Another Cracker

Off again on another weekend with perfect grit weather!
Get in, The plan was to go Baslow and hit up the easy routes to solo and then have a little session at Flat World and The Eagle Stone. Driving over it was freezing, first day this year i've had to scrape ice off the windscreen, conditions were set to be perfect.
Arriving at a not so sunny Baslow (it was still in the shade) we decided to go over the road and warm up on Curbar Trackside Boulder. But i realised how shit that boulder is and how it makes me hate the Peak District and all the bell ends that climb there.
Rant over. We moved over the road to Baslow a mini route/highball venue; i was keen to get plenty of easy stuff done and get my head back into doing challenging moves more than 2m from the deck or from a bolt. Warming up and doing plenty of route it was good to be out again with Rich, Laura and Matt and enjoying the banter that comes part and parcel of going out bouldering. It is so much more sociable than routes, especially trad.

So that was a week ago. And i've decided to complete the post and update people with my injury and rehab.
It was a month ago that my foot popped and so did my tendon. So far my rehab couldn't be going any better. I had these almighty plans to run and do some weights but i haven't needed to i have been able to climb outdoors for four days and have plenty of sessions indoors along with some frenchies and plenty of thera-banding to build up some stability within my shoulders. Also in this time i have done plenty of route setting and even had an indoor boulder session. Now from doing all this i can pull at a reasonable strength to stress the tendon without pain, does having lots of injuries previous mean i know how to rehab? Who knows but it certainly hasn't done me any harm.

Appreciating what you have got.... This is what i have come to realise. Since returning from Spain i have managed to finish Jonny Dawes' Full of Myself and moved on to a book which couldn't be any different from this. Paul Pritchard's The Totem Pole, this is an amazingly well written book about the accident in Tasmania and all about his recovery from not being able to walk or talk to within a year living independently and returning to the scene of the accident. There is a part in the book were he is looking out of the hospital in Tasmania and is able to see the Organ Pipes where only a week before his accident he was climbing but sat in his wheelchair thinking he may never be able to walk again let alone climb. He has an amazing battle with his body and mind re-learning how to walk and improving his memory. It dawned upon me that i am so lucky to be able to travel to all these beautiful places and be able to climb and spend time with some of the best people in the world.
The book has got me psyched to go and do a big sea pillar now!! And if you haven't already read it get it and i promise you won't be able to put it down.

Out of the dark.... Into the light.

Spain

So Spain turned out to be a bit of a flop. Managed five days, started working a nice roadside 7c. After getting a sequence nailed pretty quick i decided to give a red point but turned out i was too tired, but it definitely felt like it would go and quick. After deciding to put my eggs in one basket and chase the grade, the next day was spent on the same route after getting frustratingly close still no tick! Third day on and last day left in Margalef the pressure was on, i went down feeling quite tired but with just a quick warm up a brief rest then a red point i felt it would go.
Start wired, clipping the third clip i make the big move to a right hand two finger pocket, sort feet, lock it down to a shallow dish and up to the glued on flake where i could get a breather and get some back before the next section. Rest up i sort my feet for a powerful move out left to a good pocket, clip, right hand up to another two finger pocket, left to a good edge then up to a right flatty, clip done, quick shake not feeling too bad, left hand to a good pocket, right up to a three finger slot, the foot holds are polished and poor but just one hard move and it's in the bag! Left foot up high i lock the right hand and slap to the good jug... foot pops, body cuts loose then.... POP! A rush of blood to the palm of my hand FUCK I'VE RUINED MY WHOLE TRIP!!!
I was gutted, i knew i wouldn't be able to climb again on the trip. Well time to crack open the Cerveza.
This wasn't the case i managed to top rope some stuff and even lead a nice little 5+ at Monstant on my last day.
Having or getting an injury on a trip can be hard, how are you supposed to stay positive when putting in months of effort training and spent that much money to go somewhere where you can't even climb.
I was lucky enough to be around some pretty up beat people who managed to lighten the mood and ensure i didn't slip into a DARK PLACE.... hahaha.

me on a nice 7a at Margalef

Back Home

So home for new year and a bit of work, the finger is starting to feel much better even only 10 days after the injury. With climbing lots and being prone to injury i had done plenty of research previous so knew the stages of rehab, but fingers crossed it is going much quicker than i could have hoped for.

I was keen to carry on training around the injury so have been hitting the core, pull ups and theraband hard. 

Managed an indoor route session still climbing 6b+ with no niggles and the most important part is getting plenty of blood flow to the area and deep massage to prevent the build up of scar tissue. Even this weekend i still managed to get out both days and have a nice easy circuit on some gritstone.

Saturday was in search of a new crag for me, over to Wimberry; and what an aesthetic place just a shame the boulders where greener than Kermit the frog!! Still explored and found the boulders and will head back in the summer for an easy evening circuit.

Sunday was a bit more hopeful we headed to Burbage South Boulders knowing that if there was any wind and it didn't rain then it would be dry. There was some low lying cloud but we still managed a nice circuit mainly repeating problems but still managed to get some new ones and plenty of flashes to encourage the technique.

So all in all the rehab is going well, i'm keeping a positive outlook on things and this time i now know how to train the fingers to be able to pull harder and stay injury free. This year is going to be a good one!