Mutton Busting

Having returned from the Eindhoven World Cup inspired I thought I would take the opportunity to get back out on the lime. A couple of weeks ago I had my first session on a brilliant roof problem in Blackwell Dale. Mutton Busting is the sit start to an amzing 7b of Rupert Davies. Ned the first ascent of this problem last summer and it has seen just 2 ascemts from 'back 2' Varian and Mick Adams.

I knew that all I needed was some slightly cooler conditions to dispatch as last session I did the moves and worked out my sequence. Driving out to the peak it was overcast and a slight breeze was blowing, fingers crossed it would be dry. Upon arrival I warmed up and conditions seemed ok, a couple of damp holds but with chalk they dried up.

The first 2 moves make the problem: Starting with a big heel, a small crimp and pinch, the left hands slap around the lip to a back 3 pod and my index finger sits on a papule of rock. Some tensiony foot moves allow the right hand to slap round the lip into a digonal crack. From here the problem finishes on some slopey pinches and a big throw to the top off a strange side pull.

When Ned origionally did it he gave it a speculative 8a. However Dan and Mick both thought 8a+, to me it felt harder than most 8a's so low end 8a+?! Who knows! Whatever the grade the climbing is phenomenal-very techy yet powerful and dynamic makes for a spicy cocktail. It should be high up on any peak aficionado's list!

This morning I awoke psyched and headed out to Crag X to finish off a problem called 'Bizarre Ride'. I dropped the finishing jug last week due to being a numpty! This is a new problem that my friend Gangle put up about a month ago. It is slightly eliminate but there is not enough roof climbing in the peak and the moves are excellent. It is 4 moves long and requires good tension, dynamism and a bit of luck in getting a frustrating heel to stay put on a spike. After warming up and having a few false starts my skin and body were wearing thin. I pulled on, dispatched the first lock, got the heel to stay and threw out to the good pinch, blindly throwing around the lip I stuck the vulkan crimp, cutting loose I swung my feet back on and didnt drop the jug this time!!

A good couple of days! Am psyched for power endurance training at the Foundry at the moment, hoping it will help me in the BBC's, so I will be heading down there this week as well as fingerboarding and perhaps having a look at Hubble!!

Hopefully some pictures to follow.

The Return....

Well its been along time since my last blog, am not sure of the exact reasons. I went through a time of very low psyche and didnt feel that spreading the word of this was to necessary. Another reason is that I didnt want to just dribble on. When I look at someones blog I like pictures and videos, and to put it simply I just dont have any at the moment.

Ok so excuses and introduction over and on to the main meat. For the past month I have mainly been climbing outside and fingerboarding. This had been due to a niggling finger injury which for some reason is fine on the lime but on plastic it aint too good. Luckily this is going, unluckily I have another slight tweak which is keeping me away from my love of pockets.

My opinion on most injuries is that you can always climb around them, especailly when fingerboard training. So this is what I am doing. My psyche had returned recently and I feel that my strength has raised itself by about half a level! Its a start...

Have had quite a few good ticks recently and obviously with this comes a further raise in your psyche.

Got a world cup round in Eindhoven in a month so my fitness needs to be increased big time. Gonna mix this in with fingerboading and getting out as much as the damn rain allow. As for more long term plans: I want to do Superman using the sidepull (feels hard), a summer of training and climbing around the UK in spots I havent visited before, then off to the Frankenjura in October and hopefully Font after Christmas.

Fingers crossed the injuries go and my psyche returns (hopefully Lanny Bassham will help, if it worked for Jerry then its worth a shot)!

Rubis....

A Font classic- Rubis Sur longe 7b+
Taken by: Monsieur Fontinberry himself, Andy Jennings

Fontainberry!

C'etait Demain, 8a.

Just returned from Font after my first time in colder conditions. What an amazing place! I cant wait to get back. Not having my own car meant that I just went where everyone else wanted to go. This suited me; I just did classics and lines that took my eye (which was lots)!

Managed to do the first 8a in the forest which was awesome, I actually did it twice it was that good. Apart from that I just did a bunch of good 7's and pottered around, I didnt even see most of the problems I wanted to try but next time....

Am heading back for a month in February so hopefully will get some harder things ticked then. I would love to do the big 4 and there are a few other things I am really keen for, mainly old skool hard problems!

Psyched for some training this week and then heading to work on Friday for the week.

Ticks:

C'etait Demain 8a

Armes d'supplement assis 7c+

Berezina 7c (2nd go)

Alta 7c

L'arrache Coeur 7c

Fourmis Rouge 7c

Infidele 7c

Rubis sur longe 7b+ (2nd go)

Carnage 7b (flash)

Anston Stones

The Vision, V9

Yesterday a team of us headed over to a limestone bouldering venue near Worksop. Its always good to get to new places especially where there is a wide range of grades and different styles of climbing.

After warming up we got stuck into a V9 called 'Ebola'. This problem was extremely cool and the crux revoled around a dynamic move off a pocket to a side pull. A few goes to suss out the moves and I was at the top, the holds were a bit rough but the climbing thoroughly excellent.

Next up a V9 called 'The Vision', the crux was the first move; pulling off a mono and a back two pocket to slap a left hand sloper. A strange crimp and another mono and I was again at the top.

We then moved on to try a burly roof climb called 'Dark Art'. This involved all areas of climbing from core, fingers and burl to finese and technique. I worked out the moves pretty quickly and was trying the red point. I had one good go and should of held the last hard move but my heel ripped. Had a few other good goes but was tiring fast and the holds seemed to be getting damper! Unfortunately I get finishing off syndrone and this problem is added to the list of blocs I should have ticked but next time hopefully!

I will definately be heading back to the crag at some point but maybe not till next spring now due to seepage!

Off to Paris tomorrow then Font for 3 weeks!!!

The Hulk! Raaaaa!

Headed to the crag where the the big green monster resides on Saturday. It was boiling hot but when got down to the rock it felt pretty cool. Unfortunately it was also quite wet. We started to dry holds off and conditions felt ok if a little spoogy. Now I know V10 isnt really much these days but the 'Hulk' has always felt nails to me, far harder than the 'Thing' which stands at V11 so to do it would be awesome.

I have never got anywhere on it before, just pulling on felt hard but today I could pull on and almost static the first move. I was pleased but still didnt think it would go. The second move is definately the crux but I crushed that el static and proceeded on wet holds to the top!! I was extremely psyched! Even on wet holds I felt really strong! As always I had been filming others on the 'Thing' but my unexpected ascent was not recorded. Oh well!

Did a core session yesterday with a British Olympic diver; some good stuff and I do ache a bit today!

Motivation-A very strange thing!

Not got any recent photos so here is one my friend just sent me from Hueco of 'Power of Lanjager', V11.

Not blogged for a while but then havent had much to write really. I havent really been psyched for anything around the Peak so have just been training; lots of core and fingerboarding. I am feeling pretty strong but not so fit!

Went out the other day to show Ned and Mina around Roche Abbey. They both thought the rock quality was brilliant and problems good to. I managed to do 'Addiction', V10 from sitting first go which was cool as i wasnt even going to try it.

After that we headed to try an amazing V11 at a crag near by. It revolves around 2 (very) big moves; I got quite close to both of them but felt very tired very quickly, am psyched to go back as its one of the best problems I have tried for ages and it feels HARD, which is always a bonus!

Got a few weeks left till Paris, unfortunately one of them will be spent at work. Then I am off to Font for 3 weeks!! Woop woop, I have only been in summer so am looking forward to some better conditions hopefully! Then am going out to Swiss for 3 weeks, I cant wait!!