Rock Crawler

Burbage, Birchen and Owler

I had a bit of a break after the last few mad climbing sessions, not going out at all until Thursday night. Andy and I met up after work and headed to Burbage North to meet up with Rich and Jen. They were climbing on “Holly Bush Wall” which turned out not to be named as such in my guidebook! We decided that that must be near a climb of similar name, but found them just about to start on Knight’s Move, a 3 star HVS and allegedly the best thing on Burbage North. While Rich made short work of it, ticking his first HVS on grit, I made my way up Still Orange which was ok, even though I almost didn’t complete it due to not actually checking it’s route in my guidebook.. Doh!

Once off that, Rich convinced me to try Knight’s Move. Urk. I started it nervously, eventually finding some momentum up to the crux and then kinda stopped. I’ve never fell on, or even sat on trad gear in the 2 years I’ve been going outside. As a result, I’ve never really developed the trust I need for a move like that! After what seemed like an eternity of faff, I sat on the my cam for a few minutes to sort my head out. Sitting on the gear and seeing it happily holding me meant I could just get on with it and make the move. Even so, it was pretty tough and go; a rock over onto a highish left foot while palming down on my right hand and reaching for a distant ledge with my left hand. Urk! I eventually completed it after some more faff a bit laster as I drifted a bit far left, making the last gear placement difficult but by then it was getting dark! Andy followed quickly with head torch. I think I envied him for the second: I think it would be an even more fun climb following!

Saturday I went with Kiri on a Foundry outdoor session. We hit Birchen Edge at about 9:30, and top roped all day. It was actually quite good. I spend the whole time on VS’s, most of which would have definitely given me pause on lead. Really good for building up confidence and some technique. Highlights were the brilliant Topsail and the really quite difficult Mast Gully Buttress. It seems that my “technical grade” limit is 5a, which seems to match up based on my logbook.

This morning I took Jo and Ian out to Over Owler Tor to introduce them to bouldering outdoors for the first time. They went over all the problems we did in June. The weather was a little windy and chilly, but I think they enjoyed it. I’m left with very sore hands today, complete with a missing chunk of skin on my thumb.

I think I need to sleep now… shattered!

(Image of Still Orange from Antgirl’s Photostream)

Over Owler Tor

Another week of perfect weather continues, so we decided to go out bouldering to Over Owler Tor.

Andy and I met up with Lou and Mark at Surprise View and we set off up the hill. We first stopped off at Mother Cap, being as it was on the way to try out the two problems with our grasps: Milk Cap and Blue Cap. Milk Cap wasn’t a problem, well if you don’t count the painful jamming! I started but didn’t finish Blue Cap, unlike Andy who monkey’d his way up to the break. Rich and Jen caught up with us at this point so we moved on to Over Owler Tor.

We spent the next 2 hours meandering our way over the majority of the easier problems. Myy favourites were:

• Peak Bouldering Problem 9 (Roof 2), an exciting little pull over a roof from a little cave which left me scratching my forearms somewhat
• Plop, a really delicate corner climb that wasn’t half tempting to continue into a very scary looking solo up the final third.

I didn’t manage to complete Jawbone, which was a particular nice problem from a sit start. I did manage to push it to the last move right at the end of the evening, but just didn’t have the energy left to complete it. One to come back to later!

This time I remembered to bring a half decent camera with me as well, rather than relying on a camera phone so got some, well interesting photos.

Click the images for a bigger version and the photostream with the others on.

Sheffield Bouldering League Round 2!

Last night was the 2nd round of the Sheffield bouldering league at “The Matrix” a bouldering wall at the Sheffield University. They never had that when I was there!

The set up was the same as the last round: 25 different problems of varying degrees of difficulty. 10 points for completing flashing it, 7 for completing it on your second attempt and 4 points for your third. If you don’t finish it, but get past a marked hold, you get 1 bonus point.

The Matrix is a nice little bouldering room. Mostly square in shape, with climbing surfaces on all sides, it was ~60% vertical ‘living rock’ style wall, with one big bulging boulder for some mean overhanging climbs and one wall which was a steep straight overhang.

I cleaned up on pretty much all of the vertical wall problems, flashing 7 of them and completing one on my second attempt getting me to 77 points. I then very quickly found myself unable to progress on any of the other climbs, most of which were either on the boulder or the straight overhang. This was rather frustrating, as I’d got 77 points in the last round and really wanted to beat that score.

Eventually, some grit and determination saw me get a bonus point on a climb in the corner of the boulder, but not finish it. I was very tempted to leave it at that. 78, verses 77, but decided to have one last attempt on the last uncompleted vertical climb, which was a tricky, stretchy traverse. I’m not entirely sure how I managed to complete it; (I somehow managed a foot swap on a tiny dent while on very poor hand holds!) but I did it on my 3rd attempt taking me to 82 points.

Yay!

I guess I’ll aim for 90 points next time.

Next up is the Foundry 2nd round of their bouldering league on Monday. I’ll cross my fingers….

My First Bouldering Competition

I’m not really the competitive sort, but having seen the notices up around The Foundry for the Sheffield Bouldering league I was tempted to try it out. I was fully expecting to come bottom but decided that it would be good for the experience, and even if I managed 2 climbs, at least I’d have something to measure myself against next time!

So, to the day. I’d had a rather knackering day at work and very nearly went straight home but forced myself to turn up. I got my sheet and went and scoped out the problems. There were 25 in total to try out, from a set of 2 nice easy warm up traverses (20 free points! ) right up to some pretty hardcore looking things. I spend about 3 hours wandering around, getting some beta and then trying them out. I flashed 7 of the climbs, getting 10 points for each, and completed another on the second attempt, netting me a total of 77 points. I didn’t even get to the bonus holds on any of the other climbs!

You can see how I placed on the photo to the right, significantly higher than expected! The last two columns are score and placing. I’m aiming to break 100 on the next round!

p.s. The black mark is a friend who wants to remain anonymous

…but I have a note from my Mother

So, I probably should have gone climbing this morning. However, I have 3 really good reasons as to why not:

1. On Friday I went as usual, but went bouldering instead. It’s been ages since I bouldered properly, and as a result I really _really_ ache. Diane (who came second in the uk womens championships!) was showing me how to do some of the routes on the overhanging wall which did most of the damage I think
2. The above hard work opened a set of flappers on my left hand. They’ll heal pretty quickly, but I don’t want to open them again
3. I was out rather late last night watching them demolish the Tinsley cooling towers. The event was at 3am, and the huge numbers of people there meant we didn’t manage to escape and get home till about 4:30!

See the cooling towers fall!

I shall redeem myself by climbing tomorrow instead! (as well as starting week two of the 100 pushs challenge.)

Late update, Cliffhanger and the British Bouldering Championships 2008

I’ve been bad and not updated for ages!

Well, surprise surprise I’m still climbing :). I’m mostly still leading indoors as I still haven’t had the opportunity (or perhaps made the opportunity) to go outside and learn how to trad climb. Still, I’m not too concerned as I’m still really enjoying the indoor stuff.

I’ve definitely cracked that blue 7a now, having replicated it twice more and I’m working on the other leopard spot 7a at the Foundry. I know I can do the whole climb, but it’s a matter of just getting it neat enough to I’m not worn out. Interestingly, I’ve cracked the crux move, but I keep doing something silly and wearing myself out at the move before. As well as the 7a’s I’ve been attempting some of the ‘easier’ 6c/6c+s on that wall. I put easier in quotes as I’m certainly not finding them easy. One of them consists of some very slopey holds and has a move which I’m just not tall enough to do. I’ve watch Ben (who does most of my instruction) do it and he can just reach the next move, but I’m too much of a short arse. I’ve tried jumping for it and can grab it, but it’s very poor and not great for latching on to. Still, it’s definitely highlighting a set of holds and techniques I’m not comfortable with so I’m making a lot of effort to get on that route when I can.

This weekend Jim and I moved out of the Furnace and forced ourselves to climb on the big main wall. I tend to avoid climbing on it as I have real trouble with how steep the wall is. Coward eh? We’ve decided that we should punish ourselves on it more to actually build up the strength to deal with it. It is quite scary how my grade drops on that wall massively; I’m back to 6b if I’m lucky on it!

Two weekends ago it was the Cliffhanger Outdoor event in Sheffield which also hosted the 2008 UK bouldering championships. I was (p)lucky enough to get right at the front for the Men’s finals so took the opportunity to Qik some of the final problems. Here are two good examples:

This one is a shot of the first 4 problems with climbers on. I think the climbers were (from right to left) Gareth Parry, Stewart Watson, Dave Barrans and Martin Smith

This one was the last climb of the day for the eventual winner Ned Feehally who was the youngest climber in the contest at about 22! Looks like I’m over the hill

All of the videos I took can be seen on the UK Climbing and Bouldering group on Qik. Go and have a look!

I really enjoyed watching the bouldering although I don’t think I fully appreciated how steep the wall was until I was walking back home past the side of it later on. Being straight on to the wall really hides this perspective!

Quick update.

Did some climbing this evening. Did some bouldering, and I’m getting the mojo back. We watched a couple of experience climbers on some crazy looking route that seemed to require super human powers! One day… one day.

Then on to leading! Warmed up on a 5+, the a 6a, the competition yellow from last time (which is either a 6b or 6b+) and then finally on to a competition route that Jim was trying last time. I feared the worst, but actually had a really good go at it! I took two breaks on it, but did all the moves. TBH, I think that it was a lack of balls, rather than skill that stopped me flashing it! It’s not graded yet, and at the very least is a 6c…. I hope it’s been graded as that by my next sessions… if so, I may well ding at next attempt

Result!

Did some climbing this morning. About an hour on the bouldering walls, which was good for my confidence as the last time I was bouldering I didn’t achieve very much. This time, I did quite a few climbs, especially after a big group of well muscled lads and ladies turned up and started drilling on the walls. One of them had a ‘uk climbing team’ tshirt on and was suitable impressive. I just watched and tried to copy and made some decent progress.

Second half I did a bunch of lead/seconding and culmulated seconding a 7a, which I completed after coming off once and having a rest near the top. I can do all the moves, I just need to be rested enough and rest at the right points…! YES!

Get in!

Sore fingers

Updating from phone. Been arranging private lessons with Ben at the foundry. We did lots of leading work on 4/5 and 5+’s and my clipping is improving. I thing i may be able to lead a 6a. Maybe. Just got back from the climbing works. Did most of the green route which was fun. I think i’m going to ache tomorrow

ooh, I’ve been slack.

I’ve been very slack in posting on here. Bad me! Must start doing this again. Anyway, how is it going? I’ve been still solidly going to the training sessions on Wednesday nights and I seem to be progressing well. Although the sessions have been amazingly busy recently, I’ve had the chance to start going some leading and seconding on the main wall and in the second room. This is great and adds a whole new angle to the climbing stuff. You can immediately feel how much tougher it seems to be when you aren’t top roping! I’ve flashed a 5 and a 5+ leading and flashed a 6b+ while seconding which was pretty awesome Because it was so busy last week, we ended up back on the top roping routes, but this time I was half looking after a newbie which was interesting. Meant we had to think about the routes we were choosing and provide a lot of support. I tried to climb what was down as a 6b+ on a straight wall and found it probably the hardest route I’ve ever attempted. I’ve no idea why, although it was probably just the hold quality. I will keep at that one!!! My bouldering has come on massively from a lot of practice. I finally completed a 6a route on the main bouldering wall which felt great and was starting to make good progress on a whole set of other tougher routes but when I got in last Wednesday saw that they’d started to take them all down and reset them. Doh! Yesterday I was taken to the worlds largest dedicated bouldering centre, which has “Over 1000m3 of climbing surface”. Amazing. I was climbing for nearly 4 hours and today I’m knackered! I’ll definitely try and go there every weekend. I worked a little too hard and shredded my hand though. Doh! Injuries do seem to be par for the course however