Monday, 15 December 2008

Works comp and team training

Friday night saw th 2nd works comp and it was a roll over on the bonus problem meaning there was £150 to be won. I arrived at 7 having driven from France to find hardly anyone there in the mix for the prize, all i had to do was figure out Percy's deviance and send to glory. the problem turned out to be more of a route, with footless moves on jams! thankfully i like jamming and so after figuring out a few of the moves sent it on my second attempt :)

And so to Newcastle for the second team training of the year at the newly opened climb Newcastle, always good to climb at a new wall. Saturday saw us tackling 15 problems from 7a to 8a, before a fingerboard session with the Earl (well take the piss session!). Sunday saw another 8 problems in the morning, followed by another visit to yesterdays problems plus some others that looked good along the way (the perils of climbing in group of 4 competitive people!)

I felt fit, my main problem being the pain in my finger tips having just spent three weeks on granite! but the body was still willing at the end, and the whole weekend was really positive with everyone climbing well. And would well recomend climb Newcastle as a top venue, nice one Andy and Chris (and Darren)

Saturday, 13 December 2008

Cresciano and Chironico and snow

Just returned from three weeks in Switzerland, had two days of perfect weather, with barely reaching zero degrees! flashed power ranger - 7b+, just a couple of minging crimps and did Komilator in less than an hour, a really cool tenuous heel hook. Then it snowed and rained for four days, with a day of waiting for things to dry before t was back to sending!
I very nearly flashed the mega classic La Boule at Cresciano, dropping the move to the final good crimp! if only i'd been warmer, and then frustration as i lost how to do the press across.

Stew and Sabby came out to meet us at Chironico, i did No Mysteries 8a+, unfortunately couldn't reach the move of the heel-toe so just had to jump and basically one arm the crimp! definitely worth the plus in my book! The same day i flashed Dr Crimp - 7c not just pulling on minging little crimps as i thought it would be, a really nice problem.



The next day at cresc for a bit of warmth, saw round two of the la boule battle! i new i only had one good try on it due to failing skin, the pressure was on! thankfully i did it on my second attempt of the day, and decided i would spend the rest of the day trying to grow skin!


Back to Chironico, saw a flashes of les doigts vert - 7c+ and Virtruvian man - 7c, before declaring it too cold and going in search of hot chocolate and a weather forecast.
The forecast showed only one more day of good weather and a promising forecast for font, so a long morning was had at cresc, making good progress on La Prou getting my hand over the hold with my foot popping or coming up just short with it sticking! definitely psyched to go back.