Part 2: Meanwhile in the Hills

 

A quick recap: going to the States for a climbing trip, gonna be the bestest, super psyched. Can read a bit more about it here if your keen. I did promise some climbing stories last blog so thought I’d put up a quick mention of some things that have been going down a little bit closer to home.

Training:

Years of precise, scientific training have gone into that mullet.

 

It’s hard to admit to myself but I think I’ve become one of those guys who enjoys training as much as actual rock time. The small moments of achievement when you can go one rung higher on the campus board or hold on two seconds longer on the hangboard than last week or tick a gym boulder problem that’s been on the edge of your thoughts while at work for the last few days, these small triumphs are what can make it all so addictive and I’m totally a sucker for it. However, it can be super frustrating as well, with lots of trial and error. What works for the local crusher doing one armers off a half pad edge may not work for everybody.

I started planning my training months ago after reading a book called ‘The Rock Climbers Training Manual’ by a guy called Mike Anderson, who has a PHD in something or other. I basically wrote a six month training plan right up until the morning I fly out. I followed this book and its focus on periodization to the letter with my planning. Periodization is the idea that you focus on one particular training area (strength, power, endurance etc.) for a month or so. You work through different aspects before culminating in a peak performance phase a few months later, where you basically go out terminator style and robot your way up all your projects (hopefully). So I gave it a go and chained myself to my hangboard for a couple months. About half way through this and not seeing much (if any) improvement, I decided it wasn’t really working and gave it an overhaul.

Training facilities at casa de Scottie. Membership only $160 per week!

I think this guy comes at it with the idea that you don’t live with a climbing playground in your backyard like the Blue Mountains and therefore doesn’t really plan a lot of actual climbing on rock, with one month or more straight at one point where you don’t do any climbing outdoors at all. I think it’s a great book with some awesome ideas but it comes back to really working out what best suits you. So for the last two months I’ve been doing more my own thing with a combination of hangboarding, campus boarding and trips to Villawood climbing gym to work on some route fitness to be ready for The Red. Some of these endurance hangboard sessions are absolute forearm suffering and I thought I was going to projectile vomit lactic acid all over the backyard. Fun times!

Apart from all the usual training tips, work weaknesses etc. I’d say; read lots, listen to people’s training ideas or maybe even get some coaching off someone, but take it all with a grain of salt and work out a plan that works best for yourself.

Feeling much better now I’ve changed my plan to something that works well, I managed some actual ticking, hooray!

Climbing and Stuff:

Logan Barber getting his superman on, Scotties dyno project, The Pit.

But before the long-time siege antics, I thought I might say something of The Pit, a rad new crag in Katoomba with some absolute beauties! Developed by my roommate Scottie (AKA Scoot, Ball-tearer) and Emil, the manliest dude since Chuck Norris. So far between the two of them they’ve bolted 15+ routes and maybe even some contenders for best routes for the grade in the mountains. Astral Traveller (29/8a) by Emil is one of the best around and Magnitude (25/7b) by Scottie is also super good. However it might be the first crag to get minus stars for route names *cough* Mild Virus *cough cough*.

Ball-tearer styling away on his proj, The Pit.

The wall where you rappel in, is of solid grey rock rather than the usual orange and Emil had bolted a line on it that he had written off as too hard and suggested giving it a go. It’s a bouldery number with some distinct cruxes, the main one being an awesome compression problem. It took a few shots to get the crux sequence just right but with that sorted it went down without too much fuss. I named it 1000 Pound Gorilla from some song in a climbing movie that I thought sounded cool and gave it 31/8b. I should mention though that the only other ascent it’s had was by Tom O’Halloran, possibly the strongest climber in Oz right now. I can only imagine he turned into the Hulk and beasted his way up, almost onsiting. He did it second shot and downgraded it to 30. Super impressive doing it so quick and if I’m honest 30 may be right but who knows, these things are so subjective. 31 looks better on your scorecard though right? ;)

Me on 1000 Pound Gorilla (31 slash 26).

Me on the top slabby awesomeness of 1000 Pound Gorilla.

 

I’ve also been trying the route Search and Destroy down at Centennial Glen in Blackheath. This little monster is quite short but packs a bouldery punch. The business is about 10 moves long, all of which feel like they want to throw you off and grapple you to the ground UFC style. I tried it for a few weeks earlier this year before giving it a break during the winter months. As soon as it felt warm enough the draws were straight back on. I managed some progress, making it through the crux move a couple shots later but coming off a balancy heel to much frustration. A few weeks of rain then forced another break as it turned into a sodden, glistening mess (bah!). Finally the promised spring sending conditions came rolling in and one morning in mid-September with a belly full of bacon and eggs I was tying in again palms sweaty with excitement.

Roman in reflection under Search and Destroy. Mmmm steepness.

It ended up being a bit anti-climactic really. After forty plus tries, some not the most solid climbing ever, when I finally did it, it all flowed really well. Maybe I was more relaxed that day or maybe conditions were stickier than ya nannas undies, but before I knew it I was clipping anchors on my first 32/8b+. Stoked.

If I don’t do anything else before leaving then I’m happy I got this guy done. Some people don’t like siege-athons but i'm a big fan (and it’s also the only way I can do anything above 28). I’m trying a few other things before leaving including Moon Shadow, the harder start to Search and Destroy which gets 33/8c or sometimes 32. Fun either way and it would be rude not to give it a punt after doing Search and Destroy I figure. With only a couple days to go I don’t think it’s going to happen but its great fun trying.

Winner of Big Butt Magazines ball shot of the year. Me having a crack at Moonshadow.

Next Stop: New York!

Well that’s it. Next time I put something up it’ll be from the States, probably with a big slice of Miguel’s pizza dangling from my mouth and 20 kilos heavier. Thanks again for reading and here’s a video from the vault of me on Pooferator (31/8b) that my mate Logan managed to grab while he was all excited about getting a new GoPro. Hope you enjoy. It’s my first attempt at editing something so go easy.

https://vimeo.com/107891121

Big hugs all round! :)