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.

Learning to Climb

After a 2 week trip to Font the fingers are feeling amazing! just think the milage that was done was just what Dr Donnelly ordered. haha.

Climbing in Font certainly is of a different standard to anywhere else within the world, you can go from one day getting totally shut down on a 6a classic problem to crushing a 7a third go the next.

the title of this post is certainly what was needed, second trip this year and managed to up my game even though i have been injured and not trained for 8 weeks prior to the trip.

Overall i managed to get 2 7a's done and a 7a+ now in my eyes to climb at your personal best in the place where bouldering was born and after not training was a real achievement.

I actually feel like i have come back from the trip feeling fresher, having a better outlook on climbing and being re-psyched once again to train an improve my general conditioning again.

So onto the next trip to Kalymnos in October.

best dust off the harness, rope an draws an get doing some routes.

One goal for the next trip gonna keep is simple an realistic to do 2 7a's while there!

Lets see what happens with 3 weeks training, haha!

Still a Niggle

Well its been nearly 6 weeks now since i injured my finger and i did exactly what Matt told me not to do "don't get lulled into the false sense that its better after 3 weeks, it wont be an it will go back to stage one".

So yeah i climbed on it an injured it again, anyways as things go it starting to feel slightly better and i even managed a session in Stoke wall the other day with no side effects.

To get to the point of writing this it inspired me today watching The Real Thing and then L'Etranger i decided to check out Keiths blog and reading his posts made me think along with Dave Macloeds book "What do i really want to get out of climbing?"

Ive always thought it was doing the hardest problem or doing the hardest route, but after spending a day in Frodsham on Monday i managed 25 new problems of V3 or under and had one of the best days out.

Looking forward to this weekend when i can pass on the knowledge and give people the experience of climbing outdoors, should be a good laugh and hopefully ill manage to get some trad routes in as well.

Rain, Rain, Rain!!

I supposed all this rain has got to be a good thing really...

Well maybe only for the likes of me, as my finger is still feeling pretty weak :/

Went over to Anglesey Sunday, Monday hoping to get some milage in in the way of long mountain trad routes.. But obviously the weather had other plans.

So ended up in the dive that is the Beacon, was good as it made me realise how lucky we are at Liverpool getting most of the routes changed every 3 months and the bouldering changed every 2 months oh and not to mention the clean holds.

Some of the routes in the Beacon were there from September 09!

Anyways ended up climbing and my finger felt ok, just a few little tweaks but then woke up Monday and it was sore again :(

So hard being disciplined in the training, gonna have a session tonight at the wall but just some milage on easy routes.

On the other hand i have booked the ferry for our trip to Switzerland in September!!!

PSYCHED!!!

Bouldering World Cup/ good week/ injury :/

What a weekend!

Went to Sheffield at the weekend to watch the boulder world cup, what an amazing time.

Some of the strength from the guys and girls was amazing.

Adam Ondra is on another level compared to everybody else, he is an absolute mutant! this guy has made me want to quit climbing haha.

Thursday & Friday last week were pretty strong days for me.

Headed to Pantymwyn on Thurs for the first time with the psyche to get Firestarter (7a) done.

Not only did i make short work an do it forth time but also managed Panty's Down which is 7a+

Then Friday headed up to the South Lakes back to Woodwell and Trowbarrow. Another good session as we headed to O'ert Road at Woodwell and i managed to flash Angel Deelite (7a) my first ever flash at 7a :D

However... with all the good news something bad always happens

Just come home from the wall and somehow managed to strain my A2 pulley on my ring finger on my right hand.

ARGHH!!! i'm so frustrated because i felt like all the training was paying off then it just goes one step too far :(

just going to rest now for the rest of the week and hopefully i might be able to climb at the weekend.

Just going to keep fit by running and doing core sessions.

Llandulas Cave

Good easy day out yesterday with my old mate Joe

headed to Llandulas cave just to get some milage in and do some more outdoor routes.

turned out Doylo was there working his project in the cave.

I must say that it isn't the most attractive line to look at but it definately looks like it climbs well and is pretty tough, seemed pretty conditions dependant although.

Eyed up a nice 6c+ that i seen Little Hoppo crush last time we were there.

I jumped on it not very warm and managed to get to the crux placing the clips but then my fitness just ended up letting me down again.

Had a quick rest and jumped back on doing all the moves no problem.

came down and watched Joe crush it on the flash... BEAST!!

Then went for the redpoint and managed it second go :)

All in all a pretty good day so second hardest route this year.

Going to start pushing the grade of onsights and redpoints might try and get a 7b this year

South Lakes Crushing

Today we arranged a trip out to the south lakes, weather wasn't looking too great as we left, even got a splatter of rain on the way there.

Started off by going to Warton Crags only ever been here to look in the rain and couldn't remember much to be honest.

As we walked in we managed to take the wrong turning straight away so went miles away, when we finally found the crags we wern't the best impressed.

Did some easy stuff on the Pinnacle section, with all of us managing to flash the pretty fierce 6C - Beastmaster.

Headed down to the Plum Buttress and realised we needed some beta to do anything of a reasonable standard.

We sacked it to Woodwell where the true crushing began!!

After warming up on some nice asy stuff at Tom's Buttress started to work the harder problems.

Sun was out and it was 2 o'clock so was pretty warm so conditions wern't ideal.

But never the less we carried on, over the whole day i managed to rack up a nice tick list:

Warton

Muscles Crack - V0

The Monkeys Paw - V0

Beastmaster - V4 (6C)

The Graunch - V1 (5+)

Un-named - V3 (6a+)

Woodwell

Nothing To Say - V2 (6a)

Subliminal - V1 (5+)

Nothing To Say Dyno - V7 (7a+) Third go

Whats This For... - V5 (6c+)

Sanctified - V4 (6b+)

Closer - V5 (6c+)

Sanctified Stronger - V7 (7a+)

All in all a great day leaving with 2 6c+'s and 2 7a+'s in a session!!

WELL PSYCHED!!!

Me on Sanctified Strong - 7a+