This weekend saw the second skymasters event, so as defending champion i was invited back to defend my crown, although in a very different comp to last year. This years event was termed as speed difficulty, ie climb as fast as possible on lead, across a 14m roof of swinging rotating volumes!
Saturdays qualifiers went well, although my clipping didn't seem to be working too well i qualified in 5th place for Sundays head to head knock outs.
The first knockout against bouldering team member John Partridge, went well, i climbed smoothly and quickly and my clips seemed to be working, bonus! so i posted the fastest time of that round. The quarter finals i came up against Adrian Berry, again all was going well and i was in the lead until disaster struck on the rotating planet, i miss timed the kick getting on to it and oh so painfully rotated too slowly and let Adrian in to take the Semi place (and go on to the final at least!). I was a bit gutted it being the first time i had got that feature wrong, but it was great fun to take part in such a spectacular event, well done to the boys at X1-sports and to James Garden and Shauna Coxsey the eventual winner, good to see the youth doing well.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
out and about
Mostly been doing a bit of fitness work since the CWIF, linking problems on the bouldering wall and a few routes in there it seems to have paid off. Had a trip to Woodwell, did Nuclear Transplant, a nice bit of 'crabbing' at v12. After warming up on sections of it sent on my third go, slipping out of a tenuous toe hook the first few goes, found some different beta and sent next go. Sean got it on video, i'll get it up as soon as poss. Flashed Not bad Dave too, a nice 7c at Woodwell far right involving a bit of hugging in a roof.
A visit to an unseasonably dry Malham, resulted in a lot of sunbathing for most of the afternoon, until it cooled down a bit, before a quick assault on Magnetic fields, John Dunne's 80's test piece. I sent it on my fifth redpoint after frustratingly fumbling the jug a few times, not bad for my first 8b, i really should try harder on routes!
Anyway its the annual trip to Birmingham this weekend for the second Skymasters. This year its based on speed, head to head races which should be exciting and completely open!
A visit to an unseasonably dry Malham, resulted in a lot of sunbathing for most of the afternoon, until it cooled down a bit, before a quick assault on Magnetic fields, John Dunne's 80's test piece. I sent it on my fifth redpoint after frustratingly fumbling the jug a few times, not bad for my first 8b, i really should try harder on routes!
Anyway its the annual trip to Birmingham this weekend for the second Skymasters. This year its based on speed, head to head races which should be exciting and completely open!
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
CWIF 09
WOW!
what an event, almost the perfect show for competition climbing (would have been perfect if i'd won!)
The qualifiers went well, only failing on one problem, although a few went 2nd or 3rd go, putting me in 3rd place. the lottery of the qualifiers over it was down to pulling hard on the comp wall for the semi's. Warming up again i still felt strong and fresh, it took a few goes to get the measure of the tricky dyno on the first problem, mostly due to the layer of grease on the volume! but nailed it on my fourth go. I then seemed to be in my stride dispatching the typical Percy volumes with ease. the third problem was a lesson in undercuts, which i happen to rather like and so flash number two. The final problem a pumpy quest on undercuts across the roof into a good bit of precarious groove, a quick battle against the pump in the roof an there was non way i was going to drop the groove after that battle, the third flash and i knew it was enough to get in the final, my first international final. Turns out it was more than enough as i qualified in first, bring on the final, i still felt fresh, strong and psyched out of my mind.
First problem was a quick volume wrestle followed by a big dirty press up the groove onto the slab and teeter to the finishing hold, i dispatched first go as did Jerome and Tyler, the final was well and truly on! Second problem, more volume wrestling to a very hard finish, dropped by Tyler and done by Jerome, i got perched on the volume went to set off on the last difficult section and then my hand slipped as i re weighted it, an i was off! a foot pop on my second go at the start , and the third go all went perfectly as i latched the finishing hold with a roar. Down to the last problem , i knew no one had topped it, once again a tricky dyno set up for some campusing on very poor sloping edges, it seemed my fitness had found its limit as pump set in, seems that the man flu did effect me in that i couldn't do quite as much power endurance work as i'd liked.
All looks good for the coming world cup season, nearly taking the scalp of current European champion, i'll take a great deal of confidence from an awesome competition (weather i'd been in it or not) well done to the boys at the works, and the setting team. Congrats to Leah who was even closer than i was to winning the women's, if only she could have matched the last hold!
I'll try and get hold of some photos and once again
WOW!
what an event, almost the perfect show for competition climbing (would have been perfect if i'd won!)
The qualifiers went well, only failing on one problem, although a few went 2nd or 3rd go, putting me in 3rd place. the lottery of the qualifiers over it was down to pulling hard on the comp wall for the semi's. Warming up again i still felt strong and fresh, it took a few goes to get the measure of the tricky dyno on the first problem, mostly due to the layer of grease on the volume! but nailed it on my fourth go. I then seemed to be in my stride dispatching the typical Percy volumes with ease. the third problem was a lesson in undercuts, which i happen to rather like and so flash number two. The final problem a pumpy quest on undercuts across the roof into a good bit of precarious groove, a quick battle against the pump in the roof an there was non way i was going to drop the groove after that battle, the third flash and i knew it was enough to get in the final, my first international final. Turns out it was more than enough as i qualified in first, bring on the final, i still felt fresh, strong and psyched out of my mind.
First problem was a quick volume wrestle followed by a big dirty press up the groove onto the slab and teeter to the finishing hold, i dispatched first go as did Jerome and Tyler, the final was well and truly on! Second problem, more volume wrestling to a very hard finish, dropped by Tyler and done by Jerome, i got perched on the volume went to set off on the last difficult section and then my hand slipped as i re weighted it, an i was off! a foot pop on my second go at the start , and the third go all went perfectly as i latched the finishing hold with a roar. Down to the last problem , i knew no one had topped it, once again a tricky dyno set up for some campusing on very poor sloping edges, it seemed my fitness had found its limit as pump set in, seems that the man flu did effect me in that i couldn't do quite as much power endurance work as i'd liked.
All looks good for the coming world cup season, nearly taking the scalp of current European champion, i'll take a great deal of confidence from an awesome competition (weather i'd been in it or not) well done to the boys at the works, and the setting team. Congrats to Leah who was even closer than i was to winning the women's, if only she could have matched the last hold!
I'll try and get hold of some photos and once again
WOW!
Friday, 6 March 2009
New photos
I have finally got round to uploading photos from font onto my website, thanks to Stu for some awesome shots.
Have mostly been training hard, mixed in with some route setting and am starting to feel the benefits for the CWIF at the works this Saturday, feeling stronger and lighter than ever before! Unfortunately i've picked up a nasty bout of man flu this week, but it doesn't seem to affect my climbing too much. Bring on the Lemsip (other decongestants are available!)
Have mostly been training hard, mixed in with some route setting and am starting to feel the benefits for the CWIF at the works this Saturday, feeling stronger and lighter than ever before! Unfortunately i've picked up a nasty bout of man flu this week, but it doesn't seem to affect my climbing too much. Bring on the Lemsip (other decongestants are available!)
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
works comp and team training
Friday night was the last round of the climbing works bouldering league and the last Percy special problem.
Jordan was the first to the top of the special, on his second go as soon as the comp had started, Jordan being warm from the crag that afternoon, and bouncing from someone finally giving him some sponsorship in the form of mr Moon, about time too i say!
So i plodded on with the rest of the comp treating it as a training session, flashing all 25 problems and the perfect score of 250!
Saturday was team training held at Stockport, with problems set by ex team member the Earl, it wasn't going to be an easy day. The first 5 problems in the morning session were anything but easy, and we worked them in small groups, always a good way of improving (or is that just trying harder, not wanting to be outdone!) followed by another ten problems in the afternoon, left my skin feeling decidedly raw, still not fully recovered from font.
On with Sunday and my fourth and fifth sessions of the weekend, a comp style 5 mins on 5 mins off on six problems, three of which were very hard, the other three being easy. i topped one of the hard ones, annoyingly pissing one of the others after.
The final session involved international final style four problems with four minutes to climb each problem but two minutes observation before to look at all the problems. skin was definitely at a premium, and i seem to suffer on my usual forte of slopey pinches, proving the importance of good skin!
It seem s that my fitness is very good at the minute, i just wish someone would invent spray on skin!
Jordan was the first to the top of the special, on his second go as soon as the comp had started, Jordan being warm from the crag that afternoon, and bouncing from someone finally giving him some sponsorship in the form of mr Moon, about time too i say!
So i plodded on with the rest of the comp treating it as a training session, flashing all 25 problems and the perfect score of 250!
Saturday was team training held at Stockport, with problems set by ex team member the Earl, it wasn't going to be an easy day. The first 5 problems in the morning session were anything but easy, and we worked them in small groups, always a good way of improving (or is that just trying harder, not wanting to be outdone!) followed by another ten problems in the afternoon, left my skin feeling decidedly raw, still not fully recovered from font.
On with Sunday and my fourth and fifth sessions of the weekend, a comp style 5 mins on 5 mins off on six problems, three of which were very hard, the other three being easy. i topped one of the hard ones, annoyingly pissing one of the others after.
The final session involved international final style four problems with four minutes to climb each problem but two minutes observation before to look at all the problems. skin was definitely at a premium, and i seem to suffer on my usual forte of slopey pinches, proving the importance of good skin!
It seem s that my fitness is very good at the minute, i just wish someone would invent spray on skin!
Friday, 13 February 2009
City bloc
Visited the newly opened City Bloc wall in Leeds, owned by former British team members, Ben Meeks, Rachael Seymour, Tom Sugden and Martin Smith. It is a nice wall with some really good angles and good problems too. By coincidence Gaz was there too so had a good session climbing with him and Martin. Well worth putting into your regular circuit of walls.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Fontainbleau
Amazingly we actually had some good weather in font, i finally did 8a in font, in the form of Neverland, the most ridiculous feature you will ever see and climb on rock, like one of Percy's volume creations at the works, pure mauling! well that was my tactic anyhow. Pic below.
Finally sent a few nemesis problems too, Hypothese, 7c+ and Sale gosse, 7c one that's been driving me mad for years, no upgraded from i hate that problem to doing it several times as its so cool.
I now have some more projects in font, doing the big move on Total Eclipse with damp holds, a move that i thought i would struggle to span and it was full span but still did the move!
Had a morning session on Karma coming frustratingly close, a mere inch from the hold, before racing for the ferry and the carnage of a snow covered southern England.
Got a load of cool photos thanks to Stuart McNeil and his remote flashes, which i will put up on my website soon.
Here's a vid of me being too close to Karma for comfort!
Finally sent a few nemesis problems too, Hypothese, 7c+ and Sale gosse, 7c one that's been driving me mad for years, no upgraded from i hate that problem to doing it several times as its so cool.
I now have some more projects in font, doing the big move on Total Eclipse with damp holds, a move that i thought i would struggle to span and it was full span but still did the move!
Had a morning session on Karma coming frustratingly close, a mere inch from the hold, before racing for the ferry and the carnage of a snow covered southern England.
Got a load of cool photos thanks to Stuart McNeil and his remote flashes, which i will put up on my website soon.
Here's a vid of me being too close to Karma for comfort!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
