Catch Up

I have been a big lazy with blogging, so will lump it all into a quick one now.  Over the bank holiday weekend I ran an SPA training in the Peak.  The 4 candidates made it a great course despite the poor weather on the first morning.  Even so, they all led a route in the rain and rigged a personal abseil, before heading to the wall in the afternoon.  Better weather on Sunday made for a more pleasant day Lawrancefiled and Millstone to cover all the group management part of the syllabus.

Monday saw me back at Millstone and Lawrancefield for an SPA re-assessment.  Theo coped well with the 1 to 1 pressure and passed well.

As my finger is recovering, I managed to get in around 30 routes and problems after work on Sunday.  I had a quick boulder yesterday doing problems and routes I've done before.  I was really happy to climb some tricky problems up to font 7b+, but surprised in what areas I was struggling.  Whilst injured I have managed to keep reasonably strong and many styles seem ok still.  However, some problems just seemed nails when they are not graded all that hard.  A funny old game, with lots to get working on, Again!

Straight Outta Clackeaton

Jams means easy on the injured finger climbing My God Rides a Skateboard

It was back to Honley today with Dan and Huw to try and get some better pics and see how the new text works for the crag.  Dan and Huw warmed up with quick ascents of Triple Bad Acid Test E2 5c** and did the direct My God Rides A Skateboard E4 5c**, which I had climbed before.  Dan and Huw then both made short work of it.  We all then led The Dog's Biscuits E4 5c***, which is alway good fun.  Dan very kindly offered to clean Straight Outta Clackeaton E5 6b**, Which I was very happy to Flash.  Dan put a good effort in, but got stuck committing to the crux which feels a bit bold.

Huw powering up the hand crack of The Dog's Biscuits

Dan through the crux and cruising to the top

Loving the steep crack

Pulling hard on straight Outta Clackeaton

A quick hit, but well worth it.

CWA Training

Over the weekend I ran a busy CWA Training course with 11 candidates.  The first day was all about personal climbing and coaching which was based at The Leeds Wall.  For the second day, we visited ROKT in Brighouse to look at all the group work aspects of the award and do the abseil module.  This proved an interesting venue for the training.  On first impressions you think it will be a very difficult venue to work in, but once you get to know the layout there is always somewhere to meet your groups needs.

Working Around A Recovering Finger

Yesterday I managed to get a few routes climbed in between the showers.  I was down in the Peak visiting friends, so trawled the guide looking for quick hit routes that would be finger friendly.  That meant aretes and slabs.

I had recently worked in the roadside bay at Lawrencefield and finally found out what a couple of the aretes were called and graded.  These seemed like good options to start on.  First up was Brain Cells in Collision E3 5c*.  After abseiling down and brushing (which I was glad I did), I flashed the route.  A good exposed few moves around the arete make for a cool route.  The Next arete was The Last Day of Freedom E4 6a, a nice little route, all open handed on the side that mattered.  I was happy to flash this as well.  A massive shower hit, so I went home for lunch.

After a couple of hours of dry windy weather, I ran out to Froggatt to bag a couple more routes.  I climbed Indoor Fisherman E4 6a**, which I toproped clean first go, then soloed.  The guide marks this as open handed/slopey, but it was quite edgy until the very top section.  This was evident from the ground and I didn't want to start up with a recovering hand and get over committed.  I'm glad I did this, as it was right at the limit of what my finger could take at the moment.  I changed climbing style for the final route and headpointed Hairy Heart E6 6a* on the Great Slab.  Climbed on sight on a rope, then soloed, a total gripper!!!!  I wish I had manned up and on sighted it, but nevermind.  A good route though, and one more E6 on this slab to do, then the harder ones.

The Dog's Biscuits

It has been a month since I tore a pulley in my right hand, and it has been healing steadily.  I have been itching to climb, but don't want to over do things and re injure myself.  With that in mind, Ben and I headed to Honley Quarry near Huddersfield.  The main wall here is an impressively stee[ affair.  This is home to a steep hand crack called The Dog's Biscuits E4 5c**, and should not be very fingery.  The route is only 15m, but overhangs 3m so should be a pumpy number.  It is however a neglected venue, so a good bit of cleaning was required.  I had climbed a couple of routes here before, so I pointed Ben at those and I got stuck into brushing The Dog's.  After about an hour, the routes were ready.  I was happy to quickly flash the route with little trouble, and Ben swiftly followed suit.  He then made short work of one of the other routes I had done here, My God Rides a Skateboard E4 5c**.

Ben on the steep The Dog's Biscuits

Ben happy with his day having a moderate hangover, and me happy with a hand that performed pretty well, we bailed before it all got a little too hot.