After going to Malham with Sean a month or so ago, i have bee thinking about gaining a bit of sport/trad fitness after the winter of bouldering. We returned to Malham and i quickly dispatched 'Rose Coronary' 7a in redpoint style and then, flashed the 7a 'Puddle Jumper', after absorbing the beta from Conors attempt. I enjoyed the climbing but the excellent beta from Conor was conducive to the flash.
After this, i got back on 'Wasted Youth' which i tried with Sean a month ago. Then, it felt like a series of reachy, occasionally powerful moves that i could not get near linking. This time, after putting the clips in, i found that i could do the moves much more easily and was soon sprinting up the lower wall and through the crux. However, i began to tire and sweat on the upper wall and with the last hard move to a ledge, i found myself floundering. I made the move and grabbed the flat, polished limestone hold but then found the ground was approaching fast and i was off... Bollocks!
One thing to take out of it is that i've got to sort my head out, into getting things done. I find that i take the positives from failures (which is good) and i find that i don't mind about doing nothing as much these days, but i do HAVE to start getting up things when i have put in the hard work...
It happened again, at Troller's. Arriving with Ewan to see Gareth and Alison were there too, we warmed up and then i got on 'The White Zone', F7b. I put the clips in and remembered the crux and then rested. Jumping back on i climbed steadily up the technical wall until at the depression. I launched into the cool crux sequence, pulling on the series of small crimps... off. Dropped it. Bloody hell.
I rested then jumped back on and sorted it no problem, i needed to do a chalk up before getting the last crimp. Annoying bit of micro-beta for me and it was all over. I enjoyed my first 7b, as i felt the way i did Haslam was 7a+? but anyway, it's either my first or second 7b (as i don't think i've climbed 7b on trad?).
After this i decided i wouldn't rest on my laurels and i tried Hoodoo Guru. Flashing the start, i fell off the hard pull into the groove and then carried on up the groove which i found ok, on hidden crimps. I then found the moves right tricky and i lowered back down after dogging heavily to the top.
After a brief rest, i pulled back on and once again climbed the start ok, before failing to quite snatch the hold just at the base of the groove and fell off, catching a testicle. OUCH. I pulled back on and cruised the rest; which was a surprise after finding the bolt to bolt tricky. I realised clipping the lower off that if i had concentrated more on the crux, i'd have cruised it. Got to start getting clinical! Not enough days left to keep having to make multiple trips to the same crags to do the same routes. Got to start ticking some of these routes i have on my 'wishlist'...
On Monday, i travelled to meet Adam Hughes at Hawkcliffe. We were stoked to have a look at Andy Crome's 'Visions in Tan' (E6/7 6c)... After having a quick top rope we both realised the move felt too powerful for us; i'm not sure if i'd have got it even when i was bouldering quite a lot over the winter, so i think its just too hard for me. Feeling it in my fingers and arms, after my recent climbing, we tried 'Zyo Kluk Klik' E5 6b**. I was interested in this for a flash burn on, but after climbing the lower easy wall, via some damp and muddy crimps and placing the gear i slipped out of my crimps at the peg. I wasn't too bothered but soon found the rockover, before the crux, felt hard and after finally achieving it (after a clean of the arete as far as i could reach) i realised that a technical, really insecure foot swap was required, so i jumped off and offered the lead to Adam.
Adam cruised up the lower wall clipping the gear and began to make the rock over. Unfortunately he slipped and lamented trying it my way, finding he was capable of pulling through a different way, slightly lower. After somehow flashing the crux around the corner, looked sketchy, he was smearing up the bold upper arete and then rapped back down. I had a quick top rope but found i couldn't seem to repeat the move without the buzz of the lead and just stripped it and called it a bad day... Nice to meet Adam anyway, certainly had a good outlook on climbing.
I might give Hawkcliffe a miss until Conor fancies doing Flame Arete; if i go back i've got to grow a pair and get on either Driveby or Blood on the Shamrock. Hopefully a few more 7b's and E3/4 onsights will help in the mean time - Where next, Honley if it drys. Eavestone, if it drys...? Also, is it getting too warm for gritstone for me now, it was only 12 degrees today but it felt too warm, strange old day indeed!
After this, i got back on 'Wasted Youth' which i tried with Sean a month ago. Then, it felt like a series of reachy, occasionally powerful moves that i could not get near linking. This time, after putting the clips in, i found that i could do the moves much more easily and was soon sprinting up the lower wall and through the crux. However, i began to tire and sweat on the upper wall and with the last hard move to a ledge, i found myself floundering. I made the move and grabbed the flat, polished limestone hold but then found the ground was approaching fast and i was off... Bollocks!
One thing to take out of it is that i've got to sort my head out, into getting things done. I find that i take the positives from failures (which is good) and i find that i don't mind about doing nothing as much these days, but i do HAVE to start getting up things when i have put in the hard work...
It happened again, at Troller's. Arriving with Ewan to see Gareth and Alison were there too, we warmed up and then i got on 'The White Zone', F7b. I put the clips in and remembered the crux and then rested. Jumping back on i climbed steadily up the technical wall until at the depression. I launched into the cool crux sequence, pulling on the series of small crimps... off. Dropped it. Bloody hell.
I rested then jumped back on and sorted it no problem, i needed to do a chalk up before getting the last crimp. Annoying bit of micro-beta for me and it was all over. I enjoyed my first 7b, as i felt the way i did Haslam was 7a+? but anyway, it's either my first or second 7b (as i don't think i've climbed 7b on trad?).
After this i decided i wouldn't rest on my laurels and i tried Hoodoo Guru. Flashing the start, i fell off the hard pull into the groove and then carried on up the groove which i found ok, on hidden crimps. I then found the moves right tricky and i lowered back down after dogging heavily to the top.
After a brief rest, i pulled back on and once again climbed the start ok, before failing to quite snatch the hold just at the base of the groove and fell off, catching a testicle. OUCH. I pulled back on and cruised the rest; which was a surprise after finding the bolt to bolt tricky. I realised clipping the lower off that if i had concentrated more on the crux, i'd have cruised it. Got to start getting clinical! Not enough days left to keep having to make multiple trips to the same crags to do the same routes. Got to start ticking some of these routes i have on my 'wishlist'...
On Monday, i travelled to meet Adam Hughes at Hawkcliffe. We were stoked to have a look at Andy Crome's 'Visions in Tan' (E6/7 6c)... After having a quick top rope we both realised the move felt too powerful for us; i'm not sure if i'd have got it even when i was bouldering quite a lot over the winter, so i think its just too hard for me. Feeling it in my fingers and arms, after my recent climbing, we tried 'Zyo Kluk Klik' E5 6b**. I was interested in this for a flash burn on, but after climbing the lower easy wall, via some damp and muddy crimps and placing the gear i slipped out of my crimps at the peg. I wasn't too bothered but soon found the rockover, before the crux, felt hard and after finally achieving it (after a clean of the arete as far as i could reach) i realised that a technical, really insecure foot swap was required, so i jumped off and offered the lead to Adam.
Adam cruised up the lower wall clipping the gear and began to make the rock over. Unfortunately he slipped and lamented trying it my way, finding he was capable of pulling through a different way, slightly lower. After somehow flashing the crux around the corner, looked sketchy, he was smearing up the bold upper arete and then rapped back down. I had a quick top rope but found i couldn't seem to repeat the move without the buzz of the lead and just stripped it and called it a bad day... Nice to meet Adam anyway, certainly had a good outlook on climbing.
I might give Hawkcliffe a miss until Conor fancies doing Flame Arete; if i go back i've got to grow a pair and get on either Driveby or Blood on the Shamrock. Hopefully a few more 7b's and E3/4 onsights will help in the mean time - Where next, Honley if it drys. Eavestone, if it drys...? Also, is it getting too warm for gritstone for me now, it was only 12 degrees today but it felt too warm, strange old day indeed!
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