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Rings & Slings Part 1 from Boreal Video on Vimeo.

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

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.