Had first at board campus and rings only session last night. Think I could get into this for a couple of weeks! its not that hard to not climb, but I think thats because its a change from only climbing (in other words, I will get bored).
The problem with only bouldering all the time is that you always want to get better. By definition, getting better is pushing your standard, and that means operating at your limits. Limits are things that stop you from breaking, so it stands to reason that operating at them puts you at greater risk of hurting yourself. This is why I so look forwards to the summer routes season, as at the start I am rubbish and scared and worried about falling onto bolts and crap at not getting pumped, but its a change and that's fun. As the summer wears on I get into my groove and start to get better, and by the end of summer I am ready for the change back to Boulders. Both mentally and physically this is refreshing and prevents staleness and injury.
Last night James announced he was thinking about just bouldering all year! A talented and capable route climber, he has been sucked into the Sheffield power vortex - a seedy, dark netherworld where one arm pull ups are revered over hard routes/sends. Still, he is my injury buddy, so perhaps I can subliminally sew the seeds of route glory. I would have thought with his first 8a under his belt that he would be keen to get involved again. Perhaps he found redpointing a consuming and tortuous process? I like it. 8a routes are about 7b/7b+ bloc - doable in a day, and they say '8a' on them. Anne calls it bouldering with a belay, and thats what I want to do - not interested in 25m stamina plodding.
Yesterday daytime I popped to Burbage valley at lunchtime (its 8mins from the house) for an hour. Only really wanted to potter and did some easy route soloing. Very warm and rather humid. Did one new problem (for me) called All sit down (7b+). A bit esoterica to be honest - took about half an hour but had a pleasing rock over to a pebble. Anyway, better do some work - going to Caley at lunchtime to finish BlockBuster.
3 comments:
Good to see that you are resting properly then....!
Blockbuster you say? Don't forget to Guppy!
Pah guppy my eye! I was so close last time I followed the same sequence this time - lh on horizontal boss pinch thing, right to bulb, left to edge, right to sloper edge, right go again to jug - onwards to victory. Steady!
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