3 Weeks ago...
Went to Rocklands for the weekend, ended up being a good call. The temperature was down, a vast improvement on previous trips. So I spent the first day at the fortress with Marijus and Arjan, who were both working "The Vice" (8B). I spent the first while warming up on some easy problems, one right hand finish to "The Vice" and then "Colin The Librarian" (7A+) to the left. Both pretty cool problems, but I had to do a few laps in order to warm up, cause it was sooo damn cold. But when the fingers warm up the friction is great. So I moved on to try "Desperado" (8A), a slightly eliminate problem, and very short. It's pretty much one hard move, with a hard left hand crimp lockoff and a reach up right to a small crimp and then a quick slap into a juggy hold up top. I managed to send the problem quickly, on my 4th go to be exact. The problem was somehow opened at 8B, but I guess based on your own personal strengths grading a single move problem, just like a dyno, can be really tricky, and I think these moves suited me quite well. I had doubts about whether I would be able to have enough power, but I guess I did, and in the end I think it helped that it was crimpy. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any pics of the line, but it's not very aesthetic in any case. After that day we made a quick stop at campground so that I could try "Tea With Elmarie", but I definitely wasn't feeling up to it, so it looks like its gonna be a few more weeks of getting climbing fit before I stand any chance at that line.
On Sunday I was planning on having a relatively chilled day, and pretty much everyone had decided to go to Roadside, which was actually rather cool. There ended up being quite a few strong climbers there, all locals too, and so everyone was feeling quite psyched in general. We started off with "Sunset Arete" (7C), a line which I had tried a few times, only to find the moves really hard. This time around Benj showed me a smaller, but sharper crimp which he had used for the line, and so on my first go I almost made it through the crux moves. The new crimp made the line feel so much easier than before, and on the next go I sent, although it was a bit messy with a few cutlooses, but I held on for the send.
A silhouette of me on "Sunset Arete" (7C). Photo by Luke Gregor.
Feeling psyched, I decided to get back on "Pendragon" (8A), a line which I think I can send, but just need to be feeling fresh. I'm having trouble with my foot sliding out on the second move, but other than that I'm close to doing all the other moves. So after a bit of work on that line, it was time to move on.
Working "Pendragon" (8A). Photo by Duncan Fraser
We went on to work "Caroline" (7C), which is pretty solid for the grade, I found getting all the moves done was fairly straight forward, it was just the effort of linking them all. Its an amazing line, with some very cool moves, and in line with my style I guess, with smaller moves on smaller holds, although the holds aren't too small. So lacking the energy to send, I had to leave the problem for next time. The starting move had completely numbed my index finger, as the start I was doing relied on a two finger lock which squeezed the gap in between the knuckles. Arjan and Flex sent the line in rad style. So my tweaky finger was beginning to complain about the punishment I was putting it through, and so I decided to lay off any harder lines for the day. I joined Robbie and Duncan who were trying "The Secret To Olives Preserve Cupboard" (7B), and I managed to flash that. A nice short, fun line. Other than that I jumped on "A Laise Blaise" (7B), which other that being sharp, had some cool movements, and went second go. I also checked out a dyno variation which skips the tricky crux moves, but is pretty tricky itself. That seemed to be the method of choice for Duncan and Robbie. All in all it was a good weekend out, but now its back to work....
Last weekend...
Shaun, Marijus and myself headed back to Rocklands for the weekend. I hadn't been training and keeping fit as I had hoped over the past few weeks and so I was mostly keen to get in lots of climbing to get everything working again. So on Saturday we headed to the Fortress, as Marijus was keen to get on "The Vice" (8B), as he had been making some progress lately. Once again it was pretty cold in Rocklands, but really good temps. It was still sunny, so working problems in the shade was perfect. We decided to warm up on "The Rack" (7B), and it only served as a reminded that I was super unfit... So after that Shaun and I went off to try "Stargate" (7C+) which seemed like quite a nice line. We had a good sequence going, thanks to Shaun, and I managed to link the moves quite quickly. I worked the final crimpy face, and just had to link the two parts through a tricky hop to a crimp in a really awkward position with a powerful lockoff. The move spat me out a couple times and my energy began to fade, so hopefully next time. On Sunday we headed off to Roadside, and I got back on "Caroline" (7C) hoping to send, but not having any expectations. The moves felt fine, and Shaun helped me tweak my sequence with the sickest drop knee's ever. In isolation I could do the moves so statically with the drop knees, but as usual by the time I got there my shocking endurance had kicked in. So looks like its another one for next time.
So in an effort to feel strong again I've committed myself to do some solid training during the week, Marijus and I are gonna be training at CityRock twice a week hopefully, and judging by what we did today, I think we'll be getting pretty strong over the next few weeks.
So I woke up the next day feeling so wrecked... my elbow tendons have been aching, not in a bad way, just in a really stiff needs some recovery kinda way. It think it was all the campusing we did, it seems to work the arms hard. So as part of our new weekly routine we were planning on heading out for a night session on Wednesday night. I was quite keen to check out an area in Cecilia forest that was still quite undeveloped. Its a boulder called The Den, with quite a few hardish lines, set on a slope in a forest of tall Pine trees, with a view of the horizon on the side. Pretty rad location for a boulder, although the landings are a little sketchy, but nothing we can't handle. So we started out by trying to warm up on a 6Cish line on the front of the boulder. It ended up feeling more 7Aish with a cramped crimpy start, and although we chickened out by topping out slightly left, there is a sketchy direct topout using some very shallow slopey pockets, it'll definitely be interesting. So we moved onto one of the harder lines, which is feeling about 7C if not harder. We sent the start stand fairly quickly after chalking up holds and stuff, that line was opened as "Sonic" (7B), but the sit start moves seem pretty hard. After no success on that line we worked on a cool line that travels up and right along the boulder using big crimps and some large underclings. Was quite an effort, and although we were pretty trashed from training it felt about 7B.
Marijus on "Night Vision" (7B). Photo by Calvin Kemp
Me on "Sonic" (7B). Photo by Calvin Kemp
So I'm not gonna survive training on Thursday, really need a rest, plus I'm back in Rocklands this weekend, so a 2 day rest should have me feeling fresh by the weekend....
Anyway, I had to opt out of going to Rocklands for the weekend, it seems that training gave my elbows such a shock, and I've just had to rest them, but I managed to get a light training session done at CityRock on Sunday, get the blood flowing again and I'm starting to feel ready to climb this week.
