Indoor climbing

Impossible to find a none busy weeknight, avoid wednesday as i think it's uni sports night.
Saturday/Sunday evenings seem to be the quietest time.

Thanks mate, I think I'll make Sunday pm a regular thing as it wasn't insanely busy.

Just went to a physio appointment; was prescribed 'more climbing'.

If you say so, doc...

Pushed into 6b+ indoors today on toprope, only on slabs and vertical routes but managed 4 or 5 routes cleanly at that grade, all long routes upstairs at Castle so feel pretty satisfied. Not an amazing achievement compared to what some people are climbing in there but it feels good nonetheless. Think that only works out at about V4 ish roughly.
Plan for next week is to lead 6a+ over a wide range of routes and get a few more b's. Wish I had the time/money to go more regularly and build my endurance a little more as it's frustrating peaking early in the session just as everything starts falling into place. Need to up my crimp game. Can lunge and grab them almost every time but struggle to pull on them with crap foot holds :/
Liz starts her personal training at the Castle in a couple of weeks, well jealous.

oh, and belated congratulations to you both :)

Ha! I have a holdz board with a set of 4 micro jugs mounted above in the hallway. Mostly just used for chinups cos I'm too lazy to work out a proper training regime on it. Will get back on the case. Lots of trad/sport at the weekends over the summer has meant I've kinda gone off the boil with training board. Now that it's cold and shite out I'm sure it'll see some more action now.

And thanks Rive, married life is freaking sweet thus far. Climbing is a great way of getting all our arguing out of the way without it spilling into the real world....

Upped my headtorch game ready to take on Avernus at Swanage as soon as there's a vaguely dry weekend. It's a cave/chimney trad route starting at the back of a cave and exiting via a blowhole at the top of the cliff which the guide lists a headtorch as 'almost essential'. Did most of the routes nearby last time but Avernus was monopolised by a big group all day.
Torch is an old Petzl Zoom pimped up with a Cree led and the 4.5v battery replaced with 3x AA. Bulky but bright as a motorbike headlamp on full whack.

2 Attachments

avernus, great route :)

yeah, finger strength is the game changer, as that leads to greater confidence, more relaxed style, more efficient movement, better footwork.

you read jerry moffatt's revelations? although not very well written it does give an insight into climbing progression; he really changed the way people looked at climbing.

Is it true that you need a stiff brush to clean Avernus of bird shit before an attempt? Presume by this point in the year all the birds have long since fucked off..

Will get Moffatt's book and start swotting up. No excuse for not sorting my finger strength, got the hangboard, squeezy grip thingy and a powerball. Just need to use them more regularly.
I can get up tough things sometimes, but I tend to steamroller my way up without much grace, would be nice to be a bit more fluid about the whole thing. Just need to climb more and more I guess.

I've found that the only way of relieving this back pain (caused by a bouldering fall) is more climbing. Also down-climbing everything to avoid impacts. The side effect of this is that I can now climb V5.

a brush would be useful, but remember to keep your mouth shut!

revelations is his autobiog, no training specifics, but the dedication in his approach (and huge success) and his philosophy are what comes out. also it was the early 80's, and yes we tended to live with fewer worries, helped in great part by the dole :)

#mistyeyed

down-climbing - oft overlooked but essential skill :)

a good iyengar yoga class will help your back

Just picked up Jerry's book from GoOutdoors for a tenner along with some prussik cord and dirt cheap belay gloves. Burning my fingers badly on Gozo pulling ropes is something I don't wish to repeat.
We've pencilled in the 2nd weekend in Nov for an attempt at Avernus, Styx and Cerberus if it's dry during the week. Rather excited to finally have a go on it.

cool. you're ok with free space abseiling and know about prussiking variations?

I can climb fixed ropes with 2 prussiks, can happily use a shunt as an ascender(not reccommended I know) and also prussik on moving ropes(like pulling up when toproping), used to race collegues at footlocking doubled ropes. Tree work has given me a pretty good grounding at dicking around on rope safely!
We both use a klemheist as an abseil backup as well.
Liz is also happy with free space abseiling and can climb on 2 prussiks and has footlocked with prussik and shunt up trees a few times.

We know the escape routes in subliminal and will prob leave a fixed rope in place as well.

oh yeah forgot you being a tree surgeon, doh!

you'll be all set to climb dream of white horses next summer..

Looks lush!
Going to Gozo has cemented me and Liz's enjoyment of seacliff climbing over inland crags, the exposure and scale of everything just adds something rather special to the day. Only thing we're yet to cover is hanging belays and a few other bits and pieces as we're yet to multipitch at the seaside. Will book another weekend with the great instructor who taught us trad this spring just to cover a bit more and freshen everything up again.
Hopefully if we get some trad in over winter along with our indoor climbing, get our arses up to north wales in the spring we should be almost ready for our Yosemite trip next september. It's all booked and we're just waiting for the Park to allocate our climbing guide(they do it really ahead of time so you can be in contact with them prior to the trip) so it's definitely happening. Still concerned we won't be ready for it but here's hoping...

you seen how many multpitch classics there are in yosemite - tons!

never got over there

#sadfacejpg

We were given the 3 Supertopo Yosemite books by a friend. So many routes that look amazing but will feel more confident about them when we're both leading HVS 5a, given where we're at now it should be totally acheivable.

Spending this afternoon watching Moffat, Pritchard and Dawes at Gogarth

Rive,
Any experience of Via Ferrata? Fancy giving it a try some time and seen that there's now guided routes at Honister Slate Mine up near Keswick. Might be a fun day out if we go up to the Lakes at some point. Would like to climb some slate anyway sooner or later...

vf, yes they're good fun, dolomites (alta) badia is a good centre to base yourself

Cool, my folks have a house not too far from the French Alps so might give it a try some time. Liz's Aunt and Uncle live up in the Lakes, used to climb back in the 70's and are still keen walkers so will go stay with them and try Honister before planning a trip to the Alps or Dolomites. They live just outside Kendal, not looked at any Lakes books but presume there's plenty of trad to try round there?

Want to go climbing now :(

Halfway through Revelations already.
Underlying message seems to be to have an unshakable belief in ones own abilities. That, and always have a goal in mind for your training.

Great stories of bumping into all of the world great climbers all over the shop. Being essentially homeless for years on end sounds slightly less appealing though.
First meeting with Ben Moon makes Moffat et al sound a bit twatty pushing him to climb on past the runners resulting in a potentially very nasty fall and horrible rope burn.

Might get some short shorts, long socks and start rocking the Colorado Look....

^essential for yosemite, don't forget sweatbands too ;

yes, a group of testosteroney competitive youths being a bit cunty to each other, never happen here....

Haha when you put it like that.
Moffat in my mind is a chubby, friendly, grey haired guy on Hard Grit dvd chatting about how much he loves climbing hard bouldering with Dunne. Find it hard to picture him as a cunty youth!