Bouldering in the sun

Hey all

Well were currently in sunny albarracin doing some bouldering, its super good here at the moment weather is about perfect being high teens low twenties durning the day so hot in sun but nice and cold in shade perfect for climbing hard. We had the first frost yesterday morning and its due to hit 0 over night tomorrow and the day after!!

We had a good first couple of days although a bit hot when we first got here, then were joined by Rosey and Tom for 4 days where we commenced crushing the boulders here, well tom did anyway what a machine he is.

Its been fun bouldering as a group its a lot more social and fun + allows you more time between each attempt so you rest more and as a result climb harder,

I had an interesting conversation with Tom about why we climb and what we get out of it and why we climb particular styles (Sport, Trad, Bouldering) this has made me think more about what i actualy enjoy and take from the climbing experiance as it was getting a bit stressfull and hard work over the last few weeks before we arrived here, My realiseation is that i Climb Primarily for Fun and to be outside. And that another thing that i really enjoy about the climbing is the problem solving element of it. Which in bouldering is working out a sequence for a short hard set of moves and in routes i really enjoy onsighting and having to make quick decissions when under pressure.

Lucy has been climbing super well and yesterday managed to fight her way up her First 6b in The psicokiller sector here then as if to back it up that she has now broken into that grade here she got a second one later in the day!!! what a star she is.

My finger has been coping ok with the harder climbing i just need to make sure that any problems with small left hand holds i avoid which i have been. although its a rest day tomorrow and my finger has swolen a bit today and feels fairly tender so its a well needed rest.

Plan for tomorrow is to head to the town where every wednesday there is a fresh fruit and veg market and stock up on some qualaty produce, i have also decided to put up a few blog posts with key details about some of the places we have visited with regards to parking/Sleeping, water, Food, Wifi etc maybe help some of you with arranging a trip in future, first one is going to be for here probably tomorrow when i get the camera out and take some photos.

Well a few shots of team bristol in action below hope you enjoy them, Spot the new prototype bouldering mat that rosey is using in one shot.



Tom crushing




Chilling



Crushing



Proto type bouldering mat



Lucy pulling hard



Jump

More riglos photos

Hey all

Got a few more photos from Riglos that i forgot about, Lucy took them when we were climbing it kinda give another perspective on the scale of hte towers.

First one we are approaching the end of the 3rd pitch so around 80m up

second one at the end of the 3rd pitch getting ready for the 4th


third photo, ruperts setting off on the start of the 4th pitch

Photos from riglos and fiesta de los biceps

 At the top of pitch 6

 Looking down from top of pitch 7

 The village from up high

 Rupert leading the final glory pitch in the sun

 Nearing the top

 The white line on the left is the line we took

 Almost there

 Top of the last pitch

 Down from the top

Succes

Well in the last post i mentioned that me and rupert were heading to Riglos to climb the 270m Fiesta de los Biceps and i can report it was a success abet a hard and emotional day on the wall,

As we drove towards the Village or riglos you can see the amazing looking towers towering above the village from miles away, as we drove closer i though i could see a faint line snaking its way up the face near where we wanted to climb i dismissed it as silly but alass as we drover closer it became more and more defined. As the face is so steep the chalk on the holds never gets washed off so there is a faint line of chalk providing a light snakes trail all the way up the cliff. See photo ( our objective is the red line.)

As soon as we got the the village we rished upto the base of the tower to look and though it doesnt look so high it will be fine. We had heard that Leo holding had done it in 40 minutes then base jumped off the top so figured that 2.5-3 hours would be a good estimate of time for us :) deciding it was way to hot as 3pm to do anything we retreated o the shade of the bar and sat hoping someone would climb sonething so we could watch. Plans were made and a start time of around 8am was agreed on.

In the morning we grogaly awoke to pitch blackness at 7am looking at the stars and drinking coffee we though it may be a little early but not to be held back we started the walk and got to the bottom in time for the sun to be comming up and good light.

The climb itself starts with 2 reasonably easy pitches of 6a then 6a+ which we linked into one long 50m pitch to save time (and keep us on track for a 3 hours ascent). rupert started and with a sterling effort did 50 metres with 9 bolts!!! quickly up with him and noicely warmed i swap the bag im carrying for some quick draws and its my time to lead this time the hardest picth at 7a. I start off and quickly gain ground then come to a fairly blank cooking corner where the bolts sudeenly get really close together. Thats the crux i though to myself and set off bad crimpy slopey holds here reach up getting worse get my feet high look left and see huge foot hold. Left foot on my feet now really wide apart and im in a stable bridged position looking up i can see a good hold comming up a few more tenuous moves nd im there at the end of the crux looking up i can see my next good hold a metre and a bit up, it looks huge between me and it are 2 misserably small crimps grabbing them i setup and lunge it there smiling and only a easy run ahead to the belay.

Ruperts up and were ready now to face the ever steeping face above us. the next pitches are as follows, 6c, 6b+, 6b+, 6c+ then the finnishing 6a+. Rupert pushed on then im up with him swapping leads it all goes by in a blur of big holds and every growing exposure, we can see Vultures circling magestily below us as we inch upwards. The sun is now on us and we can feel the tiredness setting in. I finnish seconding the last 6b+ pitch with the bag on on super steep climbing its so strenious im pumped and spent as i arrive at the belay knowing i now have to push strait on to the second hardest picth, Rupert takes on look and asks if in still good to do the next pitch i say yeah but give me a breather for a few minutes. Rupert then drops the bomshell that hes been thinking and decides that he doesnt like multi pitch climbing and wants to be off the climb now so he doesnt mind leading on and i can rest whale he climbs. Calling him a hero i pass the draws and lead over to him. Pushing on with all the encouragement i can muster hes away and yarding easly up the super steep pitch above us. All to soon and all to easely hes up the top. i begin and with the bag and tiredness playing a part in soon pumped out of my mind hanging on the rope half way up the pitch. With load of encouragement im back on and make it to the top.

After the next easy pitch and a bit of a scramble were sitting at the top, after our speedy ascent in no less than 5 and a half hours :) get in were fast. AFtre a tireing walk back down we are met with a cold beer and tapas spanish style many thinks to lucy for being te treasure that she is for prepairing it. All in all a amazing day super exposed super fun but not something i want to repeat to often.

We have some amazing photos from the climb but they are on ruperts camera and im awaiting them byemail theyle be up ASAP once i get them.

Mental madness

Well Since my last post about my mental battle in Tres ponts i can say that i went back to fight my battle and allas came away empty handed but having learnt alot on the journey. Mainly that i may believe i am a brave climber but when i come across things that intimidate me (namely large overhangs and large runouts ) Ithen i need to focus my attention on it more and make sure im happy or if not happy comfortable with what im doing I think that i need to take the fall before i try and redpoint the climb or il be worrying about it all the time about what could happen and climb like a spanner, also that i should climb the whole sequence quite a few times so i am happy with what i am doing and know that my way is the best way for me, If im not happy with any of the nmoves i need to try all other ideas then commit to the one thats best. but hey a good learning experiance now to find something once we get to rodellar i got a few ideas on possible projects will elaborate more when i know what i like the feel of,

Lucy had a stunning performance that more than made up for my messing around, as we first got the the crag she saw a beautiful Tufa line that made a short bouldery route called "Pan De Puta". Having taken a few days to work out the moves she then took a rest day and switched to linking in having wore herslef out on our second last day and not quite made it she decided to rest all the next day and have one last ditch attempt just before we leave and it gets dark so she could be as fresh as possible.

After a frustraiting day of waiting around she deicdes the time has come, i scamper up the ajacent route and get the camera out, she ties in a gets ready. Pulling on she cruses upto the crux, powering through the bouldery crux sequence she looks relaxed and ready to crush the last bit, she inches up the tufa get into position then makes the clip she has been strugling with. YOu can see the look of relief and suprise in her face. She then looks to be prematurely celibrating looses focus and gets her feet wrong then shes off. After getting oh so close.

Not to be put down and with darkness fast aproaching she decideds to have another go 30 minutes later she back on. But with no time to recover it was a good effort but no where near the first. From this she then retreats from battle proud, tired and looking forward the the tapas james has promised us.

A great end to the trip been gopod climbing with you James

Well earnt Tapas

the crux oif Mites modern

chilling in the car park

Lucy pulling hard

Mental Mind games

Hey all

lots been happening since i wrote last, we had spent about 5 days in rodellar climbing with James, Rupert, Dave, Tom and Rosey from bristol have a really good time Trying lots of fun routes with a good bit of banter inbetween, I belayed Rupert on a really solid send of Lola 8a+, The wether was good and my finger was holding up suprisingly well, James and rupert were heading off on wednesday to go to Tres ponts so we had a good send off climb and planned a drink in the evening when the local Guardia civil ( Comunity suport officers) came round the car park and told everyone that they couldnt stay there anymore and they would be back to fine anyone who stayed there the next night. so a quick decission was made we were off to tres Ponts that day.

Its always exciting to go to a new area provisions were brought and we were off finding a nice little parking spot at a Fresh water sprint/ font in the foothills of the perryniees just down the road from the climbing. James and rupert turned up a bit later and Talk was talked and projects were discussed. Rupert recomended a 8a called "Mites Modernes" for me and james to try SO it was on we had 5 days here till james leaves on tuesday (Tomorrow) so the race was on what could i do in that time on a 8a.

First day i warmed up and got on it pushed up untill the crux have a very half assed attempt to get through it then lowered off having not worked the moves, Its pretty much a 7b/+ to a hard sequence of 6/7 moves then 2 easyer clips to the top, With one bolt in the middle of the crux sequence that you cant clip so have to the the whole lot quite run out. Second go i linked all that i did before then faffed around for ages not really getting anything except scared and intimidated, I worked out a really rubbish sequence then came down.

Second day pretty much went the same my mind wasnt in it as soon as i started climbing i had negative thoughts of my falling me not doing it my sequence not working me slipping everything un usefull so hence another day of not achieving much, i did get a new high point but figured out that my sequence didnt work as there was an impossible foot swap, that with a the little bit of tension from the rope when working it wit the clip above clipped made it possible but on the lead not going to happen. In stead of working out something new i decided it would work and carried on trying getting no further,

Then a rest day then the Climbing time again, And again mentaly im not there i very nearly walked away and gave up on it, but decided to give it one last go and to try to sort out my head I remembered a conversation i had with Robbie thompson about getting agressive on the rock and decided to make myself angry so i would be more focused this worked and i now have a massivley better sequence that i can repeat all the moves easily and reasonably consistantly. + linked the crux in its 2 half so now knowing that i can do all the moves and that my sequence works im no longer mentaly challenged as i know i can climb it so the run out and missing the clip doesnt worry me. Lesson learned once again whjen redpointig something hard make sure your happy with your sequence before you use it or you wont commit. also that i need to man up and just pull hard sometimes, i now have a good method of getting myself angry when im feeling negative and scared so hopefully this will help,

Were just waiting now for the sun to move round off the crag and climbing will comence at around 3-4ish only time will tell what will happen, im confident that aslong as i try hard enough i can climb it il let you know later how it goes.

Also really psyched as once james has gone me and rupert are heading to Riglos to try and climb "Fiesta los biceps" its a 8 pitch 7a that climbs up a huge comglomerate tower above a tiny village in the foot hills north of Huesca. I have wanted to try this route for around 2 years since i saw a photo of it. the rock face is concaved so the first pitches are slaby and technical then the top ones are hugely over hanging and airy cant wait, (photo i got psyched on is below) you can see the trail of chalk twisting away from below.