Blood Fire
Sunday 7th July. I’ve spent the last few weeks drifting between different routes around Scotland. Despite having reached the training power plateau from hell I was keen to get back on my Anvil project left of Fire Power. So I headed back out with Alan Cassidy, keen to see how he’d manage on Fire Power and the other Anvil routes.
We arrived to find the crag completely dry, surprising given the wet summer we’ve been having. I got to work on the project but took some time to work out the initial moves. The resulting sequence to the jug required quite an aggressive approach for my short span, probably font 7b+. The next section pulling right into the Heavy Metal crux was easier but no where near a rest. With some links bagged I got redpointing. After nearly nine goes on the start I managed to get the jug. The wilt crept up on me as I reached the Heavy Metal crux and I wasn’t going anywhere.
Alan had been watching my efforts in between trying the crux on Fire Power without much luck. With the beta he quickly managed to link the route together. Feeling knackered myself and sure that Alan could definitely send it I decided to let him try.
He made easy work of the start keeping his feet on. However, the middle section sapped enough strength that even Alan was labouring through the crux and final moves. Having completed Fire Power back in May I was happy to give this one away. I’ve called it Blood Fire after the fine anaerobic pump experienced. As for a grade Alan thought F8a+. I thought it might be harder myself, maybe as hard as Hurley Burley but I guess we’ll get to a consensus on it eventually.
To finish off I had a quick go on Body Blow keen to see some improvement after all my training. Due to tiredness, plateaus or whatever else I still couldn’t improve on the lower section or do the upper crux. Either I’m still weak or it’s definitely harder. Alan though at first glance Body Blow might be as hard as Devastation F8c and that Fire Power might be F8b+. It got me thinking the next day re-organising the sport list on scottishclimbs maybe some of those F8b’s need to slide up a grade. I’ve had no luck this summer finding an F8b+ to try to compare with Fire Power so the jury’s still out on that one.