a year bouldering

Where have all the pictures gone Phil?!

2008-12-08T15:06:00.002Z

Well, I'm changing host as I was unsatisfied with the service my previous host was providing. The upshot of this is that it could take a week until the pictures come back.

Pathside Traverse

2008-11-18T17:56:00.002Z

Here is some of the path side traverse. This problem is a Font 6a+ which can be quite tricky as it includes some nifty foot work. I sent it first time this season which has never happened before.

Leah Crane Cranking Hard

2008-11-10T19:42:00.009Z

Leah Crane has been cranking hard lately, Ben's Roof (Font 7c+) at Raven Tor in recent weeks followed by the imaginatively named Problem 3 (Font 7c) and then over to font for the sit start to Carnage called Carnage Assis (Font 7c).

My own bouldering is okay-ish I suppose. Bit lardy in the midriff area but that is being dispatched through regular runs. In fairness I'm not doing to bad at the moment, my base level has risen giving me a better foundation than I had a year ago.

I'll note that at the time of writing http://www.climbing.com/ was down. Pfft! You know where to get your bouldering news first.

Will that do Tim?

Otto

2008-10-31T14:31:00.008Z

This is my new dog Otto. He's about a year old and he's a rescue dog. That's our couch he's standing on even though he's not allowed up on the furniture. Sadly he doesn't like other dogs (probably because of past bad experiences) and is a terrier so he doesn't always do as he's told. This means he'll probably never get to come bouldering with me as he'll run off to start fights, the little fecker.

New bouldering season, new bouldering year for me. Didn't get to send my 7a after all as the weather completely crapped out over the summer and I lost all motivation. But I'm back in the driving seat so to speak and back training as of this week. Have to identify my weaknessess and start on a new training plan.

Oh yeah, happy hallowe'en!

To move or not to move

2008-06-26T11:53:00.003+01:00

My year bouldering is nearly finished. In fairness its kind of fading away towards the end instead of building to the grand finale I thought it would. But I won't go into that now.

What I want to know is should I keep this blog or start a new one once the year is up? I've a poll posted in the side bar (it's over there >>) so please vote and let me know.

Yes means that ayearbouldering.blogspot.com stays. No means I start a new blog elsewhere.

Too scared to climb. Stuck on the Climbing Plateau.

2008-06-25T16:24:00.007+01:00

I've just bought The Rock Warriors Way by Arno Ilgner: haven't read it yet but its in the post. However, I have read this article by one *Cider Nut* on UKC. Its a very good article, go read it. Its inspired me to write this entry.

My fears have defeated me time and time again and I've always got an excuse to avoid going climbing or avoiding the routes I really want to climb. For me the fun in climbing always came after the fact - I felt totaly stoked after I'd climbed but never during. Why? Because I'm afraid.

I guess this is why I love bouldering so much, the fear factor isn't present for me, although I've seen it in other people, and I can experience the pure joy of moving across rock. God how I wish I could have that joy on lead. But I've always had an excuse to stay in my comfort zone. Here's some of the more common ones.

I'm shy. Being a shy person is a great excuse to avoid climbing as its necessarily social. "You need a belayer and I don't mix well" (accept I do).

I've been too busy. Another great one. "I haven't being training so there's no way I could climb that!". In fairness we're talking single-pitch E1 routes here, how strong do you need to be?

I'm too weak. See previous point.

I'm tired, I'm dehydrated, I've a sore toe. - Various physically handicapped excuses.

I'm not able for that.

I'm a shit climber.

I haven't climbed enough recently so my gear will fail. - Again we're talking E1 here: How poor is the gear going to be?

Various other whingey complaints.

I'm bored with Dalkey. - I haven't been in Dalkey in a year and its a gem of a crag.

The really noticable thing missing from that list is the following:

I'm really fucking scared.

This, in truth, is the only honest excuse I have and I never acknowledge it. This is not like me, I'm honest with myself and don't avoid emotional issues. Except I do avoid them it would seem. As I've re-read that list I've realised just how poor and downright ridiculous those excuses are. I'm shy ... WTF?! I know half the climbers in Ireland and, this is something I found suprising this last year, half the climbers in Ireland know me. And what about all those people I boulder with? Shy my ass.

So what's to be done? I need to push my comfort zone - I need to embrace the fear and start enjoying it. I'm going to avoid climbing routes I've already climbed. I'm going back to Dalkey, then the Burren and the Mournes and Fairhead and all the other fantastic crags we have on our wee island. So here's my plan of attack for now.

Push my comfort zone by climbing new routes at the limit of my current game. This is HVS at present. Cider Nut made the point that a situation is more familiar the second time around hence your comfort zone expands.

Climb more.

Train train train - all the training techniques I've learned this last year will come in useful. I'm going to need lots of stamina.

Keep bouldering - it will remind me of the joy of moving across rock and I can combine that with some NLP techniques to help me when I'm scared.

Climb with as many people as possible - this will open me to new techniques and more importantly give me lots of oppurtunities to go climbing.

Climb more.

Read read read - nothing more inspiring than a good mountaineering book. I can recommend loads.

One last point I should mention, its from Dave MacLeod: He recommends shifting your working life to compliment your climbing life - not the other way around. To heed his advice I've quit my job! I'm planning on being unemployed for a couple of months only but it should be enough to get me to that coveted E1 grade.

So if anybody wants to go climbing with me, I'm based in Dublin, and will be free all week long from July 11th. Can climb about E1, good at multipitching, and I love climbing.

Irish Bouldering News

2008-05-17T22:43:00.006+01:00

Turns out I've been asked to write for a website. Its not the first time I'll have had something published, it'll be the third time, but this time it's a regular gig. Probably got a thumbs up from Neal in the background as Team Geared Up have asked me to write a weekly bouldering column - which I've agreed to do. I was beginning to wonder what I'll do with this once the year is up. Well now I know, I'll be writing for TGU and it all starts at the end of June.

I doubt it will focus exclusively on Irish bouldering because let face it there's not enough of us doing exciting enough stuff on a weekly basis but I do hope to have an Irish bias.

Bouldering Sligo

2008-05-13T15:52:00.004+01:00

I've really been slack with this blog haven't I? Well it is summer I suppose. Does anybody even read it anymore? Answers in comments please

I am developing a small area in Sligo which shall remain secret for the time being. Mostly because at present theres a couple of Font 5s, a 6a and a 6b(ish) project and that's it. Not much interest there yet. I'm also at odds on how to publish the problems. The rock is sandstone and while the problems are fingery and strong there's always a huge jug within reach. How do you say this is such and such when following the line on jugs makes it easy as hell? Anyway I've several trips back to Sligo planned and should *hopefully* put together a little guide at some stage during the summer.

In other news there's a rat-race planned for Belfast in August. I'm entering avec le future wife and we're starting training for that.

New E11

2008-04-18T14:59:00.003+01:00

Beth Rodden has climbed a new route - Meltdown - in Yosemite. Not a bouldering story I know but E11 is big news. Meltdown being the third given such a grade. Rhapsody and Cobra Crack being the other two.

Full details from UKC and Climbing.com.

Free Tibet

2008-04-11T13:06:00.011+01:00

Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? A free Tibet. Or even a Tibet without torture. We (me and Jenny) have be wondering about how to support the Tibetans and I've happened upon the Sad Smokey Mountains project. Italian artist and mountaineer, Alberto Peruffo, has setup the SSM project in protest of the ongoing situation in Tibet. You'll find details here: http://www.sadsmokymountains.net/.

The protest is going to take place on 8 August 2008, my 35th birthday, to coincide with the opening ceremony of the Olympic games. Ban Ki-moon won't be attending it would seem, neither will any other world leader with any integrity. Here in Ireland we don't have any significant peaks, Carrauntoohil wouldn't qualify in my humble opinion. I suppose if we got enough smoke off the top of the Dublin Mountains to be seen across the capital it might be good enough.

However to really make an impact (i.e. get on national television) it would have to be a significant structure or building in Dublin with a roof that is attainable.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Evolve FFS!

2008-03-26T21:46:00.003Z

Ha! Made me laugh anyway.

Grades

2008-03-20T13:46:00.010Z

Yep, guess I'm a grade whore. So for the benefit of my non-European readers I'm including a grade conversion chart. Reproduced with permission from the nice people over at Rock Fax. I found a conversion chart on camp4.com but it was rubbish. According to them I've climbed V7. I wish.

By the way, the sit start to Andy's Arête is 7a+, not 7a as I had originally thought.

Here you go:

St Patricks Day

2008-03-17T18:29:00.008Z

So I headed up to Glendo in fine weather expecting a crowd but was pretty much on my own. A couple of others were working projects on the far side of the valley but I was over by Big Jim and Jane for most of the day. My apprenticeship on Andy's Arête starts today. Being ill during the week seems to have taken a bit of a tole and it took me ages to get going. Easy warm up problems were spitting me off like so much chewed tobacco but I persevered and managed to get my head in the game.

The 6b on the face of Big Jim was first to be worked. Those of you who know me will have seen my on this problem at some stage or another this winter. Its probably way over due a send but I haven't cracked it yet, until today when I cracked it, except I didn't crack it at all. After my bouldering master class last weekend I've been reviewing my technique and seeing problems in a new light, which has inspired a new solution to this problemo. Its a much more technical solution that involves a tricky rock over onto a tiny edge which requires a lot of trusting in feet. But it works. I was so surprised when I eventually latched the top jug that I forgot to hold on, so it didn't go. I tried again in vain for 30 minutes and latched the jug again one more time only to have my foot slip. Its been a long time since I got fed of with my bouldering but I was very un-impressed today. In hind-sight this is probably a good thing as it will give me drive.

Then I moved on to Andy's Arête. This is my big tick for my year of bouldering. Well my big tick is a 7a, I've decided to work this one. Andy's Arête by a standing start goes at 6c (I think), ad the sitting start and you've got a 7a. So today was my first day and it was the standing start. To be honest it went okay, I've worked out a sequence that may work, time will tell, and have started working it. It start off with getting established on a right smear and then latching an small edge with the left toe. At this point you rock up onto the left and then move up for the next hand hold. Managed to get the rockup twice but have to work out what to do with my right foot to stop me from barn-dooring. Probably spent to much time on Big Jim before hand. Ah well, it looks like a plausible project though.

To finish off I did the path side traverse, the sequence is photographed below.

Piclens

2008-03-14T17:03:00.002Z

Time to start up this blog again. I know I've been of line for a while, this was due to a family bereavement. So I've news to talk about it my next couple of entries.

But first of all I want to gush about Piclens. There are very few browser addons that get me excited, I mean Sage is about it when it comes to recommendations. I tend to consider a lot of them a gimmick that I won't use in my day to day life, most of what I use are developer tools and probably aren't much use to anyone who isn't a developer. But piclens is awe inspiring. I don't know if any of you are familiar with it but get yourself firefox (which you should have already), install piclens and get on over to UKC's top 200 photo's. Its amazing, truly amazing. I'm hoping it becomes a web standard like Flash.

In upcoming news I've been bouldering, attended a master class and we've a new climbing wall in Dublin. Keep an eye on this space.

Engaged

2007-12-13T14:30:00.000Z

Well now, been a while hasn't it? I've still to post on my recent trip to font but far more interesting is myself and Jenny getting engaged!

That's why I haven't been blogging, to busy living life.

Going to Font!

2007-11-22T13:23:00.000Z

Woohoo, leaving on a jet plane (carbon footprint++) this evening. My wrist seems to have recovered, sadly I'm not as fit as I'd like to have been. Dunno what my approach to font is going to be, will I do circuits or will I just pick a couple of problems and work them? Probably depends on what the group are going to do. Either way the sun's going to shine on Saturday and Sunday, the temperatures or around 7ºC, perfect conditions so it'll be great.

I'll post the better photos next week and may even get myself an online web album for the lot. Not picasa though, google are tring to take over the world. (Yes I know this is blogger.com but that kinda highlights my point)

Competition Photos

2007-11-14T20:47:00.000Z

As promised, although a week late, here are some photos of the competition in Galway. I apologise for the poor quality, my little camera isn't the best when in adrenalin shook hands. My wrist is still sore after the competition but nearly recovered, it should be alright for my trip to font (1 week to go!).

Bouldering Competition

2007-11-06T15:46:00.000Z

The first round of the Irish Bouldering League was on Saturday in Galway City. This year the organisers have introduced a new scoring system (outlined here) and it was a great success. The basics of the system are that each problem has its A variant and its B variant, B being easier with additional holds but fewer points. Now this way you could try B, score points on it and then try the A variant and score more points. This really encouraged people to try all the problems as scoring points on B meant you had nothing to loose and everything to gain trying the A version. There was a good turn out on the day with over 100 competitors.

The problems themselves were excellent and I scored points on all of them. Personally I think it was the best IBL round I've been too. Sadly I injured myself again by spraining my wrist which scuppered my plans for going to Doolin the next day. This is a bit shit as I was looking forward to the meet in Doolin more than the competition. Still though, with my trip to Font set for three weeks time its better if a rest and heal so I can be in good shape, although my fitness will be affected. It’s been a couple of weeks since I was outdoors and I've only two weekends left to get out, well one actually: Myself and Jenny are spending next weekend at a luxury spa in Co Wexford. We have mud baths booked.

The IBL is an amateur competition so there were no guest star appearances from Dave Graham or anyone. Although the after competition slide-show did have an interesting movie staring Marcin Ostasz and his hula-hoop. It was ás gaeilge too, apparently.

I'll upload photos of the competition later.

To Hell and Back petition

2007-11-02T09:24:00.000Z

Dave MacLeod's new route 'To Hell and Back' (E10) was on BBC2 Scotland last week. There was a great response in the blogosphere so now Dave is spearheading a drive to get the programme shown on BBC2 National. This means we'll get it in Ireland amoungst other places

If this sounds like a good thing to you then leave a comment on Dave's blog.

Embrace the Web

2007-10-31T15:12:00.000Z

Not much to write about this week. We had a bank holiday weekend here in Ireland but the only day I could get out was Sunday, and it rained. That's how it goes I suppose. I'm back training and trying to improve my finger strength but taking it easy as there's a competition on this weekend. I'm looking forward to it but I'm not giving it my all as Font awaits at the end of the month and would rather save myself for that. Still though, it should make for some good photos. Theres a meet planned for the next day in Doolin if the weather holds.

The Mountaineering Council of Ireland (M.C.I.) have an exciting new website, its about time too. The last one was really, really, really bad. Seriously, it looked like somebody's kid brother developed it using the MS-DOS editor or something; Think <blink></blink>. The all new http://www.mountaineering.ie has finally dragged Irish Mountain Sports kicking and screaming into the late 1990s. Internet un-savvyness is quite a common thing in Ireland, as a nation we really haven't embraced internet technologies. Seriously I only know of one person who teleworks. ONE! She's actually on the MCI commitee come to think of it :/

Injury and entertainment

2007-10-23T17:51:00.000+01:00

I'm out injured after a spill on my bike and had college at the weekend so nothing happened bouldering or training wise. I'm back at the wall tomorrow for a few tentative problems to see how everything has healed. God bless Arnica is all I can say, that injury could have seen me out of action for a few weeks.

Just to keep you entertained here's Chris Webb Parsons climbing Wheel of Life (Font 8c+) in the Grampians, Australia. An incredibly long problem, this second ascent is a study of climbing in 3 dimensions.

Foolin' in Doolin

2007-10-16T14:18:00.000+01:00

Spent Saturday afternoon in Doolin and got a good bit done this time. There's no photos but I might be able to salvage something from my previous trip. So I spent the first 40 minutes just wandering around looking at the different sectors. When I was about to start local climber Paul, who is originally from Dublin, turned up with his two dogs George and Rosín. Paul showed me around and we worked the problems together and tried a new line, FA going to Paul.

Doolin rock has been mentioned briefly before but I'll now elaborate. The rock in Doolin is mostly on small cliffs although there are some boulders. Its sharp due to weathering and has high friction. The cliffs themselves are mostly overhanging, probably about 3-4 metres high and pockmarked with cracks, pockets and breaks. Very sharp and fingery. One sector has problems going to about 7m, too high for me. There looks to be some really good slab problems too which I'll have a crack at next time I'm down.

The boulders themselves are good, they can be quite like the cliffs but at different angles. The tend not to be so sharp as they've been weathered by the sea instead of the elements. Most of them are big, probably weighing in at 20 tons+ and here's the thing: they change from year to year. Over the winter big storms roll in off the Atlantic moving the boulders around and bringing in new ones. Cool.

A few more people turned up and sandwiches were munched much to George and Rosín's delight and we waffled for about an hour before I headed off. Jenny was at a conference in Limerick so we had a hotel room for the night. The next morning there was a spillage of orange juice at the breakfast bar, nothing spectacular, just some orange juice. However, the dude who was cleaning up cleaned the floor with his manky old grey stringy mop and then mopped the breakfast bar with it. How vile is that? I won't name the hotel for fear of legal action against this blog but I won't be staying there again.

Glendalough

2007-10-08T13:58:00.000+01:00

Good session up in Glendo on Saturday, even if conditions were a bit greasy, and a good crowd too. Last few times I've been out it was me on my lonesome. Did the usual warm up circuit by the path and spotted a possible new line which looks kind of easy but still interesting. However there was a smell of *ahem* animal droppings coming from where my mat would have to go so I left it alone. It will go next time. I did get the path side traverse problem on my first attempt which I'm pleased with, tried Greg's Problem which I could hang but couldn't get the campus move. Greg's problem is basically a jump to a couple of slopers and then either campus or try and get a foot on under the overhang and slap for the next hold. Followed by the obligatory mantle.

We tried the fin slab (6a version) but it wasn't to go for any of us and neither were the Rails (for me anyway). Then we tried The Butcher of Glendalough AKA Howard's roof. This is a hand jamming crack along a roof and then up and around for a mantle finish. I got the first two moves before quitting but its on the 'To Do' list. It really is a butcher of a problem. We headed over to Big Jim to do the slab problems and give our hands a break. As long as I've been going to Glendo I haven't been able to do that fecken slab problem at the back of Big Jim and I'm despairing for any future attempts. A dew started to settle in the valley at this stage so we called it a day.

It's interesting how some problems that are easier than most just won't go. I'm sure everybody has something that they think 'For crying out loud I should have been able to get this years ago'. Try and try again you just can't do it. There must be a way around these mental blocks, a NLP technique or something. I'm going to start experimenting with NLP again as it helped me break into a new grade a couple of route climbing years ago.

Anyway I forgot my camera but Neal showed up with his so I've stolen a few from his photos below. You can find the full album here.

I've now got two short trips away planned: Bouldering competition and meet in Galway and The Burren 3rd/4th November. Then Fontainebleau 22nd-26th November. One of the things I love about climbing is the travelling. Admittedly Galway isn't exactly exotic but you know what I mean.

Going Off Route

2007-10-03T23:33:00.000+01:00

Well I went to the wall again tonight. Haven’t been in a week and now I’m a weak too. Nothing exciting to report other than I fallen off the training regime and need to sort myself out.

Obviously I’m not a bouldering bum who just eats and sleeps between problems. If I were this blog would be about my score on 8a.nu and not about me faffing around on 6a probs. This entry is about me off the rock so to speak.

What do I do for a living? Free lance web development, more in the coding side of things than the design. This means that you don’t get to see a lot of what I do in your browser window, although I’m thinking of branching out a bit and have downloaded fireworks. My current main project hasn’t been released yet so it’s a bit hush hush but it will be high profile when it published. This is something I’m getting paid to do and is taking up lots of my time at the moment.

I love all things web. The things that really get my attention don’t make any money for me. Like this blog – I’ve put some customizations into it by hacking the XSLT template and including the CPDT. It’s a non-standard blogger.com blog. There’s a couple of other sites I’ve got sitting on my server at home (yes, I’m a nerd) which are slowly being developed. It’s the social aspect of the web that gets me, I’m a moderator on http://www.boards.ie/ too. The symantic web would be a growing interest of mine.

Oh yes, I’m studying homeopathy part-time as well. Homeopathy is a somewhat controversial holistic therapy where the body’s energy is stimulated to heal itself. Mentioning that might get me flamed, but I won't publish those comments. :P

Flap

2007-09-28T11:07:00.000+01:00

Good session at the wall the other night. With the dark evenings closing in and the climbing season coming to an end people are looking forward to the bouldering season. Sessions are the best way to boulder. I love getting out on my own but when there's a group of you the energy goes way up, plus more people means more problem solving skills. However, I tore an enormous lump out of my finger. The calluses on my little fingers (pinkies to any Americans) have been building up and finally the left one let go. Sore is the word, worst flapper in a couple of years, it looked like the muscle fibre was visible underneath.

There is of course a photo, I'll post it later.

Good Morning

2007-09-16T20:12:00.000+01:00

Got out to Dalkey quarry yesterday morning for a while around the Ivy Chimney area. Its been quite a while since I climbed in the quarry, probably 2 or 3 months, and even longer since I bouldered. The quality of the problems surprised me - I don't remember them as being that good. Of course the day was fantastic, sunny, warm, clear blue sky and it was quiet. Really quiet. All I could hear were the occasional cries of 'Climb when ready' coming from people on routes and that's about it. It was so quiet I could listen to the bees buzzing amongst the gorse. A little robin was flitting about watching what I was doing (they're curious little birds). Its rare where I live to have quiet - it really was great. I love days like that.

Problem wise I got a couple of hours in before I was called away. The grades in Dalkey have me confused: are they Font or British grades? Might be a bit easy for British but I've never heard of Font 4c. The goals for the day consisted of two 6a problems. One is quite highball (its problem 4 in the new Dalkey guide if anybody is interested) and it's a brilliant fingery problem. I didn't send it but I'm close, I'm really close. Foot work is vital too, I'm tempted to say its delicate but considering how hard I had to pull it doesn't seem like an accurate description. The starting slab on Fang would be delicate, not this guy. My left forearm is still stiff. The other 6a I had a quick go at after the phone went calling me away. Just a quick scope of the problem really but it looks good. If you have access to Dalkey go, it seems there's a bit of a revival on considering the amount of chalk on the rock.

Sadly I don't have photos as I forgot my camera. But I'll include some photos from my recent trip to Doolin featuring the Cool Photo Display Thingy© as promised. They were taken over a couple of days. The problems weren't difficult and don't make for exciting photos, but the location was amazing. Just click on a photo to see it full size then click on the right or left side of the photo to scroll to the next one. The arrow keys on your keyboard work too. (If you're using Internet Explorer you may have to open a photo twice to get it to work)

LifeTM

2007-09-12T12:03:00.000+01:00

I haven't been bouldering and have nothing to report on that front. But no news is good news. Or rather its bad news. Both myself and Jenny (my GF) have had our hands full with family emergencies. In the middle of Jenny's emergency at 7:45 am on Saturday I get a phone call to tell me my Dad, who's elderly, is going to hospital after a bad fall. He's broken his collar bone and will be laid up for a few weeks. Believe it or not this isn't too bad - it could have been much, much worse. In fact it is much worse but that's for Jenny to tell. So no climbing for us - we've driven all over the country though picking up people from airports, visiting hospitals, bringing dad home from hospital and attending a heavy metal wedding (the bride wore black).

I can't even cycle to work at the moment what with needing the car to see Dad in the evening - hope I don't get too unfit. I may try and get down the gym before the weekend but TBH with all the cool ascents going on the in country the gym is hardly inspiring, read Dave Ayton's blog on the right side bar for more. I want to get out onto the rock, I'll see if I can swing something at the weekend. Glendo would be good but I need my mobile phone working at all times and the coverage up there is minimal but even a trip to Dalkey is something. I would be good to unwind.

Bouldering is my folly. With all this going on around us I've had a chance to pause for thought, go play with my god daughter, and get things in perspective. Life has a way of reminding you whats really important. I've 11 months left in this year which is more than enough to get some climbing done. Life^TM needs me elsewhere for now.

Weird Buildering Dream

2007-09-05T14:20:00.000+01:00

I had a cool dream last night - I was involved in an adventure race though a city. One of the challenges was to free solo across an old bridge. The crux was an nasty figment of a crimp running around the top of an arch and an opposing sloping rail in under the arch itself. I stuck it and beat the challenge. Way to go me, if only I could do that in real life. Did I win the race? No - the dream then changed into a high tech bank robbery alá the Oceans 11/12/13 series of movies. I was a robber by the way which is a good winning an adventure race as far as I'm concerned.

Feeling a lot better now and will probably head down to climbing wall tomorrow and hopefully out to either Glendo or back to Glenmacnass over the weekend. I'm looking forward to it, after getting the mint problem (and have two solutions to it) I'm now working a new problem which starts juggy, then gets way crimpy and finishes on a couple of fat slopers. Obviosly I'm working other problems too but thats the current target. My climbing club has organised 20% discount off our wall membership for the coming year. I may still be sick but things are good today.

Sick

2007-09-04T13:50:00.001+01:00

I'm sick, too train, too sick to climb. I'll be out of action for about a week I'd say :(

Bloody Hell!

2007-08-28T13:17:00.001+01:00

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.

Top Outs

2007-08-27T13:48:00.001+01:00

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.

Bank Robbery excitment : you heard it here second.

2007-08-23T14:33:00.000+01:00

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.

Stats for a start

2007-08-22T16:30:00.000+01:00

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.

First Post

2007-08-21T12:46:00.000+01:00

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*