UKC

Hey there all you solid boulderers out there!

I was wondering if you could tell me how long(days, weeks, months, years or decades) it took you to reach this most sought after grade and if anyone knows what the record is for reaching this grade in the quickest time (days,weeks or months).

Many thanks!

In reply to Sircumfrins: I spent approx 8 years to tick my first 8a, which was actually an 8a+. I wouldn't spend this amont of time on any problem but it was a line that inspired me enough to keep going back and pulling on it every winter.

Although in truth you could say its been 15 years to tick that grade, as that is how long ago it was when I first put a pair of climbing shoes on!

In reply to Mini: Thanks for that! It seems like you are the only 8A/V11 boulderer on this forum! Good for you!

In reply to Sircumfrins: There are a lot of 8a'ers that read this forum,they'll be along later.

If your question is more than a musing then try ukbouldering, a few more 8a regulars on there.

In reply to Mini: I wasn't trying to be funny if that is what you are implying...I am currently trying to reach 8A and I know how difficult it is so I was merely trying to compliment you.

In reply to Sircumfrins: Wasn't trying to be funny, only trying to help.

Good luck with your mission, great feeling of acheivement when ya finally get there! Stick with it.

In reply to Sircumfrins: i think every one who boulders would like too get there but it wont happen to most.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

You also might not get many replies because you are anonymous.

If you had a profile which said for example you'd alread done a 7C or even only a 6A it would give people an idea of whether or not they can be arsed replying.

I'm not having a go at you it's just a suggestion.

Good luck with the venture!!

The Ent

In reply to Enty: You're probably right...let me sort my user profile out.

In reply to Sircumfrins:
Did one (probably, unrepeated so unconfirmed at the grade) about 5 years after starting climbing. Took me several days effort.

I seem to remember reading about some strong boulderer (Berndt Zangler?) who climbed Dreamtime (somewhere between Font 8b and 8c currently I think) within six months of starting climbing. Remarkable.

I'd agree with Mark S, many/most people will not manage to climb 8a.

In reply to Keeg: Thanks for your comment...if that is true what you are saying about Berndt then he can't be human!

In reply to Mini: Thank you! I'm going to need it! I've set myself the goal of climbing my first 8A by April 08...I'm climbing at just above 7A at the moment...let's hope Santa can delay my present till then!

In reply to Sircumfrins: God, wish I had your motivation! So you've got 4 1/2 months to to go from just above 7a to 8a. So thats Dec - 7a+, Jan - 7b, Feb - 7b+, March - 7c, April - 8a.

Thats a big goal to aim for and I honestly wish you well. You must have some idea by now what your choosen problem is, if not find then start hunting. Find a problem that suits your strengths and is a class line worth doing, as undoubtably you will be spending a lot of time on it. Good luck.

In reply to Mini: Ya...I'm highly motivated! I entered the realm of V6/Font 7A bouldering a few months ago and unfortunately haven't gone outside yet to find out if I have progressed any further...so I could be climbing a bit higher than 7A without even realising it.

It is a tall ask...but I'm going to do it...there is no two ways about it. It will be a good anniversary present to myself, V11/ Font 8A bouldering after 1 1/2 years of climbing.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

It depends what you mean by 'climbing 8a'. If you want to dedicate your life and all your training to complete one particular problem that is 8a, then that is perfectly possible to do, probably within a fairly short space of time if you choose a problem that suits you.

However, if you want to consolidate your grade so that you can climb, for example one or two 8as, but in general be fairly steady on anything up to 7b/ 7c then that will probably take a lot more time. You would also be a better climber.

And I would probably have more respect for you

I have only climbed a few problems round the 7b/V8 mark, and although I will continue to strive to push that grade further, I also want to be a 'good climber' who is able to have a good go at most things up to that grade. There are still plenty of 7as I haven't done, even on my home turf!

Have fun, whatever you aim for.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Just read your last reply.... You really need to get outside to see how well you're doing. If you could climb even 7a on rock after just indoor bouldering, I would be very surprised.

Come on up to the Peak, I;ll give you a tour of some classics

In reply to Sircumfrins: That would be an almighty acheivement. Any idea what its likely to be? Where abouts in England do you live, climb?

And get youself outside as much as possible, no disrepect for indoor climbing, but there is no substitute nor better training to do a problem of that grade than to get used to the rock type your likely to climbing this grade on. 5 months will soon fly by!

In reply to Sircumfrins:
if you go from 7a to 8a in that amount of time without getting injured i'll be well impressed.. good luck with it, though no offense, i'll be very surprised if you make it..

In reply to Sircumfrins:


If that's the case, then I'd say, you'd better find ourself an 8a which is within your physical limits (no point getting something reachy if you're short), and which is a confirmed 8a rather than (7c+)+ or (8a)-. It should be close to where you live, so you can work on it as often as you need, and some specific training would've go amiss. If you've got to do a lock off, then work on your lock off strength. Build a woodie, or find someone near to where you live/work with one, and make friends. Put up a problem as similar to the one you want to do as possible (maybe with slightly better holds, so your motor neurones get used to the actual movements, then make the holds worse and worse, until you are basically doing the 8a.

As mentioned above http://www.ukbouldering.com should be your next port of call. There's a lot of strong boulderers there, and they can help with beta, and maybe even give specific advice (if your problem is in the Peak anyway!)

In reply to Sircumfrins:


Firstly, there are two ways about it. I can think of three off the top of my head:
1. You do it. Well done. Really really well done.
2. You don't do it. Good effort on trying, but never mind. Aim for the stars, and you'll at least hit some birds!
3. You injure yourself. You destroy ligaments, tendons, pulleys etc etc. You ruin the entire Summers climbing because you wanted to climb a number,

Seeing as you've only been climbing for a short time, I may be the first to tell you this. Your muscles get strong quick. Your ligaments and tendons don't. They take a lot longer. Theses are the places you get injured. I take back some of what I said above, as I didn't realise you were so new to climbing. You could very easily destroy your fingers!

In reply to lanky_suction1: If that is an invite I will take you up on your offer my friend! I would love to know some people who live up in the Lakes to go bouldering with!

In reply to Sircumfrins:
"man you blew it!" Too obvious. T = 5..

In reply to Mini: I live in Southampton so Portland is the closest really and I'm not sure if there are any V11's down there...I'm about to step my training up a bit but I feel that my planning and training regime is getting me to my destination.

In reply to withey: Thanks for the concern...but I understand the dangers that's why I have analysed my training to such a degree that i should be fine...if not then i will have to deal with it.

In reply to abarro81: "man you blew it!" Too obvious. T = 5..

I don't understand...???

In reply to Sircumfrins:

The leap from 7a to 8a is massive.
Good luck.

In reply to GCW:


Edited.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Hi,

I am great believer in goal setting but there is an art to it. If your goal turns out (with hindsight)to be unachievable it is demotivating. Clearly you have achieved rapid early progress which is not unusual but at some point you will plateau and improvements from then on will be incremental and harder to achieve. When you discover that plateau it can be demotivating enough without compounding the disappointment by having failed to achieve a goal that was set on the basis of nothing other than an arbitrary number that happens to have some resonance. Keep the 8A goal but ditch the timescale (IMO).

Best, Simon

In reply to Simon Lee: Very true...I have't plateaud yet though.
I'm trying to work on my psyche alot because climbing is more about mental barriers than physical ones.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I wouldnt underetimate the physical ones - particularly when it comes to bouldering.

In reply to Simon Lee: I prefer physical ones...balancy and technical boulder problems are not my favourite but get thrown never the less...over time! ;0)

In reply to Sircumfrins:
he meant the physical barriers rather than physical problems.
i admire your self belief but i suspect you'e more chance of platting fog than getting 8a in that time frame.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Don't listen to anyone on this thread. The fact that it took all of us many years to reach 8A does not mean it can't be done in a short period of time if you have the talent, and the application.

I would be *very* careful about injury and focus on a specific style for the short term. There is one 8A on portland, which is thin and crimpy.

Read lots about training, prioritise fingers (it's all about strong fingers in the end) and go for it. Let us know how you get on....

Stu

In reply to midgets of the world unite:

Age: 26 - You can dream Or have you lost your marbles already?

In reply to midgets of the world unite: Don't listen to anyone on this thread


Apart from you presumably ?

Having googled I see that Rich Simpson managed to get to Font8a+ in 3.5 years - an exceptional record. Sircumfrins has 6 months to get from 7a to 8a.

I know you are all excited about Patxi and so on but some circumspection/balance isnt the same as negativity or flaming.

In reply to WEBBO: Thanks! I know it's gonna be difficult...I'm really not kidding myself but alot of my friends believe i have a good chance albeit slim!

In reply to midgets of the world unite: Thanks a lot for the encouragement Stu! It really means a lot! Just because other people might not be able to reach V11/8A doesn't mean that I'm not. My vision of reality is completely different to someone elses...I WILL DO IT!

I'm concentrating on finger strength because I know the more i can bare down on my fingers on very small crimps the better my chances of reaching this goal because it seems the higher you go in terms of grades the smaller the holds become...I'll give a progress report at the end of January to let everyone know how it's going.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

If a big, heavy, none-specialist punter like me can do a Font 8a (albeit a traverse - Staminaband) then anyone who loves bouldering and is motivated to learn about training properly should have a good chance.

It took me lots of years, but significantly, I went from Font 7a to Font 7c one winter when I built a cellar board with a replica of the crux of Jerry's Roof (The Pass) on it. I.E. I had a goal, the motivation and the means.

In reply to Simon Lee:

Sure - it isn't likely that this kid will make his target, but for all we know he IS the next Paxti. If you read over this thread you'll see the majority of comments either in tone, or in so many words, say "don't bother trying, it's not possible".
How dispiriting is that? And i do think it reflects deeper reasons why we don't have many hard climbers in this country.

So some circumspection and balance is fine (and your post is one of the better ones here), but if someone has the courage to take on a massive challenge let's not make it harder for them by getting them down (man).

In reply to Tom Briggs:

Likewise I went from bouldering english 5c to font 7c in a winter's season at Almscliffe. And for me the limiting factor was probably the lack of harder problems around at the time. 7a to 8a over a winter isn't impossible....

In reply to midgets of the world unite: Good to hear other positive thinkers on this thread, as UKC is notorious for knocking people and there acheivements / aspirations constantly.

Your right about not enough aspiring for higher grades, and relative lack of top class boulderers and climbers. Yes we have them, McClure, Pearson, Landerman et al, and if someone has the talent and focus to attain high levels in a short time frame lets applaud him / she.

Yes, there are physical limits and possible injury risks with some one like Chris who's only been climbing for over a year, but injuries happen to even the elite, but it doesn't stop them from trying there damndist!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Agreed. All the climbers who I know that have achieved in climbing, have all had this self belief and motivation. Watching someone like James who would come to the Roaches and try everything we pointed him at, then would go and shunt desperate routes and projects, and, in all fairness I looked at him at the time and thought 'he's hopeful'. Look what he's achieved to date.

The other side of the coin is someone like martin (mini) who has just had the individual drive to keep at something until he did it, no time constraints, just keeping at it, getting fitter, stronger and more wired in the process until out of the blue he's climbed fb8a+.

Whichever way you go, you've cleared the first hurdle, so good luck.

In reply to Mini:

Don't you know that everyone should aim to consolidate VS first and foremost and the happiest climber is the best climber!

I agree, this place isn't exactly conducive to thinking big. Maybe it's the trad mentality that holds people back... you don't really want to stick your neck out too far too soon with trad.


Anyway, I want to do an 8a as well, however right now for me (barely scraping by at 7a) this isn't a realistic or indeed motivating goal. This is not the same as saying ‘I can’t do it’. It is just that I realise, at least in part, how much effort would be required. I would like to think it is ultimately possible, however, I feel it is more important to focus on difficult, yet more attainable goals whilst keeping in mind 'the bigger picture'. Of course, that is just what works for me. Whatever floats your boat, as they say... and most of all good luck!

This place needs some more big dreamers – who knows it might even rub off

In reply to Tom Briggs:

Can I borrow your board?

In reply to midgets of the world unite:


Stu, that's quite an improvement! Were "overstrong" when you started the winter or is there some other secret you're not letting us in on?

In reply to galpinos:


I suspect its more about getting out there and trying problems well above your limit. Having a local crag where it is easy to repetitively get on said problems is a bonus. Combined with training on a good board and I'm sure most people would be able to tick higher grades than they would expect. Motivation and dedication is key.

Theres an urban myth about a Buddist Monk who set a goal of climbing a blank piece of rock. So he moved to the said rock and lived like a hermit for a several years until he did it. From 0 to v8 (has since been repeated and given quite a high grade somewhere around the V8 grade) in one go - now thats gotta be a record!!

In reply to Mini:

I guess living in the Midlands isn't the answer then?

>Combined with training on a good board and I'm sure most people would be able to tick higher grades than they would expect. Motivation and dedication is key.

By climbing on a good board, do you mean doing systems/set training on a board or jsut doing problems at the right angle?

I tend to just "do problems" indoors.

In reply to galpinos: I was referring to good 'cellar' or Schoolroom type boards, where its easier to train your weaknesses / strengths. I tend to find commercial indoor walls set good interesting competition style problems to do, but they aren't necessarily good for getting brute strong or really targetting finger strength.

In reply to galpinos:

it was a case of being quite strong to start with, but also having a lot of time and enthusiasm. I've been improving at a rate of about half a grade every five years since then, so I guess since then I lost one or the other!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Go for it mate but really focus on getting warmth into your hands and elbows ahead of pulling on. I was in a similar (ish) position to yourself after a year of climbing. Id headpointed E5 (a mentaly not physically hard route) and then decided sport climbing was where its at and wanted to do an historic 8a like Statement or Anabolica.
Anyways to cut long story short i got tendonitus real bad in my elbows and had to jack climbing in (and kayaking, windsurfing, carrying shopping and giving my gf a massage) all because my elbows couldnt take it. All i could do was run and swim.
A year or so later I started again and straight away went on a road trip for 5 months. After 3 mths of climbing (and really warming up lots!!!!) i did a few 8as. so id encourage you to give it a go if you are able to put in the intense training just be careful.

Disclaimer!
(However font 8a is WAY harder than sport 8a) and I always feel with bouldering its less about sheer effort and more about whether you have the minimals

In reply to Sircumfrins:

i wanna be the first person to climb font17a. how do i do that?

sorry. good luck but they are only grades. and in real life there are two grades, can and cant.

In reply to Sircumfrins: I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has taken the time to respond...I didn't start this thread to be about me but rather to find out how others achieved this grade and to see if anyone knew who had got to V11/8A in the shrotest time frame. I just wanted to find out so I could see that it had been done before...just for a little comfort to help me with my own goal.

I really appreciate both the positive and slightly negative remarks (especially negative because it makes me want to work even harder to achieve this) that I have received with regards to reaching my goal.

I sought of feel like this "goal" is now bigger than me and that i need to do it to show people that you can do whatever you put your mind too (even though everyone should already know this). I'm not special so WHEN i do it then people will see that anyone can and hopefully something more positive than just me reaching 8A will come of it...maybe more people will try and push themselves that bit harder...I now have to do this for everyone (I'll probably get slated for this cheesy, rally-the-troops- sounding speech but that's how i feel).

If anyone would like to help me achieve this in any way (advice, letting me know where the nearest 8a routes are to me {I live in Southampton but don't mind travelling} or if you would like to go for a climb or maybe letting me crash on your floor so i can work a project!!! nudge, nudge ;0)!!!) then drop me an e-mail.

Many thanks once again!

Take care!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

i'll give ya a fiver for your cause

In reply to Sircumfrins:



I think you might have missed the intention behind some of the 'negative' remarks. You seem to think that reaching 8A within the time frame you've outlined is completely within your control; if you want it enough and try hard enough you'll achieve it. But unfortunately it comes down to your genetics, and you can't change those. I'm not saying you won't climb 8A or even that you won't climb it within your time scale, just that you could be the most motivated person in the world, do everything right, and your body might not adapt as quick as you'd like. The leap in grades you're talking about needs physiological changes take time and can't be hurried. There's an optimum amount of training and intensity that will be unique to you to achieve your goal, upping the amount of this won't get you there any quicker.
You've set yourself a big end goal with a short timescale and nothing in between to let you know if you're on track. I suggest you set intermediate goals for the grades you're going to have climb on the way to 8A, if don't achieve them on time you can at least adjust your training/re-evaluate your time scale for your big goal.
Good luck.

In reply to Serpico: Sound words Serpico.

If you are nowhere near doing a 7c by March then what ever you do don't start thrashing the campus board in the hope that more training will help attain your goals, as it may set you back more than you'd hope.

We've all been there, done that, spent two monts + resting an injury while its been prime climbing conditions and all ya mates are out bagging routes / problems left right and centre! Not a nice feeling I can tell ya.

In reply to Serpico:

To Sircumfrins : listen to Serpico with care, he is unusual in that he talks sense.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Wow! 7A to 8A is like amature cross country runner to professional marathon runner! Good luck though.

If you want portland V11, then Guy Fawks and Fibonnarchi Sequence are your best/only bets. Guy Fawkes looks and feels easier but I wouldn't take that as red since I have done neither.

In reply to Serpico: Very true...I will keep that in mind...thank you.

In reply to Mini: Will do...I incorporate the campus board into my training every night i climb at Calshot. I'm currently doing 1, 3, 5, 7 on the small rungs...I'm also trying to pull through on 1, 4, 7 large rungs and as soon as i can i will move to the small rungs. I also have a confirmed V10 project that i will be working soon at Calshot (I realise it is indoor but this natural featured route has been established by a solid Frenchman that came once and will help at least...). I will also be getting out alot to and plan on going to the peaks...perhaps for New Year.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: Are these routes confirmed V11's???

In reply to Jeff25: So true...I don't even bother trying difficult routes until my hands are warm...I take a full 30mins to warm up before even attempting any bouldering problems.

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Consensus is that Guy Fawkes is (according to Dan Kennard) "Benchmard V11" http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=4169

Fibonacci Sequence is also now supposedly climbed without the lost hold by John Gaskins at V11. http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=4171

In reply to Sircumfrins:
I'm not trying to be funny...but is this really impressive or can most climbers do this? I would like to know for interests sake. Thanks
Sircumfrins - 21/Aug/07

this was your comment on the ben moon lock off pic..

I suggest you need to train a little more if you intend to hit the 8a mark. I can and most I know can, but my best onsite is just 7b.

8a aint easy

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: Thanks for that! I shall go and start making myself acquainted with it soon!

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: what about the recent one from Dan Kennard - 'My chemical romance' i think.. isn't that 8a?
OP: hmm, maybe i was too un-optimistic; after a good day today, i've gone from font 7a to font 7c so far this winter just by bouldering loads (don't have my own board or anything).. but my elbows are now dodgy as, so no more intense training for a while.. anyway, good luck and let us know how you get on as i'll be well impressed if you make it. do be careful about injuries though!!

In reply to mux: Indeed those were my words...I said that because after climbing for 8 months I could already lock off with one arm. I can now lock off comfortably with an extra 5kg of weight and from the lock off position, I'm starting to pull through.

I am training hard for sure... ;0)

In reply to abarro81: Thanks alot! I will let everyone know in a new thread at the end of January...hopefully I would have done a confirmed V9 by then allowing me 3 more months to get the designated target!

Just need to not get over eager!

In reply to abarro81:

Yeah that is too. But it's not in the guide and the OP sounds like he climbs indoors more than outdoors. He might have trouble finding My Chemical Romance.

In reply to abarro81:

P.S. longtime no speak, hows things?!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Get on Guy Fawkes. Its nice, just involves pulling on v small crimps. Easy to hang the crimps, despo to move off them...

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:
things are good, though far too much bouldering and not enough trad recently! did my first 7C today tho (blind fig) so pretty psyched, off to font in jan for 10 days too
you back climbing much again?

In reply to abarro81:

Nice one boyo! Good effort with the 7C!

Yeah I started climbing again, bouldering tho to get strong. Hope to aim for some Portland sessions this winter and tick off some stuff that has illuded me in the past!

Any more fame for you re: gravity?

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:
i am a star. girls flock to me to have their breasts signed and to touch my abbs...
ish.
couple of pics in the trad+ book tho and got a free copy out of it which is cool!

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: Sweet! I love crimps so that should do my confidence the world of good...now just to purchase The New Cuttings Mini Guide to find it! I know The Cuttings like the back of my hand!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I will be at the Cuttings most of this Christmas I expect Go a few projects to finish. Drop us a line before you go and we could meet up.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: That would be great! Should i e-mail your personal address so we could make arrangements? I was thinking of going on Christmas Eve for a session...

keep it up then ...the learning curve is steep then levels off for a while then climbs a little again etc etc

In reply to mux: Thanks mux!

In reply to Sircumfrins: Funny thing...I still haven't heard of other users' personal stories on how long it took them to get to V11/8A as I intended in this forum...:0)
Anyone got anything to say?

Thanks!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I assume climbers potential ability (ie the grade they are genetically capable of reaching) takes some form of bell-curve & 8a is probably the pretty far end of that curve.

In addition I would imagine to reach that potential most of them would have to be climbing pretty much full-time so wouldn't be stuck in front of a computer.

In reply to i.munro:

I wouldn't have thought that 8a was that far along the curve in terms of genetic potential, probly about half way, however in genetic potential combined with willingness to put in the effort required,against proportion of people, it'd be really close to the end of the curve.

In reply to @ndyM@rsh@ll:

Really? I'd assumed the current best in the world to be both naturally talented & training pretty hard & that's 8c?

In reply to i.munro: I disagree about genetics to some extent but agree that sitting in front of the computer isn't going to help your climbing...

In reply to Sircumfrins: genetics is a very big part of it.

btw ft7a to ft8a is an enormous leap.i'd done 7a well with in as year of climbing but then plateaued for a while until progressing.you will hit plateau's and they can take years to get any higher.

i know quiete a few people who have done 8a but only 1 who is a regular climbing partner,he has climbed for years.its not something you can just do.its at the top end of the sport and to get there takes time.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Sircumfrins, i suggest getting hold a copy of 'the real thing' if possible. Its a bouldering video from the old days and features some veterans of the sport at their peak. The video features Ben Moons ascent of Karma (then 8a) as the pinacle of achievement for the trip.

incidentally ben Moon does a 1-5-9 in the video if you want to use that as benchmark!

In reply to mark s: Hey there, I said I would like to climb my first V11/8A problem by April of next year...not be an 8A/V11 climber (in time i would like too...). I agree it will take a while to get to that standard where you're doing V11/8A in a few attempts.

In reply to Jeff25: I'll be sure to check that out!

1-5-9...that is absolutely incredible! I'm only just doing 1-3-5-7 on the small rungs.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

BTW - this might be of some use to you:

http://www.eliteukbinventory.blogspot.com/

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Loving the attitude. Lets face it, you have more chance of making it than most of the people replying to your thread. I think it's totally possible within a year if you train hard and right and have the motivation.

I'm setting myself a lower jump this year, from 7a+ to 7c, mainly because I know that social things will stop me from training as hard as I possibly could - but I will get to this goal! 7b is going down next month in Chorro!

Good luck.

In reply to Bob Loblaw:


What are you basing this on? Just a 'feeling'?

Personally I don't think there is a snow flake in hell's chance of Sircumfrins achieveing his stated goal of climbing Font 8a by April next year and all this talk of being able to 'achieve it if you really believe' is just new age mumbo jumbo that we see more and more of, its as if there is a sense of entitlement for everyone without putting in the necessary effort or having the necessary talent; X-factor for climbers. Apart from anything else simple logistics are against him, living where he does, there are no Font 8as in the vicintiy. Getting from nothing to 7a in tweleve months is good but not amazing, getting from 7a to 8a in half that time is ridiculous. To achieve this he would be demonstrating a natural ability and a desire beyond which hs already been demonstrated.

In reply to Tyler:

After starting seriously bouldering:
6 months Font 7a
1 year 7b+
4 years (and training) one 7c
9 years (and beer) 7b/+

Never made 8a but I didn't have the time to do all the bouldering/ training needed.
Hope that helps.

In reply to Tyler:


I think you need to stop beating around the bush and speak your mind

In reply to Ian Patterson:

Oops, didn't mean it to come across like that, though I stand by what I said! I really should self moderate a bit more.

In reply to Jenn: Thanks Jenn!

In reply to bentley's biceps: Thanks for that.

In reply to Bob Loblaw: Nice to see someone else with a good attitude towards climbing and reaching their full potential. I wish you all the best!

In reply to Tyler: You don't think I have a chance ay? I wouldn't be able to nail AN 8A/V11 by the end of April? We'll have to wait and see i guess...;0)

In reply to i.munro:

8c+, and if you say V11 against v16 the gap sounds a lot bigger, it is, and the best in the world don't do a great deal else, i didnt suggest that they don't train hard, i just meant that 99.999 percent of climbers are NEVER going to reach their genetic potential coz they can't be arsed or dont have the time to train like they would have to.

In reply to Bob Loblaw:

What, your going Chorro bouldering?

I have to agree with Alot of the Above, the gap between the higher end grades is phenominal. my best at yet is a 7b indoors and i know for a fact that indoors doesnt really correlate to the outdoors. At the end of the day i would love to do an 8a. i do wish you all the best but i seriously doubt that you will meet your goal. anyway, climbing shouldn't be about number chasing. climb it because it is the most inspiring line. For me i kepe getting drawn to brad pitt (7C i think) everytime i go to stange because it has a crazy set of moves that psyches me. I personally a trying to develop my all over climbing ability and strength to make me a better climber and i know that eventually an 8a will come, but there is no rush, im just out there to enjoy my monkeying around.

im not having ago at you before you get the wrong impression, i just think you should sit back and ask your self why your so depserate to get this grade so soon. i'd rather have a long list of high end 7s ticked than one 8. more consistent climber.

In reply to williamsf1: Thanks for the comment. I know what you're saying but it has never been about number chasing...When i do any sport, i want to be the best i can be...and trying to be the best you can be involves setting goals to achieve this. First and foremost when i climb it's about having fun and enjoying the feeling of pushing my body and mind to the limits and meeting awesome people. I also enjoy climbing problems that have good lines and put you in different positions you're currently unfamiliar with. I also love difficult moves that i think are impossible and then proving myself wrong...Every time i train i set myself some little goals for the session (do a new route, proceed further on a project, campus alittle further...). So with this in mind, trying to climb a V11 boulder problem by April is just another goal of mine which will take me a little closer to being the best i can be at climbing.

What is the definition of "best" you might ask? I have no clue...but i will tell you when i find out. ;0)

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I totally understand where you are coming from, as sport is my life i am totally the same in pushing myself to my absolute limit, and more often than not past it and occasionally breaking myself.lol. but i love that challenge.

i agree fully with what you said. i thought you may have been one of these tw*ts that are self endulged in numbers and thats their be all and end all. However, in my mind you have the right ethic and attitude. if you crack that 8a i want your beta.haha.

hmmm now my fingers are itching to climb. i feel like locking the gym up early, sod the members, i wana go climbing.lol

In reply to Sircumfrins: i know someone who is a very good boulderer,he has also done e8 7a ground up.he has been climbing constantly for years.he did his first 8a this week.
to go from nothing to font 7a in 18 months is ok,a friend went to the wall this week for his first taste of climbing and flashed v6.

In reply to williamsf1: Thank you! I will let everyone know at the end of January what I have done and how I have done it...it's going to be an intense 4 months for me...but I'm looking forward to the challenge and going through the trials and tribulations! I'm going to learn so much about myself and climbing...so it's very exciting.

Alot of people think I'm going to fail...and that might be the case BUT I believe I can do it and I'm going to give it my best shot! The thing is how crazy would it be for me to accomplish it...just thinking of it gives me a buzz!

In reply to andi turner: He flashed a V6 in his very first session? That's incredible! He must be pretty strong!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Yes, although that was Mark S replying before on my computer. He's pretty strong but nothing ridiculous. I would still be amazed if he climbed 8a within a couple of years though.

Out of interest, have you been on any 8a's or 7c's for that matter? Just to see what they're like? Might be a good idea, to gauge yourself and see what weaknesses you need to train.

In reply to andi turner: I'm actually going down to Portland tomorrow with a friend to search out and take pictures of the route I'm going to work as a project, then I'm going to put the pictures of the line on my bedroom ceiling, walls and pc at work to begin focussing on the enormous task at hand.

Thanks once again to everyone who has responded with info on boulder problems in Portland which are V11. Hopefully one of them will be an inspiring route!

In reply to Sircumfrins: I've been following this thread, and one thing that ever prevalent is your insistance that you WILL do an 8a.

My worry is that the pressure your setting yourself to DO it could be your downfall. Half of the problem of doing hard problems isn't the physical ability to pull on the holds and move between them, that comes easy, the hard part is the mental side. Once you know you can do a line, that is when the pressure begins to build. For you, not only is it to do your chosen project, but also the time scale you have set.

When I did my 8a+, it wasn't about the grade, it was the line, and it was my goal to do it, however long it took (I have yet to tick an 8a, and only done a few 7c+'s). It was realistically 8 years of effort, the last three of them it was within my ability to do all the moves in isolation and link most of them, but the pressure of spending that much time and thinking I may never do it was a bigger crux than the actual climbing.

My advise is to train, find ya project line, and get on it. Don't set a time scale, enjoy it for what it is, otherwise you'll cripple yourself under the pressure of an April deadline rather than enjoying the climbing for what it is (which is what is all about at the end of the day).

In reply to Mini: Thanks for the concern...but I don't think I'm putting pressure on myself. I think it's an attainable goal and if I don't end up doing it what harm could it do (assuming I don't get injured but that could happen without even doing something intense)? When April comes I will be climbing even harder than I do now...so I don't see any negative aspects to it...I can only see benefits and a positive outcome.

I also think if you had to re-read my responses you will notice that I say climbing is more about mental barriers than physical ones...so I'm training both physically and mentally...it sort of goes hand in hand.

In reply to Sircumfrins: So how are you going about your mental barriers whn you haven't been in that pressure situation?

Without knowing too much about you, I get the feeling you've not been outside for a few months, or get out much at all. This is not going to train you mentally. Keep all your weekends free and get out when the weather allows. I'm assuming you do have some intermidiary goals already set for you to get worked?

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Good luck, but I think you are over ambitous. 8a is a great long term goal, but for something middle term, why not something 7bish instead? It will all be 'money in the bank'.

I've not heard about staring at pictures of problems as a training method before for bouder problems, mountain routes, but not problems.

You say there is 'no harm', but through experience, you could either injure yourself or fail to meet your 'target', which would be mentally destroying for you.

Take your time and enjoy getting there, that is what matters above all else.

In reply to andi turner:


This is the single most important thing the OP must consider. It sounds as if he is abitious to a high level, could a failure to reach this stratospheric goal result in destruction of his climbing career?

In reply to Sircumfrins:
I'm not sure you're best getting totally set on which one to try just yet.. It may be worth bearing in mind that until you're more like '7C good/strong' you might not be able to get close enough to the possible problems to see which is most viable. Eg, Last winter i had a quick play on 2 problems of the same grade, a long way above what i had climbed then: one seemed 'my style' and i felt close to, the other i couldn't touch. This winter now i've been in Sheffield and bouldering I went back and did them both. The one which i thought was nails took 1 session, the one i thought i'd get really quick took about 5 sessions and major frustration..
RE mental aspects: does anyone else think trad is good for your sport and bouldering head? I'm sure that being used to 'hard, bold onsight nerves' and 'headpoint nerves' makes redpoint and boulder nerves seem relatively easy to ignore..
But then I've not done 8A.

In reply to abarro81: Dunno about headpointing but in my experience, trad onsighting/soloing is way less stressful than longer term redpointing!

In reply to Sircumfrins: I understand that alot of people think this is unattainable and maybe I'm jumping the gun, maybe I should aim for a lower grade or maybe I might just do it...

...I live by a simple motto. Maybe everyone should dwell on this for a while...

It's better to try and fail...than fail try...

...Or maybe not.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Sir

I applaud your devotion, your optimism, and your self-belief. I hope you find what you are looking for, and whilst I don't think that you will be fruitful in your goal, I wish you every success in your endeavour. I think it is sufficient to be so driven.

I am most impressed with your "never say die" attitude, and your unrepentant certainty that you will succeed, in the face of so many nay-sayers, and criticisms. I for one have never seen such a side in myself, and sometimes wish that I did have the motivation, and total, unshakable self-belief that you posses. I believe that it is a trait to be applauded, for surely the greatest achievements of any era (in any field) come from those who are most driven, and who believe that they can make it work!

If Dave McLeod had decided that "The Dumbarton Project" was beyond his physical capabilities, then we would not have an E11. It was his belief that made it possible, and his persistence, in the face of criticism, that allowed him to struggle through, until his ultimate success.

I wish you well, and I for one believe that even should you not achieve your goal, you will drive yourself even further forward the next time around.

I look forwards to seeing reports on your progress.

In reply to withey: Ahh well withey!!! I don't know what to say! Very kind words...very nice of you to say that...speechless! ;0)

In reply to Sircumfrins: hello to every one. i have read the many comments raised by this forum, ranging from possitve,and negative to objective advice. All of which raise valid, and important points.But i think it important that we don't rule out the possibility of sircumfrins achiving his distant goal. It is easy to dismiss somthing as imposible, and thereby make it so. I therfore submitt the example of Lance Armstrong, in the hope that it may remind us what can be achived despite what we are told. Here is an athlete of great talent before his diagnosis, but after, he is told by all his peers, ( professional cyclist, coaches, sponsors doctors etc, with years of experience), that his career is over. Dispite this declaration of the imposibility of continuing in sport, he then goes on to win not only one but six Tour de France titles. This is no small feat, the race being the pinicale of the cycling world, and gereraly considered one of , if not the toughest sporting event in the world, having been won by only 5 people, more than four times, in its entire history. His physiological capabilities are comparable with his fellow riders, but what takes him above the rest is his mental strength, self belief, and desire. Here is a man prepared to make all the sacrafices needed to attain his goal.The same can be seen at the top levels of all sports, where physiological adaptions among the top players differ insignificantly. Yet some individuals still shine through. Belief in ones self and a comitment to the task is what seperates the winners form the also rans. Understand me here, i am not saying sircumfrins will succeed. but that it is not impossible that he may. his comments on this forum suggest that he understands the scale of the vastly challenging task he has set himself, and more importantly he has the self belief and desire to take him there. I for one would like to wish him well, and thank him for the inspiration to dream of bigger things.

In reply to raf: Many thanks for that raf...Every person on this planet that has gone on to achieve success in whatever they have chosen to do started off with a dream that put the whole process in motion. At the time it started as just that...a dream, in most cases it seemed unrealistic but where there is a will there is a way and this is what motivated these individuals to achieve their goal...the will to persevere regardless of what others thought.

If any one of these people listened to what the critics said along the way they would never have got even close to their dream...and if we had to live our lives based on what others thought the greatest achievements would never have happened...

So thanks once again for giving such a good example of what can be achieved if you set your mind to it! :0)

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Yes, not wanting to piss on the parade, but they had far more time than you have set yourself...

In reply to Mini:

Yeah, sorry. For me it's sport climbing... so probably a bit off the pace.

In reply to Tyler...

Who is saying anyone is going to get the grade without any effort? That would be truly insane! And I wouldn't base anything on 'just a feeling'. I have been on routes of the grade i'm aiming for. I know i can do them technically. At the moment i'm just lacking a bit of strength and stamina. I know i'm very close to 7b and have done all the moves on a couple of 7b+s so I think with some hardcore training - and hopefully staying injury free - I can get to 7c in a year...

..and then 8a the next year.

I have to say I think Sircumfins is probably over-ambitious - it's a massive leap - but his attitude will at least get him somewhere. So long as he reads up on the training literature and does everything sensibly, I don't see he can lose - he will get better!

In reply to Bob Loblaw:

haha. i can't tell if you're joking or not. oh dear.

In reply to raf: Belief in ones self and a comitment to the task is what seperates the winners form the also rans.


Whilst I accept that 'Belief in ones self and a comitment to the task' is an attribute highly likely to be present in a winner but it does not necessarily follow (particularly in this day and age)that also-rans, who will be high achievers in their own right, will be lacking in the the belief and commitment department. Belief and commitment is a pre-condition to getting anywhere in say the top 5%. It maybe that the winners believe more or are more commited but I think it will vary greatly between individuals and sports.

Compare and contrast the first two world cup winners, Simon Nadin and Jerry Moffatt, for example - to put it simply as far as I understand it - raw talent well practised where self belief didnt have a whole lot to contribute vs average talent (by his own admission) but leveraging a huge commitment to trainng driven by self-belief.

Just because all winners are competitive doesnt necessarily mean all also-rans are uncompetitive or even less competitive than the winners.

In reply to abarro81:

Well, 'a bit' as in 'not much'. Time will tell I suppose. I don't think my goals are that outlandish - its not as if climbing 7c sport is actually that big a deal these days.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: A lot can happen in four months... :0)

In reply to Sircumfrins: You're right, a lot can happen and I still admire your determination. However, if I told you I currently run 100metres in 14.5 seconds but in four months I want to be doing sub 10.5 or that I can bench press 60kg but in four months I would like to do 100kg would you think I was over ambitious? The goals aren't unreasonable, granted many won't ever run those times, but as a goal they are great to aim towards. I think this is what you need to consider.

Still, good luck.

In reply to Sircumfrins: I think it is definately possible. In total I have been climbing 2 years. I climbed the terrace (7C+) within 1 year of climbing and this summer I climbed a problem in Val Di Mello which wasn't graded in the guide. This felt ALOT harder than anything I had done, including the terrace. I'd like to find out the grade. Hard 7C+ maybe 8A I dunno. But yeah deffinately possible. Keep it matey!!!

In reply to andi turner: So...basically the impression I'm getting from everyone is that I'm not going to make it right...So if I do then does that mean that I could possibly be the quickest to do an 8A/V11 boulder problem...having done it in 1.5 years???

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I suppose, if that is your drive. I depends what you class as when you started climbing?

It would be impressive mind!

In reply to andi turner: Well when I say started climbing I mean exactly that. I had climbed a wall in South Africa in Gateway Shopping Centre 5years previous and that is it...so basically absolute beginner! ;0)

In reply to Sircumfrins:

What are your long term goals then? If you can climb 8a in 16 weeks, what are you expecting over 52 weeks?

In reply to Simon Lee:


I do not suggest that the also rans are uncompetative. competing at the top levels is only achiveable by having a highly competetive personality. i merely sujested that the individuals who achive consistenly at the top, when competing against their peers who physiologicaly are at the same point, do so by having a differing pychological make up where winning is not just a desire but an intence need.individuals such as eddy mercs, anquetil, induraine,spencer smith, lessing, gagg, prifontaine, messner,gullich, huber etc etc.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer:

to imply that the time scale of Lance armstrongs achivement reduces the magnitude of his achivement is absurd. i can only hope that the reason you are saying this is because you do not have the full details, and , or the knowledge of cycling, that would allow an understanding. This is a man that should be dead. He had 11 golf ball sizes tumours removed from his lungs, three from his brain, one testical removed, 3 courses of chemo, and still went on to win the hardest stage race on the planet within the space of a couple of years, having never won a stage race in his career, and then to continue on to win in succesive years.in many respects his achivement is more impossible than that which sircumfrins proposes.Lances example is only one of many i could list. the above comment show a prime example of negative mental attitude, that can lead to a poor perfomance, and is typical of the examples given in both steve bachley's book The winning mind, and Stephen j Bull's Sport Psycology. it is a well know, researched and publisized fact, that a positive mental aproach and self affirmation results in a better performance in the sporting arena.i do not debate the fact that given this time scale, sircumfrins goal does not fit well with the recognised S.M.A.R.T.E.R. anacronym for goal setting , but his attitude does show the possitivity needed to lift his game, and support adherance to the tough training programs he will need if he is to complete his dream.also you will recall i did not say he would succeed, only that he may, and not to totaly dissmiss the idea.

In reply to andi turner: Well...let's not go there...But the 2nd phase will kick in if this happens and I'll let you know what that is when it happens! :0)

In reply to Sircumfrins: Merry Xmas by the way. I hope the big fat red guy brings you your present. But I think if you are just gonna climb it for the number then there isn't much point and you are climbing for the wrong reasons. Find a line that inspires you. When I first started I looked at the green traverse (Stanage) and thought wow! It looked awesome. Tried it and it felt nails and i couldn't do it. Going back now and I can lap it. Progression is natural, I dont think you should force it because thats when injuries crop up. I climbed 7C+ in a year of climbing without injuries so it is possible. And the problem i climbed in Italy was 7C+ maybe 8A and that was within around 1.5 years. But I don't go anywhere with the intention of climbing 7c+, I go places with the intention of climbing. Turn up, climb, see what happens. If your feeling good that day try something abit harder.

In reply to sasscotty: Thanks for the comment. I know what you're saying but it has never been about number chasing...When i do any sport, i want to be the best i can be...and trying to be the best you can be involves setting goals to achieve this. First and foremost when i climb it's about having fun and enjoying the feeling of pushing my body and mind to the limits and meeting awesome people. I also enjoy climbing problems that have good lines and put you in different positions you're currently unfamiliar with. I also love difficult moves that i think are impossible and then proving myself wrong...Every time i train i set myself some little goals for the session (do a new route, proceed further on a project, campus alittle further...). So with this in mind, trying to climb a V11 boulder problem by April is just another goal of mine which will take me a little closer to being the best i can be at climbing.

What is the definition of "best" you might ask? I have no clue...but i will tell you when i find out. ;0)

Merry Christmas to you to! This is what i wrote earlier on...I'm not after numbers!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

no it wouldnt be.

it seems to me all you are interested in is numbers.
in another thread you say you want to be sponsered at the end of 2008.why?
doing a font 8a wont get that.

everyone is being very supportive of your crazy 4 month goal,but take a seroius look at what you want and what other people do.
i'd like to get climbing as good as i was before,its only a couple of grades and i would like to be there at the end of the winter.
i.m.h.o you should set yourself a goal that is possible

In reply to Sircumfrins:

What other sports have you done? Are you a sub four minute miler, a nine dart finisher, a seven ten splitter???

Have you had a look on the profiles yet, just to see how many people have climbed above 8a? I think if you did, you might see why so many people have doubt that you'll achieve your goal. Climbers are supportive, and as a pursuit, it can be very goal orientated, just in your case your time scale is extremely limiting.

The concept of making in four months what many climbers will never achieve seems a little over the top. Unless you are some sort of super human who is really responsive to training?

I've known other climbers with the same ambitions but they've been less limiting with their timescales. Sam Whittaker announced at the HayLoft that he would be a sponsored climber one time early in his climbing days, Stuart Littlefair was always driven and worrying to watch when he was younger, same with James Pearsons. I never had any doubt that these three would go onto climb amazing things, but if they'd said I'll do it by closing time, then I'd be sceptical!

Again, good luck!

In reply to raf:
>

Umm, excuse me for being blunt but you have entirely missed the point.

I am by NO MEANS implying that time reduces the magnitude of his achievement. Incidently, I understand nothing about cycling. And nor do I care. It has no relevance whatsoever to my argument (or indeed, your argument).

The fact I am stating, and yes, it is a fact, is that given more time, a goal becomes more achievable. This chap could be the most naturally talented climber to grace the earth, but, I'm sorry, he just ain't wander out and onsight french 9a.

The point I am making is that the completion of such an incredibly hard goal (of Font 8A) within even 5 times the time scale he has set himself would take stupendous effort and stupendous talent and is still very unlikely. However, the event has a much larger chance of occurring than the same event within a much shorter time scale. It is a case of simple statistics, given more time, the probability of a given event occurring increases. Time IS a factor.

In reply to raf: S.M.A.R.T.E.R. anacronym for goal setting

Just googled this:

S - Goals must be Specific and the more specific the better. State your goal in as exact of terms as possible.

M - Targets should be Measurable. That which you measure will be treasured, so think about what will be the measurement of your achievement of your goal.

A - Goals should have Accountability. Who or what are you accountable to for the goal?

R - Goals must be Realistic. Unrealistic goals will lead to discouragement.

T - Targets should be Time based. Decide your time-table for completion, and stick to it.

E - Goals should be Exciting. Exciting goals will be met far sooner than boring, bland goals.

R - Goals should be Recorded, in a place where you can look at it every day.


All sounds reasonable to me. I would advocate a bit of deliberate fuzziness with regard to 'T'. I have seen a lot of demoralised people who set themselves a goal of redpointing in a certain number of days which turns the project into a joyless chore if the redpoint continues to elude thenm after that time. I think Nic Sellars commented that he deliberately stopped counting after 5 days.

In reply to raf:

Neither did I completely dismiss the idea. If you reread the thread you will find that I offered to show the OP the two 8A problems on Portland.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: Hey! I would still like to be shown but you never responded to my reply! Do you know where My Chemical Romance is?

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I certainly do, I've got much work to do for uni, but I'll be down at the cuttings a few times in the next few weeks I guess ... I'll drop you a PM when I've decided when I can go ...

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: Sweet! Sounds like a plan of action! Let me know...

In reply to Sircumfrins: Inspirational stuff. You sound super pysced mate. Have you got out yet though and pulled on anything, if so how did it go? What do you reckon between the grading of the plastic stuff and the real thing? Have you tried a font 7a outdoors yet? Matt

In reply to Matt Maynard: Yip! I'm super-psyched! Next 4 months are going to be the most intense training I've ever done...in anything! I'm excited to see the progression.
I have pulled on some font 7a's and it wasn't to intense...the problem is that the ones I chose were super reachy so it didn't suit my style.
I prefer outdoors because it is obviously natural and the whole experience is better.
It's gonna be tough but rewarding! Stoked!!!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

good luck mate, people do manage to climb 8a pretty quickly i.e. in a couple of years but to be honest they are one in a million. Took me 5 years of trad climbing plus another 3ish just bouldering and training to climb a proper solid 'lets say' real Font 8A. After I did one they started to drop and I was at Font 8B within another few years. Took a lot of ground work and training to get a good base, with a total of 3 years of injury in 10 from pushing it too hard at points. Also a lot of years of learning to climb by trad climbing. Head is very important also, dealing with failing on last moves (because last moves on 8a's are often really hard, failing on them for days is possible, with no gains and little rewards). I think for me climbing font 7c's all over the world competently made me a good climber, i did f*cking dozens of them. Its all about the pyramid. Travel as much as possible and climb on many rock types.

Proper 8a is still really hard. Really hard. If you climb proper 8a in britain you are still considered in the elite so dont expect it to come easily.
Wonder how many people in UK have climbed proper 8a

In reply to superkonduktor: Could you provide a list of 'proper' 8A's in the UK so that we don't end up aspiring to something that isn't really 8A?

In reply to superkonduktor: Thank you!

"Head is very important also, dealing with failing on last moves (because last moves on 8a's are often really hard, failing on them for days is possible, with no gains and little rewards). That is so true...hopefully the problem I choose will have the crux lower down so once I've passed that then I can breathe a slight sigh of relief.

In reply to TimS:

you will know in your heart if its really 8a

In reply to Sircumfrins:

i always seem to choose ones with hard last move. damn them. i have fallen of last moves for a few seasons in a row.....epic

In reply to TimS:

here are some that are most likely not soft. let me know if you want to know anything else. There are a lot more but many (not all obviously) are dubious.




Crucial Times Parisellas Cave
Pit of hell Parisella's cave
Sub Society Cromlech / The pass
Sway on Wales
The Thing Cressbrook
Press-low right ss Rubicon
Cave life Parisella's / UPT
Bens Extention Stanage
Staminaband Raven Tor
Exocet Slipstones
Snatch! Stanage / Plantation
Cross therapy Elephantitus
Big Brassband Raven Tor
Tsunami Rubicon
River Of Life Turningstone Edge
Diesel Power Llanberis Pass
Joker Stanage
Zoo York Caley / Roadside
Bonnie Parisellas
XXXX Bowderstone
Careless Torque Stanage
Tsunami Eliminate Rubicon
Clyde Parisellas cave
Slingshot Froggatt edge
Not Bad Nige Woodwell
Westworld Stanage
Jerrys into Dannys Stanage

In reply to superkonduktor: when i look at some of those then think this lad has not yet done a 7a and wants something in the grade range of those problems it looks even less realistic than before

In reply to mark s:

you have to agree though mark, these bad boys arent soft eh??? the full value tick- they would let you sleep good

In reply to superkonduktor:

I think this was asked on UKB a while back, and the figure came out at about 100.

In reply to TimS:

http://www.eliteukbinventory.blogspot.com/

This may be of use??

In reply to superkonduktor: Nice list, some interesting choices in there though: A dodgy eliminate traverse at the tor, a couple of one move wonders and eliminate traverses at stanage, an incredibly reach dependant problem at the stone, a rarely repeated dyno at the slipstones....

In reply to mark s: If you read earlier on in the thread I stated that I am already a V6/7A boulderer...and that was a few months ago already. So i could be higher than that already.

Realism...I will experience this in 4 months regardless of the outcome. Then I will know what is realistic and what isn't.

In reply to Sircumfrins: Good to hear you are still excited about it all. How was your trip to Portland to take pictures and check out the lines? Did they seem feasible when you felt the holds? Have you topped out a 7a outdoors yet?

In reply to Matt Maynard: Trip to Portland didn't happen in the end as my friend with the camera finished work late...if I don't go to the peaks over the weekend then i will scope Portland out. You can't top out and Cheyne Weare's in Portland so I haven't topped out on one as yet.

In reply to Sircumfrins:
I think mattyork2 means 'have you done one' rather than specifically topped them out. Obviously problems that drop off at a finishing jug count without topping out.

Also, I presume mark s was referring to
making it sound like you'd not managed them..

Out of interest, what 7as have you managed?

In reply to Sircumfrins:

So that makes you a V6/7a climber, regardless of how long ago it was.

Its like me saying the last time I went out I did a 7b+, but that was a few weeks ago, so I could be higher than that - maybe I'm a Font 8b boulderer now I've done a few campus sessions!

Get real, your only as good as your last problem.

And I'm worried that since the start of this thread you still haven't got outdoors yet? I think you need to re-assess your priorities.

In reply to abarro81: Truth be told...as I said before, I haven't been outside literally since Summer where I was mainly deep water soloing and went to font. So the only V6's I have done (confirmed by solid climbers)have been ones indoors established on the natural featured wall and my projects on the training walls. Gasp!!! He hasn't done a V6 outdoors yet, then he isn't really a V6 boulderer! Oh abode!!! What a fool!!! etc...

The fact that I haven't done one outside yet doesn't mean I can't do one. My training will get me to my destination not ticking a whole bunch of routes just to confirm what I already know.

The problem that I see, which has arisen, is that it seems to everyone that I talk a good game but can't back this up...that's fair enough...but people who know me, know differently, and most importantly I know differently. I don't really care what people think of me because of this...I have bigger things to stew over.

I hope that clears everything up! ;0)

In reply to Mini: Prioirities have been clearly assessed...less talk more action I guess.

Progress report to follow at the end of January.

Take care!

In reply to Sircumfrins: v6 is usually english 6b.most regular boulderers will do this.most regular boulderers also train lots and climb lots.how many of those do v11 which is english 7a.hardly any i can tell you.its not through not wanting it.

on this thread alot of capable climbers have been on and said set yourself a goal which is doable.as this thread more and more is coming out about yor climbing expierience.
not having a go at you but v6 in 1.5 yrs is not the sort of progress to make you a 8a climber by april.
climbing indoors is differant than outdoors.it would take til the end of april to find a suitable 8a.at that grade probs are very specific to your ability.mini wont mind me saying but on crimpy moves or travs he is very strong,get him a v5 slab and it aint goin happen.you need to be real rock to find what is suitable

In reply to mark s:
mini wont mind me saying but on crimpy moves or travs he is very strong,get him a v5 slab and it aint goin happen.

V5, couldn't even get up Ackit HVS when I was tryin my 8a+!!!

But the point is there, no amount of indoor climbing will train you for the real thing, even the legendary trainer Malc Smith would agree.

You say you pulled on a couple of real 7a's, they didn't feel too bad but found them too reachy. Then learn to climb them differently, use some of your indoor dynosism to get round it, or just learn to use the natural features (something you don't learn indoors) to cheat around your lack of reach. At 7a they are not going to be impossible even for the lesser stature. If you struggle on 7a for being reachy, then 8a's gonna make you feel like you've had ya arms cut off, trust me.

In reply to Sircumfrins:
If you want to give this the best go possible then I suggest getting out LOADS more.. What got me up 4 grades this winter was getting out bouldering on the grit all the time rather than loads of training (which I couldn't due as my elbows got dodgy quickly after moving to sheff!). It sounds like you could be falling into the cellar-dweller trap of staying indoors getting strong for a project and forgetting that most problems (though not all!) actually need you to be able climb well ON ROCK as well as being strong. If portland bouldering is anything like most portland routes (ie. vert and crimpy) then this is also harder to train indoors (IMO) than steep technique.
"I think that young people worry too much about training and don’t climb enough. Now, I spend all my time training, but in the early days I’d climb, climb, climb. Technique is the key; all good climbers have it, and you’re not going to get it on a campus board, or doing footless problems, or even climbing on plastic." -Ben Moon (http://www.climbandmore.com/climbing,0,4,0,training.html)

In reply to abarro81: Totally agree. Been in that trap before, trained, trained and trained. But as soon as I went out on the Grit I was pants on all but simple power problems, which kinda limits what you can do and makes for a crap day out.

Now I do little or no training, but its made me a better all round climber. What I've lost in finger strength I've more than made up for in tanacity and the skills of reading the rock.

You can give your famly saloon 1000bhp, but without better suspension, brakes, chassis, tyres, slip diff etc then your just wasting your time.

And finally, if Sircumfrins doesn't get outdoors in the next 2 weeks than we are wasting our time on someone not wanting to listen to the advice we are giving. And excuse like his camera man he had lined up (to take photo's of his projects) letting him down is bollocks. Get out anyway, thats were the learning curve begins, whether its for ya first 6a or 8a.

In reply to Mini:


Very good analogy.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: putting a veyron on a rally stage is like sticking martin on a hvs crack!!!

In reply to mark s:

Lol!!

In reply to mark s: Ye but no but ye but who wants to do HVS cracks anyway like but ye but no but at least I got the 8a+ but no but NO! But Veyron would make dead good like rally cars like anyway, my dad said so, so there!

In reply to Sircumfrins: Well...I checked out the routes today and the chosen one is "Guy Fawkes". It looks absolutely intense to say the least but I feel confident...that's all I'm going to say about my feelings towards it...some photos have been taken of the line and I can see what areas (of my climbing)I'm going to need to work on, in order to get remotely close to achieving this...

It's going to be a tough four months but if all goes to plan (and maybe a "little" luck) it should get thrown...take care till the end of the month when I'll give an update.

Thanks to everyone once again! ;0)

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Did you not have a pull?
And is it not V10?

In reply to Sircumfrins:

How tall are you?!

In reply to JIMBO:

Pearson has this as 7c on his 8a.nu scorecard. Doesn't seem like the one to try for a solid 8a.

In reply to Anonymous: It says V10 in the guide but made more difficult now that a hold has broken off...

In reply to Mini: I had a pull but the weather was crap so the crucial holds were wet. I did manage to get off the deck and try and progress...then i entered the wet holds and couldn't go any further.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Eh? I had a very last minute trip to the Cuttings today, got on Guy Fawkes (also something on my list of things to do)... holds were definitely not wet!!! Conditions were not that bad. Are you sure you got on the right problem?

Also, worth having a go at Lats, Babes and Bolts if you want to try Guy Fawkes. It's a good intro to more difficult crimping.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Doesn't mean it was ever v10, or that it is now definitely v11. James did it last year and said 7c, even though it was graded 8a at the time - has the hold broken before or since then? Has anyone repeated it since James? If you did manage to get to 8a by April it would be a shame to do so on a problem that has a dubious reputation.

In reply to Anonymous:

This thread gets even more ridiculous.

Sircumfrins. If you are going to pick an 8A to try to get done (in an impossibly short timespan) then at least PICK AN 8A!!

Not a 7C (Danny Cattell said possibly 7B+) that might be a bit harder now a hold has broken.

FFS.

By the way, have you climbed with any 8A (or better) boulderers and if so have they given you any indication that you have the ability to achieve the grade in such a short time? This isn't a dig it's just that better climbers are likely to be able to assess whether this project is a viable proposition (or as impossible and foolish as it sounds on the face of it) by seeing how you climb now.

You may have bags of natural ability, great technique and inate power (although if this is the case you should really be pathing 7A and harder by now). If not you need to reset the timeframe of your goal or the only possible outcome is injury and / or disappointment. Either way, climbing with people who have done it will let you know pretty quickly.

Wise words from the guy above who said you need to tick a PROPER 8A. Otherwise you never know when it's gonna get downgraded (see Rainbow Rocket, the chancing jumper's friend, now 7C).

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: Yes I'm sure I was on the right one...I was their between 10-12 (there was 2 guys working routes next to the fibonacci sequence) and it was wet (meaning some crucial holds underneath the lip and the small 1 pound sized-3-finger crimp round the lip). I met 2 of my friends there who wanted to climb there but moved off because of this.

In reply to Anonymous: Firstly the Rockfax says it is V10 now made harder since loss of holds...(I didn't say it is). Secondly I got advice from a few UKC'ers that it was a V11, so this is what i based my decision on. Thirdly, I don't need to be told by anyone that I can or can't do something! If everyone had to listen to what everyone else has to say then we wouldn't have inspirational stories of people who have risen above and beyond what everyone else expected of them.

And finally...why is everyone so determined to try discourage me from trying to achieve something when it doesn't even effect them at all? Don't try to get me to believe your own small possibility of reality!

Injury can come at any time and any place. I injured myself just turning the cold water tap off. I have dealt with disappointment alot in my life...and so have everyone else. That's a part of being human...I will deal with that when and if it comes in this case...

You seem to be the type of person (along with many on UKClimbing) that lives in fear of failing and have a "what if this/that happens" type of mentality...I fear giving up before even trying (it's better to try and fail than fail to try)...

I'm soldiering forward regardless of what anyone says.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

You've not answered the question. Nor even read it by the looks of things.

Going off on one is not going to help you climb 8A. Climbing with those who have achieved the grade will.

In reply to Anonymous: It would be great to climb with an 8A boulderer...unfortuantely I don't know one.

I answered all your other questions though.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Well actually I only asked one but I'm not going to be pedantic.

I'm interested, you say you are attempting to get to 8A in 1 1/2 years but you only have 4 months left to achieve this and haven't yet climbed 7A right? So what were you doing for the other 14 months? Or is the ambition to climb 8A only a recent thing? Apologies if this has been covered already but I can't be bothered to reread the whole thread again in detail.

By the way, I am certainly not the sort of person who has a "fear of failing" I just set realistic goals and train sensilbly to achieve them. Perhaps this is why I have climbed 8A, who knows?

In reply to Anonymous: My goal is to climb my first 8A boulder problem by April 08. At the end of April 08 i would have been climbing for a year and a half.

It has been a vision for a while. I'm just being more vocal about it.

You have bouldered 8A...that is solid! Keep it up then.

In reply to Sircumfrins:
I think you misunderstand realism and keeping some targets to yourself/your group of friends for a lack of ambition.
Don't forget to enjoy the journey through the grades rather than just 'soldiering on', there's some pretty frickin wicked climbing to be had on the way to aspired-to grades.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

I was there at about 1.30pm, problem was dry. I was playing on it with a friend.

Small crimp certainly wasn't anything like being wet! We were hanging it, and I certainly couldn't do that if it was even slighly damp!

In reply to Sircumfrins:


The thing is, it isn't really a case of you may injur yourself trying something this hard in this period of time. If indeed you manage to get strong enough hang the holds in the period of time you have set yourself, your tendons will not be as strong as the muscles that control them, and you WILL get injured.

This is why everyone is trying to discourage you.

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: i think its a wind up this thread,the laddo has not got a clue.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Starting to see this as an elaborate troll now. I know that you haven't asked for advice, you're just want to know the 'record time' for reaching the grade. Unfortunatley, this is dificult to give, most people don't have a day they started climbing to work back to. If you look at James, did he start climbing when he was 16 or when he was a little boy on the scaffolding? I first climbed on the the North York Moors Bridestones with a rope when I was 6, but I haven't been climbing for 21 years, if you catch my drift.

1.5 years would be pretty incredible, but I've no doubt that some lanky bleausiard has dyno'd it on his second day out or something. You need to consider your current rate of improvement too, like Mark said, we know of people who've climbed V6 on their first day out. Now, if they said they were to clib 8a within 1.5 years, I might say they stood a chance, but still nothing definite.

To reiterate what has been told so many times above: Good luck climbing 8a, but be realistic. Try to enjoy the ride, rather than just the numbers. Get out more.

I also think your choice of problem is flawed, 7b+/7c is not 8a, no matter what 'Rockfax' says. We all love RF, and in theory they should be the most accurate guides in the world, but they aren't. What people and peers say counts so much more, honestly.

In reply to andi turner:

And the fact that a "few UKC'ers" have said it's 8A is perhaps not the most solid evidence either.



It's not being in any way disparaging to point out that it's not a good idea to have a problem of which there is doubt about the grade as your project. It's just being logical. What is the point of trying it if it turns out to be 7C+ or less? By definition this is not what you are setting out to do.

In reply to Anonymous: Consensus is that Guy Fawkes is (according to Dan Kennard) "Benchmard V11" http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=4169

In reply to Sircumfrins: But Dan Cattell and James Pearson thought more like 7c/7b+ - work out the average on that one!

In reply to Mini:

its 7c no more and absolutly shite aswell. why would you want to climb such a poor problem.

In reply to superkonduktor:


I don't want to! He he.

In reply to Sircumfrins: Then could someone tell me what route is a definite V11 at Portland...all knowing UKC'ers???

In reply to Sircumfrins: There isn't one...

In reply to Sircumfrins: My Chemical Romance goes at 8a, but for the full tick and probably a definate 8a would be to do it from sitter, The Black Parade. Unfortunately I don't know the problem, info supplied from Elite Bouldering Inventory, but its a James Pearson problem (someone who knows a thing or two about problems at this grade).

In reply to Mini: I've seen MCR but apparently there are finger holds that are not allowed and seeing as there is no one who know which ones aren't allowed, it's pointless to try.

So if there are no problems that are V11 then I guess I'm pretty f$%ked!!!

In reply to Sircumfrins: Try mailing JIMBO or Longleat Boulderer, they're resonably local so may know the problem, and if you take some nice cakes they may even give some much needed beta.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Mako / Font8a+ (unconfirmed) / Hound Tor / FAave Henderson?
Aching Balls / Font8a / Hartland Quay / FA: James Pearson
My Chemical Romance / Font8a / Portland / FA: Dan Kennard
Guy Fawkes / Font8a / Portland / FA:Jimbo Kimber/John Gaskins/ Dan Kennard? (VARIOUS HOLD BREAKAGE - WHATS THE CRACK?)
Abba Gold / Font8a / Saddle Tor / FAave Henderson
Hidden Traverse Low...There and Back / Font8a / Saddle Tor / FA: Dave Henderson
Ache Ball Font7c+/8a? / Hartlland Quay / FA: Simon Young

Info from http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,7273.msg106812.html#msg106812

In reply to Mini: The problem is...when I looked at that one I didn't like the route itself so I didn't want to do that one. Guy Fawkes looked better because trying to get around the lip looked really difficult and something worth trying.

I'm not going to jump on MCR just because it is V11...it has to be appealing as well.

In reply to Sircumfrins: Beggars can't be choosey!

In reply to Mini: Thanks for that...I'm afraid it doesn't help much unfortunately as they are saying Guy Fawkes is V11 then other people are saying it's not...

Who is actually knows??? Very frustrating!!!

What do you think Mini?

In reply to Mini: The problem with Portland bouldering is the history of its grading. Original lines were given the old English tech grade as was the thing to do in the late 80's and early 90's. Following this having bouldered much in the Peak for 4/5 years I started to use the old Peak B grading system. When the guide came out to include the bouldering the B grades were poorly translated to V grades (they just swapped the letters). The original Guy Fawkes grade was B9 poss B10 which is if I remember well enough, is 7b+ poss 7c. After the start hold broke the start became all about a long reach and Gaskins suggested the 7c+/8a (although he did do it in August and it must have been quite sweaty), Dan Kennard then agreed 8a. Pearson obviously agrees with the original grade which I think might be right if you have some decent height on you. I think the bouldering has then been graded on comparisons with the poorly translated graded probs putting most things 1 grade over.
As for the other suggestions - treat North Devon bouldering grades with caution as I think they too may be a bit over.
The Moor is a horrid place and I personally would avoid it like the plague unless you are of a very light frame.

In reply to Sircumfrins: I'd say do it as a project to aim for, but know its a questionable 8a.

I would have liked to do an 8a in The Peak, but most look shit and uninspiring, so instead I'm gonna do lines that look good and will get more satisfaction from climbing them, regardless off grade.

If theres not an 8a to do down there then ya stuffed, change ya goal, or travel, you might enjoy the journey more.

In reply to JIMBO: Thanks for the history JIMBO! Now if only someone had told me a little eariler! :0)

In reply to Mini: he could take up weightlifting and benchpress 150 kg by may

In reply to mark s:

Yeah and you could be down to 13 stone by May!

In reply to Mini: To true...I will have to look to do it as a project then.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

By when?

In reply to andi turner: I reckon I'll still look to do it by April.

In reply to Sircumfrins: March, if it aint 8a.

In reply to andi turner:

A bit off topic Andi turner, but still a similar feat to sircumfrins 8a by April.

In reply to Mini: oh i bet you giggled when typing that,i am 13 stone ish

In reply to Sircumfrins:

Are you a betting man?

In reply to Sircumfrins:


I'm just saying what I've read. I have not done 8A and, hence, I have nothing to compare it to...

In reply to A Longleat Boulderer: I know...it is frustrating simply because there are probably only a handful of people that have actually done Guy Fawkes. It's a question of who do you believe? A couple of people on this forum who say it isn't V11 or the links to the Rockfax and Elite bouldering website where the opinions of the people on there suggest it is V11...

In reply to Sircumfrins:

A couple of people being James Pearson and Danny Cattell? They have a pretty good idea about grading, and much better than the person who's only 8a tick is GF for example.

It's the 'Chalkstorm Affect', e.g. if you climb E4 regularly, you know this isn't an E4, if it's your only E4 you want it to stay there. It's only the people who don't climb E4 regularly who vote for it and make it remain E4. If that makes sense!

In reply to Mini: a bit more off topic, what are you guys doing for training since the demise of the hayloft ?

In reply to Mark Lloyd:
The finest trainging venue in the whole of congleton. Apparently preferable to Awesome @ Stockport.

In reply to Sircumfrins:

So how's it going then? It's been almost 1 month since you first posted - any advance on F7a yet??

I once looked at an F8a+, so i think i'm almost there.
Next time I go out i'm going to touch it, then the next time i'm going to climb it.

To celebrate i'm going to onsight Indian Face.

What will you do?

In reply to BobbyH:

Remember to photograph it first too.

In reply to BobbyH:

Font grades mate. Not french :-P

In reply to Sircumfrins: So how is it going? Any closer?

In reply to Don Boulder: Hey! I thought this thread had been archived! ;0)
It's going well thanks! I've put my plan into action and I'm in alot of pain! It's only going to get worse...but it will make me stronger. I've bought myself a white board to write down daily/weekly goals and I need to buy a year planner to record the data and track progress. It will be interesting to see the development at the end of this month.
Take care!

In reply to Sircumfrins:

this is such a good thread, kept me amused over the festive season...can you do 1-4-7 yet?

In reply to aw: Or 7a+ (indoor but confirmed)?

In reply to Sircumfrins:

oh gone from 4 months to a year now!

It will be interesting to see the development at the end of this month.

if you get outside i will be surprised.

you should be finding 7b's steady by now.

this thread makes djvipers wanting to onsight indianface look realistic

In reply to Mini: I posted lastnight late! but indeed this is funny, I looked at the original post and you ask why not post on ukbouldering.com which he didn't. Its either a very good troll or the guy is seriously deluded.

In reply to aw:

Personally, I'm going for a deluded troll!

In reply to aw: its defo a big troll,thought it for a while now.

In reply to mark s: Ahhh!!! You got me I'm a troll...

In reply to Sircumfrins: Your not a Troll, I've never met a troll called Chris with longish curly black/brown hair that is usually covered by a black and white stripey beanie!

In reply to Sircumfrins: End of January. Any progress?

In reply to Mini:


Is Sircumfrins your new obsession ?