It's been a full two weeks since i last posted, and i've done quite a lot of climbing that i have been very, very pleased with.
It seems that my efforts training indoors for the last 4 months have really paid off - i have, without doubt, broke into a new level with my climbing that can only be explained from some dedicated but really quite tedious training.
The training has translated to a couple of really good days:
1 Day: 1 x 8a/+ Flash, 1 x 8a Onsight, 1 x 7c+/8a (Retro Flash)
(this was all caught on camera or film by Alistair Lee and i can't wait to see the results!)
2 Day: 1 x 8a/+ Onsight, 2 x 8a+ First Redpoint.
So it was all going very well, and to be honest, it was about time that i got on something harder - so i've jumped on a few 8c's to see which i should project . . . more news coming very soon.
Friday, 28 May 2010
Friday, 14 May 2010
Riglos Video
A quick video shot en route while Stu and i were on pitch 5 of Fiesta de Los Biceps . . .
(Excuse the strangely shifting camera angle!)
(Excuse the strangely shifting camera angle!)
Riglos
 |
| From EU Road Trip 2010 |
FIESTA DE BICEPS - 7 pitches of conglomerate climbing. 230m of 7a in total.
(If you look close enough directly above my finger, you can see the white chalk line that you climb up the route)
What a route.
I can honestly say that despite completely shitting myself standing at the bottom of the route before the first pitch, it is probably the best route i have ever done.
From slab to vertical to overhanging, technical slopers to holds bid enough to stand and even sit on - this route has it all. Every climber should experience this route.
My expression here with Stu on pitch 5 (about 180m high) gives away how i was feeling - a mix of fear and elation!
Rodellar
Day 1 of the (real) road-trip started in Rodellar and could not have been better.
The sun was shining, a team of 12 Brits were psyched out of their minds to climb and Sector Surgencia was calling.
I had a great first day; ticking a few 30/35m routes between 7b+ and 8a onsight and things were looking good for the next few days until the rain and snow travelled down to Rodellar.
Stu and I decided to head to Riglos to do something a little bit different. . .
The sun was shining, a team of 12 Brits were psyched out of their minds to climb and Sector Surgencia was calling.
I had a great first day; ticking a few 30/35m routes between 7b+ and 8a onsight and things were looking good for the next few days until the rain and snow travelled down to Rodellar.
Stu and I decided to head to Riglos to do something a little bit different. . .
EU ROAD TRIP 2010
Things have moved really quickly over the past few months. . .
Handing my notice in at work and leaving for a road trip around Europe in the summer and then to the US in Autumn seemed a really long way away . . . and now, i've already been on it for 9 days!
My plan was to head to the Pyrennes to do some trad big walls, then to northern Spain and the south of France to really push my grade sport climbing and then on to Rumney, Red River Gorge and Yosemite in September/October. However, the start has already turned out very differently.
On the drive down, expectations of the weather getting warmer as we drove south into France and Spain were replaced with the reality of snow blizzards in the Tarn area.
A weather report told us Europe was / (is) covered by an enormous area of low pressure that wont budge for a while. . . . we changed out route to Barcelona airport, parked the van and promptly got a flight to Mallorca - the only place where it was actually sunny, as Charlie Woodburn proves here -
After 5 days of complete and utter luxury i returned to Barcelona, picked Ste McClure up and headed to Rodellar . . . more coming soon.
Handing my notice in at work and leaving for a road trip around Europe in the summer and then to the US in Autumn seemed a really long way away . . . and now, i've already been on it for 9 days!
My plan was to head to the Pyrennes to do some trad big walls, then to northern Spain and the south of France to really push my grade sport climbing and then on to Rumney, Red River Gorge and Yosemite in September/October. However, the start has already turned out very differently.
On the drive down, expectations of the weather getting warmer as we drove south into France and Spain were replaced with the reality of snow blizzards in the Tarn area.
A weather report told us Europe was / (is) covered by an enormous area of low pressure that wont budge for a while. . . . we changed out route to Barcelona airport, parked the van and promptly got a flight to Mallorca - the only place where it was actually sunny, as Charlie Woodburn proves here -
After 5 days of complete and utter luxury i returned to Barcelona, picked Ste McClure up and headed to Rodellar . . . more coming soon.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Friday, 2 October 2009
Tuppence Ascent - Anstey's Cove
Finally.
After one day attempts spread over about 3 years I am strong enough to cleanly climb Tuppence!
It is a truly incredible route- pure power endurance from the first move off the ground, and with perhaps the most interesting and weird crux move i have ever done - yes, you do have to do that bizarre drop-knee to have any chance of holding that tiny crimp!
It's also a route that has spat a lot of people off over the years - leaving people literally having to spend 10 years projecting the route because it is so difficult to link in one go.
Very, very pleased.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Burning Man Festival
After getting very scared crack-climbing in the Needles for a week, we hooked up with a group of friends from London.
We somehow managed to fit 4 couples into this . . . of our home in the Nevada desert for a week.
Our first night at the festival was incredible - we were constantly confronted with the most mind-blowing sculptures . . .
We partied quite hard that night and were a little worse for wear the next day . . . but what's better than watching the sun go down the next day on top of your RV . . .
Our next fews days were filled with more amazement as we wandered round the playa looking at art installations. I'll shut up and let the art do the talking . . .
We somehow managed to fit 4 couples into this . . . of our home in the Nevada desert for a week.
Our first night at the festival was incredible - we were constantly confronted with the most mind-blowing sculptures . . .
We partied quite hard that night and were a little worse for wear the next day . . . but what's better than watching the sun go down the next day on top of your RV . . .
Our next fews days were filled with more amazement as we wandered round the playa looking at art installations. I'll shut up and let the art do the talking . . .
More Bielsa Photos
A photo of a 7c+ i on-sighted at Bielsa 2 weeks ago courtesy of Ramon.
An awesome line with 5 parallel tufas in a row that had to be traversed across leading to a huge flake undercut coming up out of shot . . . the line was brand new and may have even been a first ascent . . .
An awesome line with 5 parallel tufas in a row that had to be traversed across leading to a huge flake undercut coming up out of shot . . . the line was brand new and may have even been a first ascent . . .
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Maximuscle Filming
I have recently done some filming and a photo shoot for Maximuscle.
The finished edit that was produced shows a little look into the kind of training that i do. It was all filmed at my local training venue at the Westway Sports Centre in London. I also did a short interview that looked into how Maximuscle products help me train for competitions and completing routes outside. . . .
http://www.maximuscle.com/maximilk
The finished edit that was produced shows a little look into the kind of training that i do. It was all filmed at my local training venue at the Westway Sports Centre in London. I also did a short interview that looked into how Maximuscle products help me train for competitions and completing routes outside. . . .
http://www.maximuscle.com/maximilk
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