cold snowy start to 2012

The past few weeks the temperatures have dropped below zero and the snow has settled down here in the south, meaning the southern sandstone has been in rare good condition for climbing.  I have taken advantage of the conditions and spent some time trying some things I struggled with last year, Nicotine alley 7a, finger flow,7a, brenva assiss and I sent these quickly and was trying the harder lower line of nicotine alley getting 7a+, my left knee popped  trying the upper line last year but being stronger this year my beta was different and found it easy.  The lower crimps I managed to stick quite easy after I found a good left foot jam.  I will send it from start on y next visit.  I had a few good goes at Phasis, 7b+ and the 7c version. A great line but will need some more work.  Aday trip to stanage plantation let me climb green traverse on my second try.
  All all in all I am feeling stronger than ever and due to the new campus board I have built in the nursery I will only get stronger quicker.

A video of a rest day filming finger flow 7a at harrison rocks ..   A problem I spent a lot of time on in my first year of climbing so I am pleased to climb this so fluent now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pne5DW3qiI&list=UUKtivJ2vqmdanrRVD8RtIDA&index=3&feature=plcp

nicotine alley at Bowles rock

working Phasis 7b+

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkuYZfIKLrQ&list=UUKtivJ2vqmdanrRVD8RtIDA&index=4&feature=plcp

Training diary

had a bad training session tonight, had no energy. Eating too late and too close to training is not recommended.  I am going to start following my regime i wrote for this week. intense and realistic. May change set up and work some easier routes tomorrow.  
  Need some Psyche!

The Nursery

So this brings me up to date on my blog, I have moved to Staplehurst, Maidstone and because the Reach climbing Wall is an hour and half away I have built my own training room mainly consisting of a moon board at the moment.
  I now have the chance to train as often as my body lets me and I hope to develop strong fingers as a result. I have had the board up almost 12 weeks now and managed to send a few 7a , 7b and a 7c went down only  2 days ago.
  I have no trips written in diary but am hoping to get to Fonainebleau at the beginning of March.  So I have another 5 weeks to get even stronger and return to a couple unfinished problems I have tried.

Carnage
L'abattoir
Noir desir
Mur de coquille

I will be happy if these go down, anything else will be a great bonus.

Thailand round 3

'up to you extended ' 7c

' best route in minnesota ' 6c classic
I had just finished the climb here

High up on the roof of a 7a  at Ton sai

Esher wall

flying direct from Mumbai to Bangkok to meet Donna and spend 2 months climbing the limestone at Railay and Tonsai.

Competing in the Krabi rock and fire internationals

Here I climbed my first 7c sport route after working it for 10 days. many 7a's went    down couple 7b's

also took a trip to kho tao bouldering

India

So returning home after Spain I booked a flight to Mumbai, India , heading to Hampi for some bouldering

great slab

road trip

November 2010 my friend Grant and I drove to Fontainebleau, France.  We spent a few weeks bouldering  but most of that time was spent sitting in hammocks under shelter due to persistent rain.  We then bailed out and drove to the Provence to climb some sport but more rain made us continued to sunny Spain.  We stopped here and climbed lots of sport all over the Costa Blanca until February.

Thailand revisited

On the openning day of my closest climbing wall ' Arethusa I signed up for a 3month membership and made a bunch of good friends who showed me the basics of climbing.

Thanks to Posty,Grant,Justin,Jim,Paul and the rest of the crew...

In May 2011 my girlfriend Donna and myself  back to Thailand and stayed at Railay bay for me to climb some of the routes I learnt on 6 months ago. An amazing time was had and I climbed a few 7a's one being an onsight and some 7a+.

romance in lagoon

Onsight  'babes in Thailand ' 7a

Top-rope, Lead, Multi-pitch ?

May 2010, I organised a self funded trip/challenge to undertake the 3 peaks challenge.  My brother and I drove to Glen Nevis, Scotland, camped at the foot of Ben Nevis and the following morning 6a.m. I set off alone, only to summit the peak and return in under 4 hours.  A quick stretch and  a long drive to England for an afternoon hike up Skafell pike, returning around sundown with sore knees. Another long drive to Wales, the to begin the summit bid of Mount Snowdon.  I arrived back at the car 23 hours and 15 minute from the minute I started that day in Scotland.  It was a great adventure and I started to think about actual Rock Climbing with real ropes and stuff.

Lee & I

Summit of Ben Nevis

   

Summit of Scafell Pike

Summit of Snowdon

  


  September, 2010 4 months later I travelled to Thailand for the second time.  This visit I packed a pair of rock shoes, chalk bag and harness I had borrowed from a friend back home in England.  I soon arrived at my desired destination Railay bay where I read on the net they teach rock climbing.  Walking around the bay I soon realised everyone here was too climb the amazing overhanging limestone cliffs that dripped ancient stalactites over the blue Andaman sea.  Quickly I chose a 3 day climbing course that began the following day.


  9 a.m my self and 2 other from the states put on these harnesses and we were shown how to top rope and spent the day taking turns belaying each other.  The following 2 days I had 'Soley' an amazing guy teach me one on one how to lead climb and on the third day we climbed a multi pitch, on which I lead the first pitch.  


  A big thank you to 'NJOY' rock climbing school,  and Soley !

Trying to tie a figure 8

the busy 1-2-3 wall on my first day climbing

Soley, myself and  the two americans

  Enjoyed the rest of my travel around Thailand and returned home.