I have just returned from yet another eventful and character building climbing trip to Céüse, France. I was out there for around 4 weeks in total with two others travelling with me from Scotland, Andy Latta and William Bosi.
For those of you who don’t know Andy and William, Andy is one of my oldest and best friends, we have shared many adventures together since we were young and he is still my favourite climbing buddy on outdoor sport climbing trips. William is one of my young apprentices who is quickly becoming a master. For William, this was his first big trip abroad with the guys, he’s only 14 but he was ready for it and he has no doubt learned a lot from the weeks he spent at Céüse.
The Journey Out
We had planned to head out from Edinburgh early on the morning after we packed the car, however a last minute decision changed our plans and we ended up leaving at midnight of that evening. It was quite a big step for me as I had never driven so far in my life, the idea of driving 20+ hours in a car laden with all our kit including ourselves was scary, however after the first couple of hours I adjusted well to the endless streaming of lights passing by on the motorway and the doubling in weight of the car.
William tucking into his staple brekkie of Cookie Crisp without milk - all you need to crush at Ceuse
There is no doubt about it; Andy is the best driving companion I could ever have had. He is the most organized person I know, he had the maps and directions down and all the necessary paperwork for the ferry as well as all our passports kept nice and safe (if it was up to me, I would probably have ended up in some remote part of Asia no doubt). Andy was like my human sat-nav/alarm clock, when I looked tired he was the first to step in, slap me about a bit and stick on some good beats to get me psyched up again.
All in all we didn’t go too far wrong on the journey out – we got a bit confused around London that cost us a short amount of time, then we had to spend a lot of time waiting for the Ferry in Dover. And when we finally hit the French roads we managed perfectly until the final step of the journey i.e. reaching Céüse from Gap. I had never actually done this before and our directions only took us as far as Gap, so of course when we arrived at 5am in Gap, finding the crag took a bit longer than anticipated.
It was all good in the end though, we found the crag, set up camp and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow :P And that was the start of Céüse 2013!
Getting Started
So I wasn’t sure what to expect with Céüse 2013 – I had hoped to go back this time and get on some of the harder 8th grade routes as it is mostly these that I have left to climb. As I had climbed a number of 8b+ and 8c routes this year in Spain, I figured it might be a possibility to do an 8c in Céüse as well, this would certainly make my year since the Céüse 8c’s are amongst the most stunning lines I have yet to encounter on my travels.
Darren climbing a big 7b in Berlin Sector - I did the 7b to the left of this which might have been 7c anywhere else!
The last time I had actually been to Céüse was 2 years previously and I had felt reasonably strong on one of the 8c’s then, so this year I was hoping to see some improvements. Of course, it takes time to get used to a style and seeing as I had just driven a ridiculous number of hours already, gone 2 days without sleep, drunk 4 Red Bulls and sung a lot of Oasis… I was probably not in the best state of body or mind for climbing hard routes. Needless to say I flung myself at them anyway and got a bit shut down.
The first week became more of a “getting used to Céüse again” experience after that… What was really good to see was just how well William adapted his strong indoor fitness and strength to the Céüse rock. On his first day he came close on an 8a onsight (“Carte Blanche”) and then quickly dispatched it 2nd go without any trouble whatsoever. He then started trying an 8c in between attempts on other easier routes. The 8c he tried was called “Chronique de la Haine Ordinaire”, a tough short boulder section presumed to be of around F7C+ boulder difficulty followed by a longer section estimated at around f8a+ route grade. The boulder section was split in two, both around F7B+ I’d say. We could both do each section on its own, but I struggled a lot with one move going to a pinch on the lower boulder whilst William seriously disliked a small mono hold on the upper boulder. The 8a+ section was still possible to fall on, but both of us felt very confident that if we made it through the lower section then we would get to the top. I gave “Chronique de la Haine” a few goes but wasn’t psyched after it tore a big flapper in my finger. William persisted longer with it but did the same after a few more attempts.
I then decided to try easier routes that I could do in less attempts, as I wanted to get more into the style. There was still quite a few 8a’s and 8a+’s I had yet to try so I was keen to go around them and clip a few chains. This turned out to be harder than expected :P
Whilst William was trying 8c’s and I was ticking some of the easier routes in Céüse, some that were repeats and others new to me. Andy was getting back into sport climbing after a long time off. He had suffered a very bad rope burn on his hand earlier this year that laid him off climbing for a long time! He was mostly interested to see how much the scar tissue on his hand would be affected by the sharp rock in Céüse. Thankfully, Andy didn’t seem to be affected too badly by his hands and managed a quick repeat of a super classic 7b “Lapinerie”.
William Bosi trying "La Part du Diabl" (8c) - in the foggy fog!!! CRAZY BOY!!!
Starting to Function
After a week of climbing in Céüse, all of us were starting to get the hang of things. I still didn’t feel 100% in tune with the rock but it was coming slowly. It was this week that a few friends were arriving from various places as well which meant instead of lots of walking, I got to do some more driving!!! FUN!!! Our first guest was Alexander Bosi (William’s older brother) who was arriving in Grenoble. Secondly we had a very good friend of both Andy and myself, a Danish girl called Michelle Kim-Theisen who was supposed to meet us in Gap but ended up messing up (because she’s Danish) and we had to drive to some random little town in the middle of nowhere :P It was actually quite an adventure and Andy will do a good job of describing some of the “roads” we had to avoid falling off the side of… Worth it to pick up Michelle and grab us some pizza :D On the way back Andy and I serenaded Michelle with some amazing Oasis sing along action – by the way, if anyone is interested Andy and I are now doing a karaoke style duet which covers mostly Oasis but also do Owl City stuff and Magic Man by B.O.B.
Also joining us at the campsite was a friendly (and slightly terrifying) face from home, Mike Halcrow. Mike is a friend of Andy and myself who joined in on the trip as well. I told him lies about how Céüse is really soft and that climbing 8a here is like climbing 7b+ at the wall… Now I am scared to ever see him again otherwise he might kill me :P
As well as Michelle, Alexander and Mike, we met up with some more friends at the campsite. The always-friendly German beast, Felix Neumarker was one of the first to arrive. I last saw Felix in France end of last year but only very briefly, and we had been climbing together a lot the previous Spring. Since then he had climbed numerous 9a’s and one 9a+, La Rambla, which he told me is only 8c and isn’t so hard… Yes… Just don’t tell Dani Andrada that… Also climbing with us for a week was young Alex Waterhouse and Billy Ridal, both friends of Williams’ and mine from the national competitions.
We also made plenty of new friends of course as we always do on these trips, in particular we met a group of British climbers, two of which (Sam and Darren) study at Aberdeen university, not forgetting of course Jay and Mark. It was good to hang out with these guys for the majority of our trip as they certainly livened up our days.
Sam and Darren at their camping spot - Note: Hammock is a good idea!!!
Anyway, the second week of climbing felt a lot better than the first. I started the week by ticking of a few routes I have always wanted to try but never got round to before. First on the hit list was “Femme Blanche” (8a+). I fell after the crux at the top on my first attempt in the dark, then did the dirty tech slab onsight during my successful redpoint the day after… I also managed a very solid flash of a classic 8a/+ called “L’ami Couette”.
On the same day I did “L’ami Couette”, I also did an 8a+ called “Les Poinçonneur de lilas”. This was a route I had wanted to try for a number of years, as it looked amazing – and it didn’t disappoint either. It wasn’t too hard compared to other Céûse 8a+’s but perhaps the boulder mid-section could be hard for those breaking into the grade.
Onsighting a big blue 8a! I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out this bit :P
William and I both tried a good looking 8a+ in Berlin that I had never noticed before. The route was called “Ratman” and took a slightly overhung section of the wall on what seemed small but positive holds all the way up. Both of us had onsight goes on it on which we both fell on the same move at the crux around 4/5th’s of the way up. When we discovered actually how hard the individual moves where, we were blown away! This is probably the hardest 8a+ I have ever done, possibly in line with another 8a+ I climbed to the left of this called “Queue de Rat” which I did on my last day. “Ratman” climbs a long section of steady 7c/+ climbing on small but positive holds before you hit a gnarly V6 boulder with a not so good rest just before entering this. After you do the boulder problem there is still a little bit of techyness and some very droppable moves… Luckily neither of us dropped them and we both sent :P In all honesty, I have done 8b+ that have felt as hard as this and it would be 8b anywhere else for sure! Same goes for “Queue de Rat” and funnily enough my statement is backed up on 8a.nu by Ethan Pringle who says exactly the same :P
Big Ticks and Big Falls
Eventually, I managed to find something harder that I fancied projecting a little. The route was called “Slow Food” and was situated in probably the steepest sector of Céüse. Unfortunately in this sector there are only two climbs, “Slow Food” (8b+) and another absolute classic 8a called “Bourinator”. I was very lucky as Michelle had decided to start work on “Bourinator” which suited the two of us very well for belaying each other.
William had tried “Slow Food” briefly a few days previously and had told me it was really hard but that he was keen to get back on it. When I approached this route there was already a young American boy called Mirko (Caballero) trying it. It was impressive watching him make some good links on the lower section (crux) despite only being 12 years old! Also with him and his parents was young Ashima Shiraishi, the 12 year old girl who was climbing V13. I couldn’t wait to see her climb as I had heard so much about her :P I watched her walk up “Slow Food” (8b+) 2nd go with so much ease – it was nothing short of incredible. What was nice to see was her wonderful attitude towards climbing, she didn’t seem to have any ego despite being the best climber at the crag (by far) and was very happy to just go and climb anything that took her fancy, not jaded by grades or pressure in any way.
My initial attempts on “Slow Food” started out as bolt to bolts as the bottom section for me felt pretty nails, but quickly I discovered beta that improved the situation massively and on my 3rd attempt I stuck the first crux to my surprise and fell on the last hard move of the 2nd crux. This was huge for me because previously the route had felt totally nails and now I knew that if I had got through that 2nd crux I would have completed the route.
"Slow Food" (8b+) - the gnarly drop knee crux moves :D I loved this bit!!!
A couple of days later, William in amazing style at the end of the day did “Slow Food” for his first 8b+! At 14 years old, he matches the youngest Brit to climb 8b+ and is now the youngest Scot. A day later, I got back on the route and made it through both of the lower cruxes (only just) and was at the top of the final crux… I felt really steady and was moving to a huge jug when the right hand crimp shattered in my hands sending me hurtling off the wall! I didn’t really know what to do… I was hanging off the rope a little confused, I didn’t know if I should be angry or happy. I had made it through every crux and had essentially done the route, but the hold had broken stopping me from clipping the chains :P In my heart I know I did the route, but I hadn’t got the tick truthfully, so I decided I would try it again after a rest day. Unfortunately the rain came and I never got a chance to get back on it… Oh well L I will be back soon to clip those chains :D
I got into a habit of taking the jump from the top of “Slow Food” whenever I got to the chains. The fall is huge but very safe and so was good fun even if you didn’t do the route – it was always my excuse to go to the top just so I could take the jump. I then convinced Michelle, William and Alex (Waterhouse) to take the fall when they got to the end of either “Slow Food” or “Bourinator”.
As well as jumps from the top of routes, a popular rest day activity was jumping into the lake from a 10m high concrete tower. The hard part for me wasn’t the height, more the cold water… I improved at this rapidly however, going from not wanting to jump in at all, to jumping in multiple times in the sun, then one day suffered a terrible dare where I risked losing an eyebrow unless I jumped in at night on a particularly foggy evening… trust me, it felt a little like the start of a horror movie :P Luckily I had a partner in crime, Jay, who was the darer but agreed to do it with me… Thanks man!
More friends arrive...
We were coming to our final week in Céüse and more friends were arriving from all over making it much harder as the days towards our departure loomed ever closer. Alex Barrows (now made famous by his cheating knees) joined us as well as Tom Richmond (current Ednburgh local) and Andre Hedger (my biggest fan - but apparently he's more impressed by Alex's knees nowadays).
Impressively on one of the first few days of arrival, Andre ticked "Seurs Froides" (8a+), and I have heard via text that he has also made quick ascents of "Encore" (8a+) and "Femme Blanche" (8a+). Good Effort!
Also, Alex I have heard has made an impressive flash ascent of "Encore" (8a+) since I left - but he still fell on a 7c+ onsight attempt at the start of the trip so it kind of evens things out considerably... ;)
And Michelle made a very impressive redpoint of the super classic 8a "Bourinator", probably the burliest 8a I have ever tried and one of the few 8a routes I think I am scared of trying again. I did it again this year and it felt just as hard as it did when I first climbed it years ago! BEAST!
Coming to an End
As the trip was closing to a finish, I started to realize just how much I love Céüse… I can’t quite place why exactly I love this place so much… its not just one thing, it’s a mixture. I have been here five times now:
$1. Céüse 2007 – with Rich Simpson when I was 17 (5 Weeks)
$2. Céüse 2008 – with Andy when I was 18 (5 Weeks)
$3. Céüse 2010 – with Natalie when I was 20 (10 Days)
$4. Céüse 2011 – with Natalie when I was 21 (4 Weeks)
$5. Céüse 2013 – with Andy and William now I am 23 (4 Weeks)
That equates to around 20 weeks living in Céüse altogether… I guess I have been there so much that it has literally become a home away from home of sorts. Whenever I return, I feel like I am coming back to a place I am comfortable in, not like going on holiday, like going to my other home :P One of the best things about this home however is that it has the best crag on earth 1 hours walk from my tent… That and the scene at base camp is unlike anything I have ever experienced at any climbing destination… The Céüse experience truly is one of a kind…
The crew...
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We have returned from yet another sport climbing adventure in Europe. The last 2 weeks of our trip where a bit tough, what with my skin injury and Nat being ill, but hey, its been a pretty awesome year for climbing so far so what's two weeks? As Nat said in her blog, we learned a lot from the trip and as soon as we had left the crag on our way home, we were already planning our next moves towards overcoming our new challenges and seeing our climbing goals met this year. Both Nat and I built ourselves a new set of goals for the next year and a training plan to follow. Our plan is based on a few different things i.e.
- Weaknesses we have discovered this year on trips
- New training techniques learned
- Climbing trips still to come (lots!) : P
- Goals we aim to achieve
So our new training plan is based on the above. Weaknesses we have discovered need ironed out, training techniques we have learned over the year need applied, climbing trips need to be made the most of with appropriate goals and training strategies set towards them.
We have 3 weeks until Yorkshire, then another 3-4 weeks spent there. We won't have a car for that time so it will be interesting to see how we survive : P We decided to base ourselves at Malham for the most part of it because its a crag we love to climb at and we have plenty to go at there.
After Yorkshire, I have probably around 2 weeks to train until a trip to Verdon with Alex Barrows. Out there we hope to climb the iconic tufa line of "Tom et Je Ris". This has been something on the tick list for a while now so when Alex gave me the call and asked if I was keen, I jumped at the opportunity! If we manage to tick this amazing line, then I would love to get stuck into some of the hard multipitch the Verdon has to offer, but I have a funny feeling that I might get totally spanked : P
After Verdon, I have around 2-3 weeks more to train before I head of to Kalymnos for coaching and climbing! I absolutely love Kalymnos, I have been there five times now and I am still not sick of it. This year I want to bring Nat along with me for a week or two so she can experience Kalymnos again after 8 years since she was last there. My plan for Kalymnos this year is to attempt more 8a and 8a+ onsights as well as gearing up for my first 8c and potentially some more 8b+'s? "O'dracinian Devil" is on the cards...
After Kalymnos, I am taking some time out of trips and outdoor climbing for a few months over the winter and getting stuck into some solid training! I have big plans for a Spain trip in March and I need to be on fighting form for then. Additionally, having a good trip in Spain will set me up well for yet another training cycle geared towards the ultimate trip, Ceuse 2012! My 12 month plan is built with this in mind... Ceuse is my dream crag, a place where I am always humbled and brought down a notch. That magical limestone paradise teaches me new things everytime I go there and I can't resist learning more from it. I plan on being fitter, stronger and better than ever before by August next year and I have my whole year planned out to get me there...
BRING IT ON!!!
ROBZ OUT
Martina Cufar - Tom et je ris 8b+ 60 meters -... by worklessclimbmore
However, the trip as a whole was both enjoyable and successful - we are definitely heading back next year! It was great to hang out with our friends from the GB Climbing Team in a non-competitive environment for a change, and just relax and enjoy the climbing.
We also met loads of new and interesting people from all around the world, as well as learning about ourselves as climbers and what we need to work on for next year. In fact, Robbie and me were so psyched about our goals for next year that we listed them in a document at Lyon aiport and made a training programme in order to acheive them!
My main concern before I arrived was my finger injuries - I had two minor pulley tears (one on each ring finger) which had been holding me back both in training and performance. I had been climbing on them carefully and not following much structured training other than pure bouldering sessions. I saw gains in strength and power compared to last year, as I had never really just trained bouldering on its own before in 11 years of climbing, but still had to err on the side of caution and stop when it hurt too much - a necessary evil! :p Coping with an injury is frustrating and has an affect on the mind which can be almost as distressing as (if not more) than the physical pain in some cases. I had never really had a serious injury through climbing in 10 years before this (apart from two hernias, not necessarily due to climbing!) and always tried my best to avoid getting injured, so when the first one arrived after Ceuse last year, it was hard for me to accept. Just as this one was starting to heal up in February this year, the same injury occurred on my right hand - even more acute than the first one. I had just competed in the BBC's and was feeling confident in my bouldering, I knew I had improved a lot and was reluctant to take it easy - I wanted to go to Spain and climb hard routes, this was the last thing I needed! In the end I had to ease off the gas and listen to my body (and Robbie!) I focussed on slopey holds and big dynamic moves between jugs, avoiding crimps and pinches or any move/hold which could hurt. I had a great trip in Spain, it was a real learning curve as I had to step back a fair bit and do lots of mileage to build confidence and movement skills on the rock. I found it harder to predict which holds and moves would be painful on the rock, and lacked aggression to really go for moves in fear of causing potentially permanent damage to my fingers. I ended up ticking my first 8a by working my way through the grades and picking an apprropriate route. I learned ways of climbing without over-straining my fingers on rock and overcame a massive hurdle in doing the 8a. I hoped I could learn from this experience and give it my best in Ceuse...
The first few days were all about mileage (and getting used to the walk-in!) - my fingers were slightly tweaky but felt different after two or three days of climbing. I have no idea how or why my fingers healed so suddenly, but I reckon a combination of hot weather, Tiger Balm and the magical rock of Ceuse had something to do with it! It is slightly creepy that my first injury appeared the day after I got home from Ceuse last year, and upon my return both disappear! Despite the lack of pain, I was sceptical and still wary of pushing myself too hard too soon. I also felt relatively unfit on the rock, which was frustrating! 8 months of no route-climbing meant I was getting pumped quick, something I hadn't experienced since returning to climbing after my operation last February (and that was only 10 weeks off!) As a result I lacked confidence - I was strong enough to do moves but felt pumped and unnerved by big run-outs on vertical/slabby ground (for which Ceuse is notorious!) I found it hard to get psyched when all I was worrying about was falling and hurting myself - it really detracted from the climbing and irritated me. Being on a rope again high up felt really unnatural after bouldering for so long, and I seemed to have acquired some kind of injury paranoia after dealing with two of them for a year. It took about 2 weeks to be fully comfortable with falling, I overcame it by warming up on tricky 7a/+ slabs and realising that the determination I had to do the route was more than the chance I had of hurting myself by falling.
I ticked "Petit Tom" 8a, but it had been a case of getting redpoint stress and having a lack of confidence, which made it take a lot longer to do than it should have. I was also still building up my endurance and quite often I would just pump out and fall off! The major turning point of the trip was the day that I almost did "Carte Blanche" 8a second go. I don't really know what came over me, or at what point I changed my outlook on redpointing, but I just remember feeling really angry with myself for not going for moves previously on routes. I wanted to show what I was capable of if I put my mind to it. There was a good gathering of people at Demi-Lune, and I remember being a bit put-off by the noise and activity at the crag. In fact, I think this encouraged me more to get psyched and really go for it - it was just like in competitions where there is noise and lots of distractions, but you have to zone-in to the climb and use the atmosphere to your advantage and feel the adrenaline! This was what I'd been doing for years and it had never fazed me - for some reason I'd had difficulty transferring it onto the rock. I think I had always doubted myself when it came to outdoors, believing that I was just a competition climber and would never be able to do hard routes outdoors. I had to deal with comments along this line from very narrow-minded adults (yes, adults!) a lot when I was younger, and if there's one thing I enjoy doing, it's proving people wrong and surprising those who doubt my abilities in some way.
I got on the route and made it to the rest before the crux. This was it, a massive move that required full committment. I looked at the pocket and went for it - powerscreaming and latching it. The next moves also required a lot of gutsiness -I did the same and roared as I caught the next holds. I was being aggressive and it was working! I made it to near the top before falling after getting my hand sequence wrong, I was annoyed at falling but satisfied with the way I had climbed. Everyone down below was quite taken-aback by my performance, as was I! I had always been a very cautious and considerate climber in competitions and in general, but this new style of climbing seemed to work well for me outdoors. The power-screaming seemed to remind me how much I wanted the route, and prevent any insecurity or reluctance from taking hold of me.
Now more confident in my abilities, "Carte Blanche" and the next two 8a's came quick and fast - I did the same on "Bourinator" and "Colonettes", and climbed with sheer aggression and determination. "Colonettes" was probably the hardest route for me, moreso because I had had a nightmare on it on my first attempt! After failing on the boulder problem at the start, which has a very big move to a poor sidepull, I was slightly demotivated for trying the rest of the route - graded at 7c+ if you can't free the start. I hadn't climbed much on tufas before and found them quite intimidating, I didn't like the massive runouts and found knee-barring a very alien concept, and after getting completely boxed on the tufas the top section was still quite tricky on sharp holds! This first attempt involved lots of negativity and "I can't"s, but after doing "Carte Blanche" I was determined to get it done. I struggled to do the first section, but eventually summoned up the power to get through it and completed the route! In the space of one week I had ticked 3 8a's in a row, a feat I never thought I could acheive when I was struggling to get to grips with 7a's and run-outs!
It was time to work on something slightly harder - I had an attempt at "Dolce Vita" 8a+ and "Radote Jolie Pepere" 8b. Both routes felt tickable, but with the time I had left I wanted to focus on "Dolce Vita". On my second attempt I reworked the crux, and by the third I came off halfway through the crux, but found a new foothold! It was getting late and my skin was sore. I was tired but wanted to do this route on my next go. I went for a run to warm up and got on, not feeling as comfortable as before but my determination won through - my sequence worked and I roared through the crux. Once again, mind had won over matter! Watching the footage of me climbing this route taken by Robbie really inspired me, I had never seen myself climb like that before from a distance, and looking on as a spectator gave me a different perspective on my climbing. I had surprised myself and my foot was now in the door for climbing a harder grade!
In all I realised what I am capable of if I put my mind to it - as someone once said to me, I reckon I climb about 3 grades harder in competition than I do in training - purely because of my determination to succeed and the way my mind has adapted to competitive environments. I have had to learn to be competitive with myself and the routes I try outdoors, and to believe in my abilities. I feel fitter and stronger than before I went out, and can't wait to get back on a trip with friends and meet more new people :) I would like to thank everyone on the trip who gave support in some way - whether it was a quiet "Allez Nat!" or a full-on "PUSH IT OUT!" We had a great team spirit at the crag! Thanks also go to Robbie for his patience and support when I was finding my feet on the rock, and for looking after me over the last few days when I was vomiting and generally not being very pleasant to be around :P
Now that my fingers seem to have healed up, I am psyched to get into training for next year and all the trips I have coming up - Yorkshire, Kalymnos and Spain! My aims for the next year are to consolidate 8a/+ and climb some 8b's, bring it on! :D
So I haven't blogged in the last week, basically because nothing exciting has happened with my climbing. About a week ago my hand slipped whilst redpointing an 8b in Demi Lune and I suffered a massive flapper on the tip of my middle finger. It basically took half my pad off and its pretty darn deep too. It's been one week since then and I still haven't been able to climb with it. Looking at it now, even after one week of skin growth, the pad is still red raw and stings to touch :'(
I guess this is just one of the many annoyances that pushing hard on the rock can give. One of my goals this trip was to get on an 8c to see how it feels and possibly give it a good bash at ticking. After having around 5 attempts on "Dures Limites" (8c), I now know that 8c definitely is within my grasp and hopefully within the next year of training and getting outside climbing, I will see my first 8c redpoint.
I am in no big rush, currently, for my own climbing, I don't really believe in spending endless weeks or months projecting a hard route to see a chance success eventually. Right now I am trying to improve myself as a climber by ticking a multitude of hard routes in different styles quicker... variety is the spice of life.
By getting on "Dures Limites", I have learned what is required of me to climb this type of 8c quickly. I reckon if I had chosen an 8c that was more sustained, then perhaps I would have ticked it quickly, but a bouldery style? Maybe not. If I want to build my level up from ticking 8b's in quick style across the board to 8b+'s and 8c's, then I need to focus on what my weak points are. Funnily enough, after the last cycle of dedicated training focussed on bouldering, strength and power is still my weak area. On "Dures Limites", the first boulder problem always seemed very hard for me, despite being probably only about F7B+ in retrospect. Looking at other 8c's in Ceuse, some are more bouldery and others more sustained, but they are all in common bloody hard routes (because they are 8c). "Chronique de la Haine" (8c) has two F7B+ boulders followed by an 8a+ route according to Arnaud Petit. "Bah Bah Black Sheep" which has now been downgraded from 8c+ to 8c due to a change of sequence or possibly change of bolt placements has a route 7b+ start into a F8A then into a 7b route to finish. Basically, this is screaming to me that I need to get stronger as a boulderer, I have ticked boulder 8b's, endurance 8b's and power endurance 8b's all pretty quickly, but now I need to up my game and take it to the next level.
I have been climbing out here with a number of the British Climbing Team as well as other from teams across Europe. Its awesome watching everyone ticking hard routes and seeing the multitude of different styles in action. Ed Hamer, Sam Hamer and Luke Tilley are amongst the team ticking hard out here. Sam has been on form making quick succession of a lot of 8a's and 8a+'s, Luke has even managed to flash two 8a+'s in different styles and Ed has been demolishing everything like its a warm up. I have known Ed for years, but I only get to see him at competitions and training days. Out here I have been watching him climbing everything, making it look all pretty easy.
I honestly believe that his strength far exceeds what he is climbing on routes, he is a power house with endurance and is without a doubt one of the strongest guys operating in the UK sport climbing scene. I am positive he could climb 9a if he wanted, but I like his style, ticking of lots of routes, having fun and not putting any pressure on himself (unlike me). I am going to take a page out of his book for a while with regards to my new training strategy at home (which probably won't come into effect until November due to work/trips).
Anyway, although i haven't been ticking, Nat has truly come into her element! She has made very quick ticks of four classic 8a's here in Ceuse as well as ticking her first 8a+ "Dolce Vita" in only 3 tries! Despite being very bouldery and considered top end 8a+, she made it look pretty easy and I think that this could be the start of an amazing year for her sport climbing. With Yorkshire trips in August, Kalymnos in October and Spain early next year, I can't quite imagine yet what she is going to do...
Hope everyone is having a good summer still, looking forward to returning to the UK for some Yorkshire limestone action : )
ROBZ
Three days ago I warmed up and had a go on my project "Les Colonettes" 8a. I still couldn't get past the tricky boulder at the start with a big move to a poor gaston hold and was getting a bit demotivated. I pulled past the move and tried to go for the 7c+ version redpoint from the jug after the boulder problem, which to me doesn't feel like doing the route properly but I was psyched to try the rest of the route - an amazing line of tufas and pockets! Robbie was filming from above and I felt calm on the route, getting more used to the kneebars and clamps on the tufa-line. At the end of the tufas I reached the redpoint crux. Slightly pumped, the hold I was aiming for looked further away than ever, i got my foot up, went for it and missed. I was disappointed but happy that I had made progress compared to my last attempt. Afterwards I had a go on Robbie's 8b project "Radote Joli Pepere". It tarts up an easy slab section then goes over a massive roofy bulge with a boulder crux just over the lip. I worked the moves and did all of them except for the crux, by which point my skin was starting to shred! I really enjoyed trying something a lot harder and reckon this route is a possibility if I really go for it over the next week or so.
Tuesday was a good day, I warmed up by onsighting a 7a called "Nitassinan" in Biographie sector, a nice line with a tufa section at the top. The conditions were cooler and I felt good about getting back on "Les Colonettes". Robbie was in position on the static rope to get footage and our friend Marten from Germany was on belay. I tried the boulder again and came off, frustrated. I tried it again a couple of times until one time I caught the gaston. I let go and lowered to the ground to try it in full. I got my left foot really high in a pocket then made a slightly dynamic move to the gaston, only just managing to catch it with my fingertips and creeping them up as far as I could. I locked into position and edged my right foot up and was in a very awkward position. I had to go for it, and jumped for the good ledge just beside the gaston, giving a powerscream as I latched it. I was surprised to have done the move but psyched, and chilled out before climbing through to the tufas. Knee-bar after knee-bar, I tried to get through the tufas quickly, as they can be pretty unrelenting on the forearms! Eventually I made it to the top of the blue streaks and rested on some good pockets. The next moves would be tricky after having completed the route from the start I reached the move where I had fallen last time, feeling pretty pumped. Luckily, I saw a good crimp which I had never used before, which enabled me to reach the good hold in a much more efficient fashion than before. Latching the good hold, I shook out and made a few harder moves to an even bigger jug before the final crux. I could hear Robbie willing me on from the static line and powered through the top section - including moves on pockets and monos! I grasped the final jug and clipped. Relieved, I lowered down completely knackered!
My 4th 8a of the trip! I was so psyched that I immediately got on a new project "Dolce Vita" 8a+ in Berlin which I found hard but managed to do all the moves. I think linking them will take a few goes but I'm feeling stronger and fitter each session, so I will see what happens when I go up today :)
Now we have lots of food again and everyone is psyched, as long as the rain and hailstones keep away! We said goodbye to our friends Olly, Tom and Will yesterday, and although the British camp is diminishing in size, we have friends from Canada and Germany who have joined our posse to keep the spirit alive :P
Natalie
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Andre practiced with the camera, filming me reading the route and getting psyched up. I knew all the moves from my previous attempt the day before when I had worked out the best sequences, but this route would require a lot of burl and aggression to get me up it! I tied in and scrambled up the first easy section to clip the first quickdraw, chalked up and it had begun!
From a good sidepull I reached into a massive undercut, clipped and then moved into another undercut before powering up to a slot. Feet up, cross-over and into a good jug with poor feet. The next moves were the hardest for me - out to a two-finger pocket far right, then into an undercut beside it. Feet up high then a massive launch to a pocket which is awkward to catch and hard to see. I let out a powerscream and latched it, then followed the line of better holds up to a good rest. I composed myself and continued - the next section having awkward movs on good holds but awkward feet positions. I looked down and saw a trail of blood on the holds I had just used and thought "eurghh! Hope it's not my hands!" I then looked at my left hand which had a massive flapper of skin on the little finger and blood leaking pretty heavily out of it. I tried my best to wipe it off on my trouser leg (eurghh!) and chalk it up (unpleasant!) and tried to forget about it. It made some moves a bit touch-and-go as my hand started slipping slightly, but I gritted my teeth and screamed through the next big moves...from a good hold to a pocket....then to a good edge....then a jug! I chilled out and heard friends from over on Demi Lune sector shouting "Come on Nat!" as they watched. The top section I remembered as being technical and crimpy, but I knew the moves weren't too hard. I was fully recovered and did a deep lock to a crimp, then followed the small holds up the last vertical section. Finally I reached two good holds. I was jaded and felt worn out from my efforts, but was elated when I clipped the chain, almost in disbelief. I had fought an intense battle, made even more exciting with having a bloody hand! I was so tired that I found it impossible to strip the quickdraws off the route, so had to chill out a bit before taking them out! :P
The footage which Andre took is great, and will be put up soon I hope! The internet connection is very slow here which makes uploading difficult. Apparently (according to Robbie) my powerscreams attracted a lot of attention...and from watching the video I can see why! I was so happy to get my 3rd 8a of the trip the day after my second, in so few attempts.I feel as though I am getting to grips with the tenacity required to tick hard routes - my confidnence is growing and after a year of finger injuries I seem to be overcoming them and making progress.
My next mission is to complete "Les Colonettes" 8a - an amazing tufa line which I tried a few weeks back and am keen to get back on. I think it will be a tougher route for me to tick compared with the three 8a's I have done so far this trip - big holds but big moves and pumpiness all round! I am also keen to try something harder like an 8a+ and an 8b...watch this space! :P
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After getting so near to completing the route on my 2nd try I was psyched to try and get it next go - but also pretty nervous! Me and Robbie warmed up on the 7b classic "Lapinerie" and then got in line for "Carte Blanche" (Demi-Lune is always busy!)
Jon very kindly volunteered to video my attempt and provide support/heckling :P I tried to relax but was also psyched up to get it ticked. The first moves flowed well and I shook out for a bit at the rest before the crux. Yet again, I unleashed a terrifying scream as I launched for the hold over the bulge - startling some people below. I made a silly mistake just after the crux but corrected my feet and composed myself - then another power roar followed! I climbed quickly through the next section and rested before the bit where I had fallen previously. I knew what I had to do now, now room for mistakes! I got the hold with the correct hand this time and made a big move to a jug - the end was in sight! I rested and continued up the technical arete - I made a silly mistake by going wrong-handed but luckily could correct it. Good crimp, cross under, feet up, a few moves and I had clipped the chain! "Done it!" I exclaimed in surprise and relief.
Hopefully we will get the footage up on here or Facebook soon :)
I was so happy to have ticked it in so few attempts, and straight after I went on my new project "Bourinator" 8a. I tried this route twice last year but didnt get to the top section. I had a flash attempt which was stopped when I came off just after the first crux, but I wasn't disappointed as I hadn't expected to make it through the crux in the first place :P I worked the moves and felt much stronger than last year - today I am going up to try and get it second or third go!
I am really starting to get into the swing of things here now, my confidence is increasing and my fingers (touch wood) are still holding out - no pain which is amazing!
Off to play some table tennis now!
Natalie
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On Tuesday, despite being teased about my matching checked shirt and trousers (the ones that aren't pyjamas!) I felt confident about getting back on "Changement de Look" 7b+ and knew I could do it 2nd go if I really went for the cruxy boulder move low down. After warming up by flashing "Lapinerie" 7b I felt ready. Luckily for me a Czech couple had just been trying the route and so they put my quickdraws in. Chatting to the guy who had just done the route, he reckoned it was "one of the hardest 7b+'s he'd ever done!" and that it was harder than the classic 7c "Berlin". I got ready to climb and remembered the sequence which I had worked out before - if I was going to get through the hard section, I'd have to give it everything. The start is slightly tricky but I powered through and got to a good rest on a massive shield of rock and scoped out the next moves. I was at the crux - I bumped my right foot up, locked off and went again with my left hand from a tiny two-finger pocket to a good crimp, then locked off and twisted as I crossed into a good pocket and clipped. I had done the hardest part - but the rest was certainly not too easy! The next moves were very small on tiny holds and I had to constantly change my hand positions, swapping and matching. The next moves were easier and I had only the precarious slab to go - I smeared and bridged and palmed-off and got to one of the last moves. I remembered it being tricky but couldn't remember exactly how I did it, I think I had climbed it more intuitively on the first go with less pressure after falling at the crux. I was hesitant and my feet were sore from standing on the tiny smears. I decided just to go for it and stop hanging around - I stood up and crossed through an I was just below the chain...two more moves and I clipped it! I was so relieved and happy - this route felt much harder than 7b+ and judging from what I've heard other people think the same!
Yesterday I warmed up on a 7a classic called "Un pont sur l'infini" - veryyy technical! I am really getting the hang of these long technical slabs now, I am actually starting to enjoy them rather than worrying about run-outs! I then set my eyes on "Carte Blanche" 8a - my current project. My first go since last year's one and only half-hearted attempt had gone well, getting to the crux but not finding a way to do the move and pulling past it. Robbie jumared up a static line to get a video of me on the route. The pressure was on! :P I felt confident and wanted to try and do it 2nd go - I needed to get ANGRY!! I am not known for being an aggressive climber and what followed I don't really know where it came from...
I started climbing and jumped and powered through the long moves on good holds. I was over the first bulge and hanging from my feet in a good rest position below the crux. The atmosphere was a bit mental at the crag as the Americans and a young French crew were chatting to the Brits using what can only be described as "Franglish". I was focussed but couldn't help over-hearing the conversations consisting of "J'adore mon cheval" ( I love my horse) and "BAGUETTE!!" Somehow I conjured up the aggression to roar my way through the crux move - a massive move for me - and continued powerscreaming for about 6 or 7 moves until I reached the top section in a corner. Unfortunately I went wrong-handed to a pocket and was too pumped to correct it and came off going for the biggest jug ever in a really awkward way! I was about 5 moves from clipping the chain and very disappointed, but happy with the way I had climbed and approached the route. It was only my second attempt and I am aiming to get it next go! Our American friends and all the other Brits were quite taken aback by my noisy performance (and Robbie too I think!) and one said "I didn't think you could make noises like that!" to which I responded "Neither did I!" Robbie got some awesome footage (apart from when the wind blew him around the rope just as I was nearing my highpoint!) which we will upload at some point.
Today we planned to go to the gorge to swim and jump but the weather has been a bit on-and-off, so just a lazy day unil a party tonight with our friends Squib and Dario - to which we have been asked to bring the following:
- Alcohol
- Strippers
- Marshmallows
- Happyness
We were given this list and some directions written on the back of a cheese carton and were asked to invite as many people as possible, so please come along :P
Tomorrow is mission "Carte Blanche" for me. Stay tuned! Off for lunch now!
Natalie
Today is a rest day... finally! For some reason, the last two days have felt like an age, I don't know why? Possibly because I've been on quite a number of different routes, learning lots of sequences and dealing with lots of different styles of climbing. Yesterday I was hoping to get on "Femme Blanche" (8a+) in an attempt to do it second go after my failed onsight attempt, however, the draws had been stripped and I couldn't really be bothered scaring myself on the top slab whilst placing quickdraws... good attitude I know : P So instead, I opted for the much harder 8b/+ just to the right. The route is called "La Chirugien du Crepiscule", its long, vertical and bouldery! I had spoken briefly with a friend of mine, Jan Hojer from Germany, about the route very briefly at the last European Youth Cup in Edinburgh. He told me it was desperate for 8b and no doubt would be 8b+ anywhere else! I took his warnings too lightly I think...
I managed the first 4 to 5 clips with not much problem, until the crux showed its ugly head. Spaced just over a clip, a series of really locky, twisted moves of small one finger and two finger pockets lead its way up the slightly overhung wall (with no feet) to one really powerful slap into a sharp two finger pocket then a desperate catch into a gaston left two finger press! It was absolutely desperate... I managed to get past the crux once but couldn't stabilise myself on the press and would always slip of adjusting my feet. After this first crux, you are again encountered with some tricky climbing of small pockets, nowhere near as hard as the initial moves, but tricky none the less. After this you gain some easier territory then after a rest are confronted with a heinous sequence on really sharp crimps with big locks between them. Thankfully you gain another rest of a deeper two finger pocket right after this and can chill for a bit... before the heinous technical slab for the last two bolts! LOVELY JUBBLY!
In short, I sacked that for the day. Its an amazing route (but very sharp) however, I think this route in particular might be more inviting next year after another years training (and skin growth from the damage it has done). After trying that, I went back over to "Carte Blanche" sector to film Nat and Jacob on a couple of routes. Nat had her second attempt on "Carte Blanche" (8a) and I honestly thought she was going to do it! She fell right at the very end on the last section of wall - VERY IMPRESSIVE!
Also to mention, both Ollie Wheeldon and Jacob Cook sent yet another 8a! The famous "Bourinator" fell to there attacks with Ollie only taking a couple of days and Jacob doing it on his second try. BEAST! Late in the day as everyone was packing up, I tried to convince our new Team GB member, Tom Newberry, to get on "Radote Jolie Pepere" (8b) with me just to try out the moves. We where both absolutely knackered from the days climbing, but I figured if we are having a rest day the next day, we may as well go up, figure the moves out and then go for the send on our next climbing day. In the end, Tom chickened out : P but I went up to take a look... I was pleasantly surprised, despite being totally wasted from the days climbing, I onsighted the route all the way up through the first section of hard climbing, right up until the crux moves. I hung upside down in the daunting roof, a 30m drop below me... I was spying out the obvious crux, a blank grey featureless bulge leading out left to the hanging arete. After hanging for a few minutes recovering I pressed on into the crux, I locked deep at my waist and straight into a sharp sidepull. I rolled over my heel which had been hooking a big scoop in the rock and pressed into a nasty crimper, I went again with my left into a worse crimp and fell into the first one with my right! In my final moments on the wall, I gave a pretty pathetic slump sideways in an attempt to grab the final hold of the crux, then fell... I pulled back up the rope, did a bit of scoping about, brushed some holds and went to the top (which from there is about 6c?). Despite being totally destroyed, I managed to get really high on the onsight and even pull of some hard moves, this is yet another experience thats left me feeling that perhaps 8b onsight will be achievable in the future : )
PSYCHED!!! Stay tuned for some video of Nat on "Carte Blanche" soon!
ROBZ OUT
P.S. Hamers, Walker and Tilley are all still crushing! Ed onsighted "Seurs Froides" (8a+), Sam ticked "Carte Blanche" (8a) and Ethan did his first 7b of the trip, "Lapinerie".
I was a little lost yesterday... I had in my mind that I wanted to try and onsight an 8a+ and have at least one attempt on "Dures Limites", but in the end I got stuck hanging off a rope taking video footage of people on "Lapinerie" (7b) and "Seurs Froides" (8a+). It seemed that everyone in our group was up for a go on "Lapinerie" that day and despite a good number of attempts by everyone, only one got the send. Tom Butterworth nabbed the 7b on his third try, Nice!
At the same time, Jacob, fresh from his first hard route of the trip (Carte Blanche, 8a) was eager to try the stunning 8a+, "Seurs Froides" to the left. He had only been on it once before and had not really tried the top section much so was still a little hazy with beta, but keen just to give it a bash and see what happens, he went for it with me shouting beta from a hanging rope : P BETA ORB!
In the evening after everyone had left, I decided to go for "Dures Limites" (8c) my project. This was my third attempt at the route, Jacob belayed me and Nat was hanging of the rope videoing. I breezed up through the first section of wall into the bulge before the crux. I waited around for a while to give Nat some time to get into a good position to video, then I went for it! From the big jug, I crossed into a good slot then slapped out into the first small crimp of the crux. I went again with my right into the crappy pinch and readjusted my feet. From there, I did a big drop knee, bumped my left foot up and slapped into the bad two finger pocket over the bulge. I have been struggling to reach this hold before but found some key beta for it which has made it much easier. From the two finger, i stabbed into a better left hand crimp, then bumped up my right into the first sloper crimp, then into the second sloper crimp with my left... I was struggling now but only had two moves left of the crux until I was into easier ground. I slapped up with my right hand into the awkward 3 finger pocket (PSAHHHHHH!!!), tried to adjust, then fell... PHEWWWW! One more move and I am into the easier section of the route, then a rest, then one more crux at about V6ish?
After a couple more blasts through this sectin, reinforcing my sequence, I discovered something amazing! The horrible pocket that I am struggling to get into with 3 fingers turns out to be better and stronger with... BACK 2!!! I couldn't believe it, my first back 2 pocket outdoors - possibly ever come to think of it? Amazing that this happened, I am so psyched by it hahaha It feels quite comfortable moving into it, then holding it, but moving of it still feels pretty hard but at least it feels easier than with three fingers. Psyched!
The route is tearing chunks out my fingers so I have to try it sparingly. I am at last happy that I have found something truly inspiring to try day in and day out as well as challenging me to my limit. This year has been amazing, but I have yet to get on something that has pushed me to the edge, I have a feeling that this will take me as close as I have ever been. If I don't do it before I leave, I won't be disheartened, because at least I will know that it defeated me in 2011, but I will return to face it after another year of training in 2012!
I am psyched today to get on an 8a+ called "Femme Blanche" that I tried last night as well. Its really slabby and technical and will challenge me in a different way than any other route has this trip, its also really scarey with mega runouts... FUN!
ROBZ OUT]]>