12m. A popular route past the protruding lump. If you push on past two extra bolts above the lower-off, then you've done Thriller, 7c+. © ROCKFAX
First trip to Malham yesterday. Me, Ste and Joe, made an early start getting to the crag for about 9.30am. An early night was had to ensure a fresh and fit feeling for the day. Walking in a huge limestone cove rears up before you, a natural amphitheatre where there are some of the most classic Bristish sport climbs.
The worry was that I just wasn't going to be able to touch consenting; was I just dreaming - 7a? 'Perhaps I should have given it a miss and gone out to the peak, I know I can climb there. Too late now, your here.'
Joe gets on to put the draws in, gets to 3rd bolt and he's off. Ste gets on, same place as Joe and lobs off. I'm thinking, well both these boys have done it before and they're climbing 7b's and 7b+'s indoors, this is going to be a waste of a day! Then Joe gets back on romps through his previous high point to the next bolt, only for me to shout 'I think you've left you quick draws'. After some girly throwing from Ste, and a draw in the stream that runs below Malham, Joe clips the chains. Ste next, and with little effort and a lot of style, clips the chains as well.
Now it was my turn, but on a top rope. This was to be my first experience of Malham, and a day of red-pointing. Red-pointing is where a climber top ropes a route (head-pointing if it's a trad route) until all the moves all linked and then the route is lead. The term comes from the German Rotpunkt (point of red). Kurt Albert, a famous climber from the 1970s, used to place a red X below routes in the Frankenjura which he had yet to complete. After completeing the route he would place a red dot, or point, below the X to say he had complted it; hence redpoint.
First go, I can't even figure out the start. I slowly, and thugishly, make my way to the first crux. From some jugs you make a big move out left to a good crimp. With you left hand on this go over the top with your right to a small 2 finger and thumb pinch. Left hand up to a good side pull, move your feet up and lay off the side pull, go into a another good crimp with your right hand onto a bulge and match on a less positive crimp with your left. Then go up to some more jugs. After 20 minutes on this section I at least knew where the holds were. And so this process continuted until, after about 30 minutes, I got to the top.
On my return to the ground, I speak to Joe and Ste, get some more beta (information about the moves and sequence) and some areas where I might be going wrong. The obvious thing is my feet! Unlike the grit you cant just stand anywhere, there are specific positions for your feet. I wasn't using these footholds to maximum advantage and as such, I was just pulling my way up the route. No wonder I was so pumped!
This process of top roping the route carried on all day, while Ste and Joe tried other routes. By the end of the day I had almost got it linked, falling off the top move again due to some poor footwork. I was certainly beat, but I had made plenty of progress.
On reflection what have I got out of the day? Well firstly was that this sport stuff is pretty good fun. I've always been a little against, or apprehensive, of sport climbing as I thought it would make me less bold or less able to get on the lead of trad climb. I was also worried about being crap, sticking with what I knew and was able to do (climb on grit). In sport the possibility of a ground fall, or gear ripping, is greatly reduced in comparison to trad climbing. However, provided you keep going out and climbing trad routes then loosing your head shouldn't be a problem! Sport allows you to push yourself to your physical limit with the mental aspect coming down to controlling the pressure of the red-point attempt.
Secondly that I'm stronger than I thought I was, the problem is that I'm wasting that strength. I'm over gripping, holding on as hard as I can. This isn't necessary, only do it on the small holds and through the crux. Ste said he's seen me doing my fingerboard workouts and it's obvious I have plenty of strength I'm just not making the most of it through poor footwork and over gripping.
For a number of years, I've thought that 7a is some mystical number. That getting to 7a requires some magical formula or some super human strength, which I don't have and won't ever get. Yesterday I found out that climbing 7a requires you to get out and try to climb a 7a, if you never get out and try one how will you know what it feels like. My initial concern slowly faded away as I made progress.
I'm going back to Malham next weekend with Joe to get Consenting ticked! I think I might have been bitten by the sport bug?
As a side note. I actually ate and drank some fluids yesterday at the crag and it seemed to help. I could repeatedly try the moves and not feel totally battered after 1 go. I also had a big meal afterwards to replenish. Although I feel sore today I could go climbing again. I think you can probably get away without eating while at the crag but fluids are essential. Also don't underestimate the importance of having a good nights sleep.
More training next week; Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. I'm trying to get my body used to climbing on consecutive days in time for Spain. It's getting there but still plenty to be done before the 10th of April. My goal of ticking a 7a in El Chorro seems more than doable now so long as I keep up the good work!
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