That is as the saying goes but it's not entirely been true this trip. Time has flown by for me but I haven't been enjoying myself as much as I should have been. It's a common theme when pushing your own personal boundaries, when you're not going well, having fun seems to be a lot harder. What a stupid way to be though right? Why should having fun correlate directly with performing your best at the activity you are doing? It shouldn't realistically, I tell this to all the kids I coach every time they are competing or going for it outdoors... It's one thing giving the advice but it's another taking it...
When you put "All you eggs in one basket" it makes life a lot harder to enjoy when things don't go as planned. I had planned this trip to improve on Siurana (earlier this year) with potentially another 8c and hopefully another 8b+ or two. I was also hoping to step my onsight grade up a bit which has been somewhat lacking in attempts over the last year - but instead, I've probably had the most unsuccessful climbing trip since my first trip to Ceuse (which ended in basically no actual ascents harder than my warm ups)! So yes... initially I was very upset with my performance. Nat tried to help me but I am quite a difficult person to console when down in the dumps. But you can't spend the whole time sulking can you? Well I managed to, but life goes on :)
A week ago I did the classic 8a/+ of the crag "Deverse Satanique" and after a rest day, did the left hand variation of it as well called "Deverse SatanX" which goes at 8b. Young Buster Martin climbed this earlier in the year so I was really keen to check it out and see what it was all about. The climbing on the lower section shared with the 8a/+ was sustained and pumpy but with no hard moves - if there wasn't a rest before the split for the 8b then for sure it would make the last section feel a lot harder but thankfully there was a nice little "mushroom" shaped hold that provided the perfect shake before hitting the final head wall, a vertical wall on positive but small crimps and pockets. As most of you will know now from Facebook, Nat made "SatanX" her first 8b as well shortly after I did it in very quick succession. She is definitely capable of climbing a lot harder! Lets put it this way, if she spent as much time figuring out the perfect beta as some of the climbers at the crag, then she would climb 8c as quickly as she did 8b :P
Since climbing those awesome routes, I have tried a number of routes from 8b-8c and basically got spanked on every one. I fell off clipping the chains four times on one of them, and was making it to the end of another 8b falling just looking at the chains! I have never felt so totally out of my depth in a climbing area as I have here. For most of the trip my mind has been clouded by high expectations and a feeling that I really should be doing better than this, but it can't always go our way can it? If it did then we would never learn anything and therefore never progress...
We have two more days before we go home now - I am in the process of preparing my next training plan for after Kalymnos in October which should hopefully get me fit and strong for next spring. I am not going to make the same mistakes as this time for sure. I'll post my new plan as soon as I have finished with it for everyone to see and comment :D
ROBZ OUT
Climbing at Deverse sector in Gorges du Loup is a lot like climbing on a hard competition style route indoors. They are relentlessly difficult with long sustained sections and no real rests (unless your Alex Barrows and love knee bars). A lot of the climbing holds here are drilled finger pockets alongside tufa pinches and everything is from 15 degrees to 85 degrees overhanging. Resting is intense on these routes as you are always upside down in a knee bar whilst struggling with core body tension. Pain and blood rushing to the head are common themes of rests at Deverse. It's a constant struggle for survival on these routes and there are no techy tricks that can get you by the hard moves... it basically comes down to just pulling hard when your pumped. 
The subtleties in this crag are still there but they are of a different style to what I have accustomed myself in crags like Ceuse, Siurana and Malham - in these places you can find little foot placements that might aid you a lot with resting through a crux sequence or just allowing you to compose yourself. In Deverse subtleties are only there to help you pull your way to the next hold, a mistake or hesitation on these routes costs you everything because you now need to pull doubly hard to make the next move!
I feel that the training I put into this trip perhaps was misguided slightly. I was expecting this same style of climbing but not the length, so most of my training that was centred around anaerobic endurance was done a lot on shorter circuits with no rests and intensive moves. The circuits might last anywhere from 1-4 minutes depending on my focus, but these routes at Deverse are longer than that and the rests that you need drain you as well. It would have been much better if I had focussed more on longer circuits and more boulder (strength/power) training.
Anyway, the last two days have been better... I did a popular 8a+ called "Quossai" which I haven't seen anybody "walk up" (which is always nice to see). I attempted to flash another 8a that Nat did called "Sika" but had an abysmal attempt failing shy of the chains. I was by no means close though as the crux is at the end. I went to the top of the extension, an 8b which was really good but with one intersting exception... every hold bar one was drilled. It was probably the most basic route I have ever climbed, but I don't think just any 8b climber could do it - it would require a level of power endurance beyond the norm. There are no jugs, no hard moves and certainly no rests!
The good news is I almost did a Gorges du Loup 8b/+ called "Soul Sacrifice" which is definitely an apt name for it. I feel like to do this route one has to sacrifice their soul to the god of power endurance which I would be more than happy to do if it gave me the ability to climb these routes :P I fell off just below the chains but totally powered out - looking forward to attempts after a rest day :D
The final route of day 4 was "Hot Chilli X" (8c) which I have entered myself into alongside Izidor Zupan (Slovenian friend). Izidor is looking super strong on it and hopefully should do it before he goes home in a few days. Gasper Pintar, another slovenian friend did it a few days ago in an awesome display of pure fight, grit and determination. I was also really inspired watching the beast, Ed Hamer casually flash the bottom part of this route linking in with the 8a "Deverse Satanique" which he had climbed before. The link is given 8b+ and although you can't technically call it a flash, IT WAS!!! Ed belayed me on my first look at "Hot Chilli X", at the same time talking me through the moves. I can definitely see how this route is flashable for someone as strong as Ed, the holds are all positive, it's just the footholds that are non-existent. It is pure resistance climbing, no really hard moves, just lots of them and wait for it... NO REST!!!
I'm looking forward to finishing of "Soul Sacrifice" (8b/+) after another rest day and then hopefully putting my last remaining efforts into "Hot Chilli X".
ROBZ OUT
On first arriving at La Balme we found it to be insanely hot and humid. We had one days climbing there in which all three of us where pretty tired from the drive south and therefore not up to any hard climbing. This was further made harder with the fact that conditions where terrible, it could only be worse if the crag was sodden wet, but in reality, it was my hands that were continually dripping with sweat!
At La Balme, I came close on our first days climbing to doing a long 8a+ (I onsighted the original 7c+ first section) but it was just too hot and I was too tired. Alex did a 7c on the left hand side after much complaining of how hard it felt and Nat followed him with only one attempt at it. Not the best start, so we opted for a drive to Gorge du Loup earlier than expected to escape these hot temps.
We are now climbing at Gorge du Loup (Deverse Sector). We have only had two days climbing there so far but from what I have seen I am mega impressed. It's super steep, very gymnastic and bloody hard! I'm hoping it's because I'm still tired from traveling, I must admit that on todays rest day I have never felt so exhausted after two days climbing in my life... On the first day I did an 8a there called "Cascade" which in reality wasn't that hard, the holds were big, there were loads of kneebar rests but for some reason I just couldn't recover? I have been training had for this trip, harder than ever before and indoors I feel stronger than ever as well, but the initial transfer to outdoors has felt pretty abysmal. At the end of day 1 I tried and 8a+ called "Quossai" which I had marked down for an onsight attempt but upon trying it, each move felt like a V10 boulder and I thought it was impossible for me to climb...
On Day 2, things perked up a lot! I tried "Quossai" and after having only had a brief play on the route the day before, I fell off this time in the final section more due to my stupidity than anything else. I decided to rest myself from trying this until after a rest day and instead to try the 8b/+ variation out left called "Soul Sacrifice". I did all the moves quickly and linked sections together on my first try but it felt very hard for a supposed 8b. I spoke to a local and he said that a few holds have broken from the bottom and middle section which have now bumped the grade up a bit. Before it was considered an 8b/+ so now it probably is 8b+.
Nat has been on fire, she did an 8a second try on her first day and got high up on the retro-flash of another 8a called "Sika" (named for an obvious feature of the roue). I am going to have a flash attempt after a rest day and hopefully she will do it as well.
We have been climbing and chilling alongside friends of ours from England, Slovenia and Germany who we've met up with here. Ed and Sam Hamer drove out here with fellow Sheffield based climber Ethan Walker. From Slovenia, Gasper Pintar and Izidor Zupan. And from Germany, my old pal from Siurana, king of jokes and a 9a beast, Daniel Jung.
It's good to be out here climbing with friends and pushing it hard on the rocks. Nat and I have been still felt really tired physically and mentally after our travelling experiences but thanks to a good supply of Stoats bars, oatcakes and Porridge we have been keeping ourselves strong!
Psyched for more climbing tomorrow!
ROBZ OUT
