Minimal Mojo

Since CWIF I have just not had it going, and I dont know why.

The week before CWIF I felt super strong, with Wednesday spent lapping my 7B+ (ish) boulder problem multiple times (ruining my skin for the comp on the weekend)

Since the comp (where I failed to perform due to achey muscles and crappy skin) I really havent felt up to much. The day after the comp I bailed on the peak and went home and havent had any juice since.

It's my own fault really.

I ate whatever I wanted for about 6 months and did minimal training in favour of driving to the peak and having fun in my sessions. As such, I have been pretty stagnant for about 6 months now and dont feel remotely like I am about to repeat my V10 level, let alone get an 8a sport route.

I just feel really clunky right now, like my hands dont want to grab onto things as hard as I would like. I dont know, I guess by writing this, and airing some thoughts - some of my chi might come back and help me get my mojo working.

Brechstange 7C Chironico from Archie CB on Vimeo.

A short layoff

After this almost unnoticeable pause between posts I feel it is correct to start with a  followup to the last one.

I failed to achieve my aims.

I managed to do 3 7C in the peak this season,
I managed to do 2 7C in Ticino
I failed to do anything of note in font...

Font is rough man. Every 7C I have tried there I have been shut down pretty hard.

Big Boss
Tristesse
Noir Desire
Fourmis Rouge

Now that I try to write a list, I suppose I havent actually tried that many...

Still...

Swizzy wasnt too great either.
I succeded on Dr Crimp which has been a long term 'project' of sorts.I think I did all the moves on it (bar the start) on the first trip we took, but I couldnt for the life of me do the start.
The next trip was a write off due to fingers.
This trip, I had the strength but not the beta. After an hour or so of being clueless I finally worked out the moves and started going for some attempts. Unfortunately I ran out of juice and had to finish it off on another day (following it up with another 7B+ before heading back to our gite).

I also managed to do a two move problem that I had spotted last trip and mentally labelled as a potential first 7C. This trip I felt that it was a 'must do' problem given my year's ticklist. Unfortunately I seemed to be completely unable to do the first move and had to session it for a matter of hours until I managed to do it.
The first time I did the move, I was so surprised to find that I wasnt falling that I lost my form and failed to do the second move. The second time I stuck it I did the top move easily and mantled out with a great deal of satisfaction.

Jack did that problem in 2 goes, and looked a bit bewildered. FWIW I thought that it was fucking nails, and one of the hardest moves that I have done ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ who knows...

Regarding the peak - I managed to do Brad Pit!

An impromptu trip a couple of months ago yeilded some positive rewards despite the rain, my 4 hours of sleep and not planning to even go to the plantation.

After an unsuccessful trip to Gardom's to try Marks roof (flashed the 6C+ thing to the left) we decided to cut our losses and get a coffee and some dusk bouldering up at Stanage. After walking in our stuff and warming up my fingers a little bit, I went to go and have a look at the handholds on BP. Naturally, given that it had been raining quite a bit, they were still pretty damp and no one had bothered to take the time to clean/chalk them that day. Nevertheless, there was a bit of a breeze blowing through so I decided that I couldnt do any worse than brushing the holds off and drying them out with my shirt.

I chalked up and did it.

First attempt of the day.

It is weird how these things happen. I felt like crap, I wasnt warmed up, it had been a couple of weeks since the last attempt, I had been climbing for an hour or so already that morning...

Well whatever.

Sadly, I didnt take any footage of it because I didnt think I was going to do it...and lord knows I have more than enough footage of me failing to do it...

If I find the time on another trip, I may go back up to get it on video/get some nice pics.

Otherwise though, I'm pretty happy with the grit season. 
I did:

The Terrace
Brass Monkeys and
Brad Pit

Which I consider to be the three super classic 7C's in the peak. I'm looking forward to the next trip now.

Finally, upon my realisation that there is only one month to go till CWIF, training is kicking into high gear again. I will still be doing routes on Wednesday (as I feel that last year a degree of fitness is what let me down) but I plan to do at least 2 tough boulder days a week. I feel like I should try and visit some more walls and try to simulate the comp by attempting 30 boulders in a time limit.

I'll upload a video of that Swizzy 7C in a while - perhaps this evening.

I'd like to take a second

To mention how chuffed I am with coming 7th in the recent Sportiva climbing comp.

I might have climbed like crap, but I beat everyone I could have done, and even if I had flashed the 2 problems I think I could have done (did second attempt) I would not have moved up a place.

My competition form was just horrible, I was shakey, poorly prepared and climbed a couple of times with poor beta despite knowing the correct beta... eesh.

Anyways, really good event and I am really happy that I decided to make my way up there in preference to the London Fives tournament.

Secondly, I have revised my aims for the winter season.


Ideally I would like to manage 3 7C in each area we go to.

2 points regarding the counting:

7C+ count as 2 7Cs
Entre Prise counts as a 7C


This might be ridiculous given how lazy I have been recently, but I HAVE FAITH!

I will upload a short video perhaps...or maybe a long one when/if I manage to do all the boulders I hope to.

The Terrace

My distilled water,

Left overnight to produce.

The floor is wet now.

I did a Peak day trip on Sunday, with the sole aim of getting on, and completing, the Terrace.

I did pretty well.

I warmed up on the 'Banana Fingers' wall, flashing through the grades:

6A

6C

6C

7A

I then ran through them again on camera in a single shot.

Omar pussied about and pretended that he couldnt climb.

We then went over to the Terrace and started giving it a go.

Since we arrived at about 12-1ish and warmed up for about an hour or so, this only left about 3 hours before it became dark. With time constraints in place, and psyche running quite high due to the conditions, I set about my project with vim and vigour.

Unfortunately, my vim and vigour were somewhat diminished by the 3.5 hours drive in torrential rain that it had taken to get there, and I wasn't quite at top pulling capacity.

Nevertheless, I crushed hard.

The first move - which had eluded me on the previous trip - felt easy.

The next two moves as well.

Unfortunately, the final slap to the good pocket was feeling a bit harder today.

Stickable,

but harder.

Eventually, I brushed out the holds, sat down at the bottom of the climb and pulled on.

The first slap was fine,
I danced my feet across the non existent smears at the base of the problem, and continued to move my hands up through underclings and crimps until I was underneath the final move to the big pocket.

If I could stick the move to the pocket, I knew I could do it.

Compared to the rest of the problem, the last move is about a 5+.

You paste your left foot on a small nubbin, and lever through off your left hand to grab a huge gritstone sloper. I had done the move multiple times to warm up and even 'showboated' by using alternative beta.

Back underneath the final pocket, crimp in my right hand, small pocket in my left, heel on a marginal hold round the arete. I pasted my right foot on the wall underneath my right hand and sank down to go for the move..........

...

The weather next weekend looks alright...

Reading Revelations

I'm reading Jerry's book right now, and tearing through it.

If Jerry can eat Ketchup sandwiches for weeks on end then I can deal with some hunger.

On a sidenote, this banana, applejuice and blueberry smoothie is ridiculously tasty.

Yeehaaa!