Eindhoven, Barcelona and Sheffield

First up I qualified for the final in 4th place at Eindhoven and slipped to 6th place. In the final i had nothing left even though i felt like i was capable of doing all four, i only topped the first problem. This photo sums up my final quite well.The following weekend was Barcelona, where i qualified for the semi finals and finished 11th but should have been in the final really after i missed a foothold on one problem doing it 2nd go and fell victim to a stupid out of bounds tape on an other. I was pleased to perform well in such horrendously hot conditions, i don't know who's idea it was to hold a competition in a non air conditioned building in the middle of summer but they should be shot as the are so many cool places in Barcelona it could have been attracting a large audience too, but it wasn't so no one really saw it!
Finally It was the home event in Sheffield at cliffhanger, where i hoped to climb well......unfortunately i climbed well and felt strong but only topped three problems falling off the top of the other 2 leaving me 16th in a very strong group. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes in such a strong field 7 of this years finalists did not qualify! The semi final problems also look like they would have suited me too, a very frustrating weekend.

Ohh well a weekend off this week(well lots of work) before heading out to Arco for the World championships where I'm also going to do the lead, which should be fun.

Font Videos

Below are two videos from my trip to Font, Karma and Gecko (assis) which is apparently 8b+ my first of the grade :-)

Karma


Gecko assis

Karma and Gecko (assis)

I've just got back from 2 weeks in Font, where i did the mega classic Karma (8a+) and the sit start to Gecko (8b) my first 8b in the forest. I also did Rubis Sur L'Ongle, La Gaule a reach dependent prow that i didn't think i had the span for. I was also getting close to Satan i Helvete but ran out of dry weather and skin!

Here is a pic of La Gaule, i am currently editing together some video footage so watch this space.

the frustrations of finger injuries

Well the Sheffield world cup was extremely frustrating. The finger i tweaked at city bloc a few weeks ago and aggravated last weekend in Eindhoven was very sore while crimping, which was fine on the first three problems, but on the fourth, a very fingery vickers creation it proved too much for my weakened finger. The last problem wasn't much better, leaving me with three tops in four attempts. and a very frustrating 28th place. At least the rest of the Brits did us proud with three men and four women getting into the semi-finals, and the team came 2nd!
Here's a pic of me making some shapes on problem 3.

I've now got a few weeks before the final world cup round in Munich to sort my finger out and do some training and some work.

Sheffield world cup this weekend

This weekend sees the uk round of the bouldering world cup, Qualifiers are on saturday, semi's and finals on sunday. It is being held at Cliffhanger in Sheffield, so come on down and support the British team. If you can't get down there, it is being webcast too here

Eindhoven world cup

After taking 15th place at Vail i had a few weeks to work on a few things before the next round in Eindhoven, mostly a bit of strength work and take part in the City bloc comp (bloc party) where i successfully defended my title, flashing all three of the final problems. It was good to start feeling strong again.

Before Eindhoven i had a long rest my last climbing session being on the Tuesday, i actually felt good warming up for the qualifiers. I topped out three of the five problems and could have done the fifth but got a split tip on my first attempt! But i qualified well for the semis in 9th. Warming up for the semis i felt relaxed and strong, but had a big hole in my finger! i tapped up and told my self it didn't matter and i could pull on the holds anyway. I topped out two problems in three attempts, which to my surprise was enough to make my first final of the season. Stu very nearly made it in too, which probably would have been a first for GB but was pushed out at the last minute by Ondra.
I decided i was just going to enjoy the final, even though i felt tired and my skin was very sore. I topped the first two problems but ran out of steam on the third even though i would have backed my self to do it. I was so tired on the last problem and it was probably the hardest problem too. I finished 5th in the best final of the season in front of a very large and noisy dutch crowd.

here's me after flashing the first final problem. Thanks to Heiko for the photo.
I can't wait for Sheffield next weekend.

Vienna World cup

Last weekend was the 2nd world cup round in Vienna.
I scrapped through the qualifiers in 17th for the semi finals, where i always seem to climb better than the qualifiers. I topped the hardest problem on my second go and got all four bonus's in five attempts, putting me in a slightly frustrating 8th, just missing the final (if only i had done that problem on my first attempt!). I was still quite pleased considering the frustrating off season i've had.
Stew made in to the final with 2 tops and came in fourth.

Swiss world cup

The Swiss world cup was a bit frustrating, so close to making the semi finals but not quite on a slightly strange and reachy set of problems, it was good to see Stu climbing well and be so close to making the final.
Off to Vienna this weekend for round two which is being broadcast live here.

one or two things

Plywood masters

Last Saturday saw the annual Plywood masters at Boulder UK, After the qualifiers i was in first place, but with Nige looking strong and Ned always capable of pulling something out the bag the pressure was still on!
I flashed all five of the final problems to take the title for the second year in a row.
It was nice to feel strong in a comp again and am now motivated to train for the first round of the world cup in a three weeks time.

Harrogate

Monday and Tuesday i was at the recently opened Harroagte climbing centre to do the first re-set of the bouldering wall so there are now 50 new problems to test yourselves on, get down there its well worth a visit.

A bit of trad pottering!

Saturday i decided to dust off the trad head and went off to Burbage south to find some cooler temperatures and found the conditions to be really good, having warmed up on a few easy routes we did the knock, then i on-sighted Nosferatu, which has amazing moves on really positive crimps, a bit like a limestone route really! Then it was down for a classic fight with Goliath, which i found surprisingly easy, and not much of a fight at all if you just go for it! Finally the draw of Messiah was too much it looked like my kind of climbing and decided to go for the flash(nearly on-sight but it was well chalked and i have seen video footage a long time ago so not much help from that!) Turns out it was my style as i powered through the crux some of the best moves i've done in a long time. Mr Messenger was on hand to take a few photos too.
Not a bad day really E6 on-sight, E7 flash and not a pad in sight!

Manchester

Yesterday i set the downstairs bouldering area at Manchester climbing centre so more problems to test your monkey genes on.

The CWIF

Saturdays Cwif was a mixed affair for me, qualifiers went well, finishing in third place for the semi-finals. The semi's where incredibly frustrating as i felt strong but only managed to top out one problem, finishing in 11th. I miss read the second and just did not feel like i had enough power endurance on the third or enough recovery for the last problem. I'm not sure whether i was not fit enough or i just hadn't eaten enough during the day. But at least i now have something to work on in the five weeks before the first round of the world cup in Switzerland.

Fontainebleau

Well font could best be described as mostly moist and very frustrating as it only rained at night with the days being nice. Still managed to do a few things though, mostly on the same day. The highlight being Beaux Quartiers at Rocher Bouligny, one that i,ve tried a few times but always been thwarted by wetness before. So after despatching that i thought i'd try the moves on Gecko, Five minutes later i topped it out, almost slightly disappointed at how easily it went, but still a great feeling to do such a good problem although probably only 8a in my book.
I'm currently editing together some video footage from this trip and my last one in October, to create my own font four, which will hopefully go up on Vimeo sometime in the next week.

Back to setting this week with a lead ladder and the final round of the Manchester bouldering league to set in two days and then some last minute training before the CWIF next weekend.I seem to be climbing well considering quite a long running finger injury hampering my training plans, but that seems to be better now so fingers crossed for next weekend.

Two weeks in Font.........and only two days of rain!

Just returned from two weeks in font, and finally had some decent weather to wear my skin to the bone in! The first week involved back to back cold sunshine with a good breeze to keep the temps down, unfortunately my index finger split on the first day (it had been threatening to do it for about a week before!) so i maned up anyhow and taped it, still manging De Vita Beata - 8a, Isatis and my first 8a+ in Font with Papillon at Petite Reine, a cool prow/arete which i was probably doing wrong and spent most of my time looking at some areas i had not been to before. Once my finger had heeled it was time to resume battle with Kheops which is still managing to elude me despite having had several days on it, although i did feel more controlled on it this time but still feeling like i should have sent it! I'll get some video footage up next week.
I'm back in the UK for a while, now with a van which has decided to try and kill its gear box, could be very expensive! Anyone got any work?

BBC's

Having had three weeks to train i was feeling in better shape than at any time this year(thank god!) having been struggling with a bit of golfer's elbow. The qualifiers went well, landing up in joint 4th and still feeling fresh for the final.
After watching the women's final, nice one Audrey (go team evolv!) it was into isolation and time to get focused. I was out 4th feeling focused and psyched and flashed the first three problems, but i had a feeling that Stu and Gaz would do the same. I knew that i would need one of the last two problems to stand a chance of winning. I touched the finishing hold on both problems but didn't quite latch them, the last problem because i didn't spot a crucial foot lock! to my surprise Stu didn,t do the last two problems either, but he had qualified better than me. Gaz had had an absolute mare on the first problem and was out of it, and so Ned sneaked in, topping out the last problem to win with four tops in 11 attempts, leaving me in third, awesome effort Ned.

World Cup Belgrade - or not

Should be in Belgrade for the third round of the world cup except it has been cancelled very annoying being on a non refundable flight and not sure if we'll get any compensation. oh well off to Kilnsey with Gaz and do a few routes before the BLCC in Blackpool next weekend.

another fine gritstone day

Finally the nice cold grit days have arrived! thank god for being self employed! Went to the plantation today had a really good first proper session on the ace. Got my hand over the top a few times, don't know why i didn't hold it! but there's something to get excited about. Left is a still from the video footage.

8 ball

Nailed 8 ball today, what an amazing problem! Took a gamble on the weather and found awesome conditions at Gardoms. Check it out! shame they missed the first move!

Deliverance

Finally managed to do Deliverance yesterday, thought it was going to be my complete nemisis!
Should get some photos in the next few days.