Regrouping

The best laid plans can still go awry. I planned to climb outside lots, trying hard problems. I haven't tried any hard problems this year because I sustained an arm injury. There was also a lot of things going on that meant climbing had to take a back seat. Now, months down the line, I am starting to be able to pull hard again and might tentatively start doing a little bit of training.

I have carefully competed locally, as I'm a sucker for a fun competition, at the CWIF and BBCs. I've been surprised at how there are ways around doing moves to avoid particular motions that have not been possible for me. I wouldn't advise competing on an injury though. It's a wee bit silly to do, as the tendancy is to push to your limits when competing and therefore risk doing more damage.

I have been outside lots. I had a fantastic three weeks sight-seeing, climbing and walking around the Peak District and North York Moors (and Parisellas Cave when desparate for dry rock) with a Canadian friend. We visited gritstone classics such as Trackside and scrittled around trying to do things like Strawberries and other apparently approachable graded boulders on a warm greasy summer afternoon. It was great! I'd recommend it.

I've also taken up road cycling. I was missing trying hard and pushing myself to see what I was capable of. It's exhausting, exhilarating and a vantage point for the spectacular Peak District scenery. Will I still be able to haul my developing cycling legs up boulders? Time will tell.

FBO16

It's proving to be a bit of a damp winter. Whilst weather windows for climbing on rock are not forthcoming, the plastic remains in perfect condition!

The Foundry Bouldering Open 2016 did not disappoint. Familiar, friendly faces and a really good mix of problems provided a fun day out. I qualified for the final in second place. A slip and loss of focus, leading to a lack of commitment on a dynamic last move catapulted me in slightly the wrong direction on the second problem in the final. After that it was mainly damage limitation. I flashed the first and last problem and swung around on a hanging ball for an exceedingly long time to gain 3rd place!

#FBO16

Moving On Up

With some really good competition results under my belt in the UK, it was once more time for the international season.

The calendar did not look the most inviting with events in America, Canada, two in China and only one in Europe. I was pretty sure that I didn't want to do all the events but was tempted, due to indecision about which ones I fancied (if I was selected). I wanted to do a couple of events, but did not want to travel a long way. This was not possible.

I was selected to enter the long distance competitions and once again set off for North America. I was excited about competing, but felt exhausted from the travel. I'd experienced this before a little, but it was worse this time.

I felt ok in isolation for both competitions, but performed atrociously when it counted. It was not my overall results that really mattered to me the most (although being close to last was deflating). What mattered is that I did not climb anywhere near as well as I knew I could. I didn't manage to pull off moves that I knew that I was more than capable of. It's like I didn't turn up. Was my head letting me down, had the travelling taken it out of me, or a bit of both? The trip, on the whole, wasn't fun.

I returned to the UK and made the long overdue decision to stop competing internationally. The season was not over, but I did not want to do the last event in Munich. So this is an end of an era for me. Time to hang up my Senior GB Bouldering Team hat and head outside!!

I have spent a lot of time playing outside on the limestone this summer and autumn. I aim to see what I can achieve outside, but mainly just enjoy the wonderful thing that countryside is. The playground it provides.

I'm still going to compete, but at home were it's just a day out. I almost didn't enter the British Championships. I'm glad I did. I had a blast and managed to pull off a 4th place (3rd Brit) :-)

Since hanging up my competition hat I've also competed in the Red Goat Rampage (York, 1st), Big Flash (Highball Norwich, 2nd), Battle of Britain (Depot Leeds, 4th) and Blocbuster (Depot Nottingham, 2nd). The route setters keep on providing plenty of entertainment.

I've also tried my hand at setting at Boulder Brighton in the battle of the shoe brands with fellow Boreal team member Andy Turner, and helped out coaching and supporting events with Boreal and the GB Youth team. Exciting times with new talent coming through the ranks.

The in-between season

I’ve been working on movement, learning how to stand on two feet again. Trying not to pull myself off the footholds and applying technique on the vertical walls and slabs. Learning how to balance, how to trust my feet, how to use the right muscles for each movement, playing with movement. It was a battle to start with, but so satisfying when things started to come together. It’s also helped my steep wall climbing. There’s always so much more to learn.

During the winter, local competition season, I’ve also been playing with nutrition. That is eating snacks/drinking chocolate milkshake more during climbing. Then eating as much as possible between competition rounds, whilst trying to avoid feeling stuffed, rather than just the normal meals. I have to work hard to remember to snack when I’m active as I find I don’t feel hungry until it’s too late. I’m the opposite at work, where I struggle not to dip into the biscuit/cake pile. My job is a sedentary.

The extra eating in competitions seems to have helped give me an extra edge. It’s easier to have something left in the tank at the end of the day when you’ve put more in to start with! This may seem obvious, but I didn’t think I was running out of fuel previously on the usual 3 meals and occasional snacks. I thought I was just getting generally tired from the exertion. Experimentation proved fruitful.

I tried to apply this at the Superbloc competition at London Excel. However, I couldn’t seem to stay hydrated. The atmosphere was oppressive and I felt weary. I climbed OK and battled hard. I came close to some tops, but didn’t manage to finish anything, even though I felt I could. I came close to making the final 6 (one attempt on bonus), but ended up joint 8th in good company. I took quite a while to recover, after coming down with a cold.

The time for CWIF came round so quickly that it took me by surprise. I chose to do the morning session as it is good practice for me to try and pull hard early in the morning. I didn’t get up really early as I valued my sleep more than having my body ready to get going (studies suggest that the optimum time to exercise is around 6hrs after getting up). I had a shaky start, but got going before dropping too many problems (aided by chocolate milk and fruity snack bars). I qualified for the semi-final in 11th (breakfast and lunch before, chocolate milk during, full chicken and rice meal after), just scraped the final in 6th and pulled out a podium 3rd. I tried really hard and felt pretty good (understatement). I celebrated by going out for dinner.

We trained with the Swiss team two days later. Everything caught up with me and I had a ‘higher gravity day’. However, it was short lived. The good CWIF result has made me feel stronger mentally. It’s given me a ‘can do’ attitude and I can’t get enough of this climbing thing. Long may it continue!

Fontainebleau holiday bliss at Isatis

Spring evenings at Curbar – Dan’s Wall

Rock

After the 2014 World Cups, I got into the Peak Limestone. I discovered the delight of Rubicon first thing in the morning; the peaceful, cool next to the water before the heat of the day. The hook of moves at Blackwell Dale and other roadside caves; cool, dank holes next to roads! Here’s one I topped - Paint it Black (7c).

Paint it Black - Sean's Roof from Peter Jeffery on Vimeo.

Then, suddenly, my projects were wet and it was time to start training for the 2015 season.

I entered some local competitions as they are always fun. At Leeds Depot, Battle of Britain, I was ahead in the final and got a bit too focused on the last hold of the last problem. I didn’t set up properly, my elbows winged as I hesitated and I missed the hold and with it first place. At the Nottingham Depot I was beginning to let negative thoughts creep into my head during the final. I was tired and not able to give the big moves the strength required. I wondered if I’d developed a mind-set that stopped me performing to the best of my ability when it mattered to me the most. Ultimately I was starting to overthink situations. I came 2nd in both competitions which I’m pleased with, but for me it’s more about how I competed with the problems, so not so happy!

The next competition was the legendary Plywood Masters at Boulder UK. I love this place, with the funky moves normally set in the low room upstairs for the final. However, they changed it up and set the finals downstairs. The air was thick with chalk and I was struggling to breath, but enjoying the problems. The distractions of change and conditions helped. I just climbed. I made a couple of mistakes, but I was pleased with how I climbed. I managed to win – chuffed.

From Europe to North America

After the promise of Grindelwald, the World Cup round in Innsbruck, Austria was the biggest climbing spectacle I have ever witnessed. Shauna won her second gold and the atmosphere, crowd and climbing was amazing. This was in strict contrast to my climbing performance. I climbed like a new born foal trying to work out how to stand up on shaky legs that had never been asked to be stood on before and achieved my worst result to date.

I had to leave all this behind me and move forward, as ever, to the next competition in Toronto (Hamilton), Canada. I felt good despite the heat. I really like the venue for this competition as the form of the wall is quite suited to the creation of interesting problems . Also, it is quite intimate with the crowd, making for a good atmosphere.

I battled and did a lot of climbing, possibly a little too much, and came tantalisingly close to two tops among other things. However, I did not hold either top hold and came away with almost nothing to show for all my climbing. I finished the qualification by almost holding a final hold and crashing down into the chalky mat in a heap. I took my shoes off, packed up my kit and congratulated Sol Sa who had climbed just after me, as I knew she had climbed ever so well (5 tops). As I walked away from the scene I felt my eyes well up, the emotion of the competition surfacing. Shauna and Nathan collected me from the back of the tiered seating. A few words, good team support, and the moment passed. It was time to find out how we had all got on, watch some of the remaining competitors, prepare for the following day when Shauna would climb again. Onwards and upwards.

We had a little bit of time around the competitions to have a look around. We returned to Niagara Falls in Canada so that Nathan Phillips could experience the wonder, and Nathan Phillips Square for obvious reasons. Shortly after the Toronto competition we flew to Colorado and spent a few days in Boulder whilst gaining some adjustment to the altitude. We visited Mount Evans on the way to Vail (the next competition venue) and I felt on top of the world.

In the beautiful setting of Vail, we entered the next round of the World Cup. I battled hard, but couldn’t run sideways in enough balance, forgot to jump a couple of times, then finally got to grips with the fourth qualification problem. Phew. I came away to praise for my efforts on this problem, but overall, not too happy with my performance. I felt like I hadn’t trained enough and wasn’t powerful enough to be competitive. There were a lot of impressively strong, talented, powerful girls competing. Small mistakes count for a lot at this level of competition. I need to get it right and have more conviction. I came 33rd in Toronto and 31st in Vail.

Thanks to EddieFowkePhotography for the climbing World Cup photos: If you haven’t already purchased your copy of The Circuit issue 1 get it now from http://www.thecircuitclimbing.com/Buy (worldwide excluding North America) or http://store.madrockclimbing.com/thecircuit.aspx (North America)

We had a day to play before leaving the mountains and went to Independence Pass. We managed to do a little bit of climbing on rock between hail/snow/rain storms. I’d love to explore this area more at some point and climb in the stunning looking ice caves.

The drive back to Denver ready for the long haul home was epic. I battled with poor visibility as we experienced snow on the mountain passes, followed by heavy rain and spray on the lower ground (and a really worrying moment when we lost power and thought we’d broken down until Shauna noticed that the automatic had been knocked into neutral, phew).

One weekend off back in the UK, during which I climbed with the Hillingdon Mountaineering Club on a fun bouldering weekend in the Peak, then it was competition time again.

The British Bouldering Championships was missing the defending champion, but there was still plenty of good competition to be had. I thoroughly enjoyed the problems and pulled hard to gain 4th over three rounds, just short of the podium. I made some mistakes in the final, with a slip near the top of one problem, some rushing, and getting too tired during the final problem to finish it off (tickling the last hold). So close, and lucky that my mistakes, this time, did not cost me so dearly having already made the top 6. Congratulations to the new champion Michaela Tracy and 3rd time champion Dave Barrans.

I wore a new style of shoe for the British Bouldering Championships: the Boreal Dharma. I was so impressed with how good these shoes were after wearing them climbing twice, that I was really keen to use them in during the competition. Thank you Boreal.

Many thanks to Carol Hayes for the Photos from the final of the British Championships 2014.

The Big Weekend

Where to start after such a big weekend. Dive right in I reckon!

GOLD!

Shauna Coxsey won her first gold medal, the first GB female gold medal in bouldering. It was an awe inspiring final. I'm not sure how Shauna held it together so calmly afterwards, especially when the national anthem was played. I think she was maybe already starting to focus on next weekend's World Cup!

We were competing in Grindelwald, Switzerland. A stunning town that nestles below the Eiger. The competition field was the biggest ever (although this record will be beaten come next weekend and the Innsbruck round of the 2014 World Cup series).

Matt Cousins entered his first World Cup ever, and came a solid 49th with 2 problems topped. Dave Barrans, a GB veteran on the World Cup scene, just pipped Matt and was close to gaining the tops required to make the semi-finals. However he 'dropped' a further two problems (dropped = close to topping!).

Michaela, Mina and I all came in the top 30 so gain ranking points. Michaela also 'dropped' a top that would have likely seen her into the semi-finals, but left her in 23rd after an appeal by team NED moved her down from 21st. Mina topped an impressive 4 out of the 5 qualification problems in her group to leave her in 21st due to the number of attempts. So close to the top 20 and semi-final.

I topped the same problems as Michaela, with one additional attempt to leave me in 29th. This may be far from my best result on paper, but I'm really pleased with it as, compared to last season, it's a really good start against a big field with depth of talent. It's also only the second time that I've gained points in the first European comp of the season.

I felt more nervous than usual when leaving the UK, but I busied myself with packing. This included neat little parcels of rice and couscous to save buying more than required when away! We stayed in self catering apartments, which is great when preparing for a comp as we can eat what we need to. Much better than excessive restaurant meals (especially as I'm really bad at stopping eating when I've had enough).

Warming up in isolation was not fun. It was initially, but I quickly overheated in the cosy enclosed boulder room we had to warm up in. I went back to the slightly cooler hall, populated by those competitors yet to warm up, and laid down until I felt a more sensible temperature. I didn't think that a return to the boulder room was a good idea for me, so I finished preparing for the competition on a 6ft high, and similar width, free standing board in the hall with one or two moves at a time.

I was just getting my head set for the competition when the lady calling the competitors into 'holding' asked me if it was hard competing with people so much younger than me (the start list has birth years on it)! I laughed and asked her if she thought I was old, before giving a more considered answer. The competition is getting harder, but not due to my age as yet. It's due to the evolution of the sport.

I felt relaxed in holding and was once again surprised and amused to hear one of Rage Against the Machine's more explicit numbers being played full volume, full content. The same tune that was playing when I started climbing in my first ever World Cup in Brno in 2007. What's the chance of that?

I flashed the first block with a nice shoulder move. I didn't realise how important it was for me to do this until after the comp. I was focused for the next problem - running/stepping right on a slab. I couldn't get enough momentum to latch the bonus. I fought on the next two problems, got another bonus and came close to a third on steep terrain that I couldn't quite get into.

The fifth block was a jump to the left, with a big barn door swing and foot plant for the bonus catch. I didn't see the move for a while on my first go, but came close, then took a further two goes to get it. Two locks on small greasy crimps saw me to the top. Sweet.

Doo be doo, I won't do what you tell me. So much has happened since I last heard that song. I find it motivational! I think I've broken the mould a bit, suffered a bit, enjoyed a lot, and it's allowed me to continue to complete.

Balancing Boldness

The winter league season has been fun.  I did the full Climbing Station league in Loughborough and came 2nd. I found this a really challenging league. It was split into three categories; beginner, intermediate and open. I entered the open. All the problems in each round needed to be treated with respect as there were no ‘ladders’! There were a lot of technical vertical problems and some really bold dynamic moves. I struggled in the last two rounds and just made too many mistakes, coupled with not warming up sufficiently to be moving fluidly on the first few problems. Rooky errors, but all good practice on styles of climbing that I am growing to enjoy more than I used to.

I also competed in Blokfest, located predominantly in the south of the UK. I won the league by one point! The overall league standing were based on points only and did not take into account performance in the ‘finals’ that took place after each round. Michaela Tracy dominated the finals that were carried out in a World Cup format. The finals had super problems that were enjoyable, often flamboyant, and typically needing to be flashed. There was always balancing required, some big round volumes to hug, and big bold moves. All exactly what I wanted to be practicing and I was really happy with some of the moves I pulled off and committed to.

I also partially did the Foundry and Climbing Works leagues in Sheffield, typically finding the Foundry league more suited to my strengths. This stood me in good stead for the Foundry Bouldering Open where I came 3rd behind Shauna Coxsey and Michaela Tracy, with only one attempt on tops splitting us. I messed up the beta on the balance problem by choosing to be bold and bouncy instead of balancing on my first attempt. I had the presence of mind to adjust my approach and get to the top which I was pleased about. Sometimes I think I’m starting to get the hang of this competition climbing and I really loved this comp!

All this practice brought me to the team GB selection day at the end of February. It comprised two rounds of World Cup format competition at the Castle in London. The first round was predominantly balances and insecure holds. Unfortunately I just wasn’t moving well and just kept having poor body positions that inhibited progress. I missed the subtlety. Arggggh. I was really disappointed with myself, but took a deep breath and lots of sustenance on board and steeled myself for the next round.

The second round was more basic and very physical. I particularly enjoyed wrestling with a volume conundrum. I was pleased to perform much better in the afternoon. I feel that I benefitted a lot from the whole day, finding some specific things that I can go away and get to grips with. It was also a hard and good workout. I need more of these to continue to advance my quest to conquer each boulder problem I’m faced with, because that’s my kind of fun!

Today the sun is shining, my thoughts are all about up and coming climbing. I have to rest to allow my body to recover so that it can continue to do what I ask of it. I’m psyched to have been selected to once again represent my country in some World Cups. I’m also looking forward to getting back out on the rock as the weather improves.

Fontainebleau is calling. I think I’m going to go back to Drei Zinnen among other areas. I really enjoyed Bifurcation (7b(+)) last autumn and want to get back on the various variations of Close Contact between balancing and being bold. I’ve been reminiscing and planning. Here’s Bifurcation (we think)

Bifurcation - Drei Zinnen from Peter Jeffery on Vimeo.

Climbing Around

I decided to mix up my training this year, based on my strengths and weaknesses noted throughout the competition season. The plan is to climb a lot more, as my performance on the more technical problems was typically poor. I need to work on the subtleties of beta; the small adjustments of body position and grip that are often the difference between topping a problem or not. I will be working less with free weights and gym based training than I have been the last couple of years.

As part of this plan I have been travelling further afield to climbing walls, trying out new [maybe just to me] walls. I have sought out leagues and competitions as part of my training programme. This allows many training elements to be worked at once:

• climbing in a competition environment
• climbing in unfamiliar surroundings
• reading problems
• flash attempt climbing
• working different styles and techniques
• endurance
• power endurance
• shared experience learning
• having lots of fun climbing

I have been really impressed with the quality of the walls that I have visited so far. Everywhere I’ve been has offered good problems throughout a large range of grades – something for everyone is so important. I’ve found thriving climbing communities every which way I’ve turned, with friendly, motivated people that are a joy to climb with.

‘Ain’t’ climbing great!

I’ve also tried my hand at the tricksy job of setting problems. It is hopefully common knowledge that route setting is a hard job, both physically and with respect to getting problems ‘right’. It was even harder than I expected. Hats off once again to all the route setters out there doing an amazing job. Getting the difficulty of problems correct to suit the required situation is an art.

Thank you for the continual supply of new challenges.

 

ps  I’ve joined twitter at last to help with communication: @MerrickDiane

The End of the Worlds 2013

The last round of the competition in Munich was a fitting finale to the World Cup 2013.  The stunning setting, under the canopy of the 1972 Olympic Games stadium, saved the impressive and animated crowd from a drenching.  The main remaining competition for overall World Cup standings was between Shauna and Alex.  Shauna made it onto the podium in 3rd, behind Alex in 2nd, so Alex took 3rd place overall in the World Cup, and Shauna took 4th.

Dave made the semi-final and Gill and Leah just missed out by a whisker.  I was happier with my performance than of late, but had a couple of goes too many to work out the problems, so came 31st.  I was disappointed to finish the season outside of points again.  My overall ranking was 35th – a fair representation of my results for the season.

The qualification for my group was a hard with respect to the problems set.  To put things in perspective, World Cup winner Anna Stohr only topped 2 of the problems.  I topped one, the last one, in four attempts.  It took that many to get of the ground!  I was pleased to find a somewhat unorthodox solution on my second go, that I should have stuck to on my third go.  Not trusting myself, I tried something else first before committing to the solution that worked for me.  Most importantly I topped the problem, but I should trust my instinct more.

I feel that I may have topped the second problem if I had been more accurate with my footwork sooner.  I got into the groove with no time left on the clock to get to the top.  To get into the groove, a careful balance was required on a large volume.  I only stood on the very edge of the volume on my last attempt, all previous attempts I was just slapping my foot on anywhere.  This adjustment allowed me to progress. Tch, for taking so long remember how to balance, despite trying to practice on the first problem.

Thanks to Jane Newman for the photo of the first qualification problem in Munich.  I did not manage to get my toe on the volume to help me progress…  I enjoyed mantling for an obscene duration before standing on anything though!

The qualification problems in Eindhoven (European Championships), the following weekend, made the Munich ones relative warm-ups.  Four bonuses could have seen me through to the semi-final.  Gill Peet just missed out again in 21st place with four bonuses in a couple of attempts too many.  I gained 3 bonuses, leaving me in 29th.

Eddie Cooper captured this image of me, that sums up my performance – wrong handed and using my knees inappropriately.  I’ve got a knee bar between the volume and the undercut I needed to be holding (but my knee was in the way). It almost worked – so close to a top, yet so far.

I want to do more competitions, but that’s it for this year.

Work Cut Out

It was exciting competing in the British Championships this year, as there is a lot of up and coming talent from the youth category.  More competition is always a good thing as it makes it more of a challenge.  This summer I didn’t manage to rise to the challenge quite as well as I had hoped, coming 9th.  However, I am happy because other people climbed really well and beat me.  I didn’t make the final for the first time since I’ve been competing in the BBC’s.  I thought I’d be upset, but instead I felt inspired to get back into shape for the last World Cup of the season and sort out a few muscle issues I’ve been having.  I’ve got my work cut out.

It’s quite hard training in the heat.  My finger skin seems to like falling off and I’ve discovered that I have a tendency to feel a bit queasy during warm up when it’s hot.  I’m getting used to it, which will help lots as it’s bound to be hot in Munich in a few weeks.

Toronto, Canada and Vail, Colorado

Team GB are in a strong 6th position with only one World Cup 2013 round to go. Those that attend all the rounds will drop their worst result for the final ranking. So this year the best 7 results count, as there are 8 events. Current individual World Cup standings are exciting reading:

Shauna	3rd		Dave	21st
Mina	9th		Ned	37th
Leah	12th		Tom	58th
Diane	34th		James	65th
Michaela	54th		Jon	75th

The competition in Hamilton (Toronto) was my favourite competition of the season with regard to the problems, wall  and competition atmosphere.  The crowd was amazing and it was really nice to be able to sit and watch the rounds I did not compete in, rather than standing for hours! 

It was pretty much the same story again with my climbing; completely messing up the first and most accessible boulder problem. So qualification was very disappointing for me.  I climbed quite well on most of the other problems though, coming tantalisingly close to tops but not getting any. This left me in 25th when I know that I was more than capable of making the semi-final. I want so much more.

I've taken a lot of solace from others this trip. The support and belief shared between friends and fellow competitors buoyed me up when I was feeling low. Also, I'm by no means the only one suffering disappointment and obtaining results that don't in any way reflect capability. We soldier on.  I was told that I had inspired others to compete.  That made me feel pretty good!

Being told that I am an inspiration to others is a huge inspiration to me. It makes me want to train and compete more, to succeed. Knowing that others are putting themselves out there and giving climbing a go, giving competition a go (or another go), because they have been inspired by other climbers is fantastic. It may be that you are teetering on the edge of deciding whether or not to have a go, and just need that little something to make the leap. Be brave, have a go, it's fun, it's challenging, it's rewarding.

Vera from the Netherlands had been suffering the blows of the competitions alongside me this season until it all went right in Toronto. She made the semi-final in fine form, topped all the boulders and narrowly missed out on a place in the final due to number of attempts. She placed ninth and I'm so happy for her.

We took time out to visit Niagara and the falls. A stunning place. I imagined that it would be in the countryside, but the area is actually really built up and touristy. This is something that is only noticeable whilst on route to the falls. Once there, it's all about watching the phenomenal flow of water. Many thanks to Kashca and Keith for looking after us all so well.

 

The day following the Toronto competition we were back on a plane - next stop Denver (except for Ben who had to head home). We hung around the mile high city waiting for Dave to arrive from the UK. Then we hit the road to climb up into the Rocky Mountains for the World Cup in Vail at 8000 ft. We had a couple of short climbing sessions in Vail and soaked up the stunning scenery. We paid Mount Evans (14000 ft) a visit the day before comp day. A good rest day, with a very short walk to gain the summit as the road goes almost all the way. I recommend a visit if you get a chance. The views are spectacular.

I climbed reasonably well in the Vail competition coming 21st. It was my third time at this venue and definitely my best performance, having previously struggled to make the top 30. There were a few things I could have done better, however I feel that the unfortunate slip on the first problem left me most vulnerable. So close to the semi-final...

It is interesting climbing at altitude. Small things such as holding my breath for a short time for a balance left me panting afterwards. I’d feel fine whilst climbing, but then not make moves I'd expect to. This is due to not being able to get sufficient oxygen into my body to keep my muscles performing as the air is thinner than I am used to. Recovery was pretty good though, so I could keep battling on. Most competitors were suffering the same as far as I am aware. It is very unusual to see boulderers puffing, panting and acting as though they have just run a 100m sprint rather than having climbed.

Many thanks to Heiko Wilhelm (Team Austria) for the climbing photo.

Log-Dragomer and Innsbruck World Cups 2013

Two more competitions in two weekends.  The World Cup rounds are coming thick and fast this season.  Team GB are doing really well and are are currently in 6th.  Go Team.

My contribution to this started well in China, but has taken a nose dive since.  I seem to be suffering from a temporary inability to climb the easiest problem in each competition.  I feel the need to take myself back to basics and remind myself how to climb, as it’s becoming not only frustrating, but somewhat embarrassing!

I had a self destructive thought in Log-Dragomer before starting the first problem.  I thought ‘I hope I’m not the first person to drop this bloc’.  I was, and one of the very few not to top it.  I knew I needed to balance, take my time, but I just kept launching at the next hold.  Arghhh. 

I then took my time on the second problem and timed out whilst applying the wrong beta at the top.  I did well on the 3rd problem coming so close to topping the thuggy, steep volumes.  However, I found that I was so pumped that I couldn’t hold on anymore.  I need to keep up my power endurance.  Thankfully the last problem had my name on it and I flashed it to leave me tantalisingly close to points in 31st, despite everything.

The qualification in Innsbruck was different to usual.  Due to the inclement weather causing some of the boulders to become a little damp, we competed on 4 instead of 5 problems.  The difficulty of the problems was increased to ensure that the field was split.  The problems were tough, with most people topping only the first. 

A handful of people, myself included, topped the last problem - a short, but awkward dyno.  I started my final and successful attempt with about 25 seconds left on the clock.  This is not usually enough time for me to complete a problem, but I suddenly found myself on the penultimate hold when the countdown for the last 5 seconds started.  For me it felt like everything was in slow motion with my head calmly telling me what to do …. 5…. ’I still have time do this’…. 4… ‘breath’… 3… ‘now latch the top hold and match’.  I urgently turned to the judge to see her hand up in confirmation.  I’d got the top. Yes, yes, yes.

My emotions were so mixed directly after this, before seeing the results.  Tears filled my eyes, but I could not tell you if they were from relief, disappointment or joy.  I had not topped the first and easiest problem.  If I had I would have been in the semi-final. Instead I had been seconds away from obtaining nothing in the round.  I was kicking myself.  I had to settle for 43rd again.

The final was amazing with Jan Hoyer and Juliane Wurm, both from Germany, taking their first ever World Cup wins in front of the biggest crowd yet.  Inspiration to us all.

Thanks to Eddie Fowke for the good photos!

Log-Dragomer 2nd problem for me, 3rd for Leah.

Innsbruck 2nd problem

Mina doing very well – scoreboard part way through the Innsbruck semi-final.

Innsbruck Podium

Our chariot awaits – prop plane for the first leg home from Innsbruck

Kitzbühel

Team GB do Kitzbühel (thanks to Victoria for taking the photo and giving artistic direction)

I topped the qualification boulders.  I am really pleased that I have had the opportunity to prove that I am physically capable being competitive.  This is something I thought I was capable of, but physically proving it is better.  I only wish I’d managed to do it during the competition, instead of messing up!

I only managed to top the 3rd and 5th boulders during the competition leaving me, once again, in a very disappointing 43rd place.  Hesitation and a slip denied me of the 4th boulder, on which I came within tickling distance of the last hold.  I gained the bonus on all the problems.  Both the boulders I topped were very dynamic.  This feels like a big breakthrough for me.   I am starting to relax and go for things.

Picture courtesy of Eddie Fowke (www.EddieFowkePhotography.com)

A very unusual opportunity arose directly after the competition.  We were able to briefly climb on the problems before they were stripped ready for the semi-final.  I re-attempted the 1st and 2nd boulders and discovered that my head had let me down.  I was more than capable of climbing them.

The 1st boulder was a slab.  During the competition I had persistently faced the wrong direction, denying me the balance position required to progress off the bonus.  I tried to use a foothold that I personally didn’t require to top the problem.  I needed to take a breath and look around me, relax into the climbing from the first problem.  Not wait to get into the swing part way through the competition.   After the competition, I found that I could smoothly gain the bonus, consider my previous beta, calmly discard it as it felt wrong, reassess without much deliberation.  A foot swap on an enormous foothold, and a lean into the big rounded bonus, allowed me to make a high step in balance.  A small rock up brought the penultimate hold into reach, and with it progression to the top hold.  It felt good to gain the top, despite it all being too late!

The 2nd boulder had my name all over it.  It was a thuggy roof with a big lock.  During the competition I repeatedly dropped the lock move off of the bonus.  I considered slightly amending my grip on the bonus to improve the right hand position when I matched.  This would allow better grip whilst trying to lock.  For some reason I did not apply the idea during the competition.  I put the idea to the test afterwards.  I topped the problem on my first post-competition attempt.  Why hadn’t I trusted my judgement during the competition?

I was not upset after the competition.  I was annoyed with myself for messing up and excited for the next competitions, having proved to myself that I am physically capable.  I need to work on being clear headed under pressure, but not overthinking, to relax and climb fluidly.

So now it’s a head game.  Bring it on.

Schwarzsee and a common statue in Kitzbühel

Ned Feehally during qualification

Dave Barrans during qualification.

CWIF 2013 – Chongqing - Millau

Not bad at all – really good, then not so good, but overall quite pleased – really disappointing.

What’s going on?

I achieved my best CWIF result to date this year – 5th.  I felt lucky.  My body didn’t feel like my own from the beginning, but I was determined to battle through.  In qualification I felt like I fell short of a lot of problems, in need of more ‘grr’.  This was a sentiment that was shared by many, so I made it through to the semi final mid way up the ranks. 

The overriding memory of the qualification, for me, was running headlong into a wall.  I rolled around on the floor laughing at myself for quite a while, assuming that I had lacked the coordination to achieve a parkour start to a boulder problem.  Annoyingly this wasn’t the full story.  I discovered, on standing up, that I had twisted my ankle on the run up.  Luckily it wasn’t too bad and I could load it as long as I didn’t twist my foot, and it still makes me chuckle that I managed to shoulder barge a wall to the extent that I bounced off it.  These kind of problems are amusing for spectators and climbers wishing to branch out into different things, but will never truly be climbing.  How could they when they are often easier in trainers than climbing shoes?  But then I enjoy sit starts and micro-boulders!

A flash in the semi-final saw me through to the final in 6th place.  The final looked like the final was going to be a ‘nil point’ event for me.  Historically my lock off strength has far exceeded my ability to bounce moves.  The bounce into a lock and then ratchet through to the next hold is a classic move for me.  This wasn’t the case here.  I couldn’t keep my arms bent.  I had to rely on my head to keep me battling on, willing my body to play ball.  The third problem brought a ray of light.  A bonus hold was obtainable without relying on arm bend. However, I wanted more.  I hit my arms before my second attempt and shouted at them ‘come on arms’, and they responded.  I got a top, and with it 5th place.

 

In Chongqing I was one attempt short of a perfect round.  This is the first time I have topped all the problems in a round of a World Cup.  It felt amazing.  The next round fell a long way short of this leaving me in 19th out of the 20 semi-finalists. However, despite a couple of initial tears, the semi final performance couldn’t quell the feelings from the previous round.  Overall I was happy with what I achieved.

That said, I need to work out what changed from one day to the next.  Was I too relaxed going into the semi-final?

We had time in Chongqing to look around, whilst adjusting to the time zone.  Chongqing is enormous, with a population of around 30 million people.  The roads are are never-ending stream of constantly weaving traffic.  The streets are lined with shops and stalls, with high-rise buildings towering above.  Every inch seemed to be utilised or undergoing regeneration.  Between all this, space is still made for green borders and trees, helping to combat the inevitable smog.  The city sprawls out into the mountains from where the Jialing River joins the Yangtze River.  Our hotel room overlooked the river.  The huge Yangtze gave a feeling of calm, open expanse in contrast to the sky scraping city.

The local food is tasty and spicy.  We went out to a local restaurant and had to call for help to order food as we didn’t know where to start.  With help from the locals, we were coached through the process of adding various meats and vegetables to huge hot pot of boiling spicy broth, before fishing the cooked morsels out with chop sticks/a slotted ladle for eating.  Fun, tasty, messy for us, and at times a little eye watering!  I’m still trying to discover what one of the really tasty vegetables was.

I had a lovely Birthday surprise from the girls, with cake and a ‘made in China’ card (thanks to Shauna, Mina and Alex).  We also each received a beautiful gift of a personalised scroll from the event organisers.  It was an all round great trip.

Chongqing, China (and somewhere, some large distance up above the clouds)

 

Eight of us went on holiday for Easter in Fontainebleau.  I took it easy, keeping the volume of climbing low, as I had to leave early to go to the Millau round of the World Cup.  The weather was cool and dry, with plenty of sunshine.  The friction was strangely low, but it was good to be out on the rock.  I rested quite a bit, ate well and slept well.  I travelled to the south of France on the train - a mode of transport that usually delivers me to my destination feeling pretty good compared to flying.  Strangely, I felt knackered on arrival.

My warm up for the competition felt good, despite the early start (isolation closed at 8am).  The first problem felt like it was going to be a flash, but I repeatedly swung off whilst trying to match the top hold.  For the rest of the problems, I felt like I was trying to climb whilst being twice the weight as usual (akin to swimming through mud).  It was hard.  I was upset afterwards, getting almost my worse result ever – 40th.

Millau, France (thanks to Victoria with Dave’s camera for the namesake shot)