Amoeba Assasinated!

Couldn't sleep on Sunday night - hence feeling walloped all day on Monday. So much rain fell during the day that by 1500 the main routes out of Leeds were flooded and I had to find an alternative way home. I'd talked myself out of going to the board, thinking that I had been rubbish the day before, and was super tired today, therefore there would be no point. Rang Dylan to suggest the works but he talked me into the board. Loads of cars outside again - the Le Sage/Barrett love wagon, the Harris Mobile and the Bradbury shirehorse transporter. Noone seems to be even slightly concerned about getting turfed out by the caretaker. Vicky suggested that this is because the sign on the door is a disclaimer, and as long as they warned us before we burn to death then they are absolved from blame. She's probably right, after all, there has been no heating for ages. Nic said exactly the same thing later on.

 

Anyway. Warmed up. Didn't feel great at first, but better as the session got established. Two of three warm up probs went down with a bit of fight but on the first go, the third needed a couple of goes, but went, and then I got involved with my pre trip project/goal - Amoeba Assasin. It's a problem that I hope will stand me in good stead for Switz, as its on incut little holds and requires good deadpointing and contact strength. I had set it as my pre trip goal but I thought I felt it slipping away on Sunday - I didn't think I would do it before we went - felt like a big ask. On the Thursday before I had managed a new link from the crux move to the top - which was a first, and all part of refining the crux ready for the link. There's quite a difference between pulling on at the crux and climbing into it. Found two key subtleties that made all the difference last night. The first is a sort of sag to the left on the crux move, perhaps because it moves your centre of gravity underneath the resultant position or something - it makes the hard deadpoint more ameanable. The second is to lift the flagging leg up before taking the swing, which deadens the swing just enough to make the move possible. After a couple of fanny snatches at the deadpoint I did the move and continued to the top. It could be on! rested and started from the bottom. Few more fanny goes, but with each it was getting slightly more polished, I was climbing better and better. I was making mistakes, but I had the measure of them. With each go the last mistake got eliminated but a new one became obvious. Three goes in I hold the deadpoint move, blimey! compose yourself, remember the right leg gravity trick, hold the swing - blimey again! I hold it, hear Dylan and Nic encouraging, cram my left foot on - its not perfect but I know its enough, and I move through to 40a - a small hold, but comparitively it feels massive! I sort myself out and push on to the top - yes, yes fucking yes! its done!

 

Feel psyched about this one, its really hard and I've really had to try. Mentally its a great boost pre swiss. Still nervy about what to do, but have high hopes. Fabulous. In the past when I had done something I cared about I might as well have sacked the rest of the session, but I'm getting better at keeping going these days - perhaps because I am getting stuff done at last. Manage some new links on Stuey - have now done all the moves. That one will be hard to link! have learnt not to impose mental boundaries on myself - it may be hard, but its worth pushing on, as you never know what you might pull out if you really try! Realise I am fading and have a quick redpoint attempt on that green resin problem, getting to the top but failing the jump. Reckon I could do that one quite quickly too.