British Championships 2015

British Championships 2015

After not a brilliant result in Arco, I had no idea what to expect at the British Lead climbing Championships. Last year I finished 3^rd and 8^th so I would have liked to finish slightly higher. The competition was held at Awesome Walls Sheffield which was one of my favourite arenas to perform.

The first day was the junior competition. I felt like an underdog going into this one but I’m British I love an underdog.  Our first qualifier was a vertical crimp festival. I watched multiple climbers fall suddenly from the finger-tip holds. Getting ready to set off I knew one misplaced foot or a sudden movement could spell utter disaster. I was cautious, slow and precise. I felt my arms starting to throb spelling the end of my attempt but I was on the second to last hold. The finish in my sight. I set my cross-hairs at the target and committed myself fully. I fell short but it was still a good performance although maybe not good enough for a 3^rd place.

Next route I was lucky. I was first up. A chance to show everyone else I was there to mean business. Pace was everything, no time to stop to think I threw myself into harder and harder moves. I started to breath heavily. I fell right at the top having given my all.

I was through to the finals in 3^rd position. We waited in isolation, every minute ramping up the tension I felt. Coiled like a spring I sat in the chair waiting for the fateful call which meant it was my turn. I hit the wall running, doing each move as fast and efficiently as possible only stopping to refocus. I got to a big sloper at the lip and could only really hold it with one hand. I pulled down hard at the same moment feeling my feet swing into space. All or nothing. I felt my hands latch down, preventing my weight pulling me off and breath out a sigh of relief. The crowd cheered for me sticking the move. Now I had to earn a position. I knew the next move might be the difference between 4^th and 3^rd then between 3^rd and 2^nd or even between 2^nd and 1^st. I hung on desperately with my fingers slowly slipping and once again took aim to top the route, I gave absolutely everything but I didn’t have the recoil to create the momentum to stick it. I watched in awe as Jim went on to top the route pushing me into second position.

The next day was the seniors. I recognised many of the people I saw from UKclimbing.com articles for sending their recent desperate 8c+/9a projects. I was first up again on my first qualifier. This time I wasn’t too keen because it looked like a really technical slab. The bottom turned out to be easy but as I climbed high the holds got worse and worse. I got to a volume and I needed a high step, like really high. I decided I’d display my legendary flexibility which I’d been training for ages, it took me about 6 attempts to get my foot up. I wobbled on this volume. Tried to find balance. I think I need to spend more time slacklining as I twisted and fell off.

Only six went through to final, a small number, six of Britain’s best. Would I be one of them? The next route would decide. I climbed fast but found it hard, my body stretched out, tortured. I felt like a spider with someone pulling its legs. I made it to the change of direction. I rested, thinking of nothing but the climbing, everything was about the climbing. About 10 moves left. With each move my arms weakened but I was on the last hold! I clipped the chains! I was in final.

I’d spent many hours in school looking out the window thinking about this moment. Now it had arrived. I waited like I had done yesterday, the people outside waiting too, expecting. The lower wall went easily and soon I was into the hard climbing in the roof. I spun around looking at the crowd’s excited faces. The next moves were big but I climbed passed a clipping position. All of a sudden I was stuck, I couldn’t reverse and backtrack my mistake and yet I couldn’t go further. It was over I fell. Disappointed I lowered to the ground. I ended in 4^th.    

Bouldering

Do you prefer bouldering or routes? For me it’s routes. No doubt about it though they are more effort, more mentally tiring and more stressful. So I went to the dark side.

First I had a trip up to the Peak. I spent two evenings sneaked in after team training. For these I just climbed with my brother and we went around working out the problems the rocks threw at us. I climbed well with the feeling of the grit under my fingers like having sand on my skin from the beach. I worked the Terrace, a classic 7C. With clinical precision and absolute control like taking a penalty in the World Cup I climbed my way up it. I then took it easy and supported my brother as the sun dropped behind the hills. We both walked away feeling very happy with how it all went. From the rugged beauty of the Moor the next evening we went to the tranquil setting of Water-Cum-Jolly. The water was still like the muggy calm before the thunder roles in. With this storm came Tsunami 8A. It’s brutal, basic and brilliant. I was so close each time tickling the crescent shaped crimp! I came away as a gambler putting everything on red and it coming up black.

Next on the list was North Wales. The Pass was dank, drizzle washed over the car windscreen and fell to the floor with my hopes. One boulder was sure to by dry, well at least the bottom of it was; Jerry’s Roof. I had the ideal bouldering conditions wet, one boulder pad, no spotters, no beta things were looking splendid. Jerry’s Roof and Bus Stop weren’t too bad so I finished those quick. I decided to try Diesel Power. Not going to lie, I wasn’t very close to this. This didn’t stop me loving it though, I was stretched out on a roof trying hard to keep my feet on and eventually taking a swooping swing and landing with my bum on the mat. Doesn’t get much better! After Ed Gow-Smith and James Squire showed up so we climbed on the beautiful slopes of Snowdon. You know that nervous energy? That energy you get when you know everything is in place to climb something truly at your limit. Well that’s what I was swamped by when I stuck the shoulder shearing move on Stone Temple Pilots 8A.  The cave felt like being swallowed up into the mountain, it was dark but the chalk on the holds caught the smatterings of light and reflected it showing an interstellar path of holds out of Snowdon. I would never have done it though if it wasn’t for great beta and a bit of pressure to keep the ‘send train’ going as James topped it just before me. To end the day we headed to wavelength area and went right to the top. No noise reached us it was the perfect end with chilled out climbing at it's best.  

More limestone was calling. I visited Parisella’s Cave. It’s very steep. I set my pad up to climb Rock Atrocity 7C and found myself quickly coughing up the cloud of dust I landed in. I fought my way up just before my arms gave in. Another venue I visited was The Gop. This was a very short, very steep cave in the Welsh hills. One problem there stood out for me, Smoke a Bloke 7B+. The problem was one move long and what a move it was! Just pull on and jump for a pocket off two small crimps.

Next up was a quick attack of Peak limestone. I felt like I was in a rhythm now and hit crags like Blackwell Dale, Tideswell Dale and Raven Tor in the evenings. Tideswell was a special favourite situated in the most picturesque peak valley. You climbed off a meadow of grass on high clean limestone. I love the crimpy style and Pump up the Power 7C+ stood out for me as it’s such a classic.

I haven’t talked about closer to home. Hartland was the place where all my effort was focused and on one problem: Supercede 8A. Situated on a rocky beach, with the waves crashing like a natural rhythm to climb to, I’d say it’s one of the best places to have a project. I went down with the Mabons to try it. I spend about 4 sessions on it overall and that day everything was perfect. For me that was the hardest bloc I’ve ever climbed! Just next to it was Northern Exposure, a high, unrepeated problem which was given 7a+ but multiple strong climbers had failed to get the repeat. I tried it with a large crew and we had loads of pads. The atmosphere was chilled out and everyone was enjoying the evening. We pushed each other on to try to get the second ascent. The move that was stopping me was a desperate twist on a tiny edge in the crack. The first time I properly commited, I did the twist and slapped a sloper next to the crack. Now it was to the finishing jug, I latched it but felt my feet cutloose. In slow motion I twisted and my right hand ripped sending me into a sideways helicopter. My spotters divided out the way to avoid getting landed on. My side hit the pad and I watched my momentum take my face towards a rock, I stuck out my hand. Pain. My wrist felt like it had been bent back 180 degrees. I wasn’t able to climb for a month and that brought an end to my bouldering phase.     

https://vimeo.com/129292524 Bouldering from North Wales
https://vimeo.com/132603500 Bouldering in the Peak and Hartland

Projects

Over 10 days it took me. I probably spent about 40 goes on it. This route had no repeats. This route was Chimera. Since summer last year I’d been trying this monster link of Fisherman’s Tale, Postman Pat and Tuppence which goes at a top end 8b+. I would describe the route as an 8b consisting of a V7 and a V8 boulder followed by an 8a+.

We’ve all been there trying a route that is right at our limit and just being able to do each move on it. This was me at the start. For the people who push on they find a sharp improvement curve were the moves start to get easier. This wasn’t me, the moves were too hard and holds too small. I realised I’d have to do more than just try it, so I got training. Each session I would punish myself with a good 100 pull-ups before starting the session and hours working on finger strength. This was when I started improving. I went from falling off the 2^nd draw to falling on the 4^th draw to falling on the last draw. It felt amazing improving so much and I bet every climber finds getting better one of the best experiences. Am I wrong? There was one move which stumped me again and again, this one move was the hardest move I’ve ever come across on a route. This move didn’t just require all the strength I had but also a clinical accuracy to every movement through it. This move was as a real stopper. One day though, it was the 8^th of February, it all clicked. It was like a key fitting into a lock and I felt the move go like the unleashing of the lock mechanism.

Then the pressure came. I’m not sure if I’m the only person that feels this but it grows slowly and you start to think about succeeding. I try not to though. I try to force myself into a mind-set of calm where I can focus on the moves. For I have found success to only come from this mental state. I went for it, I climbed through the crux, and the first time I’d done it. Now it was on. I believed I could do it. Got to the final moves and thought it was going to be easy. I fell. I was heart-broken I knew I’d have to do it all again. I knew I could do it now there was no doubt so the only thing I could possibly do was focus on pulling as hard as I possibly could. I climbed Chimera. This is what really doing a route at your limit comes down to.

Projects, I’d say, are the things that provide me with some pure motivation. I feel that now as in the back of my mind I think about what I’ve got next. Supercede, 8A. It’s a childhood dream, I remember climbing with Mikey and Tom as they were trying to do the first ascent and thinking how that looked like the hardest moves out there. Also Poppy 8b+, the next route at Anstey’s, the next obsession.   

Winter Opens 2014

Over the last two weekends the final two national competitions of the year were held. The first was the first round of the British Cup at Awesome Walls in Sheffield and the second was the December Open bouldering competition held at the Unit in Derby.

This was the first British Cup ever held because before they were just stand alone competitions so all of a sudden this competition meant a lot more to me, because winning the cup would be a great achievement. I’ve had many competitions at Awesome walls, so I don’t really need to describe it but something that was different this time was; the amount of training I had done prior to the competition. I’d been advised to take the remainder of the year off so I hadn’t done any hard work for a good month before. My first two qualifiers were surprisingly steady and I managed to top them both out. I was safely through to the final. The final was on the overhanging wall with a little roof at the bottom. While route-reading I thought I could do this as all the moves seemed very straight forward. Isolation I always find stressful and end up sitting quietly focussing on my performance. My heart beats faster when I get called out and suddenly you are in front of a large crowd being expected to climb as well as you can. However this is probably the part I enjoy most about competitions that nervous excitement. I pull on to the route, the holds are red and I enjoy it as the moves linked together really well. I turn the lip and have a really disgusting match but then I’m off again. I start to feel lactic acid build up in my arms as they start struggling to hold on in a relaxed position, however I’m almost at the top and I cross to a sloper and find I can’t even hold it! I tried getting a better grip but nothing came finally I just gave everything I had a slipped out of the hold.

I found out I was in first with only Jim about to climb. He climbed really well and managed to go again to the hold I fell going to. In the end I finished in 2^nd place after Jim which I was really pleased with because it kept me in the running for the cup. Also I did well enough to get reselected for the GB team for 2015

The following weekend was the Boulder open in Derby. I’d visited this wall a couple of weeks ago for a quick look about so I knew it quite well. This competition we only had three tries on each problem which was really annoying because it meant it was less like a real European competition, also it put more pressure on each try. We are given 8 boulders to complete. We had 4 slabby ones and 4 powerful ones so it was a good range of technics required. Our time started and I got my confidence up by flashing the first one which was really easy. Next I tried a vertical one and I fell on the last move! This knocked me and I knew I had to keep my head in a good place if I was to have a chance of making final. Next I flashed two more and did the one I fell on which was a relief. Sometimes I get lucky with my height and find a short person problem which happened on the next one. I was able to get my feet really high therefore allowing me to get it on my third attempt. The next two problems where on the competition wall. The first was a massive roof which I flashed and it was the coolest problem with loads of squeezing with the limbs. Next was a wall with a stopper last move. This killed me and I knew if I could get this I’d have a good chance of finals, however the last hold was awful and I kept not quite holding it. This left the last slab, I knew I had to do this to make finals. For once I had to really pull it out of the bag. First and second go I fell. Left was my third I felt the pressure. I gave it absolutely everything I’d got but couldn’t quite get the push to reach the top. I fell and was gutted for the first time I hadn’t made a boulder final.

Once the results came out I found out I was in 10^th position, I wasn’t happy with this and I really want to improve it. Sitting out of the finals I saw the problems and thought that the final would have suited me. Although I did really enjoy both competition and it has made me psyched for the up and coming competition season so let’s see how it goes!!

British Lead Climbing Championships 2014

This year the British Lead Championships were held at the new wall in Sheffield, Awesome Walls Sheffield, which is a new BMC performance centre so one of the best walls to compete on a european style stage. The junior competition was held on the Saturday and there was a big turn out with about 20 in my category. The setting was done by Jan Genoux and gave some great routes. I was quite nervous because this was my first national lead competition this year. Normally I made finals with comfort but I wasn’t so sure this time! The first route had a hard top section but I felt really good on this and topped out. I felt really relieved. Next was a long steep route up the lip of the massive roof and I fell on the last move of this because of a poor foot placement which was really annoying! Anyway, only Will and Jim topped out and I qualified in 3^rd joint with Alex, no surprise there! I was more chilled now but I realised that this was the competition for British Champion, the big title, and the competitiveness kicked in. I came second last year. Could I do one better?

Our final route was through the centre of the roof with hard moves all the way through it. I climbed fast and it all went really well; I made no mistakes but fell on the top wall going for a small crimp that I just couldn’t grab! I came down, feeling like I had done my best, and was please to find I had the high point at the moment. Alex fell one move before me, although I thought he looked more solid than me. Jim then came out and destroyed the route with an incredible top out! Now Will had to match it, but do it faster. Will looked strong to the last move but then dropped with the finishing jug in his hands. So close! I finished in 3^rd place which I was pleased with because I couldn’t have done much better, but it still wasn’t a win.

The next day was the seniors. It was a massive jump in depth of the field, almost everyone was capable of making finals and only 8 spaces were available. We had two qualifiers as normal but both were significantly harder than youth routes. Both our route were about 8a+ which was right on the edge of my ability. I thought I had the fitness to make finals but it was just a question of how hard the routes were. The first was up the steep wall but not through the roof. I felt really confident when I climbed and enjoyed the experience. I managed to get a rest right at the end which completely saved me because I could rest before the final sequence. I felt fresh unfortunately there was an enormous move and I fell. This was good because only two people topped and I was in joint third! The next route was disgusting, like, really vertical with no positive holds and big stretched out moves, hell for me. I tried really hard and got to the crux but my lack of technique on weird moves showed itself again and I couldn’t really manage to do anything so I fell off. It wasn’t the worst effort and left me in a middle emotion of wondering if I had done well enough. After a nervous wait for about two hours I saw the results and was over the moon to have made it. Only just though; Ellis needed one move to kick me out.

5 Youth A boys made the final out of 8, which shows how competitive my category is and I’m psyched to be able to climb against all of them. The other three were men who were super strong but weren’t specialised lead competition climbers. Our final route looked amazing, unsurprisingly it went through the roof on big fat pinches with a dyno in the middle to get the crowd going. I was up first because I qualified in last position and climbed really fast and efficiently to the rest before the roof. At this point I had to clip from a set position which was really far away. I thought I wouldn’t be able to reach and was considering just dropping off but after three attempts managed to get it in. I did a little crowd raiser to get psyched and unleashed for the dyno, stuck it, yes! Next I missed a crucial kneebar which was a mistake and then my heel popped on a crucial move and I came down disappointed with my performance. I wasn’t surprised when everyone else got significantly further than me but still you get routes that just don’t go your way.

I really enjoyed the added pressure of the aura around the championships and the respect you get from winning it, however I was pleased with how I did and won of my goals is to become British Champion so next year I might make it one of my priorities to do well in. 

2014

Looking back I can't quite believe how far I have come in 2014. I feel like I put in some seriously hard work and it all paid off which was one of the most rewarding outcomes of the year. I've loved my training all year and have regularly been down to the Quay doing laps on brilliant routes and at the Rock and Rapid Adventure Centre pulling down hard on their training board with good mates.



Fisherman's Tale my Anstey's Project

I'll start with my bouldering. It has been a year of highs and lows with the highest high being some of my outdoor ascents like Ben's Roof 7C+, Brad Pitt 7C, Corridors of Power 7C although these where all dwarfed by The End is Nigh 8A. In a competition front I haven't climb as well and found that I've really struggled to compete in the new category of youth A.



The End is Nigh

My lead outdoors I think has been the highlight of the year and I'll never forget when I climbed my first 8b+ Kale Borroka at Suirana. I think this is the best route I've ever climbed and the best I have ever climbed. It was just one of those moments where I was totally in the zone feeling immersed in the movement and executing it perfectly. These moments are rare and I regret now not taking an hour to just appreciate it. I climbed many more 8b's and 8b+'s that year and it all culminated in Slow Food which is the hardest route I've ever done, I think that was my physical peak of the year. The question of 8c was constantly on my mind. It was the next big grade and I feel like it is the step up into the big league. I tried Dure Limites once and found it suited me but it got wet so I hope to return this year to Ceuse to finish it. I had a goal to onsight 8a too which came to fruit when I succeeded on Font Picant and I'd never had to fight so much! When the wall was about to become less steep and more feature I just remember thinking, 'This is it, give it everything!'


Nothing beats the Archtempter!!

My competition lead was a hard year as I moved in Youth A and, at Imst, was shocked at how much harder it had all got! The main event was New Caledonia which was the most memorable trip of the year. I wasn't happy with my performance but then again I didn't have a nightmare and I finished in 19th place. One of the best moments was making the senior men's final at the BLCCs which has opened some doors for me.



Corridors of Power

I've also done a smattering of trad and have managed E4 on lead which was a terrifying experience and also I did the Archtempter E3 which was my first proper experience of choss climbing. I have also been lucky this year to be sponsored by Dewerstone clothing and I have enjoyed supporting a local Devon company!

L'argentiere

Recently I have had some time off and have had a holiday to Nice over Christmas. This has been a really chilled out affair and I've had fun just climbing and discovering new places. This is something I've missed over the last couple years, I've been stuck in a performance tunnel, as Steve McClure puts it, but I still don't think that is a bad thing and I'm even more excited to through myself into it next year.

I end briefly with hopes for 2015; most importantly I want to remain injury free and keep enjoying my climbing. I'd like to do better in the competitions and also I might be able to go to a senior World Cup so the competition side is looking good! Outdoors I want to climb 8c that's basically it. I want to discover new places and generally follow my passion wherever it takes me, so lets hope 2015 is a good one!

Thanks to My sponsors
Dewerstone
North Devon Sports Foundation

Flash Over 8b+

World Championships

World Championships

Just after starting Sixth Form I had to travel across the World to New Caledonia, which was a 9 hour flight south east of Japan so yeah we had quite a lot of travelling time, about 30 hours in fact and we arrived tired, to find that our bags had been left in Helsinki, this left the rather unpleasant experience of wearing the same boxers for four days although I did turn them around!

New Caledonia is probably the most tropical place I have ever been by that I mean there where palm trees, amazing beaches and poisonous animals. I did get a scare when I almost stepped on the third most venomous snake in the world fortunately it was fairly dopey and we decided it would be a good idea to poke it with sticks!  The town we stayed in was called Noumea and it was the capital of New Caledonia.  It was all very rasta out there with lots of locals having dreads and walking around with speakers playing loud music, I even heard someone playing Shaggy at a ridiculous volume out there car. I had to join in with this chilled out lifestyle so decided to by myself a Hawaiian shirt 2500 francs or 25 quid well spent!

On one of the rest days we went to duck island which didn’t have many ducks on it but instead had some cool snorkelling with colourful fish although we were told we would see turtles so we went exploring around the island, we got told we weren’t meant to snorkel there so left but Alex stayed, soon he was back saying he had seen turtles. We went back to the same spot and found them! The turtles sort of reminded me of the people all laid back like the turtle from Finding Nemo.

Well we weren’t out there for a holiday so soon our minds turned to the competition; the wall was incredible maybe the coolest looking wall I’ve ever climbed on! The opening ceremony was intimidating seeing all the different countries with big teams and us just with 7!

So my first qualifier was through the vert then a massive roof then some simple pulling to the top, looked fun! The sequence through the roof was a couple spins and looked really confusing. On the bottom section I managed to keep it together and made the roof, so basically I went completely wrong handed and ended up doing a swap, so much for beta, and pumped out a couple moves later but still I was in the top 26 so it was good enough.

My second qualifier had a really hard start and many of the juniors hadn’t got past clip 5, I got here and was half way through the move when my foot popped! I thought I’d blown it, honestly I couldn’t believe it and I thought I hadn’t made semi-finals. I thought it was over and I’d let the team down, though thankfully I make it in 23^rd place phew stressful!

After a chilled out evening and lazy morning we headed to isolation which is always intimidating because it is so busy, however the atmosphere is amazing so I got psyched! My route was on a similar section to my first qualifier so I thought I could do well. Once again it looked like a really hard route sequence and it had a massive move in it. I returned and got myself ready for my most important route of the year. I came out completely focused and ready to give it my best effort. I climbed the bottom wall easily and made the first couple moves in the roof which were quite hard but I wasn’t that pumped when I hit a jug in the roof. Next was the big move, I eyed up the next hold and let fly but didn’t stick it and dropped. I’d climbed really well so was happy but still knew I could have done better which is annoying.

Will made finals so the next day he was up and we knew he could do well and where so psyched for him but unfortunately he met a stopper move which he didn’t get on with and he finished in 8^th. The trip was amazing and totally worth it. I’d just like to say thanks to everyone who helped me get there and the support I had when I was out there, I couldn’t have done it without you!

 

Sponsors: Dewerstone

North Devon Sports Foundation

Sports Aid

Langenfeld European Bouldering Cup

The second bouldering cup was held in Langenfeld, this was my final bouldering competition of the year so I wanted to make it my best one.

From St Leger I travelled back into England and got dropped of by my family at Stansted Airport, from here we flew to Munich and after a rather eventful car ride featuring a flat tire we arrived at our hotel at 3 in the morning!

We recovered and the competition was soon on us! I was climbing at about 11 o'clock and I did a really good warm-up with Tim involving lots of looking like an idiot but when I pulled on the wall it was worth it because I felt like I was moving well and felt like I could pull out some hard moves.

The clock ticked down to our start time and I checked out our problems, it was weird how they did the comp they made variations of the problems but essentially the same base moves for example we had a similar problem to the youth b girls but they had taken of three holds.

Right the clock struck 0 and it was time to climb, I watched Will flash the first problem so the pressure was on me to match his effort, I went for it but had to squeeze so hard to stay on and dropped it early. Another effort and I dropped the next move then someone came along and just went with the other hand and made it look easy, this did turn out to be loads easier so then I dropped 2 moves higher because of a silly slip! Fouth go and I stuck the second to last hold but then my foot slipped and I fell! Ah fifth and final go, I really had to compose myself for this and executed it perfectly it felt great!

After that I did the easiest problem, which was a proper dyno so I was surprised I could do it! Next was the youth B girls problem made harder, on my first three goes I dropped this hard press move to a pocket but then sorted myself out and managed to do a cheeky crimp in a bolt hole which isn't technically allowed but oh well and finished of the problem!

Next I tried the slab which was a youth B boys final but couldn't touch the way everyone did it, it just didn't seem possible for me so I left it, next was another dyno this one was a quick match and slap to a good hold which purely revolved around speed. I slipped on my first go and on my second stuck the move it was sick I have to say such a good problem, so after that all the problems where desperate but I tried different beta on the slab but unfortunately ran out of time for another go!

This competition was really well organised, great music, all explicit, good lighting and a great place so I really enjoyed it and I might venture to say that bouldering comps are pretty fun, and with a decent result of 25th I was pretty pleased with my trip.

Next was the finals and it was amazing watching Will crush to a silver position so close to gold, Tara finish 4th so close to 3rd! Also Max made a good effort and came 5th! Well done to all the team and thanks to the management!

Thanks to my Sponsors:
 Sports Aid
 North Devon Sports Foundation
Dewerstone

Hope, heat and heartbreaks

High on Black Mamba 8a



After sacking off Ceuse, we headed from the mountains and into the heat of the Provence region. Grape vines covered the slopes below Mt Ventoux in these was St Leger which I would say beats Ceuse but just for me because it has loads of good 8b's and 8b+'s which is just what I like. The style is pure fitness, you wouldn't fall off because the moves are too hard which I'd never really experienced. First, I finished off an 8b+ I tried last time and was please to find I had got so much stronger since last time and showed I could do 8b+ second go. This gave me help because I knew I could climb harder than that. I also tried and 8b called Praniania which felt really easy.

We spent most of our time at sector La Baleine which is a smaller looking version of Rodellar. It had two classic 8b+'s and two 8c's so plenty to go for, I started with flashing an 8a on the left hand side of the cave and it felt easy. I was feeling so good! Next I put the draws in Collection Automne Hiver 8b+ which was an epic. I took 5 10m whips when I was trying to put the draws in! I came down and had to call it a day because it took so much out of me. After a rest day we returned and I had three goes and dropped turning the lip of the cave twice, but found new beta at the end of the day. After more rest I tried again and managed to send it with the new beta. Me and Luke reckoned 8a+ to a rest then a roof which gave a hard 8b followed by a hands of rest then a technical 7c to the top. All in all I thought it was hard 8b+.


8a+ at Venasque

We also climbed at Venasque, which has some amazing rock with really cool features and some incredible secret walls. I managed to onsight my second 8a but it was a really soft one so I only felt like I had done a standard 7c+, and I have felt more psyched after 7b+ onsights. I just think I get most satisfaction from either cruising something or having a fight because with cruising I am psyched because I know I climbed really well and the fight just involves the most physical investment so you get great rewards. But I'm not sure which I prefer. I also tried an 8a+ which was ridiculously hard! Unfortunately I'd run out of juice after one go on this.


7c+ at Venasque

More rest and we returned to La Baleine, we'd left the draws in the climb so I just warmed up and went for an attempt on Collection Automne Hiver, I climbed to the rest really efficiently barely getting pumped, I left the rest and kept going the new beta worked but I still had to really keep it together while I felt like my arms would fail at any moment. Right onto the slab, I'd done the physical part now was time for the mental part. I'd never actually linked the 7c so I was nervous as I stood there recovering. I set off feeling calm and light, every move I executed perfectly but still it felt hard after climbing that much a 7c was a real challenge.

Heartbreaks, I think I'd describe them in a climbing sense as when you put all your energy into one attempt give it absolutely everything and realise that you just aren't good enough and no matter how hard you try you won't succeed. I tried this 8b+ called Jungle Speed, it was hard I would say it was 8a into another 8a with only a few shake outs with the crux right at the top. It was one of the best route I'd ever tried completely beautiful flowing movement, I had two days left and I wanted to do it so badly. I climbed fast, fluent and still found the going hard. On my first go I was going for the last hold with hard moves around it, but I wasn't close. Next go I fell earlier. This was at the top of a 35m route and every time I knew I had to climb back up to that point. On the same day Luke fell 3 times at the top of Collection Automne Hiver even after doing the crux move on the 7c he pumped out and dropped it!


Luke doing Coloscope 8a

The last day it was my last chance and I'd never wanted it so bad, I climbed the best I ever had never faltering or hesitating but still I got to the crux and fell a move lower from a stupid mistake, I knew I hadn't enough energy left, I wasn't frustrated just broken that I didn't have it in me to complete those moves. A true heartbreaker.
Thanks to My Sponsors: Dewerstone
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North Devon Sports Foundation

The massive cave!

L'argentiere European bouldering cup

Topping my first problem

The first bouldering cup was held just a couple hours from Ceuse in a small town called L'argentiere. We travelled down to the town near, Briancon to try to watch the world cup. Unfortunately there was a storm and the water started to drip through the walls, with the setters desperately trying to dry it out. It was eventually cancelled when a lightning bolt struck the courtyard and struck a tree sending two people to hospital. Seeing this close up was one of the most scary experiences I've ever been in.

We took a rest day which involve playing lots of darts and watching films. We also checked out the wall, to me it looked really good lots of overhanging panels which look like they'll yield some powerful problems.

Competition day arrived and I hoped I could put in a good performance, because I was really struggling to compete in youth A everything was just harder, moves bigger, holds smaller. I saw our problems and sure enough we did have lots of powerful ones. I started on a yellow problem, it was made for me just small holds and gymnastic moves. I flashed it and missed the bonus on it! Oops. Next was a green problem which was just a massive swing move and was really easy. My third top was a slippy white problem, and I pulled on and my foot popped straight off. I was so annoyed, I looked at my foot thinking how could a possibly do that! Fortunately I got another go straight away and sent it. The rest of the problems where completely desperate and I was working to try to get bonuses which was really demoralising. After the competition I finished with three tops and three bonuses which ended me in 32nd place. So frustrating!

Will getting stuck into the desperate blue

Ed going for the green dyno

Super slippy on the white

Although I soon forgot about my bad result because Hamish had crushed and made final. We watched him and he managed to pull it out of the bag in the final with two tops this place him in third!

It was a really good competition because it was chilled out with nice weather but it was a shame I couldn't match it with a good performance. Still I had a great time!

Thanks to my sponsors:
Dewerstone
Sports Aid
North Devon Sports Foundation

flying!!!

Crowds, hills and the best climbing in the world

I start by saying this, Ceuse is without a doubt the best crag in the world for climbing, there is route after route of immaculate rock with well chalked holds and good bolts. This summer I spent two weeks there soaking up the sun and also climbing so stuff.

The lifestyle of Ceuse is so chilled out everyone is just chatting, pushing themselves and it was brilliant to partake in this vibe, I mean where else would you see Anna Stohr doing the dishes! This enjoyment of the basic pleasures of life was what Ceuse is all about. Like the hour walk up leaves you so tired you need to spend half an hour just chilling beneath the crag before you start to warm up. Leaving you to marvel at the stunning view.

We drove all the way from home and arrived at about 4, there was a bit of 'arrive at a crag psyched out your mind' feeling so we went straight up and I expect we did the hill in our quickest time. Luke had a long project he had been trying called L'ami de Tout le Monde 8b which you could tell he was desperate to send, so we warmed up and tried that in the evening. It was the most popular 8b on Ceuse and we tried it with a girl who I met in Siurana earlier this year, small world! I worked the moves and found it ok, this was followed by the a big fight to send the route second go! I was surprised to say the least.

Another benefit of Ceuse is all the routes are close to get to and with easy access which can lead to amazing days of mileage. This happened the second day, and it was just a day where everything went my way, these days are like gold dust and you have to realise when you are in the middle of one so you can grab the opportunity with both hands, it was days like these where the standards have been pushed. However I didn't focus on pushing my standard, instead I went for the classics, by 4 I had done Suedes Froides and Carte Blanche and by the evening I had ticked L'ami Caouette followed by Petit Tom, afterward I was so tired but completely thrilled about getting so many amazing routes done.

Luke on Radote Joli Prepare

I'd really come here to climb hard and ticking low 8's wasn't what I really wanted to do. So after another day where I started by trying Radote Joli Prepare 8b but then gave up because I couldn't work out the crux, I tried Slow Food 8b+. On my first go I could do every move on the route but could barely link two of those moves together and still at the top there was another hard section, so to break it down I would say it was 7C through a roof with physical moves then a hold you can shake on before a 7B with a slap move to a crimp. Finally it finished with maybe another 7A+ after an ok rest. On my second go, I could barely even do the moves so I decided to leave it. After a rest day I returned, I knew every move so I just warmed up then started having redpoint goes. First go I got through the bottom crux, just! Went for the crimp and wasn't even close. Next go the crux felt harder but on the slap I actually felt the hold! Now it was a balance between having the raw power to do the bottom efficiently and having the luck to stick the crimp. Third go, I knew this was hard for me and hard as in I'd have to try harder than I have had before. This time, I gave everything I had, and stuck it! Just. I climbed to the rest, now for the top. I only just caught every move but manage to pull it out the bag! Looking back the whole crag must have heard me screaming.

Walking up the hill soon gets tiring and after sending Radote Joli Prepare 8b I was in need of a rest. This came as the L'argentiere comp which I'll write a separate blog on. Once I had returned I was burnt out, I tried Le Chirurgien du crepuscule 8b and fell at the last hard move 30m up. This killed me I just wasn't motivated to put the effort in each day but I had a good trip.

One thing is for sure that I will return. I had one go on Dure Limites 8c and actually found it pretty steady with some intense training I'm 100% sure that I can do that route in near future.

Thanks To My Sponsors
Sports Aid
North Devon Sports Foundation
Dewerstone

Ratho European Championships

Qualifier 2

This weekend many climbers from all over Europe travelled to Ratho for a shot at becoming European champion. This is probably the second biggest competition of the year after the World Championships so everyone was looking very serious and focussed. On the other hand I was feeling pretty relaxed because after a poor performance in Imst it was going to be easy to improve but I still wanted to feel like I'd done my best. To be honest all I wanted was to come off pumped without making silly mistakes.

I competed on the Saturday morning and I was on 5th. Warm-up went well and I was confident I could do well on the route after working through the sequence. It was a line of big, bright pink, blobs up the wall so looked athletic and powerful, a typical indoor route which wouldn't look out of place in a showy American comp. Once again the nervous hit as I was sitting on the preparation chairs watching someone fall of really low. Take a deep breath, go! The lower wall was easy just moving on good edges, about 7b then came a big slot. after some funky moves around this I came to a big cross-over move at about the fifth clip, I went for it and stuck the hold but I was loads worse than I expected and I couldn't unwind and I fell. I all seemed like a flash I barely got any time on the wall. This annoyed me because just after a new sequence appeared where you matched and missed the desperate cross move which looked loads easier! I knew I could have done loads better.

The second qualifier was on the stepped roofs of the old competition wall which was one of my favourite parts of the wall. I got on the route feeling confident and strong, I was comfortable on every move which is unusual. At the first roof though I almost fell because there was a massive move! Thinking about it now I still don't know how I stuck it. I then went on to climb really well, I got into the second roof super pumped but managed to stick the moves across it but then fell at the desperate slap for a crimp over the lip. I came of boxed which was all I wanted so I was happy.

I found I had finished in 24th place which was ok but in the worlds I'm sure I can do better and hopefully make top twenty. The next day was the finals and we had Molly and Will competing. Will was out first and got really high but fell which was surprising seeing as he was strong enough to do a crowd raiser. Next was Molly and she got really high and was in first until the very last person who got to the same place and beat her on count back so close!

I'm still feeling really psyched and am really excited for a mega trip to Europe hopefully getting some classic routes in. In Frankenjura I want to repeat some of Jerry Moffat's route like Bastard 8b, Ekel 7c+ and then hopefully some bouldering in Austria where I'd like to get another 8A!

Thanks to my Sponsors
Dewerstone
Sports Aid
North Devon Sports Foundation





Flexibility paying off!

Imst European Cup

This weekend I travelled with the team to the beautiful country of Austria for my first international competition of the year. The Euro was to be held on the outdoor wall in Imst, 23 metres and insanely overhanging in the second half this was one of the best walls to hold it. I'd trained hard through-out the winter and the work had been paying of with good outdoor accents on my trip to Spain so I was fairly confident I would get a good result so I was aiming for the top twenty even though it was my first year in Youth A. Going into youth A I knew would be a jump but I didn't expect the increase in ability that I found, there was no difference in distance up the route that everyone was getting and the routes were more like 8b or 8b+!

I did everything normally and climbed well, there was just one catch, I found every move I did hard and it involved pulling. Nothing was a give away however everyone else seemed to make it look easy! The first route was hell for me, not my anti-style but just a really horrendous route, not one good hold and I full crimped everything like a nutter. I got stretched out on every move, reaching as far as I could and just being tall enough to complete the sequence, having to move out of this stretched position was even harder and into the next one. This eventually took its toll and I couldn't complete this crazy high step while at full span but quite a few people dropped it here so I wasn't too upset.

The second qualifier wasn't any easier as well! However it was a lot more fun with massive moves on open handed holds which was really fun but wasn't situated to me so much. However I did get higher on this route and my attempt ended in a foot slip where I should have just kept my feet low and gone big. However I came down once again feeling like I had done alright. I feel like blaming my height but I don't think that will help me at all, just hoping for a more powerful and less stretched out route will be a waste of time because I have a feeling that big moves is the style that I am going to keep getting and I have to work to overcome this weakness anyway Sascha Lehmann who is shorter than me came second!

I thought with my performance I'd be in the low twenties or high teen's but that wasn't to be after my first route I was 32nd and finally I came 37th, I was just disappointed that I had got so much worse in comparison to everyone else, but one thing that I'm sure of is that this is the a good result because it allows me to build on it. This was a fluff up, I didn't realise how good I had to be and how much harder I should have worked to be competitive. Hopefully soon I will be back into fighting for a place in the final even though there are a ridiculous number of absolute monsters that I'm going to have to start beating to have a chance!

This performance was a set back, and with a big trip planned for the summer I'm not sure how much training I will get in but hopefully I'll do lots of climbing and it'll get me stronger. In the short run though I've got Ratho in a couple weeks so I'll hopefully do some intensive training to get a little bit more to give and fingers crossed improve my result. However I wasn't too worried because I was busy being happy for Molly and Hannah who both made finals and were really impressive oh yeah almost forgot Molly won boom go GB!

Sponsors: Dewerstone
North Devon sport foundation
Sports Aid

A Muerte

Flash Over

Wow Spain is defiantly the best place in the world for sport climbing, in my opinion, I'm not sure what could top it. This year just like last year we headed out in our Easter holidays after a winter of intensive training. I was really excited and spent hours memorising all the information in the guide books and researching loads of climbs I wanted to do on 8a.nu. Their was one main goal though Rollito Sharma Extension 8c, I'd trained towards this route and this fed my motivation to get stronger.

Flash Over

So we travelled out and my brother and I were like little kids in a candy shop! Maybe a bit too enthusiastic going to Santa Linya straight away, we met Anak Verhoven there who we have competed with and first met at Saint Leger, once again a marvel of the climbing network! Bit over keen we warmed up and got straight on the 8c, yeah surprise we got really shut down. I also worked an 8b called Niu de Chut which I got all the moves on and thought it was soft.

So day two we started, got up early and headed to Terradets, the sterotype of a sport cliff with 30m endurance tests all the way along the wall. Turned out I was feeling fit and I fired off Golpe de Gas 8b second go and as I was getting tired screamed and fought my way up Non Stop 8b. This was an amazing day and was when I realised that I could push it this trip.


Climbing at El Falco

The next day brought me back to earth as I dropped a 7a warming up. Next I tried an 8a+ which I backed off and I wasn't feeling that good. I was worried maybe I had burnt out already, but things started to get better and I onsighted a 7c which I really enjoyed and was a bit of a hidden gem. We then moved to a crag called Camarsa which was one of the oldest crags in that area, some of the climbing was bit too roadside for my liking but we did some routes their before heading to sector La Font which held the amazing orange wall of Font Picant 8a. I decided to go for the onsight not really expecting much, the moves through the crux flowed really well and I found myself above it. I dug deep and for the first time was positively talking myself through the top section in my head and it worked my first 8a onsight, although gutted for Luke who dropped the last hard move on the flash.

  After a rest day it was time to try to have a proper redpoint go at Rollito Sharma, it wasn't to be though and I couldn't get through the desperate crux on the 8b+ section which was a bit rubbish but felt better when I saw some Belgian wad falling there as well. That day I finished of Nuit de Chut extension 8b which turned out to be hard and I almost dropped clipping the chains that would have been a heart breaker! I finished the day with an 8a and tried an 8a+. The Austrian Youth team showed up which was fun because I knew most of them and they are always a good laugh, although we did feel a bit outnumbered. Final day in Santa Linya and I tried the 8a+ again but couldn't do maybe next time! Gaz Parry turned up which was cool because he was like a beta god and with his and Anaks help I sent Koala 8b second go. Then I did an 8a and two 7c+ to finish off but really I know I'm not finished and will hopefully be returning there soon to finish off Rollito Sharma!

Non Stop 8b

No rest and we went straight to meet 'the Northern Lot' to climb in Suirana and Margalef. Previously I didn't have the best experience with Suirana finding it too vertical and fingery but this time it blew me away. Classics like La Cara que no miente 8a+ and Ramadan 8b went on the first day. Good job to Alex also sending them. Another good send that day was getting a lift offered from the first guy I tried to hitch! The following day we went to the same place and I tried Kale Borroka 8b+. Let me describe it a 38m orange wall at an outrageous angle for most of its length split by one crack system covered in chalk. It was a line and I didn't find it that bad. On my first redpoint I fell on the top crux. Michaela Tracy told us the day before that the 8a+ next to Ramadan was actually harder so always keen for a sandbag set off to try it. Alex was getting bored by the time I'd figured out all the moves and they were hard, I don't think I'll ever crimp so hard. I got on a redpoint and was fresh through it but just lost crimp strength towards the end and ended up holding a hideous deadpoint to a mono. Hardest move I've ever done? Felt like it! Of course I made it look harder than it was and Alex went to cruise it.



Non stop

Next day was the first day in Margalef and there was one route I wanted to do, Flash Over 8b+. I just wasn't focused that day and fluffed it too many times and eventually ran out of energy, I'd failed. I wasn't down for long though because watching Billy send Dando Brea 8a was pretty inspirational good effort!

The rest day was full of sun tanning and swimming although I'm not sure swimming across the lake at Margalef was the greatest idea maybe a bit reckless. After this I was refreshed for a siege on Kale Borroka. Two other people where trying it so there was a good buzz and I went up on my first attempt and got to the final crux again but couldn't stick it. One of the guys suggested a change of foot beta at the top and I decided I'd use this. I sent it next go and it was weird I wasn't that over the moon to send it but I just felt fulfilled because I'd climbed it perfectly and to be honest it didn't feel hard. I think I'm not going to get that very often it was really special.

Last day with the Northern lot was at El Falco Arboli and I spent it climbing low 7's and just really enjoyed it. The last night was interesting and just to say the following morning I wasn't feeling my best but it was my last chance on Flash Over 8b+. I only did one warm up and decided to get straight on it. Without expectation I climbed, I felt crap but kept going move after move. At the top I was boxed but clipped the chains in a daze. That was unexpected. Luke sent El Fustigador 8a+ and made it look easy so a good day all around. Luke and I finished on a ledge at Suirana climbing beautiful routes and finished just as the rain came in. Wow, I have to say it was fun.

Thanks everyone that made it an amazing trip, thanks to Mike for getting me in shape and thanks to Dewerstone for the support!



The crew!