ned the champ

Why is it that the one week I move Saturday morning club to Sunday morning, Saturday morning is perfect climbing weather, and sunday morning isnt. On Saturday I was cold in a tshirt, and on Sunday I was boiling without one. Dylan coined the phrase 'Sweltercon' which aptly sums up the conditions on Sunday.

He and I headed out nice and early, he got on Caviar, I was on HFC. We arrived at 0930, and it was cold. Dare I say pretty chuffin mint in fact. Cruised the boulder problem and confirmed in my head that it must have been bad on Wednesday (what in the full rain? never...), got to the break, flash pumped and fluffed the sequence. Not to worry, first go nerves. Sam and Lu turn up, the temp is already on the increase, but its this go that should have been the one. I crush the boulder problem and it feels easy. Pause at the break to shake out, remember the sequence, crush the lock to the top crimp, in my head I actually think - 'oh, I feel good here, I'm actually going to do it!', paste my right foot and mo..uh..shit....my hand is stuck in the slot, I free it up but the trajectory of movement has been halted and I'm off! bugger! Then to be honest, the sun came round onto the wall in force and that was it. We tried a bit more, but the holds really hurt your hands and neither of us managed more than a move.

I had a text from Ed Brown who crushed HFC on Saturday. We also saw Dave Hesleden who walked to the Cornice and straight back out again because its soaked. Nic did Free Monster and Rumble on Saturday, but said they were a bit wet. No rain forecast for the start of the week though, so perhaps it will be allright by weds... I'm thinking of coming back Peakwards this weds, hopefully if overcast, to finish HFC, but perhaps the cornice in case otherwise...

Its been the weekend of the Cliffhanger thing. I had sort of planned to go in the afternoon, but it was £5 in and I object to paying to get in to a trade show. What do you actually get for your money? But, the lure of seeing everyone and that Ned and Keith were entered was enough to give me that feeling of missing out if I didnt. So, on getting back from Sweltercon, I bundled the monster out of bed and into the car. Off to Cliffhanger. In fairness, there was a lot of stuff there, but I do still think £5 is steep.

I am delighted not to be climbing in comps this year. I was always naturally on the cusp of the final, never quite good enough to make it in. I certainly didnt flourish under pressure to do something on your first go, made mistakes and read things wrong. Climbing outside is only about me, its nothing to do with relative performance - removing the flash pressure allows me to relax and I do better.

Good to catch up with folks I've not seen for ages. We sat on the mats to watch the final which featured Jon Partridge, Dave Barrans, Stew Watson, Smith, Gaz, Ned, Tom Sugden and Croxall. Ned had qualified in second behind David Dickinson.

Here's Smith thrutching on problem 3. It was interesting to see how the seasoned final regulars spotted the tricks quicker than the new boys.

Simmo and Sharples ('Tenacity...'), the big guns of climbing photography, risking life and limb :Neddy boy looking strong :
Ned's moment of glory (stew in 2nd, barrans in 3rd) :
So, young Ned crushed his way to becoming British Bouldering Champ for 2008. A great effort. As Keith put it, he had "the eye of the tiger"! He crushed bloc1, bloc2, bloc3 - dont think anyone did bloc4, and was one of only two to do bloc 5. Although I have had almost no part in his success, I felt so proud as he accepted his foil plate thing. Boy done good.