Jura Report

Hi well I have been back in the UK for a couple of weeks now and the awesome trip we just had to the Jura has just about sunk in! It was such an amazing time, with so many cool experiences on and off the rocks that there will not be space to record it all on here. Hopefully these pictures will give a flavour of the holiday. I managed to get my 3 hardest climbs of the trip on video somehow so here they are, enjoy, beta available upon request! So, this ain't no war and peace epic, maybe more text next time, I've kinda busy since I got back.

A big shout out to our wonderful host Tanja who put us up and provided the full Bavarian experience, beer and schnitzel included!

Catch u soon folks! Peace

Slimline 8a+

Inquisition 8a

Leftfield 8a

Selected pics:

Jura Calling

Heyup this will be my last blog post before my upcoming 12 day trip to the Frankenjura with my good homie Ethan Walker! The last couple of weeks have mainly been hitting the plastic for some intense training sessions but I have managed to get out on zee rock a few times. I have invested in a new camera that takes sick HD movies so watch this space for some forthcoming productions from Germany soon! Check out this vid of Mossatrocity stand start I made to test the thing out. I managed to work out the bottom moves but the full link will have to wait til May when get back. Hopefully it won't be too hot for the odd grit tick then.

The weekend before last I managed to work out Ben's Sidewall at Gardoms finally with Ethan. Camming your foot between the ledge and the underside of the roof seemed to take 3 grades off the problem and it went from practically impossible to easy in about 2 minutes, that's grit for you! I tried Heartland again and nearly managed to link this, doing the crux move for the first time but the next move after slapping up for the slopers on top of the boulder proved elusive.

Just a few words on training, how do you train for a trip involving hard bouldering with a rope on? Well, I have been doing 2 - 3 hour bouldering sessions mixed up with route sessions with between 10 - 13 tie ins. Never less than 10 tie ins is the golden rule! Stockport Wall has been great for this as the problems are cool, challenging and long too. The routes are also good - keeping the fitness topped up has been key for me this year, I feel fitter at this stage than usual, remember its not all about power folks!

When I get back from the Jura, it will finally be time to hit the lime so I intend to get involved up at Malham, Kilnsey and the Tor. Psyched to check out a new area on this trip and sample some German cake and beer too. Keep it real!

Dartmoor Hit

Hi I thought I would update you on my last couple of outdoor missions. Last sunday I was up at Kilnsey at a freakishly dry crag trying Full Tilt. I refreshed all the moves since my last go on it nearly 3 years ago and did some good links. I need to invest in a knee pad for that top kneebar but I managed to find a slightly easier method for that killer last move!

After a good couple of training sessions down at Stockport wall I felt in decent shape for the weekend's exploits. A trip down south to Devon to visit family gave me the opportunity for a quick visit to my favourite south west crag, Bonehill Rocks. I have been coming here since 1997 and have gradually worked my way up the grades, ticking a lot of the classics along the way. I was stoked to do Tsunami about 2 months ago and meant to return to finish off The Wave Traverse, the rightwards finish to this, without finishing up the Wave, a classic V6. Check out Dave Henderson's excellent online topos for further detail: http://javu.co.uk/Climbing/Guides/DartmoorBouldering/Bonehill/ After trying my original beta on Tsunami for 45 mins, I had an epiphany and thinking back to Dave doing Tsunami in Gone West, I revised my sequence to crossing through on the crimps and spanning to the slot rather than cranking on the bear claw. It worked and the problem went down next go, another one off the list! Then I tried Floater, an unrepeated V9 following a higher break to the Wave Traverse, quality climbing but ti was unfortunately born without a landing in the initial moves!

After looking at a crimpy sidepull left of the Wave I thought that was maybe something John Gaskins could pull on. I didn't look totally impossible so I tried to envision how you could pull on such a hold. Surprisingly, it proved to be simpler than I first thought and the problem went at a lowly V6. I named it Rip Curl to fit in with the nautical theme of this sector. The link from Tsumani may bump it up to V9. Check this video I made. Peace out.



 

First Tor Outing of the Year

Hi, I have decided to start a blog to record what I have been up to climbing wise and to share beta and information with other climbers. After years of snooping at other climber's blogs I thought it would be cool to actually write down some of my experiences. I have kept up an 8a.nu profile for the last 12 years which I will keep up, see http://www.8a.nu/Index.aspx?CountryCode=GBR. No trad on there but don't worry, all the juicy details will be splashed over here!

So down to business, today was the first day of the Tor season for me. After hearing of tales of Mecca being ticked it was time to get involved. Psyche has been high for grit bouldering this winter with highlights for me being Zorev, Brass Monkeys, Sole Power and other easier stuff. I decided to stick to the Peak this year and have only been over to Llandudno to the Cave once so far. Three years ago, my last full season in the Peak before leaving Manchester to work in Jersey and Dorset for 2 years, I was going to the Orme every weekend but I decided this time to focus on some unfinished business on the gritstone, which has been great. Finishing old projects means starting new ones which keep it interesting and climbing on grit regularly certainly helps with strength, I feel wiped out after a good session on the grit!

I got on Make it Funky after warming up and chatting to all the regulars. It had certainly not got any easier since I had 2 sessions on it in October 2009. Back then I linked a few of the upper moves together so I was keen to see if I could make some headway.The bottom traverse was wet so I tried the middle bulge which is a burly Font 7c. To be honest it felt desparate but I knew that would be the case, I was only going on it to try the moves and to see if my ring finger still fitted into the mono after I hyperextended it and broke it in Ceuse last summer. It fits but not quite as well as before and I couldn't do the mono move after two goes.  Not to worry, I will put this one on the back burner, try and tick some other easier routes and maybe come back to this later in the year. My goals for the spring/ summer are K3 at the Cornice, Full Tilt at Kilnsey and Idefix at Malham. Best get to it!

After the Tor, I went to Gardoms where The Gritstone Treaty was ticked, a nice Font 7b with another mono, not that scary actually with 4 pads. Then I had a go on Heartland, a short Font 7c which is a bit low youth! If this is 7c then the Make it Funky crux is certainly the same grade. I got close but no cigar.

So, that wasn't too hard setting out my first blog post, see more like this soon!