2013 totals:
Outdoor: 30
Indoor:1
Training 6
A double weeks post this week - as I seem to have over-run last week...
Worship the Crimp
Two weeks ago on Monday (8th April) I was off on more work travel to Vienna in the afternoon/evening - so I had enough time to get out in the morning to Helsby in the woods. All was good - except on my third problem I pulled a beautiful crimp off of one of the problems there.. It wasnt wet - it just came off complete in my hand as I pulled past it. This really took the wind out of my sails - as its one of the nicer natural Cheshire sandstone butressess, and I had just ruined one of the nicer featured holds on it... Theres not a great deal you can do with Sandstone as I understand it - I have the hold, but I dont know who well it will respond to glue.. the problem still works - its just harder as the decent crimp hold has now gone... I sat under the crag for about 20 min feeling a bit glum, then (surprisingly) flashed the V6 traverse - feeling light and glidey - but enthusiasm suitably dented I left. Packed up and off to Vienna until Thursday...
So, a week of talking, conferencing and working - but friday was free - and I wanted to get out. Sadly, UK weather PLC has having a grey claggy one - and not much looked on. But first I need to witter on about limestone. Last summer I didnt touch any limestone. Nada. Not a jot. Nothing. And I had a very good summer... Previous summers I have tried to get into the lime, but just ended up with tweaky fingers and sore elbows. So last year I just had some warm grit and spent some time on the sandstone in Cheshire - which is pretty accommodating of the warm conditions...
Having felt light, glidey and pulling well on the smaller holds I decided to head to Rubicon on Friday - everywhere else seemed damp - and I figured there was a fair chance of finding some OK rock. Rubicon is a bit of an odd place for me.. I can do none of the 7's... (I dont include the new one that blatantly isnt a 7..) and it seems I always flail up a *bigger *splash* *prize *tail (re-arrange the words after the * in any order to give the problem name) etc.. Arriving there about 11, it was damp but OK underfoot - though the RH side with the few 6's and the warm up traverse was spoogey. Slimey really in that limestone condensation style. Some lads over at Kudos said it was OK - so I wandered over and started work on a Millers Tale. This problem probably is a 6 something when you know it - but at first aquaintance and if you've not been on it for over a year - it takes a while to work out the 6 something sequence rather than the probably 7 very inefficient way... 3 or 4 go's in (aware I was looking like a total punter to the gents powering up harder things to my right) it went OK. In fact it felt very good - tight - feet stuck, body moved nicely, fingers crimped vice like on the edges.
"I think I might be enjoying this" passed (briefly) through my mind - I'd not had lime feelings like this before or for a very long time. Actually probably never..
So, I udged over to bigger splash trout prize eliminate kudofrazzle X (the one that rises and traverses R-L via the flakes and the finger mincing pocket to start with.. and it felt OK.. I got about as far as I've ever got, and felt out of condition but plenty of promise... trying one to the left (hanging from two crimps rising rightwards etc..) had two good go's then it felt like I was out of beans - made my excuses and trundled back to the car. But this was odd, as I may have had a pleasant Peak limestone bouldering experience.. It was blatant to me that my crimp was on. The small hold was feeling good this year - maybe consolidated finger strength, maybe weight loss, maybe I needed a hair cut - whatever, it all combined and I was feeling some love for the smaller hold...
Then the weather was shit and I spent 90 min on Sunday hanging from the Beastmaker - on small holds - and they felt good again. What was wrong with me!
Anyway, one week turns into another and now we're into this power club week.. Work monday > wednesday, and I nearly went out on Tuesday evening to the Cliff of righteousness, but it was blowing hard in Hull - which meant it was dangerously windy there.. so I didnt. Instead I made plans to get out on Wednesday on my commute back to Manchester. Wed was still windy - and not really sure of a venue with showers forecast pretty much anywhere, I settled to head up to Holmfirth. It should be sheltered from the strong S/SW winds and I needed to meet up with Grubes (from Hudds) to give him a bouldering mat I was selling.. I really like Holmfirth. I dont know why - but I do - in particular the wall with Holmeward Bound (6C) on it - which has some fine crimpy balancy problems. It took me 3 or 4 tries to get it - but again, body position and fingers were working well with the smaller hold..
I then moved left to try 'mad mantle' - at 7A+ its probably the hardest problem at the crag and (according to Grubes) has not had a repeat for many years. This is probably due to a ledge at knee height (from standing) which sticks out about 15 cm.. enough to cause some damage but small enough to be able to avoid if you jump rather than slither from the wall above.. It involves pulling on with a good (RH) 1cm flatty hold and shitty (lh) two finger mini crimp, getting both feet on reasonable smears, then bringing the RF up to share the RH hold then stepping up to a large flatty and the mantle - which isnt mad, its really quite easy. But the moves below are quite mad - and really very very good.. Grubes had turned up by the time I managed it (6 or 7th attempt) and it was a bit of a YYFY moment... one where you're not sure you're going to get it and - boom - it all works out
I then spent 30 min trying the 7A left of Holmeward bound - which really nearly nearly went, but I snatched a defeat - and gave up as skin was in desparately short supply and about to go through on my right tip.
Friday. A lovely day, and I had a text from Andy Popp, who was heading out to Harmers to try some new problems in the now clear middle quarry. Its not very big, and probably will only yield a couple of lines but is a worthy addition to the circuit and is 15 seconds from the car park.. see below:
I didnt manage it - Andy is the crimpy rockover meister - and I am not! I got to Andys position in the pic with a desparate undercut and some foot udging - slapped for the top and didnt hold it We had a play in the main quarry too - that was in fine condition - I had a play on Babybloc (7A+) and Andy pointed out a nubbin for my feet that I'd not seen before. But I wasnt feeling fresh so left it for another day. In the third quarry - the far LH one, we finished the really pleasant afternoon with a superb V2 arete - and a fantastic problem up the two big flakes/cracks running up the RH wall. Brilliant sideways mantle reach move - the kind of move you get on a 3* VS
So Sunday - today - and with rain forecast late morning I dived out of bed at 8:30 with the intention of heading to Harmers before it got wet. Psyche was high but controllable, and I was gunning for Babybloc with my new nubbin based beta! Warm ups, aretes, walls (its a lovely quarry) and I was feeling relaxed and flowing well.. First attempt - felt tight but getting the foot up to the nubbin worked. Next go - same point, then tried moving my LF up high to a waist height hold (at this point your just in balance holding two high thin crimps - its a real stretched out balancy position) - and nearly. But it felt within me. 3rd attempt.. sketchy start, slithery feet but outside of RF on nubbin - felt good, LF squeezed up to the hold. Wow. Felt perfect, udge up and a reach with the LH - new hold and progress.. RH up too, feet up, snatch to a good ledge and all over. Brilliant - a nemesis of about 3 years done! what a great problem too - delicate, some cimp pulling and dainty footwork required, but when all the numbers lined up it felt perfect.
So, on a roll, I moved over to Yates Layaway (6B+ I believe) which follows a faint rib and a testy final move - that I've never done! Great climbing and - well the clip tells the story..
Yates layaway, Harmers wood on Vimeo
Sadly, I hurt the A2 in my RH pinky on the send (well at least I got it!) - if you turn up the sound at about 1:43 you can hear the scratchy snappy noise (and watch for the mincing victory dance on the way down!). Like the last time I did an A2, there was no feeling just noise - then it went a bit numb. Taped up at the moment and its not completely buggered, just stretched/torn a little So a little NNFN at the end of two YYFY's... at least its my pinky - so wont get in the way of climbing too much. Though I'm not sure how much its going to change my new found love for the smaller hold....
Outdoor: 30
Indoor:1
Training 6
A double weeks post this week - as I seem to have over-run last week...
Worship the Crimp
Two weeks ago on Monday (8th April) I was off on more work travel to Vienna in the afternoon/evening - so I had enough time to get out in the morning to Helsby in the woods. All was good - except on my third problem I pulled a beautiful crimp off of one of the problems there.. It wasnt wet - it just came off complete in my hand as I pulled past it. This really took the wind out of my sails - as its one of the nicer natural Cheshire sandstone butressess, and I had just ruined one of the nicer featured holds on it... Theres not a great deal you can do with Sandstone as I understand it - I have the hold, but I dont know who well it will respond to glue.. the problem still works - its just harder as the decent crimp hold has now gone... I sat under the crag for about 20 min feeling a bit glum, then (surprisingly) flashed the V6 traverse - feeling light and glidey - but enthusiasm suitably dented I left. Packed up and off to Vienna until Thursday...
So, a week of talking, conferencing and working - but friday was free - and I wanted to get out. Sadly, UK weather PLC has having a grey claggy one - and not much looked on. But first I need to witter on about limestone. Last summer I didnt touch any limestone. Nada. Not a jot. Nothing. And I had a very good summer... Previous summers I have tried to get into the lime, but just ended up with tweaky fingers and sore elbows. So last year I just had some warm grit and spent some time on the sandstone in Cheshire - which is pretty accommodating of the warm conditions...
Having felt light, glidey and pulling well on the smaller holds I decided to head to Rubicon on Friday - everywhere else seemed damp - and I figured there was a fair chance of finding some OK rock. Rubicon is a bit of an odd place for me.. I can do none of the 7's... (I dont include the new one that blatantly isnt a 7..) and it seems I always flail up a *bigger *splash* *prize *tail (re-arrange the words after the * in any order to give the problem name) etc.. Arriving there about 11, it was damp but OK underfoot - though the RH side with the few 6's and the warm up traverse was spoogey. Slimey really in that limestone condensation style. Some lads over at Kudos said it was OK - so I wandered over and started work on a Millers Tale. This problem probably is a 6 something when you know it - but at first aquaintance and if you've not been on it for over a year - it takes a while to work out the 6 something sequence rather than the probably 7 very inefficient way... 3 or 4 go's in (aware I was looking like a total punter to the gents powering up harder things to my right) it went OK. In fact it felt very good - tight - feet stuck, body moved nicely, fingers crimped vice like on the edges.
"I think I might be enjoying this" passed (briefly) through my mind - I'd not had lime feelings like this before or for a very long time. Actually probably never..
So, I udged over to bigger splash trout prize eliminate kudofrazzle X (the one that rises and traverses R-L via the flakes and the finger mincing pocket to start with.. and it felt OK.. I got about as far as I've ever got, and felt out of condition but plenty of promise... trying one to the left (hanging from two crimps rising rightwards etc..) had two good go's then it felt like I was out of beans - made my excuses and trundled back to the car. But this was odd, as I may have had a pleasant Peak limestone bouldering experience.. It was blatant to me that my crimp was on. The small hold was feeling good this year - maybe consolidated finger strength, maybe weight loss, maybe I needed a hair cut - whatever, it all combined and I was feeling some love for the smaller hold...
Then the weather was shit and I spent 90 min on Sunday hanging from the Beastmaker - on small holds - and they felt good again. What was wrong with me!
Anyway, one week turns into another and now we're into this power club week.. Work monday > wednesday, and I nearly went out on Tuesday evening to the Cliff of righteousness, but it was blowing hard in Hull - which meant it was dangerously windy there.. so I didnt. Instead I made plans to get out on Wednesday on my commute back to Manchester. Wed was still windy - and not really sure of a venue with showers forecast pretty much anywhere, I settled to head up to Holmfirth. It should be sheltered from the strong S/SW winds and I needed to meet up with Grubes (from Hudds) to give him a bouldering mat I was selling.. I really like Holmfirth. I dont know why - but I do - in particular the wall with Holmeward Bound (6C) on it - which has some fine crimpy balancy problems. It took me 3 or 4 tries to get it - but again, body position and fingers were working well with the smaller hold..
I then moved left to try 'mad mantle' - at 7A+ its probably the hardest problem at the crag and (according to Grubes) has not had a repeat for many years. This is probably due to a ledge at knee height (from standing) which sticks out about 15 cm.. enough to cause some damage but small enough to be able to avoid if you jump rather than slither from the wall above.. It involves pulling on with a good (RH) 1cm flatty hold and shitty (lh) two finger mini crimp, getting both feet on reasonable smears, then bringing the RF up to share the RH hold then stepping up to a large flatty and the mantle - which isnt mad, its really quite easy. But the moves below are quite mad - and really very very good.. Grubes had turned up by the time I managed it (6 or 7th attempt) and it was a bit of a YYFY moment... one where you're not sure you're going to get it and - boom - it all works out
I then spent 30 min trying the 7A left of Holmeward bound - which really nearly nearly went, but I snatched a defeat - and gave up as skin was in desparately short supply and about to go through on my right tip.Friday. A lovely day, and I had a text from Andy Popp, who was heading out to Harmers to try some new problems in the now clear middle quarry. Its not very big, and probably will only yield a couple of lines but is a worthy addition to the circuit and is 15 seconds from the car park.. see below:
tomtom said:Put up by Andy Popp on Friday.. In the small quarry in between the two main ones. Line immediately to the left went today to Andy as well.
I didnt manage it - Andy is the crimpy rockover meister - and I am not! I got to Andys position in the pic with a desparate undercut and some foot udging - slapped for the top and didnt hold it
We had a play in the main quarry too - that was in fine condition - I had a play on Babybloc (7A+) and Andy pointed out a nubbin for my feet that I'd not seen before. But I wasnt feeling fresh so left it for another day. In the third quarry - the far LH one, we finished the really pleasant afternoon with a superb V2 arete - and a fantastic problem up the two big flakes/cracks running up the RH wall. Brilliant sideways mantle reach move - the kind of move you get on a 3* VS So Sunday - today - and with rain forecast late morning I dived out of bed at 8:30 with the intention of heading to Harmers before it got wet. Psyche was high but controllable, and I was gunning for Babybloc with my new nubbin based beta! Warm ups, aretes, walls (its a lovely quarry) and I was feeling relaxed and flowing well.. First attempt - felt tight but getting the foot up to the nubbin worked. Next go - same point, then tried moving my LF up high to a waist height hold (at this point your just in balance holding two high thin crimps - its a real stretched out balancy position) - and nearly. But it felt within me. 3rd attempt.. sketchy start, slithery feet but outside of RF on nubbin - felt good, LF squeezed up to the hold. Wow. Felt perfect, udge up and a reach with the LH - new hold and progress.. RH up too, feet up, snatch to a good ledge and all over. Brilliant - a nemesis of about 3 years done! what a great problem too - delicate, some cimp pulling and dainty footwork required, but when all the numbers lined up it felt perfect.
So, on a roll, I moved over to Yates Layaway (6B+ I believe) which follows a faint rib and a testy final move - that I've never done! Great climbing and - well the clip tells the story..
Yates layaway, Harmers wood on Vimeo
Sadly, I hurt the A2 in my RH pinky on the send (well at least I got it!) - if you turn up the sound at about 1:43 you can hear the scratchy snappy noise (and watch for the mincing victory dance on the way down!). Like the last time I did an A2, there was no feeling just noise - then it went a bit numb. Taped up at the moment and its not completely buggered, just stretched/torn a little
So a little NNFN at the end of two YYFY's... at least its my pinky - so wont get in the way of climbing too much. Though I'm not sure how much its going to change my new found love for the smaller hold....
