The new toy

So then what did Santa bring you at Christmas, because I was a good boy he got me a new GoPro Hero 3 black edition. I knew right away I needed to get out at try it out so today I headed down to the cuttings for some bouldering. With nothing hard in mind I headed to a new boulder my friend drew found last week and thought I would get on it and film the FA. Well its not going to be in next years Reel Rock Tour but it's a start to getting a video series of the bouldering in Dorset.

lets see how we go....... 

Blood Blister

Coronal Mass Ejection V5

 

Nu Breed V4

 

What's been cranking Vol 2

The Cranking has been continuing throughout the last few weekend at Dorset. Ive been trying to push my grade up and try and find out my own limit. I am very psyched at the moment, and I wanted to take advantage of it and keep the momentum going. Me and my friend Drew have spent the last few weekends down at the sweet crag of Winspit, even though not the best crag in the world it certainly has it gems. I remember looking at its south face and thinking wow those routes look hard and never really thought I would ever be at a level to try them. That was then and this is now so times are different and my level of climbing has risen since then and I managed to tick the hardest route of the crag "Souls of Mischief" F7c+. The following week I wanted to try the route to the right given F7c "Luancy booth" after working the crux out and working the rest I only had a little amount of time before the dark kicked in to send it, sadly this didn't happen. The following week we headed down with Drew's 50ft clip stick to clip the first half of the route (crux) from the ground. After warming up I had a fight of a go and it finally went first go of the day.

Its also good to see the legend Pete Oxley is still putting up new lines in Dorset as he has bolted a couple of new routes on the crag.

I also headed down to the Cuttings a main sport crag of Portland, my Friend's James a Vera, he had his eyes on a F7b+ "sign of the Vulcan" with a crux pull of a Vulcan style hold to a good side pull jug. After seeing Jame's work the crux I thought I would have a go at flashing it with a few grunts and a few hard pulls I got through the Vulcan and up to the finishing hold to find my self clipping the lower off. Super psyched.


I'm supper happy with where my climbing is taking me and where it might head to this year.... 

 Sign of the Vulcan

Photo Vera Cady

10 weekends

Its now soon to be the new year, I never usually look at climbing by years or by going with the idea of this year I want to do this, I want to do that. At the moment on the other hand I have been sucked into this way of thinking. I want to try and tick a hard route by the end of the year. I have never spent time on a route and i think this process will be hard to deal with at first as I don't know how to deal with being shut down on a single route for such a period of time. I guess with progression come a means of sacrifice and time will have to be it.

After tonight I have a renewed psyche as Ive just got back from watching the Reel Rock 8 Film Tour in Southampton and to watch climbers with such passion has made me look at myself and realise that I have the same amount as passion as them but I'm not a F*****G BEAST.

Time to look at the guide book ready for the weekend.....

!!!!!PSYCHED!!!!!!

Off Too Wales

With a week left on my holiday at work i decided to use it or lose it and head up to north wales.

 

 

Me and Tommy headed up on the Sunday morning in the blue monster off Tommy's work truck and got there with time to fit a bit of evening bouldering in at the famous Cromlech boulders. Ive had a small taste of these fine climbs before but nothing that testing. I warmed up on some of the easy classics of the bloc and headed round the back to try a v8 that Tommy had found in the book, I gave it a few goes before getting shutdown as well as wanting to save a bit of energy for Jerry's roof. I had seen this problem for years and have always wanted to try it but only had time for a few goes. Sadly no tick went on this problem on the day but one to come back for.

 

the next day the weather wasn't that great so we headed to where every one heads to on a rainy day parislas cave, I had seen this place on DVD's and on friends vids of the amazing lines that come out of this cave. We arrived at the crag and I was amazed about the small island that its situated on the other crags looked sweet and I was psyched to get my rope out. We went in the cave to boulder to start with and got completely shut down on the steepness and the power required for the harder lines. My friend Drew told me that I should try a 8a down at LPT just down the cliff from the cave so I asked Tommy if he would belay me and we headed down after a going bolt to bolt the tide was coming in and it was getting late so didn't have time to give it a bash but this is a place I will be back too for sure.

 

I think i did some climbing this week......

 

The next day we headed up to slate with not much of a idea on what it was going to be like. The smooth slaby nature of the rock is not my style at all but it didn't matter i was psyched and ready to climb. We headed to bus stop quarry to start with and did most of the classics on the crag and then headed over to the Australia crag. I wanted to try a E1 called looning the tube, I had seen photos of this crazy line with a 6 inch pipe leading you off onto the climb and needed to do it.

 

I headed back after an amazing day for a warm shower and some nice food form the local pub to find that the weather was going to get bad again for the next day. I had one thought in the back of my mind SNAKES AND LADDERS!!!!!. no this isn't a board game, this is a 2hour long route that runs through most of the crags on the slate. Up and down chains and ladders and through caves.

 

We woke up to 40mph gusts and a big down fall of rain, PRIME. we went for it and what a day it was. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good time. sadly my phone got completely soaked and is still not even turning on but it was worth it for sure.

 

The last day we headed back up to the slate as it was the only place dry for a 5 pitch 6b , Grand Day Out. By far some of the best bolted climbing Ive done in the UK the climbing on the top pitches are absolute brilliant.

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

Photo: Tommy Harris

Hello There Punter

On Saturday me, Dan and Ben headed down to Blacknor Far South, I haven't really been to this crag that much which is a shame as after this visit I will be heading back a lot more. The crag is not like most of the other crags at Portland as when you first see it all you can see is plain black faces with bolts in, most of the hard routes look nuts.

We warmed up on a couple of routes to then go and try a route called no body's hero a 6c up a groove. My first go I got high up into the groove and got my self a bit bamboozled at what I had to do. I saw a couple of holds out left with chalk on and this caused me to fall off by getting sucked into someone else mistake. After pulling up on the rope I found the correct sequence and ticked it next go.

I was a bit pissed at my self as this is only a 6c and that i should have been able to onsight this, o well.

I then tried a 7a called Mechanoids one of the easiest routes up the blank faces, I got high up on this one too and tried to mantle up with me finally popping off, after resting I did it next go and must say that this has had to be one of the best 7a's I have done on Portland.

I only have a week at work then a week off up to north wales or the peak for a bit of sport/ trad and bouldering fingers crossed for good weather.

 

Dan half way up Mechanoids

What's been Cranking

So then after the last few months since my last post a lot has been cracking with my life/climbing.
 

First off we carried on the siege down at Dorset and had some great days out in the sun enjoying some cool low 7 grade routes.

The main one would have to be when I went down to newquay for my stag doo. First off me and my Friend drew headed down a day early to do some climbing at the amazing crag of ansteys cove. This place is so cool almost like being abroad. We both had our eyes set on climbing the main 7b line down there "Empire Of The Sun", after a quick warm up on not much I had a bolt to bolt go on it to see what the crack was. I had a rest while drew had a good blast at it and then had a burn myself. Surprising my self I was one bolt from the lower off not 100% knowing what to do, I tried and tried but eventually fell off. After a good rest I tied back in and had another burn and got to the chains with success.
 
Drew then advised me to try something harder so we went round the corner to try a 8a but sadly I was NO WAY near it. As we returned back to Empire so drew could try it again we arrived at the bottom of the route to find that some bastard had nicked my rope, rope bag and my Gri Gri. What a great start to my stag doo. Luckily drew had his rope as well so we could get the gear back and go get messy in newquay with the rest of the gang.



 My new belay bitch

 
 
 The big day was due so i got out a few more times and the took the Plunge.

Now i can start setting my seights onto what i want through my climbing life and plan a big trip to do some big things, but for now its back down to portland tomoz for some bolt cliping.

here are some pics from a recent trip bouldering....

 

 

 

Photo : Tommy Harris



Power Screams

With another amazing day ahead we headed back down to the same spot THE PROMENADE.

I have had my eyes on a section of routes down the far end of the crag where the grades shoot up and the routes shoot out horizontally. We warmed up on the usual stuff and I watched Tommy dry hump his way up a 6b+. I then wanted to get on my route "Rise of the Robots" (7b+). Ive never done a roof climb like this where you could clip most of the bolts with a clip stick from the deck.

I pulled on to look out at 6 quick draws free hanging thinking "here we go". It wasn't long before I took hold of the clip and pull up on the rope. I thought I would get the rest of the clips in and went bolt to bolt working it roughly as I went up pulling my way through to the lower off.

After a rest and watching Tommy try a 7a+ I jumped back on not really knowing what was going to happen. Before I knew it I was giving it some and a couple of power screams came out. I carried on fighting the power pump and just pulled it off on my first RP.


What a day it has been i just love this place and this sport.

Thanks to Tommy Harris for photo's

Getting it done

Another weekend of amazing sun, sea and steep routes. I headed down to the promenade again this week to try a route drew tried last week called electric circus 7b+. After meeting up we stomped down to the crag, had a quick warm up on a 6a and jumped straight on it.

I climbed up to the first bulge where the main crux is to soon find myself saying the same old words every one hears at the crag “Take”. After trying to figure it out I went to the top from the bolt and found the rest of the route ok with a couple of pulls off crimps and then onto jugs of glory.

I had another go and found the beta by dropping the knee on a low foot hold. I then had a couple goes at leading it with a few slips; I then finally caught the crux hold and pulled my way through to the jugs with success. I haven't done many 7b+’s but this one felt just as hard as some of the 7c’s I’ve done, either way I was psyched I got the route done in a day and am looking forward to this weekend.

Where to go????

PROMENADE…..

setting sights on ???

Ive had a wicked few weekends out with the start of it being bouldering. I always used to say bouldering was a load of crap and I had no time for it at all. I will never say that again after the winter spent in the boulder field and in some new venues Ive realised Ive got alot stronger and been able to open doors to the routes I wouldn't of been able to do before.

I headed down to the Promenade with drew this weekend, somewhere Ive been say to him that I wanted to spend my summer climbing. I didn't really know why I wanted to do this or weather I was good enough to spend lots of time here. when we arrived the waves were down and the sun was out, so our psyche was on a high. after warming up we walked round looking for routes to try and we found a few power routes that would suit our bouldering strength. we started on a 7a which I managed to onsight and a bit shocked that it felt not that hard. next up was a 7b+ and after working out the crux it soon went down and I was just thinking about what a amazing day this had turned out to be. drew had done another 7a wile I was on the other route so I thought I would give it ago with the beta and soon found my self flashing it and lowering off.

I will defiantly be heading back to this mega venue.

I got asked a question at the weekend on weather I had a route that I would like to do this year and I honestly didn't have a clue just because I never thought that I would be able to climb hard grades and super cool routes. I think I will have to start searching through the guide books and setting my sights on something.

Things are on the up

It has been really good weather in the past week and it started with a Friday down at Portland with a man on a mission.

I headed down there looking to do some first ascents on some boulders my friend drew found. I headed down bright and early ready to hit it with Drew coming over later that day to meet up with some friends in a new area. After arriving at the boulders in the sun thinking how much of a nice day it was, it wasn’t long before I was hoping it would cloud over and cool down. I was dumping rocks everywhere making a flat landing, pulling ivy away and cleaning mud of the top outs.

Once it was all done I laid in the sun for an hour waiting for drew to arrive and also so I could have a rest. He turned up and we both managed to climb all the problems available with high hopes for something hard we ended up with just a handful of v2’s and one v4.

We then headed over to meet friends in a new spot with lots of potential hard problems, maybe more to come soon.

I headed over to Winspit on the Sunday with temps a bit colder then previous days. I had my eye on a 7b+ called rev head highrollers, a cool line that has a steep start and a really good finish up a arête. I had tried this a couple of times the week before but had no luck on it thinking that the roof was just too much for me, after going up bolt to bolt to get the clips in I pulled the rope and psyched up to just go for it and see what happens. Before I knew it I was through the thuggish roof and at a ok rest, with not much more to go I went for it and ended up clipping the lower off with joy. My first 7b+ of the year.

With my psych on a all-time high I’m heading to cheddar gorge on Sunday to get some on finished business sorted out and head to lion for some hard steep limestone.

What to do next

With the Swizzy trip being a successes and getting some personal best out there with a font 7b+ flash and some 7a flashes I thought it could be a good time to start focusing on the hard sport lines that I’ve always wanted to get into.

I have made a rough plan on what routes I would like to do this year and what sort of level I want to be at for the end of the year. I know with doing this it can cause un wanted pressure but I have only made this plan a rough guide line.

With the weekend on its way I was thinking on what to do and were to go, boulder, sport.

It ended up with me and some friends heading down to Winspit, a limestone quarry at Swanage. I had a few routes in mind and was hoping they would be dry after all the rain we had in the last few months. We drove down with temps being around the 5° range and with a little bit of wind, so conditions were looking to be prime. After a short walk down we arrived to find that the most of the planned harder routes were wet but one stood out that was dry “rev head high roller” 7b/+.

After warming up on some easy routes I was starting to think weather I could do it as I hadn’t been on a rope for a long time and endurance was down. After a few goes on top rope Drew and I had managed to work out the crux. The only thing was now it was the end of the day and we were both spent. I will defiantly be back for this route and the others as the positions you get into and the moves you have to do are more suited to me at the moment after bouldering for the winter.

This weekend will be a hard one to choose as I have so many things to do and am so psyched I don’t know where to go first.

Roll on some actual training and more climbing.

swiss day one

After an eventful drive we arrived in Switzerland, to our supper cool swiss house. We made plans to head to the local bouldering area for the first day Cresciano, we rocked up the hill to finally find the sectors and instantly everyone was running about looking at cool problems. Once everyone was warmed up Steve found a good looking problem called XP f7c. Me, Steve and Dan had a go once finding the beta we all managed to pull our way through. We then headed to sector 5 to try some fun slabs with a classic problem called never ending story a hold less slab that starts with a step up mantle and lots of giggles.

We had a quick go at franks wild years f8a+ but after sore tips and tired arms not much got done so headed home for food and sleep,

Rest day today and lucky enough its raining so nothing lost

SwiZZy

With just under a week to go until my trip to Switzerland I'm not feeling to good with another cold on its way the next few days will involve running and swimming trying to get it out of my systems.

All I have been doing is watching YouTube clips getting more and more psyched about the place.
fingers crossed all goes well and I'm able to crank on some hard problems.

PSYCHED!!!

Special K Video

Here is a vid from the awsome weekend of Special K in Crafnant

Video Kieran King

Wales Weekend

After a day at Crafnant we headed to Nesscliffe, the sand stone crag of Shropshire. We arrived and warmed up on some cool face climbs, given that Ive not done much on sandstone I was surprised on how I done. With most of these climbs being more about balance than power which is not me at all.

We headed up to the upper tier for Kieran and Mikey to try some of the harder lines. They managed to tick off most of the crag with only one or two lines left.

Here is some pics from the weekend. super psyched to get back up to wales for some more sending also it has opend my eyes on whats to come down south with some potently first ascents.

!!!PSYCHED!!!

 

Photo's Kieran King

 

Crafnant

Im currently in wales for the weekend to check out some of the bouldering it has to offer, not know to much about the area i headed up with drew who knows a few locals. We met up with a local Kieran King and mikey and then headed up to Crafnant.

With a 1hour drive we arrived at the car park and could see the boulders bathing in the blue skys and big sun. I dint really know what to exspect as i hadnt really been bouldering any were than the cuttings. We hiked up all super pysched and rocked up under some cool warm ups. After getting the tips warmed up we headed up to the Wonder wall boulder. We did a font 6b lip travers and for me i strugled like hell to top it out but managed to do it first go and was thinking crap im not going to do well.

Then did a font 6c and did it first go and then i felt solid and just started to go through the list of climbs.

After a long day heading into the dark i had my best performance ever with a ticklist that had a 7c+!! in it, PYSCHED !!!!!!!

Tomorrow we are heading nesclife to check the sand stone out woop woop


Pics and video to follow soon

Flu

Its always a bummer when u get ill when you are feeling good on the rock. Today i got out to the cuttings not feeling 100% when i arrived i was cold within seconds with the high winds and freezing conditions. One thought was ye friction will be great after warming up and watching Tommy cheat his way up a V7 i got on a V6, i did it first go but felt like hell while doing it.

I thought it would be a good idea to get back on Guy Fawkes but this turned out to be not a very good effort, I held the crux but couldn't pull through.

I will have to wait it out until I'm better roll on north wales next weekend!!!

Liquid Grip

I have been using this new product called LiquidGrip and the results are pretty good. the main problem Ive found with most liquid chalk products is that they just smell too toxic and that they seem to be too messy leaving marks all over the bouldering mat, this also cant be to good for the material of the product either.

When using Liquid grip it doesn't leave any marks on anything and is less potent than other products.

the texture of the product is less powdery than others and when you first use it you think its not enough chalk on ya hands, but when you get your hands on the rock you know instantly that its enough and the friction was enough.

I use this product before red points on routes and before going for it on a boulder. On routes its a great product because if apply it to yourself before you go for it!! you will find that you will not need to re chalk at all or maybe only once by the time your at the top.

Check this stuff out its top notch in my view.

http://liquidgrip.co.uk/

 

As the weather was looking bad for the weekend I took the day off to get down to the cuttings and get back on  some projects. After warming up and watching drew try the 3* problem "ladies night" we stomped up to the new cuttings to try "Guy Fawkes". On my first try I managed to catch both the crimps and tryied to jump to next edge and balls it up. Now the sun was on the problem every time i tried going to the next crimp it would just feel too greasy.

After a few tries I gave in and am going to come back to it anouther day when the sun is not out.

I now have a few trips planed for then next month and am feeling fit and ready for them. My Swiss trip is my main trip for next month and have my eyes on a few things but only time will tell what will happen.



Philip Belcher on V6 Neil Armstrong
Photo Tommy Harris



Hard Lines

Today me and a few friends headed down to the cuttings boulder field to try some harder lines. We arrived in the sun and conditions were mint. after warming up and looking at some future projects me and drew headed over to a V7 called terminator. This is a overhanging face climb on crimps prob one of the best of its grade in the field. After drew had warmed his fingers up he soon sent it with ease.

Avfter he managed to send that, I wanted to head over to a problem called "laddies night" V8. when we arrived we saw the line and got psyched within seconds. On my first attempt I managed to pull of the floor and get to the high slopers one move from the top and popped off and was gutted but supper happy too.

After a few goes i managed to send it and with body feeling strong we headed up to a problem called "guy fawkes" this gets V10, I met someone there who was trying it and he gave me the betta to the route so I got on it and gave it a good go and managed to surprise my self by pulling onto the tiny crimps and holding it but not long after that i fell off.

I think with a bit fresher arms this route could get sent.



Guy Fawkes V10
Photo Ben Stokes

Failure or Success

Failure or Success

When dealing with projects you can put a lot of pressure on yourself, this can come from not wanting to fail, not wanting to fall or having to know you are going to have to tie in on the sharp end again.

Its very easy to watch someone and see them fall and think why? Why did you fall off you looked good. Its hard to learn how to just shut it all out and just keep going even if you only get one hold further. If you do keep going and you do fall then at least have succeeded in the mental frame and you went for it. This is how you should look at climbing, not as a big burden sitting on you.

When I climb I will always look at it in this way. If I have a top rope up and I’m projecting I will break a route down into boulder sections, so if I have a 7c route I will climb to the crux and then stop and then look at what I had just done and know how I can get to here easy and efficiently. I would then try the crux and see if I can do it if not then climb the rest. All you need to do is just break it down into a problem solving exercise. If you can’t do the crux this doesn’t matter as you should look at it and say “yep I got there and I have to do is those 4 or 5 moves and I know I can do this route”.

Boulder training

I have been bouldering most of this winter so far and its starting pay off with a good day out on the rock yesterday with a good tick list:
2xV7's
2xV6's one onsight
1xV5
1xV4
1xV3

With my progress on the up and as im feeling strong ive now started to look for the harder lines. on my way out of the boulder field i had a quick look at "Guy Fawks" V11, this is a route with some tiny tiny holds. I had a very quick go on the holds and suprised my self and held them with not to much difficulty.

I am also starting to look at the long term project in the boulder field "Ty Landman" project which is prob the best looking boulder in the field.

TRAINING STARTS NOW

With this I will be starting to get to the wall 2/3 times a week with running sessions on top of this.

Training program will be uploaded soon.

Declassified V7

photo: Tommy Harris

Fingerboards

Why should I be hanging off a bit of wood or plastic for 30 minuets????

Although I have one I don’t use it at all at the moment but think that i should. My views on them will never change and I think that they are good for you in one way but can do nothing for you in another.

I agree that you can get finger strength from them by carrying on with a good routine and with steady progress. When I was using mine my routine consisted of one day on one day off. I would try and follow the “BEASTMAKER” exercises. What I find is it that most people get bored of the whole exercise but the only way to get strong is to stay on it for the whole year.

Even though your fingers get strong and you manage to hang the 10mm crimps on your little finger while holding a 10kg weight in the other hand, you will not gain the contact strength from just static hangs.
I find that the best way to gain this is on slightly overhanging walls with small holds and some big moves, if you’re planning on training this way the moves don’t have to be massive just enough so you feel like you’re going to come off. This will also train your core if you can keep your feet on the wall and keep your body open with no drop knees.

New year new plans

Now the new year is here I want to find out how I can be a better climber, this can be hard process for some people as it will show you how week you are but you also have to see how strong you are in other areas of climbing and look on that as a positive.

Today i went to reading climbing centre, I wanted to train a bit for my bouldering strength as the winter is here. when i arrived it was good to see such cool wall and good to try some of the routes from the competition they had the previous day. After warming up on some easy roots and catching up with some old friends i got onto the harder ones. I found that I was doing really well and manged to tick off all but three routes first go and from this am feeling really strong.

I have always said that most parts of climbing is in your head and i still believe this to be true. After years of climbing outside you come to relise that there are not many other moves that will be new to you that you have not done before. When onsighting routes this theory will come into effect a lot, all you need to have is the experience to carry this out.
This is something i think you can only gain from climbing outside as climbing indoors is much easier to work out as you have massive yellow holds hitting you in the face not a blank looking limestone cliff. As you look at a climb on a wall you can see some holds and think hell that looks blank. but if you were to set that same route on a indoor wall you would look at it and it would make scene. 
Learning body position and how to hold holds is key. 

drop knee to make more of a rest in a corner

Its been a long time since i have posted on here but thought i should start it back up again.
A lot has happend in the last two years and i have enjoyed every bit of it.

In may 2011 i was lucky enough to go on a trip to yosemite and what a trip this turned out to be.
As we arrived into the vally it was all but shocking about how much rock was there and how big the place was. The atmosphire was amazing just to be in a camp ground full of climbers and everyone so chilled was the best part of it.

 towards the end of the trip i unfortunately took a big fall and hit a ledge causing me to be out of climbing mode for a few weeks due to a fractured ankle.

Once back in the UK i went back to climbing sport alot and in the early months of 2012 i went on a trip to Kalymnos a small island in Greece. When we arrived i was super psyched about the place and was hoping to get a lot done.

 As soon as i got back i was getting on alot of routes knowing that i was going to head back later on in the year as the months went on i was back out feeling fit and ready. This time it was more about climbing the hard ones rather than the quantity. This had to be my best performance of rock climbing i had done with a few 7b+ ticked and also almost ticking my first 7c+.