Hey Up Duck
May 31st-June 1st. My training this week didn’t quite go to plan. I found the numbers falling again on Tuesday, probably due to tiring myself out running on Monday night. Frustratingly my finger strength and weight were worse, while my PE held and stamina improved. On Thursday my shoulder still nipped, with a weekend trip to Kilnsey planned I decided to take some rest.
|
Niall finishing Full Tilt.
Leaving Edinburgh it was great to have a full car for a change, I looked forward to catching up with Iain, Neil and Sam again. Arriving at Kilnsey on Saturday the weather was a tad humid. Since we didn’t have to rush home I patiently waited for the crowds to leave and the tempts to drop. Conditions improved by 5pm and felt ideal for redpointing. After warming up on Full Tilt I went for a redpoint. Feeling just as pumped at last weeks highpoint I soldiered on and surprised myself by pulling through the crux! However, on the next move I misplaced my foot and fell. With a building headache from the earlier sunny drive I lay passed out musing about feeling bad and that I’d probably do it now. Next redpoint around 8.30 I pulled through the crux (after cutting loose low down) fluffed the clip, then kept going to touch the second last hold (Septembers high point). After a bad nights sleep in the car (headache) I soldiered out another two redpoints on Sunday that didn’t make the same high point. To finish I tried the next crux above the belay finding a better foot sequence to avoid the previous weeks crazy bardoor. Linking this a couple of times it felt better for me using low feet than the high left foot and reach method. Over on South buttress Niall was playing broody with five ducklings that fell from the ledge above Directisma. Despite their twenty five meter plummet the wee things seemed fine after an initial winding.
|
Niall’s brood confined to short nest for misbehavoir.
This weekend I was surprised at my progress given so little training, it seems I must have done something right! I know my PE and stamina are not quite as good as last year so perhaps finger strength has got me by so far. I’ll keep the work up across the board in the coming week and within the limits of my shoulders. I’ve also discovered a new redpoint window at Kilnsey past 7pm when the crag and road is quieter and conditions are cooler. I’ll be up for more of this in the next few months.