage and I over slapped for the top! By which I mean my whole palm went over the edge which meant I could not hold it! Attempts after that were useless, my skin was screaming at me and i had put a hole through the skin on my thump from the pinch.... AAARGHH.. so close so close...


Moorland cottongrass at Blackstone

I was so annoyed about this - that I planned to go back on Friday. Except, the forecast for friday was c.30 degrees in Manchester... I got up super early, and was at the crag by 8:30... super psyched. But, sadly my skin had not really recovered, the friction was not great and I got nowhere. I left after an hour - my hands trashed, a new hole in one of my LH tips and the RH looking red raw in places. Still, I got to try out my new vest!


Hot day futility on Ape Hour

So Saturday - Andy Popp had a day pass - so it was another early start and we got to Farleton about 8:30 (andy) and 8:45 (me)... conditions were fairly good - about 18-20 but no breeze.. after warming up we set about the Coil... Andy got to his previous high points after two or three attempts, and I had one really good effort when my body position was perfect for a slap for the top, but I felt a bit cold (muscle wise) and dropped off. Of course that was my last decent effort! After that, my LF kept greasing off a smear that had always felt fine... Then in the space of 5 min, it suddenly became more humid and warm (some very very light haze came over) the pockets felt rubbish and the conditions were lost. Bizarrely, about 15 min later it cleared and almost instantly the pockets came in again. Though by that point I felt spent... We gave up, defeated again, but not wanting to waste an early start, Andy suggested we have a look at Newbiggin..

Its a lovely spot - over the top from the M6 - so no road noise and views over to Penyghent (I think) the other way.. It was 12 ish, and baking in bright sunshine.. so after having a snoop around we were both drawn to a 7A+ on a freestanding boulder with a (ridiculous) lying down sit start... The first move involves a heinous pull off the deck to get better holds, then nice moves up involving great footlocks, some core and plenty of twisting. Really nice climbing - but I could not get off the deck... Long lever excuses etc.. but I just couldnt get my body position right to move. I got quite hot and bothered about this - and Andy grabbed a fine ascent after working all the moves. Not bad for c.25 degrees at the end of a session. I grovelled about in the sheep shit under the start a few more times muttering to myself, then got my arse off the deck with some odd sideways footlock egyptian and pulled my hamstring right by my arse.. well it felt pulled so I stopped. Thankfully it was and has been fine.

So a frustrating week - but its all miles and I suspect the three main problems I've tried will all go at some point... and conditions have been against me... So its time to figure out where I can go thats not too hot next week!

[fried]

Good report as usual , love the cottongrass photo.

Monday - Nothing
Tuesday - Indoor, hot and sweaty. I don't know if I ate something dodgy at lunchtime but I feel a bit off colour, so it's a shortish session.

Not doing any BM until September, it's too sweaty.

Sunday - Get up relatively early after the usual 'bal' for the 14th July, and even though I did try to be well-behaved, I still felt a bit fragile, so I went back to bed for a bit. Manage to leave Paris at 9ish and the traffic was running well so I got to Franchard by 10ish.

Pretty warm but not too bad in the shade so I continued my tour of classic easy circuits with the orange at Hautes Plaines. This is one of the best oranges I've ever done and I had a fantastic morning, moved quickly, didn't get too side tracked or lost.

Tried the start of Beurre Marga but this is going nowhere. Lack of food and sleep is catching up, so it's time for home.

[nai]

Easy week:
M - board, should have been bouldering but a weekend of late nights and imbibing all day Sunday (get In, Andy!) meant it wasn't happening so 10 easy problems x5

T - foot on campussing, good benchmarking exercise, managed eight reps of two minutes with four minutes rest with something to spare, a PB by some distance. 1km swim.

W - 2x5mins core sets

T - Stoney West - 6b OS, 6b+ OS, 7a OS fail, 7a RP, 6c+ OS fail.

F - 27km mtb ride, hard going

S - an hour open-hand bouldering on the board, working a weakness, problems that are warm-ups with a crimp are projects with no thumb. Decent session.

S- hour and half at mini works with eldest while youngest was at a party in the Play Arena. She wilted after 15 minutes, I lasted a little longer but it was pretty useless being so hot.

now have a plan for the next three months working around family events and work, it's the first time I've done this so any feedback or critique welcome:

WC
15/7 & 22/7 aerocap & strength (family holiday starts 26/7)
29/7 & 5/8 hopefully manage 2x bouldering sessions per week and some runs.
12,19,26 / - 8 - school hols - short Ancap/strength sessions
2/9 will be working most days so probably a very light week
9,16,23 / 9 - daughter at school half days - morning Ancap & strength/power
30/9 begin taper/weight loss
October - redpointing/crushing
28/10 week away somewhere crushing

[shark]

11.3-5 

Gradually recovered through week from last week's flu but still a bit chesty even now

M. Eve. Deadhangs, assisted one-armers
T.  Eve. Foundry with Poppy. Quick dabble on some of the pinks on the Wave
W. AM. Tor. Hazy/misty and humid. Did last move of AM from cold and repeated twice more. Felt casual.  Had been a desperate on/off move previously. Also can do first windmill move static now. Tips trashed. Had a play on Weedkiller after.
T.
F. AM. Tor. Mega hot. Two goes on AM one top down with moves still feeling OK then led from ground falling on Windmill move. Had a bit of a nightmare trying to do some rebolting with glue going off in nozzles. Checked out rock on Hubris on abseil - some perilous perched blocks up there
S.
S. AM. Tor. Warm again. Two goes on AM on TR. Got a really good link 2nd go especially considering conditions. Had a play on Weedkiller. More success with rebolting but still used up a lot of nozzles - can you buy the Hilti HIT glue nozzles separately?

Oh and guess what happened to me today

Another common one is climbers decking out when lowered off with a rope that turns out to be too short.

    Fortunately I was virtually on the ground

Felt great to feel so strong on the top move of Anger Management this week. Unfortunately temps look to stay high this week so redpoint unlikely and away down South next week.

[Duma]

S/MTG - keep niggles in check, run regularly, get out more. If I do any hard stuff that'll be nice too.
LTG - 8A, 68kg

M - TCA in eve, not massive amount but did a black through the big roof and repeated my two blacks, all low 7's somewhere. then brief play on the woody, and started working the yellow 8b on the circuit board - got the moves done but not sure it's linkable for me before they get reset.
T - Run at midday, 6m, 55min. Thought I was going to faint it was so hot! Note to self - go earlier when it's this hot. work in aft/eve.
W -
T - work, then Huntsham for late afternoon/evening session. Had few bits of unfinished business here, but wasn't looking promising on arrival: was brutally hot, and the paths are pretty overgrown (brambles around the boulders, nettles up by the crag) - my ankles did not thank me for my choice of shorts as legwear... Sadly the tickmarks on the Darkside boulder I'd mentioned in the "donkey lines..." thread a couple of weeks back were still just as clear, so made up for my slackness last time by brushing them off this time. Decided to sack off the boulders as temps in the sun were just untenable, but thankfully the crag was shaded. A few mates had recommended Appt w/ Beer to me - now I don't normally warm up by soloing E5, but figured I could just traverse back and forth on the juggy pockets along the lip (dropping off these would be ok ish), but leant over the top for a look just in case, and as it turned out felt fine out there so pressed on up from the end of the traverse. Felt completely solid, and brilliant, so propped my phone on a branch and did it again:

Technically my hardest ever trad route, though really 6B+! makes more sense to me

Then fought the nettles over to Bivi Buttress for the stuff I'd really come for: Between the Lines and Peckitt Roof. After clearing up the detritus of some scallies party (thankfully their fire had been far enough from the rock to not damage it), I proceeded to repeatedly drop BTL, despite feeling strong and confident on it every. single. time. - I have to tape my thumb to protect it from a sharp pebble in the hold on the lip, but getting my thumb wrapped securely over that pebble is essential to success for me, and the tape means I can't feel the placement very well - very annoying, esp when I felt strong on the move! Anyway, despite a bit of swearing and mat thumping, I was feeling good enough that it was just a matter of time, and it duly succumbed eventually. Still feeling pretty good, I moved over to Peckitt Roof. I'd discussed beta on this with b3n99 at the wall last week, and a combination of his hand sequence and my foot sequence allowed me to avoid the killer swing, and thus get an ascent in only a couple of goes - well chuffed. BTL is given 7B+, and PR 7C - I'd have these the other way round personally, but hey. Excellent session, went home to fulfil my appointment with a bottle of the awesome Independence.
b3n99 on the FA of BTL:

Hamish on Peckitt Roof (my sequence doesn't have much in common with his!):

F - work, then out for dinner to celebrate little sisters graduation.
S - 12hr shift at work
S - 12hr shift at work

69kg. Still! Prob all the sweating on Tues.

[duncan]

STG: Rehab. wrist and shoulder. Lose 1.5kg. E3 by end of July.
MTG: Big route in Italy/Switzerland this August. Don’t get injured.
LTG: LH&F goals in Alps and USA.

Review: good to get some real climbing done, High Tor standing in well for the S. Face of the Marmolada. Wrist still feels pretty vulnerable. 72.5kg.
Plan: more trad. mileage+++.

M - Shoulder and wrist exercises.
T - Alderly Cliff - HVS pottering after work. Thank you Michele and Duncan.
W - Shoulder and wrist exercises.
T - Arch bouldering. ‘warm-up’ problems x 15. Tweaked wrist wrestling with offspring (3rd time...).
F -
S - High Tor: Original Route, Debauchery.
S - High Tor: Delicatessen, Darius. As per this thread, I can confirm the final bit of the usual 'indirect' finish is quite tricky, considerably harder than anything on Delicatessen, and would get E3 at Pembroke. I'm not sure if it has got any harder recently since my previous ascent was in 1979 (when it was given E1 5b!). It is possible to back-up the bolt with a good thread about 5' below. The party after us didn't clip the bolt and tested the fall. You go 30'+ but it's down a pretty smooth slab of rock with nothing much to hit.

[Luke Owens]

M: Rest

T: Ty Newedd - Trying to escape the heat, fell off the last move of a steep F7a+ on 3rd redpoint. Had two more goes but kept getting pumped. Tried this a couple of weeks ago and couldn't get anywhere near so good to be close. Keep on pushing myself on the steep stuff!

W: Castle Inn - Climbing with the girlfriend, did 2 F4's barefoot - interesting! Then did Cross Winds F6c+ first go after working it last week - great route. Also retro flashed a techy F6b+ slab - the whole session was a grease fest!

T: Rest/Packing

F: RAC Boulders - Stupidly hot, Did loads of easy stuff including 2 cool V3's.

S: Stretching/Rest

S: Core/Stretching - 100 Crunches, 30 Side Raises L & R, 60 Aqua Man's, 40 Arm/Leg Alt raises.

[T_B]

STG - To be fit enough to do some DWS in August
LTG - lose 3Kg (from 88 - 85Kg) and get in bouldering shape for trips to N'umberland in September and Font in October

85.9Kg

M - 27-mile bike ride before work
T - campussing (1-4-6 on small rugs, both arms) and deadhangs
W- Evening visit to Stoney. Repeated King of Ming (7b+), then chuffed to do Big Apple (F8a) 1st go, in a session.
T - Worked out a new 28-move pockets and undercuts circuits on the Foundry circuit board.
F -
S -
S - Bit of fitness ball stuff

Not a v intensive week, but psyched to get out one evening sport climbing for the first time in ages. Big Apple is a cool little (soft) 8a left of Little Plum - bit snappy and fierce low down, with a technical sequence at the top on nice holds.

Introduced proper (non foot on) campussuing this week too and unsurprisingly was miserably weak. Aim to mix that, plus deadhanging with circuits next week to try and retain fitness for August, whilst focussing more on power (for bouldering in Sept).

[tomtom]

Nice post Duma

[cheque]

M- Raven Tor bouldering. I only get about an hour here before I'm fucked and I unwisely spread it across two problems, so no tick on either. Decent training though.

T- Rest.

W- Masson Lees. Got on the 7a I've been trying to do- got to the crux from the floor but had nothing left for it. Mileage up to 6b+.

T- Rest.

F- Masson Lees. Put clips in various easy routes and encouraged mate who'd never led a sport route clean before- she did her first 3, 4 and 5 and had a good go at a 6a. Ace evening! Also got beta on the 7a there that will hopefully do the trick on it.

S- Dovedale. Warmed up on vegetated rubbish (anyone who thinks Peak lime trad hasn't suffered from neglect- or believes that much checking was involved in the preparation of the ubiquitous Rockfax guide- should go and try Brown's Blunder on Raven's Tor!) then did Easter Island. Not stunning climbing but a route I'd wanted to do for ages and a return straight back to form on my first limestone trad since August.

S- Two Tier. Feeling a bit worked as third day on and from clinging on for ages previous day- pumped out on warm up. Top-roped Quality Control twice- did it in two sections second go despite feeling knackered so this will hopefully go next session. Nice to find a Peak sport 7a that I don't have to crimp on!

Five days climbing this week.  Feeling confident ahead of Pembroke trip in <2 weeks.

[Duma]

I was attempting to channel your PC posts when writing it tt, glad you enjoyed 

[Ti_pin_man]

set out in the early summer to try and get to 7a but realisticly think it'll be 6b/c this year.

M - climbed indoors for 3 hours, like climbing in a sauna HOT
T - cycled 20 miles
W - cycled 20 miles
T - cycled 20 miles
F - flights
S - Climbed indoors for 3 hours, tried to focus on footwork climbs and balancing.
S - Climbed outdors for 3 hours - got ass kicked as usual by the real rock

Recent improvements i made have slipped these last few weeks.  I put it down to life simply getting in the way, which it often does.  Wife and daughter.  Wouldnt have it any other way.   

Tonight I'm outdoors again.. hmm maybe over doing it, but my free time seems to come it batches of 3 days.  lol. 

[Wood FT]

Top-roped Quality Control twice- did it in two sections second go despite feeling knackered so this will hopefully go next session. Nice to find a Peak sport 7a that I don't have to crimp on!

Great route that one. Also, down on Max Butress the 7a's Max-Pax 'em in and Max head room are both good 'big hold' routes (bar a duo of boners on max-pax, good feet though). Also there's a very good non-crimpy 7a down on long wall with a sting in the tail, get to it.

[tommytwotone]

STG: "Dirty Dozen" offwidths in new Yorkshire Grit Guide up to and inc. E1 (and a few others)

M: Gym on lunch, inc. Eddies' "room workout" again - still can't do final set of pullups for some reason!
T: Gym after work, "gymathlon" - 1k row, highgest resistance (approx 4 min), 10k bike, medium resistance (approx 21 min) and 5k run, 1 degree incline (approx 24 min) back to back
W: Nowt, out for meal in the evening and no booze consumed.
T: Attempt at post-work climb thwarted by intense heat and crap prep. Sack off going out and went to Depot for a potter indoors.
F: Nowt.
S: Nowt, manhandled a flat pack wardrobe around in high temps though.
S: Early start, off to Ilkley for an attempt to knock off Botterill's Crack while at the same time following / supporting England in the cricket:



The ascent went well, only setback was trying to offwidth all of the route and therefore missing out the easier layback moves at the start in favour of energy-intentive thrutching. Backed off, rested up and then went for it again, and did what ended up being a very enjoyable (if you like that sort of thing) climb, spiced up with a) having to switch which way I was facing a couple of times and b) 2 frisky pigeons nesting in the crack while I was climbing and another higher up missing my head by about 6 inches when I hit the "safety" of the ledge.

With temps rising and ice creams consumed we decamped to Earl and did some non-wide crack stuff which was a nice change. Conditions were mint - cool, shady and a slight breeze so we stayed out for ages. Did a nice E1 solo next to Mousehole Slab (Rat Juggling according to UKC?)...

NB not me in pic:

[Dolly]

Bit of a rubbish week really
Spent all week working in Wales, looong draining hours, with not much time for any exercise...


M Few weights in hotel room
T 20 minute run along the prom - nice in morning before it got too hot
W weights in hotel room
T
F
S Slept for England
S In the shed for 8am to get a good sess before it got too hot. Nice to feel my climbing muscles again, but after a week with no climbing my skin was like paper

[Muenchener]

STG: Anything from this list of Frankenjura classics.
MTG (2013): Frankenjura VII onsight; Alpine multipitch VI; Welsh trad E2
   Redpoint UIAA VIII-, then 7a, then 5.12a. This should allow for a satisfying amount of Big Grade progression in a relatively short period of time
LTG (<= 5 years): Big alpine rock routes: Totenkirchl west face (Dülfer), Marmolada south face (Vinatzer-Messner)

M:
T: Wall, Thalkirchen. Short bouldering session: 15 minutes ARC warmup, 30 minutes trying my proj, 20 minutes two finger pocket ladders on system board & deadhangs on small campus rung.
W: 
T: Wall, Thalkirchen. Short and utterly crap bouldering session. Easy problems to warm up then attempts on my projects, with negative progress. System board & deadhangs likewise much weaker than Tuesday. I choose to take this as evidence that I trained effectively on Tuesday and have not recovered.
F: Bike to work ca. 25km
S: Bike to town shopping ca 25km leisurely pace with lots of stops. As recommended by physio for my knee: lots of low-impact movement.
S: Bergen. Not the city in Norway, the sport crag in the Bavarian Alps. Quite a long walk-in for a sport crag, but worth it. Warmed up, did two 6a+'s that would have been absolute classics on immaculate rock, had the immaculate rock not still been covered in muck washed down by the Great Spring Deluge. And soloed a 6b. Sort of. It was a kind of Bavarian Verandah Buttress: 6A boulder followed by scrambling. But an official 6b tick in the guidebook.

[kelvin]

Bit late here...

Nowt in the week as had an operation cancelled Monday and the parents had come up. Went to the museum etc. Drove to North Wales for four days on Friday evening.

Saturday - Avalanche, Red Wall and Longlands as a rope of three, due to a mate bailing at the start. Walk-in in the sun was horrendous. It was busy. Climbing multipitch as a three is a pain. Route overrated. I was leading the first pitch when some twat decided to dismantle my belay to place his own below - so glad the other two didn't tell me till I was off the cliff. I dread to think what I'd have done to the knob. Calmed down about it now but the dumbness of some people never ceases to amaze/worry me.
Sunday - Clogwyn Bochlwyd. Led my second VS, well, it was an eliminate slab between two HS routes. Ran it out easily enough. Some other stuff and also bumped into Marion Wintringham - nice to see her out climbing again. Hopefully get out with her this summer for a climb, which will be quite a privilege.

Had a cracking day at Tremadog on Monday but that's for next week.

[webbo]

Mon.Board getting closer on long term project,also close on another couple of things.
Tue. Bike 18 miles at 20 + mph.
Wed.Board again closer on project. Did one of the other projects did the move but kept dabbing eventually did it dab free.
Thu. Board just doing the problems in the order I wrote them down. Got to No 25 before I ground to a halt.
Fri. Nothing.
Sat. Bike 43.62 miles 2hrs 33 mins 18.21 mph. I was going to climb first but it was too hot in the Annex even with the hugh fan I bought.
Sun. Bike 72.96 mph 4hrs 12 mins 17.35mph.
Pleased that I have managed to climb despite the heat.