Hoorah - The video is finally back!

Jack has finished the video from font, and after apparently suffering some set backs (like loosing his first cut) it looks pretty good.

I shall post the link here.

http://vimeo.com/13654049

Please do go watch it.

and in other news I climbed yesterday, and it kinda hurt my finger. Not any worse than it was already so no extra damage done, just need to lay off for a bit longer really...like another 2 weeks perhaps. I need to start icing it too, definitely been lazy on that aspect of treatment.

Righty ho

Another lame post of not much happening.

On the plus side I think I might be ready for some light rehab in about a week or so - and I mean light.

Jugs on the vertical I imagine.

This is positive.

So. While I am on holiday, doing not much, I have to keep myself entertained in other fashions.

As I mentioned in the last post I went to the world cup which was neat.

Then about a week after I ended up going surfing in Sennen Cove (cornwall) where I saw the most awesome line of holds on a problem.

I was super psyched to find out what it was so I could do it some other time. After traipsing through ukc and a few shops in Sennen I eventually found out it is an E7 with death fall potential...perhaps one for a top rope ascent methinks.

My other attempts at keeping myself occupied are fairly varied I guess.

Watching films - Braveheart is good. - Eclipse is very much on the opposite end of the scale.

Rubiks cube (new pb 33.30)

Cycling

Photography

and Ukelele (I am still pretty rubbish after 2 whole days of practice - what is that all about?!?)

I also got involved with a game of ultimate frisbee the other day which was interesting.

I am thinking about going to London on Monday to play some fives in the Westway centre. I could do with a partner though.

unfortunately one is in Germany,

another in Devon,

another in Kenya

and the last one is being non commital because he has one of those job things.

Balls!

Oh well. Might go anyway.

Some of my favourite pictures from the last few weeks

Kilian on one of the WC problems

Bobby midway through a jump on Leith Hill

Looking towards Lands End (note the wreck)

Bobby on the Beach

This is going to be a long one.

Hello to everyone who has been waiting in earnest for news of my life.

I can only express my deepest apologies for keeping you waiting for so long.

However, as Michael Jackson once said, 'This is it'

Right - Last time I posted one here was just before leaving to go to Fontainebleau.

I had just about recovered from the A2 Pulley injury

I was just trying to get back fitness and whatnot.

Due to this I had no idea what I should try to attempt over in France, and set no real targets for the trip. I tried a few problems and my hand seemed to be holding up ok, so I moved onto tentatively trying some harder stuff. Everything seemed to work out alright and I managed to tick:

Insistance 7a Rataplat 7b L'Oblique 7a Le Lepreux direct 7a Envie d'Ange7a Retrofiction 7a Jo Dalton 7a+ Entorse 7a+

It isnt a bad list, and it is equal to my list last year(slightly better grades actually). I think this should be taken as a positive because of the length of time I took out before the trip and the injury I was still carrying out there.

Unfortunately in the last few days of the trip I managed to screw my hand over again.
A 2 finger pocket on the top of the classic highball - Big Jim 6c strained my hand and after seeing a physio at the World cup I apparently have a strained Tendon. This is another month or so out again... I seem to have spent about a third of this year out with injury so far so this is just lame.

You can see some of my favourite pictures from my trip at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=53094&id=1614090061&l=e11dd7ba44

Onto the second bit of 'news':
I went to the World cup this weekend and won! (but I'll get to that in a bit)

On Saturday we watched the qualifiers and went to Curbar for the afternoon.
Ondra and Fischhuber both looked very impressive during this session. The problems were set quite easy though and many people succeeded on most of the problems.

On Sunday we watched the Semi finals and Quarter Finals.
Unfortunately Kili went out in the Semis due to some tough setting and the rules of qualification, needless to say he looked a little unhappy with the state of affairs. Ondra however cruised through with ease and rocked up in the finals looking impressive.

In the finals Hori from Japan (#3) failed to do anything and ended up in last place which showed how tough the competition was this round. We then watched the other 5 competitors come out and achieve varying levels of success. Last of all came Ondra. The kid really is a machine, some of the moves he made were simply out of this world. On problems that the other climbers seemed completely stumped on, he walked up and every so often looked a little confused by the harder moves. On the first 3 problems he put in a quick onsight in the first minute and I think he did the last problem in 2/3 attempts to win overall.
Very, Very impressive.

Now onto the important victory of the weekend. Mine.
We stayed at the Alpkit Shakeout campsite on friday and saturday and enjoyed it thoroughly.
On Saturday evening we were entertained by the marvellous Bell Hagg Orkestar who's myspace account does no justice to the performance they put on. Gypsy madness to dance to. Brilliant.
Anyways- The theme was 80's rockmasters so I donned a bad wig, bad lycra, bad moustache and quality aviators for my entry. Of course, since no one else entered I won the contest with ease :-D

The next day I picked up my prize of a new head torch and a new drybag from the alpkit store at Cliffhanger. Unfortunately I don't know of any photographs from the evening so you will have to imagine the quality of the costume for yourselves.

Anyways, I think this is the end of my post for now.

Another month out now, maybe I will be able to climb again before the end of summer...targets are looking unlikely right now...

Well here it is

The last post for 2 weeks...not that anyone will notice the difference given the amount of time since the last one...

but anyway,

Tomorrow I go to London, and from there France.

I finally feel like I can climb without particularly endangering my finger, I crimped pretty darn hard today on a route at Craggy but didn't feel a thing.

Unfortunately I also discovered my complete and total lack of anything even remotely resembling stamina. I did a 6b or something and a couple of 6a type of routes on the overhang. I then tried a cool looking sloper problem on the front wall and got owned by it.

Fortunately I dont seem to have any particular fear of falling any more, not that I think I was that bothered in the first place - I would prefer not to deliberately take a big fall, but taking one during the course of action doesn't get to me too much either.

I was also rinsed by a 6c problem which was only 14 moves...I counted them...and then I managed to read the route wrong while I was up there. I was dissapointed by this effort because it symbolises, for me, a large backward step in what I was capable of doing.

However, when Ed got on the green sloper problem I had attempted, and cruised up to the point I fell off, I have to say I was a tad jealous. It has been a long time since I have climbed with someone who makes me want to push myself in a competitive manner, I have too long been around people I am not bothered about beating and I think the return to Craggy will do me good.

End of summer aim is to lead a 7a route up the craggy comp wall, this will demonstrate a return to some sort of stamina and also help to train my overhang ability that for too long I have avoided combating.

Cant wait for Font now! Hoorah!

I'm thinking about changing my name

Either to:

Crimpy McCrimperson

or Slopey McSloperson

both of them do it for me.

First of all I now seem able to crimp again which fills me with happiness, I havent tried too hard but it seems to be roughly better...I found myself full crimping today and got worried. But I feel fine now so it is all good

Second of all, due to the amazing CORE holds we have at the academy I have been setting cheeky sloper problems all day, two grimy problems at around 'V5' or so and another 4 problems dotted around the centre. I am not sure what takes me the most time to do but I do seem to take a long time setting each problem which is a faff.

Thirdly I cycled to Bristol yesterday and it was wet...very wet. The gods decided to rain down their displeasure upon me in a manner most soggy. 15 miles of rain was most cleansing for the soul. Perhaps next time I try to be fit you could rain down something harder and preferably more putrid?

My tips are thin following many days of setting and so on, so tomorrow I think I will go to cheddar and take some pictures if anyone will have me.

Night

The 50th Post!

And what a post it is.

A fun week of revision has held me back from the keyboard and as such there is also little news to be told.

I just came back from a 5.84 mile run outside of bath and I am certainly feeling very sweaty.

In my 3 days of freedom from work I have actually been quite active. On Saturday and Sunday I was working at TCA but a low volume of people walked through the door so it was relatively relaxed.

On Sunday I stripped the entire yellow circuit on my own with a little bit of help from Dan partway through, I also set a couple of blacks which are a little lower in the range than the others...which are apparently very hard, no surprises there - they were set by Joe and Keith Bradbury.

After work I ventured to the RingRoad Boulders and sent both Knuckleduster and Knuckleduster sit start which were really quite fun climbs on good quality rock.

In other news I am also getting relatively close to doing a one armer with my right arm, I can get about 3/4 of the way but cant quite finish it out. Maybe some reversals from the top might help...

I'm going to have a shower now. Bon Voyage!

High on Mescalito

So with the B.E.A.U.tiful weather we are having I decided to sack revision yesterday and make my way to cheddar with an eager band of like minded individuals.

In a fortuitous turn of circumstances, the group managed to procure another member, and make our band of merry men up to the grand number of 5.

Upon debarking from Tombi's able automobile, I caught sight of a triplet of likely looking lads who were heading up to the same bounteous cliff face I had been planning on climbing upon. Filled with the prospect of some quality partners I bounded up the approach after them leaving my gear and my compatriots behind, soon becoming mere ants as I reached, what seemed like, the highest crag in the gorge.

The band of brothers who had ventured before me seemed impressed at my rapid ascent and courteously agreed to my proposed plan of making a duo of quartets from our two mismatched groups. I hastily retreated down the hill to fetch my gear and once again made the approach. This time however I trudged slowly up the seemingly endless path, every footstep arduous, every thigh strain a chore.

My training on Widcome Hill seemed to be worth naught when steep ground was coupled with a weighty bag and searing sunlight. I eventually reached my goal and became acquainted with the lads.

'Gaz' was to be my partner for the day. Of similar size and stature to myself I was interested to see how he would climb, and I was not disappointed. Warming up on a 7b+ he eventually found all the moves and returned to the deck.

After a short pause we moved onto 'Mescalito'- The gem I sought.

Easy climbing with several no hands rests over the first part lays way for some harder climbing and a two finger pocket that the route is well renowned for. After falling at this point for a fair while I decided to give way to Gaz. He dogged the move and reached the easier ground above, topping out on the route after placing the last few clips.

After a pause for soup and a brief chat about the other good routes in the gorge, I made my second attempt of the day. I knew there was slim chance of me succeeding on a 7c route on my second attempt but I gave it a shot and made it to the move before the pocket. My stamina somewhat let me down, I do not know whether it was due to the heat or the levels of strength required on a 7c. All I can say is that I definitely suffered from lack of preparation in the morning.

I then left my new friends and headed down to Arch rock where Tombi and crew were chilling.

I am kinda done with the whole 'write a nice story to procrastinate' thing now.

Suffice it to say - I stuck myself on a prussik above Tom's climb - took some pictures for the rest of the day and went home.

You can see some of the pictures at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50138&id=1614090061&l=4438f9efff

I think it is time for bed now - I dont know when I am next going to go back to cheddar now, probably on the 29th or so I imagine...Try and clear up these projects before heading to font.

T'would be nice to have a 7c tick going into a trip, and also clear up any lingering fears about my finger. Always on the mend.

night night