Must Try Harder...Back to The Training Board

So I've finally got round to writing an update. It's been a while as I've lost a little momentum with work so had to concentrate on that.  There have been some ups and downs recently but I'm certainly happier with my climbing in general, it's moving forward albeit at a rather slowed pace (again).

Kilnsey Crag in the morning light, check out that roof!

The last time I posted I'd been to the lakes and had a good weekend; ticking MGC being the highlight. A few weeks ago myself and Joe headed to Kilnsey. Unfortunately, in terms of climbing prospects at least,  I had been out the night before. Although I didn't have too much to drink I didn't get to bed until 3. Picking up Joe at 8 was a real struggle but I managed it, just about. Luckily Joe had been out the previous night so he wasn't feeling his best either.

Kilnsey is another limestone crag in Yorkshire and is appears less intimidating than Malham in scale. Although the huge roof at it's top looks pretty damn intimidating! It also breeds a different style of climbing. Malham (WHEY!!!!) is all about sidepulls and using the foot holds to figure out a sequence.  Kilnsey on the other hand has reasonable foot holds, fewer sidepulls but very powerful moves.  I though this would suit my style - how wrong can 1 man be? Well pretty damn wrong. After warming up (and fannying about going to use the toilet in the village)  we got on Open road (6c). Joe put the draws in and I tied in - that was about as sucessful as the day got! I don't very often get freaked out by climbing, I lack confidence in doing the moves, but not freaked out. This was one of those days - pulling on draws, shouting take, worrying about if my knot was safe - just about everything that I could possibly worry about.

Enter my mental strategies which I've spoken about.  It was OK because I was out, enjoying myself and climbing a certain grade isn't the aim of the game.  


We stripped the route and moved on. I decided I'd put the draws into Direct flight (7a+) and work this instead.  Clip sticking my way up the route (use a device to clip yourself and the rope into the bolts from the bolt below) I got to the anchors and felt a little better. I still didn't have the sequence dialled so I was going to keep top roping it. On my second go working the route I could barely get off the ground and despite being on a top rope felt pretty spooked out again.  I stripped the route and decided to call it a day.  Joe hadn't faired much better all day (too much meat and beer at a BBQ the day before) so we sacked it off and went to get some organic ice-cream. This was the best tick of the day!

I felt pretty dejected by it all but on reflection it was perhaps a likely outcome.  I hadn't climbed at the venue before and I was tired and hunger over.  This probably wouldn't have been such a problem had I not been climbing at what is extensible my current limit. I've also been pretty slack on the training front, not wanting to waste money on climbing indoors when it could be used to get outside! Excuses aside I still felt pretty down beat about my climbing.

Although I keep saying failure is the key to success, it should be because it's at my limit not because I'm tired and hungover. Keeping yourself accountable requires you to be objective about the reasons why we didn't succeed, not making up excuses for why we are allowed to fail!

That was most definitely the low point of the last few weeks. It can be hard to use failures as motivation to improve of keep pushing yourself. Why not just give up, that way we don't have to feel the hardship of not achieving. This attitude is short-sighted, giving up leads to long term unhappiness as we never truly realise (or even get close to) our full potential.  With a renewed focus to keep getting out on the real rock and varying the styles of climbing the last few weeks have been better.

A trip to North Wales with Joe and Jon for the weekend came next.  With some suspect looking weather we decided to head to Lower Pen Trywn (LPT as it's affectionately known).  While waiting for the tide to head out Jon bouldered at the Parisella's cave while me and Joe headed to Upper Pen Trywn to try Axel Attack (7a), With Joe almost getting the onsight.  I on the other hand could barely get off the ground.  I felt totally weak and drained so I left Joe to it and just belayed. Heading down to LPT we got on what was supposed to be a 2 star 6b Kaffe Fasset. After some scary climbing (grass holds are always cool!) I clipped the chains and lowered off.  Joe had a similar experience; concluding that this Kaffe Fasset was definitely monotone brown! Finishing off with under the board walk (6c) and top roping Face Race (7a+).  The climbing at LPT is different again and although I was initially under whelmed, I'm quite keen to go back.

Heading over to Llanberis the plan was to go bouldering.  We had our breakfast in the pass, parking up and cooking it just next to the roadside boulders is a pretty sweet way to start the day! The outcome of a few hours walking and all of about 4 problems is that I'm not very strong at the moment, anything above V4 feels pretty damn hard.  We sacked it off and headed over to the slate and get on gnat attack (E1 5b). This route is awesome and I can't recommend it enough! The description is


"A delicate line up the right hand edge of the slab. Climb carefully to a break then traverse rightwards to the first bolt. Thin moves (harder for the short) lead up to the second bolt, followed by an easier run-out to the top."

Gnat Attack, E1 5b, Bus Stop Quarry Gwynedd. The 3 red dots show the two bolts
and the lower off - it's a little run out (photo taken from Life at the End of a Rope Blog). 

I really enjoyed climbing it and felt pretty steady on it.  The two run out sections are easy but it could be easy to get spooked out and drop it. I didn't realise just how run out it was until I was lowering off, thanks Jon for pointing me at it! 

With work not going too well I had to ease off the climbing during the week and concentrate on work. I was pretty worried that this would really affect my climbing but a weekend in the lakes quelled that fear to some extent. Leading another E1 at Shepherd's Crag in the lakes. We headed up to Borrowdale for the jubilee weekend: myself, Hannah, Jen, Matt, Andy and Daz.  Due to lack of signal we met up with Andy, Daz and Matt on the Saturday.  

As my sister, Jen, had never been climbing before we started out at Shepherd's Crag on some easy angled slabs which I hadn't done before either on the Thursday. After she'd had a taste I had a go at Conclusion (E1 5b).  The lower section is the crux, after which the climbing eases to about HVS.  Hannah seconded the route clean with some interesting Bum Shuffle technique to get over the first roof.  

We headed up to the Napes to do needle ridge to give my sister an idea of what a full mountain day is like.  After being a apprehensive due to some narrow approach paths she cruised it, enjoying the exposure and making easy work of the climbing. The decent from the top of Napes crag, appropriately named Great Hell Gate, is rather interesting and my sister found it..well..less enjoyable than the climbing.  Once we got down we headed to Keswick for some Pub grub and well earned pint!

And that's about it.  With work busy at the moment I'm finding it hard to fit in training 3 times a week as well as going out, so I've prioritised getting out at least once a week to keep my hand in. This should, at the very least, keep me shape. The plan is to consolidate the grades of E1/HVS and 6c-7a.  Then once work eases off hit the training hard again.  With a trip to Ceuse on the horizon I'm super keen to get back to it, despite it meaning I have to spend more time indoors!

The last few weeks has also shown me that getting pissed and not enough sleep the night before you go climbing really doesn't help, so why do I do it?  Make a choice about what you really want and stick to it! After the couple of E1s I've lead this year, with some time in between them, I finally feel like I've broken the infamous E barrier.  Now climbing E5 doesn't seem like the insurmountable task it did before.  I still need to actually get on some; had a play on White Wall in the Peak but that's it.  Fingers crossed for some decent weather again! I want to get back on the training though because I'm not feeling as fit or as strong as I did after Spain it just making it part of my routine again - watch this space!