Northumberland Joy

After a cracking session at Longridge last week the psyche had returned to boulder. Finding myself with some time off me and Helen decided on a four day trip up to Northumberland, I'd always heard good reports about the place but just never found myself the time or the weather to get up there. This was to be the weekend though!
A week spent watching the weather hoping and praying that we had at least two dry days, Thursday night came and the forecast was set to be good Friday evening right through to Monday morning. I can deal with the cold just as long as it's not wet, too many times do you find yourself huddled under a steep roof with what seems to be every man and his dog trying your best to climb on some real rock, when in fact the time would have been better spent training indoors. There was a few main places on my hit list; Bowden, Back Bowden and Kyloe In The Woods.
A quick chat to Hession on the Tuesday and we found ourselves assembling a small crew of four of us heading up. Going anywhere with Rich is brilliant he's like taking a walking talking guidebook who has either been and done a problem or if not more than likely watched a video of it in the shop. After some miscommunication it ended up just being Me, Helen and Rich in the van, this is sometimes better as there isn't pressure to climb at a certain place which can happen when there is a few people in a group.
Friday comes and the weather isn't looking great for that day, but I was busy with work in the morning so we couldn't leave until midday anyway, then we hoped for an evening session somewhere but the weather had other plans. Even with the rain Rich being like a child in a sweet shop still manages to find some dry bits of rock and climbs two easy problems at Bowden then got a nice 7a second go. Back to the campsite for tea and a few beers.....
Saturday 12th May
Waking up Saturday to glorious sunshine and clear blue skies, psyched!! The plan was to head back to Bowden then hopefully go round to Back Bowden in the afternoon, double session and checking two venues. We headed down the far end and towards a classic problem called Lightbulb (6a) and wow what a problem, nice little short prow followed by a high right foot to mantle on to the top of this boulder that looks like a lightbulb. As we headed back we picked out the classics and even scared ourselves with a few highballs, unfortunately the roof section i had a list of problems i wanted to try was in the middle of a lake, a large deep puddle had formed at the bottom which wrote all them problems off.
I have a personal goal of trying to climb a new 7a every time i go out. So time to try one, the one i had in mind was Transformer Direct (7a) a variation on a classic 6a+, which involved a long reach from a good hold with a solid right toe hook to drop into an undercut, slap round to a sloper then big move to a break, match the break and rock over to a slopey crimp match a break and finish. Class problem and really psyched to get it third go!
We decided to finish off at Bowden and move round to Back Bowden where there was a huge film crew with some of The North Face athletes, this was a bit of a pain but i got to see Hazel Findlay! Deffo one for the DFBWGC!!!!
Arriving here i was made up to see that the majority of problems where situated in a very steep roof, now i know why Steve built the triple roof in the crypt! Felt like perfect training for this venue. Rich pointed me towards Low and Hard (7b) this started on two incut undercuts and a goos foot rail, pulling on i quickly realised my biceps would be getting a work out as the first move felt desperate. Luckily i was pleased to pull on after this hard move and do the top section first go, this meant i had one move and i could do the whole problem, i pulled on again and felt a lot stronger. I was probably just warming into the move, as the next go i nailed the intermediate hold and slapped again to the right hand edge, kept my feet on, pulled around and i was at the boss, matching this i felt i can't blow it now sorted my feet out and rocked around up to the top hold and wooped with joy!
Not only had a done a 7b in very quick succession but it was also my first for over a year!!!

Sunday 13th May
We awoke again to dry weather but also with a hallowing gale that was bitter, after a bacon butty to start the day the plans came to head up to Hepburn, up to the classic that was The Northern Soul (7a+). Upon arrival we were all a bit dubious about whether we would actually be out of the wind, after wrestling some pads onto our back we headed up and to our surprise even the boulders quite high were slightly out of the wind. A few easy problems nailed and we were slightly warmed up so headed over to find the main reason we went. I'll be totally honest when saying after arriving at the Northern Soul boulder i was intimidated, but damn it looks like someone paid to have Cuvier moved over to the North. As goes to show though Rich pulled some fantastic climbing out the bag and after a few goes walked up the problem and to be perfectly honest it looks amazing and will be one to go back for!
With our move came the bitterly cold wind so we decided to move on to Kyloe In The Woods, I had a couple of things i had looked at in the guide i had my eye on so was keen for this change, only thing was there wasn't much easy stuff for Helen to try. After a sketchy walk in through a pine forest with high winds and very very creeky trees we arrived at the crag and i was pretty surprised i thought it would a bit more aesthetic. But one major thing the quality of the problems did not disappoint , we started off on a couple of the easier 6a's down the left hand end, i've had to try hard on 6a before but this is a new level!!
All feeling pretty tired and cold we jumped on the harder things, Rich being the nice guy he is trying to show me the beta for Monty Python's but with him struggling i decided to give it a miss and try the classic Jocks and Geordies (6c) getting into the last move on the flash and flapping it i was a bit frustrated, got on and jumped to the final sloper and i had done it! Walking down t discover the rest of the crag we found it was greener than Kermit the frog!! But we found on slightly dry problem called Flying Scotsman (7a) through a huge roof it looked amazing and Rich destroyed in a few goes. On the walk back i decided i would try the sitter to Jocks and Geordies which goes at 7a i know it easy to add an extension to a problem to grab the grade but after watching the Ginger struggle then actually finding a completely different sequence I decide it would go and it did second go!! BOOM 3 sevens in 2 days!! Best trip ever!

So far!

Monday 14th May

With the wind we were all a bit dubious on where to head today so after some deliberation we ended up coming up with a slight plan of heading to Shaftoe so even with the bad forecast if we got rained off we could head down to either Climb Newcastle or The Depot. Arriving in dry weather we walked up to the spread out problems which in fact where on a lot more course grain sandstone than we expected, so with 2 day old skin we felt it it pretty hard pretty quick. We decided with the forecasta quick hit up of Slapper (7a) and for Rich a look at Purely Belter (8a) *Strokes chin* and a flash of Surprising Solution we were done and headed home!

All in all a very good weekend and in all honesty probably my best short trip within the UK.
Keep peeled for a video.

And well done to Shauna Coxsey in Innsbruck.... BEASTIO!!!

Sun = Fun

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.

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.

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!

The Hangar

Jesus this place is going to create some proper beasts!

Went down to the opening of the new wall in Liverpool the Climbing Hangar on saturday.

Wow what a variety of problems, they have only managed to open phase one for the time being, but after spending 2 hours pottering round on plenty on different problems i was goosed!

Hoping to head back down tomorrow for a real lunchtime special £3.50!!!

Well i need to head down after hearing off Rich on sunday with the amazing news that we are goin to Cresciano and Chironico in April best pull my finger out and get into shape if i want to actually do well.

Hoping to finally go on a trip where i can be at full fitness and be peaking for the trip.

So plenty of swimming to shed the extra few pounds of christmas cheer ;) and plenty of sessions indoors bouldering and bot outdoors building up some more technique and decent skin.