BMC Youth Bouldering Open

The day after the climbing was the first youth bouldering open. The qualifiers consisted of 8 problems which you had five goes to complete and 3 problems in the final. I was gutted when I saw that most of my problems were vertical. Just what I hate! The bell went to start the qualifiers and I was third up on the easiest problem which I flashed easily. I then went to the over end of the wall and did another easy problem although it had a dyno last move that was quite hard if you were short. The next problem was a roof with a hard crimp move out of it. I climbed up to the move and slapped to the next hold! To my surprise I stuck it and topped the problem flash! I then went to the over end of the wall and flashed another easy problem before having a go at the problem I was most scared of. It was a slab with terrible feet which you had to stand on! I got on to the problem praying for my feet not to pop! I inched my body up and placed my foot on the next foothold it was better and I stood up and matched the finishing holds! It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. The next problem was a vertical wall with lovely triangle slopers. To my surprise I cruised it and actually enjoyed doing a technical problem for once! That was it the easy stuff was over! The next problem was a vertical wall with a horrible sloper at the top which I had to match and a dyno for the finishing jug! I fell on my first go but gave the holds a good brush and sent it on my second! The last problem to be done was a steep wall with a really hard move into a undercut. After three goes I couldn't reach the undercut and fell off! My fourth go came and I went for the hold and stuck it but then, when moving my feet, my hand slipped and I fell! The fifth go was rubbish and I finished qualifying with 7 tops which was enough to get me into the final!

To make a long story short isolation was hell! 5 hours in a dark section of the bouldering wall with 30 other climbers! As the time went by the nerves got worse. After all the other age groups, except junior male, had gone out it was our turn to climb. The first couple of finalists came back and said that they flashed the problem and it was easy so the pressure was huge! I ran out, keen to get on the problem after a quick brush I got on, climbed the first bit easily and I just stuck the last move! Same again for the next problem but I felt even more pressure because if I screwed this up I wouldn't get in the bouldering team! Once again I ran out and brushed the holds. The first few move were easy and I got to the lip of the roof and campused to the next hold but I couldn't reach it! I came back down to the previous hold and campused again and managed to get the next hold. This was the last hard move and I topped the problem to my relief! For the final problem I was even more nervous because it was all or nothing! I came out of isolation totally psyched and ready to crush. I took a deep breath and pulled on. I got the second hold which was really bad, matched and cranked through to the undercut. I climbed out of the roof and reached the bonus hold. This is were I got stuck after trying various methods I couldn't get past that point. To my huge surprise this was enough to get me second place!! After William who only beat me on count back! I was really happy with this because there were loads of strong climbers in the final!

Yesterday I found out that I was selected for both the GB lead team and the GB boulder team!! Bring on 2013!!

Winter BMC Youth Open

The last big comp of the year was the BMC youth open in Liverpool and the following day was the first BMC bouldering open. Both of these were used for the selection of the GB teams so there was lots of pressure to perform. After driving six hours in a uncomfortable mini bus we arrived at our luxury accommodation, a premier inn, like normal. After having a fun meal and playing lots of hands of very competitive card games it was time to get some sleep.

The next morning I was woken up by Luke's ridiculously loud alarm clock but I didn't care because I was so excited. After a few short cuts we arrived at the wall but we were too early and had to stay in the minibus this just made me really impatient and listening to Eye of the Tiger didn't make it any better. Finally we went in, quickly I found my qualifier routes and was pleased to see that they didn't look too hard!

After saying hi to everyone I went to check the starting lists. Maybe the qualifiers wasn't going to be such a breeze I was up first! After watching the demo carefully and making sure I knew how to do top which looked like the crux it was my turn to climb. Hearing my name shouted several times I rushed to the staring point carrying all my gear, so much for being prepared! Once I was ready and chalked up I set off. The first part of the route was a slightly overhanging wall with small holds but straight forward moves. I climb this slowly because I didn't want to make a costly mistake. To my relief I made the bottom of the overhang. I shook out for a bit, then left the rest and focused on the next moves. A tenuous move with high feet then a big lock to a good crimp. This was were I had guess the crux would be. I did the next move, clipped and climbed along the slopers and got my toe onto the first sloper. I pulled up and reach for the next hold, to my disgust it was really bad! Fearing the worsted I cautiously lifted my leg up onto next hold and pulled a bit. To my great relief I felt my body go back into balance and I was able to do the last two moves easily. Topped!

For the second qualifier I was on about half way through the group. I watched lots of people top it without much problem and was starting to feel the nerves. Soon I was sitting getting ready for the route and watching another climber top it. He lowered of and it was my turn to do it. I pulled on and climbed the first steep section of the wall with confidence. Suddenly after the angle change I had to pull on small holds and keep my balance. After climbing past a tricky crimp section I only had a few hold to go to the top. Keeping focused I climbed the last bit and clipped the chains. Brilliant I had made the final in joint first place (not sixth for once!).

Our group finished quite early so I had lots of time to get some food and relax before I entered isolation. But that time didn't last forever and I soon had to enter the Crypt which was a low ceilinged bouldering room. Crypt by name crypt by nature, it was cold, dark and impossible to warm up in. All I managed for a warm up was easy traversing, a couple of roof problems and deadhangs on the finger board. Overall not the best! But I didn't have to wait very long because I was soon let out and told to go to the waiting room. Here I focused myself for the hard route I was about to face. I ran through the route in my head. It started with a technical overhang with sequencey moves, then a steep roof but it was on jugs so didn't look hard; after that the hard climbing came with hard moves of tufa features and terrible slopers at the top! I was my time to go out and try my hardest. This was the last chance this year to win a national competition and I had to keep my place in the team! I walked out totally focused and got straight on the wall. After the first couple of clips I got to weird move which I hung about on trying to work out what to do. I quickly found the solution of swinging my feet onto the side wall and crossing through. The steepest bit of the roof was relatively easy and I made it to the start of the tufas barely pumped. After a big move to the top of the first tufa it got hard and I had to pull hard to get the next move. I climbed up the next tufa and clipped. I was quite pumped now and I reached  for the first sloper. It was terrible, totally crap. I quickly placed my heal onto the tufa and started to pull for the next hold. I just about touched it before my heel popped and my fingers uncurled! I fell feeling happy with my effort but new that the climbers after me would be capable of topping it!

I wasn't wrong William and Angus both topped the route that left me in third place. After a super final William beat Angus. I was happy with third place but not over the moon because I really wanted a win but it just wasn't the right time. Hopefully next year I'll have a win!!

EYC Kranj

I had been told that I would love Kranj and it would suit me perfectly with powerful and bouldery routes. I wasn't disappointed. On the flight to Slovenia I was really excited to see what it was going to be like. I'd never been to a country that was once communist and was less developed than the other countries I've been too. Once I arrived my eyes couldn't take in all the scenery at once. From run down housing estates to nice old streets filled with bakeries and expensive shops to rugged mountain landscapes. It really did impress me. Once we arrived we went out into the town and visited a old bakery for lunch where I had a massive bit of pizza covered in lots of different types of vegetables it wasn't what I'd usually eat but it was really nice none the less. We walked further down the main old street and it lead us to a view point above the river. This was brilliant fun because it wobbled loads so we all jumped up and down on it to see if we could break it and fall 100 foot into the water below which in hindsight wasn't the best idea! The second day was fairly boring until to my surprise I was given the option to go and see Skyfall in English seeing as I hadn't seen it I was excited to  see it and I loved it especially the seats which were so comfy I didn't want to leave! The next morning the time for joking around was over it was comp day and I wanted to end the year on a high with a final. The first qualifier was really easy to just above the roof where there was a good rest but then I had to do a long move to a crimp match it and then a long move out of it which was quite hard but I managed it ok. After then slapping to a sloper and pressing into the roof I was completely boxed I just got the clip in before my fingers uncurled and I fell. I was really pleased with this because I couldn't get any high than I did and I was in 11th place so I had a good chance of making the final if I did well on the next route.




 We went back to the hotel and I retired to my room for a power nap. I kept telling myself to keep calm and climb hard and if I did my best I could do it. I knew I could do it. But would I do it is the question. We walked back to the wall and I was feeling good and postive. When I saw the route it only made me want it more. The route was steep with a roof in the middle but then a rest and a really hard bit at the top which the rest of the team had fallen of before me. It was my turn up next and I sat below the route watching William fall on the obvious crux at the top. It was my turn now, my turn to give it all I got and my turn to make final. I climbed quickly through the lower sections of the wall and arrived at the rest.  I stayed there for a while making sure I was fully recovered. Now it was my turn to try the top crux I did the big move into the jug on the roof and quickly moved to the crimps at the lip, swung my heel up and started to pull really hard to the crux hold, I just caught it and it was much worse than expected. I tried desperatly to gain some purchase on it but it just wasn't happening I slapped wildly for the next hold only really trying to get the plus point because that make make the difference. I was gutted as I lowered of having failed but I was still hoping I might just make the final. After waiting for all the climbing to finish and the scores to go up. I was gutted!! 11th place!!! One hold of making the final was probably all I needed. This was defiantly heart braking! Although in the long run it will be good because now I am really psyched to train like stink as Ian puts it so eloquently and I am ready to crush the youth open at Liverpool Awesome Walls!! 

Gemozac

After leaving Gorge de Tarn we travelled to Gemozac for the European Championships. This is the biggest competition I've ever been to and you needed security passes to get in!!!! After chilling with the team for a couple of days the morning of the competition was just a sleep away. After a good nights sleep I was ready to crush. I was on early in our first qualifier so I was really calm and I climbed the route without a flaw until I pulled over onto the vertical top section of the wall and was faced with horrible holds and technical moves. After dispatching the lower section of the wall I was so focused but this proved costly because I climbed past a crucial clipping position and then couldn't clip so I jumped for the next hold but wasn't near at all. I was disappointed because I could have done loads better on that route and if I had topped it I would have made the final. The second qualifier was surprisingly easy for me I was shaking before a vertical section of the wall. The holds on this bit were little cracks which I had to go to in control or else I would miss it and fall. There was one more move for me to do before I got of the vert-dirt and onto some steep climbing. I reached to the first crimp which was an intermediate hold rocked over and tried to stab into the next pocket but I hit the edge in that split second I stabbed a couple more times to try desperately to  hold myself on but it didn't work and I fell. That was it. Another hold on ever route and I might have made the final but it wasn't to be. I finished 13th equalling my best result.  I didn't feel to down though because watching the finals in the evening was truly amazing and showed what a good spectator sport climbing was. I flew home with the team with my head held high and ready for the next EYC at Kranj in a couple of weeks time. I was desperate to make the final there!

Russan Trip

Wow this was probably the part of the year for me after driving all the way down to the south of France after a horrible two day slog we arrived at a lovely campsite just outside Nimes. On the first day we went to Mont Gaussier which was a beautiful mountain crag with some lovely climbing. After warming up I flashed a 7b+ which I got really pumped on but wasn't near to falling of because the moves were easy. After that I belayed my brother on Rattlesnake which was a power endurance 8a. To my surprise and awe he onsighted it with no problem. Now the pressure was it was my first really big chance of an 8a flash. I got the beta of my brother and cruised the powerful start. The crux was a long move to a side pull and then a big drop knee to reach the next pocket. I got to the move and by a costly mistake put my foot on the wrong foot hold and missed the crucial pocket. Gutted!!! I then went on to crush it next go.

That night there was 60 mph and our tent was taking a total battering. In the morning just as it got light I was awoken by a tearing noise. The tent had ripped!! We franticly took our stuff out and put it in the car before it blew away. Soon we were sat in our car wondering what we were going to do next fortunately we soon found a big gite to stay in. I was happy because we wouldn't have to stay in a freezing tent but gutted because we missed most of the days climbing. The only climbing I managed that day was a 6c and a sketchy as 7a followed by a really nice 7c which I did second go. The next day we went to Claret and it was really hot almost too hot to climb. The climbing there was really hard with weird features and hard moves. This was defiantly the  worst day of the trip I dropped a 6c+!! which had a blank slab on it!! As well as this I backed out of a 6b+ at the second clip!! On the other hand I did flash an amazing 7b with a trick knee bar in the middle of the roof.

Pipeline 8a

The next day easily made up for the failure of the day before. After doing a quick warm up of a 6c and 7a+ I got straight in with the hard stuff by trying Pipeline 8a. To make a long story short it was really hard!! I had to fight on ever move on the top section. It was brutal huge moves on bad tufas with crap feet!!! After the first five goes I was thinking that I wouldn't be able to do it, I was too weak. But luckily my brother showed me some new beta and then it felt possible. I got to the pitiful rest before the crux and had a quick shake. Built my feet up and made the full span move to the next tufa, but my heel on and reaching into the small crimps before matching and making sure I had them good. I was so pumped by this point and I screamed as I dead pointed into the next awful tufa. I desperately scrabbled with my feet and slapped into the jug undercut. Sticking that hold was one of the best feelings I've had all year. I believe that Pipeline was my hardest route I've done. I was thrilled!! It wasn't over then though. My sights were now set on another 8a! My brother went up first and said it was not too hard so I had a go. On the flash I fell of the first crux which was a really cool slappy boulder problem on little tufas. Then there was a good rest but it soon got hard again. There was a blank section of wall with only the smallest crimps for hands. Then big rock overs and sketchy moves to reach the belay. After working out the moves I went for it. The bit I fell of earlier felt easy and I crimped the hell out of the holds on the crux and just managed to scrabble my way to the chains. Once again I had done two 8as in a day!!

Next we travelled to the Gorge de Tarn here we stayed with a lovely English couple who had moved to the Gorge because it was a beautiful place to live and I don't blame them it really was spectacular. It was a shame we didn't get to do much climbing there but the routes we did do were amazing. The style required lots of endurance and good route finding skill because there were so many holds but most were not as good as they seemed. I really want to go back there to try some of the harder routes and climb some amazing climbs. Overall this trip has been a roller costa ride with highs of climbing Pipeline and lows of having our tent riped apart and failing on a 6c+ but I will never forget it and I can't wait to go back and crush some more!!:)

BLCCs

Other the past few months I have been very busy. My first main event was the British Lead Climbing Championships which was hosted by EICA Ratho. I was really excited and wanted to do really well because I had trained really hard and I wanted it to all pay-off. The first qualifier was on the main competition wall. Everybody before me had got to one move it looked really hard and I new that I would have to be climbing really well to get that move. After my pre-route chill I set of climbing the first easy section well. Now came the steep climbing, the moves were long and dynamic but there was a rest before the roof. I stayed there trying to calm myself down once this was done I continued up. On one of the moves my feet came of. Suddenly from being calm and confident, I was panicking and pumped. I set up for the hard move and fully committed but I was just too tired and fell!!

The second qualifier was on the old comp wall which was less steep and required more technic. The route started of with big open handed holds and then there was a hard traverse. I cruised all of this with confidence and was only slightly pumped. The top of the route kicked back into a nasty slab, just what I love!!! Unfortunately I got to a stopper move after having rocked fully over my foot I couldn't quite reach the next hold and fell.

But with this ok effort I made the final in 6th place by the skin of my teeth. Being in 6th place means I was up first on our final route which was once again on the new comp wall. It went right up the middle of it on yellow lapis holds. After walking out and feeling the crowd watching and expecting a great performance. The route was hard from the start with a tricky rock over low down. As the wall got steeper I became more pumped until I had run out of power and fell on a big move of a side pull. I lowered of feeling happy with how far I got but was it enough to get that first place. I watched as Billy Ridal fell much lower than me because of a mistake. Then Alex Waterhouse made the same mistake. I breathed a sigh of relief as ultra strong Dom Burns fell a move before me. Up next were Angus and William I watched with great respect as they both cruised past my point to fall high in the roof. With that I finished a good 3rd place. The next thing for me is the European Championships in Gemozac and a trip to the Russan area. So I'm going back to training and hopefully I'll do well.

Ticklist

Frankenjura                                                                          Ceuse

King Lui 7c Flash                                                                  Mirage 7c+ Flash
Beavis and Butthead 7b+ Flash                                             Correspondence Imaginaire 7c+ second go
Nimue 7b+ Flash                                                                   Vagabond 7c onsight
L'eau Rage 8a second go                                                        Corps Entrager 7b+ flash
Hercules 7c onsight                                                                Alabama 7b+
Sledgehammer 7b+ flash                                                        Blocage Violent 7b+ onsight
Azvenzgronzkaznozuda 7b+ flash                                         Berlin 7c second go
Love Parade 7c+                                                                    La Chose 7c second go
Bull Power 8a second go                                                       Makach Walou second go
Liebesmuh 7b+ flash                                                             Queue de rat 7b+
Rauchende Bolts 7c                                                               Au sud de Nullu part 7b+ flash
Fliegender Grafix 8a                                                             Bourinator 8a
Stromline 7c
Saftfeld 7b+ flash
Kraftfeld 7c+
Liebe ohne Chance 7c
? 7c+ second go

Ceuse

Bourinator 8a

 

In my opinion Ceuse is the best crag in the world. Every route there is one of the best routes I've climbed. On the day we arrived I was really excited and we went to Le Pont and did six 7a all were amazing! The cascade sector is the most beautiful routes on in the world. Here I flashed Mirage and Corps entranger both in my top 10 of favourite routes. I did Correspondence second go but the highlight was onsighting Vagabond which I found really hard and I was so pumped at the top! The next sector is Thorgal which is slabby I only did two routes a 6b+ and a 6c+ there both were ok. My favourite sector is Berlin the routes here are really pumpy and have some hard moves on them. I did la chose 7c, Berlin 7c Queue de rat 7b+, Makach Walou 7c+ all second go and onsighted the famous Blocage which was one of the highlights of the trip. The hardest route I did at Ceuse was Bourinator which was a real epic for me falling of practically every move on the start and the dyno at the end but when I clipped the chains all the effort was worth it! On our last day we went to the grand face and it was really good I flashed an amazing 7b+ and 7b.

Correspondence Imaginaire 7c+

Alabama 7b+

Frankenjura

The Frankenjura is a beautiful forest in Germany and whats even better is it has got loads of amazing climbing. On the first day we went to a crag called Diebisloch which is a 10 metre cave. I flashed all of the routes I tryed one was 7c called King Lui. On day two I finished of a 7c+ which I tryed to do on day one. The 7c+ was called Loveparade and it was sick hard with a vicious deadpoint at the top! On the third day we went to a nice crag in the morning and did a classic 7b+ in the afternoon we went to Holgetzars wand and I did my first 8a of the trip it was L'eau Rage and was a rising traverse with two dynos and a crimpy as wall. Day four we went to the crag by our campsite and I onsighed my first 7c called hercules. It only had one hard dyno but I thought it was soft. I then did another 7c. The next day we went to a small crag to try Bull Power 8a this went second go and it wasn't that bad. I was now focused on doing to 8a's in a day so we went to try Fliegender Grafix which was an amazing route with some of the coolest moves I have ever climbed. After falling on the crux dyno twice a had two more attempts. The first of these two I made it to the top crux and fell there I was gutted! I had one more try to get two 8a's in a day so the pressure was on. To my delight I topped it and I think it might be the hardest route I have ever done! I also got a 7c+ done at the same crag which was amazing. For the final day of the trip I did an amazing 7c second go and tryed another 8a which was vertical! I could do all the moves but couldn't link them!

7b+ flash at Diebisloch

L'eau Rage 8a

Fliegender Grafix 8a

Bull Power 8a

Youth Open and Imst EYC

My first youth open was at Ratho and I had great fun the first route had a nice arete and I did ok on it the second was a dirt slab which I fell really early on. I must practise slabs. This just scraped me into the final in 6th place. The final was on the hanger wall which suits me so much I managed to get to the second to last move after messing up on a clip. This got me into second place and I only lost on time.

My third EYC was in Imst in Austria it is the most amazing climbing wall I have ever seen! I was quite nervous about climbing there but my first qualifier was a nice route and I climbed really well on it. The second had a 'vert dirt' bit which I fell of which was really gutting. The comp was good but the Alpine Coaster was better. Another note don't let Ian cook he isn't very good!

British Boudlering Championships

The British bouldering championships where on the 8th of July and where held at Graves Park, Sheffield. I competed in youth B we had ten qualifiers. Out of a top score of 100 points I got 77 which managed to get me in third place. I also beat my brother by a bonus hold!

YCS Final

Thsi weekend I was climbing at the YCS final in Ratho after a close competition I came in first place by 3 points but I couldn't do anything better because I topped everything. Next up is the BBCs going to crush!

France EYC

I travelled to Voiron in France to compete at the French EYC. I am really happy with my result of fifteenth place and I finished top out of the British team in Youth B. The comp day was totally awsome we got up at 5.30 and went to bed at 2 in the moring I was wacked.

European Comp

I did my first EYC last weekend it was great fun and I came 13th. I was wearing the Evolv Sharmans and they were great for competeing in I felt totally confident that my feet weren't going to pop of.

Right-Hand Man

Yesterday I did Right-Hand Man which is an 8a at Cheddar Gorge on the Remnant. It has a really steep burly start then a really crimpy wall. I thought it was really hard but when I did it I didn't think it was that hard

France Easter

My trip to Provence in France this easter was amazing we went to Opierre, Saint Leger, Baume Rosse, Combe Obscure, Malaceune, Saint Julien. The climbign was amazing. I got two more 8a's done. The First was Slip Bouse which I found my hardest climb to date the other was Sault qui peut which I thought was very soft. I also onsighted FFM Meuh 7c+ which I really didn't expect to happen. Now in three weeks time I've got The Ratho Euro so I'm going to get training hard.

Pictures of Spain

Doing the last hard bit of Ergometria

The really hard start of Ergometria 8a

Me flashing Thor 7b+

This is la hora de milau 7c almost flashed it but fell right at the top

Flashing Muscleman 7b at Forida

Me on a 7a+ at Cabezon de Ora.

Great Britain Team

Too cut a long story short I got in and it wasn't to bad I flashed 4 out of the 5 routes I had.

Me cruising the 7b wall

Me With the Team I've got the best trousers

Spain Ticklist

Spain was so good we stayed in the Casaroc house in Sella and climbed everyday. The weather was really nice but not to hot which was good for crushing stuff.I got 36 routes done!
Day 1 Sella   Pequenecos 4+, warm up             Day 2 Gandia Quien Malonda 7a+
Cuidado con mi sombrero 6a+                                                  Blaniulus Gluttulatus 7a
Fulanita y sus menganos 6b                                                       Zucaricida 6c
Martin Galas 6b+                                                                       El sol 6b+
Vaya tipo el de Oti 6c+                                                              Pepestroika 6b
Cardo Borriquero 6c+ exposed!                                                 Ultima Albertencia 6c
Acrobata porcino 7a                                                                   Enya 7b+ first 7b+ flash!
Kashba 6c+                                                                                 L'os 7a
Seventh Samurai 6c
Tryed to onsight La hora de Millau 7c but fell

Day 3 Sella Speedy Gonzalez 5+                            Day 4 So called rest day. We did the Bernia ridge
                    aqui no nos djan aparcar 6a+               at the end of it I was so tired
                    Los coreanos 6c+
                    Fisura con finura 6a
                    Nameless 7b hard onsight
                    Oceano 7b easy onsight
                    Ergometria 8A awsome 3rd try
Day 5 Cabezon de ora Usoara 6b+                         Day 6 Forada Muscleman 7b
                                     Foarte Usoara 7a                           Thor 7b+
                                     Pitulicha 6c+                                  Elios 7a+
                                     Dragoste 7a+                                  Spiderman 7a
Almost onsighted Columneta 8a then Luke broke             Starman 7a
a hold so desperate.                                                             Disturbio Vertical 6c
                                                                                             El golfo de la guerra 6b+
                                                                                             Bum-bum 7a+

The only route I redpointed was Ergometria the rest were first go. Pictures will come soon!

Spain

Off to spain today aiming to do an 8a and a couple of 7c's. It's going to be awsome

Porlock

Went bouldering at Porlock Exmoor today. The bouldering is at the end of the pebble ridge and there are three main bits a slab with easy to medium problems it is really good for making up elimantes, a roof with 2 problems going out of it (V3,V5) and a couple of lip traverses. but the main bit is the steep wall which doesn't get the tide and is very dry in the rain. There are lots of good up problems and a few traverse. I did a V6 starting at the bottom of a prow and climbing up via slopers and pinches. It is one of the safest bets on Exmoor in terms of weather and there are never any over boulderers there.
Check it Out

Pyramid Pullups

Had an awsome sesson today did pyramids from 1 to 10 then back down to 1 and inbetween each set did the number of pullups times 10 moves on a 5 degree board. Takes ages but gets you so tired. I barely could pull after it.

cidersoak

this is the video of me climbing cidersoak

Barn

Went to the barn was good flashed my first 7c but was a bit soft

Hi guys

Just started havn't got a clue but how bad can it go? I am a junior Climber who lives in the south west. I'm the youngest english boy to lead climb 8a. I did the cider soak in March 2011.