dave noden

New Year New Psyche Old Problems

2012-01-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

Its been a while, mainly due to the fact that its been wet so nothing interesting is happening. Mainly I have been climbing in the Indy and the Mill, occasionally between the showers I have headed down to Jerrys roof, and a couple of trips up to the top of the Little Orme.

At Jerrys I finally managed to stop falling off the end of Wurzel Gunnage and compleated the second asscent. Gradewise I think soft 8a+, very similar to Mr Fantastic, however it seems that Mr F is probably going to be downgraded to 8a, so once again I am wrong/disagree.

The little orme spanked me on Weirdo and the broken Grass Moustashe, it was a little frustrating as I was really close to the Moustache this time last year, utilising a high foothold. This year I failed to even get the foot on and pull in, which made the move to the sloper too wild to hold. Should have tried more last year I guess, only thing I can think is I was doing about an hour of Yoga a day, cos I had quit smoking and stopped sleeping, guess this helped.

A couple of days ago a big team headed down to Porth Ysgo with a basket load of psyche to get on dry rock. Given the fact the day before I had driven down with Chris only to end up not popping out the grey into dry nice weather as so often happens but starting to walk down as raqin fell harder and harder so we just did one and went back to the Mill. Anyway I tried the little slopey prow on the far right of the beach, and it haad magically gone from no foothold to a big shelf, this made the previously nails slap far more ameanable and more 7 than 8 which was a nice suprise.
Picture Si Panton http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/

Like I said though mainly it been the mill. I am about 5-6kg heavier than when we got back from Austria, I feel like my bodys adapting to this now and the only real diffrence is in catching holds, I can lock deeper, train more (13 days on and still feeling fine) jump futher and my feet dont come off as easily. So at present I am attacking my fingers with a vengence, using the weight vest on the 30 board and starting a bit on the campus board. If I can just trick them into getting some contact strength I can stay heavy if not I will have to start cutting down the vino and eating less which always sucks.

next years tick list!

2011-12-19T02:46:00.001-08:00

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag_Q7tFm2QsidHc4cGY4Tnl0bEhfSnZveFRweEhlN0E#gid=0

Best in the world?

2011-12-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Please please please...

2011-12-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

There is some twitching on the interweb about winter climbing although I have no interest whatsoever in that the last couple of years while the red faced tired looking people gather in V12 for their apres session coffee, I tended to be midway between a project and a mill session or vice versa. I am hoping the same will happen this year and as the clouds lifted from a ill advised day off booked on the spur of the moment because I spent too long talking to that man Davies. "But I want it to be dry it will be dry" repeat ad infinity it might come true but no. At 10 am I was reassuring him mission one was out, he seemed to think the Ogwen would be dry, watching the rain fall in Beris I was sure it wasn't. Eventually after some questioning he claimed it was dry down the coast, surprisingly when I got there an hour later it was wet and it turned out i was only an hour ahead of the worst of the weather. Was it wet all along, I wonder? This is the man who once told me it was mint in Yorkshire for me to drive there, when I arrived we visited Almscliffe, Ilkley and Earl had a pint and drove home in convoy without pulling on. When I questioned Katz later he laughed and said it was raining at 8am when he left for work.

there be snow in them hills...

Anyway what I am hoping for is that all the wet in the world will be absorbed by icicles and snow leaving me in a wonderful white world where everything is dry and cold. Snow is after all better than rain isn't it?

Dodging the rain

2011-11-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

Went down to jerrysthis morning and managed a new locals linkup. Starting on Huffys before moving into Wurzel Gunnage Stand Start, grade wise about 7c+ or 8a. At the moment I have gone for 8a as I think both halfs suit me as opposed to them being easy, time will tell I guess. Then it started to rain again, whoppee back to the mill.

Wad

2011-11-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/63775.html

Questing

2011-11-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

Been around and about mostly to places that I am not going to tell you about. After 13 years wanting to be able to pull off the ground on a certain bit of rock I managed to pull on and slap yesterday, couldn't hang the holds on the next 2 moves but guess its a slow kind of progress. Also been back up to last years in-vogue crag Crafnant, it was nice to go back after the summer of training, things that seemed far off last year are a few inches closer this year.

Me trying CJD's Private Idaho.

I have played aroung for a handful of goes while Chris was working it, and yesterday waiting for Jack to clean up on Cruela it seemed a good idea to try. I managed to contrive a way of getting the sidepull by my face in my right hand but this left me with my feet far to low, guessing the crimp is the only thing to go for.

It was surprisingly good fun hurling myself up and out at ever increasing speeds best of the lot I was a few inches off the crimp but would really need to hammer the fingers for a few more mouths before I would have a real chance. Or maybe I just need another perfect day that I heard so much about from Joe and Chris...

New Video from Boreal...

2011-11-03T04:47:00.000-07:00

Rings & Slings Part 1 from Boreal Video on Vimeo.

2011-11-01T03:51:00.000-07:00

Since the return I have been out and tried a couple of projects which required me to clear the memory card on my camera again. So here is some footage from the last few months. What I am now realising is that pressing record is a habit, unfortunately its a habit which leaves you with a lot of crap on your computer. Its worthwhile as we all know about proof and the lack thereof so forgive me for filling up YouTube with this shit but I like going out bouldering alone, and it seems the easiest thing to do is to record some of it. So far as its practical I try to only use uncut footage but occasionally batteries run out etc. A case in point would be Storm before the Calm in this collection, now this is completely insignificant to the wider world but to me its the 100th 7c I have done. I still recall the jump between V8 and V9 being very hard, so I like that I made it to this milestone. The rest includes Lou ferrino chip less, I am unsure of the grade for this I always thought it would be easier, in the end it took a lot of droping the last move so I left it alone at 8a+. This made sense to me and my body, perhaps its wrong, time will tell. Anyway back to the real deal, Christmas is coming and the Dave is light right now, the real welsh boulders, the ones in the hills are calling me back for another round.

Home

2011-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

So back in the hood, we got rained off.

After the pretty bad start we got one day of good conditions, it was windy and dry and this brought about a little bit of magic and I am so deeply grateful to whoever or whatever gave us that. The easier moves started to form into links, and I was able to move on the first move.

So the moves

First move 2 days of failing to pull on a bit of coldness and I was getting full hand scrape on the back hand pinch.

This is the position once you catch it, think I needed to get the position more sorted so i can get higher on my shoulder to hold the swing out.

The Thumb Snag, beautiful and OK

I was reaching up into a lower side pull to allow my right hand to be on the backhand, as I found the jump off the crimps horrific.

Set up for the jump

The jump as you can see by the blur I was going far to fast, the height wasn't the issue it was landing it in some degree of control, this is my definite crux.

The ridiculous cross over method that I thought might help, foolish very very foolish.

Catch and match, the match was far harder than i thought it was going to be.

Heel up

Cross under

Heel back

One day...

So the upshot is move one nearly, two, three, four and five done and linked. Six not really tried much but am clearly going to find it nails. Seven, eight nine done and linked. If we had of had perfect weather for the 12 days we were supposed to be there, I think I would defiantly have been on red point, I think I would have been failing on the swing off the jump, if is a big word though so what actually happened is what I could do.

Reality bites

2011-10-22T04:58:00.000-07:00

So the cool cross over super style move... Its really hard. The getting off the floor... Its still nails. So what to do?

Well I think with 7 climbing days left I have to accept the fact that I am not going to climb emotional in the next week, this was always a possibility/probability. The first problem is weather the conditions are good but not cheating good, the second is the first move, I have been totally and completely closed down on it, in a making excuses way it doesn't fit etc in reality I am not strong enough on the left hand hold. Its a bit disappointing to have done as well on it in 30 mins at the end of our last visit here 2 years ago, as I have in 3 days of trying this year.

So Plan B...

Big Air

I went over to another problem called Big Air last night after we had sessioned, even though its only a grade easier, the difference was phenomenal, instead of struggling to move it seemed possible to do it straight off. So I think I will try to do this for a start, last time we came a lot of the problems were covered in ice, so it is nice to be able to try them.

Pursuit of happiness

2011-10-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

Well after 6 months of wood and conditioning to crush we have made it to the grand objective. Back in Maltatal after a 2 year wait, the grand master plan was to be fuck strong so that I could crush Emotional Landscapes. This was/is very optimistic, but as they say in Twin Town ambition is critical. So far I have sorted all the easier bits and got some links going. 5 out of 8 moves are done leaving the big throw and getting off the ground to do. The big throw I am struggling with the small crimps, (no surprise there) so have resorted to my normal abnormal sequencing, at present I have turned the jump into a cross over as they are my favorite moves, if I can land this in the next day or so, there will be enough time to spend some days trying the start and it could all work out beautifully. If i cant then I might need to rethink it, it is however a great move to be trying involving a left hand pinch right hand crimp, swing right foot up and out before pouncing up and over 4 foot to a sloper with right hand, its a wild move but I can deadhang the slope 1 handed with no feet so I just need to find a couple of inches of power from somewhere.

So far its been warm and greasy, not at all conductive to levitation, however last night it pissed it down and this morning there is snow on the ground just 100 meters above us. Its first rest day today it is 5-10 degrees colder Friday and Saturday. Here's hoping that helps.

Val Masino

2011-10-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

I went for a nice week in Italy with my better half, after some sightseeing and stuff we went to Val Masino for a boulder. I could tell you about the man flu or the 30 degree sunshine, or the fact that we only had one mat and no matter how lovely as she is she ain't going to catch me. Anyway ended up doing some lovely blocs in the sunshine.

Tarzan 7b

Not much wakes me up in the morning I can now add baby donkeys to the list

Ultimate ragi 7a

Andrea si epeno directe 7b and lovely

Jerry's Roof

2011-09-05T03:21:00.000-07:00

First of all I went down here last week and it was fucking horrible, the amount of tick marks and chalk rivalled the cave. Please try to keep these lovely places at least a little bit looked after. The majority of the ticks are pointless as you can see in the photos. Top Tip: the massive polished bits are where you put your feet, your hand goes to the next big white bit. I had gone down for a look at Worzel Gunnage http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=518 but the mess depressed me, so I settled for brushing it and going to the mill.

Yesterday we went back out, CJD was keen for a look, after messing around to warm up by doing three point turns finding a parking space we started chucking ourselves at this after a hour or so we stopped trying to hold the swing on the first move and started to move feet up, He was using the same method as Rich Ames, I opted to keep my left hand low and only use the pinch in my right, anyway I then got to the top, and had a blast linking it in from the start of Jerry's. Then it rained so we went home. It is worthwhile with very cool moves, but it is also a total eliminate there are at least 4 holds within reach that would all make it easier. Grades wise we both thought 7c+ was fair, it seemed to me to be tricky to get everything right as opposed to butal pulling. Doylo turned up after we left and did the first move which I thought was the crux. He's shit so it cant be harder than 7a+. I guess the locals will all descend once they finish tying on for the year and decide soon enough.

Some footage of the stand.

T minus 2 mounths

2011-08-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

I know I should be consolidating, I know this is where I can make a real difference, but truth be told I am bored. I got good and steaming drunk Friday night, Saturday I feel a hundred years old, my elbows and back are sore. I feel sick, I have consumed vast amounts of empty calories in booze and sugary shit, I have fallen into the resting habit. Then I watched the World cup being streamed, all I can now think is that Dmitry wouldn't eat that, he wouldn't drink this or smoke that, and that's why he climbs like a machine. And he did, it was really fucking impressive.

So its T minus 2 months now, technically only 6 weeks to the original finish point but to make up for the 4th month when my tweaks and aches sent me outside I have added on the 2 weeks. So what have I got left to give? Well that's obvious really isn't it , fags and booze! An average night will see me sink several hundred calories in alcohol, and an average day will see me through 12.5 grams of Virginia's finest. Neither of which will help me in any way, plus they are very expensive habits these days. Now the drink I like, but think with a bit of effort I can knock that on the head, the smoking well I have no doubt that will prove to be a little more tricky. Still one thing at a time so for now I am aiming for T Total.

I have a few things that I want to check out outside over the next 4 days off if the weather plays ball. If it rains then its back to the boards with a vengeance. The cold water treatment has been really helpful for my fingers, seems to have almost been magic! I had a mill session before a quick visit to the cave to meet Katz for a session, I would guess I am 5% down on my best at that point, I had trained a lot of days on though, so hopefully this few days off will have got it all back into shape, although I am under no illusions 4 days rest where you re pissed/eating lots will not help.

Today I session in the Indy, I can now confirm that I have lost a fair bit, according to Mr Bompa
"for the inactive athlete, the rate of strength loss per day can be roughly 3-4 % for the first week"
Fuck that seems pretty quick isn't it? Adding 2% for being a pig and drinking loads I make that between 14% and 18% strength loss... So you need rest days to recover and supercompansate but every rest day costs so much! Now I am just so confused I guess this really is a game of two steps forward one and three quarters back. And another case of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

This last bit should be taken tongue in cheek, I realise there are far more variables involved. The main point of this post is that I have to believe in what I have done. It was easy 2 months ago, now we are reaching towards the end, panic and fear that it will not work creep into my psyche. In the conversion phase before the main competitive season is where most people get injured, probably through pushing on too hard trying to make up the short comings of their training. When in reality you must stick to the plan, whatever will be will be.

Variety is the spice of life...

2011-08-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

So last night I decided to clean out the little 45 degree woody at the Indy. After my morning core session CJD turned up so I could kill him in the weights session, then he returned the favour on the wood. This little board is where most of our training was a few years ago before the MOD kindley funded our boulder, so I have fond memories of it. I am pleased though, he wasn't too far ahead and he had 4 rest days while today was my 13th day on. My body is having a mini rebellion at present, think I am just getting paranoid as my neck shoulders and fingers are all switching round with various degrees of pain from day to day.

The Indy 45 a lovely little thing sadly normally buried behind a pile of holds.

I had my first mill session for a while a few days back, I had lost a fair amount of finger strength and raw power with all the pesky outdoor plodding, but all in all it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Its been quite a while since all this summer of the Mill started, its been fun and I have certainly learnt a lot of stuff that I will do differently next time. Hopefully I will make it through these last 2 months without a catastrophe, and the winter sun will play ball. I remember reading a Rich Simpson thing somewhere where he reckoned it didn't matter if he failed as he knew he had put all the effort in he could. At the time it seemed ridiculous to me, failure was... well it was failure and it could only be my fault. Now I think I am starting to get the point.

"failure is not fatal, success is not final, it is the courage to continue that counts"

Fuck me, I have gone too far I think Winston Churchill was talking about the mill.

If knowledge is power

2011-08-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Then I am getting stronger. Thanks to one of the Indy regulars I know know lots more words about training and diffrent ways to stick all the shit together to end up stronger fitter and just generally better. Now to put it into practice.

Other than reading loads of training books, I have continued in the rehabiltation of the finger. This has involved going outside as I know I will lose all pretence of self control if I go to the mill. After a good start this week has brought home to me all that is shit about climbing outside in the summer in the UK. Grease midges and rain. As he says in Good morning Vietnam its hot and wet, this is not a good combo. As I had made plans ages ago with Chris to go the to South Lakes for a couple of days, we did our best to ignore reason and went anyway. We arrived and went to trowbarrow as it had the best chance of being dry, the shelter stone was wet on top and so red wall saved us, fortunatly I had forgotten the guide in the car otherwise I suspect I may have chucked my toys out of the pram within 2 problems, as it was I got to give them my own grade for the time being, generally +2. All was not lost though as we both did Shallow Grave which was awesome, by this time the shelter stone had dried out and so we tried Vitruvian man, never have I adjusted so many times on the holds of a problem, no amount of chalk, megajiz or brushing would improve the buttery texture of the holds. And then it was raining again, the spot pad was used as an umbrella to keep the top holds dry, 10 minutes later I linked it all first try, trying hard to keep the faith we went to Woodwell which had condensed, fairy steps which was foul, and then to the pub. At this point home was my preferred option but Chris doesn't get that many away days so he was far keener, off to spend the night at Raven Tor.

In the morning it all seemed pretty good so off we went to Stoney for a warm up, I was shit Chris was terrible. After an hour on Pinch 2 I was getting better and given grease and sunshine and the fact I was bouldering before midday had given me enough excuses to feel OK. Next stop was to go to try Andronicus up the road. I went to check we were in the right place, pronounced it a bit seepy but OK. An hour latter I fell of the 7c arete thing going for the last move with piss wet feet and hands from the start which was soaking wet not a bit seepy. At this point home was the place to be and off we went. What a fucking shit trip, £40 to drive 400 miles look at wet rock do a couple of problems taking 20 times as long as on a cold day and sleep rough. Honestly with a combined age of 71 you would think we might know better. I guess there is no fool like an old fool.

The following day I decided to go to the cave to continue the fun, I was shit in there as well. All in all I will be glad to go back inside.

An ascent...

2011-07-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

In the last month or so since I posted Ive been up and down, I had some dental problems so for a couple of weeks I had been taking a lot of pain pills, lots and lots of pain pills. When I had the offending teeth ripped out I thought thank fuck for that I can get back to unrestricted beautiful pulling in the mill, 24 hours later my middle two fingers on my right hand were swollen and sore. FUCK FUCK triple FUCK. Over the years I have been very lucky with finger injury's only having one minor thing about 5 years ago, but having seen plenty of other people lose months to them I was gripped to say the least. Fortunately after 3 weeks of minimal climbing icing and squashy balls, with tape I felt I could climb OK as long as it was open handed.

Yesterday CJD was going to the cave, with nothing better to do I phoned James and we went down the coast for a social. At this point I was planning on Stella in the sun and taking the piss out of Chris and James. Warming up on left wall I remembered I do enjoy climbing with James as everything is suddenly very very funny.

The three of us climbed there a lot the year Chris did East Coker and I failed to do Clyde so it was nice to be out and about. James decided to do Lou Ferrino having previously fallen off matching the finishing slot, I decided it would be a good idea to see if I could deal with that before trying anything else. Getting to the 2 finger pocket feeling good I decided to turn right and head along Greenheart, through the undercuts and feeling fine I missed the jug at the start of Beaver Cleaver, a rest another go confused I fail leaving Lou Ferrino with a foot pop on the shiny slimestone. Another rest I start to feel nervous, I can clearly do this, it was the first V12 I ever did all the moves on, for about 10 years its been something that could go, for 6 years its been something that should go, for 2 years its something that I dropped the last move on. So third go up and over straight through bish bosh it was piss, all those circuits in the past and turns out I just need to do 5 move problems in the mill on a 30 board, or maybe its the weights or perhaps the pull ups or could be the running or core. I guess training really does work and sometimes it all comes together with good skin and decent conditions, or maybe because I had no intention of trying it I couldn't sabotage my attempt. Regardless first time in the Cave in 7 months and a tick, somethings working.

Some deliciously shit footholds I made for the mill, ah dear mill I will return in a few short weeks.

Good and bad shit - In the Mill

2011-07-03T04:51:00.000-07:00

Good shit

A campus board breakthrough, they dont come along very often do they! I reckon it would be 6 or 7 years since i did my first 1-4-7 on a standardised campus board. So it was very gratifying to my summer of power to do 1-5-8 the other day. Unfortunately Leroy and I built the board under the influence a few years ago so the spacings do vary between 225 mm and 215mm so its not quite perfect but it will do me for the time being. Lots of people say that campus boards are bull and dont transfer to the rock very well being about a trick to the movement etc etc. Well it makes me feel like I am improving, and that feeling helps me to keep going to the mill on dry and dusty days, or wet and rainy mornings.

4 of the 5 Swallows that hatched in the rafters have left the nest and made it out without the rats or cats getting them. The other judging by some feathers was less fortunate. I will miss having them to watch while I am resting, the parents trying to push them off the beams to make them fly was cool.

More tricks that mean nothing but maybe work something, the one arm campus lunge. Basically as with the one arm pull up this is something that I have always seen people like Higg and CJD doing so wanted to do it myself. So far progress is slow, but I have got the trick bit sorted so can do one on the juggy fingerboard, now to apply it to the proper campus rungs. I can hit it but not catch it, therefore it must be working my contact strength.

Bad Shit

The mill toilet, some fool thought it was a good idea to shit in it, clearly they had no idea it stopped flushing about a year ago. I take my mill guardianship quite seriously at present but there is no way I am dealing with this one.

Post session Vino, almost certainly not a good athletic plan but a tasty one.

No Pain No Spain Video from Boreal

2011-05-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

No Pain No Spain from Boreal Video on Vimeo.

2011-05-16T03:38:00.000-07:00

I must be one of the few who were glad to see the rain, every time i saw anyone in the sunny weather they ask that same question you been out at all? I was training in the Mill and the Indy so that when cold weather comes back I will pull the rock down around me crushing it to tiny slivers of diamonds, but that's not really an answer is it. I started to get used to slightly pitying looks as though i have missed the point. The point is sweating sliding and being eaten by insects does not make for a good time as far as I am concerned. Instead I have been hanging around in a very quiet dusty old mill falling off. Its quiet in there at the moment no electricity, so no lights and no radio, but gains are coming slowly, and this is good. Most of April I was working on the system problems on the 30 degree board now I have moved over to the newly systems 50 degree

board. Its tricky at the moment as I don't really know the problems yet so have little concept of a good or bad session. Fortunately I have made good gains on the campus and finger boards, so i take this as meaning I am moving in the right direction. Occasionally I go too the centre of the 50 board to try some normal problems, progress is being made towards my Mill 7c goal, I think the first one to go will be Danny's Foetal Recall, unfortunately this is 7b+/7c so wont do at all.

I did go for a short play outside to make sure I remembered what rock feels like, the one session at Jerry's was funny as all the holds felt weired and bumpy not like smooth wood at all. This time I went to check out Dyers Barotrauma. I can only say that I think it may be a bit morpho...

Anyway that's all, and all there is likely to be for a while as I cant be arsed to write about how I pulled on cunt and em, reached to liquid and jumped to beauty before trying to slap brute and drop into Brutus and jump for 9 bar (possible mill 7c/+) anymore than you can be arsed to read about it.

When I returened from a mercy trip to the shop (tobbacco for me chocolate for fatty), Doylo had been playing with my camera, not sure why but he would appear to think I want a picture of his pubes so I thought I would share that with you all.

Finally

2011-05-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

In the end i managed to get the footage sorted, or at least as sorted as it is going to get. For some reason I had to split it into 2 to save it, my technophobia strikes again.

Malcs start

2011-05-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Went out to Jerrys Roof after being to Font, I figured that I would be strong and light and climbing well so Malcs was bound to go, setting off with a limit of 5 goes, I went up and hit the pocket on go 1, or go 61 depending which way you look at it, a good start. Four goes later I had my best attempt so far. I hit the porthole square and swung out back in and a flashbulb in my head went fuckfuckwowwow, then my right hand slipped off the starting hold on Pools all this took no time at all but I was happy, obviously I had a few more goes but to no avail my window of opportunitty had opened and closed before I could get through.

Yesterday I treated myself to a nice day out as I am resting from the mill for 10 days between training 1 and training 2. The original plan had been to just go running and do core stuff but it was far too dull so I went out, problem this time seems that

A) The mill footholds are too big, outside felt very strange.
B) The 4 days of hammering my core meant my lower back was fucked.

So the upshot was I took a little step backwards and the weather is not going to give that many days of nice temps before the summer monsoon season comes to Wales. Ultimatley this is fine I have no real intention of punishing myself outside in the heat with the midges this year, so its back to the Mill with a saw to make some new small slippy wooden footholds.

Its a beautiful thing

2011-04-27T07:53:00.001-07:00

Getting stronger that is. Been enclosed in the mill and the Indy for the last little while, went outside for only the 3rd time since i was in font yesterday. All the holds felt massive, a mounth of training has certainlly paid dividends. Six more mounths to go and i might have made real progress or maybee I wont, but at least I will know the truth about me and my relationship with rocks.

Bye bye lovely Jetta!

2011-04-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well its time for me to say goodbye to my one time pride and joy, my chronic lack of mechanical knowledge and lack of cash means the jetta must go. So if anyone out there wants a project I am sure this is an ideal place to start... After all it features in the Parisellas Guide and makes a (very) fleeting apperance in Pierre Bolingers Vid from Raven Tor.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220770650682&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:GB:1123

Bye bye...

Fontainberry

2011-04-07T02:41:00.000-07:00

Well it was great even better than I remembered to be honest. The conditions were good and it stayed dry for the whole trip till the last couple of days. Jack hurt his arm, Joe split his tip and I tweaked my shoulder all on day one. I discovered soluble ibuprofen, its like a constant drip to keep the aches at bay. Shockingly I didn't get drunk all trip, apart from on the journey in each direction obviously. Anyway it was top.

This was my first attempt too write about the trip when we got back and as you can see its shit, this is mainly because the return to real life hurts. I dream of having time in places like font to explore and touch all the holds I have read about and seen on videos over the years. The problem is you can be time rich or cash rich its difficult to be both. Anyway one thing I don't want to be is a whining bastard, too much of that in the world already, and I am a little prone...

Take 2

Day one, after driving through the night we arrived at Rocher Casspot at 7 am the conditions are mint and with nothing better to do we head to the boulders. None of us do anything, I tweak my shoulder on ---------- and demand we head into town for some water and food before we do anymore damage. Later the same day we head to isatis and do EL pousah, at least me and Joe do, Jack pulls his bicep and then Joe tears a whole the size of a 5p piece in his index finger. Good start.

.

Day two, we decide to go to Rocher Cannon, we set about 36.15 power, using a variety of bad sequences until I do it with a heel on. At the time this seems totally logical but now thinking back it is almost certainly illegal, ah well 36.15 powwow it is. Do a nice prow Le Mare Droight 7a+ and fail to try hard on Chanon Maniquet because a few years ago i sprained my ankle on day one of a week in font and the tree routes under it are wigging me out. Getting better.

Day three, Went to Apremont envers to try Apparoment 8a, First go I was on the slope just below the top, on my third go I hit the boulder behind it falling off and basically failed to try hard again. As a consolation I flashed a nice 7b called Paul's Boutique. Later we went back to Rocher Cannon so Joe could do 36.15 powwow. He crushed it 2nd go of the day, and I did Le channon Maniquet, We ran into Kook as he was on his way to try Le Baline. As the day closed in I had a couple of goes on that and decided it would go with a bit more juice. Good but not good enough.

Day four, Le autre toit. Yes a big roof ye haw etc

I was pretty confident of doing Oil de Sybile, having dropped it on the finishing holds in damp and very tired state last time I was in Font. Turns out I was better at climbing roofs a few years ago, in the end I did it from the pocket in the roof but failed totally to link it. As a consolation prize got Le Nouvelle Vauge done, this kind of felt easyish, I am guessing we were lucky with the condition of the rock that day. After this i had a go at Le Maxx, all I can say is I wish I had spent the effort I put in on Sybile there instead. Pretty shit.

Day five, Rocher de osiex, Basically spent the morning mincing trying to walk my feet about on le Mandarin before getting fucked off, deciding I wasn't going to do it, then pulling really hard and doing it in 2 goes. Yes, a good day.

Day six, Bas cuvier. I love Bas Cuvier. Did Apothese and La Balance in the morning, two problems that I always wanted to do. And they were easy in the end. Had a mini session on Hypothese, shocking myself by being able to pull on the ming crimp, caught the sloper once and cursed everyone who has told me its easy from there, I failed. Finished it of by doing Aero Dynamite on the way back to the car as it went dark. Fuckin ace.

Day seven, rain in the morning, Le Angle Ben's in the evening, one of my favorite problems.

Day eight, Rocher Cannon. Went back to try La Balanine as I was too tired to try anything new. Bit of a tussle but go it done. We then shoot off to Bas Cuvier so Joe could do Aero Dynamite which he did just as it started to rain. Back to Isatis to so he could do Angle Ben's, it rained stopping his full house of things for the trip. Home time.

Prisoners of the Rising Sun

2011-03-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

Before leaving for font Jack and I were casting round for places to go, we decided to find this mythical problem. We both knew it had been done but were unsure as to its precise location. Si filled me in so off we popped for a quick look. It was good, a very fine addition in the vein of bus stop, barrel groove or the sting sort of problem. It took a while to delete the probable sequence for the first move, Jack and I did the stand and climbed it from 1 move in then spent a while nearly catching the slope in my left hand turning toe to heel rocking up to the right hand (that I think from the description John went to first) After starting to pack up in frustration and thinking to myself what a shit time I was about to have in font, I swaped to swinging heel up and throwing all the way to the slope with my right then matching to move back and right to finish, it worked so well that I could instantly lap it, so I did and added the left hand finish into Simons problem Pacamacrack. (Or something like that)

If I hadn't of done it I would definatly have been saying it was hard for the grade. Then I could do it, so its fine. So its about 7c with a potential morpho sequence that may potentially make it easier, but mainly I think its great.

Video of The Problems

The Law

2011-03-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

Apologies to anyone on the edge of their seat/bored at work. I had got my footage all sorted and was ready to put it on with a trip blog, unfortunatly the Man has caught up with me and taken my car away until I pay up. So I won't have the footage till next week. Bugger.

Till then...

Viva le Fontaineberry

2011-02-28T03:48:00.000-08:00

I'm going to font on Friday, super psyche. Its was all a bit last minute to do anything much about my strength or lack of it, but it should be good. My normal holiday routine is to go to somewhere with Chris and roll in the siege engines and not really try anything apart from the project till its done. These trips normally involve a couple of days in a gutter in some small alpine town making friends (and occasionally enemies) with strange people. This time however I am going with Jack Rat and Joe Sterling who seem to think that you go to whole different areas on each day never mind different problems!

My last trip to font was in 2005, so its been a while. Previous best efforts were things like Controle Technique 7c+, Koala 7c+ and Halle Bop dammit 7c+. So that leaves an obvious challenge really doesn't it. Been watching the classics, Real Thing and HTTP bloc as well as the more recent Between the trees. Hopefully my preparations will turn out to be enough but even if they don't I am keen as, its been over 2 years since I climbed outside the UK. And I haven't really left Wales much during that time, so I may not have power to waste but definitely have psyche to spare.

move along

2011-02-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

So then lets try and move that grading shit down quite quickly then. In order to facilitate this I need to write some shissle shit about what I have been doing. Last few weeks have been all about the Mill for me. First I was driven in by the weather, now its got me all keen, and it costs a lot less in petrol.

There is a grade barrier in the den grades, I like to think of it as a Doylo barrier, and I think to me the 7b+ means being OK on a board. So far I have only reached mill 7b, roughly the same as den 7b, and what with 7c being a classic grade in every scale this is my aim for the year. As it clearly should be an established problem, I have a choice of 2 by Sam. First is the one I don't remember right now, and second is the magnificent Slap on the Strap on . Obviously as i remember it, I should try this one. To reach this goal I will need lots of mill sessions because I fail in the strong on the board category, still should be easier for me to progress then.

As I am trying to form the habit of always having my camera with me and trying to use it what I am finding is that I have a lot of warm ups and mill bull on video. Unfortunately I haven't done anything awesome to show off with. But in the interest of using it for something and clearing the hard drive I have put it on here anyway. However if you have anything important to do i recommend doing that instead of watching these, or indeed instead of reading this.

First up easy good problems at Angel Bay and Porth Ysgo.

Second Some 7s at the Mill.

Lies dammed lies and statistics, I mean grades

2011-02-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

If you are a regular visitor you may have noticed that its not very often I mention a grade on here, this is because they drive me fucking insane. I am not sure what it is. I do try to get around a bit and make sure I go on problems I haven't done for a long time, or even repeat other peoples shit occasionally. Maybe I have some weird morphology that means I just learnt the system wrong. Perhaps I have too many late nights and early mornings arriving at crags fucked on a Wednesday the problem seems hard week on Thursday maybe its piss. I do know that I climb a lot on my nerves and emotions and when life is tricky it does have a big effect on what I can pull on. Or it could just be the rarity of going further out of the village than Llandudno. None of this should be a problem I know, but it is because I probably spend longer worrying about the grade than I spend working most of the problems I do.

You see I do care and treated them as a little yardstick to measure my little progression, with this never ending goal of improving. I am not as bad as some when I topped out Wrestling it wasn't the fact that it was 8b or even that it was my first 8b (I had already had 2 other first 8bs one I started a move in and one was swiftly downed to 8a/+) it was the fact that it was Wrestling and something I had aspired to try. Now truthfully I would perhaps be a little bit gutted if it came down but with the my big problems the experience for me would still be massive. Nothing could top that trip for me, it was perfect on and off the rocks.

This year I have had a lot of problems downgraded. Previously my worst effort had been Cosmic Wheels at the Mallory boulder taken down from a tentative 8a to 7c, others had floated up or down as times changed but that was the worst, it rankled and rotted a bit in the back of my brain but a few others thought 7c+ so you know not too far out. Recently Junkyards of my life was repeated by Pete from 7c to a suggested 7b, last year word came back across the jungle drums that Cruiser Weight (a 7c+ I did at Moel Y Gest) was well over soft 7c at most, and now Special K at Crafnant has taken a tumble. None of this affects the quality of my experience or the quality of these problems I personally think they are all brilliant (well maybe not Junkyards but its OK if your passing!), they are also all my problems, and whatever happens with their numbers they always will be.

Now I am not compleatly stupid and generally manage to take peoples comments and hopefully adjust my framework to help it all make sense. But with so many in such a short time its got to call for a grade recalibration scheme, so in order:
-Stop using 8a so I don't have to think about it with every little thing I do.
-Go to font because that's where the little bastard things come from.
-Think what I would like it to be then -1 or 2 for what I give it.
-If all else fails just stop, and leave the job for someone else.

I can't help thinking that the last one on the list is the right one, its kind of what works with the very hardest stuff I have done, I thought the Tracks

was nails and perhaps an 8b. Gave it hard 8a+, and it got confirmed, so far anyway. Top tip by the way, there is an unreapeted 8a of mine in the pass from the same week as Special K, Corridors of Power,

felt a tiny bit harder to me, could be a good one to try. Also Dolly Rocker is probably more 8a than +, just make sure you start right, left hand in the slot right hand on the arete. See what I mean, still wasting my brain power a year later, I could be gathering beta for Font.

2011-02-02T03:53:00.000-08:00

Recentlly I have been struggleing to make things happen. Structure doesn't come easily to me, I find it difficult to stick to the plan, but I have also learnt that towards the upper end of my grade I need to have a plan in order to keep making progress. Last year I hit the ground running with the Tracks and the Sit start to the Crest, I felt really good and some bonus ticks like Dolly Rocker came along. What had I done differently to normal? Basicly I made sure that I was climbing well when the weather came good, I had been working hard problems and every session finished in the mill so that I could get the volume in and target specific weak areas. It sounds pretty dull but to be honest I loved it, because I love getting better, and getting better has got harder and when I find something harder its more worthwhile to me.

Another thing I got right last year was being straight, after all there is nothing worse than sleeping away the perfect day with a hangover. This is exactly what I did this weekend, one of the days of the year and you don't tend to get a lot of them in Wales. Meanwhile CJD my greatest friend and rival, was completing his project at Crafnant, to give Wales a contender for hardest 'real' boulder problem. Once again he has got out of his car put in a few months effort and kicked my arse. Fair play I guess I am wasting my time competing really, he has 3 kids and a pretty full on job, I work in a climbing wall and have 4 days a week to train or work projects, still I guess knowing when to run back to the shelter of "I only compete with myself and the rock, man" is a skill in itself. The fact is I ain't a big enough hippy and I compete with everyone all of the time, I hate getting beaten but hopefully I can get beaten by the better man at least a little gracefully.

Joe also got the 3rd ascent of Special K my lovely soft 8a traverse up there, apparently the conditions were so good everything was a jug. Yeah thanks for that boys.

This year being the tool I am, (I have on and off as settings and struggle with anything in between) pushed too hard too early on the campus board, trying to make the gains come too soon. When I had plateaued after a couple of months instead of letting it be, I decided to have an extra session, a couple of months into a painful shoulder I really regret that. Its getting better and the thousands of light weights I have lifted and theraband stretches would have been needed sooner or later anyway. And once its better I will bury him not just beat him but fucking destroy him. Mwhhahahah.

Disclaimer - All of the competitive stuff above should be taken slightly tongue in cheek. Its basically true but only sometimes.

Crafnant Problems

2011-01-09T02:32:00.000-08:00

I went back up to Crafnant to record some of the new stuff last week, here is the footage of problems at the Ratt Roof. In the end I decided to drop off at the lip on Phantom Power and Runaway Cheese, I don't know whether or not this is a good thing. It seemed foolish to clean massive amounts of lichen and moss off purely so that you can top out easy ground after the cool bit of climbing in the roof. But as is often the case now I am back home I feel like I should have done them properly, so maybe I will have to do them again.

Merry new year

2010-12-31T02:04:00.000-08:00

Well the snow has melted and left behind a world of dampness to ruin the fun for a little while. Strange deeds have been afoot in chez Nodder, after being pretty much nailed to a pouch of tobacco for 20 years I am 10 days clean. Given the fact that I am still counting the hours (and in fact the minutes) success or failure could go either way at present.

Before the weather turned it was lovely up here, I went down to Jerry's to put in redpoints 50-60ish on Malcs Start, went well got to the porthole move 8 times rather than a normal 6 out of the ten.
Problem is:
Conditions - Perfect
Rested - Perfect
Skin - Perfect
Result - Not Perfect, still on the floor.

So there you go, occasionally you get a wake up call, I am nearly at the level I wanted to reach by this point but still no cigar (not even a roll up.) Back to the drawing board for me, figure i need more core and contact strength. Fortunately due to my smoking ban I have a lot of time to hang on a finger board and try to distract myself. I did have another good cave session, tried Louis Armstrong and was reasonably quick out the blocks on it, very close to the big move and the rest of it is sorted now. Think I will put some hours in in the Cave again, it is a great venue to improve in after all. Other than that I have been wandering round trying some projects trying to get sequences and find what I need to improve on ready for the next good weather.

Clearing the camera

2010-12-21T04:07:00.000-08:00

In the interest of cleaning out my camera and computer here is some stuff.

Loose ends

2010-12-20T02:10:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to the cave for the first time in ages. It has been so long that I actually enjoyed myself in there. The wind was incredible blowing straight off the sea and into the caves. The cruel truth is that when I was a cave regular my ego got in the way so if at any point I failed on something that I had done before I went into a chronic spiral of sulk. This time I was expecting to fail, so it was nice to quickly get up a few problems like Lou ferrino and Bellpig. Joe had a couple of pretty good goes at Crucial times so I joined in on that, I have done this before but only with a knee bar and pocket in my left which I was happy with, but if I want to do any of the links out of it I would like to use the original sequence. Don't know why, guess its just because some of the holds I use on my other sequence seep so badly it becomes quite frustrating to work. After a little mini session I was coming close to holding the crux, just need to sort out getting my arse of the ground on the start holds.

Continuing in my ticking old problems theme I had a session on Diesel Power the other day, this problem pisses me off, I could lap to the last move for a month or so 7 years ago but I never managed to link it. Now I find it desperate, I know I am stronger and better at climbing so what happened? Well for a start on the cigarette box slot (the hold in the roof) has crumbled a bit on the right hand side which sucks ass if like me you can only fit three fingers in it, and secondly I think i have probably forgotten about the sessions I had to get it worked up to there so feel like I should be able to get there straight away. Anyway I quite enjoyed mincing around on it, hopefully I will dig in and get it done this winter at some point. I also had a session trying the Reverse Grove link on the barrel, this is stunning far better than the original barrel traverse as it actually has a defined start, think it will take a little while to link it up but happy enough to have something pretty roadside, and not a first ascent that I want to do.

Où est la flick?

2010-12-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

It was all going so well happy in the hills with my brushes pads stashed around ready for the big winter push. My summer of route climbing seemed to have worked out quite well a much higher volume of climbing and much lower intensity of drinking than normal. The tweaks had healed up, and a mini campus obsession was returning my snap crackle and pop. You could say all was right in my world. A small moment of weakness and a large session in the fricsan and suddenly the flame flickered and died. The Jetta blew its head gasket and money troubles never far away were back to the top of my list of priorities.

The next few weeks were a great example of the worst that the Welsh weather can throw at you, sessions were spent sat in a little cave on top of the little orme, trying and failing to find my psyche. My shoulder was sore and my ability had dropped through the floor. And it had all been going so well!

Fast Forward 6 weeks, I have just spent 3 out of the last 4 days down the Caseg boulder. Now normally I avoid this bloc like the plague as each problem there has been epic. The Gimp is probably one of my least favorite problems that I know is very good, if you see what I mean. However after a decision influenced by snowy weather and time constraints it was a good call for CJD and me, so we headed down to have a play. The snow had frozen to the top of the boulder so after a warm up I installed myself under The groove sitter. After a few goes trying to catch the sloper I got CJD to push while I pulled and a funny thing happened. Because I knew he was going to push I didn't pull up bob down and slap I just kept pulling in one movement and did the move with a tiny assist, next go and boom I had found my secret for the crux. Some moves are just awesome when they go, I don't know how many times I have tried to catch that slope but I do know they are spread out over sporadic visits since it was a project. I pretty much knew then that it was on as the second step through and reach into the groove with right hand I had managed to do before. The inevitable happened and I couldn't do the next move, bugger indeed. I started to try to slap straight up with my right to the sloper directly above on Main Vein. As the day went by I sorted the rest out, and tried the two methods.

The next day I was working and daydreaming about the problem, if I could just get that move then I would be able to do a problem that I always wanted to do, and also get some confidence back to take to my projects. It was obvious the cold was here to stay for a bit and so I decided to use my time honored technique of boring it into submission. My left shoulder was still a bit sore and trying to cross into the groove with my right was hurting so I carried on trying the slap straight up. This was a much more enjoyable move to try, and also assuming that one day I magically become one of those people that think Main Vein is easy then I will have a nice link up to try. This is where the flick came in, smoking and sitting generally enjoying myself I realised that as I had got stronger I had also got worse at throwing myself around, instead of trying to be in any way in control of my body I needed to start flinging myself optimistically at the hold. Inching my way round the bulge learning the move eventually I caught the hold and was into the stand. What to do now, should I try and link the first move or save skin and muscles for tomorrow? As it was already pretty late, and I was pretty fucked I decided to save it and come back.

Le flick innit

Again the day was cold and dry, minty in fact with more wind too. After a home warm up and finger board session I drove over and stumbled my way through the drifting snow to the bloc, the wind was coming left to right (sure that's not the technical term but what the hell) so the face was in the best conditions ever seen sine the glacier put it there. After a couple of hours mincing brushing and slapping I got to the top hold, the frozen snow on top meant rocking out was impossible but to be honest this doesn't bother me. I have done the stand start to this problem dozens of times, including pissed, stoned and in bare feet. Maybe I will go back and try again but for the moment the next line and the next project is more important to me, plus the fact that I get to leave it alone without even getting bored.

Corridors of Power

2010-10-15T02:49:00.000-07:00

Been looking at this one for some time now. Few years ago tried it and failed to move this year went back and manged to sort the sit down section out quickly, helped by one of those rare occasions when a small hold breaks and leaves a bigger one. After building up the landing and working the top section on a shunt, not so much because its high more because the landing is a raising slab behind you. By the time I had finished rolling round rocks and stuff I was able to jump of all but the last move, fortunately that wasn't too hard just wiggy. Anyway after a foiled visit in the rain I had ditched 5 pads up there so was confident that I would bounce. The original crux was the top section off a mono, then it crumbled a bit and became possible to get two fingers in. Again this was fortunate as it took it down by a good grade or so, all in all I have lost any idea how hard stuff is so basically I guess its in the region of 8A, more of a sustained ride then a particular crux move.

pppppppprojects

2010-10-08T02:52:00.000-07:00

Well its here cool weather and time for brushes and patios. Did a nice new line last week at about 8a, and have built a landing and worked the first half of another one. The second line was really pleasing as its something I have tried before and been spanked on. This time round I could pull and the sequence is great. Stashed my pads up there so hopefully will do it next week, depends on how hard the top move is, went up with a rope and shunt defiantly the easiest way to wire something when you are out by yourself I recon. Unfortunately it was seeping and started to rain. Guess Autumn has some drawbacks. Apart from that have a new campus board at work, and been milling it up quite a bit.

Stuff and nonsence

2010-09-30T02:35:00.000-07:00

Did a ace new traverse the other day, went on it cleaned it, worked the moves realised I was on redpoint and did it with a dab. Not bad 7c-7c+ maybe, it was getting cold and the rest of the team had trainers on ready to leave. I decided to leave it and go back, confident of a quick send. Rest day followed by a return visit cleaned some other stuff and worked the dab bit, chuck the mat away extra clearance you don't hit the ground. Start to try to link it, nails, absolutely desperate 4 hours of tweaks and sorting it out before finally doing it. 8a for sure. The question is which impression was right, if my second day on it was my first day then I wouldn't question the fact it was an 8, but it wasn't. Was it because on day one I was all keen and excited whereas day 2 was basically sorting out a technicality. Was it because day one was preceded by 2 rest days day 2 only 1? Who can tell, certainly not me. Fortunately I have time to decide cos I want to go back up there and do some more before spilling the beans. This is the stuff, the nonsense is my 16th session on project x, 3 years of occasional goes this year the progress can be measured by crux 1 easy, foot moves still impossible crux 2 take a hand off everything explodes, but I can now pull on off a single mat. Last year I needed a stack to pull into the position, progress, but painfully slow progress.

September

2010-09-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

I have put the Kryptonite (rope) back in the cupboard and went out to the Pass the other day. Bouldering is great. I managed to get through most of Malcs Start the other day with a small push on the crux to re learn it all, think this will go this season and am really excited by that. It was good to be out in the cold, conditions were great. After a few sessions being weak I felt good in the mill and campusing the other day.

Went to Raven tor and Rubicon to finish my routing, was quite good fun, getting spanked by little holds. In the end to massage my ego I had a goo at the crux section of Keen Roof and did OK. Think that climbing is defiantly mainly about putting myself in the right frame of mind to pull hard, obviously you need to be strong enough to hold the holds, but apart from that being fresh and excited by what you are trying is the key. I lost my camera somewhere so no pictures for a while, gutted.

Speaking of gutted it seems to me that the pinch on Jerry's roof and the edge on Bus stop/Mr fantastic have both grown and become more positive, while it is possible that this is because they get cleaned and climbed on a lot more, it also seems possible that someone couldn't wait to get stronger. Last year there was some definite improvement of a couple of holds up at Moel Y Gest, as the pictures below show. So basically keep your eyes open for anything else and in the unlikely event of it being you then stop it.

The Crimp (that you shouldn't use anyway, have you not seen the pinch!) on Beatitudes Kiss,

A foothold, think this was on Life Aestthetic but could be wrong.

The Top

2010-08-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

Well had a rest day before trying Stark this week and got to the top, which was nice. This is the first 8a route I have done so that was good. Spent the rest of the session cleaning, heading back next week at some point for a lesson in bolting with PH. Once I get to grips with that there are a couple of things that I would quite like to put bolts in finance permitting. Its also cooling down nicely time for a bit of bouldering in a few weeks I think. Time toget ready for the winter projects.

The Balance

2010-08-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

Its tricky this climbing business. At present I am caught up in the idea of trying to get fitter. This means I have been doing lots and lots of circuits hundreads of moves, this is fun, I like being tired and feeling like I am putting the effort in. I am quite lucky to work in a climbing wall where my boss is not a cock, so if its empty I can climb. Then I have my four days off, this is where it gets tricky see. My ego wants me to rest so i will climb better when I go outside. Last week I really wanted to red point Stark, chatting to Doylo he recommended a rest day, then crushing would follow. I could see his point but thought wouldn't it be better if I could train and still crush. Cocky see. Anyway I wasn't sure to find anyone to hold the string, the weather was dubious, it may be seeping, blah blah so resting wasn't part of the plan. In the end I found Joe and he was keen, I halved my training day as a compromise. Arriving at Pigeons it was half dry if optimism is your thing, mostly damp if you like reality. Dogging up to get the draws in and check the holds reality set in the top section was shit and slimy and one hold was just plain unusable, I came up with another sequence so I could do it without that hold and set about the link. Five times up to the last throw but no joy, at best I had the boss in my hand but too low so I got a handfull of slime for my troubles. Leaving I was dissapointed, my over convidence had convinced me that basicly I would be able to overcome the adverse conditions by being stronger than I needed to be, in reality I wasn't. I might have been but not on the seventh day on a few thousand moves down. Hey ho, the pre Diamond goal wasn't going to be done, but at least I stuck to the plan.

Drying

2010-08-05T12:57:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last month trying this line at Pigeons cave, its really pretty, a short wall into a curving line of undercuts just to the right of Stark. Only problem is its right in the middle of the seepage line straight down from the road. For PLAN A: I dogged up and pulled mud and moss off it, still wet but you could see the holds now, PLAN B: was to ab in and clear the lip of the roof from moss and grass, thus making it quicker to dry. This took two attempts the first ending with a scary pendulum across the cave when it turned out i was stood on not solid rock but dangling turf. Since then I have had 3 more visits and got precisely nowhere. Don't think it dries ever so its on to PLAN C: give up. So if anyone happens to be down there and its dry, I thoroughly recommend it the moves are awesome.

Got a few days off and the weather looks good, so think i will try to get out a few more times before sacking routes off for the winter and trying to get strong. The routeing experiment has worked well, I am so keen to go bouldering now. Normally by this point i am mega pissed off with bad conditions so have retreated to party mode. This year I have only been out properly 4 or 5 times since Christmas, mind you pretty keen on a blow out too...

Stuff

2010-08-04T02:27:00.000-07:00

Went down to have another play on Stark with James and Doylo yesterday, first go I got to the little backhand before the crux move, I then tried the top a bit before getting to the same place a few more times. Doylo smiled because of Jacks new beta making a hard move into an easy move, he got half a move further than me so I must try harder.

Before we went down there we had a dog up Simon Says in the split infinty caves, this is quite good and very handy due to the restrictions elsewhere on the Orme. Got the crux section sorted and did it from the first roof to the last roof in one, James and Doylo were not that keen though so I stripped it to go back another time.

CJD back on Under Pressure, no ticky for you... I tried to link the Full Traverse and fumbled a bit falling on the last hard section before jugs a few times. Neither of us were particularly keen so we ran of for a drink.

Went down to Cheedale with CJD and Jack, we cunningly decided to warm up by doing the Lockless Monster as there was no one else in the Nook, and it looked piss. I did it then Jack spent the day tickling the jug. To pass the time CJD and I started working Theoria I spent the rest of the afternoon taking my boots off and saying I wasnt going to try it anymore, then putting them back on and scrabling in the dirt a bit more. After a while I started taking awesome pictures from in the tree. I then managed to get it all wrong and delete 2 years worth a pictures off my camera. Fool.

Ups and downs

2010-07-29T04:10:00.000-07:00

Me on (possible 2nd asscent?) Under Pressure at Devis Gorge/Pantymwyn.

CJD on Poppys move, his unrepeted 8a+/8b at Craig Pont Y Pant. Pull on...

Slap...

Nearly.

Been continuing in the quest of bolt clipping, highpoints include Bad boy (got to be one of the best things I have climbed) and finally going to find the Magic Flute/Hole of Creation after years of wanting to. Low points include various bad days of sulkiing at the bottom of crags because my ego is taking a bashing. Been out bouldering a couple of times too, went to Poppys Move with CJD, I got spanked he was suprisingly close. I got my own back by crushing him on Mules Under Pressure at Pantymwyn/Devis Gorge. I thought this was an excelent problem, although not much to look at the moves were awesome. Initally I was made up as I thought I was going to session it, but after dropping the last move a couple of times it was a sure thing for the next session. Or so I thought I then managed to jump past the jug to the right or left of the jug or just below the jug for 8 attempts, in the end it went first go of my third session. Still not bad considering I have only bouldered 4 times since early June.

Boulderers go clipping

2010-06-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

Mainly been out and about at Llandulas this week, keeping on with the routing. It's definitely a much better plan for me then trailing round doing the same boulder problems every summer getting midged and being frustrated by grease. Plus its awesome to be a total punter, every time I go out I am learning a little bit more and getting ticks. I have tried Doylo's Proj with him, awesome fun, looking forward to another go soon. Here is a photo of Mudjekeewis courtesy of Si.

In Ojibwe mythology, Mudjekeewis (from the Anishinaabe language majiikiwis "first-born son") is a spirit, and figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation. In their Aadizookaanan (traditional stories), Majiikiwis is the first-born son of the E-bangishimog, the West Wind, and is cast as the guardian of tradition and ceremonies, symbolized by the bear. Of the medicinal plants, white cedar is associated with Majiikiwis. He is the eldest brother to Nanabozo.
However, in The Song of Hiawatha based on the aadizookaanan, Mudjekeewis is portrayed instead as E-bangishimog himself, ravishing Wenohna and fathering Hiawatha. However, even in The Song of Hiawatha, Mudjekeewis is strongly associated with bears as demonstrated in the passage

"He had stolen the Belt of Wampum
From the neck of Mishe-Mokwa,
From the Great Bear of the mountains,
From the terror of the nations,
As he lay asleep and cumbrous
On the summit of the mountains,
Like a rock with mosses on it,
Spotted brown and gray with mosses."

Put in a session on Greenheart last night, was good reminded myself of all the beta and foot moves, hopefully this time when I get to the Beaver Cleaver jug, I will be recovering as opposed to getting tireder. Jack made a comedy move last night, he forgot to take the draws with him on Breck Road, not quite as bad as my forgetting to tie in at Kilnsey, but really quite high levels of punterdom.

Photos

2010-06-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

The Orme

Parry Bros on Utopia

Whoever you are your a Twat

There's a fly in my beer

Nice V6, The Ramp at Coed Y Doctor

so tired

2010-06-12T05:28:00.000-07:00

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink
I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
No,no,no.

I'm so tired I don't know what to do
I'm so tired my mind is set on you
I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do

Except for the fact that Paxi style training is what is making me tired that sums it up nicely. I had a rest day last week. So that I would be fresh(er) for Pools apart from that its been a while. One bottle of wine to celebrate and I was slaugtered, what the fuck? Guess I haven't been drinking much. It feels good though, going home broken and battered, I like it. Makes me feel like I am trying hard. Yep, still some way off 2500 moves a day but its only the first week of endurance training. My masterplan is to get it together for August as the Diamond looks very pretty, and not falling for the normal, its too hot lets go to the pub summer should:

a- save me a fortune
b- mean I don't have to start from so low, again in Autum

So that's seven weeks not very long for a scheme, but I want September to top up power ready for Autumn projects then probably back to the mill for the rainy bit that will come some time in Dec-Feb before a sending spree in spring. I was supposed to start a few weeks ago, but getting on Pools and suddenly realising it was going to let me in set back the plan. Still being adaptable is an important part of the game I suppose.

Pool of Bethesda

2010-06-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

Its just 19 days short of a full 9 years since I did Jerry's Roof for the first time, this was one of my first hard problems in Wales. The first time I went out climbing we did Noah's Warning on the Cromlech and seeing the chalk on this roof, I asked what went on, but basically we didn't know. I remember driving up to work on Jerry's but seeing Jerry himself there trying Pools so running away. Higg did the first ascent of Pools in January 2001 so I must have been trying it for a while (some things never change when ambition outstrips ability). A bit later Malc came and crushed it and added his own start. I remember being blown away by the fact that he could turn up and dispatch it so quickly, guess I had a lot to learn about what being strong actually meant.

The following year I did Bus Stop, then 3 years after that I linked the 2 together in my longest (and most punterish) siege ever, to make the 2nd ascent (1st after loss of crucial foothold) of Mr Fantastic. I remember being under there just after a fairly massive relationship fail. Full of boiling hatred for the world. That was the first time my mother was diagnosed with cancer. The things bits of rock can help you deal with. Apres the successful ascent Hock and I went into Bangor for a celebration, got twatted and broke into the Union through a series of windows and back doors before popping out behind the bar, and entering the worst kind of student night ever. The following morning I was supposed to meet Al Hughes up there so he could film it, think he was used to a higher degree of professionalism than someone turning up hammered and stinking just about able to do the moves.

Later spotting Ug on it, he flew through the move to the porthole, before being unable to sort the next bit out, using the Higg sequence. If we had found the sequence that Pete used to get his foot up, I think he would probably have done it, and it could have been his first 8a and +. Although at the time he assured me it couldn't be harder than 7c+ if he could do it.

So now its my turn, I have finished off one of my main bouldering aims, and climbed one of the best hard problems in Wales. Its been a long decade of trying, lots of things have changed, people coming and going, but always I go back to that leaning block to see whats happening. The cancer is back, so there you go. There is a lot more to bouldering than ticking, sometimes you just need somewhere to hide.

Cheers to CJD who has spotted me on all these problems and has a firm belief that we are dead good at bouldering which helps. When I find the bloody lead that attatches the camera to computer ther are some photos.

The unthinkable

2010-06-02T07:38:00.001-07:00

I once watched Ug on Pools of Bethesda, he was catching the porthole numerous times and failing to get his right foot up due to fucked hips. I felt so sorry for him, as as far as I was concerned it was over at that point. Fast forward a few years and finally I am getting close to the move, its going to go. Forward to a Saturday night later in the week, finish work at 7.30 its cold so i sprint up to the Pass from the wall, jump on Jerrys and Bus Stop for a warm up, clean the spuff of a thousand people of the holds. J rat drives past on the way home for Kilnsey he stops to give me a spot, close again reckon on 2 or 3 more sessions get very excited. Forward another week and I do the move and have a little jig around the dusty floor whooping. Then the unthinkable I fall off after the porthole move 6 times. No way. She will go, cool as, just need some better weather, at this point not really fussed about not doing it as its been so long to do the move that this feels better than most top outs I have ever done. The end point doesn't matter to me for today. Next week again with CJD I throw and throw catch the porthole another 6-8 times fail higher up he says its hotter I think its cooler, who knows. It reminds me of sitting there playing games with myself trying to redpoint Mr Fantastic with a thermometer having a go when it cools down. A bit frustrated that day I just wanted to do it forgot about the fun, but there you go. Wales eh, if its not too hot its too wet or maybe as always these excuses, if I was stronger it wouldn't matter. Apart from the fact that I know the roof always has a good spell later in the summer, when the wind comes down the Pass and the only problem with conditions is stopping the mats taking out cars as they blow into the road I would be disturbed. Wonder how long it will be? Trying to be positive but kind of want to get fit as I have been out with a rope and that seems to be quite a lot of fun too. Terrified that I will stop being strong enough and the conditions will improve. Plus this all feels a bit fluky, hey ho, there we go. I keep thinking I should head up there in the morning before work but know from past attempts on stuff this is nearly pointless, I climb like a retard till I have been awake for a few hours, the only good morning sessions have been when I haven't been to sleep, is this the answer become nocturnal?. Ah Pools, come to me, heal the sick and the lame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_of_Bethesda

back once again

2010-05-16T03:53:00.000-07:00

Well after a good start to the year ticking projects off my never ending list I was tiered of trying hard and concentrating on being good and healthy so I sacked it off and got good and drunk for a bit. While I was doing this it seemed like a good plan to go and do some routes, its nice to go out and get to the top most of the times you pull on, slightly less enjoyable to be terrified on routes that I have soloed in the past. Still all in all its a good but slow process that I am looking forward to carrying on during the scorching summer that is sure to be coming our way. Even CJD has been forced to join in albeit after a few drinks, steaming his way up Mental Lentils for his first lead in about 15 years.

CJD on Mental Lentils

Confused on the Medium

Utopia Traverse on a sunny day

I also visited the cave this week, only climbed in there a couple of times in the last year, it was nice to be back and I had a reasonable degree of psyche for some of the problems again. I really would like to finish off Clyde this year as it taught me more then just about any problem I have ever tried. Managed to do the moves the other day, had to fight the memory of hundreds of failed goes pretty much instantly so kept the session on it relatively short.

Been on Pools of Bethesda twice last week, a new level of closeness to holding the pocket has appeared, I am hoping to get it done before the heat arrives, we will see Ive been fooled into thinking I was close before.

Also been looking through http://www.rockarchivist.co.uk/ at some of the write ups of what have become classics here are some of them, quite funny how things have changed.

Started training again for Autum, not going on trips has really focused me on the things I want to climb in Wales. So lots of Mill and Indy to take it up a level.

Out and About...

2010-04-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Frank at the Bowderstone.

Self-handicapping is described as an action or choice which prevents a person from being responsible for failure. It was first theorized by Edward E. Jones and Steven Berglas, according to whom self-handicaps are obstacles created, or claimed, by the individual in anticipation of failing performance. Self-handicapping behaviour allows individuals to externalise failures but internalise success; accepting credit for achievements, but allowing excuses for failings. Self-handicapping can be seen as a method of preserving self-esteem but it can also be used for self-enhancement. People may self-handicap to manage the impressions of others, or of themselves.

Says it all really don't think I have ever been to the Bowderstone with a decent nights sleep or without being under the influence. Wonder what it is I am afraid of.

CJD on Slapstick, again at the Bowderstone.

The phrase comes from the battacchio—called the 'slap stick' in English—a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte. When struck, the battacchio produces a loud smacking noise, though little force is transferred from the object to the person being struck. Actors may thus hit one another repeatedly with great audible effect while causing very little actual physical damage. Along with the inflatable bladder (of which the whoopee cushion is a modern variant), it was among the earliest special effects that a person could carry.

CJD and Katz trying Little Women in Kentmere. Looks really good, Chris was obsessing with the dirty crimp, of the original sequence or G'equence as it is referred to. Unfortunately he has eaten too many pies since becoming a real member of society and working in a proper job. Mark was looking good quickly doing all the moves apart from the crux, at one point stopping to inform us that he was a strong little bastard.

I was busy on Tourniquet which I managed to do from 3 moves in to the end in about 30 minute's before failing to redpoint it by consistently forgetting where my feet were supposed to be until I was fucked. Its very good though. Bit too much self handicapping on the way there. Still I do like Rocky, the film obviously.

Katz on The Karma of the Trees, again at Kentmere, again could have should have would have etc.

CJD on Caveman, A nice 7c+ on the top of the Little Orme, well nice if you like that Rubicon type of limestone.

Sub Society at the Cromlech I look particularly un-arsed about pulling on it, didn't like it before I did it now I can justify slagging it off. Its shit.

Jack fertilizing the Orme. A pleasant day at Lower Empire swinging round on jugs, I thought I had got better at climbing above bolts and stuff, then I realised I just hadn't tried anything I couldn't hold on to most of the holds with one hand should I go mad and let go. Still its fun trying, change is as good as a rest and all that. I do hate resting, find it terribly habit forming, generally they are bad habits too.

The Lotus, yes at last. Found this desperate, been on it at least 10 times in the last 10 years, remember being really excited to find a sequence I could do about 5 years ago, its been a visit a year since then pretty much, last time I did it from two moves in on the big jug. That was about November and I promised myself to go up again before I forgot what to do on it. This time it was sent quickly.

James on Jerry's Problem at the sheep pen, now I have done the Lotus I think I will make this my new bastard problem of the hills. Fucking gorgeous up there too warm by far for hard climbing but had a nice time on this and working the end of Kingdom of Pain.

This weeks Skin Report, its CJD and he's skinned his knuckles again.

Why do toads cross the road?

2010-03-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a toad on top of the Great Orme, there were hundreds of them that night everywhere I drove, thousands must have died, why? Apparently they are looking for sex, the poor bugger out on the town at twilight and he ends up getting flashed by me on the way back from the cave. Apart from that all quiet, cleaned up some lines last week, CJD has a leaning wall with a jump to a crimp, so hes excited. Trying not to climb for a week, on day 6 now its hard work.

This Weeks skin report,

mental note stop trying to climb out of holes that are too small.

Weather...

2010-03-23T07:58:00.000-07:00

After an extreamly settled and dry couple of mounths, its started to rain quite a bit now. This is to remind us (me mainly) that occasionally it is worth making the effort to brave the ming and go try problems. If Jack hadn't have kept the faith and gone up the pass with 3/4 of an hour of light and rain falling then I not sure I would have sat out the rain the following day before going and doing my project.

Anyway here is a rainy day in Wales:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt9MeP7U5ag

The Hall of the Mountain King...

2010-03-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

The Hole.

Over the last few weeks a small hole in the Pass has been the aim. Always keeping back some skin and psyche for the twin lines on the back of a big lump of rhyolite in the Pass. This hole became rather grandly dubbed The hall of the mountain King by a fairly merry CJD during the LLAMF party. All days off were directed towards her, and most days ended with a visit.

To begin at the beginning about 12 years ago I needed a shit and went scrambling round the back of the barrel looking for a hole, instead I scrambled into a big steep cave. Because of the way it had landed (in Wales most of the steep rock seems to need support) you could conceivably climb the full height of about 25 feet with the floor (well another boulder) rising behind you. I enthusiastically tried pulling on in various places, to discover it was a bit crumbly and needed a good clean, I assume this is because it doesn't get the full force of the weather. Over the next few years I scrubbed it a few times and kept chalking up the left hand curving line, the hole kept shedding skin. Over the next few years I showed a few people and told some more, Dyer looked at it with a ladder but didn't get involved. CJD and Hock had a go at pulling on, but were basically pulling holds off faster than they were moving up. Pulling out the big guns I showed the line to Mickey and Leroy one night. They were keen but not here most of the time, looking back thank the lord they were too busy ticking to bother cleaning it up.

This year I caught the project bug badly, old lists of problems and places to check out appeared, I went up and got drunk in the hole, paying my dues and seeking the lines. If the stand up to the corner went then all the lines would work, they could join that to make an exit through the top hole. I spent the day scrubbing again and holds appeared and disappeared, the left line had what looked like a crucial undercut to pull on and reach a sloppy crimp with your left hand. It snapped, bugger, but fortunately a crimp down and right cleaned up and was usable, then the whole sloppy crimp broke leaving a finger jug, I carried on making progress to hold positions and stuff, without really trying the moves while the problem evolved.

At the beginning of February I was a bit stale on The Crest, so decided to take a spotter and try to climb the exit. This went down at about V6 it feels weird to climb as you have to lock in to do the moves or else you lie down on the block behind you, not ideal but it works. Ollie failed getting wigged out whenever a foothold snapped. It is a bit strange you look to your left on some of the moves and you can see the floor miles below and the slab behind you drops away on that side. All I can say is various things have snapped while I was on it and all that ever happened is I was on my arse 6 inches lower.

A couple more cleaning and playing sessions, and I seemed to have it all solid, some of the moves went others didn't. I recruited CJD as I knew I could say "please don't do that one" about the left line and he wouldn't. The other line was now the main focus, I sat back a bit, thinking the top would break him even if he did the bottom section first. After 5 sessions, I was sort of right, he did do the bottom section first and mentioned finishing on the jug. I told him that he could if he wanted to be superseded, next time through the hard start he was scrapping and locking as hard as he could, quite funny and a good effort. He called this line Stoned temple Pilots, and we think its bottom end of 8a+.

The Stoned Temple Pilots 2nd move

In the meantime while losing the showdown with him on that one he had been pushing me through moves and working pieces of the curve line. This one was my major inspiration of the cave. Eventually I had done all the moves in the middle section and started to link through from the finger jug to the throw for a crimp in my right hand. The first 2 moves were done on their own and seemed fine. I went up to the crimps by scrambling down from the top, getting on worried this section would be hard, I pulled through and made it first try to the sanctuary of the easy top. At this point I was regretting the decision to not eat, and felt very strange indeed. After a few red points and cigarettes, I bailed, knowing if I wanted to do it this week, and I really did, then I needed to save my skin and come up fresher.

The next day dawned rainy it had been pissing it down all night, this is where the waiting post yesterday came in. In the end sitting it out was the right call not only was it all dry but it was in very good condition with a good wind blowing in the valley. It took a couple of goes to link but after all the preparation seemed reasonably straightforward. I guess its the law of averages that If you keep trying projects occasionally you get the process right, In total it took 9 sessions of climbing on it in the last 6 weeks, loads more cleaning and looking at it over the last 12 years, and only 9 attempts to red point it. The grade is V12 I think, its very sustained for the first 7 moves then gets easier, its a bit crimpy for me really so maybe I am wrong. Time will tell, I think I am calling it The Tracks.

Moves 1 and 3 on The Tracks

Waiting...

2010-03-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Weather is very on off at the moment, CJD did one of the lines I have had on the go, a fair steal as we had been working it only on days when we could both get up there. It was good to see the line done, even funnier to see him dealing with a strange top out... Its called Stoned temple Pilots, other details are being held back while I try the other line. I am one move from the end of the hard climbing on this, fell there 3 or 4 times did the ending a couple of times, the exit moves were slightly easier than I thought which is handy. Its all set go I will be back for the redpoint ASAP, today was supposed to be good early start and all that, at my folks on Anglesey now weather watching the hills. Back to the wall tomorrow for 4 days so hopeing the weather is breaking a bit, been raining all morning we shall see later. Quite inspired by Jaconbury doing The Sting in adverse weather after work last night, the ascent without a tarp is an ascent without dignity. So there we go I am well keen, now see if the window opens.

Jack and Jim keeping up with the Canes. Kat keeping it dry, not sure anyone was keeping it real. Fighting the good fight on the Sting.

This Week

2010-03-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

Mostly been sat in a cave projecting this week, the weather is still holding out and I think its probably been the best sustained period of conditions since I started bouldering. If only Wales had this weather for 2 months every year....

Apart from my projects I have also been trying to re climb a lot of the fingery nasty problems that I avoid. One that falls firmly in this category is the Sting a small but full on wall near the Roadside face. I have only ever done it once before about 9 years ago so I was pleased to do it in a handful of throws.

Short Video of Pass:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrNodder#p/a/u/0/ysTJmGaQkKM

Other than that there is not a lot to say really split a tip on the last throw on my project and went to the Orme to go sport climbing. This was a waste of time too much standing around for me, waiting and watching. I can see how it could be good if you are a keen pair but as a mincer day tagging along with others its pointless.

This weeks skin report:

Grades

2010-03-08T04:36:00.000-08:00

Junkyards and Barrels

2010-03-05T04:41:00.000-08:00

First up this week is the hidden bloc at Rhiwlas, previously JK had climbed a 7a+ slab here on Carreg y Gath, (means Cat Rock or something similar) CJD and I had been told of this line by Matt Smith of the Pebble (on Utopia) fame. Drunk in The Vaynol Arms he told us there was a fingery slap on a boulder within half a mile. He then refused to tell us anymore, people love doing this, I think its because they know we will then troll round the countryside looking at scrappy bits of rock forever unsure if it is A, a classic or B, a wind up, or C shit.

This time it seemed to be true and we spent a few days pocking round stream beds and old quarry's in surrounding fields. In the end we gave up and decided to try and ask him again. A few months later this time in the Fricsan we got some directions out of him for a beer and went to see it on the way to the pub one summer evening last year. We found it and instantly planned to return with mats and shoes to do it estimating the grade at 7b ish. Then we forgot about it.

About a month ago I found an old list of projects and thought it would be a nice afternoon out to go and finish it off. Only problem was I had agreed not to visit without Chris in return for his agreement not to go without me. This meant reminding CJD, so I decided to wait for a bit. Unfortunately he was reminded by a report on North Wales bouldering, and admitted to thinking about snaking me and going alone. In the interest of fairness we set a day and went to crush...

After a few wrong turns and a deliberate attempt to steal an advantage through spiking my cigarette we made it to the crag and got spanked on the JK slab. (we did have very thin skin though... honest) Setting up mats under the problem we started one on one off, the first move is a harsh pull on a right hand spike and left hand splayed crimp thing, far more his style then mine. Fortunately for me it also required a heel toe and toe scum, far more my style than his. After some goes we started to catch the first hold and fell off the top move a big slappy lock to a jug, made awkward by the lack of footholds. Thinking I was being a punter and not wanting to waste a go working the top sequence I carried on doing the first move and failing, by this point CJD was eyeing up a different sequence at the top. In the end we stopped being fools and both did the top out. Summoning up a competitive urge to beat CJD I scrapped up it by the skin of my teeth, as soon as the FA was gone Chris decided he had had enough and packed it in. We had been out for a big day in the pass the day before and skin was thin and energy was in short supply, it felt nails that day, a solid 7c+, I am guessing that was because we were screwed though and its probably more like 7c.

The Barrel what a venue, everything on it is class. I managed to climb the Groove this week, part of my go back to problems I did years ago and try to do them again scheme. It was 2001 the first and only time I had done this. Ollie put in a strong shout for the strongest punter award by footlessing the crux in the old eliminate style of not using the big edge above the slopers and failing to climb the problem. I also had a session on Breathe at the Cromlech, finding it hard but I think I can do it with a radical sequence change. Yesterday was definitely the best conditions I have ever had in the Pass.

It seems that my grading maybe even worse than I thought, Katz has put in a retro claim for Dolly Rocker saying he campused it at about 7c/+, before he defected to Yorkshire. I think I will buy Simon a few beers at the LLAMF party this weekend to strengthen my claim!

This Weeks skin report time for a rest day...

Dolly Rocker

2010-02-27T04:11:00.000-08:00

Fucking hell another one. While working The Crest I had been going down to Porth Ysgo a little for a change of scene. A couple of weeks ago I tried an old project with Chris, this being the arete near the Higginson Scar. Previously when I tried this I had been totally shut down and thought that it was nails, but this time the moves were all done in a session. I put it on the back burner until I had done The Crest start, and then went back to try it again. Arriving with CJD the conditions looked perfect, an on shore wind, cloudy and cold. This was all good and excitement brewed as I thought I may be on for 2 projects in 2 days. As we got to the boulders we started to warm up and a few flakes of snow started to fall, the price we were going to pay for cheating conditions. We hid under a block and smoked scuttling out every now and then when the snow stopped, after a couple of goes I was getting to the crux and hitting close to this move, a blind slap up and around the arete. Powerful to make the distance and technical to keep the weight on your foot. (CJD reckons he will be able to hold the swing, I think you would always hit the floor) Anyway to cut a long story short it soon became shit, wet mats snow turning to rain and holds were starting to get wet. So we sacked it off to go for a pint and drive back to the hills.

The following day was a bit better, had some people to see and things to do but by late morning I was itching to go back and send it. I have a habit of getting a bit over excited once I know I can do something and often end up bleeding and slapping hopelessly on problems that would have been fine if I relaxed a little more. So when on arrival I warmed up, easy today it was boiling, the holds felt terrible and I could barely do the easier moves let alone the crux. High tide was at 10 past 4, it was 3 o'clock and the sea was only a couple of metres away. I remembered failing on Porn Makes me Horny years ago and refusing to listen to Higg as he told me to wait for the sun to go down. As I still haven't done that problem even though I fell of the 6c+ exit moves 5-10 times that day I decided to listen now. Wandering around to the other bay and throwing sticks into the swell and generally had a nice time by the sea. My skin was pretty sore now, and I walked back round with the idea of getting the crux more wired, and maybe seeing if I could get lucky. I didn't, but I did learn the position and start to be able to do the crux 1 in every 3 goes, I also tore my skin and cursed my punterishness for even trying it in the early heat. Still back to work so had 4 rest days until I remembered I had booked Friday off work. 48 hours of rest shit loads of moisturiser and good food, the weather was looking good, tides were OK as long as I got there early.

Arriving by yet another set of back roads (I swear they move down here!) The conditions were good and I chalked the holds and went on another ticking mission of easier problems to get warm. The sun kept coming and going behind clouds, and the wind was keeping the rock grease free. Due to my thin skin (3 visits in 4 days on gabbro) I was only having 3 redpoints then stopping and going wandering round or smoking. After a couple of hours I was in and standing on top of the bloc. A future classic in the bag, happy to be able to rest for a week then start my indoor routine again to prepare for the next level of project. I can't believe how long it has taken me to learn when to push and when to back off to stay fresh for an ascent. Learning and progressing is so good, I really feel I have made the most of the weather windows this winter and am looking forward to a spring time in the hills.

Oh yeah how hard is it? I think its 8a or 8a+, CJD reckons its 8a+. So I guess I will give it a split grade, with something like this it doesnt really matter as its good enough and at a popular enough venue that it will be repeated sooner or later, a lot of it will depend on conditions on the snowy day I could cut loose on holds I couldn't hold the following day.

Some footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiS9nPnvjOM

The Crest

2010-02-25T03:01:00.000-08:00

The Crest is a Hocking 7c at the Wave boulders near Bethesda. It starts from a crouch and climbs a prow for 7 moves, beneath you is a roof with a obvious sit start at the back. After my lack of psyche and wrist pain I needed a project to fire me up again. Somewhere to hide and something no one would notice me working. I wandered up before Christmas to have a look, the first 2 moves are easy big spans with good feet, then you do a tricky blind slap, this puts your left on the start hold of the crouch, so far so good. Then I stalled on the next move I could reach it from a bicycle at the back of the roof but had no chance of taking the swing without hitting the ground. I needed a way to bring my feet off the back wall and onto the prow itself. I don't think I have ever tried a hard problem with so many different ways to nearly do the move but still be unable to make any of them work. There was an obvious three finger drag that you could drop into and use for your heel. Had a couple of sessions and managed to make it work, cool redpoint time probably 8a.

Footage of the original problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeMlZQEMjaU

Next session I snapped this hold off, I decided to glue it on again, it snapped again and again so in the end I committed to working a new way. This was slightly annoying as I had gone from being reasonably solid back to being skin of my teeth to keep the tension through the crux section. By this point my amazingly well hidden project had been discovered by Bethesda boy Ioan, he didn't know that the crouch had been done by Hock, so set about this and stole one of my mats, pikey bastard. Fortunately for me by this point I had my sequence and the top spent a few weeks being covered with snow while I did lots of leg raises and campused to get my contact strength up. I lied and told him I would ring him when I was going to try it share my beta etc as long as he gave me a head start.

Then the weather window of February arrived and I got distracted by a couple of other lines, after feeling good on a few other things I was ready. I started to wait for a dry day and started to get a bit frustrated. In the end I wandered up after Jacks birthday session cursing as it was dry and cold and I was dry heaving and sweaty. Pulling on I did the 7c first go, and fell twice on the crux before linking it together. I think its probably 8a+, feeling like a 8a to get to the start holds of the original. Ioan is keen for the second ascent I hope he does it, but I am still not going to share my beta though. I think working out how to do it was the hardest and most enjoyable part of the problem for me.

Six inch dyno

2010-02-09T06:06:00.000-08:00

The Six Inch Dyno at Hyll Drem, well I think it is. Details may change in the mist of time. Been down here a bit as a change of scene in all the rainy weather.

Some Photos

2010-02-09T04:06:00.000-08:00

Coming out of a hole, 10th move of a stand up and look where the floor is, magic!

The Minimum

The Pinch hold of Eat the Meek on the Plas Y Brenin bloc. This boulder has beautiful holds in a relatively sheltered location good fun on a windy day when you get cold or need a warm up before a project.

J Rat 2 on what became Bubbles traverse, beta master Si showing the way.

My aim strong little fingers, Choo shows the way working out Tide of Dreams bravely risking skinned knuckles on the grease. Interesting fact, Brian was an American who sprayed.

The fingers plan, climb on the 30 board lots.

Lou Ferrino sans chips (should be called Lou Ferrigno surely!), the classic but without the drilled pockets better harder and more interesting than the original.

best laid plans...

2010-02-01T07:02:00.000-08:00

Had a nice dreamy strategy to work some outdoor projects and train on my weaknesses inside over the winter. This all started quite well with some scrubbing boulders a reset of the 30 degree board in the mill so I could start pulling on small holds instead of lanking my way up steep walls on good holds so my ego could remain intact. This brought about the first discovery, for me working my weaker points is far more effective if I am doing it alone. Everybody does stuff their own way, but I like sitting down smoking and staring at the wall totally lost in the idea that the move is hard and inching my way toward success. Nothing pisses on my bonfire like some skinny youth pissing my project and telling me how easy it is, ego, what a bitch.

Anyway projects are still around in Wales, some better than others I admit. For now though all they have to do is make me pull hard, get up in the morning and go climbing, stay straight at the weekend then they have done their job. All good so far. Then I realise the last post was at the point of redpoint for one of them, it was all nicely worked done in two, end wired start fine, a tricky tension move in the middle but confident. Then there was snow, this was ok just worked the hard bit cos it stayed dry, and carried on in the wall. Then it melted, fair enough its wet for a bit, then its rained and has been wet every time I have been off work. So I carry on in the wall and rebuild the mill and sort out the bills and real life stuff, still all ok, but you have to wonder. Its a nice enough bit of rock, cool moves and stuff, but its a locals problem at a locals crag its not going to be the best or the hardest or anything like that. Shes starting to be a multi month project, I have been to look at it 4 times in the last month and not pulled on. Still after all its not giving up that matters most I guess, the more in the more out and all that .

projectile

2010-01-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

I find projects much more motivating than established lines so I have been spending most of my time trying hard for the last few weeks. My main focus has been a 5 move sitter into a old v9, this has been going quite well, although one hold has been glued on and fallen off 3 times. I have taken the hint now and did the move without it after a bit of work, not sure if I will glue it again although it was a lot nicer when it was there. The first 2 moves are easy then a tricky 3rd move into a cut loose and then the top out. This one should go in a session or two if the top thaws out anyway.

More please...

2009-12-18T05:25:00.000-08:00

More, I want more. The last week had 30 hours of climbing in it. For the first time in ages I want it and you can't beat that feeling. Did Sub Society on Saturday, I was really pleased with this as I have been plodding for ages. Almost seems like I have got more done this year because of a lack of time out climbing. My fingers feel the strongest they have in ages. Spending unholy amounts of time on the 30 degree board in the mill and noticed myself curling the thumb across the top of my fingers like a real crimper. No photos at the moment as I have lost my wire to download them.

Am obsessed with weight at the moment there are a lot of people in Wales who seem to have lost weight and got stronger as a result. It depresses me as I fluctuate so much, 86Kg in mid November down now to 81kg. There was a point when I was developing Moel Y Gest that I came in at 75kg, not sure whether that was the dancing or the 10 times I walked up there in 15 days.

Between the trees and the Rocky box set will be to blame if I am broken again in a few weeks. In the meantime thanks to Keith and Sly!

Pain free

2009-11-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

Had my first totally pain free session in months this week. The wrist feels much better, now it is just about undoing the damage of half a year without any real push. Its been strange this year as most of the people I climb with seem to have gone or been injured. Combined with my injury this has caused at best variable levels of drive. I am now returning to full psyche, I actually really want to go to the wall and am relishing the kicking places like the cave will dole out as I feel I can now start to do something about it.

Ups and downs

2009-10-31T07:46:00.000-07:00

First up I went out to try and link the Lotus, it was wet under the roof but with all the holds on the lip in quite good nick, after a couple of hours of getting frustrated I managed to link it from two moves in, massivly annoying as those moves are piss. My sequence seems to work really well but I need it to all just go well for one go instead of constantly fucking up with one of the toe scrubs or flags. We then wandered down to Wavelength, I managed to do New Wave pretty easily which cheered me up a bit. Went down to the Pie Shop to keep on top of the moves on Humble Pie, they felt hard by this point. Finished up at Jerrys did that a couple of times before heading to the pub.

The Following day went to the cave and got massivly unkeen as my wrist hurt constantly as I worked an eliminate on a problem that I had climbed 10 years ago. Its not exactly easy to be keen in this scenario so I went and got pissed with Leroy announced my retirement and cursed our climbing addiction.

Obviously I was right about the addiction made it through till noon the next day before going to try Pools of bethesda as I have nothing else to do with my days off. It went quite well was getting my finger tips in the pocket with the toe hook still in. Doesn't hurt that much to try this so it seems like a plan to maybe siege it a bit.

Wait for it

2009-10-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

DIETING IS A SHORT-TERM GAIN One of my biggest mistakes was dieting. I remember stepping on scales when I was 19 and realising I was 8st 13lb. It was so bad, but I was so dedicated. And when I lost the weight I felt like I was floating. My power, dedication and stamina went up. But it took a lot out of my system. Dieting is a short-term gain, believe me it doesn’t do you any favors in the long run. Now I’m careful about eating too much fat or volume, but I don’t count calories.

Malcolm Smith

Lovin the pie!

2009-10-22T02:46:00.000-07:00

Had a good set of days off, started on Saturday with a night out watching the Super Furrys, then a slow Sunday watching the Grand Prix. This was the sort of race that reminds me why I bother watching it, plenty of action with dreams being made and shattered. It would have been easy for Jenson Button to never drive in F1 again, for his previously promising career to end with one win and a load of shit decisions about which team to move to at which time. Instead 12 months later he is World Champion. Lots of people will say its because of the car etc, but as with most things its the way you take your chances available to you that makes the difference in life.

I went back up to the Pie shop on Monday to finish off the Love Pie saga, I did the problem this time. It was proper cold and windy up there, which was fortunate as I had to wait for the top holds to dry out. I did it with the stack in the pocket throwing with my right to a tiny crimp, so my fingers must be getting stronger.

This second shot shows where I managed to fall off last week! On Tuesday I had work to do so went to the Indy and set some problems. Wednesday was good went out with James and managed a circuit up the Ogwen Valley down the Llanberis Pass, had a session at the RAC to warm up, then a quick go at my big project, I managed to do the 1st crux again, seems as though I might have this bit wired now. Couldn't pull on to the second crux anymore, I guess that is to be expected after a summer of debauchery. Then I had a handful of goes at Pools of Bethesda. Finally I am starting to be able to get near the pocket with the toe hook in place, I will be so happy if one day I can do this. I have never hammered the move but I have had a couple of sessions every season to see what goes on. It seems that a leap in power, strength or technique has occurred. After this I went back up the hillside to start trying Humble Pie. This is a ten move extension to Love Pie, it was really nice to be out in the hills hanging around stoned and watching clouds bubbling into Cyrn Las as it went dark.

I got all reminiscent, as I spent a long time here eight-ish years ago working Pythagoras, suddenly the hassle of life seemed miles below me, nothing really mattered. The futility of bouldering was summed up by the very fact that so soon after completing Love Pie I was back. trying to extend it. It was great sitting round under the roof working out the moves, I remembered just how much I enjoy ferreting around the hillside. I slapped around till it went dark and then wandered down to have a beer and hang round. It was great.

Nearly...

2009-10-17T04:22:00.000-07:00

Went up the hillside on Tuesday, I wanted to try The Lotus again. I tend to go up and have a go once every couple of years, I managed to remember my sequence from the last visit. Each individual move was easy even though it was in terrible conditions. I thought for a little while I might manage to link it, but alas failed. This time though Chris is also keen so hopefully I wont leave it for 2 years before getting back up there. After this we wandered down to the Pie Shop and I managed to get both hands on the top of Love Pie and still fall off. Foolish. This is a ten year affair with this problem, during which time it has turned from a horrendous 8a, into (in some peoples opinion) a steady 7c. I remember reading about the first ascent in an old Climber magazine when I was a student in Canterbury. It was the same issue that had a photo of the first ascent of Crucial Times, so that ages it a bit. Was meant to get up early and go back up before work today, but Friday night got in the way. Other than this I have stopped drinking midweek and started to climb a lot more again which is nice. The conditions are improving and everything is nearly there.

More of the same

2009-09-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Went out to the Pass on Thursday dragged Jack into the new found easy trad psyche. We decided that it was amazing to go climbing without failing. That's five days out and constant success, amazing in five days of hard bouldering I would be lucky to get to the top once. Its nice to be chilling on belays and stuff. Unfortunately I was talked into a Bus Stop session on Sunday, after a mega session to mark the end of the summer any physical activity was very foolish, followed Ollie up Fools gold which seems to be turning into a polished hand jamming crack I am sure it was a fingertip crimpy thing before. Oh well the whole place is a pile and whoever spent time energy and money on those bolted routes behind fools gold needs a lobotomy.

Then the rain came...

2009-09-22T02:22:00.000-07:00

Just been outside having a smoke, its raining and looks grim, after 12 days of dry its amazing to see how quickly you take it for granted. Now I can see endless days of grey and hanging round in a damp cave or a dripping mill. Welcome to the winter.

Big Smile

2009-09-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Finnally managed to link up The Big Smile on Wednesday, it was preety cool in the wind so conditions were OK. Managed to do it 2nd try after doing the moves as a warm up. This was good as in the past 3 years I have probably had 6 visits at least, I think on the 2nd session I fell close to the end. Since then its rain, snow, seepage and ice that conspired against me. After this went to the roadside and had a slow session watching Caff on Diesel Power, and trying there and back on the Scoop traverse. My wrist was sore so ended up going to Tremadog the following day, did Grim Wall direct which was very nice, think I may have done it before but can't remember. In fact hanging around in the sun placing gear was so enjoyable that the following day I went down the Pass to the Grochan. First off was Brant Direct then seconded up Stroll On. We then proceded to get a strool on and keep going through till Monday morning. We paid a breif visit to the RAC boulders and played trying to palm out holds on the slab and push yourself upwards, various running jumps etc. All in all really good days off producing many big smiles...

Gutted

2009-09-14T01:46:00.000-07:00

Well, just like Dyer said would happen Beatitudes Kiss got a repeat using a dirty razor edge just above the pinch. Boo hiss I say, ignore the best hold in Wales for some dirt, bah. Never mind though. Good effort to Jordan for going up and doing all the problems in a day, apart from the sitter to Cruiser Weight; reachy? No just dead hard guv, honest! And well done for putting up with our drunken directions on friday night without hanging up.

Out and About

2009-09-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Been out and about a bit the last few weeks, went to the new bloc in Beddgelert woods a few times. This is an example of Pantons brave new world of link ups. This time we have all be instructed how the naming system works and are in the process of filling it up with as many variations as possible. Did the first ascent of a couple of good up lines and have been all over the traverses in an attempt to get a bit fitter. The best thing I have done is the stand start to the left of the arete, which became Water. This is highly morpho but very cool, pulling on with a foot at waist level and wide apart pinchy undercuts before rocking into the bulge and standing up to the top. Si did attempt to tell me I couldn't start there as it was too dependent on reaching that high with a foot. I did it anyway, I don't really see any reason to start artificially lower in order to make it the same for others, after all its not like I am using holds out of reach for my hands just a high foothold. Besides there is still the sitter to be linked in although i think this will probably change the whole sequence and the cool rockover will be defunct.

Here is a link to the pages, with some photos of Water.
http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=420

I have left the Cromlech alone at the moment as a summer of changeable weather seems to have meant most of my sessions have been up there. I fell of the end of the Scoop traverse there and back, and Sub Society over the last few weeks. Think this is a good sign for the coming winter as Sub Society is one of those problems I never expect to ever do as it is too crimpy, so i don't try it, this of course is the quickest way to make sure you don't do something!

Here is some footage of Scoop Traverse and The Sting.

Pondering

2009-08-11T02:52:00.000-07:00

So I have had a few weeks off, now what? Well its 10 weeks till holiday time so I had better do something about trying to get better at climbing rocks.

First step to anything is motivation, where is that going to come from? In my questioning of psyche I came across the theory of Manipulation drive. This is the theory that animals including lower species indulge in certain actions mearly for the reward of manipulating a complex and novel object. I quite like that its simple and straightforward, I like playing on rocks, cos i like playing with rocks. Although it sounds like an amazing cop out, we don't know why, so it must be cos you like the feeling! So how does it make you feel?

At best boulders are the perfect something, giving life to memories and good times. Local boulders will always be special for this reason, spots like Fachwen are so tied in with that first summer of this new life. At worst, they chew me up, bring out my bad sides, bitchy, competitive and insecure, a dark stormy come down from the previous high. The feeling that things will never be so good again. Beating away at the unachievable, no more fast gains, same places, same problems, the same moves again and again just for a two week trip to put yourself in an emotional blender of your own expectation and ambition.

So why? After many days of searching I have no answer, fortunately I suffer from something easily defined as natural enthusiasm, so my quest for motivation is relatively straight forward. My reasons are vast and varied, for years I have been a regular scribbler about days spent climbing, and things I would like to climb. Some of these make me feel horrible when I am down, a list from 8 years ago covered in problems most of them undone, a lot I don't even remember wanting to try! How can that be worthwhile? However in these times, I can also remember a dark bar in Austria, meeting a fucked up, mind blown guy calling himself the Nose. Describing to a complete stranger the beauty of the pinch and toe hook rippling the right hand side of my body, swap stories of why we are there, tell him you did a good link today, (he doesn't care or understand but he is very good at pretending) then meet an arms dealer and a guy who plays scrap metal for a living. After being escorted to the late bar 2 miles out of town, feed vast quantities of warm rum and brown sugar, the bar has a whip round for the pissed Welsh guy with no coat to get a taxi. I guess the point is climbing gives you a lot more than just doing the moves.

A selection of interesting people out there, look at the trousers on the guy.

After re-reading that I think I should go climbing, this free time fucks with your head...

Time out

2009-08-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

After recent success of developing new areas and trying projects, I have been drinking and sweating on dance floors. Until a couple of years ago I climbed pretty much every day and spent most of my time wondering why improvement was so slow. Now I have learnt that backing off is good, my desire to climb is nearly always there, what changes though is the desire to succeed. To actually do what is required in order to complete a challenge. So in brief its raining, been to the wall a bit, but mainly I am indulging in mental training.

Doing the move...

2009-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Had a minor breakthrough on one of my projects this week. After changing the angle of my foot and learning to pinch with my left hand I did one of the two crux moves. I started looking at the line about 3 years ago, and this was my tenth session. I had only done the move twice before but both times seemed more by fluke than anything else. Now I feel I have learnt a position on the move so hopefully it will become linkable. Given that once I caught the hold, I couldn't begin to move either foot, and once I do that I need to do another similarly hard move, that I have only done once, it could take a while!

This week...

2009-07-10T09:43:00.001-07:00

This week I mainly went bouldering, shock horror! On Monday I sat out the rain in V12 drinking coffee and reading mags. Eventually went up the pass, been a while since I embraced the post work Cromlech sessions, so I had forgotten what a social centre these blocks were. Did a little climbing and made up some eliminates on the roadside face. Went down to Jerry's to play a bit on things there. Had a reasonable go at doing it blindfold, I have climbed the roof bit blind before but never the top out. Doing the whole thing from the proper start may become my summer fun challenge.

On Tuesday decided to head over to the Orme to climb in the cave, after playing around on this and that decided I was stronger but with much less fitness. My swinging match on Louie Armstrong still isn't working so obviously need to get stronger still. All the big links were out of the question, as I was tired on Lou Ferrino. In the end went up to Normans Wisdom and did the traverse and stuff, after a while it became clear psyche was low, so we headed to the pub.

Wednesday dawned a grey day, I wanted to go and check out a groove I remembered seeing at the entry to the copper mines in the pass. I remembered this as a steep blankish wall with some pinches, estimated the grade as V10 upwards. On my return it had morphed into a just off vertical V4, strange, it wasn't even much of a groove, still it was very good. I set up a rope and started to clean it. After sorting it out and moving some rocks at the bottom, I decided to give it a blast, slipping off the second move. I ran away to come back with a spot and mat. Jack came up from V12 and it went first go. Its quite high but totally safe with a spot and two mats due to a big flat rock for the spotter to stand on. Although I am sure it will probably never be climbed again for years, I named it Traitors Gate, and told anyone who would stand still long enough it was a modern classic. We then went down to the Cromlech, and had a social session with a couple of ciders, although I did land on my ass show boating on Sleep deprivation. Caff and Baby Dave both did Mr Fantastic as their first 8a+. Its great seeing other people happy when they climb hard stuff and even better when its on your problems.

Thursday, was mincing day, after heading over to see a mate in Bethesda, had a spare hour so decided to stop off and do the traverse in the river by the bridge. Maybe its just me, but I have been convinced this is worth doing for years. Its a bit small and you have to be careful not to land in the river, but it has a lovely sequence of moves on slopes. Well its good if your in the area with half an hour to kill!

Staggering

2009-07-03T03:33:00.000-07:00

Went up to Staffordshire for a mates stag on the weekend, stopped off at Gibb tor on the way to try Maurice Gibb. Thought this was remarkably cunning as its a jug to jug jump and it was hot. On arrival at the crag I realised the only fluid I had was 24 cans of Strongbow and 18 bottles of Stella, all warm. Fortunately after a bit of rooting round the boot I found some nice cider that had been kept cooler in the boot beneath some mats and stuff.

I started leaping around and quickly got bored of being a steady 6 inches short, so I canned the cider and started soloing round. First up was a nice looking slab into a groove, after moving up the slab on jugs I was reaching up towards a break looking for the next big hold, I got scared and retreated down. After a couple more attempts cursing my cowardice, I looked in the guide and realised there were no more good holds as it was an E5 6c. So I went through and found some more reasonable grades. This was great, scuttling round on jams being trad. I had a proper good time although I did gibb (see what I did there?) one route I would like to do, can't remember the name but the description was a Gogarth route! It involved a mantel onto a big green grassy shelf, a crawl then a dusty green crack to top out, after a couple of slimy attempts I got scared of being broken at the crag alone and ran away to party.

Moel Y Gest

2009-07-02T07:07:00.001-07:00

I love cleaning boulders, its stupid but there you go, for the last few weeks virtually every day off I had has been spent at Moel Y Gest scrubbing lichen and peeling off moss. In the same time period my house hasn't been cleaned at all, well couldn't really as all the brushes were stashed under blocs 20 miles away.

About 2 months ago I first heard rumor of this venue, first from Andy, but he wasn't saying where. Then Simon Panton, who was thinking about giving away knowledge in order to gain positive karma to finally heal his finger. Eventually as it appeared to be becoming the worst kept secret in Wales, Si cracked and spilt the beans.

The following day saw me head down to check it out, after reading the crag description in the Tremadog guide I was fairly blase about the directions after all its at the bottom of a 200ft quarry, how hard could it be? An hour or so later sweating, stumbling and swearing, I finally located the boulders. They looked good, psyche was high so I started cleaning and climbing some of the lines till I ran out of tobacco, chalk and water.

I went back to V12 to collect Jack and some brushes, and we drove down to do some more. It rained, so we took shelter and he cleaned but failed to climb Room For Glue, it was very wet grim and greasy to be fair though. I started trying the groove to the right which became Beatitude's Kiss. This is probably my favorite problem in Wales now, it felt like a 8a+ when I did it but I know it was bad conditions, so I have decided to give it 8a and see what happens in the winter.

Beatitudes kiss.

Anyway there are new problems dotted around the hillsides, here is a link if I can make it work to Ground Up topo:

http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/upload/members/Moel%20y%20Gest%20topoV4.pdf

and some photos by Ray Wood off the DMM site:

http://dmmclimbing.com/news.asp?nid=213&ngroup=2

45s revisited

2009-06-17T02:34:00.000-07:00

This week I have mainly been developing some boulders but there is still something I want to do up there before too many people find it. So I will tell you about my training session this week.

Went to the mill and made up some new moves followed by a beastmaker session. Main goal was to hang the 45 degree slopers for 30 seconds, after 4 attempts 25, 27, 23, I sat down and rested before 32 seconds. All very dull but it means I am getting stronger or fitter, this was my 4th day on a few weeks ago I needed to be fresh to get anywhere near this.

Pantymwyn

2009-06-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Went down to Devils Gorge last week, had a good session doing Be Ruthless sitstart, I tried this a couple of years ago with CJD before Hocking nipped in and did the FA. It was nice to be out and about in the sunshine after 4 days of boiling weather in the wall.

HOT soooo HOT...

2009-06-02T04:08:00.000-07:00

Back in the wall now, its roasting. A big tin shed in the sunshine for 13 hours at a time, trying to keep up the keenness, but finding it very hard, was out of bed at 7.30 to squeeze some outside time in by going for a run. Now trying hard to do circuits in the wall and get fitter, weights later, don't think I will maintain it unless it gets cooler.

Went to the cave after work the other day, was keen for Lou Ferrino chipless, but even with lanterns at midnight it was still so sweaty. Decided to try Louie Armstrong a bit more, settled on the sequence I will use for the crux section. Time to get stuck into training for a bit my motivation to climb outside is faded at the moment.

The maker of the Beast...

2009-05-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Been getting really excited by the Beastmaker in the mill, or should say Beastmakers as we have two, as Panton put it if one is awesome two must be better. My main aim is to do the 30 sec hang on the 45's. I have been building for the last 3 weeks gone from a few seconds to 24 sec to 26 sec. Last days off I made a new personal best of 29, I think I may have got 30 but I dabbed on the pull on so the first second didn't count!

As well as this I have been developing my locking and footless cross thoroughs . I figure all this will improve my lock and allow me to do my first non chemically induced one armer, another of this years goals. Here is a shot of the cross on the 35 degree slopers, I have also decided that rainy weather makes them sticky... Too far, probably...

But here is a shot of some lovely slopers to hang once beastliness has been achieved.

Keen Roof

2009-05-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

The last days off were good, after 5 visits and 6 sessions I managed to link Keen Roof. The mini obsession started about 6 weeks ago, after meeting Leroy up there for a session. Sat in Parisellas disillusioned and with a tweaky wrist. I was bored of trying hard on problems that were hard to be keen for, moves that I had done or tried before, sometimes many times. A sinking feeling that it would all be easier with fitness, rather than getting them more wired, holding your breath and sprinting towards a light at the end of the cave. So new venue and new moves, the mighty Jetta took me across with the idea of Powerband and some spotting duties. Arriving late in the day after a little climb on Pinches wall, we jumped on to see what it was about. Leroy made fast progress and surprisingly so did I, at the end of the session he was redpointing and I had found a knee bar and reach to do the crux moves to the lip. Driving home was ace, fast progress is not something I make that often and I was optimistic of an ascent just needed to fine tune the swing and matching the lip.

For the next 6 days I rested and thought about the moves, at this point I was getting the right hand pocket and throwing again to the hold on the lip. Although I could do this move it felt hard and wasn't that reliable. I came up with a theory to go to the lip lower and then go again making two smaller hand moves the first of which maybe I could reach with the kneebar in. CJD was keen to have a visit so once again, the traffic of Stockport was breached and we met Leroy for round 2.

After a good warm up session doing eliminates on pinches wall we went over and got stuck in the theory worked and I could now get to the lip hold well, Leroy dropped the top twice in the sun, and CJD worked hard phoning schools at the crag. My aim for the day was to do the moves to the lip well and I did that first go, so after this success I got greedy and wanted more from the session, forever a victim of my own enthusiasm, I had many attempts at many sequences, after about 50 goes on the swing I was tired and a bit pissed off. In the end we ran off calling in at Beginners wall so Chris could try Recreational Violence, he jumped around a bit and after a pint and post match analyses, it was a good day.

During the next week of resting and easy days I worked out I needed to be crimped on the good hold on the lip, as opposed to dragging it with three fingers. Holding this open was making me struggle to hold the swing and match the lip. I went back for a session and worked a way of matching, turning the hold to a crimp, dropping back down to the undercut and then holding the swing before matching the lip again. After working the top and bottom sections a bit, I went off to get some food and water before coming back to have a few redpoints before it got dark, I made it through to the match but was too tired for any thing great to go on. It was getting dark and I really happy the sequence was in place and I could defiantly climb the problem now. With nothing much to do I decided to sit around and stay for the next day, I like hanging around by problems drinking and thinking about what to do next. The following morning it was clear that was a shit plan, I was tired, hungover and stiff, too old to sleep in cars now I guess! I also tore a big flapper in the palm of my hand trying too hard on the slap, a bit of cave tactics and some gaffer tape over a small spike sorted that though. My amazing revelation that resting makes you stronger, I now discovered it also made you have really crap day fitness, two days and I was knackered, shit, I normally climb 9 out of 10 days. Still it meant I got to see Natcho destroy it, and I hung out and got bits more worked before giving in and going home.

This time I decided to leave it alone for 2 weeks, go climbing on other stuff and hang around on the Beastmaker. On a night out in Bangor I met a couple of Greek Psychologists, a quick lesson in visualisation and self confidence type tactics followed and I could work on it without even leaving the house. Next session I got it second redpoint, everything went right, its incredible how easy things can be when you get it right. I was starting to get bored of going to try it, and I know from past experience how easy it would have been to make a hash of it, for it to become another must go back to problem. Suddenly it seems like I may be learning. I hope so, its nice when it feels good to do something, too many times the endpoint for me has just been a thank God its over type of feeling. I never did try Powerband.

The Cave

2009-05-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

Went back to Parisellas cave this week, its been a couple of months since my last visit, after falling off the last couple of moves on Dans Finish a few times I had had enough. This has been a long year in terms red point angst in there. First up I was trying to link together Full Circle into Broken Direct this was my plan in an attempt to gain some power endurance. This sort of worked as a way of training as I managed my foreign goal of Wrestling with an Alligator in January without fitness being an issue. When I came back I was feeling good, so instead of letting recovery happen I jumped straight back on and made it through the crux of Broken Heart a couple of times but then started to go backwards fast. Next up was Dans Finish and to start off with progress was quick instantly back to the high point of previous efforts. This problem has become a real bugger to link and after falling at the end of Beaver Cleaver, I decided that fitness was required before any more cave links would happen. Being prone to smoking and drinking fitness is hard to get. Instead I started to cruise around looking for shorter problems to try and started to avoid the cave, while Hock was visiting it rained so the cave became desirable once more. In the end it turned out to be good, shit conditions instantly gave the excuse to not do anything, and had an enjoyable day working out the moves on Louis Armstrong and Lou Ferrino Sans Chips, decent progress was made on sans chips and I think on a better day it would have gone.

All in all a good few days off, finished up as i had begun hanging the 45's in the mill, although now on my fourth day on I had gone down to 10 seconds. Next week...

On the Blog

2009-05-15T04:24:00.000-07:00

Decided to join in the blogging, so that I too can spray random opinions and post up bully about what I have/want to have been climbing. Hopefully I will weld together wit and wisdom, but in all its far more likely to turn into whine and whinge pretty quickly.

First day off this week saw the beginning of a new obsession with the Mill. After an intensive summer last year, leading to total burnout and failure, I am determined to be more organised in my efforts this year. My first goal was to hang the 45 slopes on the Beastmaker for 30 seconds, a fine beast 8a on the training records. After warming up and recruiting I managed to do 26 seconds before slithering to the floor, this was cool as the target had been 10. Made up some nice problems on the right hand board and managed to retro flash Panton in a blender, Nine bars, and a few other Mill7a+ problems.

Hock came down to the Wales for a quick visit, so we decided to head down to the revamped Tan y Grisiau with Jack and Ian to try Flick of the Wrist, Hock dispatched this with a strange sequence all high feet and shoulders while Ian added 4 or 5 flappers to an injured finger, a case of insult to injury if ever there was one. Jack and I both made good progress before he was stumped by the last but one move, body tension/reach/fear ended it all there for the day. I managed to climb through, catch the sloper after the crux badly and failed to finish it, classic. All in all a good problem that would be awesome without the slightly encroaching block on the left.
Next day was the Caseg to take my annual spanking on Main Vein and The Groove Sitter. I find this boulder desperate at the best of times and was no different today, did manage to evolve my sequence on the Groove and think this one will go, as for Main Vein bah humbug.