Due to studying at university and through having to endure persistent niggling injuries, my training had to take the back seat for the last year or so. I had had rare and precious intervals of being fit to train, and I really had to make the most of these without pushing too far. Sometimes the motivation wasn't there and if I'm honest, I was mostly floating around the wall trying to have fun and not get frustrated at my lack of focus for training. I had no specific goals and no dates to achieve them by, which is a peculiar notion if you happen to be a competition climber who is used to having their motivation and aims dictated by a calendar of events on exact dates throughout the year. It is possible in a competition to know beforehand the hour, let alone the date, in which you will need to perform. However, on rock it is a completely different story. You may have a trip planned with a start and end date, yet there are many more variables which can interfere with your performance. Weather, conditions, other people's plans and gut instincts come into play, and picking the right routes and the right moments becomes more difficult. The choice is yours - whether to take it easy or push it to the limit.
Personally, I find it a lot harder to get into the "zone" when outdoor climbing. It is fairly easy in a competition to get psyched up and ready to go - the impetus to succeed is right there in the heat of the moment. You only have one chance and the computer has decided for you when it's time to step up to the wall. In order to win, you have to focus NOW! At the crag I can sometimes take on a happy go lucky, slightly blasé approach to climbing. I could try really hard and go for it, or I could quite easily just sit about and wait for the "right" moment to get on a project. There is no time constraint in this game other than that which you decide to place on yourself. As a result I think I have had a tendency to rest on my laurels and think "I will climb grade x when I'm ready. I'm not 100% fit just now. There's no rush. Maybe next year...or 5?"
Having just returned from Gorges du Loup, I would say my approach to red pointing changed dramatically. I went out feeling fairly well-rounded physically - not too strong but not weak either, not too fit but fitter than I've been in a while. Additionally, I think the fact that I had visited Gorges du Loup previously 4 years ago filled me with confidence - I knew what to expect and I knew I was a lot stronger and fitter comparatively than I was at 16. I went out with the intention of climbing 8b. I had gained enough mileage in the lower 8's that to shy away from trying an 8b would just be silly. I gradually worked my way through the grades in the first week and a half, climbing two 8a's and an 8a+, the bottom of which was also the start of an 8b I had set my sights on - Deverse SatanX.
The first section of the route provided flowing movements on good blocky/tufa holds, a short 7b in difficulty. The mid section was the trickiest for me to work out - moving across from a shouldery pink tufa onto some undercuts and side pulls on a crozzly tufa system, before coming to an awkward rest on The Mushroom hold. Luckily a sneaky knee bar provided a more comfortable stay on The Mushroom, and interestingly - although Robbie and I both used a knee bar in this rest position - I favoured right knee and Robbie the left, along with a toe hook on a lower tufa. From here to the top involved some more technical climbing on crimps, but also featured some powerful shoulder presses on tufas, which almost always exhausted me by the time I was nearing the crimps.
The night before we were due to try the route again, Robbie and I drew our own route maps and rehearsed the sequence in the field of our camp. We must have looked like martial arts enthusiasts - eyes closed, limbs moving in all directions yet our movements were always executed with poise and control (if only they worked that well on the rock every time!) The route still felt difficult and there was a day or two when I seriously started doubting myself. I simply wouldn't be able to link all of these moves together, there is too much to think about! I kept at it and gradually with each try I was inching closer and closer. So near yet so far. In three consecutive attempts I fell off one hold higher each time, working out a better foot sequence after falling. With every attempt I felt I would need to give so much more in order to overcome the difficulty of the route. However, one day everything fell into place and I somehow found myself at the chains, clipping the rope in and sighing in relief. Maybe I had waited for the perfect moment, or maybe I just believed that little bit more in myself. It was one of those glorious moments when something which felt so hard along the journey to completion eventually felt within my capabilities, yet still required my absolute and undivided attention. It hadn't quite hit me yet, but I'd just completed my first 8b. After a good few years of setbacks with injuries and a feeling of stagnation I had finally moved forward and pushed my climbing to a level I had always wanted to achieve. Onwards and upwards!
So I've finally ticked my first 8c :D To be honest, probably from a severe lack of trying more than anything. I haven't really been focussed on ticking 8c, I prefer to consolidate a grade before jumping ahead of myself. This style of attack at climbing improvement in my opinion is much better than simply throwing yourself at harder and harder climbs, so this 8c for me came at the right time. I had just climbed my 13th 8b+ of the last year (a good consolidation number :P) and it was definitely time to step it up a notch.
The route, as most of you may know already, is called "2x30" or "Dos por Trente" in Spanish. It takes an amazing line in the hardest sector at Siurana, El Pati. To give a little bit more understanding, you know where "La Rambla" (9a+) is? Well its directly right of that!So down to the route then... Overall the climb took me 9 attempts. Doesn't sound like very much, but it was actually about 4 days of effort. I couldn't really have more attempts in a day since the holds (being so small and crimpy) just wore away at your skin. The first 10m of climbing is very easy, only about f6a/b ish up a small bulge for the first 2 clips then into a kind of bridging corner to gain the second bulge. Here is where it starts - from the top of the corner, you shake out and chalk up ready to do battle with the beast. The initial moves through the bulge are easy, pulling on good sidepulls to gain a couple of juggy undercuts that take you to another slopey jug and undercut before pulling into the first crux. The only issue with the jugs here is that they are more or less constantly wet, a really annoying factor to take into consideration seeing as the crux moves coming up are on very small quarter pad crimp edges that dig deep into your pads, ripping the flesh literally from your fingertips (tasty).
The first crux I reckon is about V6 (F7A) in grade. It comprises of 8 moves, all of which individually aren't that hard, but combined become pretty spicy. The crux move in this sequence is a powerful lock around 7 moves in that relies on a hard press on a sharp crimp to gain a very small and painful left hand press a bit higher up - from here you can quickly shake and move out to a small one finger half pad crimp, then cross into an uncomfortable mono. The nasty bit about the mono is that you have to use it to smear your feet up on bad footholds in order to pull towards the next hold, a much better crimp up and right.
The hardest bit about this route is that although the individual moves through this first section and the upcoming section aren't hard, they do drain power from you which is what then holds you back for the following crux. After gaining the crimp from the mono, you can shake briefly before pulling into a short sustained section of around 7 moves until the next crux. Again none of these moves are hard, but they are awkward to rest on and drain you a little before the meaty crux move coming up.
Finally we arrive at the mother of all cruxes! This I think is the hardest single move I have done on any route. The move itself is a powerful yard of a good side-pull for your right and a wide apart crimp out left. The issue is that the next hold is miles away, and you have only really bad feet that are exceptionally high to push off. This basically means a wild jump for the flat jug. It's hard to grade a single move, but for me, combined with the sequence leading into it, possibly I would say another V6 (F7A) bloc. I fell on this move three times on link from the bottom before doing it (the time I actually did the route).
This single hard move is what makes the route 8c, without it I would say f8b or soft f8b+. The problem is the severe low percentage-ness (is that a word?) of the move. You could stick it first time or fall of 300 times! On 8a.nu, a few strong climbers said hard for the grade whilst others said soft. It's a hard one to debate when it comes down to a very specific move thats low percentage even when disregarding height - if your small the holds further away but the feet are better, if your tall the holds closer but your feet are lower on smears and you have to jump!
To the chains from here the climbing is probably only worthy of around f7b+, but its not as easy as it sounds. The following moves after the jump are tricky of bad crimps and small footholds (a friend of mine fell of here on the link). Then after a rest from doing that, you do quite a tricky step up of another small crimp into a flat juggy sidepull (another friend fell here on the link). I am so happy that I didn't fall in this last section otherwise I may have just cut the rope :P (only joking... I think?).
After getting the good sidepulls, you can chill a bit before an awkward move to another crimp and a pull through to the next good rest. Here it is almost (but not quite) over. You have a really amazing rest, but still one last section of f6c/7a climbing with some balancy climbing and a few throws to good (but not that good) holds. You turn the bulge, matching on a positive sloper/edge then rest up before the victory climb to the chains.
Wow! What a route :D I must say I am pretty chuffed with myself having climbed such an amazing line in Siurana. The climbing was brilliant even though the rock quality could quite easily be called choss in places :P I am a little worried about one of the footholds... it moves a little too much for me to be 100% happy with its solidity to the wall.
I am hoping to get footage and pics to follow of me climbing this amazing route (as well as others I have climbed and have yet to do) so stay tuned for those. What's up next though? Well, I really want to start consolidating 8c like I did with 8b+. There are two 8c's in Siurana that I really want to do, one called "El Membre" and another which a friend, Daniel Jung, has proposed I try called "Lola Corwin". The only issue with these are that they are in sectors that currently neither Andy, Geek or Jonny are that keen to go to. I'm not bothered though, I'd much rather chill with them for the time being. Instead, I am going to test the water on 8c+ and work the moves on "Pati Noso" (8c+), the left-ward variant to "2x30". This shares the starting sequence as well as the jump move, but instead of f7b+ terrain to reach the chains, it looks more like f7c+/8a, possibly harder if I believe what half the folks around here are saying :/
Anyway, psyched for whatever is coming up next! Here's to 6 more weeks in SPAIN!!!!
ROBZ OUT
Ed and Sam kindly set up a static line for us and Robbie jumared up into position. It was freezing cold with a chilly wind blowing across Berlin sector - much colder than any day we had experienced in 4 weeks so far. I could remember all the moves, perhaps I was a little bit unsure of some footholds (the trickiest thing to work out on this route - the ideal foot positions!) but I was psyched to get it done. I managed the first section fairly easily and made it to the shake-out on a good jug just before the crux. The next few moves were fine, then I placed my foot high and went for the slopey pocket just before the crux and misjudged the catch, falling off in annoyance. I worked the move and the crux section and completed it to the top, stopping only for Robbie to get some footage from different angles.
I felt confident in the way that I had remembered and processed the moves, and thought that 3rd go may be a possibility. After Marten had had another attempt at "Blocage" I was fired up and ready to go. Robbie was back into position on the rope. I tied in, took a deep breath and climbed the bottom section carefully up until the rest. Everything was exactly as it was on the previous attempt, no change in sequence or foot positioning. I got to the move with the high foot and went for the pocket, this time latching it perfectly as I let out a powerscream! A bad crimp, an even worse crimp, an awkward clip and then the crux move - a massive launch to good pocket put right. I went for it but just didn't quite catch it right and came off. I was frustrated but saw it as a chance to improve my sequence, finding a higher and better foothold to give me more power for the move.
It was getting late but I wanted another go - my skin was sore, I was getting more tired and cold but I was determined! I went for a run all the way from Berlin sector to Pont sur l'Infini and back to keep warm, chatting to people I knew along the way. They all offered me their encouragement and the adrenaline was building!
I felt slightly jaded from my previous attempts and said to myself that I had plenty of opportunity to try it again during the trip if things didn't work out this time, which reassured me and I felt able to just enjoy climbing the route rather than pressure myself into doing it. I smoothly climbed to the jug rest. I remember my skin feeling raw and more painful than the last time, and in a way resigning myself to a possible failure at the crux again. I fought through the moves just before the launch to the pocket, placing my body in a slightly different position and nearly coming off due to not thinking properly - the fight had begun! I clipped and started positioning my feet, feeling a bit pumped and dazed, I looked up at the pocket and went for it...and to my surprise I caught it! I heard Robbie and people down below encouraging me as I roared and latched it, then brought my feet up and went again to a good pocket. The hardest part was over but the top section would still require intense concentration - techy moves on small crimps don't leave room for complacency! I climbed every move assertively but with care - I have learnt that hesitation on technical sections can also be a downfall! The last tricky move was done and I knew in my mind (although I didn't want to believe it too soon) that the route was "in the bag". I clipped the chain and felt slightly dizzy - with fatigue and happiness! I lowered down to be congratulated by Robbie and Marten. I discovered that Robbie had got some footage from a distance, and playing it back was hilarious - his commentary was along the lines of a harsher version of "Bloomin' heck!" as I got through the crux. I think I surprised him :P I had done my first 8a+ in 4 goes, and a bouldery one at that!
That evening we went to a barbeque with the Irish crew which was lovely - good food and company! In all I think the best day of the trip so far, and we returned at 2am to the campsite where me, Luke and Gasper braved the cold showers and earned "lad points" in doing so!
The next day I felt tired from the day before's exploits, so decided to have a mileage day of ticking easier routes fast. I warmed up on "Blocage Violent" 7b+, managing to on-site it despite getting massively pumped! I then went for an on-sight of "Berlin" 7c, coming off at the start (due to very polished footholds and a bad sequence!) but then worked it to the top and got it next go - one of the best routes I've done here I reckon.
We are now on rest day number two due to rain, but tomorrow is looking to be better on the weather front and Robbie's finger is healing up nicely. He has made some fantastic videos and taken some awesome photos - some are on his blog, others you will have to wait for and be patient! :P As for my next project, I'm not too sure what I'll try next - perhaps another 8a or 8a+?
Time for tea now, hope all is well in the UK!
Natalie
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