There is something strangely satisfying about visiting a new crag, sometimes these end up being world class and you wonder how you had never been there before, others you can't wait to leave and never return. Each year i try and set myself a goal to visit 20 new crags in the UK, so far this year i have managed to go to 6 already! Two of which are local sandstone venues, the other week on a sunny afternoon i paid a visit to the recently developed and cleaned up Harmers Wood and this afternoon i also visited The Breck. Ok so i won't be rushing back to their in a hurry but it has reignited a sense of psyche for the local venues, i don't know what it is about them whether it is the fact i go and ALWAYS get spanked, i leave and have rarely climbed harder than 6b but feel battered. Hoping the next time i return things will feel easier but they never do!
With the weather being as good as its has it means the local venues are now dry, albeit they are slightly too hot in the direct sunlight, the backside of Granny Rock at the Breck was in the shade and had some sweet little link ups and eliminates and was a pleasant way to burn off a hangover.
Saturday was never going to be a long day out due to a stag do i was attending in the afternoon i managed to convince Helen in getting up super early and having a morning at Dyserth Waterfall which was definitely worth getting up for. Nice venue with some easy climbing well bolted in and absolutely beautiful location. Although i did receive a major shutdown on a 7a i couldn't get near. it was desperate and felt more Font 7a than French 7a, but the 7c's that go through the roof look so good and i visit with senior Psyche will be in order soon.
Just a quick update and hopefully a visit to Pex Hill this week will give me another spanking so keep peeled.
Sunday 25 March 2012
Monday 19 March 2012
It's Board Time.
Ok so the past twelve months of my climbing have been riddled with injuries. A year ago we were preparing to go to Switzerland and my aim was to climb a 7c, but a few weeks before the trip i suffered from an A2 strain. So i went on yet another trip not being 100% fit and ready. I've realised from reading up and speaking to a lot of experienced people that the only way to avoid injury is to train the finger specifically, i.e fingerboard, campus etc. Where the fingers are loaded and strained in a controlled manor, so when on a route or boulder problem the fingers are conditioned if a foot should pop then the they are used to the stress. Each time i feel i have been getting back to health before starting to fingerboard i have always managed to go one session too many and get re-injured.
Last week seen me have my first session on the woody in well over a year. It was a mixed session as i didn't seem to have lost much strength, but i have trained around my injuries with running, core and weights so i feel my overall health and fitness is at the best it's ever been. The next day however my body could definitely tell i had hit it hard, so an easy route session was done to flush out the build up of toxins. After the double session i felt it was time to hit the fingerboard with a light session on the Thursday, this went well but i had a little ache in my middle finger where i felt a strain a few weeks back, the next day it was back to normal and it felt ok. With four days rest tomorrow is route session of mostly stamina training, followed by a board session either Thursday evening or Friday depending how i feel.
I have found it hard to fit running into my schedule as i have been working a lot lately, so i was keen to buy a road bike and start cycling to work. I cycled a few times last year but found it hard to get motivated, with the nice weather i managed to find myself a bargain Scott on Ebay and bought it!! Yes it was a bit of an impulse buy but hopefully i'll save a few pennies on fuel and shift the last few pounds i need to.
After a slight set back on the MIA front, this year is going to be a year of climbing multi discipline and getting down to the 7c front of bouldering. Getting the psyche back to go out and work a 7b in a session and get 7c's pretty quickly. So training will be getting hit hard soon.
Hopefully going to either try and get a deal on some Beastmaker holds or make some similar ones for the woody.
Last week seen me have my first session on the woody in well over a year. It was a mixed session as i didn't seem to have lost much strength, but i have trained around my injuries with running, core and weights so i feel my overall health and fitness is at the best it's ever been. The next day however my body could definitely tell i had hit it hard, so an easy route session was done to flush out the build up of toxins. After the double session i felt it was time to hit the fingerboard with a light session on the Thursday, this went well but i had a little ache in my middle finger where i felt a strain a few weeks back, the next day it was back to normal and it felt ok. With four days rest tomorrow is route session of mostly stamina training, followed by a board session either Thursday evening or Friday depending how i feel.
I have found it hard to fit running into my schedule as i have been working a lot lately, so i was keen to buy a road bike and start cycling to work. I cycled a few times last year but found it hard to get motivated, with the nice weather i managed to find myself a bargain Scott on Ebay and bought it!! Yes it was a bit of an impulse buy but hopefully i'll save a few pennies on fuel and shift the last few pounds i need to.
After a slight set back on the MIA front, this year is going to be a year of climbing multi discipline and getting down to the 7c front of bouldering. Getting the psyche back to go out and work a 7b in a session and get 7c's pretty quickly. So training will be getting hit hard soon.
Hopefully going to either try and get a deal on some Beastmaker holds or make some similar ones for the woody.
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