Jokerdog Beastmaker

This mornings barely coherent ramblings begin with what cannot be described as a film review for fear of recriminations from actual film reviewers, but I have to recommend something as its potentially the best film I have ever seen : Slumdog Millionaire. Brutal, harrowing, heart rending, funny and overall -excellent. I loved it. Go see.

 

Back on track, Saturday's weather bucked its ideas up from Friday's deluge and I arranged to meet Dr Pinch at the Plantation. I was first there (out of anyone) and found a more or less dry plantation with a brisk cold wind working its magic. Other teams arrived as I busied myself with green traverse variations and consumed black gold (coffee not oil). As the stopwatch counted out two minute rest intervals, my gaze was drawn nervously up the hill to my objective - Jerry's futuristic test piece 'The Joker'. I felt excited to be on it and confident. Writing confident I think perhaps hopeful is a more accurate word. On Wednesday I had kept getting a tip over the top, and I thought that meant I was near to doing it, so optimism was high.

 

Settled in beneath the Joker, I began what must have been a hundred goes. I think I started at the point I left it on Weds, i.e. my hand was over the top on some goes, but on some it wasn't close. Its a very frustrating thing to be involved with. Its a problem that tests your desire to do it because it eats skin and on many attempts you cannot even concieve of ever climbing it. But, these rubbish goes are interspersed with OMG moments when I honestly thought it would go down on the next go. But it didnt! Rab Carrington turned up and headed over for a chat, and asked how it was going, so I attempted to demonstrate - and at this point (delightfully) the best go of the morning took place. I teetered on the starting block and settled my fingers on the 'appalling crimps' before leaning my right foot on a button just beneath the lip. My hands took my weight, I swung under and then raaaaa! up we went - my right hand lashed out and somehow went further right than before, I latched the good bit of the jug - FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND! and then was off again! OMG OMG OMG! Felt more euphoric than I have ever done about not doing something! There were no other good goes.

 

I think this is going to be a problem where the single minded dogged mentality of the hard boulderer is going to have to be summoned. Of late, on the grit at least, I have been flitting from quick win to quick win - doing a bunch of good, classic problems at a grade which means I can do them reasonably quickly. This is what Roy set me out doing - getting some mileage in. And its been great. I love coming home with something in the bag - but I know I can do this one and its a good reminder that what separates the dedicated from the casual is focus. Of course, the more talented or strong you are, the less dedicated you have to be....

 

Which leads me perfectly to yesterday, when the Beastmaker distribution centre opened its doors. Finally, the 4 axis computer milling machine thing which has been home made by boffins in Leicestershire has started churning out Beastmaker fingerboards. As an exercise in viral marketing these boys have unintentionally done well. They've whipped up a lot of interest without trying, so Gaskins knows what would happen if they thought about it. Anyway, I got mine yesterday and its already fitted and in place. Why is it so good? well, its made of wood which means its kinder to your skin, it has very well thought out progressive grips which will allow you to work out where your fingers are weak and then target that specific area, and, grips which force you to use it and train strange hand positions. Using it, and hanging off most of the grips yesterday I of course compared it to every other fingerboard I have ever used, and I realised why its better - all the holds have been designed so that you can actually use them without your other fingers getting in the way. And its wood. Studying it in detail, theres a lot of thought gone into the design, and I'm actually quite excited about starting some sort of fingerboard regime!

 

Finally, delighted with our new fingerboards, Dr Pinch and I went round to Beastmaker HQ for a quick masterclass last night. Back two Dan dazzled with one arm front three repeater encores although disappointingly noone was wearing a vest. I left them a present in their toilet to say thanks.