So I entered this thing with good intentions...

But I have been super busy with the last year of uni.
Dissertation/IEP/final project is coming on well. In the process of writing up more of the background research now (like tonight).

Most recently, I have been punting about inside trying to feel motivated for plastic.
My car is currently dead (until the mechanic says otherwise) and so I have basically written off rock until it is fixed. I have also started working again, which is great for feeling a little tired and alright for earning enough money to pay for the car repair.

I also got a copy of this from the legend that is Dave Macleod, along with his other book 9/10 climbers make the same mistakes. So far, the latter has given me a boost in confidence to trust what I think and feel I need to do, as well as feel more motivated to get on with it.

Hopefully when I get through the first half of the latter, I will be able to better plan my training and recovery behaviour to climb harder while avoiding injury. Of what I have read so far, this book is like gold dust. It is well informed, researched and specifically applies to climbers training/ mentality. Who knows, maybe it will help get me where I want to go. No doubt it won't slow me down. Get yourself a copy at his website: http://davemacleod.blogspot.co.uk/ and pick up a copy of 9/10 too while you are there!

I had a good session today, following Ians training session. Ian is a local climber who trains every session, 6 days a week. He has total faith in the regime he has been prescribed by his coach, and it definitely seems to work for him. He is much stronger than me in a lot of ways, and a session with him has shown up a massive gulf in my climbing/physiology. It turns out (to no ones surprise at all), that I have no latts, or core, or bicep, or tricep. Basically, I am dead weak. I get by on twisting and crimping and dynamically swinging myself around all over the place. That stuff is wicked! but it means if I find something which requires some grunt i.e. yarding across jugs on overhangs, I suck. Big time. I can't do 5 wide pullups without yelling for some assistance. My shoulders are so unstable, I can't do 5 pushups on the rings without resorting to the knees. I can't do an ice-cream maker on the rings.

TO NO-ONES SURPRISE, I AM A WEAK SPORT CLIMBER 

I haven't been bouldering in ages (outdoors), and as such I can't call my self one of those either.

So here is a weakness I need to address. Also, big sloping holds in roofs, and foot jams are also massive weaknesses. I do often wonder if the pain I get from my shoes is stopping my from performing the good footwork I would like to think I usually characterise. 

I think there is a whole cocktail of stuff here that I can and should start to address as my first port of call for improving before the next sport season really starts:

• Core
• Latts
• Shoulder Stability
• Certain elements of footwork
• whole hand/open hand strength - very much linked to tricep weakness

Exercises I need to start taking on 

Core workouts

Antagonists 

Stability Exercises

Whole hand / one arm / weighted large hold  pullup style exercises

Which relates to:

Planks

Situps

Dishes

Pushups (normal)

Pushups (rings)

IYTs (rings)

Inverted Front Levers (rings)

Foothold Kickups (woody)

One Arm Dead Hangs (beast maker)

Repeaters (beast maker)

Sloper Based Repeaters (beast maker)

Wide Pullups (somewhere around the wall)

Recruitment lockoff/pullup (largest campus rungs - weighted lockoff to failure followed by pull ups* 10)

5*5s at high intensity with rest (anpow)

4*4s at mid intensity with minimal rest (ancap)
Projecting on the woody for finger strength, working the core and lower body for body tension
It is also important that I remember just to climb and project stuff. 

I will let you know what I decide, if I remember and get time.

Now that we have all calmed down about the new year...

That Caldwell guy is absolutely fierce!
His exploits up on the Dawn Wall with Jorgeson are the stuff of legend, and I can only dream of climbing up at those unfathomable heights. I wonder if David Lama will make the second ascent with someone like Honnold...

Back in the slightly less spectacular peak district, it is time to start thinking about how to continue.
With last years surprising events, it is hard to decide if I should continue as I was or take a new direction.

I need the mileage of loads of easy climbing to help me excel through harder stuff later on, or do I? Do I follow the path that others have taken, and forge ahead with the harder projects? Even some of the people I know who have found success from forging ahead through harder obstacles, are starting to show signs of fatigue and subtle injury.

Yesterday there was a comp at the local bouldering wall. I scored a respectable 218 (out of 300, including the impossible problems that no one completed). For a weak sport climber that isn't too bad. It isn't far off what the junior Team GB competitors were scoring, and considering they have have all been climbing far longer and with more support...

I have been thinking once more about development, as I continue through the crucial stage of my body's adaptation to climbing. I figure there must be about another year and a half (at least) before this adaptation really slows (assuming the process is as exponential decay). As such, it will be good to make this time count, by developing the correct muscle structure. Do I focus on bouldering i.e. fast twitch? Or sport climbing i.e. slow-twitch (for all intents and purposes). I suppose it is all about the ratio. Peak sport climbing is often like bouldering on a rope, so I guess in that respect we are lucky. It is just the fine line between pushing hard and pushing too hard.

I am figuring I want to aim for a ratio of 65/35 fast/slow fibres. This means routes like 'that was the river' (7b+). A few hard moves, followed by consistent pumpy ground. The more I think about it, the more cheedale cornice becomes a favoured concept for a training venue. A wide variety of thuggy and technical test pieces at the harder end of the spectrum. Plus bouldering that never got developed. Maybe that will be an opportunity to put my name into the peak climbing scene. The tor is great, but I am not fussed for the scene down there at the moment. Plus across the river from the cornice is dogs dinner, with the infamous traverse to work on.

I also want to achieve an 8a, and ideally by my birthday. I am currently trying to decide between Powerplant, Big Apple, Little Plum, The Sissy and Raindogs. My bail-out option for a quick tick will be the right hand finish of O-zone. If I don't manage this by June, then it wont be the end of the world, but it would be nice to tick into the 8s before I go away after finishing Uni. Where I will go, I have not decided yet, but I am heavily leaning towards Flatanger in Norway.


So there is the first post of the year waffle.

• I still have no idea what I am capable of, the journey has only just begun
• I want to climb 8a before june
• I want to focus on projects and training that will get me a 65/35 ratio of fast twitch slow twitch muscle fibres (so a similar ration of long to hard will be aimed at)
• I need to fine a vector between pushing my limits and easy mileage to stick to
• I need to spend plenty of time training on the woody and local comp problems
• I need to sort out my diet (again), and run a little more (for fitness)
• I need to use my time effectively, as this may well be the hardest time in my life to train for these goals (final year of uni)
• I need to find a suitable graduate job
• I need to figure out how to get my fellow IOA membership together
• I need to finish my project
• I need to get my FPGA development stuff together 
• I need to fingerboard when I can't climb due to time
• I need to stay motivated

My first 7c

So, I have been a bit busy since Sunday which has left me with little time to blog.
I haven't even been climbing, because I have been working most days.

On Sunday I miraculously made my way up my first 7c sport climb.
The strangest thing is that it wasn't really a battle, and it wasn't in incredible style.

I had been on the route a couple times, exactly a week before hand. I had maybe 4 passes at learning the moves. On Sunday I warmed up a little on the route, avoiding the first hard move. I then rested while others climbed, and when my turn came around I messed around. I couldn't remember how the moves to the first clip went. It was a mess of feet, and repeating those few moves allowed me to warm up a little again. On the 6th attempt at the start I smashed it out, through all the hard moves, a broken hold and up to the finish.

I couldn't quite believe it. Neither could the others who were there.

One of the other had broken a crucial hold, which was a point of fear when I pulled on its remains, a big crack fresh in the mind. In any case I made it to the top, clipping all the way from the second (having had the first two pre-clipped) up to a slightly extended belay to cover the final run out. I didn't know the belay had been extended though, so I still class it as a good show.

It just goes to show, you never know what you are capable of. I certainly don't. The biggest concern on the route was that you hang your back three stacked in a pocket, then a series of tenuous moves bring you to a poor hold for your right hand and a big move up locking off your left. I managed to flick some blood back into the fingers on the way, but that was literally the most tenuous part.

The route is called 'Ozone Bozo, and is a soft 7c on Garage Buttress, in Stoney Middelton in the Peak District. I will next attempt its left hand start, into the same finish at the same grade.
It is totally my style, short, sharp and just off vertical with lots of crimps and pockets.

Who  knows... 8b by the end of next year? Unlikely.

There were two elements of true note to this ascent for me.
First of all, I was happy to lead the hardest bits. Considering I previously led a 6a and long before that a 6c+, that is quite a turn around in attitude. I don't know why, but I feel like I can manage that fear a little better, as long as I am clipped into the first bolt. This is a massive step in some regards, and will eventually lead to 'proper leading'. You don't lose the fear, you just learn to turn it down a bit.

The second was that, during the ascent, I was yelling take at the broken hold and breathing hard, but I felt totally outside myself for most of the process. It was only in a rest before (what I still thought was) the run out, that I tuned back in for a few moments to check all the engine lights were good. This level of focus is what I need to work on a develop, because I think it will lead me well beyond what I ever thought I was capable of. To be fair, I don't have a clue what I am capable of, and this seems to ring more true all the time.

Anyway.
Rest week (at least from climbing) this school week, with a double session on the weekend.

Happy days!

Dave Macleod has put up two very prominent posts recently. Both plugging his book which I have yet to buy, but still totally valid.

The first is about how he got from 8b to 8c+ in 18 months. The message seems to be, to get everything right before getting everything strong. This includes technique, tactics, psychology, how to handle yourself. Have everything else dialled, and then just throw in some fingerboarding.

Unfortunately, I don't have the thatcherite dole system to rely on, and I don't have time to climb all day every day. I also can't rely on my climbing EVER supporting me. Therefore, I need to do what Steve McClure suggests and find the balance. A bit of dissertation here, a bit of fingerboarding there. I need to put serious hours on the rock, but I need to compensate for the time it takes to accrue strength and power-endurance by throwing in some fingerboarding and hard wall sessions.

This is what I have been doing for a little while, and it seems to be working in my favour.
I just need to keep it up, and optimize.  

Perceptually infinite power

Now obviously, everyone has their physical limits. 

One can only apply x much force, as determined by our muscles ability to pull and our nervous systems ability to control that force when applied to situation y.

Think of it like a transistor. A pnp gate or similar. The device is rated for a maximum throughput of energy, of which the flow is controlled by another determinant (amount of energy into system). I think, the difference between our force mechanisms and a transistor is that we best apply control in recognisable patterns  from feedback, and we can change how much control is required to leverage so much force. This is all relative to how you try and apply the force, and how much power you think you have, perceptually

I am sure you will see a pattern in my style of thinking, but if you can convince yourself you have a possibly infinite amount power relative to your ability to harness it, you will probably be able to kick out those extra few measures of energy, which may translate to those last 3 moves through the crux and into the victory lap. Its all about gurning, gritting the teeth and really putting the extra 99.99% of possible effort, on top of the 99.99% you are already using. This is when you can make your body do things that scare you. You surprise yourself, and can pull off those sequences that seemed impossible. 

As I started up from the ledge at the pitch going up and right, I though nothing. I just had the move set I knew in my head. I had dogged through some of the harder sequence, but not move to move. The rope was in the first two bolts, so I was happy to have a go at the first hardish moves. 

I started up though the first 3 clips of moves, and after a few grunts managed to hang the horrendous back-three sharp camming stacked pocket. Shocked that it held, I grimaced through the next little balance sequence, and then clipped the 4th bolt. moving left I hesitated with my feet 'how was I here'. I powered through to the split pocket, move feet, pull, 'I can't feel my left back-three', more hesitation, power out. 

A standard scenario for most. If I hadn't hesitated, I probably would have made my first 7c route, on the first day of play, with little fuss. I will never be a Steve McClure. But I had really put all the beans in, chips down on the table, and made a solid effort. I pushed once again beyond what I though I was capable of. This had thrown me a little, but it is simply a case of learning to deal with it. Much like the fear. Finally today I had climbed beyond my level, above the bolts, and had accepted I was going to fall at some point or another. Much improved!

. 

From my experience I feel we need to learn to do hard moves well individually, and teach the nervous system how to apply maximal force in as many given scenarios as possible. Further more, we need to teach the un/conscious versions of ourselves, to push just that much harder, every time.

I still feel that bouldering is crucial to hard climbing, of any form. Be it on any medium.

So... that training plan.. and The Tor.

Its been a busy, busy week. But I am getting there.
Today I went back to Raven Tor for the first time since maybe April (which was a washout session).

After some pinches wall fun, we decided to actually get heads down and put some time into the powerband. I had tickled it before once or twice in passing, but had never decided to 'get on it'.

This proved highly successful, as I got a foot plan together and made it into the LH pocket which you drop into before the final section (over half way). I didn't manage the drop, but from not really having a plan at the beginning of the session and a reasonable amount of work, I am super happy with that progress. I think < 10 sessions and some slightly focussed training will see me tick this to get a F7c under my belt.
The biggest problem with working this problem, is the LH crucial slot, which is held while you do 3 RH/foot moves to a good pinch, a bad pinch and some footwork/twisting, before going LH to the pocket of the working crux. I re-adjust on this pocket, and really get the tip of my index finger into a good jam. The downside of this is that my skin takes a real beating on these moves, and working that section in so many laps caused a good hole to form.

Once the hole occured, working the problem became pointless because the handholds became painful. So I knocked that on the head and walked up the hill to join those on the weedkiller traverse.
I managed to do 5 good laps of this problem, always getting to (but not completing) the very final move to the incut jug. Every time I fell was because I didn't have the juice to commit to that last big pull, or the get in a better body position without letting go. I even got strait back on after one drop, and made it to the top jug.

From this I have realised some great progression, which coupled with time at Malham recently has made me a happy and focussed climber. You just need to ignore the sneering grit enthusiasts who will spend years punting to the 7a - b level, and just get on with climbing/training. And for those who haven't got the time to climb 24/7, training does seem to be worth the 30 - 45 mins a session it costs.

So I need to sort out a bit of bicep strength, one-arm deadhang slopers / v.slopey pinches, and start to really maintain and reduce time between harder problems. 7mins rest per go on powerband felt just about right, with 15 mins every 10 - 15 goes.

Monday will be a rest day, due to other commitments.
Tuesday will be one-arm deadhangs on the good beastmaker slopers. Classic 7on 3 off 6 sets.
Wednesday will be working on the harder indoor problems i.e. blue/yellow/white (and some top-end oranges). Limited rest for difficulty, 3 - 4 mins per attempt (4 goes at dogging a move with 45s rest between counts as one attempt in this model). 5 - 10 mins rest per 20 laps.
Thursday will be light volume and an easy lockoff session.
Friday is work, followed by the indoor boulder comp. Not to fussed, but will be good to chat to some of the better locals that I don't see so often. Plus free beer.
Saturday is work and rest.
Sunday is flexible, but work starts at 00:30 Sunday night / Monday Morning for a few hours.

The rest of Monday will probably be spent resting/doing uni work, and I may go to the wall but it isn't very likely.
The rest of the week will see a similar pattern I expect, except Friday will be a climbing day, Saturday will be rest and then should be out with Zippy on Sunday, either at Malham or at the Tor.

Coincidently, it seems that the final aim at Malham for the year 'something stupid' 7b(+really) is pretty soaked at the moment. In the instance this is the case and we show up to Malham that day, I will work on the upper part of Seventh Ardvark, into the hole on Bat Route, which from the ground is an 8b link. 4 extra moves on top of the 7b... a Font 7b+ boulder problem?

We will see...

Coincidently, I am going to start looking more at brain training for Focus. I want to develop myself better mentally, to just switch off from everything outside of the specific act of climbing this particular thing, so that I can be truly focussed and really improve. If you know of anything to help/guide this, please comment.

Also... I am starting to get psyched some more, which is always good.

Well, it feels like time for an update

It even turns out that I didn't manage the last post, and it has sat in drafts in a sorry sort-of-started state.

So I went to Malham cove for three days with Zippy a couple weeks ago (before the trip to North Wales). I have been back twice since, and each time I seem to get some more mileage under my toes.

On the weekend trip:
I had never been climbing at Malham before, and had walked under it once ages ago. Thus, I had no idea what to expect. My fingers had sort-of healed up, and the ankle, but I haven't done a massive amount of climbing outdoors in ages. Particularly with how the summer went. Sometimes I think I just need to doss out for 3 months during a climbing season, and get good...

Anyway.

I basically spent three days top-roping/seconding the classic sport routes in the bottom of the 7s. Against the grain/Yosemite Wall
7th Ardvark
Rose Coronary
All great! 7th Ardvark took more time than the others, but suited my style and once I had found an intermediate gaston in the crux, it was over quickly. I struggled on 'something stupid', but managed to shock myself into flashing sections of it on the first touch.

I approached the weekend in an optimistic way, but with no expectations of preconceptions of glory.
I tried to take the 'what would I imagine Steve Mclure would do' mentality of cool, calm, collected, technical, preplanned and meticulous detail/precision to everything I tried (all be it on top rope). The approach to 'finding the ideal position where each move is as easy as possible', was bang on and made those three days a magical new and eye-opening experience. Malham had become (and still is) by far my favourite sport crag.

I left that long weekend with a renewed enthusiasm for climbing, and a want to train to get stronger. I will pick up technique and good movement/confidence as I go, but I need to focus on strength while I am still before my absolute peak.

I tried a few training sessions with various plans, but always felt too tired for the next 2 or 3 days to do anything worthwhile. Plus, I was eating properly. I think I need to write myself a new, more realistic plan that will let me do an hour a day, and build up towards split sessions over a long time.

I have been back to Malham twice since that weekend, and each time I have managed another three routes, including leading THE 6a+ this weekend. Although, my accuracy and technical quality has been dulled, in replacement for trying to pull harder. I also went this Saturday, feeling a bit sore and tired still from the previous Thursday. I need to sort this out and become reconditioned with more work. I also need to keep doing full stretching routines, as I am convinced they aid recovery speed/quality alot! Get on that yoga stretch thing at the end of your climbing session.

This does not solve the problem of loss of technique however. My next session at Malham, or even in the peak at Garage Butress etc, will mainly be focussing on body position. I will aim to find the best continuous body positions, using loads of drop-knee/Egyptian shenanigans, in order to technique and finger-strength my way up the wall, as opposed to pulling hard with ze arms. I am sure this is all dead obvious.


With my final year of university now into full swing, I feel I need to start really knuckling down and focussing of time management. I have been doing so, but I need to start factoring climbing into that management. So I plan, every day from Tuesday (and maybe tomorrow), to climb from 8 - 10. I will warm up for 30 mins, train for 30 mins and a reasonable intensity, project for 30 mins and then stretch and warm down. I will take time out from projecting if I have to, but my training will mainly be finger/core based on the wall, campus boarding, or maximal strength depending on the day and how I feel and what I have done previously.
I will post this plan up by Tuesday, and will explain why I chosen certain routines.

I have started to get out on the grit, now that it is coming into season. I will be spending time on the grit over the winter, for all the technique and footwork goodness. I am not all that bothered for shredding myself on some crap slopers, but it would be nice to potter about. I may even indulge in some easy trad, just the start becoming more well-rounded before the limestone season starts again next year.

I have been so busy as of late, that this blog hasn't been what I planned.
I will try and be more active on it, and start climbing more. This is just a very busy time in my life.

Mapping the road to success... Assuming i succeed

My (modified) map to relative success

I have to assume I will be successful in climbing, but what it successful? What does it mean?

I am sure that definition will change over time with goals and experience.

For the moment, I think success for me is enjoying the process of developing and improving.

This post (which I will change over time) will be a roadmap towards my climbing goals. I may well add more branches as my interest changes. I will try and make a matrix map.

Green for Done

Blue For In Progress

Red for goal