Indoctrination

So it begins. Took the boys climbing today, of sorts. I thought Callum was ready for it; Connor less so, but organisational issues being how they are, I had the big two while Al was off with the little one.

The venue was Brant Fell. I'd gone there the previous day and done pretty much everything apart from the traverse and a fingery eliminate at about Font 7b (similar to Perfect Day direct at Gardoms, but smaller holds. Failed with a bad split tip, same as the last time I tried Perfect Day! I think that's related to Callum's steroid cream thinning my finger-tip skin). Callum was pretty happy, romped up 3 short things. Connor, not so happy. He tied on, but then didn't like it so bailed. He then tried to solo stuff instead. That boy!

Albarracin trip day six - return to Sol

Went back to Sol, to go to the other end of it. Really struggled warming up; my arms would not work, and I have very mushy thin tips on all of my fingers and thumbs. Scott did a nice roof, first or second go. I really struggled to link it until I just got really angry, and just pissed up it. Why didn't I do that the first time and save all of the skin and energy, fool? Found it hard to get pysched today, tiredness and missing the family is starting to tell. Next we tried a really cool roof traverse into a slopey top-out. Great moves, but a bit hard for me in that state. Around 7a again, but I split a tip on about fourth go and that was me done. I'd got overlapping halves on it apart from topping out, which I'd split my tip on. Scottie got overlapping halves and topped out, but then seemed to lose power, the sun came around a bit more or something and he didn't look as smooth on it. I then tucked into the baguettes while he thrashed himself on a couple of other things.

While we were in the area, we went over to Masia. That looks like it's got a few nice things to do as well, so something else to go back for. Final night, we went back to El Molina del Gato, which serves nice beer, has strange music and all of the climbing topos, including French ones so we could work out where we'd gone wrong in looking for Tierra Media. And then another disappointing meal in a place off the main square. Not sure about Spanish food; it must be better than that. Maybe we couldn't speak the language that well, but people couldn't recommend stuff either, and we were getting cold peppers out of a tin served with bad fries and indeterminate meat. Not inspiring. I was already dreaming of Thai green chicken curry.

Albarracin trip day five - return to Arrastradero

Had some unfinished business with a sit down start to an arete here, so wanted to go back. Mint conditions, quite cold and hard to warm up. Skin still felt trashed. Met up with the two guys from Bristol that we'd met at the car park earlier in the week. I think it was their first time to the area, so they were running around dead keen. Managed to do a few nice things; there was a place round the back quite similar to l'Elephant with sloping flared cracks. There was a really good-looking 7a rib (8a sit start) which I didn't try due to trying to preserve skin, and the original walls that we'd seen on our first visit to this area that we still hadn't tackled. Oh well...

Albarracin trip day four - rest day

Day four for the first rest day? Well, not really. The first day wasn't much; an hour or so of tinkering. So we've pretty much done the 2 days on, 1 day off thing. It seems to have worked out well, as this was a planned rest day, and it started raining last night.

So a very late start today, after a lot of vino tinto last night. We decided to go exploring and work out where best to go on our last two days. First off, up towards Techo. This was the first area that we found using the topo and didn't get lost! This looks like quite a brutal hardcore place. OK, so it was a rest day and we're feeling (or I am anyway) quite shredded, but most stuff here looks like you need to be doing 7b to get much out of coming here. There were some inspiring roof lines that looked around 8a; I'll save them until I've lost 10 kg and got strong again.

We carried on up the hill towards Madriles and Pyschokiller; more big stepped roofs again. Although apparently Pyschokiller might not allow climbing there. Some of the areas are restricted, but not at the time we were here.

Then we went looking for the visitor's centre that was listed on the national park signs. Unfortunately, our written Spanish was enough to understand that it was only open at weekends and holiday periods. But the drive to get there was quite something. The park seems to be raised about the plateau, and we had some fantastic views of the flood plain and the sandstone towers elsewhere. It looked like going for a walk in that area would be worthwhile on the rest day as well, if we were there for a longer period.

To round off the day, we tried to find Tierra Media, but our Spanish wasn't up to the task. We did find some striking red trees though; not sure if they were seasonally that colour, or that was their natural plumage, so to speak.

Albarracin trip day three - Sol

Well, a bit more about where we're staying. We're at Camping Albarracin. It's a somewhat strange place in terms of requiring an international bank transfer to pay the deposit, but they accept Visa when I came to pay the balance on arrival. We're in a bungalow advertised as being suitable for four, and it would do that, but it feels very bijou with just the two of us. Not sure how Andy, Emma et al will find it next week!

Went to Sol today, and again had slight problems finding our way there. We followed our Spanish topo, but went a bit far before breaking up the hill parallel to the road. Sol was good, lots of stuff to warm-up on. My skin is feeling it already though. Trying a big roof today; I couldn't quite use Scott's sequence due to not having sixty foot arms, but need to work on press moves a bit more. I couldn't quite press out over the lip enough.

Albarracin trip day two - Arrastradero

Had the most awful food at Hotel Albarracin last night. It was steak, but well-done at one end and completely raw (proper raw, not just the raw that I've had in certain French establishments. So, late start before getting up to go climbing. Lovely day again, got a bit lost going to where we intended. We went up to the main car park, and then along the road a bit before striking left into the forest, past a collection of cave paintings. This was thanks to our reading of the topo, and we had inadvertently gone to the wrong side of the hill. We noticed some enticing looking walls on the left (minimum 7a?, so a bit hard to warm up on) and eventually got to where we wanted to be. What we should have done is walked up past the swing park, until you see the climbing area on your right. But our Spanish was non-existent. Another good day, good rock and lovely area. I'm not getting any power onto the rock really, been pulling on blobs too much and got no topping out skills for these slopey topouts, so I'm struggling on everything except the crimpy overhanding walls. Scott is climbing really well, but then he climbs on rock lots! Jealous, moi!?

Albarracin trip day one

Flew into Madrid, managed to get all of the bouldering kit including my unfeasibly large extending stick on the plane and then drove the Albarracin. No map in the hire care (thanks Europcar!) but a combination of the AA and Google Maps directions got us there without any mishaps. We got there at about six in the evening and Scott was mad keen. I was more up for a beer, but we went for a drive, found some rocks and had a quick play. The rock and national park is really cool, and we were climbing as the moon came up. Beautiful. Sadly Al's got the camera this week, so I hope that my phone will suffice. Think we're going to have a good week.

Roaches in the sun

Managed to head up north for a day, hooked up with the Banks, Laurie and Dutch. Cracking day, too hot really (and this is February!).

Mooching around under Inertial Reel discussing who had climbed it. Martin Dearden was just next to us, apparently enjoying being the subject of our historical wanderings when we tried to remember who it was that had taken eight years on it. Mind you, that's positively fast given that I first tried Stefan Grossman eleven years ago, before DB had done it. I came close six years ago, and haven't really been back. There's a long-term goal!

Did a bit, felt a bit fat and not moving well, I think I was a bit tired from introducing the weight belt back into the training programme. The Banks did well, getting Teck Crack Superdirect third go or thereabouts. I couldn't get my foot on the starting hold - bit of flexibility work required maybe!

Backed off Stretch and Mantel - I can't mantel and it was a bit high. Then puntered about on Calcutta Buttress before team effort on the world's hardest 6a+ slab. Andy came close; Adam Long complained about old boots not being up to it, Fiona crimped like a beast but couldn't quite get it.

Flashed Stretch Armstrong then it was time to go. I didn't really do much, but had a good day out with the guys. On the way home, Al rang and said it was OK for me to stay over, but I was already halfway home. Will get an overnight pass properly sorted out for the future.

Font trip 2006 retrospective

So, this is in effect a post-project review. Sad. Next time, I'll have a Gant chart! Anyway, in no particular order of priority:

• I was strong - should have got more done.
• I had real problems transferring that strength to the rock - getting the power onto the road as it were. That felt like a real technique thing - the majority of training for this trip was done on my board, or doing deadhangs and ladder work. So need more variety generally. Well, I already knew that, but it's a bit hard to get living in Hampshire!
• Preserve skin, rest properly.
• Take rest days.
• I don't live in Sheffield and do twenty hours climbing a week anymore. So don't get sucked into climbing with others that do! Further to that, I am only doing around five hours climbing a week. To get the stamina to do lots of climbing, you need to climb lots. No secrets, just hard work and time.
• Specificity! My training mainly consisted of doing thirty problems with two minutes rest. So I was fairly well primed for doing circuits of that length, but not a full day of all-out bouldering.
• Session peak. Doing twenty problems like that is not a good warm-up for climbing anywhere near my limit. Doing a short warmup and making the seventh problem that I do at my top-level would have been a better fit.

So major takeaways from that are that I need to climb more - I'm trying to address that by going to Craggy at lunchtime and getting some mileage in on the self-belayer as well as bouldering. That has its own pitfalls, but doing an additional 150 moves per session can't be a bad thing, even if it is climbing on blobs and routes that I know too well. Also, I need to start doing weights again. Not sure how I'm going to fit that in yet!

Friday - Cuvier re-match

Scott was really feeling the effects of yesterday on his ankle, so was going for a rest day anyway. We went to the Carrefour up past Cuvier first, to get the obligatory Pommerol before getting the last bit of climbing in. It was a little damp still, and not sticky damp either. But the warmup went well, Marie Rose first time, other stuff flashed and I felt more comfortable, both from having had a rest day so the skin and muscles were better, plus more accustomed to the style of climbing.

I had intended to purely try to get on Charcuterie, via Dutch's sequence of go for the RH crimp from the undercuts, rather than getting into the other undercut. But Scott persuaded me to get on the arete that I'd briefly tried on Wednesday. RH slot, LF on good hold, rock up on LF nobble to get LH sloper / crimpy layaway depending on how you prefer to take it, RF by LF and LF onto smear, then RH into crimp, RF goes into starting slot and then LF kind of hooking / flagging on the side of the arete to throw LH for high chickenhead. RH comes onto pinch the arete above the chickenhead , get the feet high (RF into RH crimp?) and go for the top of the arete, whereupon you really shouldn't fall since it's a good hold and you'd probably miss the mat if you fell from there anyway.

Whereas previously, I couldn't even sort out my feet enough to get the RH into the crimp and do the crux throw for the top, this time I did it first go, despite the damp. Just pysche and concentrate, sufficient rest and skin. Fucking basic things.

There was a group under Charcuterie, so I had a play on L'Abbatoir instead. Not done it for probably eleven years. Couldn't remember the sequence, I was getting close using a high LH sloper and kneebar, but conditions / skin / strength / time weren't permitting it today. Only had three goes, got further each time, but had to sack it off.

Had quite a speedy journey back up; at one point Scott had to brake for a van that was going slowly in the fast lane and fortuitously went past a gendarme with a speed gun. I commented that was a bit lucky and maybe we ought to observe the speed limits. Alas, he got clocked doing 126 in an 80 zone at the turn-off for the ferry-port and we got a motorcycle escort to a cashpoint to pay the 90€ fine.

Got home without too much bother, quick Thai curry and then crashed.

Thursday - Apremont

Still no rain, so went to Apremont with the team again. Left my stuff in the car, to enforce the rest day and hopefully just help Scott climb well. He had a good warm up on a few yellows and then the others arrived and we moved over to a new area. Scott, Laura, Sarah and Fi were doing the blues and other stuff to warm up. Scott's ankle seemed to be holding up under all the strapping. Wandered under a problem that Laurie was trying. Cligne de l'oeil, or Wink as it's translated. Font 7a of loveliness; RH high layaway, step up to get good LH dish / crimp. RH crimpy layway, LF into starting (staring!) pocket and then RF heel-hooking on starting layaway. Go for top, match, shuffle right to the good bit and sort the feet out before pressing out the top. Scott got it fourth go or something, very good effort. That's his trip basically, Font 7a in Font. Fair play. Laurie left it for later.

Mooched off to join the others over at Delta Roc, up the route de la solitude. Didn't remember / realise that Apremont is so big. Delta Roc again is 7a, didn't quite look like my sort of thing (slabby arete) but again, quality problem. Scott wasn't quite trusting his ankle on that one, understandable. Again, hero effort from Laurie, getting it seventh go or something stupid, on his fifth day on. Dutch got it with a more obvious hooking method, as did Dave or Hoggie, can't remember which. Barson was close too.

Over finally to Science Friction and la Lune (6c), which was Fi's demon for the day. Couldn't quite get on the top hold enough to pull onto it. Looked good; Scott thought that the first move was too powerful the way she was doing it, but then he'd had a long day. La fleur de rhum (7a+) a bit further up looked flashable; Emma was making progress on it, and then a lovely wall to the right of it, on chickenhead weirdness above a nasty landing (6c/7a?). Coefield said it's not too bad though - he did it last Christmas and exited left rather than right due to snow on top! (Like a Baboon trying to open a Kinder egg!)

Again, Laurie went back to Cligne de l'oeil and got it with the new sequence. Respect.

Wednesday - Cuvier

No rain in sight, so on to Cuvier with the team. Started to warm up but felt very sore. Kept going anyway, just to make sure that I wouldn't let any sort of recovery happen today. Thrashed on Marie Rose, tried three times on some 7a arete opposite la Forge that Laurie was doing. Just not happening, so left the guys to it and Hop-a-long and I went into Font to meet Fi and Emma. Fi was doing some shopping for her new house; Emma was just being professional and avoiding the temptation to climb. Had the world's most expensive beer in one of the cafes and took off to prepare for the BBQ at the gite. Bloody palace!

Tuesday - Isatis

Late risers, to give the day a chance to dry out the rock. Then went to Isatis; my intention was to have a fairly long day of easy-ish problems on the reds and then take a rest day prior to blasting on Thursday. That tied up with the forecast that we had, that Wednesday was supposed to bucket it down.

We got to Isatis and it didn't seem too bad. The wind was up and drying things out nicely, so sent the guys a text telling them to get their arses in gear. Apparently that tipped them sufficiently to come out, since they were sat there arguing about where would dry out first.

Scott and I did most of the first eighteen reds (missed out a few wet ones), repeating a few that were enjoyable. I didn't feel that I was climbing that well, but felt fairly strong and was looking forward to getting some stuff done. Scottie seemed to be having fun as well and was pretty tuned in to the climbing. The guys arrived, Scott flashed the Crocodile thing (silly thing, see Bleau video / DVD) and we had a bit of lunch.

Then followed the guys over to the Hautes Plaines. Never been over there before, really cool place. Quieter than Isatis and some really nice problems to do. I was trying a problem in a pit up on the ridge; only around 6c but it wasn't happening. Couldn't understand it. We went up a bit higher to where BANKSIE! had found a (7a) roof to suit Emma, but again, I couldn't climb for shit, couldn't concentrate, just thrashed and wasted muscle and skin. Scott looked good on it, Laurie(sp?) was so impressive, getting it about tenth go, just really fighting and stubborn. Oh well, just leave it for another day.

Did I bollocks. Dutch and Kim were trying a really enticing wall lower down (pull on with RH crimp, flag and go up for small projection to balance with LH before extending for high LH crimp / slight gaston. Skin too sore to pull on, but tried a few times, just to make sure.

Then Scott sprained his ankle playing rounders, and I had to help him walk off.

Monday - travelling down

Christ, Scott had a shitty journey last night. But he got here finally and we had a few hours kip before heading out to miss the joys of the M25 on a Monday morning. Got to Dover early doors and snagged an earlier ferry. Ferry food sucks! I don't think there are any eggs in the scrambled eggs, and the beans were watery and tastlesss. Should have stuck to croissants, but I was trying to keep the healthy thing going.

Got to Milly in just under four hours - not bad. Sorted out the tents - John had forgotten to include pegs to the one I'd borrowed, so we improvised and sent slagging texts. Then headed off to Apremont, thinking that it was a bit showery, but it would be close to the road.

Arse. Road was closed, so couldn't drive all the way to the main car park. Instead, parked at the south end and bush-whacked around for a bit.

Finally got to the near car park area. Easy problems were all wet, so ended up doing stuff that was probably too hard, and wasted too much skin. Stupid, where's my self-control? That's what happens when you don't get out on rock much.

Didn't hear back from the others, so we just sorted out food at the campsite. It started to bucket down, so we cooked at the toilet block, hopefully not setting a precedent for the rest of the trip.

Pre-Font trip

So, I've been training reasonably well. I had a bit of a gastric infection a week ago and missed some training, but otherwise I think I'm going pretty well and hope to do some good stuff. Last time I was in Font (two years ago!) I was not quite doing Surprise (bad sequence) and was trying Alta as well, but had the sequence really bad for that. I was trying to go from the starting crimps to a high left good flat hold, but the normal way is to reach into the undercut first with the right and then move across using an intermediate. Hoping to do better with it this time - I've put 5 kg onto my deadhang whilst maintaining the same weight, so I'm stronger than last time. On blobs at Craggy, I'm doing OK, but it will be interesting to see how it transfers to rock.