In reply to Dandan:
Cheers me, another positive week although somewhat disrupted by the bank holiday and some other bits and bobs. Still, got outside twice!
M: Wallsend North; After some serious navigational errors on my part resulting in an extended, scramble-style walk in, we got down to business. After a couple of warm ups, I tried to get onto
To Hungary For Love (8a) one of the very few 8a's on Portland. My logic is that I don't like the style of Fighting Torque at the Cuttings, Breathing Method at the Cuttings is reputedly hard for the grade and the 8a at White Hole is a pain to access. (I think that's all of the 8a's on the island) To Hungary however, is relatively easy to access and always quiet, So if I like the style then it could be a good project. Unfortunately, it was completely caked in dirt and sand. I only got a couple of bolts up so couldn't get a feel for the route at all, I'll need to return with some tools and give it a good clean.
To console myself, i got on
Useless Generation (7b) purely because it seemed the right grade for a quick tick, turned out to be a massively enjoyable route! Not really my style, it's very technical with a cool wide double-gaston into tiny crimps and quite an extensive crux section, but I loved it, a real surprise gem. I got it second go.
T: Nowt; I've had a slight belly ache on and off for about a fortnight and rang the doctors for an appointment, got a phone appointment and he seemed to think it was worth going in to the surgery, so I drove back from work (110 miles) for that and back up again the next morning, not ideal. Having blood tests but I don't think it's anything serious.
W: Indoor routes; only two routes left at Warwick, an awkward 7b+ and a bouldery 7c. I got on the 7b+, did it in 1 hang but it's just not very inspiring, so moved to the 7c.
First go I did it in 1 hang, it has 3 bouldery cruxes interspersed with some half decent holds, but keeping enough energy to do the third crux is tricky as there is no full-on shakeout. Second go I got through it clean! It was a bit of a fight but it's done, very different to the endurance based 8a next to it so it's nice to have ticked both different styles. So 1 (rubbish) route left, I really hope there is a re-set soon...
T: Rest; Drive home for a long weekend
F: Rest; Had blood tests (bleugh) and picked up the keys to one of our new flats, this is the start of my pension plan!
S: Winspit; Mrs Dandan had unfinished business with
Peppercorn Rate (7a) from last year, Im happy to say she got it clean on toprope today! As we only had one rope which we left on peppercorn for her attempts, I decided to use the other end to go up the route next door,
Billy Winspit (7b). It's one of the last remaining routes on the crag that i've not done, mainly because it involves a huge reach in the crux that I couldn't come close to when I tried it several years ago. To be fair it was near my limit grade-wise back then, and I thought i'm bound to have learned something in 6 years so I might as well give it a try. Turns out 6 years of climbing gives you much stronger fingers! All the holds felt bigger, and the reach was a small pop to a deadpoint catch on a bad crozzly crimp, something I obviously had trouble latching before, but felt fine now. The reach was at my absolute limit, second knuckle on my left hand to first knuckle on my right fully straight arms! When I latch the hold I just stop dead, there is no sag through the shoulders, it's really weird. Got it second go on the day, then watched my tall friend Lewis latch the crux crimp static with a bent elbow!
Also ticked
Solstice (7b) which I found really intense
S: Going to do bodyweight antagonists today (i've been a bit lax recently) and maybe a play in the boulder shed if I have time.
Last weeks STG:
3 Climbing sessions - TICK two outside!
10x10 second free handstands - 0/10 oops
Do lap benchmark route in bouldershed - NOPE
Next weeks STG:
3 Climbing sessions -
Get that indoor 7b+ done -
10x10 second free handstands -
Do lap benchmark route in bouldershed -
MTG: (next couple of months)
Record benchmarks and start trying to improve them - improvements below
Get outside a couple of times - 6/2
Lap 7b four times -
LTG: (This year)
Stay uninjured for Kaly in August and Margalef in October
Tick Besame Mucho (7b+) (endurance test) in October - This is going to be a walk in the park (i hope)
Get on Daniboy 8a in August
Repeatable 10+ seconds handstands from a kick-up, not off a wall
Good form front lever for 5 seconds
BHAG:
Photo Shot (8b) Looks exactly my style and way, way out of my league, but seems to me to be that it could one day be do-able...
Benchmarks:
*2rm weighted chin up - *+45kg, 165% bodyweight 17/4/16*
*Assisted one arm hang - *10s +2.5kg on outer large slot 1/5/16*
*1-5-9 progression - *1-4-6 both arms 14/4/16* *1-4-7 both arms 17/5/16*
*Some kind of foot on campus exercise, can anyone suggest one? I've never really done it
*Max grade indoor route 4 reps with rest to lower off and re-tie *4x7a 5/5/16* *4x7a+ 19/5/16*
*Max reps on moonboard 6A problem with fixed (5 sec?) rest between