projectile

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...

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

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

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

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!

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...

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.