In reply to grubes:
So, a week and a half update from me...
Taper week:
M: Cheddar. Fourth day on so battered. 5 redpoints I think on Circus Circus (7c) but no tick, just couldn't nail the crux when I got there and frequently fell off before. A training day rather than a performance day!
T: rest
W: Cheddar.
- Clips in Circus Circus to get warm. One redpoint, fell at the crux. Next go, nailed it! Very pleased.
- Dossed for a bit then decided it was time for another evaluation session: got on Right Hand Man (8a). Worked out two of the moves I couldn't previously do, moving right from the groove into the start of the bulge and rocking up from the better holds (comparatively!) on the lip of the bulge to the next ones. One small section remains, a move or so getting into the aforementioned better holds. Could tell that I need new shoes! Good link of a bit of the top on toprope at the end too. Pleased with progress.
T: rest
F: rest
Rodellar! (route names in logbook where not mentioned, I can't be bothered looking them up right now!)
S: Aquest.
-Clips were in a 7b when we arrived, so dogged it to get warm. Next go managed to tick it! Good start. Basically power endurance to a throw over a roof to finish the difficulties.
-Then waited a bit and got on a 7a+ with good team beta - scraped my way through it! 2nd 7a+ flash I think. Tufa town low down, then a big rest before a steep blocky finish.
-Then had 2 goes on a 7b+ (Aquest, the route the sector is named after) because the clips were in, but sacked it as I couldn't get a sequence I liked for the top.
S: El Camino to start.
-Pumpy 6b+ flash to get warm.
-Then a 6c+ flash and a 6c+ onsight after that. Both steep blocky sprints.
- Then a 7a+ onsight - YYFY last goal for the year completed and first of is grade. Softie, but both guides and most of 8a and ukc vote for it so I'll take it! Tough move off the floor, rest, then a crux followed by some steep ground on good holds
- Was going to get on a 7a in the afternoon at Nuit des Temps but ended up trying a 6b+ instead to retrieve clips - fell a move from easy ground, shocked to even make it that far, absolutely running on empty...
M: Rest
T: A few nights of bad sleep caught up with me.
- Bikini to start. Warmed up on a 6a and then a 6b+/c (actually a 6c+ but quite nice warmup if you pulled past the slippery bouldery start).
- Then moved to Cafe Solo, but got cold and exhausted and depsyched and did nothing else. Went back early and slept for 3 hours!
W: Aquest again. Feeling recovered. Cold and rainy though.
- Put clips in a very cool 7b and sent next go! Basically steep tufa into a good knee bar, then a few moves over the bulge to finish it off.
- Then tried a 7a onsight - climbed badly, plus it was humid and polished so super sweaty, so fell off. Stripped it.
- Then decided to have a play on a 7b+ - worked out a sequence but no time to tick. Couldn't memorise it fast enough! Tufa intro, hands off rest knee bar, crux, tufa outro. Ace route. Learned so much about knees for trying it so definitely not time wasted.
So a good trip and taper into it.
- 7c number 3 ticked in my taper
- Then 2 7bs (both "dog it then send it"), 2 7a+s (one onsight one flash) and 2 6c+s (ditto) in what was 4 or effectively 3 climbing days.
Plus points:
- 4 7s in 3-4 climbing days, with all done fast redpoint or better.
- Rodellar is ace. Basically though next time I go back I want to be able to spend time at the big sectors like Boveda etc, which realistically means being able do 7c or so in a day...
- Onsighting/flashing as well as I could have hoped. A glass ceiling of sorts broken, although I'd still like to work towards a/multiple proper 7a+ onsight(s) putting clips in next trip.
- Felt like my drop knees were way more instinctive as a result of France
- Felt like I was using knees like a vaguely competent novice (pro is a bit much!) by the end especially on the last route where I had a hands off knee bar and about 4 knees assisting in moves. 5.10 pads are ace
Learning points:
- Look at routes before committing - part of the reason I tried the route Aquest on Saturday was just because the clips were in, now thinking that in hindsight the other line with its steep tufa would have appealed more had I looked closely at it, and might have got the tick if I had had the extra time on it.
- Disappointing onsight performance on the 7a, pay attention to conditions more perhaps
- Improve core for knee bars before next trip (Turkey at Xmas perhaps?)
- Work on faster identification of knee opportunities, I can use them quite well if I put time into finding them but need to make it more instinctive for onsighting. Also improve trust in them too, found it took a while to fully commit to them.
- New shoes required for right hand man and in general to maximise purchase on footholds on overhanging euro stuff. Soft and worn down slippers won't cut it any more I don't think!
So, that's Rodellar done. All my goals for the year complete too I think. Basically really pleased with that. So, what next?
- Work is still elusive, and I've hopefully still got a partner keen for midweek days. I think at home the first priority is to get another session or two on right hand man. I reckon I'm a session or two away from a link from the "jugs" (they are comparatively, but that means nothing!) on the lip of the bulge to the top. If I can also get a link into the 2 missing moves consistently and figure those moves out (milliona of shocking footholds and a few very poor handholds means many possible sequences!) it could be game on. Otherwise it's maybe time to work on those key links, get stronger for the missing moves and return come spring.
- Otherwise filling out more of my 8a pyramid rungs, with as varied a mix of routes as possible from as many places as possible (perhaps including Obsession as one of the 7b+s end of October).
- Keeping some trad in my sights too, I've got a few more E3s especially locally I want to try over the winter, and maybe I'll try and take the lob on an E4 before the year is out, who knows...
- And training for a possible Christmas trip where I want to maybe do a 7b+ or two but the way I'm feeling at the moment a high volume trip of onsight/flash/day redpoint in the low 7s appeals a lot (obviously combining both by getting day redpoints of 7b+ would be mint!)
A