Things are slowly coming together

Another 7a on-sight failed. I still smiled when i got it 2nd go though.

Well it's been another 2 months since my last post. I can't follow blogs where people waffle on about every time they go out or what they had for lunch. I haven't made any massive leaps in progress, no eart shattering news, but i thought that what has been happening was worth a summary post.

I have spent the last couple of months climbing with people from the Olive Branch in El Chorro which has been great. Strangely i have ended up climbing with lots of people from Cumbria who i didn't know before. The climbing world is a small one, but only in El Chorro it would seem.

I kept on trying for the 7a onsight and so far have kept on failing. Everytime i am so close. I am into double figures now. It has either been just one mistake or my head that has been stopping me. How i react to that mistake, and deal with the subsequent fear of falling, is what is stopping me.

I am now resolved to take some falls every routes session and if i don't then you can call me soft ! It's still a massive issue i need to overcome. Because it's a massive issue i am hoping to make some big gains in performance.

This has come to a head due to my new climbing partner(s). As the season is coming to an end a lot of people have left the Olive Branch and i have also started the search for work. I know it's tough but i haven't done a days work since July 2011 so i need to get back to it.

Silvi cruising

This led me to get in touch with the rockclimbingcompany and Silvi Fitzpatrick. Not only did she think that we could work together she also wanted to climb together. Feeling nervous i went out with her for the first time climbing at the Chilam Balam cave. I was bricking myself but ended up pleasantly surprised at the amenable grades that were there as well as 9a+(b) madness.

I ended up getting a real introduction into what it takes to climb hard grades. A never ending passion for giving it 100% seems to be what it takes. You can't fail to be carried along by Silvi's enthusiasm for climbing. One second she is laughing, the next deadly serious. It's obvious climbing is what makes her tick, a real obsession. She enjoys it, but it's not to be taken lightly. If it's worth doing then it's worth devoting your entire life to see where it takes you seems to be her motto.

The new love of my life, Ciara the worlds greatest crag dog

Due to some old injuries she has had to change her climbing style and is now a bit of a technical master ( mistress ?). Climbing with her is like having your own personal coach. She's great to watch and also knows when to chip in with advice when i am struggling. She has a massive amount of experience and i am going to learn everything i can from her. On top of all that she's really nice too.

The amazing line of Chilam Balam

One thing i've noticed, other than how strong her fingers are, is how much she moves her body position about. I tend to grab a hold, stay static and try to figure then next move out. I just about always start the next move from the position i am in. Silvi is never still. She milks every position for what she can get out of it and will get a hold in one position, move into a restful position, figure the next move out and then move to the optimum position to execute the next move. It's not done as statically as i describe it. It flows beautifully from one move to the next.

She also climbs much more side on. I remember AJM from fit club saying he had had a coaching session with Adrian Berry who pointed out that he didn't climb as side on as he should. I always thought that was a bit odd as it's obvious that when it's steep you turn side on. However watching Silvi she is rarely front on to anything. She sits on her feet when outside edging keeping her arms dead straight and pushes her way up routes with her legs.

I should now get the opportunity to get back on harder routes. I've been on a handful of 7a+'s and 7b's but never had chance to go back after an initial feel of the moves. I've now got a couple of projects, including a 7c monster that i will be able to get back on and give them a real go. It'll be good to see where my limit is. Silvi reckons a 7b will go next time for me ( now she has shown me how to clinb it with technique ) and with a bit of work there is a 7b+ waiting for me. I just have to believe her.

Me climbing face on - again

The project ! Cenizo 7c
It's a bit steep.

Time flies !

Andy T on Rock the Kasbah 7b

Shocked to see it's been nearly 2 mths since i last posted. Xmas seems to have got in the way as has life in general. I don't seem to have the time to sit and type of an evening. Mrs Biscuit has flown back to the UK for a week so i have now got the time for an update. It does mean she has the Mac with all the piccies on it though so i've not much to brighten this blog up.

Mario did come over and we were cut off in our prime after a quick RP of Diedro Candela, a stamina 7a+. The idea then was to tick off another 2 or 3 in the last few days he was here. Instead we got the virulent shits ( think going to the loo 40+ times a day and not eating for 3 days ) and i wasn't even well enough to drive him to the airport. Respect due to the Maz with his kill or cure approach using a Whopper meal to kill the bugs. Braver than i am to do that 1 hr before getting on a Ryanair with only 1 toilet.

In my last post i said i had learned a lot about redpointing and onsighting. This seems to be true and i am forming a definite routine in how i approach both. So far my redpointing has only been up to 7a+ and haven't been sieges. It's been more looking at the moves i don't have the fitness to hang around and execute onsight and then the route goes next go.

I blogged a while ago about trying Arabesque, an 3 star 7a, and how it was all technical and balancy and not my thing, along with various other crap excuses. I got back on it yesterday, had a bolt to bolt to remember it and figure it out, and then did it next go. It felt pretty standard to be honest and i was certainly no where near my limit physically. I'd been having a chat with someone earlier in the day about the mental side of things. Andy climbs 'a muerte' every time and is super psyched. He's great to climb with because of that and it rubs off on you. I think i've only just started to realise how much the mental side has been holding me back.

I've always known that i don't like falling but since moving here i've gone from abject panic at the thought of falling above a bolt to a kind of ' I really don't want to fall but the desire for the route outweighs the fear.' This is a massive improvement but it's still there, especially on onsights and it needs to be squashed down further until it warns me of danger but otherwise shuts up.

Seeing Andy take more falls in a session than i do in a year shows me what i need to do and i have now started climbing with the knowledge i may fall and i have fallen. Guess what ? Nothing really happened.

Although i am going to really work on the mental game i have also started a 16 week periodised training schedule. Lots of reading has been done and it's a full on aero cap, an cap, aero pow, an pow thing. After week 1 i am tired. Not great as it's supposed to be a very easy breaking in week. Oops ! I will post full details of it soon so you can get an idea of what i've done. So far i've only planned the first 8 weeks, which is my base. I have the next 8 weeks ( peak ) rough planned but no detail yet. It'll be really interesting to see what effect it has.

My goals are now different - again. They have been chaning as logistics change and as i come across more appealing routes. No bad thing and they will all stretch me. I want 7b by the end of this 16 weeks. I have been really impressed by routes like Anack Sunamun at sector La Momia in Chorro. Next to it is this years big challenge: Honk Down ! a looong 7c. Think long 7b to a jug rest and a few moves into a V4 that's easier for the tall. It's a gut wrencher as if you fluff the crux you've got to climb another 30 metres to get to the crux again. I am actually looking forward to it.

As for the 7a onsight goal. That's still very much there and a word from the wise ( John Kettle climbing coach ) means i can fit both in by trying 7a onsights as part of a warm up for routes in the 7b region.

Bring it on ! I'm going to put a stamp on the pea and crush it. Sorry private joke.

On-sight and Redpointing - lessons learnt.

Since my last post i have been trying ( and failing ) to on-sight 7a. I have only tried 3 and got 2 of them 2nd go. The 3rd ( Arabesque ) i only had chance for one try on. I've been having a good hard think about my approach and what is wrong and right with it.

I am never going to on-sight a 7a unless i get on them so that's for the good. But should i be trying the 3* classics before i am ready ? Ah well too late now as i've buggered up 3 of them.

I haven't been giving myself the best chance at them though. I've not spent the time route reading, visualising, or built my base. I was surprised to find out i've not filled out enough 6c and 6c+ on-sights. Something to go at there then.

The biggest problem i still have is being scared of falling. Even when i practiced falling at the wal,l until i was happy enough to take huge lobs, i was still scared to try 100% at on-sights. On Danza Agresiva the other week i ended up taking an accidental practice fall. It was a controlled fall and in the place where i am most likely to fall when i go back for the RP. It wasn't planned but when i got there i knew it was for the best. Now i will feel more comfortable on the RP. Practising a fall is very different to falling 'out of control' un-expectedly. I guess more practise falls are needed until i can convince my brain it's OK to fall on on-sight.

For red-pointing i just need more focus. I have warmed up too much and over cooked it, not warmed up enough, warmed up and then got too cold again but tried anyway, changed my plan on a redpoint burn etc etc etc. I still have a lot to learn about this game but things are improving with experience.

I've been very lazy and tired over the last month or so. Not much climbing and certainly nothing to blog about. I got some good mileage in when Pete and Kate came over but after that i felt strangely lethargic. I am now finally part way through a good training week and seem to have some psyche back after being ill for a few days. I have not been on the scales as i don't need them to tell me i am fat.

I've been back to El Torcalito to get pumped on the traverses there and have made a 40 move 6c/6c+ ish traverse. It has one decent hands on rest in it where i hang off an awesome little mini tufa pinch for a minute max and one easy section that i skip through asap. There is a but of a cruxy start and a definite crux after the rest. I have managed to repeat it 3 times with 3 mins rest in a session after warming up and bouldering about. It's not the most specific but it's the best i can do at the moment. Filming myself on it has shown i have gone very static again so i am concentrating on dynamism at the moment.

Mario is coming over for Xmas and i've got my (our?) eye(s) on some 7a+'s and that elusive 7a on-sight.

Bring it on !

Strength or fitness - which is most important

Douggie on the start of Poema de Roca

This time last year i was getting ready to go to Kalymnos. I had spent literally hours of my life going round and round in circles doing circuits on a Bendcrete board at Cockermouth and getting to Kendal wall as much as i could. The result was a 7a+ of a long, steep route in the Grande Grotte that i was really chuffed with.

This year before coming to Spain i bouldered almost exclusively with a few trips to Penrith wall - all of 8 metres high. The result was a 7A+ that i was really chuffed with.

I wasn't expecting to have any fitness at all when i got here and when i first went out that was the case. More than anything i was scared to death above a bolt and still in bouldering mode. I was grabbing every hold as hard as i could, through fear and my body being so used to grabbing everything 100%. Un-surprisingly i was pumping out very quickly and sitting on a lot of bolts.

Fast forward a couple of months and i have just climbed Poema de Roca.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=112605

Neil on the rest just before the crux

It's route that relies on economic climbing and recovery en-route, with 3 hands off rests and 2 partial shakes. It's notoriously pumpy and i was saving it for an on-sight attempt at the end of the year. Circumstances ended up with me standing at the bottom of it yesterday and giving it a go 2 months early. I wasn't too shocked to find myself dangling off the rope at the 4th bolt on my first go. I was quite shocked to completely cruise it 2nd go. I got to the top feeling fresh and it went like clockwork.

I was pondering what had improved so much to make it go so well. I've come to the conclusion it was a combination of being stronger and lots of volume. The amount of easy climbing i've done in the last couple of months has been greater in total than the last 2 years. I am reading routes well, spotting cruxes and sequences and, most importantly, i now have the move 'library' and strength to pull the moves off.

I think strength endurance, or fitness, is the icing on the cake. Volume of easy climbing and bouldering strength and know how seem to be the most important factors for me anyway.

I am going to carry on with the volume, with on-sighting as a priority, until Xmas and then i am going to redpoint the next few months with an idea of hitting 7b+ ( maybe 7c ) by April ish.

Life is good

A 6a + at Yugoslavia

Easy bimble into a 6B. That was a shock.

Well things finally seem to be coming together. Like buses i was waiting for ages and now two have come along at once. My friends in El Chorro want to climb every Monday and our Spanish friend Sylvia has finally come back from her travels and also wants to climb as much as possible.

A pic of Sylvia for Mario's benefit

So i have been out climbing sport 3 times in the last 10 days and it feels great. One false start at a recently developed crag in Chorro ( think grades at least 1 full grade lower than they really are, long run outs above bolts while you do the crux and a 40 min walk in up a steep hill in the blazing sun). I guess this is often the result of ideas formed in the pub the night before with a hand drawn topo copied from another hand drawn topo.

Besides that it has been just what i came here for: Quality routes, great weather, road side crags, no queues for the starred routes, great people and beautiful places. Awesome.

Cut a long story short 6b+'s are going down easy and i on-sighted a 6c yesterday at Villanueva Del Cauche. It went like a dream with everything feeling how i expected and i got to the top feeling fresh.

Last year in Kalymnos i was wobbling up 6c's and i had spent a lot of time working PE. This year i have done none but am a lot stronger. Every move feels easier and i am not getting pumped. I am also able to attack cruxes more positively as i know i am strong enough to pull them off.

Me dancing on a rock.

I was visualising a route but Sylvia thought it was hilarious.

Although my climbing hasn't been regular since i got here i am in a rhythm with my climbing and am not feeling nervous about going above bolts like i was before. I am hoping it can only get better.

Sophie belayed by Auntie Rachel

I want to on-sight 3 more 6b+'s, 3 more 6c's and RP a 7a this month. Fingers crossed.

Appearances can be deceptive

I was bouldering at my usual spot beneath Mt Chamoz the other day when i bumped into my chubby stoned friend. He had brought his son along this time, Antonio. Antonio is 13, spotty, skinny and looks like he needs another couple of years growing for his body to catch up with his arms and legs. Gangly youth would be the best description. He proceeded to very quietly take me round some of the most heinous slab problems i have ever had the misfortune to try and get up. Think 7A-7B slopers with tiny, very polished, footholds. His sense of balance, timing and movement were great to watch and learn from. I had an ultimately frustrating time but made sure i burnt him off on a 6C+ overhanging jug fest at the end. Can't have young 'uns getting too cocky now can we ?

Two days later i went back to more familiar territory; thuggy over-hanging stuff at El Torcalito. Whilst there i was watching a guy working a traverse problem on the crimpy wall. It looked good and it must be hard. Why must it be ? Well he was power screaming like a lady tennis player, dripping with sweat and was built like Chris Sharma. I wombled over and he started to show me how it went. I must admit to being a bit surprised ( and secretly smug ) when i flashed it. Not that it was a great display of climbing by me it just wasn't very hard. Turns out he wasn't much of a climber, just looked like he was.

Just goes to show you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. I only found out just how good Antonio was when he took his shoes off at the end of the session. I could see his toes through the bottom of them. I've no idea why he bothered wearing them, there was hardly any rubber left. That lad could do well. I'm taking a couple of pairs of my old shoes next time i go up. If he's the same size he can have them as long as he lets me into the secret of levitation he obviously has.

New video of old stuff

Finally got round to up loading a vid to vimeo as we've now got proper internet.

It's of my last week in the Lakes and shows Langdale + the Bowderstone.

Langdale Boulders and Bowderstone from andrew mcvittie on Vimeo.

I've still got another to finish editing from St Bees as well, i need to get my finger out.