Peak Hit

The orme was shut for a triathlon on sunday so i thought i'd go to the peak to climb and visit some folk. I stopped in at Raven Tor on saturday, conditions not great. Kristian Klemmow was finishing off the mecca repair job, we spoke about the ormes for a bit and various projects which was interesting. Andy Harris and Dobbin were lurking by pinches wall. It was smeggy but i thought i'd do a bit of bouldering. I tried Staminaband again, this was my first 8a from a while back so i was interested to see how it would feel after not having climbed on it for years. I did one or two of the moves then had a blast and fell getting the famous pinch on powerband. Was interesting comparing this problem which is a benchmark 8a, F8b+ to the thing i did on the box the day before, another level springs to mind. Went back to sheff and socialised a bit and stayed at Nige's. Next day i went to Rubicon early to meet rascal and pickled gherkin. Those boys were on Caviar but i was keen for Zeke. Have had probably two days on this when i lived in sheff once doing the moves. Conditions were ok. I did the moves quicktime and had a go from the ground. Fell off, then realised i needed to work it a bit more so i sussed my beta properly. Next two goes i got to the crux press to the dish but fell just shy of getting it, felt like i could of done it so was pleased. Stopped there cos i didn't want to go through a tip. I will defo be coming back for this, its a cool route. Felt quite easy for an 8b but this could just be because it suits me, i like those crimpy holds with bits for your thumb! Good effort to whoever rebolted it too. Pickles did Caviar (guys on a roll!). Then i went home, back to the deadhang regime tomorrow!
Finally i would like to take this opportunity to beg Keith Bradbury never to compete again, i've seen enough train wrecks!

Nigella

Pascal on caviar

Some kind of gay ritual

Good to see the bear making a speedy recovery!

Jack the Drunk

In 2007 i completed a traverse on Pill Box Wall called Drink Driving. Today it received its first repeat from myself, i also added a harder start to create a new link up. Drink Driving started up a font 7a, my new link starts up a tough Font 7b/7b+ called Jack Daniels Connection. It then joins Drink Driving and follows it to the end. Drink Driving i think is soft Font 8a+/hard French 8b+. Jack the Drunk is mid Font 8a+/French 8c and thus the hardest bit of climbing i've ever done. Not a major new line but a personal milestone. I probably worked up to this ascent over 50 or 60 days. Today i felt slim, the hard climbing felt ok but i nearly fell on the V5 finish when my arms melted!.The good news is that the big Pill box link up is still to go and this will be very nails, sustained to the max.
View some pics of original Drink driving here:
http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=305

A day of Nearly's

Today was the first decent day of conditions i have experienced for about a month. It was cool on the orme and there was a nice breeze. My plan was to warm up in the cave then move onto the box but in the end i thought i'd take advantage of the conditions so tried Halfway House, Nodder showed up and once again suggested that i try his kneebar for the move into the undercut. I did and it worked! Bonus. I went from the start and found myself at the shothole, but cocked it up. Then i did the same thing again, balls! Oh well progress, i think the grade of this problem is soft 8a with the kneebars. Then i had a go of my other cave project, Broken Heart/Sams Finish. Felt quite pumped but managed to fall off the last move again. On the box i fell off the last hard move of my project again. After a quick trip home to refuel i headed back to the orme to meet up with the LPT crowd. Pete is looking good on LA, he can basically do it in 2 halfs now. Jim did Statement. I checked out the Carson direct finish to Bad Boy again, Pas de Deux. I have never managed to get a decent sequence on this before but today i kind of worked it out. The two bolts after leaving BB are hard Font 7b+ or 7c, quite fingery. I managed all the moves apart from the very last one to good holds. Quite keen for this now. i think its probably 8b and not 8a+. Certainly comparable to other 8bs i've tried. Something else to do down there!

Round 5

It seems there is no sign of a let up with this mingin weather. Hot and sweaty! Yesterday i planned to go down LPT but was put off by sweaty temps and persistent showers. Instead i had a burn on the Box, jesus i felt strong, managed to lock to the pinch and get the intermediate but was losing friction on the hold for the crucial cross under, i fell. Then i headed to the Mill with the siurana team, i've certainly gone up a slight notch recently, climbing is essentially about improving for me and attaining levels that seemed a million miles away. Theres more work to be done but i think i'm on the right track, just need some time off work and some good conditions and i think i could climb some things. Simpson dismayed me as usual, i mean this guy has not done done any significant levels of bouldering for 3/4 years yet his base level is silly. He managed Rockatrocity first go and was strong in the Mill, so impressive.I suppose i forget just what a beast he was during his training period.

Anyway i'm gonna keep doing what i'm doing, deadhanging, bouldering on the board and hopefully lose another six pounds (but no more!).

Day 5 on Liquid Ambar today and i'd be lying if i said i wasn't expecting some breakthroughs. Feeling strong and confident i hoped to string a few moves together. I pulled up to the first hard section keen to see how it felt. I pissed the 2nd hard move, total stat man papy. I always hold the black crimp in a different place so i worked out the best position finally, i reached up totally static holding it on top. Then i tried to get my foot up and fell. This was awkward i needed to work something out, so i did a few more foot moves and it was fine. After a bit of a breather i had linked this first hard boulder problem in a oner, font 7b+ or 7c, i screamed, get in. It felt steady. Next i did the slap and just about managed the very hard match after it. I certainly had gone up a notch. The top moves felt steady too, bring on the linkage!

Awesome Mawson finally ticked Melancholie and Simpson checked out Walking Mussel believing it to be easier than 8b+ i.e 8b.
Earlier on there was drama on Mayfair wall when Tommy pulled a sizeable amount of rock off Rupture. The folk below dodged it well, could of been nasty!! Tommy hurt his leg and cut his hand. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance but he's ok if a bit stitched up. Good effort to everyone at the crag who helped out. Here is the hero:



Get well soon mate!

11.6

My strict regime is starting to pay off, i've managed to shift around half a stone in 2 and a half weeks, i am pleased with my discipline! Have also continued with the training at work so hopefully everything will come together soon. The weather was disgusting this weekend, hot, rain, mist, no wind. I tried Jack the Drunk on Friday feeling good i almost did the move to the pinch static but couldn't hold it long enough cos of the grease. I had two great sessions in the mill climbing the best i ever had in there, getting closer to my goal of ticking a 7b+. A few weeks ago i couldn't of dreamed of this. So thinks are good, fingers are getting stronger and i'm starting to feel light, watch this space....

Upping the Ante!

Two important shifts have started to happen in the last week. Armed with my flask of green tea the pounds are starting to shift. I've lost 4 of the buggers this week. Basically i have done this by yes eating less but mainly by cutting out the shit. 11.8 this morning, get in! Last two weeks i have eaten only salad during the week but at weekends have loaded up on some carbs so i have energy to climb. The other important thing that has been happening is that i've started deadhanging again. I was a keen disciple of the deadhang in uni, spending hours in my room hanging off a bit of wood. I knew it was great for finger strength, why i haven't doen it for years i do not know. So anyway i do 3 sessions on Pascals fingerboard in the week. I would reccomend this for anyone who wants quick improvements in their finger strength. So simple, it takes hardly any effort and yet it is one of the most effective climbing exercises! With the beastmaker boys churning out quality produce it is easy to work those fingers. My deadhang philosophy doesn't involve seperating your fingers though, i don't like to do this because to me it seems slightly injury potential. I prefer just to get a piece of wood with a rounded edge and make it small enough so you can hang it for no more than 10 seconds, any more and its too big. I then do ten sets of this. At the mill on friday i was curious to see how i'd feel, warming up on a pinchy 7a i wasn't feeling too good. Didn't feel any lighter yet and not too powerful. However on the other warm ups i noticed i was dragging holds i would normally pinch or crimp. This is pure deadhanging- amazing and i've only been doing it for 2 weeks. I then proceeded to crush most of my projects. Have been climbing there on my own which was hard at first but now i'm getting well into it. Also i started running again last week, again haven't doen this for years either. Obviously this is good for weight loss too but also it is good for routes. My legs were knackered for days after!. Simpson reckons you need to run about 3 times a week, i think i'll do it every 4 days. So i'm at the start of an interesting process, come back in a month and i'll let you know if its all been worth it.
Went down LPT before the Mill yesterday, was rammed. Pickles and Pascal on Melancholie, Pete and Smit and Tommy on Walking Mussel. I was overjoyed to find Pete the one man requipping machine Harrsion has re-equipped Parasite and Wild Undertatement and put a new belay in Youthanasia, what a fuckin leg. Tommy is having a whip round for the lad so please contribute. He won't stop til the crags finished and then theres talk of sorting the Diamond....
I've always dismissed Walking Mussel as being a nails shit boulder start, dirty middle and then a nasty crack. However its amazing what new bolts and a bit of chalk can do. I've always whinged about the fact that there is no decent 8b+s in N wales. Well there is. I got on it and it was mega, didn't do very well mind but i'm keen for another look sometime. It is apparent that the original line Moon's Seagulls Dilemma is actually the same grade as WM (boulder start font 7a). So you either go with the Carson grade for both or the Moon grade. Well we're going for the Carson grade as the middle section is a 6 move font 7c. Very cool moves and holds. Pete got maybe the 2nd ascent y day, great fighting on display!

Ondra- The Worlds Best

I think its fair to say that becoming the best climber in the world is harder these days than it used to be in the era of Ben, Jerry and Wofgang. Climbing and the number of people operating in the highest grades has taken a quantum leap. The sheer number of good climbers out there now operating in the 9's is staggering. The best redpointer is rarely the best onsighter. On paper Sharma is the king redpointer with two 9bs. Patxi holds the onsighting crown with two 8c+'s under his bed. However it is a 16 year old from the Czech Republic who has emerged as undeniably the worlds best. Climbing the hardest routes in every style and ridiculously quickly in most cases this young man is a phenomenon. Like the best climbers of the best he travels almost non stop seeking out the hard old school classics aswell as the modern pumpfests. Go to 8a.nu and check out his all-time ticklist, you will be impressed, and then remember that he is 16! Two 8c's and an 8b+ onsight in a day, 9a+ in eight goes. Truly shocking! A year or two ago Adam tried his hand at bouldering and had four days in Ticino, his ticklist put the best boulderers to shame. Dreamtime in 4 hours, Shadowfax in 30 minutes! and many other problems in the 8's. Whats next for the young buck, 9b is an obvious challenge, there are plenty more crags for him to get his teeth into, Buoux? what about Roughlings routes? Will his sense of history bring hime to Britain, Hubble? Big Bang? Mcclure routes? Time will tell!