Dave McLeod is at it again: http://davemacleod.blogspot.com/2007/08/to-hell-and-back.html
A pretty selfless account of the climb from the top end of the game. I think the fact that he's so worried about his belayers has increased my respect for him.
The BBC have the footage apparently, I'm looking forward to seeing that.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Top Outs
Train train train. You can train all you want at the wall it won't prepare you for those rounded mantley top outs. I was up in Glenmacnass on my own yesterday working some problems - couldn't finish one as the top out's a nightmare (actually there's two I couldn't finish). The problem itself is a roof problem called Right Angle and it isn't hard grade wise. After checking with the author of the guide its a standing/crouching start apparently although there is a slightly harder bum start to it. So when you get to the lip of the roof you have to heel hook and mantle up on some very uneven ground. Suppose I could get an old table and practice on that for a while. Its frustrating but I had my ass handed to me all day anyway. I'll get it next time.
The granite in Glenmacnass is a lot more crystallised then that of my regular haunt Glendalough so it's harder on the skin. The friction, however, is fantastic. I have the one photo of Glenmacnass taken before my battery ran down. Photos are a feature still to come to this blog. I'm working on the Cool Photo Display Thingy© which may are may not work out. The CPDT is in development until further notice.
As for bouldering on my own, it's fun but I find if you're in a group the energy gets higher and having spotters means I can pull harder. Being out on my own in a lonely place in the mountains requires caution. Still though - its a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.
The granite in Glenmacnass is a lot more crystallised then that of my regular haunt Glendalough so it's harder on the skin. The friction, however, is fantastic. I have the one photo of Glenmacnass taken before my battery ran down. Photos are a feature still to come to this blog. I'm working on the Cool Photo Display Thingy© which may are may not work out. The CPDT is in development until further notice.
As for bouldering on my own, it's fun but I find if you're in a group the energy gets higher and having spotters means I can pull harder. Being out on my own in a lonely place in the mountains requires caution. Still though - its a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Bank Robbery excitment : you heard it here second.
I've just been locked inside a bank as it was being robbed! Well, the armoured van outside was being robbed. Shots were fired apparently and we were locked in for about 20 minutes. There were loads of armed gardai* running around outside, one of them took my details**.
More here: http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0823/robbery.html
*Irish police force.
** In case I was a witness, not a suspect.
More here: http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0823/robbery.html
*Irish police force.
** In case I was a witness, not a suspect.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Stats for a start
As is inevitable with a new blog I'm going to be posting loads, this will ease off as the blog gets older. For the one person who has read it so far: thank you come again.
So some stats to start with and then some goals, please note I am an average climber just like the rest of you. When on form I'd usually be bouldering in the Font 6's.
Currently onsighting about font 5/5+ but I'll work some more problems over the weekend to get a better idea of where I stand.
Tried the usual suspects game and did terrible. 4 chin ups every minute, 10 minutes, absolutely wrecked¹. I did the last 2 reps on Metolious Rock Rungs though, with my legs straight out in front of me in an L shape. This bright idea of mine is to build core strength (wonder how long that's going to last?) so it will be a separate exercise from now on. I do own a finger board and its being very useful sitting in the shed gather dust and spider carcasses. Hanging it requires effort on my part - this will go someways to explaining my current abysmal stats².
I doing 50 sit ups straight, I can do more but I want to build gradually.
On the campus board I can do 1-4-6 once, to my shame. I used to be able to do 1-4-7 a several times followed by a few up-downs in the 1-3-5-7-9 pattern.
Obviously there's a lot of room for improvement, I'm going to do the pull up game every Monday from now on and log my efforts. I could probably loose a little weight, not that I'm over weight but shedding a couple of kilos makes all the difference. My current weight is: a mystery as we don't own a scales. My training schedule is in the making - I've a fair gauge of my current fitness and needs now so I can develop a good plan.
Here are my goals.
Short term: Get back to 1-4-7 on the campus board and be able to do it more than once. Complete the full 20 minutes of the pull up game. Do 10 straight L pull ups on the rock rungs. Send lots of problems within my ability. Send the mint problem on the UCD bouldering wall.
Middle term: Send Chillax this coming winter (font 6c) and the Fin Area Arete (6b the grade should have + on the end I think). Get back to onsighting at 6a/6a+. Get my ass over to Font. Do better in this year's Irish Bouldering League : Open A events.
Long term (end of year): Send a Font 7a problem. Just the one will do, more will be nice but I'll settle for the one as it'll be loads of work. It will probably be the sit start to Andy's Arete in Glendo but that may change.
¹And not in a cool vodka advertising way. That's the difference between me and an 8a climber I suppose.
²Lazy mofo.
So some stats to start with and then some goals, please note I am an average climber just like the rest of you. When on form I'd usually be bouldering in the Font 6's.
Currently onsighting about font 5/5+ but I'll work some more problems over the weekend to get a better idea of where I stand.
Tried the usual suspects game and did terrible. 4 chin ups every minute, 10 minutes, absolutely wrecked¹. I did the last 2 reps on Metolious Rock Rungs though, with my legs straight out in front of me in an L shape. This bright idea of mine is to build core strength (wonder how long that's going to last?) so it will be a separate exercise from now on. I do own a finger board and its being very useful sitting in the shed gather dust and spider carcasses. Hanging it requires effort on my part - this will go someways to explaining my current abysmal stats².
I doing 50 sit ups straight, I can do more but I want to build gradually.
On the campus board I can do 1-4-6 once, to my shame. I used to be able to do 1-4-7 a several times followed by a few up-downs in the 1-3-5-7-9 pattern.
Obviously there's a lot of room for improvement, I'm going to do the pull up game every Monday from now on and log my efforts. I could probably loose a little weight, not that I'm over weight but shedding a couple of kilos makes all the difference. My current weight is: a mystery as we don't own a scales. My training schedule is in the making - I've a fair gauge of my current fitness and needs now so I can develop a good plan.
Here are my goals.
Short term: Get back to 1-4-7 on the campus board and be able to do it more than once. Complete the full 20 minutes of the pull up game. Do 10 straight L pull ups on the rock rungs. Send lots of problems within my ability. Send the mint problem on the UCD bouldering wall.
Middle term: Send Chillax this coming winter (font 6c) and the Fin Area Arete (6b the grade should have + on the end I think). Get back to onsighting at 6a/6a+. Get my ass over to Font. Do better in this year's Irish Bouldering League : Open A events.
Long term (end of year): Send a Font 7a problem. Just the one will do, more will be nice but I'll settle for the one as it'll be loads of work. It will probably be the sit start to Andy's Arete in Glendo but that may change.
¹And not in a cool vodka advertising way. That's the difference between me and an 8a climber I suppose.
²Lazy mofo.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
First Post
What's this blog all about then? I've always wanted to spend a year bouldering and forgetting about all other forms of climbing. The weather in my home of Ireland has been really bad this summer so there's been very little climbing. However, our winters are usually dry and mild and traditionaly are the bouldering season on the emerald isle - so I thought I'd do it this year: I'll train, I'll boulder and I'll blog about it. Here it is - my bouldering blog. (Don't forget to bookmark it).
What's been happening so far, I've been working on a training schedule which I'll post later and I've been down in the Co Clare doing some surfing and a little bouldering in Doolin. It started raining though so I didn't really get much of a session but I shall return. For those of you not from Ireland this country is really, really small. You can never be more than 78 miles from the coast. Doolin, on the other side of the country, is about a 3½ hour drive from where I live. The rock is really sharp limestone which high friction and the setting is amazing. Its right on the coast of the Atlantic above the waves. I'll post some photos later.
My most frequented bouldering venue is Glendalough where hopefully I'll be visiting this weekend. Just so you know the banner above is me on a Glendalough problem called The Rails which goes at about font 5+ (V1 I think).
So, I've started my blog. *phew*
What's been happening so far, I've been working on a training schedule which I'll post later and I've been down in the Co Clare doing some surfing and a little bouldering in Doolin. It started raining though so I didn't really get much of a session but I shall return. For those of you not from Ireland this country is really, really small. You can never be more than 78 miles from the coast. Doolin, on the other side of the country, is about a 3½ hour drive from where I live. The rock is really sharp limestone which high friction and the setting is amazing. Its right on the coast of the Atlantic above the waves. I'll post some photos later.
My most frequented bouldering venue is Glendalough where hopefully I'll be visiting this weekend. Just so you know the banner above is me on a Glendalough problem called The Rails which goes at about font 5+ (V1 I think).
So, I've started my blog. *phew*
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