Bishop

Video of the trip

May 2014 soon arrived and I was on a plane to LAX heading for Bishop, me and a good friend Graham had decided to head to Bishop for two weeks. It was planned prior to me injuring my finger but I decided to still go anyway, we arrived in LA and hired a 4x4 then headed straight for Bishop. Although I had to be careful with my weak finger I was super psyched to get some mileage in and sample the different area's, First stop was the Buttermilks. The Buttermilks is an amazing area huge boulders and great scenery, the climbing itself is a little sharp and crimpy so I couldn't try that much with my bad finger. But I still climbed some cool problems in the V5-V7 range Get Carter and Seven Spanish Angels were two great problems on such a cool boulder. I spent a lot of time in the Happy Boulders, the rock is more skin friendly and has larger holds, It also suited my style better. So I loved climbing in the happy boulder, theres not so many problems there but there all very cool to climb and you have a great range of boulders between V4 and V10 perfect for warming up on and then harder sends.
Some of my favourite problems were The Hulk just a mega classic problem Acid Wash Right (didn't do normal version) Action Figure a hard V6 but awesome moves and The Gleaner. Theres loads there but these suited me well and I was happy to flash some of them. We met a great bunch of guys out there all super motivated and awesome climbers, Jeremy and Triston just crushed everything super inspiring to watch. So Bishop is an amazing venue and I cant wait to head back.

Seven Spanish Angels

The 4x4

Holy Crap this boulder is huge

Had to do the epic run to get this photo but totally worth it

Strapadictomy

This is a video from a couple years back when i did Strapadictomy E5 6b at Froggart

I think I need an operation!

So prior to my Kalymnos trip I had been down a slate mine in north wales, during my time in the mine i slipped and a large piece of slate had managed to imbed its self in my hand. But being a true soldier i pulled it out and escaped the mine. I left my wound to heal hand headed out to Kalymnos, six weeks later a lump formed on the scar tissue where i had been stabbed I left it a while but it grew so i headed down to my local GP where he proceeded to send me for X-ray's. My hand was scanned and unbenounced to me there was to large shards of slate embedded in my hand  around 1 inch long and 3mm thick :/ so the next morning i am in theatre undergoing an operation to remove the foreign body. Anyway the moral is get things checked and dont leave it im glad it all went smooth but it could have been alot worse.

On the Move

So in November 2013 i upped roots and moved to Ascot. This was a massive change form the mountains of north wales but a necessary one. I had decided it was time to up my game and needed to be near a wall where i could train and get stronger, i found a local wall and set out on a training program. I dedicated to bouldering as lack of power had been holding me back. Training was going well I was gaining power and working all my weakest points aka core, lats, slopers. But in the january i cutloose on a problem and ruptured my tendon, this was devastating id had minor strains in the past but nothing like this. I thought about the best course of actions for me and decided to push my body training until my finger healed, i started training in the gym doing front levers weighted situps Pullups I worked hard and gained. I grew strong in my body and after 2 months i started easy climbing again but the healing process is slow and my finger was very weak, I had booked a trip to Bishop in may and knew I needed to be healed again for that I worked my body intensely and gradually progressed again into climbing. I took a weekend break up to the gritstone to see what form i was on prior to heading for bishop. With the Green Traverse going down and a few other problems i knew i was in reasonable shape but my finger was still very vulnerable. I knew i would have to take it easy, so i continued with my rehab and gradually  healed myself.

 

Kalymnos

Wow well where do i begin !! Its been such a long time since i wrote on here but here goes. So Oct 2013 I went to Kalymnos for the North face festival. Me and Bruce had decided on the trip and headed over for two weeks, it was amazing! After a late arrival the next day we set off straight into the grotto to tick a bunch of the lines there we had set a challenge to onsight as many routes as possible, so with lots of the routes going down quickly in the cave such as Ivy (7b) Trella (7a) Tufantastic (7b+) all onsight I blasted up Priapos  (7c) but fell on the last few bolts but what a route 3star. We entered the big marathon ticking the routes between 7a and 8a in which we came second so not to shabby :). After this we just racked up a mass of milage onsighting as much as possible, during my trip I managed a personal best with a 7c onsight at secret garden soft at the grade though and a massive day of routes ticked around 10 routes between 7a and 7c. But our trip had to come to an end and i can honestly say i cannot wait till i am next out there.

Backshot Direct

Made another first ascent the other week I think sure no one else has done it so im claiming it.
Its the direct finish to Backshot at the cromlech boulders standard V6 but with a funky high foot and a comiting move, you start as for Backshot but after the first slap you go right hand high to a small bottle cap hold from here take the right foot super high and slap up with the right hand again to a reasonable flat edge and then an easy finish up the boulder.

The Dawn Arete

Reaching the halfpad 

So This is the one I have been waiting to post about, and its long over due.

The Dawn Arete
What can I say longer than expected but finally sent, so I bolted this project in November 2012 when a good friend told me it would be a perfect project. The winter weather kicked in though and I had to wait until late February until I could look at it, at first it was desperate and I could barely do each move of the two cruxes. After I had eventually worked all the moves which took around two long sessions I then headed back to make the lead. But It spat me off repeatedly and on one occasion broke my ankle. So after a great deal of healing time and a vast amount of hard bouldering I figured It was time to go back and try again. I re-worked the moves on it still finding it hard but much easier than it was 5 months ago, so after my re-acquaintance with the route I Started my attempts on the lead and made good progress falling on the last hard move as it were I then headed back and today on my third try of the day managed to send the route. I had around 7 sessions on this route and maybe around 10 good lead attempts over that time, Grade wise im not sure its only a short route of 12m with what feels like a long  f7B boulder problem so I guess its around the 8a mark but for me the grade of this route doesn't matter its an amazing and intense route which put me through my paces and i'm glad I can say that the first ascent is mine.

More about the route- Well you start by scrambling up to the first bolt where a committing step left gains the Arete and the second bolt which has an insitue draw due to the high bolt. from here a frustrating sequence where a toe hook will come in use full allows a big span right to a sidepull. Have a quick shake here and clip the third bolt from here a huge thugy rockover allows you to press your knee against the arete creating an opposition against the right sidepull you then reach up to a four finger halfpad edge. Matching this was the usual point of failure, from here you slap to the arete get your feet high and press up to the good sidepull. Clip the fourth draw here and and make the final arete slap with the right allowing the use of balance and friction to press up under the steepness to a final sidepull and a tricky move round the arete to the anchors.