Fancy – The Project List Increases

8a is a mythical grade to many, but with the rise of indoor training facilities it is becoming ever more achievable. Last year 8a was my lifetime climbing goal, but as a result of access to training facilities that mean I have been able to train four to six times a week over the winter, it has become a possibility for this year. So with two 7c’s now under my belt and three months until I go to university I have started heading out and projecting a lot of harder routes.

Although not quite 8a, The Rivals, 7c+, at Dinbren, was the first of two routes I tried the week before last. With no wind, no cloud and temperatures of 22 degrees it was a scorcher at Dinbren last Wednesday. However Max was the only person around to go out climbing with and as he doesn’t drive either, Dinbren was the only place we could get a lift to thanks to Dave who was heading to Trevor for a training day. Mirf had recommended The Rivals to me, telling me it was a 7A+ boulder problem into a 6c route. It definitely sounded my style and a lot nicer than The Boltest had done. Jumping on the route on a top rope the route above the starting boulder problem actually only felt around 6b, however the opening boulder felt as hard as the start to Agent Provocateur, so 7c+ seems a fair grade. The boulder problem itself has positive handholds, but the foot holds are appalling little things that are like tiny smears.  Despite the heat and thanks to Max working out most of the beta I had managed to do all of the moves by the end of my third top rope on the route.  Unfortunately though the day just kept getting hotter until it was unbearable and we ended up heading to Trevor in search of some cooler conditions after we realised there was little hope of any redpoint success.

As none of the routes at Trevor are harder than 6c we just picked one at random and lead it one after the other. Max said it felt around 6b and I said 6a+, the guidebook when we checked however said 6c.  Well I’m not going to complain, I’ll happily take it as a 6c onsight. It made for  a pleasant end to the day even if I had appeared to shake my way up it and the 6a+ I onsighted afterward. I don’t know why but I just seem to shake on onsights. Max descried me as the only guy he knew who could look smooth trying to redpoint an 8a+ but look terrified trying to onsight a 6a+.

The following day, not wanting to risk frying at Dinbren again, me and Max headed out to Crunch Buttress with. Mirf wanted to investigate the other 8a+ and the 8b there following his knee injury on Agent Provocateur the week before. This of course gave me the perfect excuse to try Agent Provocateur again with the new beta I had discovered after re-watching some videos of Ethan Walker and George Carmichael doing it. The new beta definitely worked for me, making the top sequence  few moves shorter and a lot easier, it also made the bottom sequence feel easier, however watching the videos again I have realised a slight change in my left foot position might make it even easier again. Despite not having this valuable information about my left foot at the time I still had four redpoint burns on the route and managed to do it in three parts, doing the upper boulder problem in one and the bottom half in two parts. This gives me the confidence that if I can get through the 7A+ boulder at the start and catch the first jug that I have a really good chance of doing the route. So for now all I can do is try it whenever I can persuade someone to drive down there and enjoy the process of trying it. I’ll only get stronger trying it and hopefully this means if I get a few sessions on it this year I’ll send it. If not I’m still really psyched by it and enjoying trying it and there’s still plenty of other routes I’ll hopefully do.

Ghosts’N’Stuff – Two Trips, One Post

It is just over a year since I started my gap year. In just over three months I move to Plymouth to begin life as a student. Just over two weeks ago I had the last ever shift of my first job.

I left school and pretty quickly found myself tangled in the world of work. I managed to get a good summer of climbing in, my first proper season outdoors, but since September I have only managed to get out climbing a handful off times. After my trip to El Chorro and sending Dyperspace, it quickly became clear that if I didn’t get out climbing as much as possible this summer, I was going to feel like I had in some ways, wasted my gap year. So with as much money saved as possible, I’ve taken the risk, left my job, and I’m going climbing.

And that’s exactly what I’ve done, getting out three times on my first week of no work. My first trip was to Crunch Buttress (which I wrote about in my previous blog) and then on Friday 13th I went to Long Tor Quarry and on Sunday 15th I headed out to Raven Tor.

Long Tor Quarry is a small limestone crag near Matlock, and on Mirfs’ recommendation me and Dave had headed out there to try The Boltest a three star 7c. The route itself is 20 meters of very sustained, very reachy climbing on small crimps on a very slightly overhanging wall. On paper this should be my ideal route, but I really didn’t enjoy it. I did all the moves but it just didn’t inspire me, I don’t really want to put the time into getting it done, especially when there’s so many other routes I want to do. Maybe I will go back though, I know Dave is quite keen to work it and do it, so if he goes back, maybe I’ll have a second look.

The original plan for Sunday had been to head to Chee Tor to investigate some of the routes there. However after getting slightly lost and going around in a massive circle, miserable weather had set in and it was clear only overhanging crags where gong to remain dry. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Raven Tor was selected as our wet weather venue.

After putting the draws in and top roping the crux sequence clean first and second go on a top rope to remind myself of the foot positions and how the moves felt, I was confident enough to start redpointing Wild In Me once more.

On my first redpoint attempt I made it up to the final crux move that I had dropped so many times before. Despite cold fingers I committed to what was to be another fruitless attempt. However at least I had warmed my fingers up. A short rest and it was time for round two and although I felt a lot better on the holds I just couldn’t latch the last hold on the last hard move. Taking another trip into space, gravity quickly pulled me back down to earth, balls first straight into the path of the oncoming rope. My ridicules lycra leggings offered no protection and only drew more attention to my plight. I politely declined the ibuprofen I was jokingly offered by a passer by and walked off the pain. Third time lucky?

Putting my balls on the line once again I tied in for my third attempt. Hoping been faster through the opening sequence would make the last move easier I pulled as smoothly and quickly as I possibly could through the opening boulder problem. However as I placed my left hand on a crimp on the upper wall it didn’t feel right, I quickly chalked up, desperate to finally send the route. Hand now chalked, the crimp suddenly felt a lot better and staying calm I got to the third and smallest of the crimps with my right hand.

“This time buddy” I sad to myself.

I committed once again and finally luck was on my side and I held it. Now all I had to do was stay calm reach up for the easier holds and keep my feet on and in about half a metres time I would be clipping the chains. Just as I matched the good holds though my feet came off. I couldn’t blow it now, I quickly swung my feet back on and clipped the third bolt. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed the jug romp to the top that followed and felt extremely relieved to be clipping the chains on session number three, especially seen as I’d been dropping that last move on lead since session number one.

Unfortunately on both these trips I didn’t manage to take any pictures, but here is the one Nick took of me on Wild In Me on session number two –

You Really Got Me – Enjoying Costa Del Jolly

Agent Provocateur has been on my hit list/wish list ever since I saw Mirf first try it when we went to Moat and Crunch Buttress at Water-cum-Jolly last summer. Only two days before we went on that trip, I had done my first 7b route and had you asked me on that day if I thought that within twelve months, I would be back and trying it myself, my answer would have been, “Ha ha, I wish”.  Even yesterday morning when I was picked up I was dubious I’d do little more than get off the floor before trying to find something easier to work on. But just the thought of been able to finally work a route with Mirf was enough to get me psyched to at least try it.

Despite worries we would run out of petrol before making it to a petrol station, let alone the crag, we arrived to find really nice conditions, even if the very bottom of Agent Provocateur was a little damp. However, beer towels put to full use and some chalk on the important bits and we were ready for a quick warm up before putting a rope up on it. To warm up I top roped a lovely little 6b,  it is one of many easier rotes that have been newly/retro bolted down there recently, helping make it a crag with a route on it for most, with a grade range from 6b to 8b.

The River That Runs Through Water-cum-Jolly

Fingers warm and we were ready to start working out the moves on the main attraction. Last time Mirf had tried Agent Provocateur he had started to far right and had been unable to do the last hard move at the top as he tried to do it the way shown in the picture in the guidebook rather than the dynamic method which is far easier (although it’s still hard enough). Yesterday though, he had worked out a full sequence whilst putting the draws in and after another top rope was ready to start redpointing it. The route itself can be broken down into two boulder problems, a hard 7A+ that ends with a dynamic move to a good hold and an alright rest, followed by a 7Aish problem with another even more dynamic move to a jug, that is easily dropped after doing the rest of the route.

With Mirf tying in for an attempt I walked round to the top and abseiled of to try and get some good pictures. Before I could realise what was going on he was already through the first section, and without resting, was pushing onwards to the final hard move.

My heart was in my mouth, did I watch Mirf, or did I focus on taking pictures?!

I could see Mirf eyeing up the good jug, a glint of excitement in his eyes. This was it, one leap between success and failure.

Mirf Eying Up The Jug On The Last Hard Move

He leapt.

Getting Spat Of By The Last Move

He Missed.

Surely it would go next time? Meanwhile though through out the day I had also been trying the route on a top rope and was super surprised to have done all the moves on my first time on the route. A few more top rope attempts and although the moves still felt really hard and I got really trashed trying them, to have a sequence on an 8a+, something three grades harder than I’ve ever led, is an amazing feeling and I really hope I can put some more time into it this Summer, especially seen as it shouldn’t get to warm as the crag is in the shade. Another thing that makes me believe I can do it is that after re-watching the two videos of the route, I have seen some new beta that should hopefully make some of the sequences, including the moves I found hardest a little easier. I guess though only time will tell, and I don’t want to focus to much and get bogged down by one route. But if I can do the moves, just maybe, I can link it.

My First Go On The Route

The 80’s Look Was Out For My Next Top Rope

Before we left Mirf had one more redpoint attempt. He fell off the lower section but quickly jumped back on and cruised through it. However when he got up to the final few moves something was wrong. “Take”. Mirf had done something to his right knee using a crucial heel-toe cam and I had apparently only not heard the crunch because I was to busy listening to the shutter as I tried to take photos. So it looks like this one is going to have to wait for Mirf at least. It’s a good job there’s another 8a+ and an 8b for him to try down there!

A Picture Of Mirf On The Warm Up Route

 

Here Comes The Summer – A Daytrip To Millstone

Although I am terrible for going out with a plan, a route I want to try, a goal for the day, sometimes, it is nice just to go out climbing without a plan. You have the chance to do whatever you feel like on the day without any pressure you’ve put upon yourself in the predeceasing days.

Two Sundays ago I was supposed to be attempting to run eight and a bit miles around Sutton. I’d even had to pay for the privilege of participating. But two and a half months after I had signed up and one five mile training run five weeks before the day itself and it was pretty clear I was anything but prepared and I definitely wasn’t psyched for it. So on Friday when Mirf told me that a large majority of the redpoint massif (two member of mums on tour included) were heading out climbing for the day on Sunday, I quickly checked the forecast for an excuse to bail on the fun run.  Glorious sunshine forecast and confirmation it was me and not my father who had paid for my entry to the fun run and my mind was made up.

Fast forward to Sunday and I had somehow persuaded Father Ratcliffe to drive me to Dave’s so I could get a lift with him to Millstone. I had only been told we were going to Millstone at 8 o’clock that morning, so only had time to grab my copy of the guidebook before I left. I had no idea what to expect from this quarried gritstone crag I had never been to before.  A quick flick through the guidebook in the car on the way there seemed to reveal that unless you wanted to climb some scary arêtes, it was time to learn how to crack climb.

The View From Embankment Wall At Millstone

Unsure what to do when I got to the crag, I decided to throw a rope down and abseil of the edge to try and take some pictures of Dom on Embankment Route 4.  Mirf had already led it and left some gear in for him, but still, it would be his first gritstone E1 and his fourth ever trad route, it was definitely going to be exiting to see how his lead played out. After climbing mum had fully prepped him and made sure he had an adequate rack to further protect the route, he kindly waited until I was ready before he set off. I think everyone who watched, felt that it went extremely smoothly and apart from one cam placement that didn’t go his way (and he ended up not clipping), he eased his way up the route extremely confidently. However I did ask Dom how he felt it went –

“I was excited to start off and found the climbing easy, although I had one iffy cam placement which made me nervous, after this I started climbing well again and composed myself to make it safely to the top.”

 

 

Dom wasn’t the only one attempting E1’s though and with a few tips of Mirf on how to climb finger cracks I decided to give Embankment Route 3 a go. The fact it had two old pegs in it and that cracks are well protected, was probably a big help for my confidence in climbing the route. However despite my total lack of experience climbing cracks, I did find the climbing extremely steady and I even managed to find a no hands rest.  Apparently using it was showing off though.

To finish the day I seconded Mirf up an E2 finger crack which was amazing, and is definitely something I’d like to go back and lead along with routes such as Reagent Street (one of Mirfs top ten peak routes). I also had a go on a few boulder problems and before I knew it, it was time for an ice cream and then home. So it was another excellent family day out and I look forward to the next. Lets hope this good weather is here to stay.

In the meantime here are a few more pictures I took at Milstone-

Bill Climbing

Everyone Looking Happy 🙂

Some Serious Climbing Taking Place…

The View From The Top Of The Crag