Weak Week

After getting back from font I decided I probably needed a rest. So I took 2 days off after about 10 on and felt pretty good with new thick tips and everything!

I had a good campus session on the Mills' board then another strong session in the crypt on my V7 green = outdoor V10ish (Harder than Sparks with more moves and 3 cruxes instead of 2, the hardest being 2nd to last move). Enjoying this feeling of stength I took another 2 rest days and went to the wall on Sunday afternoon...

I was testing out a new weight belt that Tom got me as a bargain birthday gift and circuited the new step wall up to the V5's without too much hassle. I removed the belt to crush the harder lines but to my dismay I managed to get 5 flappers across several joints on both hands from some scrittly shitty holds that were a bit sharper than I expected! Devestated, I had to tape up 4 fingers and had a really poor session (not being able to send 5 of my own problems).

I went the wall on Monday afternoon and decided to make up for Sunday's bad session by working 2 of the problems I couldn't do from the day before and got 1 of them first go. I failed on the last move of the other due to it being another dynamic move with more flapper potential if not caught perfectly...so I backed off and felt defeated, although slightly more satisfied than the previous day.

I hate my hands, whenever the arms feel great (i.e. most of the time) my skin is falling apart either on the tips or the joints and I seem to be forever climbing on tape and glue.

I had a mixed return to Pantymwyn last night with Si H. With an unexpectedly large crew down there, we had to queue for problems! I warmed up and felt like a sack of shit but thought I would just try and get the moves of Sparks into the system again. I couldn't believe how bad the left heel-toe felt to get the dish over the lip and how hard the last move was again! I only managed the heeltoe move once in about 8 attempts and failed to do the last move. The rest wasn't too bad but I just didn't feel good on it at all. It all felt like a path till the last move when I was there a month ago (failing on the last move from the start 3 times in a row).

I sacked off Sparks in the end and put it down to the amount of tape covering my hands as well as lethargy and a greasy dish over the lip but I might have lost some power too from all that technique based climbing I have been doing!

Afterwards, me and Chester Si got on Mental extension and it got crushed in about 3 goes. Considering how shit I felt it was nice to get something positive from the day and I'm keen for Thug mentality as another problem for next time.

I really need my hands to repair as soon as possible so I can climb tapeless, so it looks like I'll have to just do some arm work on a bar, lots of core and maybe some deadhanging on small edges to feel like I'm not slacking off. Today's deadhang/pressup/core session at the wall was good and I'll probably rest a couple days now incase there is a chance of getting out on the hallowed lime this weekend.

Font 08

I've just had a great last few weeks in Sheffield and fontainebleau so I'll try and break it down a little into manageable parts!

March 21st-->25th (Merseyside & Sheffield)

We had a good day out at the Breck with Mike where he bouldered out overhanging wall direct at 7B+/7C, In the Jungle Direct 7B and some other line on the left at about 7A (all highball with 3 pads and a ropew to the side to get down!). I flashed In the Jungle Direct on a top rope but didn't try the highball as I wanted to keep my legs intact for font! I had a play about on the Haston Dyno on top rope and can confirm the moves are amazing and that the final dyno is nails - definitely felt like 7B+/7C on it's own as I couldn't stick it.

We were in Sheffield from the Saturday till Wednesday and had a day out at Stanage on the Sunday where I got Deliverance done and then Mike made the most amazingly static ascent of The Ace (8B) the day before he got married to Debs. It was great to be there and witness it from a couple of metres away.

On Monday me and Tom went to Crag Y with the ex nicest man in climbing and showed him the problems and he crushed everything in his path save the sitter into Fallen Idol and Speedway. He got all the moves into the standup wired on FI and am sure he will get it sent on his return! The wedding recepti0on in the evening for Mike and Debs was a nice event with good food and lots of familiar faces from Merseyside and Hull.

26th March -> 5th April (Fontainebleau)


This was my 3rd trip to font and I came to crush a couple of old nemesis from last year, try some new projects and get as many new 7's as possible for our 'friendly' competition versus team Hull. It was me and Mills against the combined decades worth of experience of Gibson and Jennings and it proved to be a lot closer in the end than anyone would probably have expected with Hull winning 50 - 40 in overall points (7A=1pt, 7A+=2pts, 7B=3pts..etc). Next time should be different as father time catches up with the ageing Hull pensioners!


The highlight of the trip was getting Carnage done as I had tried it last trip in October and struggled to make the first move (dropping across into the crimp from the non jump start). I had a few good efforts on it at the end of day 1 and returned to send on day 7 in about 4 attempts. I also tried a new problem in Salle Gosse and surprised myself in slapping the top after about 5 goes (from the low left hand mono start). I can't wait to return to try it later this year as it felt surprisingly steady for a forest 7C.


It was good to see other people sending new problems too with Tom pathing Fleur de Rhum static at Apremont, Ben getting Aerodynamite on his last day and Scott crushing Infidel on the last evening as it went dark.

I also managed to momentarily drag myself away from the hunt for new 7's to try a classic problem in Duroxmanie and can say it is the finest problem I have ever done in the 6's.

At the end of the 10 day trip I had managed 27 7A and above new problems and had a great time in doing so. My only regret was splitting a tip 3 days before we went on the Storm at Stanage and then another 2 tips 2 days into the trip on sharp things I should have avoided with my imfamously poor skin! I think next time I'll swerve anything grit related or sharp before we go on trips abroad.

I think font will have to wait till October now and I'll be saving for trips to Italy and Switzerland in the meantime to try out new venues. Time to get training again.