And the scales were removed from his eyes...

A week or so since the last blog and what has happened. Well not that much, I've got out climbing a bit but not completed on anything and I've had an indoor session. There has however been one revalation, I may have to eat some humble pie with respect to those with multiple footwear. But more of that later.

Chronological order seems as good an order as any so first off I went back to Hyning earlier this week with sore skin and a painful elbow. I worked a sequence and did every move but the link felt hard. Several of the moves use heel hooks and these felt really tenuous.

Thursday went to Widdop. I wasn't really planning on trying anything as I wanted to rest for Friday but had a couple of falls of the move to the break of Fight on Black. I can do this, and quite easily, I just need to stop falling off. Bit frustrating really.

Friday back to Hyning with G-unit and Lincoln. Back on Transgenic. Again did all the moves in isolation, again didn't feel in great shape and again the heels felt stupidly tenuous. Left feeling that I hadn't really progressed on the problem but I'm still keen for it. It's such a good line (albeit slightly spoiled by the block at the end). Then went to Woodwell to try Not Bad Dave Sit Start and to have an epiphany. I'd tried NBD once before when it was dripping (and I do mean dripping) wet. I'd done all the moves bar one which involves a left heel hook in a vague scallop, right hand on a painfull edgy thing and reach out over the lip to a good flattie for the left. I couldn't do the move in the wet, and I couldn't do the move in the dry. The heel just wouldn't stick. I was wearing my Verdes which are big and pretty baggy but comfy. Mr Lincoln kindly suggested I try his Dragons for the heel hook move. I was unconvinced by the whole scheme as in the (not terribly distant) past I had mocked people with a climbing shoe fetish. My thinking being that footwear was not the limiting factor in my climbing (strength and flexibility are generally). However I humoured him and put on the left boot. What an unbelievable difference that made, the heel stuck solid and the move felt pretty steady. Which, considering how blasted I was feeling and how painful my skin was, was remarkable. So here it is, an unreserved apology. Boots can make a huge difference in certain situations, carry on with impunity you multiple footwear owning Imelda Marcos's. I'm now very keen to get me some Dragons and get back on Transgenic, I think those nice tight skinny Dragon heels will feel solid and secure where my big baggy Verdes felt.... well shit really.

Saturday I felt caned. Went to Shipley with G-unit and families. Quite a nice spot. G dispatched Red Baron in quick order, beast. I did Parker. Then did a traverse thing that was 7B in the guide, but the rules were not especiallly clear (is the footblock in or not?). I used it and did it on my third? attempt. But come on lets be realistic, I'm shot, sore skin, tired body, low energy, last problem of the day. In that situation I don't do 7B in quick order. Luckily Tom Peckitt toddled along, flashed it (using the footblock) and declared it too easy for 7B. And he was right.

Yesterday went to the Peak, I was going to go outside but weather on arrival coupled with non-climbing commitments later on meant that indoors was the only option so we went to the Works. I tried the new board, it revealed that I am weak, nuff said....

Lets get multimedia, boom.

Some more video, me on Pig in a Pokey and me making the (possible?) first ascent of Okey Dokey:

Nik bouldering at Buckstones from GCW on Vimeo.

And a photo of GCW on the Fridge Hugger Project when it was still a project:



My sequence has my right hand where GCW's right is, then I put my left toe on a foothold that can be seen just inside the bend of GCW's left elbow whilst my left hand is on the obvious chalky hold just left of GCW's right hand. Then once my foot is on I slap my left hand out to where GCW's left hand is in the photo, this tends to make your left hip joint feel like it's going to explode. Then move the right hand onto the hold just left of GCW's right hand and press it down to get your right foot up next to the right hand. Then stand up and reach up with the right past all the chalky holds on the two aretes to a reasonable hold just below the flake/ripple/do-dah at the top of the photo. A hideous sequence for the tall, not much better for the short.

Something old, something new...

Yesterday I was working in Huddersfield and it just so happens that with judicious route taking I can drive past Blackstone edge and Buckstones on the way there, and on the way back. Which is nice as both crags have a single piece of unfinished business from last year. I called into Buckstone on the way to Hudds (the walk-in is about 20 seconds) and checked conditions, it was damp in places but drying rapidly in the roaring gale. So I carried on to Hudds with the intention of visiting on the homeward journey.

A few hours later, job done and back to Buckstone. The wind had done a pretty good job, things were perhaps not in primo nick but not bad, not bad at all. Buckstone basically has one block of interest which is an obvious big roof. Last year I climbed a problem out along the right arete of the roof (Pig In A Pokey-7A+) and did a possible new problem along the left arete (Okey Dokey - 7B), I then linked Okey Dokey into Pig in a Pokey Reversed finishing with a right to left traverse under the roof and then up the side wall to give Okey Pokey - 7B+. I also tried the link the other way round (Pig in a Pokey, reverse Okey Dokey, left to right traverse under the roof then finish up the side wall) this however had the better of me last year. The crux move involved a not great right hand and double toe hooks the reaching between your legs to get a poor sidepull all whilst fully inverted under a horizontal roof. Anyway I went back and warmed up by repeating the three problems I'd done so far, then I worked the crux sequence had a rest and went for it. Success, it felt significantly harder than Okey Pokey so I think solid 7C and the name (in keeping with tradition) is Pig in a Dokey.
Anyway if your looking for a roadside venue with a couple of good roof problems and a couple of really rather silly link-ups then Buckstones is the place to be (as long as you can ignore the discarded bottles, graffiti, litter....).
Me on Okey Dokey (from last year)


Nik at Work on the First Ascent of Okey Pokey, Fb7b+, Buckstones from GCW on Vimeo.

Then to Blackstone where there was a "fridge hugger" project from last year. I worked a sequence that I suspect will be impossible for the tall and also managed this. Felt very hard but I was probably a bit tired. Didn't use a single fridge hugging move on the problem but the name has stuck so Fridge Hugger - 7B+ (although it may be harder, or easier)

A good day.

Today there were various plans for the afternoon playdate with G-bob. But in the end the weather dictated Silverdale, which was where I wanted to go to be honest. First venue Trowbarrow and G flung himself with gay abandon at the first move of Vitruvian Man, and his persistence paid off. Whilst he didn't fully stick the move he got about as close as it is possible to get to sticking it without actually sticking it. Good work fella, I think if he keeps his dander up then this will get crushed, beast. I spent my time not really doing anything, nothing dry was grabbing me so I mostly spent my time providing G with an unhelpful commentary....

Anyway we then went to Hyning Wood as I was keen to get on Transgenic. However the start was soaking wet, but looks pretty easy. And the last couple of moves were also gopping, and these don't look so easy. But the middle section was dry(ish, still a bit damp to be honest but pull-on-able) and I was pleased to pretty quickly get a working sequence. I also had a vague play on the last moves, but they were too wet for any meaningful pulling. However I think it's on. A great looking line, just need to get back in the dry.

All in all a nice couple of days and reasonably productive.

Indoors again

Sunday night G came round for a session on the board. It's good to have someone else to climb with on the board as it keeps motivation up. By myself I tend to get a bit bored after 40 minutes or so but with the G there we managed to keep on truckin for almost 2 hours, yee-ha.
Also having someone else devising problems means that I get a bit of variation in style, rather than just getting an enormous tract of problems that are climbed using deep drop-knees. Also, given G's massive reach, there tends to be some dirty long moves, longer than I'd conceive alone.

Anyway it's all good, but I want to get some more outdoor mileage in over the next few weeks before loading up the car. Objectives would be:
- a couple/few ticks in the 7C-8A range
- a 7A+/B flash
- fix the car boot lock
- get a new pair of Verdes and start wearing them in

Also noticed I have the best part of no photos or videos on this blog, which makes for a very boring read for modern man and his miniscule attention span. Moves are afoot to remedy this.

Final BIG news is that I have put a chin up bar in the kitchen at the little ladies request. She is determined to be able to do a chin up before the end of time, good luck to her I say...

Lessons in lank

Went to West View the other evening with G-unit. The session started well but I got weirdly pumped quite early and powered out big time. I'm thinking a bit of stamina work might be no bad thing. I guess this lack of stamina is inevitable as I tend to just try and do the hardest moves I can on the board, and most problems are only three or four moves long. Pretty much pure power stuff. Which is great bcause that's kind of the problems I aspire to do in the immediate future. But if I can only have a couple of goes at a problem before being burled out for the day then success is going to be hard to come by. Hey-ho.

Then today I went to Bridies with G. And, well, I'm trying not to write this, but, well dammit it's true, he lanked everything. I got totally shut down. We tried Jerry's and I couldn't reach the higher pinch, just the lower one that was awful and I couldn't use and blah blah blah. G failed to finish the deed but he got to the last move and looks steady away, he'll get it once he's overcome his usual fear of success. Then we tried Nine, which is reachy and I couldn't do it, G pathed it sideways with cheese. Then we tried something else, it was reachy, I couldn't even climb to the starting holds. G released his inner tiger and scrabbled his way upwards to victory.

Me and Kebs are going to have to have some serious words...

To fail to prepare is to prepare for failure.

It is now just under five weeks until I head South to the land of good coffee, exceptional pastries and climbing glory. Which realistically means I have four weeks of training time and then a week of generally trying not to get injured.

The problem is I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be at this time. I was hoping to be at the point where I'd ticked some more hard (for me) problems and could then spend four weeks just consolidating the burl and picking on specific highlighted weaknesse (this all sounds far more scientific and organised than the reality of what would have happened but hey-ho). Instead I feel like I've hardly climbed anything since the new year. In reality this isn't true, I've done several 7's including a 7C in a few goes which I would never have expected to have done last year. I think the problem is I've set my expectations to high and am disappointed when I fail to crush things that I think I should. It's easy to forget that 7A is hard, lots of people never climb 7A. So if you've recently done one give yourself a pat on the back regardless of what grade you normally climb.

So anyway this expectation has had a very negative effect on my motivation. To be honest this little Font aim (and the various other aims that have gone on as stages in the ultimate aims development) is the first time that I have ever focussed on a grade based goal. I've always previously had aspirations (as we all do) but they have been less well formed and specific. I'm not used to being so targetted in my approach and I have let it take over and remove some of the fun for me. And for me fun is everything for climbing. When I say fun I don't mean the "ooo aren't I happy and smiling so this is great" fun I mean in a broader sense, perhaps satisfaction would be a better word.

So my satisfaction has been reduced, not because I was climbing badly. Far from it, I am on the best form I've had for the last well... several years. But because I felt I was failing to achieve my expectations. I fell into the trap I've been wary of from day one. What a fool.

Anyway I am unlikely to tick any of my BIG 4 problems in Font. I'm still going there with the same list, and I'm still going to try and crush them. However whilst I'm not approaching this in a negative fashion, I am perhaps being more realistic. The ultimate goal was always going to be longer term than this years trip to Font and I think over the last couple of weeks I sort of lost sight of that. Enough of my warbling, the upshot of all of this is that now I am super psyched to climb, I had a good session on the board last night and I'm keen for more.

Bring it on...