New Board Under Construction

Here are a few pictures of my new board. The panel on the left is removed so I can get in behind to hammer in Tee Nuts. It will get put back an the board will stretch 9ft from wall to wall... Just a crash pad and a visit from the sparky to go...

A good old fashioned captain around... and a nice surprise!!

Had a day at Bonehill Rocks on Dartmoor today. We got up early and Jeeka kindly drove the two hours from our place in Penzance, through Plymouth and on to the Dartmoor National Park. I hadn't expected much from the park itself but was wrong to doubt it. Its a gorgeous place of thatched cottages, wild ponies and peak after peak of granite tors piercing the skyline. Bonehill is described as the Plantation or Cuvier of Dartmoor but we must have passed half a dozen other venues on the way.

After the very little bouldering I have been doing, I was looking to just get involved with a new venue, a new rock type and just gauge just how fat and weak I have become. Font is not far away now and I am determined to make more of it than I did of Albarracin.

I started with the warm up circuit and quickly got psyched for the rock. A really, really coarse granite with huge sharp crystals embedded in it. Hardly font sandstone but it makes nice rounded, gritstone like features. The Cube boulder is a real gem, a square block with problems on all sides and a flat landing. It reminded me of Widdop. I climbed a number of problems up to V2 but struggled to even pull on to a V3. Gutted, I moved on and resolved myself to a good old fashioned captain around. I climbed another four or five easy problems and started to feel properly warm. I flashed a nice blunt nose type V3 and got a little more psyched. I went straight back to the V3 I couldn't do and did it first go, more psyched. I moved round to try the classic Cube Arete V4 (see picture) and did this in four goes, super psyched.

Feeling a bit better about myself, I went to look at the other classic V4 but was de-psyched by the harsh landing and no spotter. By the time I had done a few more easy problems and Greg's Dyno V3, Jeeka was back from her pregnant bumble and the rain was starting so we packed it up and went to the Eden Project.

So, all in all a good morning at a quality new venue. I was, unfortunately, both fat and weak but did manage a V4 in under six goes which was pleasing considering how little I have been climbing. I have sent plans for my moon board to the joiner and will be expecting a quote soon. Just got to buy a load of holds and set some problems. Pete - psyched for a day problem setting?

Back on the Horse

Well hello there stranger, it's been a while....

After a few months of intense family/house/work distractions, I finally got back on board the sending train and hooked up with team medium strong for what promised to be an epic weekend. Now, I didn't have high hopes for myself as I am suffering from a severely inverted gun to canteloupe ratio. This affliction not only weighs me down but makes the nickname of Andy "three paellas" Sullivan disturbingly apt. But you have to start somewhere, and for me it was at Earl Crag. 

Following a fairly sleepless night due to the faux Scots and the 4am dogs, Team thin skin arrived at Earl hoping for minus temps and epic sends. The Wrestler, Martha and Nat "alternative beta" feather arrived shortly after. I could go on to describe the sending but I'm not convinced there is any point. The send of the day was Pete and Andy's ascent of Trick Arete 6b. Also, Hebson should have sent Hanging Groove 6c+ but made a mess of the top like a proper amateur! 

A quality meal, a near on-sight of The Pommel and a night under the stars later we were wandering through a farm/car showroom to Callerhues. I've been looking forward to going to this crag for ages as it is often described and Northumberland's best kept secret. the sun shone, skin was trashed, 5+'s were sent. What a day! The team of Font 7 senders seemed pretty disappointed with the 5+-athalon but I thought it was a cracking day out - rank chat, sunshine, sending and psyche replenishment. 

two months till we go to Espain. This week I've managed two Ratho sessions, two half hour runs and one finger board session. Much better than the last few months. Feeling better about myself already. It's amazing how closely linked self-esteem and sending performance is. It can be a bit of a downward spiral of stopping training for one reason or another, losing strength, losing psyche, losing more strength, losing more psyche... It's a good job I've got good mates to pull me out of it! Thanks guys!