Youth – A Summer Update Part Two

I finished my last A-Level exam on the morning of June 13th 2013. That afternoon I went climbing at Dinbren with Mirf and Geoff and climbed my first 6b and my first 6c route. I remember having to run home after the exam in order to get back in time after catching the wrong train by mistake. On both routes I was pretty scared but despite this, the feeling I got from clipping the chains was enough for me to know that I wanted to keep climbing outside.

Every opportunity I’ve had since then I’ve climbed outside if possible and I think I’ve enjoyed every day out, despite all the frustration, anger and upset on the days where things aren’t going your way cause, because at least at the end of the day I’ve been able to go out and do what I love.

Me On Just Another Rote Name, My First 6c

I had definitely been frustrated and upset about not been able to do an 8a before my trip to Yorkshire and I knew after that trip, that if I didn’t put climbing 8a on the backburner and was still unsuccessful or at least didn’t start to get close to sending one, that fundamental fun I got from climbing would soon go missing. Instead I took my psyche from the trip and focused on using it to help consolidate my 7c/+ grade.

The week after Yorkshire I went out with Mirf again to Cheedale Cornice to make the most of it been in condition. Although I had, had two sessions on Powerplant, a classic 8a, earlier in the summer, I decided to stick to the plan and get on something slightly easier. I had initially wanted to get on Cry Of Despair (7c), however after a quick read of the guide book, Mirf suggested I tried This Is The Sea (7c+) instead. This Is The Sea definitely suited my strengths been like a Cornice version of The Rivals, a hard boulder problem start followed by a 6b+ route to the top maybe. I managed to work out the start moves relatively quickly, making a big pop to a back gaston off a sidepull and an undercut rather than use these two horrible crimps. Then on my first redpoint attempt of the day I got through the crux and onto the easier climbing above. Having done the top section twice with ease on a top rope I hadn’t put enough focus into memorising the moves and soon found myself struggling to make the last easy move around a bulge to the jug you clipped the chains off. Trying to pop my foot across in a final desperate commitment to send the route I barn doored off and took a five metre lob of the route, cutting up my arm as I came crashing back into the wall.

Looking Happy, If A Little Battered, After Falling Off This Is The Sea

A week later and I was back at Cheedale Cornice, but after belaying Mirf on his send of K3 (8a+) I wasn’t feeling psyched enough to get back on This Is The Sea and instead we headed over to Rubicon so I could try Too Old To Be Bold (7c). Unfortunately though whatever had cursed me last week struck again and I fell of matching the final jug. It is a phenomenon I am naming premature ejugulation.

In between my those two trips though I did get out in the peak and did have two sessions trying an 8a at Raven Tor. Having done the 7A+ boulder problem start to Rattle and Hump super quickly, I already knew if I could work out a sequence for the top I’d have a good chance of doing it and having a vague idea of the sequence from a brief look at the holds on the upper wall I couldn’t resist having a look at the moves when I ended up at The Tor. I have found a sequence that works and I have managed to do the 7A+ start almost every time since, unfortunately the crux move on the upper wall is skin dependant and my skin hasn’t held out enough for me to have more than three serious redpoint attempts. I’m not to disappointed though as I know I can do it and it isn’t to hard to relearn the sequence, so who knows with a bit of luck it might go and I did manage to send my first 7B boulder (in under ten attempts) after no longer been able to try it on my second session, so I didn’t come away empty handed.

I also took a day of sport climbing and went out for a days bouldering and trad climbing at Stanage Plantation. Although perhaps been unable to do a V2 layback a day after doing a 7B didn’t fill me with confidence, I did have a fantastic time and got up some stuff. Not To Be Taken away is a fantastic boulder and one definitely worth doing if you boulder 6c or above, the hard part is definitely the start and once on the ramp, all you need to do is stay calm, enjoy the position and feel super cool as you heel hook your way to glory. I also did Telli (E3 6a), I’m happy to admit I top roped it first and led it on a bomb shelter of pre placed gear in the break, but I still got a proper buzz from the adrenaline when I sent it. I even took my first trad fall as I fell off it on my first attempt, although I think I fell of as in the back of my mind I knew I needed to take a trad fall and that was as safe a position as any to take it in. However I can definitely see how people get addicted to hard trad and I’d definitely like to do a few more routes on the grit before I head down to Plymouth.

Dan On Not To Be Taken Away

It also looks like my summer update is going to be a three parter as I’ve wrote far more than expected. Hopefully I’ll get that wrote up pretty quickly though.

Tiger In My Tank – A Day At The Roaches

If you read my post on my goals for this year you’d have probably guessed that Trad was something at the very far back of my mind.

But just in case you missed it this is what I wrote-

Trad – At the moment I’m not as psyched for trad as I am for sport or bouldering. I’m not experienced enough to jump on anything really hard and I really want to do some hard climbing this Summer. This means I probably won’t focus on it loads until Autumn or Winter and even then I’m just going to continue building up my skill and confidence. E2-E3 is achievable in terms of climbing difficulty but whether I can pull of the mental game and be safe is a different question.

To put it bluntly, I want to climb hard this year and I felt that I wouldn’t be able to do this on trad.  Having never tried anything harder than E1 and have never gone out and been able to try any trad route I would consider hard, I was really put off putting any time and effort into it. Now I’m not saying I’m suddenly going to convert to Trad,  my main focus for this summer is definitely sport, but my opinions have definitely changed after my day at The Roaches last Thursday.

After having not been able to get out since I tried Wild In Me a week and a half before I jumped at the chance to get out with JD, even if that meant going out trad climbing. But with a glorious forecast and a chance to climb on some real rock, I was hardy going to say no.

Despite been unable to decide what we wanted to focus our attentions on for the day, I quickly found myself tied in for an easy climb to warm up. Just as I had put my first piece of gear in on the severe I had gotten on, a group of school kids wondered past escorted by their teacher. Rather than walk on by of course, they stopped and the teacher tried to explain what I was doing. Now I’m not going to lie, I’ve had to back of severes in the past and with a group of school children watching,  I didn’t feel my pride and dignity  could take the shame of having a repeat of past experiences. What was supposed to be a pleasant warm up became a daunting prospect. Fortunately my confidence has greatly improved since I backed of Twenty Foot Crack at Burbage North at around the same time last year, and I made it to the top without any whimpering. A quick round of applause and a sigh of relief and the kids wondered off before JD had a chance to show off by seconding the route in his trainers.

After then seconding JD on a really nice VS where you literally had to crawl out to top out, JD put a top rope down on Barriers In Time. Having never climbed anything harder than E1, I expected the moves on a grit E6 to be impossible for myself, especially on a slab climb. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself falling off just two moves from the top on my first go. Unfortunately I could not work out the two moves between where I got to and the top on any of my subsequent attempts. However it is definitely route I would like to go back and try again, especially as it looked pretty safe apart from the big fall you would take falling off the last two hard moves.  However it’s nice to know I should be able to do the moves on some harder grit routes and hopefully give them a go.

After we got bored of falling of Barriers, JD put another top rope on another three star slab route called The Thin Air.  An obligatory E5 solo with a nasty ground fall if you ever tried it.  However with the safety of the top rope I quickly found out I could do all the moves.  But it is still really droppable with a hard rock over followed by a toe to hand match before a hairy top out.  Despite this I kind of feel tempted to have a few more top ropes and then see if I had the guts to try it. JD managed to do it in a oner and I’m pretty sure he’ll be back this winter to tick it.

To finish of the day JD told me I should try Sifta’s Quid, which is in the guide book described as a “classic Roaches rite of passage”. Basically you have to crawl through a hole. If you want esoteric  value then this is the route for you.  Been assured you couldn’t fall out of the hole I headed up in my trainers without a rope to discover the wonders that lay within. I came out the other side about ten minutes later with a hole in my t-shirt and grit rash on my elbows, back, front and pretty much anywhere else exposed.  But if anyone is looking for a severe they’d struggle to fall of or a bit of fun, it’s definitely worth doing. Just remember to take of your harness if your soloing it and be prepared to lose your trousers if your belt isn’t done up.

My Back After Doing Siftas’ Quid

I was nicely surprised at how good the day out was as learning experience and it has definitely opened my eyes to what hard trad would be like. Maybe if I can keep my head together on the sharp end I’ll pull some cool ascents out of the bag this year, if not I’m definitely keen for a few more relaxing days having fun on some easy trad. A big thanks has to go out to JD for taking me out and showing me some new things and letting me top rope some harder stuff with him.