Back once again...

Count it... 3 times in one week at the works.

I was meant to go out today initially with Ben but he managed to assemble a team of about 6 to go and try one of the most conditions dependant problems there is. It looked a lot less appealing despite the list of good company, after all, the main idea is to try the problem. A few minutes after pondering the possibilities a text arrived from Vic, desperately searching for someone to accompany her to Eastwood for a full day out. That sounded more like it, there's a couple of things I'd like to try there, one project which would be a lot easier if I had a couple more inches (I'm sure that's been said before), James' thing; Westwood, which is now harder due to hold breakage I was going to see if I could climb into the press method like Ned suggested.
Anyway; when Nat awoke she told me I wouldn't be going anywhere today. Grey and missly was how she described the view from our flat. Damn and blast! Vic confirmed her thoughts on the matter via another txt and again when she arrived at work. Later on tonight I found we made the right decision, Scouse had ventured to Eastwood and EVERY hold on the traverse was wet, wet, wet.
The backup plan was the Beastmaker but Nat was climbing with peeps tonight so it seemed sensible to join her. I was a bit wary of two days on, especially on the board but it went well. I climbed my Mono problem on both sides and I 'think' its reasonably hard. I don't understand 1a-5a though so I can't really comment. I came up with a crimpy number as well with the added miniature dowels at the top of the board. Being the first to pull on them (or so I imagine as there was zero chalk up there) the first few goes landed me in a crumpled heap in Bennett corner. Any takers? I'm also now convinced that the works BM is easier than mine. A quick look at the panel suggests it might be on a slight slab... Someone (Dan?) has added some Beastmaker wooden logo's to the board just above some footholds. They look good but lead to unnecessary boot rubber mince-age if you're slightly in-accurate when clicking off.

Rest tomorrow and work hard. Fri try again to get out. Sat morning very early raid. Rest of weekend deal with her family. Nice dinner.

Hip Hip Hoorah

....for the climbing works!

(WTF?)

Yup, I have to say that the works, Ned and Dan have excelled themselves with the new board. I climbed on it this Saturday while it was still a work in progress and couldn't really see how it could be elevated from what it was. Well... fixing a lot of the non symmetrical holds and adding nearly everything from the Varian board that's how!



Tonight was meant to be a short session but I was climbing well so I carried on. I set a number of problems on the V-board which were instant hits with some familiar board faces. Climbing with Nacho I ended up jumping between pockets and then finally I set myself a power problem on two finger pockets and mono's. Work those weaknesses! (Joe pointed out when I was yarding on the bleaustone key-rings that if I could do that I really shouldn't be training it anymore...).

Agh DAMN!

Mortgages are a pain in the ass, I'm sick to death of this one already. The b*ggers keep losing my proof of income, now they've actually managed not to lose one and they're complaining as I didn't send them the whole lot. They're also refusing to accept Nats electronic copies (she doesn't get payslips anymore) so they now want all of the electronic ones and copies of her bank statements for the last year)...
Solicitors are scum. I spoke to ours today and he has yet to get Nat an examination since the crash, hasn't yet got hold of the police report and was unaware that the other party was prosecuted for drunk driving (over a year after the event). For the amount he gets paid an hour I think this shows utter imcompetence.
The weekend seemed to be lost to alcohol and far too much of it. On Sat we both climbed at the works which was suffering from condensation on the holds. Strangely the beastmaker in there felt p*ss easy and without warming up I was doing pullups on the worst slopers, maybe the condensation helps with the wood? I was flying off without warning left right and center on the resin and after a while got fed up and left. Of course due to this I needed to drown my sorrows and made myself incapable of doing anything apart from a short BM session on Sunday. I'm still to equal my best effort on back 2 repeaters.
I'm a little annoyed that the weekend before I didn't put in more effort to get out. I note dobbin has been on the ace and TBH I'm gutted I didn't get the chance as I've been climbing well and its the one thing I'm keen to do (although realistaclly I don't think it'll be this season), when was this? My work is mounting and I have a looming March deadline. This weekend coming is Nats birthday and with her family descending on us early Saturday morning I can't see when I can fit in getting out? Tomorrow I'll train and then I should deadhang on Wed but then again if people are heading out Wed maybe I shouldn't train tues?....
Oh I don't know...

Beast-failure

As predicted tonight's Beastmaker session was short lived; the fact that I could feel last nights session in my forearms before I left the Foundry should have been a good indicator. Rookie error thrashing myself at the wall, even more rookie considering I realised what I was doing and still didn't stop... Tomorrow I rest, Sat I'm not sure, I guess its dependant on the weather...

Moonblog

Look like Tyler did Gecko Assis recently looking on the moonblog, as well as Kheops,


Ty Landman - Khéops 8b from ben pritchard on Vimeo.

Mortgage people have re-valued the flat lower which has restarted the whole damn process and of course the rates are now slightly worse. I'm so sick of it.

Last night I climbed well but like a fool, I didn't stop when I should have. Stopping strong wasn't on the agenda but at the end of the day my goes on a specific problem didn't progress purely due to fatigue. I'm sure that tonight's BM session will be poor but i'll try to make the most of it!

Atmoic Playboy

Word from the BM boys suggests that Mina is dead close to ticking Atomic Playboy. This information has seriously blown my mind. The whole traverse is illogical, even for Mr. Laumone.

The logical problem starts sitting on obvious holds in the middle of the shelf.

I tried this when I was out in Font and it felt really f*cking hard. Fairly steady from 2 moves in (fall off able due to the holds and the sandy feet), but the start seemed to have two options, press or go over. Both shoulder tearingly difficult. Well... or so it seemed. Watching the video I am kicking myself fairly hard, why not go again? IDIOT! I also seemingly missed the hold he starts on for his RH, putting you even closer to the crimp of justice.... Double IDIOT! Oh well one for next time!

Doubt Chimp!

Today Dobbin and I are meant to be going out, initial plans were to nip into the plantation but someone reported last night that the boulder of interest was suffering from runoff. It was just lightly snowing on top of an already damp pavement in Sheffield. Dob fancies Rubicon, but I doubt it'll be in good nick? Hmmmm decision time.

Systematic

I emailed Unclegecko to get his input on my future board, he got back to me with this:



The crimp.se warm up for bouldering from crimp.se on Vimeo.

Systematic, non?

If you haven't seen his new video then take a look. Its even slicker than L'etranger.

Jerry! Jerry... Jerry?

When Friday came and it looked as if it would be a bit of effort to find dry rock both Nat and I decided that we didn't want the hassle (the first time in a while that I've slipped back to this mindset). She'd had a bad week, we needed to make some fairly big decisions and anything else tricky seemed more hassle than it was worth. So, instead, on Friday night we had a session together at the Works, a rare thing in two ways:
a) I went there voluntarily
b) We got to climb together - we seem to spend all week out of sync with her at one wall and me at another. I'm resting whilst she's climbing etc.
Immediately when I arrived I felt un-psyched, I don't know what it is about the climbing in there it just doesn't tempt me and I always dream about 'what it could have been'. Wrongly really as its obviously a thriving success. Dobbin amongst others have pointed out that publicly I've been outspoken about the place in a bad manner and although not as intended, from the Works' point of view it always seems like I'm having a stab. I hadn't really thought of my comments on the UKB thread in that manner, simply that like all other things on the forum, they are my worthless opinions and nothing else (time for a signature change to include my blog disclaimer!). Next time I have an opinion on the place I'm keeping quiet.
Typically, 5 mins before we needed to leave for the JM lecture we realised a load of things that we'd been meaning to do, still needed actually doing! A crazed rush around the flat still left us late leaving but didn't stop me bellowing out chants of Jerry, Jerry , Jerry as I jumped into the Punto (officially the worst car in snow, all the power in one chunk, very low in the rev range and a very Italian traction control system!). As we arrived I was shocked to not find the works heaving outside, nor was it heaving inside. Nat and I reserved seats for James Blay and friends just one row back.
The lecture started well... the Foundry gag had me thinking that it was going to be the best lecture I'd been to, sadly it wasn't. Don't get me wrong it wasn't bad but he didn't seem to have an awful lot to say. Unseen training footage, monkeys chasing banana's and some cracking photos carried him through.
One good thing did come of the night; on leaving the works Nat turned to me and granted me the board I'd been wanting to build for a few years now. Balcony board was a failure. Wardrobe board will be no such thing!
Space is limited but I have a few things I REALLY want to tick this year and one thing that I want to try and hopefully tick next season. All but the latter are steep and completely reliant on finger strength and power.


My idea currently is to have a low roof leading into a steep section of board finishing on a slightly overhanging panel to allow for some horrendous finishing holds.

The room is as follows:



any other brainwaves are very welcome.

This is getting long but I can't quite be bothered to cut it into two...

This afternoon Dobbin and I met up at the Foundry. On Sunday I had beasted myself in a short but very sharp BM session. My fingers felt creaky and my forearms, shoulders and upper back seemed to ache deeply. As I warmed up slowly whilst talking a lot I contemplated going home but kept quiet until I started failing where last week I was climbing so well. Dobbin pointed out that he thought it was my ego stopping me and that I should drop my intensity and climb like that. I pointed out that it wasn't the failing that was bothering me. I wanted to train power and lower grade easy stuff just wasn't going to achieve this, quitting early and returning fully rested the next day seemed more sensible? At this point I was ready to go until I realised that climbing on Tues would ruin my chances of performing on the grit on Wednesday.
Time to whip out "eye of the tiger" on my iPod and think of Rocky II during my boot change. Obviously my dragon's had something in them as from then on I climbed well, very well even. Despite lacking power I was despatching relatively well (or so I think?). Everything felt tired, I hit things wrong but seemingly continued until I made a last desperate slap to the finishing sloper or jug and then dropped off. Very confused that I actually made it to the top!

3rd post lucky...

Steady on now, 3 times a day? ooh suit you.

I just thought I should mention that tonight I managed to complete a fingerboard session. At home, without anyone to train with and despite my Creative I-trigue amplifier dying half way through my first track (the speakers on their own are pitifully weak)!

Warm up with pull ups then following the Variable's 3-2-1 path to back 2 glory:

Open:
3
Front 3 Repeater
2mins
Back 3 Repeater
2mins

2
Mid 2 Repeater
2mins
Front 2 Repeater
2mins
Back 2 Repeater - fail on 5th
2mins

1
Slopey Mono - Max hang

Half-Crimped
2 x Encores - 4 fingers half on large holds
2mins between

2 x Repeaters - 4 fingers half on small holds
2mins between

Sloper:
Middle Sloper (35 deg?)
1 Encore
END

Progress with dead hanging is rapid. Back 2 repeaters have shot up from me not being able to do a 7 sec hang to being able to do 5. Mono's are just breaking themselves in nicely as well! Encores seem pretty hard core and you can really feel the full lock in your elbows, not too good I'm sure? The board didn't rip off the wall which is nice but I've realised that mounting it above a door frame does have its issues:

1. You (or more likely I) need a cheat stone
2. Its useless for doing one armers on all but the central holds there's simply not room. That means I lose my party piece. Tried doing one with my legs trailing up the door frame to stay open but unsurprisingly it didn't feel very natural
   
3. The frame gets in the way a bit when open handing the smaller holds blocking the way in which the fingers 'tuck up'

Very Jerry?

Er, No.

I went back at 11 with Nat dragging behind me like some kind of wet rag. She can't handle past 10.30 now, having a proper job takes it out of her.
I knocked at the door as per earlier and as per earlier I got no answer but a lot of curtain twitching. Eventually a young ish lad came down and refused to open the door. Instead we conducted the next 5 minutes of who we were what we wanted etc. through his letterbox before I shoved my e-receipt through the letterbox. He opened up looking very confused. Genuinely so. I explained again and he started wildly sorting through a massive stack of mail at the bottom of the stairs explaining its all for previous tenants (lo and behold there was plenty of junk addressed to me), sadly no jerry book though, no little red slip either. He said he hadn't seen it and seemed 100% genuine, he took down my name/number etc. and promised to call if it showed up. My last shot is to ring the sorting office in the morning and hope it shows up. This all seems like a major ball ache that I just don't want right now. I WANT to read the book before Sunday night, little chance of that happening!
Yesterday we finalised the mortgage details as A&L lost our last proof of income. Today Nat was told that she has to be flexible and might have to work from Bradford, Solihull or Warrington. Perfect timing as ever, buy flat in Sheff, potentially need to work elsewhere. Genius.

Where's jerry?

Today when my copy of the "New Testament" still hadn't arrived I got in touch with Cofe who was very aplogetic and was going to drop a new copy around straight away, he just needed to confirm where I live..

Paul B
9 Holberry....what the f*ck?

Well it turns out that somehow Paypal has managed to authorise a card payment from me using the wrong address, an old one but still my card hasn't been reg'd there for quite some time. Now its not as if I typed the address into the delivery field here but I guess I have to accept that its my cock up and try my best to sort it out.
This afternoon I wandered up to try and get it. Knocking on the door of my former grotty student house got me no answer. All of the curtains were drawn. After 5 mins I walked off to the corner shop to purchase a pen and leave a note. At this point I noticed the curtains twitching so I marched back and had another bang on the door. 5 mins later a small indian women opened the door about 3mm. I tried to explain the issue but it wasn't going too well until she recognized the word "book", at that time she repeated "book, book" at me amongst a lot of garbage which I managed to extract the phrases "my son", "at work", "back at 11" not necessarily in that order. So, the book came. Not addressed to them but nevertheless the wide reaching inspiration that is jerry obviously captivated her son who is now enjoying a signed copy at my expense whilst bored at work.
I'll be going back at 11, something tells me that its not going to be straightforward.

Friday the 13th

So where was I?

ah... last post I was infatuated with my new Beastmaker (BM from now on) and I still am. I think since last posting I've had one board session with Dan and Dense, and a fingerboard session with Ned and Dense. The former went very well, I came stupidly close to doing half (one side) of a project we set only the session before but being a dunce I forgot where I needed my feet for the end. The problem involves yarding off a small Bleaustone hold that was initially designed to be a keyring. Its far from kind to your tips hence you don't get many goes at all. The fingerboard session was a bit poor. I was tired, Dense kept making me laugh and it was all a bit much like hard work. About 45 mins of decent exercises were managed but not as much as I'd hoped especially as that included warming up.

The BM boys have left for Font so no more board sessions for me.

As the weekend approached Nat kept pointing out that the forecast looked amazing. After seeing Bonjoy pointing out how lazy everybody is on UKB I decided not to go to any of my usual bouldering spots and instead head to Rowtor having only been once.
On arrival it was cold, a little damp and very green. Not the best choice then? Various problems were attempted by myself, I ticked a few but nothing earth shattering before Nat got involved with Raw power the 7a+ ish Mantel thing. She did extremely well narrowly missing out on ticking it when her foot popped at the last second. She'd used up all of her energy by that point and the next go was poor. A little frustrated she admitted defeat.
I went down to Short Seans Reachy Roof, which frankly is a poor problem. A quick tussle and some awkward foot locking got me out to the lip and I rumbled to the end. Something new to tick I guess but I doubt I'll try it again.
Nat got stuck into the 6b next to it and again was looking good until she ran out of power again.



The reason I wanted to head to Rowtor was to try Andy Harris' new thing, it was dirty and the hold IS DIRTY. It looks worth going back for but I'll let someone more knowledgeable pick when conditions will be suitable.
Today with snow forecast we thought we had a cunning plan. Head West and miss the snow. A delayed start meant we arrived at Gib Tor with just enough time to watch the sun disappear and the snow/hail to start. Nat didn't bother doing a lot as she was just simply too cold. I had to do stuff as I managed to forget my down for the first time ever. I ran around ticking all of the classics which somehow drew blood from my palm (again, what's with that?) before retreating to the car. The verdict; an OK crag but not great. The fin would be an uber classic without the scrittle, the landing makes it intimidating which is fantastic!
We stopped at the tor on the way back past, it looked bare without the foliage and a lot of things were damp. I was about to climb but then the snow re-appeared and I couldn't stomach getting cold again.
Back in Sheffield Dylan called to let me know he was at the workshop. I needed to build a backing board for the BM in order to mount it. A large amount of time was spent, cutting, sanding, checking, drilling and countersinking the backing board. Back at home four large coach bolts were drilled through the plasterboard. Six plasterboard fixings were also placed at strategic points. The plan was to have four large bolts with large washers to spread the load throughout the plasterboard. The board itself was to be screwed through the backing board and into the relevant fixings. So that's what I did. It seemed solid but looked SHITE and whilst mounting it I was fairly certain that the plasterboard fixings alone would hold me and the board securely to the wall and transmit the load through the door frame. So... I took it down and mounted it in a more simple, less messy fashion and it is perfect. So, I wasted the afternoon making a board, making a mess and then filling in four massive holes. Oh well.

Natalie was very jumpy today, it was the 1st of Feb and to me that's like Friday the 13th on heat so its not really surprising. 2 years ago I messed up my leg, 1 year ago an idiot in an Alfa tried his best to mess the rest of me up as well as a fair portion of Nat. Today we were driving across the Peak, with snow forecast and boy was she nervous. I was banned from overtaking, going too fast or generally playing with the car. Everything went swimmingly until we got to the top of Froggat bank on the way home. You know the bend just after the parking (or before if you're coming up the hill)? The bend that curves and curves? Well, as we approached this uphill a cyclist came into view in the opposite direction followed shortly after by a bright orange overtaking gritter, on my side of the road. A massive "Oh Shit" moment, harsh braking and a lucky escape for a cyclist left both of us cursing loudly. Funnily enough she wasn't too happy later on when I was using a jigsaw with the safety guard removed...

However, I survived the day. Hurrah!