Alter Rock

I recovered slowly from CWIF to have a good session on Wednesday. I did some routes on Friday night - getting pumped/improving my power endurance whilst trying to find a leading head ready for Skymasters. A big session for me.

Refuelling after routing, last thing on Friday, I bumped into Rob Napier who had been setting a comp at Alter Rock in Derby. I didn't know about the comp previously, but looked it up on t'internet and was there the next morning bright and early (well, 10am). 20 blocs and 4 leads/4 top ropes depending on your ability.

The comp was great. Well supported by sponsors, well set up, food and good prizes (including Rab jackets, Orange house weekend, DMM kit, Evolve/Merrell shoes), but unfortunately not much competition. The event was well attended by lots of strong youths. However there were only 3 adults - 2 men and myself. We teamed up for the leading. A truly sociable day out.

I got all but 2 blocs. One of the ones I dropped was a £50 prize bloc which I was close to getting and should have got, grr. Thank you for a good day out climbing.

CWIF

Just over a week before CWIF I was feeling really good. Ready for the marathon bouldering day. Then the lurgy hit yet again. I cannot believe the number of bad colds I've had this winter. This one took me out for the week. I folded in half coughing if I tried to do anything. It had to be man flu!

By the end of the week, I was just coughing periodically and I could breath, so figured I was well enough to do the CWIF. I had a short session at the Foundry on the Friday night just to get moving again.

The qualifiers (cough) went (cough) well. I qualified 7th behind Mina, Leah, 2 French and 2 Dutch. I hadn't climbed tactically. I wanted to use the comp to climb all blocs as well as possible rather than just try and qualify.

The semis - arghhhhh. I hit the proverbial wall. I had nothing left. The few holds I got to felt good enough, the moves mostly looked like ones I should be able to do, but my arms were not responding to my head. I was so disappointed. And the blocs looked great.

Thankfully the rest of the team powered on through with Leah and Mina coming 2nd and 3rd. An awesome effort by all.

Seaside and TCA Bristol

I had a lovely weekend in Torquay with Pete and the 'in-laws'. Fresh sea air, some sunshine and good food.

We went to The Climbing Academy a new bouldering wall in Bristol for training. Lots of fun blocs, colour coded into circuits. We had a warm welcome - friendly staff and locals, and underfloor heating.

Absolutely no need for my leg warmers.

I tried several of the blocs on the hardest circuit. Quite a range of grades from easy flashes to long, hard thuggy ones that I couldn't quite get. Can't comment on grades as I'm naff at that. A good variety of styles. I decided to do several of the blocs with 'bunch of grape' style sloper holds and enjoyed swinging across the long roof.

SWBL

I had a good Friday night league comp at the works coming 2nd on the night. This placed me 2nd in the SWBL and 4th in the works league having missed a round. I got furthest up the Percy's special women's problem, but didn't top it so no £50 spot prize :-(

A team training weekend at the Awesome Wall Stockport followed. We did super hard problems on the Saturday and had a mock comp on the Sunday. The Earl set some fun blocs to break ourselves on. I won the semi and the final. I'm nicely tired and achy now :-))

Has anyone got any spare fingertips?

Foundry League

It was the last round of the Foundry League last night. Another set of cracking blocs. Simon said that everyone left with a smile on their face.

The results are out already. I won :-)

The Foundry has a blog where they are posting info, results etc. This includes the SWBL for which the last round is on the 13th Feb at the works.

Works League

Another good set of blocs. I got onto the steep sections a bit late and powered out. Oops. I had random bursts of energy. These were on my repeat goes typically. I was therefore dropping points left right and centre, but had a good workout and lots of fun.

I went back on Sunday and didn't top any more comp blocs. I did all the new volume blocs - some bold moves and flicks required, along with multiple kneebars on a brown :-)

Fitness First supplied me and a mate with a free taster session on Saturday. My mate ran about 10km whilst I ran for 10mins to warm up for a weights session. The assisted pull-up/dip machine seems a good way of working the one armers, but I got some strange looks from the locals in Chesterfield!

Steam room seemed the logical option to finish the session. I left feeling pampered, but could feel the effects climbing on Sunday.

Flapper

Had a really good session at the Matrix today. Rob Napier and Karl Bacon set the last comp routes. They're good. I was working some that I hadn't done in the comp. I topped two more and made considerable advancements on two others. But unfortunately also gained a big flapper on my little finger.

Web cams are awkward to capture images of little fingers in.