In reply to mattrm: I'll do mine early as well as I'm definitely not doing anymore this week! I think I've missed the past couple of weeks, one because I was pretty ill so did no training, and one because I was in France! Had a pretty good trip but I wasn't in my best shape after being ill, as I'd only had three sessions in the three weeks leading up to it. Still felt strong but not recovering as well as I usually do on poor rests. Also, maybe due to low psyche, or maybe just being a bit more relaxed, I actually seemed to get very few routes done for a week-long trip. Anyway, we started out in the Tarn area...
Sat - Climbing at Gorges de la Jonte. Didn't fancy doing anything too hard on the first day, we only had a few hours, and Dad wanted to do a bigger route, so we did a five pitch 7a+ called La 8eme Leffe. Not a great route to start the trip on as the crux pitch was off-balance, technical and exposed - all the things I'm worst at at the start of a trip! Still, the climbing was good and the positions were great, looking down on big vultures circling.
Sun - A day at Gorge du Tarn. Warmed up on a nasty 6b with a very tough first move, then did a cool 6c+ up a corner called C 100 Francs. It looked fine from below but was actually very tricky and polished, pleased to make it up. Next up was a 7a, with a possible 7b+ extension if I felt like it (55m!) called Les Couilles au Cul. The 7a bit was fie, 35m but only one hard section, so I pushed on above the lower off and powerscreamed my way up the bulge above. This was very embarrassing but I was ridiculously pumped! There were a million pockets to choose from, and 999,990 of them were absolutely rubbish. Still, pushed on anyway and made it through the massive runout (four bolts in twenty metres) to top it onsight. Finished off failing on a 7b with a really hard-to-read bouldery slab crux. I liked it here but there wasn't much for mum and Tash to go at, so we only got the one day.
Mon - back at Gorges de la Jonte for some single pitch. Bit of a silly idea really as we only had a half day and the walk in was huge! So after warming up on a 6b and 6b+ I got on a really cool 7b called Le Maitre d'Ecole. Really cool route, very untravelled so super crozzly rock. Looks totally blank from below, then tiny positive pockets appear everywhere as you move up. Pleased to onsight this as it was tricky to read from below. Left early for a big drive the next day.
Tue - Baume Rousse, love this crag! Warmed up on a fun, steep and polished 6b called Le Caraille, and then from the top of that tried a 7a on the upper tier and took a flier! Really annoyed at myself but I totally misread the sequence and ended up with some very unhelpful holds. Despite this I still went on to try a 7b+ called Rahan, fils des Crao, which I'd wanted to do ever since I saw the picture in the guide years ago. This one went much easier, with lots of big holds and big shouldery moves, and good rests. Finished off doing a really nice 7b, really sustained with no hard moves.
Wed - Orpierre. Needed a rest day so belayed Mum on some easier stuff while Dad did a big route with Tash. However I gave in to temptation a did a fun 7a called Golum, with a couple of big moves climbing through a roof.
Thurs - Back at Le Chateau Sector, I did another 7a next to Golum, this one much harder, lots of tricky techy moves. Went on to do a 7b called Pas de Bras, Pas de Chocolat, which was very good but a bit polished. Someone recommended a 7c called Ca va Couiner to have a go at, saying it was nicely chalked up! I gave it a go and was surprised to get in onsight! It was weirdly steady, just lots of quite hard moves and no really hard moves, with a big lock off a crimp to a jug just before easy ground. However I did sneak off a metre to the left for a no hands rest, I think this is the done thing, but not totally sure! Finished off failing on yet another cruxy 7b, this time with a big bouldery snatch to a pocket, which I missed onsight.
Fri - Decided after Thursday that I should have a go at an 8a. Had a really good go at Game Over, which was an amazing route, and got all the moves dogging up, but it was just way to intense to link it all. It had four sections, each about V4/5, with a mini-rest between each one. I couldn't get nearly enough back at the rests, and so just burnt out going into the third section. It was a shame to give it away as it was an amazing route, but just too many hard moves!
Sat - bit of a frustrating last day, felt a bit pressured for time. Warmed up, then got straight on a 7b+. I was actually doing pretty well, but my foot slipped on a shiny section of tufa on easier ground above the crux. Bit gutted, but I had time to try another 7b+. I managed this one, but after a really hard crimpy lower section, it lost it's way higher up, so I wasn't sure whether I should've been making myself use the tiny holds next to the bolt line, or the bigger ones just to the side. All of which felt a bit unsatisfactory. Ah well, the rest of the trip was good!
1 x 7c, 2/3 x 7b+, 3 x 7b, 1 x 7a+, 4 x 7a, all onsight.
The plan for the next couple of months is mostly to get my head down and revise for my A-levels. I think I've decided on Newcastle University, where my offer is AAA, so I just need to make sure I get those!
However a big part of revision is procrastination so in between times I'm planning to restart my whole training cycle, so low volume, high intensity strength stuff. The plan is to get at least two fingerboarding sessions and one bouldering session each week, with some core supplements in there to and the occasional route session to make sure I don't get totally unfit. Then a break during exams, leading to applying the gains made to routes, hopefully taking about a month to get fit again ready to peak in the summer!
Long post, sorry!
Cheers, Jake