New stuff (Psyche)

Right so this week has gone fast, thankfully! Off up to Scotland tomorrow for a week of playing in  the white stuff. Cannot wait. This week seen the arrival of a few new gifts, first off is a pair of the Boreal Kintaro shoes only had a chance to test them out quickly this afternoon and they feel pretty good, a bit clumpy at the moment but they will soften soon.
Also i got a new camera thought i would buy one of these all singing, all dancing waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, idiot proof Fujifilm XP30.
So keep you posted when i'm back with some new photos.
The plan for the return is to get myself a fixed training plan i stick to. I have found the time so now just need to write up a plan and train train train!!! I have found a new recent psyche to get back outdoors and boulder a lot more this year. I miss the banter days and the split tips and tying so hard you might actually poo!!! Haha.
Anyways geeza's it's time to rock and roll (hopefully not actually role this year them axes and crampons are sharp!)

Scotland soon!

How time flies! Only feels like yesterday when Roger was talking about booking the cottage up in Scotland, but with less than a week i realised i haven't climbed outdoors on a rope in England since November!! Ahh Shit! Will be a bit of a wake up call, hopefully the route training i've been doing at the wall will be transferred to outdoors within a day or so.
Away from climbing i have been converting my recently purchased VW Transporter and this weekend was a big one with changing the triple seat in the front to two single swivel seats. This wasn't as easy as i thought it was going to be, needing to drill four new holes and bolt the seats to the bases. The first one we did we drilled four holes and realised they didn't even line up! So with a bit of jiggery pokery we managed to get them on and learned just to drill one hole at a time and managed to get the other seat lined up first time!
I keep meaning to take photos of it to show it off online but every time i remember its dark outside. This week i'll get some photos up i promise.
Other than this quick update i haven't really done much, just been working lots. The final round of the Winter Bouldering League was on Friday and it was the best turn out yet. Hopefully next year i can improve on a few different things, advertise it more and thus create better turn outs to each comp.
For now my psyche is turned back to the Scottish Winter Climbs guidebook getting a nice little tick list together.

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!

Back to training

Well its certainly been a while since i had a proper indoor bouldering training session just because of the amount of injuries i keep getting.

So thought last night ill have a session as the fingers are starting to feel much better, turns out it was the right choice as the session went really well. Started a warm up on the stepped wall which didnt go to bad then thought ill test out some Cassidy's legendary problems in the crypt, at first i was gettin shut down on th v4-5's which didnt go to well as i was getting massively psyched out.

After getting frustrated i needed to go else were so headed upto the new woody.....only to get uo there to realised there was 10 people there!!!! first time ive had to queue to get on the woody haha did i few easy warm up problems and then got fed up waiting to climb.

Back down to the crypt i went and turns out all i need to do was have five minutes to let the muscles warm up properly as i tried the problems i was getting shut down on previously and crushed it first try! then went on to flash the other v5-6's.

only a short session but i felt cut it short before i push it and get injured again. i think taking advice from other people is a massive help ive noticed Rich drink plenty of water while training and i think i need to do the same so i drank like 1l of water in 2 hrs.

Now time to keep on top of conditioning, weights, core, genreal training, diet and hydration in order to start pushing the grade again and stay injury free!

Indoors Outdoors

Well turns out the time has come to be getting ready an packing for our trip to Kalymnos.

Wow the training has gone well.... not!

Although i haven't been specifically training any form of endurance i have been climbing LOTS, had a four day period off work where i managed to get out bouldering for 3 days.

Day 1 - Caseg Boulders

what a beautiful setting right next to the river sun was shining, no wind, climbing with tops off in October?? if anything it was a little bit too warm. Either way that didn't stop the crush, with Rich, Sean an Mike managing to all make short work of Don't Drink Think 7a+. And i managed to get Caseg Groove 6c done which i was very pleased with also an outstanding climb amazing moves.

later that day after a chilled coffee in V12 Llanberis we went to Jerry's Roof where i was trying the tourist tick an felt fairly strong good sign.

Day 2 - Parisella's Cave

After a long day i felt like a wreck so wasn't expecting much, but with the finger feeling fairly strong thought i would try Bust Lip and about 4th go when i got the heel-toe to work i managed to dispatch it so another 7a+ for the year which brings the total tally up to 6 for the year! So psyched.

Day 3 - Wavelength and Beyond

Lordy Lordy had caught my eye in the guide book and with a couple of recommendations off other people i thought it might be worth a visit. What a trek to get to it though felt like i was out on an ML day. Turns out it was totally worth the walk in, such a technical style problem so all down to balance and body positioning.

Then we headed down so Sean, Mike and Rich could try the Lotus, which is an amazing looking problem, with a quality V4 next to it.

Down then to Wavelength where after a couple of goes i managed to get King of Drunks (7a) done, what a tick for me as i tried it earlier in the year and was so close to it. Really good to see the training and just generally climbing more is paying off.

Also my first 7a in the mountains!

Back to work for 6 days then and time to squeeze in a route session before i head away.

Really productive session as well, managed to get the 7a i was trying on the back wall done and plenty of 6's feeling a lot more mentally prepared now for the trip.

So will keep you posted on how it goes when i get back.