UKC

Another placeholder - busy with relatives.  On it early tmro.

A new thread is posted each week on Sunday for anyone to jot down their previous week's activity. UKC fit club is a rich community with posters sharing their goals, noting successes and failures and offering support to those struggling to maintain motivation. Anyone interested in starting is very welcome to join, but to get the most of UKC fit club you should aim to post each week, every week, however little or much you have done. By making such a regular public record of your activities and by restating your goals every week this new habit will hopefully improve your training habits and drive you towards achieving your goals whatever the level of your chosen activity.

Link to last week’s thread:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/walls+training/fit_club_week_804-750824

Clearly mention of The Groove has awakened quite some demons!  I have it on my list to do, so we a least need a FC effort to take it down!

Sorry about late posting - my weekends have been seriously busy with partying lately...

Ross Barker:  Not sure that I am meant to provide golf tips, but both my daughters played internationally as youngsters, so I have spent a lot of time on the practice ground…  Hitting par at all on your first round is impressive though, though there isn’t much mention of the other 16 holes!  Maybe not a bad thing to do in the heat though.

Good to see a return to the bouldering and a decent result that incentivises a return visit in short order.  I see that it was something you had been on before, so good to get the rematch underway.  Have some chocolate as a reward!

I am still planning to do some bouldering again.  I’ve never taken it that seriously, but have done a fair bit across the Peak above a beer mat.  However, I think it is good and interesting training, so I want to do some over the Autumn and Winter, partly because it might fit with my work pressures as well.  After all, it guarantees pulling hard.

Good advice re DWS.  That said, I am a very long way from the well-known venues which is probably the biggest factor preventing much happening!

SSB:  A great report that highlights the wonders of Font – it is a fantastic place for kids and it reminded me of the Orange Mountain Circuit at Franchard – brilliant!  Some pretty good results at Beauvais considering temperatures and so on and yes, there are some real highballs in places.  I can remember a chain off the top of something that took some courage to start down!  Anyway, it sounds like a very successful families trip and took me back about twenty-five years.  I had a Christmas there once as my sister lived in the town for year – also brilliant conditions and the year Ron did Master’s Edge.

Tired, but uninjured is a good place to be.  I have taken notes of the dates you sent through, but work is changing on a daily basis at the moment.  If I can sort out some time I will be in touch.

Alan:  You’ve really taken this slow pace to heart and have introduced considerable discipline into your approach.  It will be really interesting to see whether the gains to endurance are apparent after a few months of regular training using the method.  Regardless, it must make for a pleasanter experience much of the time.  It also sounds like you are regularly on terrain where slow and steady is entirely appropriate!  I like the sense that many of these expeditions appear to be ideal training for your ‘not a goal’…

Good to see that your STG seems to be working.  Probably important to build gradually and avoid some of the loads that have caused problems in the first place, though diagnosis of that was uncertain IIRC – certainly at one stage you wondered if the bike trips were having an impact?

Ally:  Inspired by your regular reports of the Gorge, I nearly went for a look this week as was over at Maeshafn.  However, I was a bit later than I hoped getting away and wanted to beat the M56 traffic, so I had to defer.  I will keep it on the agenda though.

Excellent PB on the axle deadlift.  These are not something I have ever done, but my son gym trains and he was impressed!  The 7kg is close to 10% of bodyweight, so that seems like a big step up at the top of your range.  Personally, I think the cheesy trance will have helped.  Along with the wall, you’ve clearly got a good weights station arrangement as well.  Also a really strong aero-power session followed by (two days later) some progress on the 8A benchmarks – something to keep investing in clearly as the session at the end of the week demonstrates.

I am definitely intrigued by these board problems.  Ross has got me to download the app, so I am a step closer to doing something with it when I get some time over the winter!

Randy:  Sleep is a funny one – I certainly recognise the challenge you describe!  I had a really busy weekend processing a lot of data and ended up dreaming about numbers.  I also thing bad patterns set up quite quickly – poor night’s sleep, feel rough, fall asleep in the evening, poor night’s sleep…

Some good numbers on your report on the fingerboard repeaters and the weighted pull ups on both Mon and Wed and although a bit lighter later in the week you had flown half-way around the world on the day before!  Perfectly reasonable to listen to your body and not overdo things when conditions or body isn’t optimal.  Also better to keep doing something and maintain the habit than not (a message I need to heed).  ‘Consistent and patient’ is a very good mantra.  Also worth recognising that things do happen in steps and every now and then the steps won’t coincide with the particular challenge in front of you – it wouldn’t be fun if it was simple!

Shoulders getting stronger in the handstand is also a good sign.  That goal edging closer 😉!

Sheep:  That sounds like a very different week for you and great that granny-visiting led to a mess about on the boulders in amongst some walking.  Probably good change of pace and stimulus I would imagine.  Having got on my bike for the first time in two years to ride up to Ravenstones, I did think my legs wouldn’t thank me, but I didn’t suffer at all afterwards, so changing the stimulus can be interesting.

Straight back into the usual routines on return to work so as not to lose the habit – I like it and should take note!  I have got to find better ways of working some training in when I am busy, otherwise I will be going through an annual cycle of steadily getting weaker!

Tom Green:  I am ready for a break, but only because of work pressures building.  I actually love doing the stats and will miss it, but work is going to be problematic from the start of September, particularly with travel in the mix.  I really want to keep some climbing going and am seriously short of training lately, so I have got to resolve the imbalances and get a better plan together soon.  Part of it is my own fault as I have been working on a DIY project as well.

That trip to Wales looks brilliant!  I haven’t done The Grooves either, so very inspired and the sort of thing that would make a one-day trip objective for me.  Interesting discussion on the thread about The Groove and you can be reassured that it seems to be a relatively common experience if our sample is reliable.  Some days it doesn’t work, but keep putting yourself back in to bat again. 

Brilliant to get another goal ticked!  Your progress with these has been steadily inspiring and demonstrated what can be done.  You had a lot on your list (IIRC your original list inspired me to put one together), but you’ve tended to get something done almost every week – an excellent approach.

AJM:  Sounds like a good start to your time away and I quite like the strawberry system!  Real strawberries could be integrated into the system here, with some kind of reward for success on the rocks being followed by kids scooping up strawberry prizes…  (adults get bier obvs).  Reassuring from Randy that these grading peculiarities can arise – it sounds like the sort of place where odd cruxy things go on.  I have sometimes found German grades on Majorca to be strange.  Anyway, I hope the pattern continues to work well for the assembled group.

Shade does make all the difference – Ravenstones last week was a stiflingly hot day, but the crag was really pleasant temperature.

Tyler:  An interesting and varied week for you, with a bit of everything in the mix.  Clearly pressing on with the MTB stuff as you have two outings on the week, though I also see that the second led to a new niggle.  Let’s hope the recovery is reasonably swift!

Crash Landing doesn’t look like it has seen much attention with (I think) only three ascents on the logs in quite a lot of years.  Seems strange if it really is that good a pitch – ‘perfect looking’ – though possibly the name gives away some of the issue and access doesn’t sound particularly pleasant! 

Some routes at least on the Saturday and ‘without much drama’ has got to be worth hanging on to when you haven’t been doing loads for a while now. 

I note your comments about ‘live closer’ as I’d like to get across a bit more often.  It isn’t the distance really, but the time at the moment as well as a fairly big network of people to climb with locally.  However, I am conscious that many of them are Peak focused, whereas I prefer to get out of the Peak, so I will keep a trip that way in mind.

Steve Claw:  I do like the fact that your ‘quiet week’ includes a 7c and a 7b+!  I’d be very happy with that sort of quiet on return from my hols!

I have been working on some of my partners with a view to top-roping as an experiment and I think one or two are coming around to the idea – certainly would have a play given the right circumstances.  Almost ended the session this week (Maeshafn) with TR, but needed to get back and beat the traffic (along with already tired), meant we shelved the plan.  However, I am working over that way on Friday morning, so planning to head back with my shunt on Friday afternoon for an hour or two.

Liam P:  Again, some strong training numbers Liam and a really good range of conditioning work across a lot of muscle groups.  It is interesting to see the range of strength work that some people integrate into their week alongside the very climbing specific things like max hangs.  It all has to make a difference and some of it will have antagonistic benefits as well.  I must set up my station more carefully (probably possible now I have got most of my DIY project out of the way) so that I can include more weights work.

Hope that the bi-weekly outing went well!

Biscuit:  Brilliant variety in the training week again – you really have very deliberately changed your strategy and now include more focused ‘training’ alongside your outings.  More people seem to be including pull ups these days, but perhaps that is just an odd thing that I’ve noticed.  Anyway, 5X5 on the minute is a decent base.

Raven Threshwaite was clearly a trip with the E3s in mind as there is very little below that standard to switch to if you weren’t feeling it on the day!  I know Redex is good, but it is a bit of a trek for just one target, which cis one reason that a lot of people don’t bother with the place.  Hopefully, you will be through the virus soon enough and can get on things over the Autumn.

I’m reflecting that Chapel Head has been a regular, but not particularly rewarding, destination this year (?).  That said, it is a steep place for training!

Planet Marshall: …is back and returns with arms laden with Dolomite goodies!

An excellent return from the trip.  I don’t know any of the routes, but reading the logs makes for inspiring reading anyway – they really do sound brilliant.  Interesting that the logs also give very variable assessments of the difficulties, which perhaps implies that things will get easier as they get more familiar?

It also looks like the fitness gained paid off on return as that is a good trip up to Wales as well.  I did Llithrig (bitterly cold) a few weeks back and thought it great, but wouldn’t quibble with HVS though it is imposing in the route finding sense.  Anyway, I loved it though I couldn’t feel my feet, never mind my fingers!  Nearly fell off the last few moves to Green Gallery and that bit is ‘only’ VS!

Missing Steve, Jay and Ger the Gog this week, but it is peak holiday season and two of them are somewhere on the other side of the world!

Thanks Derek, it was an ace trip. Yeah, get in touch about cratcliffe when you're free, it's not going anywhere though.

Mon. Cemetery park boulder session. Had a quick look at the 3 things I've not done there. Otter Chess 7B+ seemed the most likely. Found some new body positions that made it much less tweaky but no success. I've looked at this for 5 or 6 sessions over the years but I find one of the moves really hard.

Tues. Epic enduro session in the attic. Fitness by incompetence when I didn't realise I hadn't started the timer and just kept climbing waiting for the alarm to go off. No idea how long I was in the wall but I was totally destroyed afterwards. Oops.

Wed. 12km steady run. Arms not working.

Thurs. Planned session cancelled due to rain. Arms still only partly working so not too disappointed.

Fri. Took a walk in Yorkshire with a light rack and rope. Ticked off Red Pencil Direct (HS 4b) on the way past. It's choss and the epic wind didn't help but its my last Peak and Pennine Classic Rock tick.

Sat. Rest.

Sun. Finally managed Otter Chess (f7B+). Hardest move I've done in a long time  

Thanks for the stats Derek.

Lack of sleep from the heatwave, plus young daughter caught up on me this week and I had a couple of very tired/flaked out evenings.  Still managed to fit in a decent amount of training/climbing, though much of it was squeezed into short mid-week lunchtime sessions.

Week 33

M – Axle DL. 5x5 ~115kg. Hard work.  5x5 3” Saxon bar @56kg (new toy)

T – 30km / 1hr lunchtime ride. Slightly sore under L armpit from lifting yesterday; lat/teres minor area. Evening use of the massage gun seemed to help resolve it.

W – 1-arm dead-hangs. Crimpd timings; -14kg and -10kg as warm-up, then -4kg x6 hangs on BM2K central slot. For the first time managed all hangs with both hands 😊

T – Board session. Feeling a bit flat. Warm-ups; 12x 6B+ to 6C+. Tried some harder stuff (7C-8A). Managed some small links, but no decent links/ticks. Got a nasty chunky splinter under a nail ☹

Took receipt of a “Inch Dumbell” trainer (60mm diameter handle). Lifted 72kg (the original “Inch Dumbell” weight) first go. No biggie. Got 82kg off the floor, but didn’t lock it out.

F – Rest.

S – First time having whole day climbing for a while, but most partners injured or overseas. Bouldered at the gorge, with some cheeky roped solo action too.  Re-worked, then RP’d a new link-up of Thug Mentality Sit-start (V9) into Fancy Pants (7c) to give an 8a+(?) link-up.  Was pointed at some of Owen’s eliminates on the RH-side, but didn’t finish any of them off (one of them felt tweaky on L ring finger). Tried and failed on a 7A+ in the gorge mouth too. Was pooped by then, and even more pooped by the time I'd trekked out with 4pads, rope, fan and ladder!

S – 5km Squiggle rucksack walk before lunch. 25km ride after lunch. Bar Core A with double the reps of windscreen wipers. 5x5 3” Saxon bar @61kg (made my thumb tingle). Tendon Density protocol on 10mm edge lifts with “high angle” crimping @14kg. Lift n’ OHP “Inch Dumbell” with ~27kg.

Thanks Derek. It has been fun ticking through the destination goals -mainly because they haven't been much of a challenge as such... just a list to encourage me to keep getting out to cool places! I need to up the ante to make sure the real performance goals happen. I'm horribly weak on the fingerboard and pull-ups, and I haven't managed to get many big hill days in. Hopefully the next few weeks will be easier for progressing those aims though.

Week 33:

An ok week. Didn't get all planned sessions done, but it was the last of the challenging work weeks for a while, so not a total surprise.

M: Nowt.

T: Shoulder prehab.

W: Shoulder prehab. Abortive session to Brownstones, too hot and greasy and FAR too midgy. 

T: Trail run: 12.4km, 443m vert, 6:42/km.

F: Alpine start and finish for work.

S: Fingerboard. Strength sesh (or lack of strength sesh!). Elbow and shoulder prehab.

S: Run-Climb-Run. 21km, 642m vert, 6:40/km (But this pace included climbing time). Stopped roughly halfway for 20 mins to solo Highcliff Crack (S 4b) -an absolute delight of a route, and also to have a quick recce of the crag: have swapped one of my local must-do's having seen it!

Week 34:

M: Prehab

T: Fingerboard & Strength

W: Run & Prehab

T: Climbing

F: Strength & Prehab

S: Run & Prehab

S: Fingerboard & Prehab

STG -end Sept:

Climb at four of my 'climb here more' crags (Ticked! 4/4).

Climb six of my local to-do list.

Allakazam.

Ultra distance run. 

Three of my big mountain day list.

Keep injury free (elbows, hips and knees). 

MTG -end Dec:

Two big alpine routes.

Weighted Pull-up: 100kg.

Max Hangs: 95kg.

Weighted hill climb: 2 laps of RT in 30 mins with 15kg.

2022 Climbing goals:

7a (Possibly one of: Arc en Ciel, The Jim Grin, Rock & Roll, Clink) -TICK!

ALL of my local must-do list: 4/15

Visit at least five of my 'why haven't I climbed here' list: 3/5

Get at least one session at each of my 'I should climb more at this crag' list: 4/8

Start properly getting to know: Brimham 2/3, Almscliff 2/3, Caley 0/3, Slipstones 2/3.

(For lists see FitClub 772)

At least two big, classic alpine goals

Good morning all, hope everyone has managed a decent week now that the weather as begun to resemble standard British patterns.

Oh, yeah... the other holes... let's just say I broke even by finding someone else's ball while looking for my own!

Yeah I'm quite excited to get back on it! Unfortunately last week the weather didn't really line up with my free time but the rock isn't going anywhere.

Last Week:

M - Rest.

T - Moonboard. Squared away a few 6B+ benchies and tried a few quite hard moves. Didn't walk away feeling too pleased but upon reflection it was a pretty good session in terms of cranking!

W - Rest. Weigh in at 77.5kg.

T - Rest.

F - Rest.

S - Quick opportunistic Churnet hit. Tried The Mentalist (f7C) for an hour or so. All the moves to gain the two-finger pocket are steady, but rocking onto the heel to get the face pebbles is pretty hard. Obviously strength would help but I think if I found the right body position I could do it soonish. If Si still lurks these threads, blimey, that roof jug is painful isn't it?!

S - Rest.

Next Week:

M - Rest.

T - Ippikins 7A or Moonboard.

W - Rest.

T/F - Whichever one I didn't do on Tuesday!

S, S - Bouldering.

Goals:

Bulletproof fingers.

Ippikins 7A.

The Mentalist.

V9 into 7c...  reckon that would get 8b in the Peak. Comparable to stuff at Two Tier or the Tor.

Isn't that roughly what Revelations comes to in terms of grading as well? V9 into 7c = 8a+/b

Some familiar to me. Nothing more fun than being so stressed about work that you start to dream about the sleep .

What i've noticed it there a some weeks where i can function very well on 6h of sleep and other where i am completely destroyed if i am not getting 7h. 

Recap last week:

Mon: Pretty intense gym bouldering session. Did a  bunch of 6a+ to 6b+ boulder, most of them flashes. Then did 4 6c boulder in a couple of tries, including a 20 move roof problem at the end of the session when i was already quite wasted. Managed to do 4x10 weigthed Pullups + 8kg with 3 minutes rest all in good form. So quite happy with the progress in that regard and in general felt much fitter after getting some good sleep on the weekend

Tues: L-Sit 2x20s; handstand against the wall, 2x12 pike pushups,15 lunges, 3 pistol squats with each leg, 30 pushups and 45s V-Sit Up; feeling a little bit tired after the hard session yesterday and too little sleep

Wed: Gym bouldering session. Due to problems getting to sleep and a first work meeting at 4:30 am! (always fun working with east asia ), i had barely 5h of sleep. Sessions went as expected considering the lack of sleep and i also felt sore from monday. At least i cut the session short (~ 1,5h) and skipped the pullups to not completely waste myself.

Thurs: Rest

Fri: Rest

Sat:  Bouldering Session in the Gym. Despite two rest days and sleeping 11h over the night i did not felt at 100% fitness. Cut the bouldering session short with 1,5h, after i did manage to make realistic tries on hard problems. Finished again with weigthed pullups. After managing 4x10 with +8kg, i decided to increase the weight to + 10kg and see what happens. Surprised myself a little bit managing 3x10,9, getting reall close on the 10th rep on the 4th set. With a little bit more sleep over the week i should be able get 4 clean sets with +10kg done which would be a nice benchmark.

Sun: L-Sit 2x20s; handstand against the wall, 2x12 pike pushups,15 lunges, 3 pistol squats with each leg, 30 pushups and 60s V-Sit Up; feeling better after sleeping again for 10h. L-Sit felt much stronger than ever before. Unfortunately, i did not made much progress with the handstand, but i don't think that this is a strength but rather a coordination issue.

Review last weeks goals: 

• Get at least 7 hours sleep on average per night - Epic fail, worst week this year so far
• Keep the bouldering sessions around 7-8/10 effort level, so that i always leave something in the tank - Fail, went too hard on the first session, the other two were fine
• 4x10 weigthed pullups + 8kg with 3 min Rest Check

Goals next week: 

• Get at least 7 hours sleep on every night
• Keep the bouldering sessions around 7-8/10 effort level, so that i always leave something in the tank
• 4x10 weigthed pullups + 10kg with 3 min Rest

Similar goals for next week as for the last one. I really need to prioritize my sleep more, and then some boundaries at work and stop having meetings at crazy times, just because that is the only free slot of some asian manager. Otherwise, the training efforts are just wasted and i have noticed the quality of work that i have delivered did severely suffer due to that. So in the end it helps nobody.

On the positive side, despite all of that pullups and core strength keeps increasing. I feel that i am not too far away from hitting 30s on the L-Sit, which was one my goal for this year. And with 4x10 Pullups + 8kg i think i am getting close to the required base level of strength for a one-pullup, at least on my stronger right side.

A productive week. Frankenjura onsighting is hard, but we have had some reasonable success with the “sacrificial beta lamb” approach of setting each other up for flash goes on things. A couple of excellent routes done that way. I also scoped out two potential projects, with the idea that perhaps I could figure them out when Helen was there and then be ready to do red points on a return with MrsAJM later in the week, but neither seem to really fit. It was certainly hot at the start of the week, but the combination of plentiful tree cover and a load of north facing crags means that it was all fairly ok, probably helped by it generally feeling like quite dry heat, I could imagine it being a bit grim had it been sticky.

Monday - Obere Schlossbergwände, after a few wrong turns in the forest. Did some nice warmups, then got onto some of the stuff on the steeper walls. Flashed Dezentraler Energiepfad (6c+) then tried the rising traverse next to it. Got thrown by some wet holds at the bottom and so fell off, dogged to the top and did it next go. 

Tuesday - Ankatalwand. Did the excellent Frankengold (VII+) to warm up, a stiff warmup I’ve got to say. I dogged up computerspiele, which I’d done before, to try to set Helen up with some beta, which sadly came to nothing as she couldn’t work out an alternative way through the crux reach. Time had passed and the wall was in the sun which means I ran out of time to try New Dimensions (XI-) which had been the main thing for the day. In the end it clouded over some point afterwards so with a bit more patience it might have been fine but by then we had decided to move to Roter Fels in the hope it would have lost the sun. It was sticky and sweaty there, but we did a route or two before heading back to the car.

Wednesday - Krottenseer and Maximillianswand. Looked after the kids for a while to start, good hammock territory there. Then did a VII- to warm up and then Auerbacher Weg (6b+) which is a very cruxy route (by the time your knees are by the first clip, it’s all over) that I was pleased to onsight. 6c-ish? Then I moved on and had a go on Hitchhike the Plane (7c+), which was the unfinished business I had left over from 2014. My beta notes were working well through the lower section until I came to the point where a hold clearly wasn’t there any more by the third bolt (there is also a large bolt pinning on a flake which I’m sure wasn’t there last time!). I did the moves past it, but the lack of a foothold on the lip (big enough to heel hook) undoubtedly made those moves harder and I’m not sure as a result it will be a very suitable holiday project logistically. Finished up on Catching the Kettcar (VII-), which was a nice route.

Thursday - rest, touristing in Bayreuth. After reading the description of the beer in the brewery in which we had lunch, any pint poured since that point with a solid head of foam led to comments about the foam being “like a field of wheat alive in the wind”, or something along those lines.

Friday - a bit of rain overnight and low cloud. Helen and I headed out to Heldwand, where we continued playing the sacrificial beta lamb game after a couple of warmups. I flashed the most excellent Heldbräu (7a), which Helen got on her third trip up it, and she pulled all the stops out on Lara Croft (7a), which I did second go. I also dogged up Götz von B. (7b+), with a mind to seeing if I might be able to work the moves and then try to redpoint it next week since the crag is quite family friendly. The lower wall is great, about 7a+ or 7b perhaps, but then there’s a hands off ledge followed by a thin and slippery vert crux. After one fall off the first of the three hard moves in which I clocked the ledge with my heels and half inverted, with two moves left to go before a bucket arrived, I decided that this was not fitting with my idea of either a desirable project or a *** classic and stripped it.

Saturday - Weissenstein. Busy busy, as expected, but also the only day we had left that was not looking too hot and sunny. I’d slipped over the previous day and cut the side of my finger, which was a bit of a blow, but more generally my skin just seemed to be really sore. Did a couple of routes and then gave up, just wasn’t having fun. I did manage to get miniAJM on a top rope for the first time which counts as a success.

Sunday - Wolkensteiner Wand for Helen’s last day. A couple of warmups (including a nice 38m ~6b+) and we tried Wolkenschloss (VIII), the obvious 7a. I gave it one go but there was a pocket which basically just seemed to eat my finger regardless of how I tried to take it. I pulled past it and flashed the steep hanging groove which is the cool feature of the route, but (perhaps partly because I’d linked the cool bit all already) I just couldn’t get enthused for giving the pocket another go at my fingers so I decided not to go for the redpoint.

Keep feeding us the bier marketing speak.  Not long to Octoberfest!

Thanks as ever Derek. I'm finally back from my three week break, feeling horribly jet lagged and wishing I was still by the sea. Very little to report from last week, though I did manage to swing by the  Agnes Water Boulders and tick off a couple of problems in my trainers. 

Super busy with work this week and off to Italy for a friends wedding at the weekend so I'm not expecting to get much (if any) climbing done this week. The plan is to start a fresh training cycle next week with a view to getting strong again for the start of grit season. 

Grit season.  You had to go and remind me didn't you?!

Haha, best season of the year for me (and all self-respecting UK-based climbers!) 

Work has been a bit mad, so I've had to wind it back somewhat.  However, I got out on Friday to Maeshafn, which has the most impressive display of gorse and cotoneaster growing all over the place.  Many of the routes aren't really climbable any more as you can't exit at the top!  That said, despite my lack of recent trad I went on The Minstrel (E1 5b) and had a predictably hard time.  However, I was glad I tied in and tried, though I fell off downclimbing a short section where I got wrong-handed.  Pretty strenuous and I wasn't smooth enough getting the gear in or making use of the half-rests.

It is next week's report really, but I have done some pull ups today while I have been working!  That's it lately though I am maintaining the weekly dancing sessions.  Climbing Thursday and also possibly Friday (using a shunt) when I finish work.

I’m surprised it’s overgrown as there always used to be sheep in there, Minstrel is a great route.

I’m not going anywhere and I’m hopeful that that outdoor climbing can continue year round….

M: After yesterdays knee problems I wanted to see if I was knackered for running as well. Managed a 6.5km run @10.1km/h

T: Cursory swing about on the Beastmaker. Could barely hang the deep slots with an AA battery in (20mm?). When I was going ok in 2018 I could barely hang an 8mm edge so I am about 12mm weaker than then. 
W: Run, 9+ km @10.1km/h

T: Another new low, went to the Orme to boulder and failed to do the 6A warm up traverse after repeated attempts. Also failed on the slightly harder variant. 
F: Nothing

S: LPT and Llanddulas. Three failed goes on a 7a was both the high light and the low light

S: Run, 10.6km @10.3km/h

I still love climbing and enjoyed Saturday but don’t think it loves me back at the moment.

Indeed it was excellent though the place is a minor venue really.  Sheep wouldn't hack it.  Several brontosaurus might.

Sounds like it. Sorry I wasn't able to come up and say hello

I have that in mind as "my first Güllich route", but the one time so far that I walked up to look at it was soaking wet. And that's my onsight b*ggered now anyway

No problem, very understandable!

I think you'd have to be very purist to deny yourself the onsight when it's so obviously what the route looks like from the ground!

The top is very nice, that being said!

Cheers Derek. Quite busy this week so only managed a short training session to tick off 'clicky knee' rehab. Another trip out on Sunday though, which was nice.

Wed

Leg Rehab

• Single Leg Calf Raises 5x 20 (10kg)
• Hamstring Curls 3x 10 (10kg)
• Leg Extensions 3x 15 (L 25kg R 15s Iso Hold)
• Single Leg Leg Press 3x 10 (L 48kg)
• Hanging Leg Wipers 12/10/10

Sun

Swanage

The only way I could get a Sports' Partner was to promise a big Guillemot Ledge trad route first. It was raining when we arrived so headed straight for the bolts. Warmed up on a couple of 5 & 6's then had another RP go on Mr. Choo Choo (7a). I've got the first section dialled now, and got past the two crimps that were stopping me last time, but came off one move higher on a side-pull. This was my second session on it and it's turning in to a bit of a siege. With limited opportunity to get out, I should be getting mileage on good routes but I'm making (very slow) progress and it feels frustratingly doable. I'm thinking I should just commit to getting it done. I just need to establish a network of belayers who have something they want to climb in the quarry! 

If only I was on the doorstep, rather than five and a half hours away!

Thank you Derek,

Finger shredding week, with includes taking on 2 extra projects.

M - Attempted to TR a new line I've been looking at, until fingers hurt. Very thin slab moves on micro crimps, probably about 7c. Then climbed a few short new routes we cleaned up the week before. (6c,E1,7a,6c,6a,5+)

T - Nothing

W - Cleaned up another hard project, slightly overhanging small crimps. Would be a good highball if the landing was better.  Again probably about 7c.

T - Shredded my fingers again trying to TR The Minute Waltz (E6 6c) couldn't work out the beta quickly, and fingers hurt so moved on.  Met up with some friends and climbed Last Slip (E3 5c), before finishing any remaining finger tips on Just Searing Away (7b+), which I got the beta on straight away, but rain stopped play before a RP could be achieved.

F-S At home doing building work.

Fingers completely shredded, I still have a "hole" in the middle of my right index pad. (pad area not tip)

For added motivation I've decided to target a one armer.  Base level is supposed to be 15 normal with good form and I can do this when in training, so it makes a good winter target.  Just need to work on the progressions consistently. 

Sounds like a nice goal, would be great to have some company when i will train a little bit more specifically for that in this autumn/winter.

Quite a nice ticklist AJM. Getting things done quickly is hard in the Frankenjura and doing it day after day in sub-par conditions is really amazing, as these routes can destroy you very fast. Sometimes on really bad pockets i have the feeling that a week to recover the skin is not enough.

Thanks!

The skin has been a bit tough at times, you get quite repetitive wear points don't you - sides of the fingers, in the crease of the joints, etc - and once they start to go it's hard to find routes that don't exacerbate them further...

That and the shoulders - locking off searching for the right way to hold the best bit of the best choice for next pocket when onsighting means a lot of time locking off!

Very brief log in, been very busy again.

Monday, 5k run

Tues-Fri 1 k swim every day and a stretch class

Saturday 6.5k run 

Sunday Rest

Yes, and even gets worse when you are projecting routes and trying the same move again and again. When i was projectingSlimline (8a+) i often needed to quit the session because my skin was close to getting wrecked and i new that it could take two weeks to recover my skin if you fully destroy my skin.

For the shoulders it depends a little bit more on the route and on your shoulders . There at least its get better over the time if climb in Frankenjura a lot. And apart from that a week is usually more than enough to recover. Hence, it is not that much of an issue if you are a weekend warrior like me instead of being there for a vacation.

Oops, get in quick before I'm a whole week overdue

STG: Book Kalymnos trip with my son for early October
MTG: Winter 22/23 - do an actual off piste ski tour
LTG: Be a confident, well rounded low to mid 7's sport climber. For measurable definition see Fit Club 658

M-S: nada. Very busy with $STUFF all week

S: Made it out for a much needed afternoon hillwalk to get my Zone 2 hours in. Riffelspitze. Chose this just because it's something relatively close that I haven't done before - turns out I've been missing out, it's one of the most pleasant and interesting shorter local hikes I've done.

My son has his uni place confirmed at LMU (Ludwig Maximilians Universität) in Munich starting mid October. This is excellent news - high prestige institution for him, empty nest crisis postponed for me. But also means we have to get our Kaly trip in before that with very little time to train.