Smile Like You Mean It – Dyperspace The Send

On Monday it will have been three weeks since I sent Dyperspace and three weeks since I last went and climbed outdoors. I’m sure many of you reading this have no sympathy for the fact I haven’t been out climbing recently and I’m guessing most people who read my blog are probably fed up of hearing me talk about Dyperspace, however hopefully I’ve got some readers outside of my facebook friends who didn’t know I had sent Dyperspace and this write-up is for them and anyone else who enjoys reading my blogs anyway.

It took me just over a week to get back to Dinbren to try Dyperspace once again. Heading back with Dan, the other member of the self-proclaimed Redpoint dream team, I was ready for the send. Surely with fresh arms it would go this time round. Not even the fact I had become another wierdo on the bus as a result of my blue E9 trousers and clip stick that threatened to decapitate anyone who came to close, could distract me from the thought of a possible send. After a quick stop at the COOP in Llangollen for a sausage roll and some luckazade (my staple crag diet) we arrived to find that conditions were good, the crag was dry, there was a slight wind and the sun was shining. Taking Mirfs’ advice on how to get the send, I warmed up by putting the draws in and repeating the sequence where I had dropped it last time a few times to get it wired. Something didn’t feel right, I hadn’t done it that way when I’d done Babycrusher. Discovering a forgotten undercut the sequence was changed again and after a rest I was ready to go for another redpoint.

I took a few deep breaths before setting off and tried to relax. Nerves however got the better of me first time round and I cut loose three times at the large block. Feeling I’d wasted too much energy I jumped off and tried to relax. Staying tied in I had a quick ten minute rest before setting off again. Second time round I cruised through the first section up to fourth clip. Despite struggling to clip it as I had extended it to far in hope of making it easier to clip (the irony) I pushed on. My sequence change worked and I found myself at the undercut jugs, just a few short pulls from the chains and glory. A quick shake out did little for the pump I was now feeling in my arms and reaching round to the good holds over the overhang was taking everything I had left out of me. I couldn’t drop it now. Hardly able to feel the holds I was pulling on, I pulled anyway and suddenly found myself, rather dumbfounded, clipping the chains. To baffled by what had just happened, I threaded the lower off and stripped the route without any major celebration. I can’t really call it an anticlimax though, because it felt so good when it finally sunk in that I’d actually done it. I was just so surprised at first that I had done it, just because of how hard it had felt working it and how easy, despite been pumped at the top, it had felt on the send.

If you want to see a video of me doing the route just click the link here – https://vimeo.com/92667225

Since then though, I’ve been forced to working on my training projects at Redpoint as a result of the rain, or no one been free to go out on my days off. Oh well I’m heading out on Monday for sure (assuming the weather plays ball) and hopefully to Raven Tor for the first time. Lets hope this training pays off and I find the route I want to try at The Tor ok.

 

 

Climbatize – El Chorro Part 3

With a 7a+ comfortably under my belt and with the days only seeming to be getting hotter, it  was time to start looking for some shade to climb in.  Desplomilandia, was the perfect location, north facing, in the shade and it has a selection of classic short but hard routes. Only one thing was stopping me and Craig  getting there. It would be a very long walk. Potentially so long that by the time we got there, we’d be turning around to get back again. This meant the only other places to go in hope of finding some shade would be back to Poema De Roca or into The Gorge.  Despite the unseasonably warm weather we were still faced with some tough choices between excellent climbing venues.

Fortunately on the next day, our choice was made for us.  A lift was to Desplomilandia was offered to us by the young english gent and his mother, who we had met at Poema De Roca, it was an offer we couldn’t refuse.  Adam and Ella, as they introduced themselves on the drive over, were clearly no strangers to climbing trips and Adam, although modest,  was clearly an extremely strong climber.  Already a legend in our eyes after we had seen him onsight 8a,  Adam was quick to cement this status as he put another 8a to bed another at Despomilandia.  After warming up and waiting an hour to get on the route, he casually strolled up, told the other climbers on it (with true british politeness) that he didn’t need third pre-clipped, despite it apparently been a hard clip (the words of the other climbers working it) and tied in. Meanwhile in the background me and Craig and decided to get on a short 7a and 7a+, despite them only having one star between them. After coming down for about the fith time, I looked over just in time to see Adam silently floating to the top of this 8a. it didn’t take long for me and Craig to strip our routes and move on. unfortunately for me I spent most of the rest of the day sulking on the floor as my confidence seemed to disappear once again and I bailed on a 6a.

The View From Desplomilandia

The trip was turning into a roller coaster ride of confidence and as a result leading me to the verge of tears with frustration and anger. Why couldn’t my lead head just click and stay clicked! I was falling off, I knew I was safe, I was trying hard, I’d trained hard for the trip, so why did I keep getting the fear?

Returning back that evening, I felt numb, I didn’t know what to do, I still had a fair amount of time left of the trip and I still wanted to climb hard, but my head game was letting me down.  For the hundredth time of the trip I vowed to only redpoint routes.

The next day I decided to head into The Gorge on some advice from Mirf to try Bob Marley a classic 7c.  I’m sure based on what you’ve already ready read you have guessed the outcome of this trip. Rusty looking bolts and a forgotten clip stick provided the perfect excuse to just enjoy the gorge. However after lunch I manned up a little and fell of a 7a+ onsight in the blazing heat of the middle of the day.

The Pipe Bridge In The Gorge

By now there was less than a week left and with The Gorge and Desplomillandia out as places to go climbing,  we turned our attention back to the cave.  La Villa Strangiato became my focus as it was steep, short, and the crux was low down after a five metre scramble.  I had it worked by the end of the first day and Craig even managed to send it second redpoint.  When it came to my second redpoint the following day tactics came into play and the t-shirt came off. Despite getting surprisingly boxed I made it to the top and could relax.  A beer was clearly in order.

The Path To Poema De Roca

The rest of the trip after this was pretty un eventful climbing wise for me, I stood at the bottom of a 7c in the cave called Eye Of The Storm, a fantastic looking, super overhanging route,  but with only three days left,  after a go each me and Craig decided it wasn’t worth the time we had left.  Then most of the day after was lost following a night out at a student party.  It was a good party though, I only avoided embarrassing myself by falling asleep at two o’clock in the morning on a sun lounge.  Fortunatly someone woke me up and pointed me in the direction of a sofa before someone else decided the lounge would look far nicer in the pool. Craig, from what I gathered tried to make it back to the campsite, but instead ended up on a sofa in a different bungalow.  By the time the last day rolled round I was to pumped to even lead a long and juggy 7a I had worked all the moves on, falling off even lower than I had on the onsight attempt.

And well that was it, my first climbing trip abroad over, I had survived, despite not having a clue what I was doing half the time and having only had pasta with either tuna or mince pretty much every night for tea. So maybe it hadn’t gone how I had expected and I hadn’t crushed it on the rock,  but looking back now, that doesn’t really matter. I learnt so much about been left to roam without my parents in the background and my confidence on rock has definitely increased.  In the month since I have been back I have managed to lead a 7a second go and I also managed to lead Dyperspace (7c) at Dinbren.  So I guess all there is left to say is stay tuned for more tales of my climbing antics and if you ever go to El Chorro, definitely stay at The Olive Branch.

The View As I Waited For A Train To Leave El Chorro

 

Not Giving In – Working Dyperspace

Located just five minutes away from the Coop in Llangollen ( an ideal place to pick up lunch for the day), Dinbren is a limestone sports climbing venue in the Clwyd and a real gem of a crag. It is also home to my current project – Dyperspace.

Dyperspace was first put up by Rob Mirfin (Mirf) in 2003 as a direct start to Babycrusher. The route tackles a short roof start that goes as a boulder problem I’d put at around 6c+/7a, before leading into the 7b route crux of Babycrusher. Given 7c, although apparently soft for the grade (it still feels super hard for me to link it all up to me at the moment), it will be my hardest ascent to date when I finally send it.

I first got on Dyperspace last September after having sent Babycrusher second go just a month earlier. I spent my first seenion on the route working out the boulder problem start and by the time I had it worked I was psyched for the send, but to pumped to have any redpoint attempts. I dashed back as soon as I could, with Mirf as my belay,  and I quickly jumped on a top rope to reacquaint myself with the upper sequence. All went well and with bad weather looming on the horizon I quickly tied into the sharp end for my first redpoint. I blew it pretty quickly. Round two and I made it past the first crux, but lacking a clipping sequence I blew it after failing to clip fourth and messing up my foot sequence. I felt confident that with one more redpoint I would get it. Then it started to rain. Then, bar a few dry days when I got out on the grit, all it seemed to do was rain until the weekend after I got back from Spain.

The weekend after I got back from Spain I went to Llanymynech, but this Friday and Saturday (following two days training and a day stripping and route setting) I managed to get two more sessions on Dyperspace. So much for one more redpoint. On Friday I bolt to bolted it and quickly had the upper sequence re-wired. Then after finding a new sequence for the start I felt confident. Four redpoints later and I was running out of burns. One last go and I found myself at the 7b crux for the first time. Despite feeling boxed I committed for the pocket. I didn’t make it, I didn’t even touch it with the tips of my fingers. Then to add insult to my frustration I pulled a jug off at the top and took a good lob. It felt like I had come closer to gaining my pilot wings than to actually getting Dyperspace. Although I was initially gutted, I still felt super psyched and luck was on my side, I would be back tomorrow. Despite a pessimistic weather report for Saturday, we took the risk and headed out. It paid off and despite a few showers and the beer towel been called into action to clear up some seepage, I managed to get three more redpoints in. A foot slip putting the draws in meant I blew the first attempt and then getting my body position wrong on the second attempt of the day meant I was flung into space once again. I knew I only had one more burn on me and somehow I pulled through the opening sequence and  then I managed to catch the pocket on the 7b crux. My finger tips had somehow managed to grab the bare minimum of the pocket, but with one move to the jugs I thought that surely I’d be able to pull through. Twisting my right hand to a position where I could push down off it I was struggling and despite utter commitment I was off in a matter of seconds. “F********************************K” I screamed uncontrollably as all my frustration poured out.  A brief pause and then when what had happened fully sunk in, a roar of “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” poured out as well. Skin shredded, arms pumped beyond belief and it was over for the day.

The Bit Of Wall With Dyperspace On At Dinbren

So what went wrong? How could I go from thinking I needed one more redpoint to falling of eight times in two days?

I could give a long list if excuses, and trust me over the past few days I have analysed all the reasons I didn’t send it and the consequences of not getting it quickly.  All I will say is, although I feel stronger than I did at the end of last September, I am not currently as route fit as I was and/or I was to pumped after route setting and training in the three days before my first session on Friday. Of course I have also stressed out a little and started wondering if this means I won’t climb harder 7c’s or even an 8a this year, because I haven’t got Dyperspace as quickly as I expected. But fortunately thanks to guidance from the low-key legend himself, Mirf, I have come to see the positives of my recent attempts on Dyperspace. For starts I’ll be building up more route fitness and confidence falling off it than I would have done getting it on my first redpoint of the year. It is also going to be my first 7c and breaking into a new grade can take time, be frustrating and be difficult (something which applies to a climber trying to break into any grade). And yes although I’m stronger than last year, it has definitely taught me how valuable route fitness is even on shorter routes. And last but not least hopefully it’s going to feel a lot better when I finally get it (or so I keep telling myself). The key is not giving in, especially when you know eventually it will go.

For your entertainment here is a link to a video filmed by me (but edited by the beloved Father Ratcliffe) of me falling off (the swearing has been edited out) – https://vimeo.com/91333762

And well that pretty much sums up Dyperspace so far. Stay posted for any more news on it.

Holidays In The Sun – El Chorro Part 2

Following my comeback of the previous evening and with my crisis of confidence appearing to be a thing of the past, I awoke bright and early yet again on my second climbing day of the trip. My psyche was high and more glorious limestone beckoned. A choice was made…

Another Glorious Day In El Chorro – A View Of The Front Of The Gorge

…What choice exactly I can’t remember.  Twelve days of pretty much non-stop climbing, in glorious sunshine, in beautiful surroundings and all the days have simply blurred into one. fortunately I logged the main ascents in my guidebook, so in this post I am going to try to piece together the next three days of my climbing experience in  El Chorro –

With rumours of The Gorge closure lingering on the tounges of the locals, and feeling that one warm up day had been enough for us to start climbing some harder routes, we optimistically made the hour-long walk. My ego was near bursting point already and as a result there was talk of projecting Ace Ventura (a classic 8a).  Arriving at The Gorge, a friendly German Couple introduced themselves, asking if we were going to do the walkway. Just as we had finished explaining we intended to climb on the walkway a Spanish worker shouted down from the walkway above our heads.  A long distance shouting match suddenly took place between the German and the Spaniard as they tried to understand each other.  Me and Craig just stood there sheepishly, hoping we hadn’t trekked an hour for nothing.  After around ten minutes of shouting, it became clear the walkway was closed until the afternoon and we could only climb on the first two routes on the wall at the start of The Gorge. The Germans packed up their gear and quickly departed. Unphased we unpacked our gear and quickly decided that 7a+ would be a more suitable warm up than 7b+.  An hour later and my one and only bail beaner was called to duty. It had not gone to plan,  clearly we weren’t as warmed up as we had first thought, neither of us could even work out the sequence, and with the sun quickly coming round it was starting to get hot and greasy.  Quick to share our excuses with each other as to why it wasn’t worth trying Ace Ventura on that day , we packed and left.  At least we’d been able to have a good laugh at the Spanish workers trying to pull of a counter weight abseil to promote the rebuilding of The Gorge.

More Gorge Shots, This Time A Panorama.

Arriving at Los Albercones on Frontales, normal service promptly resumed and I found myself tied into the sharp end,  attempting a 7a onsight.  Good holds, a bit of zig zaging to find the correct line and one last hard move and I had reached the lower off.  Something didn’t feel right,  it had been a little to easy.  Back on the ground, the guidebook was out and frustration burst out, something about onsighting 6a+ just didn’t sound as nice as been able to say I’d onsighted 7a.  I did get on the 7a, but I quickly I blew it above the fourth bolt and then managed to end up on a 7b+, got frustrated some more, and bailed.  Quick to blame the heat for my flailing, we lowered our goals for the day once again, convincing ourselves we would do a short and pockety 6c we had seen on Encantades that evening at all costs.  Despite the rain starting to set in, we pre-clipped the first and Craig tied in. Needless to say the rain suddenly stopped play just after Craig had tied in and was ready to set off. The quickdraw had to be abandoned, everything got soaked and a selfie of me looking miserable was quickly posted to Facebook.

After retrieving the quickdraw the following morning we headed back to Poema De Roca, ready for another day of cave exploration. As we rested in the shade underneath a boulder, a young english guy who was on holiday with his mother, introduced himself and asked if he could get on Poema Roca. Not having warmed up, we told him it was cool. He then went onto to crush it, and then crush it some more when he onsighted 7b+ and then 8a.  I was speechless, however any chance of trying to look cool myself had been blown out the window when I bailed on my 6b warm up route.  Poema Roca would have to wait for another day for me, Craig of course strolled up it second time round and I was left questioning the return of my crisis of confidence.  Not giving up hope, I decided it was time to find and redpoint something my style.

Despite its unfair lack of stars in the guide, Espola Nombrada, 7a+, provided my break through route of the trip. Located on the upper tier of Encantadas, the short  and crimpy route was worthy of at least two stars. Top roping it twice that evening and working out the sequence, I was confident it would go the next day. Getting up late the next day, we just relaxed at the campsite all morning, waiting for it to cool down a little. Wondering up to the crag that afternoon to see if the route was in the shade, I felt confident and one final top rope left me ready for the lead.  Despite nearly blowing it as I literally fell into the jug at the end of the first crux sequence, I managed to stay composed and cruised the second crux and was left with only a few jugs between me and some glory at last.

Looking Happy After Doing Espoloa Nombrada

It felt good to redpoint a hard route at last, maybe at last I had found my Chorro feet and warmed up to the rock. Not wanting to jinx it I decided to call it a day. Craig however couldn’t resist the opportunity to do one more route. Despite finding the best rest in El Chorro, skipping the bolt at the crux and many power screams, he couldn’t pull it out of the bag. Oh well, there was still plenty of days left to try to climb hard…

Craig On The Best Rest In El Chorro