The Winter Testing Grounds
Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th November. Its been a difficult week. After long days at work dieting plans have left me tired and crabby, a less than idea training state. I’ve also been aware of a drop in my training performance. After three midweek finger board sessions my right shoulder had finally had enough and painfully cramped up on Thursday stopping play for the evening. I was becoming increasingly frustrated at my loss of performance, forgetting that more rest should probably be in order.
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Malham Cove in late Autumn, North Yorkshire.
On Saturday I headed down to Malham again with Owen and Mike. I made the prerequisite 6am start to make the most of the available winter light. This weekend the weather had improved a little too much and instead of it being too cold and wet it was too hot and sweaty, easily 18 Deg on the cat walk. Sweating away under Magnetic having just put my shoes on conditions didn’t look good. Ignoring my instincts to bin it and wait for cooler day I struggled upward trying to get to the second bolt. Damp sweaty finger tips made the first section desperate and after 30 mins of trying my fingers were bruised, my feet hurt and I still hadn’t linked the F7c bottom section. With frustration boiling inside I bit back the urge to throw my rock shoes into the Beck again. I had been here in this situation so many times before nearly a decade ago. Had I learned nothing. The only way forward would be cool conditions. I also though that I new pair of shoes and a better foot sequence on the first crux would help. Resolute on the way forward I striped it and went off to try something harder.
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Owen trying Bongo Fury F7b, Malham Cove, North Yorkshire.
I’d always been keen to do one of the great looking extensions through the bulge on the right of the catwalk. For me there was a choice of two lines. Power Ranger F8b+, done my Tony Mitchell climbing above Wasted Youth via a 13 move V9 sequence onto an easier headwall. And Transform F8c, by Malcolm Smith climbing above Rose Coronary via a 7 move V11 sequence onto an again easier headwall. I’d tried Power Ranger some eight years ago managing to link it in three and redpointing up to the crux. Returning some years later I found a hold had snapped and I was unable to find another workable way. I’d tried Transform a couple of times but was unable to do a couple of the hardest moves. On this route I was keen to make headway. Climbing Rose Coronary I got too pumped for comfort (I really must learn to use my feet) getting up to the bulge. Hanging out in space I watched as a nother climber got agonisingly close to redpointing Power Ranger. It was great to see someone so psyched to complete a route at close proximity and I only wished I was there myself that day.
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Jordan Buys on the crux of Power Ranger F8b+, Malham Cove, North Yorkshire.
I got back to refamiliarising myself with the holds on Transform making massive adjustments to memory. The holds were much better and closer together than I had remembered. However, there was an big absence of footholds. I still seemed like there were two methods. Either to undercut the tufa feature with the left hand and make a long reach out for the poor sidepull crimp, or to use a poor pinch and high foot on the left to gain it dynamically. I didn’t make much progress before the light began to fade and it was time to go., but I’ll be back up there for sure.
On Sunday I meet up with John Watson and co at Aggazzis Rock, Edinburgh to show him some of my problems there for his new book. Working through my old problems they still didn’t feel easy. My main focus was to repeat my traverse Life Beneath the Darkness Fr 8a+. It took me a good 20 minutes to refresh the moves before going for it. My first try was a real fight to make it up to the final moves. Luckily my next goes felt more fluid, the moves flowing nicely together. I didn’t manage to complete the problem but the attempts gave me a good beasting. I’ll have to try and get back soon to repeat it and finish off some of my other hard projects there.
The weekend has given my a lot to think about. If I’m ever going to improve I’m going to have to get my training sorted. Recently it would seem my motivation for training has been my greatest enemy. I should really pay closer attention to my training performance and get a couple of days rest after a heavy session. This week I think I’ll concentrate on doing problems and PE circuits on my board, leaving the finger boarding for a finishing off later in the evening. On the finger board I might also increase the hang time to 12-14 sec to see if this provides a better strength gaining stimulus.