Projecting

It's been a great week of working one day, crushing the next with 2 fairly successful days out in Wales. After making the list of problems I most wanted to do, I had a great training session flashing old board problems and also completing all my set problems in 1 whirlwind session 22 flashed and the last on the 3rd attempt.

I went with Tom and Owen up to check out Lizard King on Wednesday and it is one of the most aesthetic looking lines I have seen in the UK and certainly Wales! A 30 degree overhanging board of fairly good crimps and long lock moves... Perfect! It took a while to warm into it and after about 2 hours I had worked out my preferred sequence for the starting 2 moves. (A long press and shoulder lock on the right arm to the poorer of the 3 holds and then a high step and lock on the left arm to get the good right hand crimp). I dabbled with Owen's dynamic right hand first method but couldn't get to grips with it and the snatching was not doing my skin any favours!

Pic courtesy of Dave from UKB showing Cofe on Lizard King (illustrates the way Owen was doing the first move to the rail).

After resting and sticking the first move totally static, I crushed the problem till the last tricky move of gaining the sloper on the lip and totally powered out! I was a bit gutted but also happy as I know it will go next time I am up there as the top out is a trivial rockover.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful and I rested my skin as much as possible in anticipation of the return trip to Lizard King. This time just me and Owen went but turned the car around when through the last tunnel before Llanberis as there was just a wall of grey everywhere. The skies turned blue as we reached the Orme and there was a good breeze. The cave was in near perfect condition!

We both felt a bit lethergic warming up but after a brief warm up I got on Lou Ferrino and managed to get straight to the press to the first of the 2 pockets before falling off with the flash pump.

Owen did Flake start fast and then worked out all the moves of left wall high in about an hour, linking it in 3 large overlaps.


Dave on Lou F, from September time

3 more laps to the same move and I was feeling knackered, so with no expectations I pulled on and pathed it to the press out to the last slot and pulled on my right toe too hard.. pulling my left hand out of the last pocket and Failure! Oh well, next time I guess.

Chester Si and Jamie turned up a bit later on and after sharing some small bits of beta with Si he nearly crushed Lou Ferrino, just failing when getting the crimp before the last pocket. He has put quite a bit of time in to LF and it will be great to see him get it done soon as he deserves it.

So in summary, quite a good week even though nothing was achieved... minor breakthroughs and close calls have given me sufficient confidence that with a couple days rest, I can get LF done Tuesday evening (If it hasn't all seeped through by then). If it has then there is always the gorge where another of the 10 wishlist problems can get worked into submission.