Siurana Coaching Weeks (Wales + Scotland)
Hey Guys
I haven’t actually been on the Internet in around 2 weeks now! I’ve been focussing all my energy on coaching in this time so I apologise if you’ve been trying to contact me for whatever reason and have been unable to.
Some people reckon coaching is an easy game, you just rock up to the crag, belay a bit, throw up a few top ropes, basically climb all day, then go back to the campsite and chill out… Well I’ve got news for you, it certainly isn’t that hard Well it’s not that hard if you love it… the last two weeks for me have probably been the most enjoyable weeks of my trip even though I’ve barely climbed anything for myself in that time. Sure I managed a few cheeky belays at the end of the day and there are always your clients rest days that you can climb on, but after focussing solidly on their needs and wants for whole days at a time and using all your energy to see their goals and coaching requirements met, it does leave you a bit drained.
In the last two weeks I’ve done a couple of nice 8b’s. One was 2nd go after coaching the Welsh kids (cheers to Liam Fyfe for the belay) and the other was after a particularly draining day shouting five Scottish kids up a 40m 7a+ pillar.
My first week coaching the Welsh was unfortunately very wet. After the driest spring in the last 5 years (according to locals), as soon as the Welsh stepped of the plane, dark clouds came from nowhere unleashing a hellish storm upon the Siurana crags. It was a bit of a washout to say the least, but despite not perfect conditions, they still got a good week of climbing in. I was working mostly with two young boys, Cai and Fin (Bishop-Guest). These two brothers were awesome climbers and good friends. What impressed me most about the two of them was their fierce attitude to supporting each other – when one trying something hard the other was supporting them in a die hard (A Muerte) attitude. By the end of the week, Cai had ticked off a couple of classics including “Viagraman” (7a) and “Crosta Panic” (7a+) as well as getting nail bitingly close to flashing the Siurana beast “Bistec de Biceps” (7b+). What was even more impressive was Fin nailing two 7a’s on lead after never having lead harder than 6b before!
During the second week of coaching the weather was quite a bit better but not without the odd shower (and hail storm). This time I was coaching as part of the MCofS’s annual Spain trip alongside fellow Ratho coaches Neil Mcgeachy, Neill Busby, Gary Vincent and Calum Forsyth. Also appearing as coaches where Jonny Stocking, Ross Kirkland, Tom Bolger, Lynne Malcolm and Mark Mcgowan. This is the second time the trip has run and in my opinion was even more of a success than last year. The trip was fully booked with 25 kids attending including not only Scottish, but English and even one German kid.
Every coach was given a group to work with for the week, my group being those that I do weekly 1:1 sessions with at Ratho (because I know their levels and needs best). Those in my group where:
- Sam Harland-Sendra (12)
- Robert Davidson (12)
- David Miedzybrodski (11)
- Connor Moore (10)
- Matthew Fall (9)
The aim of the week for my group was for each of them to achieve a grade goal specific to them, a feat of 20 climbs clean (bottom to top whatever grade) and to have fun! Everyone had already achieved the last goal the minute they saw the crag (aided further with Connors iPad games). All of them were eager for 7a outdoors since they had all at least achieved this indoors. I was also keen to get them to lead a few climbs whilst out here. I was not so worried about getting them leading hard outdoors just yet, there is time for that in future trips.
On the first day we were heading to Can Marges, a good easy-ish sector (lots of 4’s, 5’s and low 6’s) when disaster struck! Andy, Matthew’s dad tripped awkwardly on a steep path fracturing various parts of his leg (specifics I’m not sure on). The trip was off to a shaky start – we had to get paramedics in to take Andy off to hospital and little Matthew was left with us. A number of the parents left with Andy whilst the rest of us took the kids climbing to take their minds of the mornings mishap.
The days climbing turned out spectacularly though – all the boys ticked off a number of classics and even perfected their re-threading skills under my watchful eye. What was most impressive was at the end of the day, David and Sam flashing the uber classic 6c “El tiempo se ha reido de los que no han venido”.
On day 2 we headed to Espero Primavera sector in the morning, climbing yet more classic lines such as “Espero Primavera” (6a), “Tan San Fot” (6b+) and “Berberechin Fibrao” (6b+). Later in the day we headed around the corner to the main sector of Siurana, El Pati. I showed the boys the mega hard lines such as “Kallea Borroka” (8b+), “2×30” (8c) and “La Rambla” (9a+). They then got stuck into some potential projects of their own. Sam, Connor and Matthew tried “Viagraman” (7a) whilst Robert and David attempted the 35m long mega beast “Ay Mamita” (7a). In an amazing turn of events, David set the standard with an impressive (and very surprising) flash of “Ay Mamita”. This was his first attempt at a 7a outdoors and he flashes it!
Day 3 of the coaching was depressingly wet, but that didn’t stop us Scottish We got rained of the wet slabs at Grau dels Massets in the morning, then headed to the single dry overhang of “El tiempo se ha reido de los que no han venido” (6c), which David and Sam had already top rope flashed on their first day. Connor and Matthew were super keen to do this redpoint having already tried it on the first day and since it was the only route dry, we all headed back to try it.
Espero Primavera is one of my favourite sectors in Siurana not simply because of its beautiful climbing, but also the setting
By the end of the third day, David and Sam both succeeded in leading the route whilst Robert, Connor and Matthew al top-roped it on redpoint.
On day 4 we headed back to Espero Primavera under the assumption that if it rained again, we would have more than one or two routes that were dry (being one of the only crags in Siurana guaranteed to stay out of the rain). In the morning, Connor and Matthew made impressive lead ascents of the ultimo classico 6a+ flake “Marieta de l’ull viu”. Sam and David also did this (Robert was resting) as well as a top rope onsight of the hard 6b+ slab “Lamparos toca el Dos”.
After warming up there, we swapped places with Busby’s group and took on the mega routes at El Cargol (the pillar). The boys had all tried at least one 7a this trip but with the exception of David, none had made an ascent. I was eager for everyone to achieve their grade goal of 7a in the next couple of days but I was unsure of what to get them on.
El Cargol Pillar - 40+m of mega sustained climbing! On the right you have the 7a+ and on the left a 6c+ - two of the best pitches I have ever done!!!
I ended up putting a top-rope on the 40m pillar 7a+ “Purgandus Populus” with the notion that because its mega long, perhaps the moves won’t be so hard. In truth it was definitely sustained, but with two obvious cruxes, one low at around 15m height (above the chain of the first 6a pitch) and another high in the last 10m of climbing. The upper crux wasn’t too physical but still very blowable whilst the lower crux required fresh fingertips and some power reserve for the powerful locks between small pockety edges.
Sam on the start of the 6c+ flake on El Cargol - You begin the adventure within the pillar itself, clambering out of it, onwards and upwards into the sky!
Upon climbing the route I have to say that its probably one of the best pitches I have ever climbed, whilst the 6c+ to the left probably stands out as being the single best pitch (with the exception of “Tom et je ris”) I have ever done. I watched in total astonishment as David and Sam walked up this route (not without a fight) in good style, their first 7a+ flash and first attempted of the grade outdoors. Connor and Matthew next up fought hard, Connor even managed to make it to the last crux before falling, but unfortunately they were left without the tick by the end of the day.
2/5 of the boys had ticked a 7a or harder, only 3 to go. Everyone had climbed at least 13/20 of their total number of routes to climb clean, so we were well on our way to achieving the trip goals.
Day 5 was aimed at finishing of goals, Matthew had to leave unfortunately as his dad was leaving early due to the leg injury suffered on the first day. Connor was leaving that night and still had a 7a or harder to tick as well as 7 routes clean before the end of the day. David and Sam only had 5 routes to tick before they reached 20 clean routes – an impressive fact to behold was that David hadn’t actually fallen of a single route during the whole trip, I don’t think I was pushing him hard enough
I really wanted to see Connor get his 7a tick if possible, so the night before we viewed video footage of him climbing the 7a+ “Purgandus Populus” in an effort to suss out the beta and get him up it clean on redpoint. Early on we warmed up at a new sector I hadn’t been to before called A Can de Can a Prop. We where pretty disappointed with this sector to be honest, it didn’t have the nicest routes and we got pretty wet when it started to rain. We rushed away to El Cargol after getting wet so that Robert and Connor could get on the 7a+.
Today was truly Connor’s day… he went for “Purgandus Populus” early on but due to the rain, the first 6a pitch had gotten wet and he fell off on easy ground. It took some effort to get Connor’s mind focused for the route, he was starting to get major redpoint nerves (I could tell having had them a lot before myself). I managed to get him psyched up for another attempt – it went well until the first crux when he hesitated far too long eyeing up the jug he was meant to be going for, he powered out, then fell… Frustrated Connor lost a lot of confidence, but after a while he got psyched again and went for his third attempt.
Connor’s third attempt at “Purgandus Populus” was one of the most inspiring ascents in climbing I have ever seen. Connor is only 10 years old, yet his determination, drive and focus to keep fighting and never give up was as strong as I’ve seen in climbers with more than his lifetimes experience climbing on rock. There were moments when he hesitated and forgot the sequence, yet he never let go… he battled and battled up the wall, fighting for every move as if it might be his last. He fought his way through all the cruxes up until the very last move of the very last crux, I saw him hesitate, eyeing the jug as he had before on the lower crux one attempt before – but this time was different, he knew what he had to do. In one powerful pull and a power scream to match he launched for the jug, latching it in a vice like grip fueled by adrenaline and lactic acid! If I could give a fight half as much as what Connor had given that day, I think I would have climbed 9a a dozen times by now His effort has inspired me to try harder than ever on routes and that’s saying a lot! Connor topped out on the pillar, successful and exhausted after around an hours fight.
It's tough being a kid - Robert struggles to reach the first holds on the 6c even with cheat stones!
The funny thing is, after half an hours rest he was up for more, still with five routes left to tick before heading home. Robert was next up on the pillar, making an impressive flash on “Purgandus Populus” after Connor’s ascent giving us 4/5 7a+ ascents in the group – not bad for their first rock trip
To finish off the day we all headed to one last crag, L’Aparador, to get some last minute easy routes done before everyone went home. Connor got the rest of his routes ticked (just) to make 20 clean climbs, as did the other Sam and David. Robert had missed out on two days climbing but still left with 13 climbs under his belt – Not too shabby
So that was the end of my two coaching weeks. I had hoped that by now my skin would have healed up, but unfortunately I am still having issues with it. I did a couple of 8a’s the other day as a mileage day to see how they fared. In all honesty, on 8a’s my skin is fine because I don’t really have to weight the holds too much but as soon as I step it up onto 8b’s or harder my little cuts and splits just open up wide bearing sore fleshy innards. I attempted “Pati Noso” (8c/+), the route that started my skin problems early on in the trip, but after reaching the first crux it tore another hole in my right index pad. I think it’s time to give it up for this year. The route felt well within my grade at the beginning of the trip having almost ticked it second try, but now with all the skin problems it brought, my confidence has dropped dramatically and to be frank, I’d rather go climbing than spend my last two weeks nursing my fingers before one more attempt at a route that will almost certainly split them all open again.
There are three 8b+’s in Siurana that I would like to do, so perhaps I will see what I can do with them after a few days rest. I am now looking forward to coming home and getting back into my routine of training and coaching before my next trip to Ceuse in July. When I get back I have the Ratho European to look forward to which hopefully I will be route setting for, the YCS Finals soon after and various Team Training days I am organizing.
2 MORE WEEKS!!!!!
ROBZ OUT