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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

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

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

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

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

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...

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.