Tying the knot

Clare Vale, Co. Wicklow, Éire - July 23rd 2011

Boulder Hunting

Heres a quick vid of our recent bouldering finds. Can't really try too much of the harder stuff without a pad. Saying that I reckon some of the harder highballs we've already done would get E grades back home or in the UK. The harder lines look quality ... so much to go!

A Question of Style

On Sunday morning Caroline warmed up by sending her project at the Wildside. Cuestión de Estilo takes a powerful line up a single striking tufa through consistently steep terrain. It is famous (infamous) for it's wicked crux move that utilises a painful two finger pocket that has to be taken with the front two fingers as an undercut.

It winked at Caroline back in January but she resisted trying it until she had finished her other project. Caroline was inspired to keep trying this route after watching and talking with some members of the Ukrainian climbing team who were visiting and playing on it. One woman, who had to work it a fair bit before eventually redpointing it, was discussing and sharing beta with Caroline as they were of similar height. She reckoned it was closer to 7c+. Later that day her coach informed us that she usually onsights 8a's and had redpointed 8c+, hence her surprise at being spat off a 7c.
Caroline spent some time working on her own sequence through the crux but could never give it more than two goes a day as the sharp pockets would shred her fingers and the powerful style left her wiped out after only a few attempts anyway. Just when she seemed close to sending it the weather stopped play. It turns out that despite staying completely dry in even the heaviest downpour, the route seeps really badly for weeks after heavy rain making it impossible to climb. I suppose all those tufas have to come from somewhere! Sunday we got to the crag and it was the driest it had been in over 2 months. Opting not to take a warm up, Caroline jumped straight on the sharp end and put the project to bed once and for all. A brilliant lead and one I know Caroline is especially proud of for loads of reasons.

Heres the video...

Playing with Video

Heres a short vid of some of our recent climbing antics... well I should say of Caroline's recent climbing. I have been climbing, honest, but i keep sending routes when i'm not expecting to so i never bother setting the camera up! I'll change that tomorrow though... get some falling off and swearing footage of meself.

Been playing with different camera setups and video settings too... amazing what you can do without school work and marking to be done :o)

After 2 days on my current route I've fallen off the crux hold 5 times on redpoint, each time pulling back on and finishing it to the chains in one. Frustrating but fun. Enjoying the mileage it's giving me as it's a 13 cliper :o)

Goings on in cyberspace

Wow! I think I miss timed my last post. It was just meant to be an expression of an observation I made about the Irish climbing scene. The up-side of all this has been the positive responses!

I’m going to try and bring a few threads together here...

Firstly Steve from climbing.ie replied with similar feelings to my own. He’s really behind praising any and all achievements on rock but he did make the very valid point that if people don’t make the effort to report their climbs than nothing will ever get said.

Then Pierre summed up the Irish catch 22 very succinctly in his post titled Achievement. Yes, I suppose it really is that simple – it could be down to a cultural mind set.

Meanwhile the grade debate raised its head on Trish’s blog but in a very good and positive way. It seems to me looking at the scene with an outsider’s perspective that the excellent work Dave F has done in producing and publishing his bouldering guide to Ireland is playing a crucial role in the evolution of Irish climbing. The first print edition of grades will no doubt motivate the masses to go forth and repeat all those lovely problems, talk about grades and things should settle – just like what happened with Mr. Pantons first printed guide to North Wales bouldering – Guide gets printed, people get psyched, crush, discuss and guide becomes out of date very quickly. Good news for guide writers :o) They get to work on version 2!

Then today I read Kev’s reply on Stone boulder. "I have heard no song, seen no dance and seen no article in the Mountain log or Outsider mag noting this achievement. People like Caroline, Michael Duffy, Nigel Calendar, Rob Hunter and several more are becoming legends in the ghostly sense - sometimes thought to have been seen out in the boulder fields and crags doing something amazing but how often does the ghost turn into vivid 3D in the climbing consciousness?" I had to smile when I read this. Aside from putting Caroline along side such wads as Michael, Nige and Rob, Kev picked a mental scab of mine. Living away from Ireland the past few years has meant I rarely get a chance to flick through Irish climbing media in its printed form. The last time I did was in Dublin Airport when returning to Spain after Christmas. One article interested me. One. A single grainy picture of Nige at a comp and a small write up about his recent success. Aside from that I couldn’t find much other mention of rock climbing in the issue. Not enough for me to warrant parting with cash to buy the mag anyway! Why? Is it like Steve said – are people hiding their achievements? Are they supposed to write an article and submit it incognito under cover of darkness and then cringe when they see it in print? I don’t know.

Anyway, it’s been interesting reading people’s views on the topic and ‘ve no doubts that with the strength of potential out there things will change in the near future and we’ll be fueling off Irish send psyche in cyber land soon enough. In the meantime and getting back to climbing, here is probably our last vid from the short and sharp Los Pinos crag. This is JogPat a link up of a soft 8a and a stiff 8a+ first climbed by Gaz Parry. It’s brilliant, technical and sustained.

JogPat from Dave Ayton on Vimeo.

Now that we’re working the bigger routes of the Sella Wildside it’ll be some time before the send train stops by I think. But trying hard on these lines is sooo much fun! Sheer climbing joy!

The Process

Before Christmas Caroline eyed up a line of bolts through a roof and decided she wanted a go. Initially even making the long reaches between holds around the second and third bolt seemed impossible. But she kept trying, something about the route took hold of her and she wanted it. I was happy to keep returning to the crag. I had routes of my own that I could work on but even watching the process of someone working a route like this was really inspiring to me. I’ve seen lots of routes projected in the past but I’ve never before seen a route really, truly worked! I think the most I’ve tried a route is nine or ten tries over a couple of days and i don't know how i'd react to taking on a challenge that kept smacking me down. Every move on this route seemed to challenge Caroline in one way or another. Some were scary. Some committing. Some out of her reach and others just plain hard.

There were a few more memorable hurdles though: finding the kneebar after the fourth clip and then the following sequence of toe hooks allowing Caroline to make the fifth clip. That sequence in itself took a whole session to perfect and even then it was still touch and go as to whether Caroline could stick it on redpoint. By far the hardest move on the route is immediately after the fifth clip. Caroline uses this horrible tufa with her left hand as an undercut and snatches for a right hand pinch before popping again to a sharp pocket. To be honest I couldn’t do that move despite trying it a number of times. There is a “Lanky” way of doing this route that moves left to good holds at the fifth clip and then rejoins the original route after Caroline’s dyno on the lip. The left Variant is closer to the 7c mark while the straight up method remains the true line and a much harder proposition. Caroline had no choice as to which way to go because she couldn’t reach any of the holds out left!

Day after day we returned and each day some form of progress was made. A new highpoint, an improved sequence or even just managing to give it 3 or 4 goes despite sore fingers. I think Caroline suffered from the typical trad climber syndrome of wanting to static every move. I’ve thought about this a lot and I’m not sure what causes it to be honest. Is it the serious nature of trad requiring you to make every effort to achieve every move in balance, meaning that if the hold you’re reaching for isn’t good you can feel around for a better one or even reverse to safety without falling? Or is it a lack of commitment? Dynamic moves are only really required to carry you to a point outside of your static reach bubble, aren’t they? Their very nature means commitment. You target, you sway, you kick and throw! If you miss, you’re off. I think Caroline’s height requires her to develop a more dynamic and aggressive style otherwise she won’t be able to reach things. On this route Caroline got a chance to work this… a lot! Once Caroline had exhausted every possible method for negotiating the lip of the roof it became clear that she would have to deadpoint. To throw for the hold. That one move took a session to figure out and many more to stick on lead.

The final spirit-breaker came the day Caroline finally stuck her dyno on redpoint. The final tricky sequence of turning the lip to easier ground spat me off the day I lead it for the first time and I knew it was going to cause trouble. Excited, Caroline made the sixth clip and got her high heel hook but didn’t milk the rest and ploughed on up. Matched on the flatty she completely powered out and came off below the top. Gutted. She had to wait another week before we could return and the previous highpoint and close fail made the difference. The mental barrier of sticking the lip had been removed and there was nothing to loose…

The send was awesome!

Caroline Sends!

Caroline vs Destroyer from Dave Ayton on Vimeo.

Into the Swing Thing...

Keeping true to my word from the previous post I’ve been keeping it honest on the rock lately. Saturday was spent clocking onsights and ticking routes that I had never tried before. I had been so preoccupied with working projects that I had neglected loads of quality routes. Warming up with a 7b onsight up a powerful bulge I went on to onsight a 7a+, 6c+ and a 7b+ before finishing with a lap of an 8a that I have wired from previously working it. Caroline returned to work on her project and managed to make instant progress on her previous highpoint – result! Sunday I decided to take a break from trying Bloque as I felt I was getting limited returns from it. The lower half isn’t hard enough to get a pump going anymore and the crux is just so damn fingery and specific. With the cold wind biting I was hesitant to go snatching from crimp to crimp on the crux so instead revisited a neighbouring route that I had a quick play on before – Ex-Pat, 8a+. The top of this wee beasty is what put me off working it. The route starts up a couple of small tufas which steepen rather quickly to about a 45/50 degree angle and lead to a crux snatch to a crimp from some poor footers. Once you stick that and paste your feet back on it’s a match and snatch again; this time with the left. From here it’s just very sustained pocket pulling and the angle remains constant. Just below the lip of the overhang there are two decent four finger 1.5 pad jugs to clip from and maybe chalk up off before the final big move to the lip and a combination of slopey and sharp holds and a poor heel hook get you established on the upper wall. Toping out you feel like you’ve been climbing, put it that way (well I do at least). I gave this thing one quick working to the chains and one redpoint and managed to string the whole thing together very quickly, falling off the last hard move on the lip – mega psyched to do this and then return to playing on Bloque. Tuesday evening after work we when out again – this time all the keenness in the world couldn’t help the tiredness. I don’t know why but since Christmas we’ve both been exhausted. We tried to pick up our usual running and climbing routine but we just keep having relapses of this feckin lurgy or whatever. Energy levels seem low and it’s the classic catch 22 – I know I should rest but I hate resting and want to be doing something (preferably something that improves my fitness and climbing!). Ahh well…

Rest day today and shopping needs to be done. The tooth is better – no pain at all and I’m loving it! At some point the beastmaking will have to be up’ed a notch and the laddering too. I must drink more water and do more pushups. I see on the net that Neal is training hard for Siurana, Sharma is blogging, Paul Robinson continues to crush, Ondra working a new 9b in Siurana, Tom Bolger has sent 9a+ and onsighted 8b+, Doylo is developing new crags in North Wales and in lovely Wicklow boulderers are bouldering. 2011 seems to be in good order so far… nice!

VIDEO PROFILE: Paul Robinson bouldering in Switzerland from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

ADAM ONDRA - Working Golpe de Estado in Siurana from BERNARTWOOD on Vimeo.

Day Two - Progress?

Caroline's project from Dave Ayton on Vimeo.

I think the key to making progress is constantly telling yourself that you are getting better. Maybe not better at achieving you goal but actively looking for things to acknowledge as having improved. For example, yesterday was our second day on and we felt trashed from a heavy day one. With sore skin and heavy arms we made our way to the crag. Although there were no sends i came home feeling like i had progressed. I was trying harder. I held that hold well. I read that move perfectly. I fought to control that swing and made the next clip etc...

Caroline picked a fight with a roof. All the moves have been worked and she has lead from the ground to half way through the crux section before falling. From hanging there she makes it to the chains every time. Time, thats all it's a matter of now. Her project (one of them) is at the point now where she knows it's doable any go - it's a frustrating period of working a route. You know there are no shortcuts, no hidden beta to unlock. The route has been distilled into a precise sequence of holds - your unique path through it's difficulties. Its at this phase in my experience that a few key elements come into play. Fight, preparation, rest and luck. If you can ensure fresh arms, good skin, a good nights sleep and are prepared to really fight then any go could result in a send. At the end of yesterdays climbing i tried recording a video on my phones camera. Don't know why i hadn't tried this before. Anyway, the video above shows the result... not Caroline's highpoint but a great effort at the end of two days on.

Inspired by Carolines drive on her route (and eager to keep some grades between our projects) i tried Gaz Parry's hardest addition to the crag, Bloque 8b. It blasts a direct line through the biggest roof on the crag. I tied in and began working - within 20 mins i was at the chains having done all the moves. It's brilliant! It's like doing 3 or 4 moonboard problems on top of each other with no rests or foot faggotry. The first 6 bolts climb like a powerful 7c+ or 8a in their own right and lead into the crux which feels about V9. After the start you cross over into a pocket with your right and span up to a kind of shoulder press sloper for your left. Hooking your left foot on a spike beside your right hand and squeezing everything lets you reach up to a right hand edge (the praying mantis move!). Cut loose to uncurl. After matching this it's a full on coil and dyno to another high right hand edge. I can keep my left hand on but the feet are well and truely off here. Cut loose and match. Hike feet up and deadpoint to a right hand crimp-pinch thing. Match left foot to hand and bring your right toe onto a mini edge. By this time you're horizontal. Dab left hand on mini intermediate crimp and snatch again to crux crimp (nasty). Adjust feet and spring sideways to a flatty hand hold, again with the left. Swing, match, heelkook, clip and pull to the lip and chains. Wow! I guess I've a project :o)

Day One - Test flight

Today was the first day of our 5 day weekend and we hit Los Pinos. It had been 4 weeks since i had tried anything hard and i was packing a new pair of Sportivas that i was eager to test out on the kind of terrain they were designed for - steep! Warming up i placed the draws on Caroline's project and went for a go on Jordan Buy's Ex-Jog 8a. Things were going great till i crossed over to a pinch and spun off, footless but hanging on i clamped a tufa blob between my feet and moved up to the next pinch. Now pumped and onsighting; i hesitated, threw and fell. Right! This will go. I lowered off and started from scratch but this time ripping a crucial hold off the start... flying again. After belaying Caroline and having a cup of tea i tied in again. This time i wanted it. Moving through the new start sequence i felt strong, no longer onsighting, it went by in a dynamic blur of drop knees, cross overs and throws. Another 8a in a session and possibly the 2nd ascent! A great fun climb and very bouldery. The sportivas are awesome! I'm converted.

After that we explored a hidden valley with a big roof. Must of been a dry river bed because the whole valley floor was covered in clover and lavender. Saw the biggest Owl i've ever seen too, less than 20m away - Huge!

A brilliant day out!

Oh yeah, Climbing!

We’ve been doing a bit. Found out that we can get 10 or so routes in each after work at the local crag if we climb by headtorch – guaranteed pump! Great for stamina training and skin conditioning although I’m aware that repeatedly climbing the same routes will yield limited results strength-wise. Still beats going indoors and it’s fun. Oh, and Caroline has found a project… kneebar tastic! Steeeeeeeeeeeeep!!

Keeping it Fresh!

Well Caroline did say she wanted to try something harder! Good to watch... this one might make her work for a while at least (although she has gotten all the moves already!)

Doing battle and routes of anti-style

Today was a good day. We got out to two local crags and have both made what feels like progress in the right direction. So far since moving to Spain i feel like we´ve not really began to get our teeth into the climbing. Partly due to temps and conditions, partly due to having guests and partly due to work pressures. This weekend marked the beginning of something different... i can feel it. To date i´ve managed to pick off a few choice routes here and there... always going for ones that play to my strengths (even the 8a+ a few weeks ago was right up my street). Today i began work on what could become a nemisis. Although it´s only 8a, it´s in no way technical and in a very real way feckin steep and powerful! It crosses a 6m roof and then blasts up a beautiful barreling head wall via dynamic climbing on sloping holds and pinches. Absoloutly fantastic!

Cova Fuma

Me taking in what i know will be an ass kicking - Gran Fuma, 8a

Today i gave it two full on redpoints. The first one i was placing the draw but still fought through the crux move, only to fall off above the next bolt. Eager to punish my body into getting fit i tied in quickly with little rest to try again, A Muerte! This time i made it one foot move higher but was soo pumped once i fell off that i couldn´t even pull back on to top out. After a few minutes on the rope i hiked to the chains. Deciding that it would be easier to top rope it to remove the draws in the roof section i got another good workout! but this time came off directly above the crux. Brilliant! This thing will make me strong - i love it!

Even better this evening was Caroline´s performance on her 7b+ project in Echo Valley. During the past few years Caroline has developed a healthy bias towards climbing routes on positive edges. Standing or God forbid pulling on sloping holds was a definate no no and hence avoided. Climbing at Ceuse this summer helped Caroline to get to grips with this style and after ticking a couple of lower grade 7´s near by in Spain she began working a extremely thin and technical 7b+. This was equal in grade to her previous best route but completely against her style. To make things more difficult the meager holds on offer were always just out of her reach. From my perspective Caroline couldn´t have chosen a better route to push herself on. As i keep reminding Caroline, if she wants to climb harder routes she must learn her own techniques for dealing with reach. In this case it involved Caroline literally dancing up the vertical face, coiling, springing and standing full stretch on one tippey-toe to reach a mono edge while the other leg kicks back. A brilliant lead and a flying pass on her "leading thin, technical limestone" lesson. Now... time to find her something that will work her hard...

Psyche live…

During the past few weeks I’ve been getting out more and climbing with Neal again. I reckon we’ve not climbed this much since out Euro road trip over 6 years ago. It’s funny that we still tackle routes in a very similar way despite having wildly different climbing experiences during the last few years – it all stems back to the DCU wall and Dalkey. Neal has just finished his teacher training year and is emerging out from under the immense pile of assignments, reports, observations, deadlines and standards files back out into the world of climbing and he’s picking up pace fast! Last weekend was an awesome pick n’ mix of climbing. We started off by working an 8a sports route on Saturday morning down at LPT, then a V10 boulder problem in Parasella’s Cave when the tide stopped play on the sports crag, Sunday morning we spent a few sunny hours bouldering on some easy problems up at Monument boulders and finished the weekend off by working an E7 face climb on Nesscliffe sandstone! Brilliant!

Caroline has been taking a break from projecting for a couple of weeks after working her first 7b+. She decided to make a few quick ticks of some 7a’s and build up some stamina by doing laps of one of Dinbren’s more sustained 6c+’s. Well last week Caroline seemed up for a challenge again and began working Walking with Barrence. Originally graded 7b but currently up-graded to 7b+ with the loss of an undercut, this route redefines sustained in the 7b+ grade. Thin and technical with a butch and pumpy finish. Caroline made quick work of all the moves and on her second session managed to link the whole route on a top rope – swift progress! Watch this space…

Meanwhile I went through a period of feeling slightly at a loss at Dinbren. That dark, dark time lasted all of about 37 seconds before I decided to throw myself at working Gwennan till we pack up and leave. At 8a+ and having a very distinct one move crux it’s going to be hard. Hard on the skin to be more precise! Two tiny and sharp two pad crimps need to be boned down upon and dyno’ed from, through a roof, to a jug. A further 7b+ sequence above this and the climbing eases considerably to the chains. If I send this I’ll keep working Insomnia the 8b.

Alongside the Dinbren ambitions I’ve been getting more and more psyched for LPT. Before going down to the crag the other week I showed Neal and Naomi a clip from the Welsh Connections DVD. Pete Robbins crushing Liquid Amber, 8c/+. It always motivated me to hear and see the reactions of Pete’s mates on that DVD trying to articulate their views on his climbing. “He’s applied himself… you mean he lost a stone and a half and trained like fuck!” After watching him redpoint 8c/+ and boulder V13 I can’t help but think I want to do the same – really apply some will power and see some results. It was funny to be down at LPT a few evenings later with Caroline and her sister Joanne – dogging my way up Statement of youth for the first time to feel the holds when Pete turns up and puts his draws in the route beside me. Such a sound bloke – giving advice and much needed beta while working Infanticide an unrepeated 8c himself. As we left the crag I watched as Pete gave the route a full on redpoint attempt… the only other time I’ve watched climbing at this level happening was when Caroline and myself cheered on Chris Sharma redpointing his 9b in Siurana. Pete had it dialled and the climbing looked awesome! He fell off high at the top bolt… it wouldn’t be tonight but he’d have it next visit, I was sure of that and was happy for him. He has now sent it and I have been well and truly motivated to improve my game. I am in school now but will be at LPT by 4:15 this afternoon… game on!

... and on the 6th day

This evening was my 6th day on. Thurs was spent working Insomnia, Friday on Insomnia, Saterday climbing with Caroline, Neal and Steve at Dinbren playing on Rob's new 8a, Sunday in Parasella's cave and LPT, Monday up at Dinbren and today (you guessed it!) - Dinbren.

Caroline had tried Technicolour Yawn briefly on Saterday and gave it a quick speed ascent on monday while being attacked by Midges and was keen to get back on it in better conditions. I was eager to keep working the tricky traverse of Rob's new and as yet unnamed 8a. At this point it seemed like a possible but distant goal. Caroline was first up and got on her 7a+ without warming up as we arrived late and felt tired. Falling off at the mid height crux due to flash pump and a wrong foot placement. No worries - i was sure she'd send it next go no problem. Lee Proctor (author of the local guidebook and hardworking crag developer) was up at the crag and had checked out Rob's new line before we got there. He was keen to see my sequence and egged me on to try it. So without much of a warmup and with the sun still on the crux holds i tied in and went for the redpoint. The holds felt warm to the touch but for some reason i felt strong on them and made it across the traverse and even made the tricky 4th clip before falling off the warm high sidepull - grrrrrr!

Caroline tied in again and began to climb. This time it was obvious the difference warming up had made. Every move flowed and seemed effortless from the ground. Reaching the crux, Caroline moved her feet up high and latched the right hand pinch, then the left crimp. With her feet high she eyeballed the distant tickmarked edge - the crux deadpoint. But she hesitated. Oh No!!!! Don't blow it here! you've got it!! But then something different happened - Caroline chalked up, crossed over to a previously un-used edge, built her feet up and fell into the ticked jug! Wow! talk about thinking on your feet! From here to the top i knew Caroline would be safe - it was a crack afterall, Caroline's speciality :o)

To most people that send would just be another 7a+ and no big deal but to Caroline it was a bit more. It wasn't by accident that she came back to this route AFTER leading 7b and 7b+ at the crag - for her this 7a+ represented her nemisis! She was rightly chuffed to bits - it was a brilliant and quick send and really worked her weaknesses.

Back to my project. It would be brilliant to send it this evening but it would require pulling out the stops if i wanted to send it without a solid sequence for the traverse - it still felt like i was winging it. I Tied in and pulled on. By this stage the route had been in the shade for about 20 mins and the difference was just what i needed to get me into redpoint mode. No excuses now, perfect conditions! I move along the initial powerful lip moves and sink the high heel-toe lock. Swaying to get the momentum required for the crossover to the left hand edge, it feels good. Psyched, i dab my right hand on an intermediate sloper and spot my target - a slopey footer. Focused on the foothold i release the heel-toe and cut loose. Unlike the attempts at the weekend though i quickly paste the right foot on and span across to the right hand edge. Myself and Neal had discussed skipping the tough 4th bolt and just launching into the tricky redpoint crux sequence above - risking the lob. Feeling fresh and having climbed with pace to this point i looked and the awkward clip and decided. Move on! Reaching up to the high left sidepull, i hike my feet up onto the smears and reach up for the right sidepull. Gripped, I manage to get my left foot onto the crucial edge just as my fingers slip a little on the warm edge. Solid now i make the moves up to the jugs marking the end of the hard climbing. A bit run-out but onto easier ground. Pulling over the capping roof felt amazing! Chuffed! Another 8a in the bag - progress!

Now theres a good evening! Chocolate and homemade flapjacks were had - good times!

Victory!!

Well this evening was perfect... Caroline and myself arrived at the crag in perfect conditions and feeling fresh. Dry cool rock, good light and a gentle breeze. Most importantly Caroline's skin was feeling better and her goal was obvious. Warming up on the 6b the rock felt great. Right then straight onto the 7b+. I lead up it putting in the draws and lower off, brushing the holds even though they didn't need any attention... just following routine at this stage. Caroline ties in and flows up to her redpoint crux at half height. Chalking, I could tell she was going to send. Left hand onto the crimp, right foot stepps through, left foot way out onto it's ticked edge and now the crux ... Caroline moves her right hand from the big undercut and latches the small crimp, but only for a moment, she immediately moves it onwards to the high right hand edge... hitting it her body flexes away from the wall and i can see her 3 fingertips just latch the high edge, fingers straight. Previous attempts saw Caroline ping off at this point but this was different, she bounced her right hand into a half crimp and moved her feet across and up onto her familiar edges and slopes and eyeballed the base of the crack marking the end of the technical crux and the beginning of the final 3 clips worth of draining, off balance, stabbing up the finishing flared crack. Switching into auto pilot Caroline just executed each move as she had done countless times before... not making a sound until clipping the chains and letting out a scream that echoed around the crag! Over two weeks of effort and around 15 redpoint attemps. Rain, cold, 27 degree heat waves, fatigue, thin skin, sore shoulders and split tips! Awesome!! After seeing all that I felt motivated to get on El Rincon again – falling off the initial crux move between the first and second bolt I hung on the rope. It was feeling good tonight. I chalked up and pulled on with my feet probably 2m above the ground. Every hold felt positive and I moved through the sequences I had worked placing the draws as I climbed. I made it to the chains without falls or rests!!! YES! Feck!! Now I know it’s on!!! Brilliant!! I gave it two more redpoint attempts but fell off one move from the change of angle and the good undercut above the crux! We finished up with a few laps on Extreme ways for a finger friendly pump. I'd say that was a productive Friday evening alright!!

Elite Syncopations

• I first tried this ages ago and thought it was impossible.
• Then i tried it before going to Siurana and still couldn't do two entire sections and was convinced that if it was possible it was for only the strong.
• Tonight i climbed it - it felt beautiful - the holds felt big and happy - the moves were beautiful and in balance - and the evening sun was warm.

Caroline gave me the beta for my redpoint crux right at the top and the impetus to try it again. I couldn't of sent it this evening without her.

8a and a personal best for me - best for difficulity - best for unexpected - best for personal progress - best for style. So psyched for more it's insane!!!!!!!

Moving on...

We relocated to North Wales from Ireland nearly 6 years ago – can you believe it’s been that long?!?! Basically I followed Caroline over when she began her studies at Chester University. A combined honours degree, PGDE and NQT year later and we’ve accomplished what we originally set out to do. Caroline is now a fully qualified teacher and we are ready for another move. Somehow along the line I became a teacher too. Since being over here I got engaged, bought a house, owned 3 cars, changed career, ran for North Wales, adopted Rocky the wonder dog, climbed 8a sports, E8 trad and bouldered Font 7c. I got my Mountain Leader, Mountain Biking Instructor, Raft Guide, Canoe and Kayak coach, swift water rescue and white water safety qualifications. We’ve mostly been skint … but we’ve had a good time together and continue to grow.

Well while climbing in Siurana over Easter we nipped down to Alicante for interviews at an English speaking private school. We both got jobs!! So this July we pack up our lives and hit the road to Spain and on to a new chapter. We’ve both handed in our notices in work and are beginning to get very excited about the whole thing. I don’t have too much more to give away yet but for now all I can say is that the small village of La Nucia, above Benidorm is going to be our new home. And yes, there is plenty of climbing! The Rockfax Costa Blanca guide lists over 3,500 climbs within an hours drive. Plus we’ll be 4 hours from Siurana and the best rock on the planet and 4 hours from El Chorro. Just check out the 8a.nu crag search… Who wants to visit?

Success!!!

This evening after one rest day Caroline redpointed her first 7b in over 3 years!! Walking up to the crag, conditions were perfect. Gentle breeze and warm evening light. Warming up on the crag 6b Caroline felt good, taking her time and chalking up on the smaller holds. I went up the project and placed the draws and noticed the improvement. The friction on the undercuts was waaay better than it was on Sunday and even with just the one days rest my skin was feeling better. Caroline had been suffering sleepless nights due to the 7b… she was becoming obsessed! It’s class! With a extremely powerful crux low down Caroline took a warm-up go to remember the sequence and then lowered off. Unfortunately taking a chunk out of her little finger. It was pumping blood but determined to continue we just taped it up as best I could and Caroline readied herself. Shaking out and chalking up, Caroline looked focused but happy. Styling through the low roof, she arrived at the high undercuts – just below her previous highpoints. Clip, left sidepull, hike the feet, right crimp, right high sidepull, clip – progress! High right crimp, edging the feet up on tinies… at this point Caroline was pumped and this was an on – off move! I remember falling from this point when redpointing this route for the first time AND belaying Nige Calendar during his early attempts on the route when he came off at this move. Caroline adjusted her left hand on the small crimp and then slapped for the high jug, latching it just as one of her feet popped! By this stage interest in the ascent had built at the crag and 5 or 6 people were watching and cheering… finishing the route Caroline was beaming! That was a landmark route and although she had lead 7b once before in France, this is her hardest route to date by far – Awesome!!

Redpointing

Caroline is breaking new ground up at Dinbren lately. During all the years that we’ve been climbing on Clwyd Limestone, Dinbren was one crag that just kept shutting Caroline down. She’d never lead a single pitch up there before a fourth night ago and now she’s lead 6b, 6b+, 6c, 6c+, 7a and 7a+. All these leads were dispatched pretty swiftly too! One onsight effort followed by working a route to the chains and then Caroline has managed to send every route on her first redpoint effort. Unsurprisingly 7b is next on her list and with a range of powerful 7b’s and b+’s to try Caroline had spent a few session just testing a couple of the better know classics to see if they’d suit her style… who am I kidding?!?! She was testing to see if she could reach all the bloody holds – forget style! First up was Bandits. Originally this was graded 7c+ and now is 7b+ in the guide – people give it whatever they feel it justifies. Caroline managed to do every move pretty quickly but the long burly lurches between undercuts through the lower overhangs left her zap’ed for the thin and technical middle section. A big ask but a worthy project… Caroline is keeping Bandits for a longer term project.

For now she was looking for something that would push her but also allow progress. Fire was next on the list – originally I put Caroline off trying this due to the really reachy starting moves – they’re brutal! Vince had figured out a different sequence to mine for the start and once Caroline had watched him redpoint it she was keen. No top-roping this time, Caroline choose to work it on lead… before long she was clipping the chains and had the rough outline of a sequence – but unsurprisingly it was pumpy. 3 redpoint efforts that day saw Caroline further refine her moves and she was now falling off the upper wall well above the crux out of sheer pump – her carrots were cooked! The following day Caroline felt like she had been run over by a bus – shoulders, biceps and back were all aching. But desperate for the tick she went up again – the route was on her brain and she was wanting it bad. Again, falling off the 5th clip out of fatigue but further refining her sequence. A few rest days are on the cards for us both and it’ll be interesting to see what difference it makes to us both. It’s really interesting to see someone else go through the process of working something, making breakthroughs and having setbacks… from an outside perspective it’s clear to see that they’ll get it any go given the right conditions, rest etc… but from inside their heads it’s this daunting task, this huge obstacle. I wonder do people think I’m such a good bet to send my projects, do I look as close to redpointing every go… I doubt it! I’ll keep posting with Caroline’s progress as and when :o)