It's been a while . . .

. . . since i last posted something on my blog.

In fact it was just before i was due to visit China for the World Champs. (See next post for some photos)

But it all went a bit wrong - i was meant to do the competition and then head to Yangshuo for some sport-climbing but the night before the Lead discipline qualification i received a phone call from England to say that my father had a severe heart-attack.

I flew home, missing the qualification round and not being able to put the 9 months of specific training to practice. Obviously my father's health and getting back to see him was my priority - climbing ranked very far behind that. And i spent the next 3 weeks looking after my Dad getting him out of hospital and back to normal home life - this was also right at the time of the British Championships too.

The whole incident had a massive impact on me, my training and my motivation. I didn't get the top 25 World Ranking i had been aiming and training for a year, i didn't get 1st at the British Championships (i got 3rd) and it took a while for me to get back training like i was.

Anyway, things have picked up again and i am training and climbing really, really well - (more to come in next post!)

I also have 3 World Cups to focus on:

- Puurs (25th/26th September)
- Brno (6th & 7th November)
- Kranj (14th & 15th November)

So here's to climbing in the remaining 4 months of 2009 and many more blog posts!

Canada 2009

This March Tanya and I visited Banff national park for a mix of climbing and skiing. Althought it wasn't a hardcore trip it really reminded me that these kind of trips can sometimes be the best.

You are not chasing grades or ascents, more just enjoying climbing for what it is.

We climbed in a few areas during the trip despite the cold - Bataan & Grassy lakes to name a couple, and thenm skiied in Sunshine and Lake Louise - we vowed to come back to Louise one summertime soon. . .

 

 

 

 

Migrania 8b, Siurana

I last visited Siurana in 1999, I was 18 years old and had been climbing for two years.

Despite having the worst trip of my life (due to non-climbing factors which i wont go into) i manged to do my first 8a -Anabolica.

It was however, this line, Migrania that i vowed i would come back to do one day.

This was the trip that it happened - first redpoint on my second day in Sirunana.


What a route! Pure power in every move with the crux right at the top.

Only the extension to go now . . .

 

 

8a Onsight in Margalef

Visited Margalef on the same trip - what a crag!

Loads of awesome steep barrel shaped routes like this one - an 8a that I managed to onsight.

 

 

 

 

Return to Siurana

Tanya hanging out in Cornudella . . .

 

China World Champs

AMV have kindly just supported me in my travels to the world champs in china this june/july.

I have just boooked my ticket and will be creating a film about my travels to Xining and Yangshuo(below).




In the meantime, i've been trying to get a bit of inspiration from Matthius Kisspert and DFuse - they have produced some truly amazing film work about city growth in China.



Check it out here:



And here:




Also check out Matthius' new work related site:

http://www.unit303.biz/

A memory from Kalymnos

I just found this photo of me on the net. . . . way back in 2003 onsighting Aegialis, 7c or 7c+.

With weather like we are having in the UK, perhaps its time to go back. . . .

British Leading League Elite Champion

This Saturday I won Grand Final of the British Leading League!

After 3 months of competitons around the country I qualified for the Grand Final of the British Leading League.

The Grand Final was held at the Foundry in Sheffield and was attended by over 60 of Britains top climbers from all over the country.

I was in the Senior Male Elite Category and had strong competition from 4 other GB Team climbers.

The competition took the following format: Each competitor had 3 chances to complete each of the 5 climbs - a 7a, 7b, 7c, 8a and an 8b (the same grade as a World Cup Semi Final route), the least amount of attempts it took you to do the route the more points you scored. i.e. if you did the climb on your first go ('flash') you scored maximum points.

I climbed out of my skin 'flashing' the first four routes up to and including the 8a, as did Drew Haigh. First place was therefore all down to the last route - the 8b. . .

I had to climb first and therefore was under the disadvantage of Drew being allowed to watch how i climbed the route. . .

Despite the pressure I climbed really well on this route and managed to climb to the highest point in the Elite category . . . and became the British leading League Elite Champion!

It was a really great day - (photos to come very soon) and it bodes sowell for me for both the one off British competition the BLCC in Edinburgh later this year and the World Cups and World Championships that i will be attending.

Without the support of my Sponsors - Peak Performance, Maximuscle and MTB it really would not have been possible to achieve this - so thanks so much guys!

\A

Peak Performance - New Sponsor

As of Friday - i have a new sponsorship deal with Peak Performance!

As you can imagine i am over the moon - i have always seen Peak clothing as probably the only brand that manages to get close to the perfect mix of top quality professional standard technicality with cuts, colours and styling that are also fashionable.

Check out the Black Light Series - a highly techincal collection co-designed by a group of 20 of the world's most experienced Mountain Guides. The clothing line is streamlined to give climbers the essentials they need without excessive pockets, zips, drawcords which often have the potential to just get in the way and be annoying - i am sure we have all experienced this whilst climbing!

Check out their technical and casual clothing lines here: http://www.peakperformance.com/

More Peak news to come including a product testing day at the Westway Climbing Centre next month . . .

A few snaps from Font this January

Jess having it with masive hands!

Awesome footwork by Adam on El Poussah

Better footwork by a Frenchman . . .

A bleak walk-in to Elephant one day.

Super-psyche Tanya Rainsley

Saw ths while picking up some pastries - very rustic!

Here are a couple climbing snaps: