increasing the calibre

Green Shoots

2011-04-10T13:08:00.004+01:00

After I'd scripted yesterday's rather depressing blog I sat down and had a serious think. I pondered whether I was talking myself in to retirement, I'd already decided that my climbing career was over as my professional career took off. I was mentally conditioning myself into thinking it was all over, done and dusted. As I sipped on a beer I heard a quiet 'ping' on my phone, a comment on my blog post:

'shut up and go climbing'

Exactly what I needed to be told, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Thanks to which ever reader posted it, shame they did it under 'anonymous'.

Here's a couple of inspiring little vids, the perfect antidote to depressing blog posts....

'First Try Friday' at Red Feather with Dave Graham and Jimmy Webb from Jon Cardwell on Vimeo.

hueco tanks 2010|2011 from emi-moosburger.blogspot.com on Vimeo.

Now where's that training diary....

UPDATE

If you were the one who posted anonymously I wouldn't own up, I went climbing and fucked my back. Can't even bend down to pick up a chalk bag, bad news.

Looking Back In The Future

2011-04-09T14:14:00.004+01:00

Campusing 1-5-9 (original 1-5-8 1/2), one arm campus on large Metolius rungs, jumping and hanging a small campus rung with one arm, one arming a small campus rung, back two encores & repeaters on the small Beastmaker pockets, hanging the sloping Beastmaker pockets with back two for 5 seconds, 5 one armers on a 5 cm edge.

You've just read my list of climbing achievements and you've probably noticed they are nothing but feats of strength.

Sure I've ticked a few 7c's quickly, I've done a fair few problems below that, but I've never done anything note worthy, never done anything worth writing home about - I've never lived up to my potential. There have been reasons for this: I didn't get strong until I came to London, I rarely get to climb outside & my work rules my life. I've come very close to a fair few classic hard problems, but for one reason or another have always come away empty handed, but I always thought I would get some hard stuff ticked. A fear has now gripped me that this may never be the case, I may well be destined to look back at my climbing history and see a list of underachievement.

After taking last year off I thought this year would be my year, I was ready to get back training hard, but this is starting to look less and less likely. My career is why I moved to London and I love what I do, I've given up a lot to drive my career forward and it has taken a lot out of me. As a result of a lot of hard work my career is now at a place I thought it would be in 4 or 5 years time. I've got a new role, a role which will hopefully include travelling to far off places, places where you may well need a flak jacket and the least of your worries is having 'poor skin'.

I can't complain as this is what I have always wanted to do and I'm proud to be stepping up to it, although I fear that it will leave little if no time to try and climb, to try and fulfil my climbing potential.

I may be wrong of course, I may get time to train and I may get some things done, I truly hope so because a list of feats of strength is not much to look back on. The only plus side is that unlike some people who claim achievements on rock, I have witnesses for mine on wood... not much consolation though.

That Fresh Feeling

2011-03-23T12:29:00.002Z

I can't believe it has taken me well over a year to get back to enjoying climbing, ridiculous. I woke up this morning having trained 3 days in a row and the body felt good, as I lay in bed sipping on coffee and staring out an open window I realised that it was warm not cold air coming through. The tide is turning and limestone season can't be far off? Is it here already? I started flicking through my diary checking days off, getting psyched to get out and get crushing. I've got a list as long as my arm of things I want to get done on Limestone and in North Wales this spring/summer and a new rota I'm moving on to at work gives me four days on four days off, so plenty of time to get out on rock.

In the meantime I've got to hit the plastic....

As I've been off the scene for a while this vid may have been seen already by most of you, still got me psyched (even if it does seem to involve a bunch of old men salivating at the chance of catching a grope of a pre-pubescent boy as he falls off a boulder problem).

Paul Robinson: PlasTic'n from Prana Living on Vimeo.

To the wall...

Psyche

2011-03-21T02:16:00.002Z

Psyche is a strange thing, for me it comes and goes with relative ease but normally always lingers somewhere in the background. Often it'll remind me it's there through a quick trawl of climbing videos or a glance at UKBouldering, but sometimes it just seems to disappear completely. The last year and a bit it has evaded me, I've had no psyche, nothing - I've flatlined. In a year and a half I managed to drag myself outside to climb once, to Wales for one weekend, I ticked a few font 7a's and then drove home psyched... to... well... get home again. Granted many a time I've blogged on here, often with some title saying something like 'I'm back', but not once has that blog been written with any psyche behind it.

Until now...

I'm pleased to say the psyche has well and truly returned, I'm back training, back on the campus board and back on the Beastmaker, but most importantly I'm back climbing and loving it. I've been training properly for two weeks now and my base level seems to have got much higher than it once was. A solid year of training in 2009 seems to really improved my finger strength. My first couple of sessions on the Beastmaker saw me crank out full sets of repeaters on the front two and back two on the small pockets and two full sets of encores on the back two on the small pockets. This is a much greater level of finger strength than I ever had before and can only improve as I hit my new regime hard. This last week I've managed one campus session and 4 Beastmaker sesssions, that can only be done with a good dose of psyche...

Bring on the training.

Business Time

2011-01-23T04:02:00.003Z

I've barely touched climbing for the last year, I been incredibly slack and my body has suffered as a result. Work's been my life for the last twelve months, but now finally the time has come for me to get back in to the sport I love. I've missed it, I've missed the movement and that feeling of crushing problems. I've also missed blogging.

Now however things have changed.

I'm back training, training hard. This last two weeks I've made a solid effort to get back in to shape. I've dieted hard and managed to hit the wall 5 days a week. The 'flow' is returning and problems are starting to go down, progress is being made, the weight is coming off and the body tension is coming back.

I've come back to climbing with new vigour, I'm now more focussed than ever to get outside and send problems. Ultimately there is no point training hard and getting physically strong if you don't go out and do something with it. So I've already booked up my first three trips of the year and I'm psyched.

The game is well and truly afoot.

Believe In Better

2010-10-19T10:42:00.005+01:00

Yesterday after an early morning yoga session I hit the wall. When I was going well early this year I considered myself light and flexible, times have changed - yesterday I was about as light and flexible as a six foot log. I spent so much time last year working on my weaknesses, my finger strength and my flexibility. My felxibility seems to have completely dissapeared. Coupled with the fact I have lost all my 'flow', the going has been exceptionally hard.

I worked through some problems yesterday, slowly but surely moves got done and things got ticked. They were by no means hard and I was a long way off where I have been, but I needed to see some progress. The belief that the strength will return is what I'm surviving on at the moment.

After all, I've learnt in the past that in bouldering half the battle is believing.

Here's a good little vid from my friends over at Louderthan11 which shows why you need to believe, 3 years he took to do this problem, 3 years...

ROSES AND BLUE JAYS: the Final Chapter from Louder Than 11 on Vimeo.

Three In

2010-10-18T10:17:00.002+01:00

Three sessions in one week, I can hardly believe it. There was a time a year ago now in the run up to my disasterous trip to Font that I was training 6 days a week. I pushed my body hard and it could handle it. Constant Beastmaking, Campussing and bouldering, it didn't matter what i threw at it - my body took it and got stronger, substantially stronger.

Now though things are different.

I managed three sessions last week and my body was broken, my forearms felt strained - a feeling I hadn't had since I first began climbing. There were some positives: I could still crank a one armer, but more importantly my fingers felt strong. I'd put so much time into my finger strength last year as it was the least strongest aspect of my climbing. It felt good to see that my fingers were still in good shape. It also felt good just to be back climbing and hanging out with mates. Today is the start of the regime proper, one month of fitness and conditioning before getting back into structured training.

I'm also going to be back blogging and am going to have a root through my video archive and see what I can dig up for your viewing pleasure, so keep 'em peeled.

A New Dawn

2010-09-27T11:42:00.003+01:00

Yet again my attempts to get back into training and climbing over the last couple of months have failed miserably. Since I wrote this post, I've been too busy to contemplate training. Work has continued at an incredible pace which has kept the bags under my eyes and the bank balance in good shape. However since Europe's largest street festival hit my doorstep in late August it's been non stop weddings/stag do/parties and I've spent a fair amount of the time with an alcoholic drink in my hand and no time to hit the wall.

After returning from a holiday to Croatia with my other half a week or so ago, I felt rested and ready to hit work, but more improtantly my training, with new zeal. After a year or so feeling at the mercy of my work, I now feel that I have things well in control.

It's time to start getting back in to shape. I've missed the feeling of floating through problems, pulling down on plastic and rock, but most importantly hanging with all the great people I know in the climbing scene. Having said that after one session last week I've managed to catch a fucking cold.

Watch this space.

Through The Barrier

2010-07-27T09:12:00.002+01:00

I've been back bouldering now for three and a bit weeks. It hasn't been easy, I've nearly sacked it off a few times, but I feel like I've now made a break through. Up until yesterday things have constantly felt hard, my body has been slack and I've been struggling on anything longer than 4 moves. Yesterday I hit the wall after a weekend of overnights. Exhausted, I expected there to be nothing in the tank, but things started to happen.

Shock, horror, the flow felt like it was coming back.

With relative ease I set about cruising eliminates on the latest set of problems. A smile spread across my face, it's coming back. I knew this was the feeling I had been missing over the months I had taken off, the feeling of floating through moves. I'm still way over weight and there is no doubt about it. But the weight will fall off in time, what matters is that I'm back on a roll.

I'm back on it.

The Happening

2010-07-23T15:26:00.002+01:00

Things are happening, a bit slowly perhaps, but I'm feeling better and stronger with every session. The weight has started to come off and I haven't even hit the running yet so things are on track. I'm hitting Wales next weekend with the likes of The Baron, The Mason and The Ambassador, I can't wait. In the meantime I've got to get through a run of overnights.

I do miss Wales.

Genius.

Pre Season

2010-07-16T11:13:00.002+01:00

My training has really started to get going, I've managed to consistently head down the wall over the last couple of weeks. This is a massive improvement to the slothful existence I've led since March. Things are moving slowly, but the muscles seem to be waking up and the wieght is starting to fall off, I've lost 4lbs in the last week but am still over a stone overweight.

I'm currently trying get my fitness levels up before I fully start hitting my training regime. I've given myself a months worth of conditioning before the first training cycle gets underway. I did manage to hit the campus board, although a long way off the levels I hit in January and Febuary, I still managed to crank out 1-5-8. It may not be much, but it made me realise all is not lost.

To keep my motivation levels up I've planned 3 major trips over the next 8 months, two to Switzerland and 1 to Albarracin. I'm very very psyched to get back out and put right some unfinished business. In the meantime I'm off to Wales in a couple of weeks for a rehab trip with the Mason and the Ambassador. I'm not expecting to get anything major done, just looking forward to getting outside.

Bring it on.

It's On

2010-06-24T19:42:00.002+01:00

I've started, I'm back training again and it feels good. Hit the wall for my first session yesterday and was joined the mighty Huffy. We were both in pretty shoddy shape, although rather than boozing he's kept trim over the last couple of months by mixed martial arts fighting. The psyche was high and problems (all be it easy ones) went down. Being training addicts we spent a fair amount of time between puntering discussion previous achievements on the campus board, wishing we were back in shape. It'll come, there's no doubt about it, but it will be a hard slog for a few months but judging by his psyche I'll have a wing man in Huffy.

As I'm back training I'm going to have to get some new beats, can't go wrong with the Dawg......

Committed To The Cause

2010-06-21T11:12:00.002+01:00

My efforts to get back training and back into climbing have been half arsed at best. I've tried, but things have conspired against me and a run of 'late shifts' (1000-2300) hasn't helped. This weekend I got well and truly on the bottle at my good friend and climbing partner Adam Ps wedding. As I relaxed on Sunday nursing sore muscles from the shapes thrown on the dancefloor and a sore head from the drinks thrown down my throat, I realised that things had to change. Yes I love the booze, I'm happy to admit it, but I miss training and miss the feeling that bouldering gives me. There really is nothing better than being out crushing with your mates. So today is an important milestone, it is the day that I get off my arse, start to shake off the fat and get back to what I love doing.

I'm off the booze, back on the diet and ready to get strong again. I've said 'I'm back' numerous times over the last couple of months, but this time it's for real. I've even bought my protein...

Dangerous Habits

2010-06-09T12:36:00.003+01:00

Three times in a week I've hit the wall, this is becoming a habit. It's been hard and I've been burnt off by every punter and his dog, but it feels like I've started something. The days of training six days a week and cranking out consecutive one armers seem a long time ago, but they will return. I have no doubt then when I get back on it, back in the flow, I will be able to take my climbing to another level. Sometimes your body needs a rest and after all I put it through last year there is no doubt mine did.

After a quick weigh in yesterday flagged up the fact that I've put on a stone in weight since returning from Font in March. It could be worse, with all the beers and food I could have easily have put on more.

Its time to get back to business, time to get those guns back.....

Foals "Miami" from Team G on Vimeo.

The Jon Partridge Interview

2010-06-05T23:35:00.001+01:00

Jon Partridge is a British Team member, good friend of increasing the calibre, all round top bloke and definitely a name to keep an eye on.

You've just recently got back from a trip to Hueco, how did things go for you out there?

For me Hueco is a truly incredible place. It tops the charts in almost every category you could think of; landscape, rock type, rock quality, amount of problems, types of problems, quality of lines, movement........the list goes on. However for me the most important thing is that unlike our native rock types it really suits my style of climbing. The trip itself was quite short for a long haul destination (2 full weeks) but I definitely felt that it was worth it. I had some serious skin issues towards the end of the first week which halted the grand plan for the trip, but I still felt like it was extremely productive.

What were the highlight problems for you?

So my highlights tick list for the trip was as follows:

Scream (Proper Start), V11
Purple Flowers, V11 (2nd Go, dropped finishing Jug on flash)
Rumble in the Jungle, V12
Acme Roof, V10 Flash
Better Eat Your Wheeties, V8 Flash
Black Forest, V10
Theatre of the Absurd, V10
Barefoot on Sacred Ground, V12
Fern Roof, V10
The Power of Silence, V10
Dark Age, V11
Ultra Mega V8 Flash
Is Julio there? V9, Flash
Mojo, V10 Flash
Sunshine, V11
Focus, V10 Flash
Power of Llanjager, V11

In my opinion all of these problems are totally world class. But if i was pushed for favourites and had only a day I would recommend trying: Sunshine, The Power of Silence, and Theatre of the Absurd for a taste of the different styles and quality.

You got a fair few hard problems done out there in a short time, great effort! What kind of training were you doing in the run up to the trip?

Cheers mate. My training has changed considerably over the last few years. Previously my training would be quite generalised with the grand plan to try and stay fit all year round so I could go on lots of trips away. Now my emphasis is on getting into the best condition for the international competition circuit over the summer months.

I split my training into phases throughout the year and at the time of the Hueco trip I was right in the middle of a power phase which was quite handy. I was training explosive moves, contact strength and did a fair bit of weight work in the gym. I'm also a firm believer that the best training you can do for climbing is climbing. With this in mind I make sure that I give myself plenty of climbing time and go to lots of different centres to test myself on different problem and wall styles.

So when you are planning your training how do you prioritise and structure it throughout the year?

I try to break my year down into 6 stages: General conditioning,
strength, power, power endurance, Taper (maintain for season) and Rest. I spend around 6-8 weeks per per phase per training phase, apart from rest which if I get a week is lucky, I'm normally too psyched.

With that in mind, what are you psyched for? What are your goals for the rest of 2010?

So I'm planning on competing in a fair few international bouldering comps this year. Outside I have plans to go back to Chironico, Magic Wood, Font and Hueco. The list of problems is too long to put down here......

You are clearly committed to competing how do you find balancing training for that with your desire to get outdoors?

Yeah there is no doubt that I have to compromise. In an ideal world I would want to be out on rock crushing projects all the time but its just not possible. I can't just nip out for a couple of hours when the weather is prime. Living in London it's a 2.5 hour drive each way and due to work commitments only possible on weekends. Add to that the British weather and the odds are stacked against me.

Bottom line; I love climbing more than anything and I'm psyched for training. Comps give me the year round focus and motivation for this training whilst also getting me strong and fit enough for any outdoor trips when they come along.

London is definitely a difficult place to live and climb. Training obviously becomes the main focus, you got any advice for people looking to improve?

In terms of training the top 5 things that i feel have significantly helped me in the last few years are:

1. Keeping a training diary of everything I do. This has given me evidence of any successes and failures in my training and has been essential in keeping me motivated.
2. Planning the whole year in advance and breaking up the training cycles. This has given me real focus and direction in training.
3. Setting short, medium and long term training goals. This keeps the psyche; I need to feel like I'm achieving something, even if it is an extra second hanging the back three on the beastmaker.
4. Upping the intensity. Every session I focus on absolutely battering myself. If I feel good in the morning I know I've not worked hard enough.
5. Nutrition & Hydration. I use supplements to make sure i'm getting exactly what I need before, during and after training. I never used to entertain the idea of it but I find I can train longer, harder and for more days on with it.

Goals are definitely a good way of keeping motivated and having direction. So finally what are the three problems you would like to do in you climbing career?

Some of the problems i am very psyched to try soon are:

* Karma, Font
* Slashface, Hueco
* Vecchia Leone, Brione
* Freak Brothers, Chironico
* One Summer in Paradise, Magic Wood

The list for all time problems is too long for what i'd like to do in my entire career. However i would like to Font 8c before retiring......

Check out vid of Jon's latest trip to Hueco, considering how much climbing he got in he did well to catch a fair amount of it on camera, he's done a fun little edit. Enjoy.

Hueco Tanks from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

I'm Back

2010-06-02T06:53:00.005+01:00

After what has been an incredibly manic couple of months, things are starting to calm down at work. I've just finished a week of night shifts and decided that enough was enough, I had to get back into climbing. I've missed it a lot.

I hit the wall yesterday for only my 3rd session in two months. My body felt slack and heavy, but it felt good to get up a few problems. My fingers still felt strong, but it was my arm power and body tension which seemed to have gone awol. It'll be back, but it is going to take a bit of time. When I went to font, I had never felt so strong, but things had conspired against me. If I'm honest I've seriously considered sacking in climbing over the last couple of months, but a day off and an afternoon browsing some climbing videos inspired me to get back in the game. After all I have unfinished business, a lot of unfinished business.

Here are a couple of the vids that gave me the kick I needed.

BD athlete Nalle Hukkataival bouldering in Finland from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Colorado 2 from Jimmy Webb on Vimeo.

Keep an eye on the blog later today as I'm finally going to start adding some new content to the friends section, which will include interviews pics and vidoes with friends of www.increasingthecalibre.com

A Different World

2010-05-15T12:34:00.003+01:00

Climbing and training feel a long way away at the moment. It almost feels like something a version of me did in a parallel universe. Despite my statement in my previous post that I would return with psyche high, I haven't. All my life has consisted of since I returned from France has been work. It's amazing to be working so much, today is my first day off after a run of 13 days straight, but it is a horrible feeling knowing that the fat is slowly piling on and my muscles are going slack.

I've currently got another day off on Monday and really hope that I can get back down the wall and shake a few of the cobwebs out. I've never mentioned exactly what I do on here, but felt like I had to give some explanation as to why I've neglected the blog over the last two months. So here is a little pic I took the other day as a clue, I think it says it all really, hopefully now the dust may settle a bit and I might be able to get back to cranking.

The Return

2010-05-02T11:28:00.002+01:00

This week I'm well and truly returning to the game. Gone is the overeating and beer drinking and the training and healthy living is back. I've been out of climbing for over a month now and it feels like it's the right time to get back into form. Blogs will return along with a fair few new features, so keep your eyes peeled.

My silence over the last month may have been golden for you, if it wasn't I can only apologise and leave you with this as compensation

Megan Fox for Esquire from esquireuk on Vimeo.

The Dark Life

2010-04-26T12:43:00.004+01:00

I've been away. Away for too long from climbing, training and subsequently the blog. The only punishing regime I've put myself through over the last month has been a work one. My work at the moment is absolutely manic and I've hadly done anything outside of it. Three weeks of the last month have been crammed full of overnight shifts. I've trained before when on overnights, but I've never had a run this bad; five night shifts a week for three weeks, with the odd day shift thrown in for good measure. The shifts are long, twelve hours straight without a break, so that's a sixty hour week at night, suffice to say I've been knackered.

Rather than spend my days off with futile attempts at climbing, I've mostly been sauntering round the flat in a dazed attempt at staying awake long enough to see my girlfriend in the evening. You'd think getting to sleep would be easy when you are that tired, but you'd be very wrong. Getting back to sleep at a normal time is almost impossible, I say almost because it can be done - with the aid of a fair amount of alcohol.

When I finally came off nights a week ago my body finally gave in on me as I projectile vomitted at Kings Cross underground station in the morning rush hour. A day later I was back in work on days, my contract means that a sick day isn't an option. No rest for the wicked as they say (or those on a contract which is weighted 99% in the favour of their employer).

Hopefully next week I'll be back climbing, it'll be nice to do some excercise again. Even if I'm not I'll be getting the blog back up to speed with some new content, keep your eyes peeled for a little bit of inspiration.....

Hitting The Bottom

2010-04-07T08:52:00.003+01:00

Easter is over and it's end marks the start of my new training regime. As everybody knows Easter is a time for over eating and I've been doing plenty of it. Fortunately cake and chocolate seems to have helped me get through my horrendous run of overnights. I've done my first weeks worth, but I've still got two more weeks to go. I'm exhausted, so much so that yesterday I sacked off a training session after half an hour as everything just felt too much.

However a quick text from a friend yesterday and the psyche is well and truly back, looks like I'm heading to Magic Woods this summer. That text came just at the right time as my motivation had reached a new low. Now I've got something to train for and I'm ready to start hitting it hard again. I've got some serious unfinished business out in the forest and can't wait to get back on that beautiful rock.

Here's a vid of one of the forests many classics

Du Cote du Seshuan from Flo Murnig on Vimeo.

Dark Hours

2010-04-02T01:18:00.003+01:00

I'm fucking knackered, a recipe of substantial numbers of overnights sprinkled with the odd day has hit me hard. Tonight I was supposed to be out relaxing and enjoying a few beers, but I got called in again at the last minute to cover someone who was sick.

Cue another day of being up for 24hours.

This lifestyle plays havoc with your body clock. Age creeps up slowly on most people, but old father time seems to have snorted a hell of a lot of speed before deciding to come after me. I'm 27 years old and already have a substantial spread of the 'grey' in my barnet.

Pumping myself up on caffeine is the only way I've managed to keep the training up. It's been Beastmaker all the way as everything else is just too much for my mind and body to deal with. Despite the fatigue I'm getting back up to where I was before I went away, front two and back two repeaters and encores have been going down on the small pockets. I've even added back two pull ups on the medium pockets into the mix. I've never hit them before, but they feel like they will do me some good.

It feels good to be making progress despite my nocturnal existence, it would be too easy to let things slip. Too easy to let the depression of the darkness take over......

Seconds To Impact

2010-03-30T21:11:00.004+01:00

I'm into a pretty nasty run of overnight shifts and I'm absolutely shattered. I've got three 5 day weeks of them in a row; great for my bank balance after my month off but keeping the psyche up for training is going to be tough. I hit the campus board yesterday, the power was still there, but a long way from where it was before I left. It'll return I'm sure. The pain in my foot has almost fully disappeared and I'm really looking forward to getting back out on some projects. I can't wait to try and get up on rock again once I get off this nocturnal lifestyle.

Here are a couple of pics taken by a tall German vegetarian called Sven of me on Conviction, just seconds away from disaster.

Photo Francais

2010-03-29T12:28:00.009+01:00

Here are a few pics that the Daddy took whilst we were in font. The first couple are of me on Noir Desire 7c. This was a problem I really wanted to do when I was out there and after about 3 or 4 goes from the start I dropped the finishing finger jug. It was late in the day and pretty miserable weather, thinking there would be plenty of time for me to come back later in the trip and dispatch it I left it. That is a mistake I will never make again; if it's on, get it done don't leave it for another day that might never come.

Two Times One

2010-03-26T15:29:00.004Z

I feel like I'm well and truly back into the flow of training. I've hit three Beastmaker sessions in a row this week and it seems to have woken my body up. The difference between the first and third session was staggering. During my first session things felt ludicrously hard, my joints ached and my skin wailed. I failed miserably on sets of front 2 and back 2 repeaters on the small pockets, things I could piss before. There was worry in my mind there is no doubt about it, have I lost it I thought? But I stuck with it and the next day there was a marked improvement. By yesterday, my third day in a row, I was back up to completing full sets of front 2 and back 2 encores and repeaters on the small pockets.

It felt good to be back.

I've also added some other basic excercises which I haven't used before: delving into the world of the one arm encore. Now this isn't a place I've frequented before, but now I feel it's time. I've discovered pretty quickly that it is a brutal world, where there is absolutely no hiding. Unfortunately the only way of using assistance on the Beastmaker at the wall is through a pinky on the crimps, not ideal. I'm easing myself in gently by doing sets on the big rungs and so far I've had to stick a pinky on when I get to the 90 deg lock on the way back down, I'm going to be a happy man when I start getting through a full set.

I've also gone back to doing sets of basic pull ups on the same rungs. I haven't really done pull ups for a while, feeling that campusing and encores was enough of a work out but a quick test before I went to font shocked me into it. Before I went away I did a few basic strength tests to see where I had got to, during this I found that I was actually not particularly strong at pull ups. One armers were fine, I managed 4 on the big rung on the Beastmaker on my right and 3 on my left, but with two arms I could only do 10. I was pretty shocked that there was only a relatively small difference between the two. The power was undoubtedly there, but the power stamina was lacking. So I'm now hitting 4 sets of 10 at the end of every Beastmaker session.

I'm also well and truly back into the swing of work, I'm up to 17 shifts this month, but it's a run of flip flopping between days and nights, which is brutal on the body clock. It kicked off last night with my first overnight shift since I got back. No amount of caffeine can prepare you for that feeling. Currently the city feels a little bit like this to me...

London (Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger) from David Hubert on Vimeo.

Over 3000 stills were used in that vid, no video whatsoever, serious patience needed to produce something like that so hats off to them. Suffice to say after just 3 hours sleep this morning my level of patience is probably at the other end of the spectrum to theirs.

You've Gotta Love It

2010-03-24T08:54:00.002Z

I find getting back into training after spending time on rock and then in the bar is a difficult thing. I hit the wall yesterday for the first Beastmaker session of my new regime and I managed to get a climbing shoe on my gammy foot. I was chuffed to get back to climbing as I knew it. I still felt strong and a few sessions in trainers had kept my flow going, but I was lacking any psyche for climbing on indoor problems. The problems at the wall hadn't been changed in nearly two months and were covered in rubber and chalk.

I kept catching myself dreaming of being outside, getting on with projects. I hadn't cared much for indoor problems before I went away and I cared even less now. I'd pull on and make a half arsed effort on an eliminate problem, putting very little effort in, dropping off if I felt there was a risk of catching my toe. I wasn't psyched for this, granted some people are and I admire them for it but projecting indoor problems does not float my boat. I moved my attention to the Beastmaker, my skin wailed on the small pockets and things I could crush easily before I went away felt harder now. But I pushed through, I was psyched for this, this was a means to an end.

Despite being a bit of a nightmare trip Font had given me the taste for what I really should be doing, getting out and getting things done. There is no doubt that I love training, I can't get enough of the feeling of improving physically. The feeling of getting stronger, hard things beginning to feel easy. But there is no point in being strong if you don't get out and get on with it, after all it's the feeling of pushing myself which I really love.

Loving what you do and having ability go hand, you won't succeed if you don't have both. These guys might well disagree though

Time Away

2010-03-22T10:24:00.004Z

Breaks in training can be good for the soul, there is no doubt about it. Since I returned from Font I've been enjoying the finer things in life, perhaps enjoying them a little too much. I've put a bit of weight on and my muscles feel like they have a bit of slack in them. I've been back enjoying alcohol and snacks, all of which I have consumed at an alarming rate.

I tried to put a climbing shoe on last Friday, but failed miserably. The pain was unbearable and I ended up climbing in trainers, before having a campus session. I had lost a fair amount of power in my arms and there was no doubt I was carrying a little bit of extra weight. This coupled with the ludicrous kickboard that the Westway management have put in place left me feeling somewhat low. There is no doubt it will be easier to shed the weight than it will to get the Westway's management to sort their fucking act out.

This session had been due to kick off my latest regime with a weekend of heavy training. But I just didn't quite have the psyche, perhaps I still needed a few more bags of Kettle Chips. In the end it was irrelevant as I recieved a quick call from work on Friday sending me to Ireland for the weekend.

After a weekend of hard work and hotel food I'm now well and truly in the right mindset to get back down to business. I can't wait to see where this training cycle will take me.

I hope it's not the same place as these guys, I don't think I could quite stomach being in an arse hole where GZA is king. Might just push me over the edge.

Devendra Banhart ~ Baby from Ron Winter on Vimeo.

I have no idea what they were on when they came up with that idea, I very much doubt it will make me stronger. Still you never know.......

How To Ruin A Training Facility

2010-03-19T13:41:00.007Z

My local wall, the Westway Climbing Wall in London, have a very nasty habit. They make changes to the wall and training facilities with out first consulting those that use them. Now this would be less of a problem if those making the changes used these facilities, if they did they would then be in touch with the way that they are used. However unfortunately this isn't the case. Time and again changes have been made and the customers, each paying just under £50 a month, have not been consulted. Regular readers of this blog will remember this fiasco where dangerous matting was laid and it took a public outcry from the users of UKB to get the system rectified.

Well folks they've done it again.

Today I wanted to have my first campus session after a 3 week break and I could not quite believe what greeted me. The Westway campus board used to be a great training facility, just the right steepness, regulation rungs and distances. After a great battle we even managed to get a Beastmaker put on the end of it. It was perfect for anybody who was strong enough to use and subsequently train on it. If not people were able to use the pull up bar just next to it, or go and use the system room to do multiple moves on similar rungs with their feet on.

Through some bizarre wisdom, without consulting anyone who uses it, they've added a massive kickboard. A kickboard big enough to make sure you catch your knees and toes when campussing and your hip and arm when using the Beastmaker.

After pointing out these little mistakes in the design to a duty manager I was told

'It is about compromise, most people want that'.

I quite politely pointed out that a campus board isn't about compromise, in fact it couldn't be further from compromise. It is about pure basic strength training. I can't imagine Moffatt, Moon and Gullich discussing the benfits of compromising on a campus board. But then again maybe those three training legends were looking at it through tinted glasses, perhaps if they hadn't ever used one they would have know better.

Back In The Saddle

2010-03-18T08:48:00.003Z

Over the last couple of days I've been working out where I need to put my time and energy in to my training to bear most fruit. I've assessed what I'm least strong at and have built my training plan around it. As for the past 6 months, the main focus will still be finger strength, as a result the majority of my sessions will be on the Beastmaker . However I will still continue to campus and after a reasonable break I'm bringing back the rings again to work my core stability and upper body strength.

I am looking to push my Beastmaker training through a plateau by mixing it up slightly. Before I went away to Font I was able to do full sets of repeaters and encores using the small pockets on my front two, middle two and back two. I had consolidated this level by working it consistently for over a month, but pre trip I didn't want to add any extra weight. Now however I feel that my body is ready to take added weight on these excercises which will hopefully allow me to see substantial gains. I'm aiming to ease myself back into training with two weeks without weight before adding 5kg. The aim for my first period is to complete full sets of repeaters on the small pockets on each grip with an added 10kg. I'm also going to start using one arm encores. I've stayed away from these excercises as I've had other priorities however I think it is somewhere I could definitely improve.

Today marks the first day in my new 8 week training program and it feels good to be back on it. It's going to feel even better when I start getting outside more and seeing the training really pay off. Here is a nice little pic the Lawyer sent me the other day, it's me on the classic Churnet Valley problem Bizarre taken some point last year. Nothing like bouldering outdoors in spring, bring it on.

One On

2010-03-17T09:13:00.003Z

My foot is getting better at a quicker rate than I expected. Granted I am still unable to wear a climbing shoe, but copius amounts of salt bathing and antiseptic cream has stopped the oozing and reduced the swelling enough for me to put on a tightish trainer. With a Nike Elite on my right foot and a Five Ten Dragon on my left I set about cruising a few problems down the wall yesterday.

My body felt good, the flow was there and I still felt strong indoors. My toe didn't feel anywhere near as bad as I thought it would, I'm really not sure the French diagnosis was right. The level of medical care they gave me was obviously shoddy and I think the burning of my toe probably left me with more pain than I went in with. However, I have broken the same big toe before and a week in to this latest ludicrous episode the pain is nowhere near as bad as it was when I last broke it. There is still a bit of pain around the joint but it held up fine climbing in a trainer.

I decided yesterday that it is time I really put some effort into getting out on rock and getting some hard problems done. As anyone who reads this blog knows I've been training hard since I lost my job over a year ago, but I've been unable to leave town for fear of missing work. The worry has not just been the financial burden of missing shifts, but also that some one else will get those ear marked for me because they step up when I can't. However now I feel established, I'm still only just about getting enough work to survive, but I feel like turning down the odd shift would not do me any harm other than hitting my wallet. As limstone season approaches in the UK I can pretty much gaurantee that there will be something dry if I make the 3 hour drive north. So I'm going to dedicate at least 4 days a month to making that journey.

It doesn't matter what sport you do, you can practice and train as much as you like, but it is about getting out and getting it done.

These boys know a little thing or two about that. Commitment is the key.

Debacle Nike Skateboard Movie from FreestyleTV.ch on Vimeo.

The Acceptance

2010-03-16T08:51:00.003Z

Coming back to London made me realise how much I love the city, it really is an amazing place. I still have a bit of money which I saved up for my holiday and I'm putting it to good use in my home town. As a result I've been enjoying the city life as it should be; dinner out with friends, coffees, the pub on a Sunday afternoon. These are all things that have eluded me over the last year and I realised this weekend how much I have missed them. Unless things change in the coming months they will undoubtedly fade again into a distant memory.

Yesterday was a slight shock to the system, my girlfriend had returned to work after the weekend and I was left in the flat on my own for the first time since I got back. I went through the same regime I have for the majority of the past year: checking emails, blogs, job hunting, my morning coffee and dark chocolate, checking out new music, facebook and twitter. These little things break up my day, to an extent I probably string them out to make time go by more easily. When I can bear it no longer I head out for a walk with my headphones on, yesterday was no exception. I have a pretty set route, down some of my favourite streets into a few of my favourite shops for some window shopping. Along the way I thought about where I was at in my life, granted it is no bad place, but it is a long way from where I want to be.

Unable to fill the last half of my day with training, I was feeling particularly lost. London is a magical city, but it is also a difficult one to exist in on little cash. Everywhere you look people are enjoying the city you love, eating drinking, shopping, whilst you are keeping your wallet close at hand for fear of it hemorrhaging cash. On the way back to my flat I saw Sophie Dahl and Sienna Miller enjoying a pint outside my local, that lightened my mood somewhat. It also made me realise that I had to accept my situation, get back to training as soon as possible. Times will change, I will be able to enjoy the city like they do one day.

For the moment I will have to make do with getting my fingers fucking strong.

To the Beastmaker.....

The Return

2010-03-15T11:20:00.005Z

I'm back, I knew it wouldn't take long. I'm not quite back training yet, my foot only stopped oozing and bleeding yesterday, but the psyche is back that's for sure. As soon as I can wear a pair of light weight trainers I'm going to head back to the wall and get the body moving again. I'm hoping this will be as early as tomorrow, but I'll have to see. Another salt bath on the wound could just do the trick.

Whilst away I had a couple of mysterious emails and calls from work which I hoped signalled the start of a pretty busy run of work. That isn't quite the case and today I found out that I've got 11 shifts next month and 9 the month after. This isn't bad but it isn't a glutton either. It means training will still play a heavy part in my life, but it is just about enough for me to afford to leave the city for the odd day a month. Hopefully then I will be able to keep the ticks going on rock before I hit some trips later in the year.

For all of it's problems and mishaps my trip to font definitely made me a better climber and gave me the motivation to get out and try to tick problems outside. Though obviously this depends heavily on my work.

As I found out in Font things don't always turn out as planned. I think EMI probably realised the same thing when they let Joss Stone's brother direct and produce her last video. Now I in no way condone the music of Joss Stone. I would prefer it's release banned, which is exactly what EMI tried to do with this mess when they saw it. I'm glad they didn't stop it getting leaked though as it cheered me up a hell of a lot when my girlfriend showed it to me after I got back in the country.

At least my trip to font didn't end up looking like an 80's softcore porno.

Broken Dreams

2010-03-13T09:20:00.006Z

Preparation is one of the most important aspects in bouldering, you have to be physically and mentally ready to go out and get on your projects. Before I headed out to font I was in the best shape of my life. There is no doubt that I had trained hard; with little work over the last year I had very little else to do. I had ticked a number of long term training goals and put hours into working my lack of flexibility through daily sessions of yoga. I felt mentally strong too, I knew I was capable of getting my projects done.

Living in London and working in the industry that I do, I very rarely get to leave the city, let alone climb on rock. On my last major trip to Magic Woods I failed to get to grips with the 'rock feel' and got on projects too early. As a result I didn't have that killer instinct to get things done, I overgripped and despite quickly doing a number of my projects in two halves, I failed to finish them off and came away with a blank ticklist.

This time I wanted things to be different. I took my time and got used to the forest, between bouts of rain over the first ten days I sort out dry problems within my limit and set about dispatching them. Problems went down quickly, I felt good, felt like I had the flow. All I had to do was wait for the good temps.

The good weather has now hit Font, the friction is there lurking amongst my projects, but I am many miles away.

I am back in London.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned. After seeing an improvement in the cold I had been carrying, I headed out last Wednesday to have one of my first proper sessions on a project. Conviction 8a was on the cards, I felt good and knew that it would suit my style and build. I was psyched to actually get out and try something on my ticklist.

I pulled on, the first move felt easy and the crux slopers felt good. My left foot came up and I tried to get the toe hook in, then it all went wrong. I lost the friction on the sloper and pinged off violently. My right foot caught the roof hard.

The pain was excruiating.

A host of expletives came out of my mouth. My big toe started to throb, I dared not take my shoe off and release the pressure. I didn't want to see what was causing the pain, I wanted to get on my project. I wanted to try hard on something, that feeling had been kept away from me for too long.

'This is what you have trained for' I said to myself.

After letting the sloper and my head cool I pulled on again.

Bang, exactly the same thing happened. This time the pain was too much, I had to take off my shoe. My big toe was a mess, The nail had gone a nasty mix of yellow, black and purple in colour. Blood was coming out from under my nail and running down my foot and the joint felt very painful to touch.

Game Over.

I could barely wear trainers, there was absolutely no way I would be putting climbing shoes on in the next couple of weeks. After hitting a couple of patissieries to drown my sorrows, I headed to the hospital. After giving me an xray and being undecided as to whether I had broken it, the Doctors tried to drain some of the blood from under the nail. It was this they assurred me that was causing the pain.

Now I've had this done before in the US after trapping a finger in a car door, it's pretty simple and shouldn't hurt as the nail has no feeling. In the US the doctors got a sterilised needled and twisted it in a drilling motion until it broke through the nail. Simple.

That's not how they do it in France.

Now my level of conversational French is pretty good, so the doctors explained what they were going to do. They were going to burn through it. No problem I thought, the nail has no feeling this will be a breeze.

Out came the parrafin lamp.

Ok, that makes sense I thought, you have to heat the needle somehow, although this does feel a bit medieval. I guess I am in France.

Then the Junior Doctor proceeded to untwirl an old paper clip he had in his pocket.

'Errr are you sure that is sterile' I said in French.

'Oui, of course' he replied.

Fuck I thought, what is this place, have they not heard of CDIF or MRSA or are they just keeping their heads in the sand like they did with Mad Cow Disease. At that moment a Senior Doctor came in. He took one look at what his Junior was doing and said

'Non, Non, Non'.

At last someone who knows what the hell they are doing I thought.

The Senior Doctor then proceeded to get a slightly fresher looking paperclip out of his pocket and gave it to his Junior colleague.

'Use this instead' he said

I was too tired to argue and let them get on with it. They put three holes in my nail, each time pressing heavily on the painful part of the bone. Each time burning past the nail and into my foot, then declaring 'there is no blood, why not?'.

Finally an even more senior doctor came in and took over.

'I think you have perhaps damage to the bone and severe damage to the nail as it has been forced into the nailbed. That is why there is no blood!' she triumphantly declared.

So the smell of burning flesh still hanging in the room, was for no reason then?

I was then told to to clean and disinfect my own foot in something that resembled a toilet.

'Did any of you surrender monkeys actually qualify as doctors' I thought to myself.

I am a great Francophile, but this was pushing my love of the country.

Two days later I caught a Eurostar home and am back to the life I lived before. I will be back to training and hoping for work. The past year was the hardest of my life so far. Font was supposed to be a release from the pressures I was under, it didn't quite turn out that way.

I'm hoping there is a change in store for me soon, I would like to say I feel something good will happen, but I felt that way about my trip. For now I'm going to make the most of the rest of my time off with my girlfriend. Most of that time will probably be spent hobbling round our part of town some of our favorite bars.

Release from pressure is easier to find in the bottom of glass than it is in a forest.

Le Froid

2010-03-09T10:14:00.003Z

We're halfway through the trip and it's cold, really fucking cold. A quick check of the weather this morning showed that at nights the real feel with wind chill has been down in the minus double figures. Van life and -11 degrees don't quite go together well. We've taken to imagining we're in a warmer happier place, this has mainly been achieved by listening to reggae and cooking Levi Roots Carribean recipes.

All the Lilt in the world has not managed to stop me catching a stinking cold. I've been feeling pretty rough for 4 or 5 days now and coupled with the weather I've been in no shape to get on any projects. The weather is supposed to be getting warmer and I'm hoping that will help me shake this sickness. I've still managed to get the odd easier tick, but I want to get out and finish some of the problems I have had sessions on in the first week. Beaux Quartiers felt very close the first session I had on it, so that is first on the hit list when I feel better. In the meantime I'm chilling in a nice little cafe soaking up the atmosphere and most importantly avoiding the cold.

Ups and Downs

2010-03-03T15:27:00.003Z

The first 10 days of our trip to font have not gone quite to plan. The weather for the first week was grim, but we forced it and found dry problems. It feels bizarre when you come to fontainbleau, which contains an amazing amount of bouldering and you end up warming up doing eliminates on the driest piece of rock you can find. This week the weather improved and with Monday looking like the first fully dry day we went to Gorge aux Chats to warm up. The aim was to tick some nice easy classics and then head up to one of mine and Loz`s projects for the trip, Conviction.

Not long after warming up, we found out that our van along with two other cars had been broken into. Other than having to go through our dirty pants the robbing bastards had stolen nothing from us. However our friends lost passports, driving licenses, money and even an insulin kit as one of them is diabetic. Cue a day spent in the cop shop, with me doing my best to translate, and then a speedy journey home via the consulate for them before their insulin supply ran out. Tuesday, the second day of good weather was also pretty much a right off as we had to get our window sorted. Although I did manage to get a session in on another project Beaux Quartiers. I managed all but one of the moves pretty quickly and am psyched to get back and get it done. The line drew me in and it has moved right to the top of my hit list.

The good weather is supposed to continue for a few more days, so hopefully we will be able to make the most of it.

At Ease

2010-02-22T18:23:00.003Z

The first few days in font have seen us settling in to life in the van and the slightly fickle weather. It's been cold, but bearable, however there's been showers and even snow which has meant a daily search for dry rock. On the first day I wanted to get into things slowly with some nice easy problems, but instead the only thing that was really climbable was Mandarin 8a. Loz and I both wanted to do this, but as problems go this won takes a fair bit of 'feel'. After a fair bit of towelling down we managed to get on and pretty quickly both had done it in two halves. Realising the tick would take a bit of rock skills, we left it for later in the trip.

Before getting out here I vowed that I wouldn't make the mistakes I've made before on trips, by getting on the hardstuff way to early. After the first day I was nervous this would be the way again. As a result I've worked my way through dry problems as we find them and have started to feel good on rock again. I've always said that London has a great training scene and can make you strong, but you need to feel good on rock to get things done outside. That is even more true out here in Font, where power alone will not get you through. By searching around in what are likely to be the dryest areas i've managed to do a fair few nice easy problems as well as some great moderates including Faux Contact 7a+, Haka 7b, Centaure 7b+, Bifurcation 7b+.

After just ticking Bifurcation 7b+ third go it feels like i've eased myself back in to climbing on rock. Tomorrow sees a rest day, then it's project time......

This Is It

2010-02-18T07:45:00.003Z

This is it. The overnights are over and all the training is done. As I write this we are rolling round the M25 leaving London behind us on our way to the Channel Tunnel. Nas is on the stereo and my mind is already in the forest. I can't quite believe this moment has arrived. A year has passed since I signed my contract with work. A contract that has to have a break every year of a month so i never become permanent. It's been a stressful year with not enough highs and far too many lows. But one thing that has remained constant is the training. It has given me a focus, when all the things around me have felt like they could come crashing down at any moment.

This trip is what I have put all that training in for, one month in the forest.

One month without a thought of work, it's game time.

Execution

2010-02-15T08:39:00.002Z

Two sessions and two overnights, that's it, then I'm off to font. Then it's time to up the ante, to want it and get things done. It'll be time to change my game and get into project mode. Bouldering indoors is a long way away from bouldering outdoors, anybody who climbs outside knows that. There is far less subtlety indoors, far less reliance on friction.

Cedar Wright, star of that terrible bouldering film Specimen, has done a good job of capturing some of these subleties in this short of Daniel Woods on his new problem The Game V16. It's just a teaser for the full thing, but still worth checking out

The Game, World's Hardest Boulder Problem? from Cedar Wright on Vimeo.

I think The North Face make hats.

Kicking Back

2010-02-14T13:12:00.003Z

I had one of my last bouldering sessions yesterday with a fair few friends. Things felt good and I felt strong, but I always find it quite strange just before a trip. You don't want to pull down too hard on plastic, after all it's about what you do on the rock in the weeks to come that matters. The last two weeks for me before this trip have been about keeping the flow going and letting the body adapt the the training I've put it through over the last six months.

There is very little you can do in the last few days, it's not like an exam, there is no cramming to do here. You want to, but the body just doesn't work like that. The ground work is done, you have to accept it. In the meantime I'm relaxing and enjoying the Winter Olympics.

Here is a great vid of the legend that is Shaun White showing that it's all about putting in the prep before you step up to the plate

Friday Feelings

2010-02-12T18:41:00.007Z

It was a great feeling walking out of work yesterday. It's the first time I've done a convential shift on a Friday and not been working some sort of horrendous hours over the weekend for a long time. That 'Friday Feeling', I haven't had it for over a year now and it felt especially good yesterday. I have a great weekend planned with my girlfriend safe in the knowledge that I have done enough work to survive. I've also been booked for a substantial amount of work immediately after I return from what my company delightfully call 'a contract break'.

My contract break is less than a week away. I have two more overnight shifts left on Monday and Tuesday, then on Thursday we roll out to Font. I currently spend my life constantly on call for work, never knowing when it is going to come. As soon as we hit the channel tunnel my phone is going off and I will be able to relax for the first time in over a year. Having talked to my bosses prospects are looking good for me at work when I return. It feels like a change is in the air.

With this in mind I will be able to fully relax in the forest and put everything I have into my projects, here is a vid i found of something I would love to get done.

Amok 8a from troublz on Vimeo.

The Awakening

2010-02-11T08:19:00.005Z

It's starting to happen, my body is starting to wake up after another run of overnights and poor sleep. Yesterday I hit the wall to boulder again, I was feeling strong but my mind was still not quite running subconciously, I was still tired and having to think about what I was doing. I did a fair few of the easyish problems and then had a miny bouldering session with Liam 'The Face of The BMC' Halsey. Our work schedules has meant that we've not climbed together for a while. It's a shame because climbing with Liam really helps my style. Style is undoubtably something he has in vast quantities and I try and copy as much of it as possible. Being strong matters, there is no doubt, but you can make things a hell of a lot easier for yourself if you hit body positions right.

Whilst trying one crimp problem yesterday I threw wide to a gaston edge, catching it with my front two fingers, I clawed hard and managed to flick on a third to a shout of 'that move came to you courtesy of Beastmaker!' from Liam. Well it undoubtedly did, but he made it look much easier, why did it feel so hard? Liam and I smiled at the ludicrous nature of the move I had just done, probably a dodgy one to do just before a trip. He gave me a knowing look, 'try flipping your wrist slightly as you throw for it'. So I pulled on, thinking hard about his advice and hit the crimp with 3 fingers, the move felt piss and I floated to the top. We watched other climbers and talked about body position, looking at where they were going wrong and what would be the most efficient way to dispatch problems.

This was a moment of real awakening. For too long I had always thought about hitting the next hold, holding it, sorting my body out and then moving to the next. This had been climbing to me. It was the subtelty of the movement I had been missing. What Liam had taught me just then was that I needed to be one step ahead. Visualise the body position I had to be in to hold the next hold and the move into it.

Sure stength matters, you are going to have to be strong enough to hang that next hold, but once you are things are going to go down. This advice could not have come at a better time and should stand me in good stead for my trip next week. It's a shame I don't live somewhere with some decent rock to go and test these new skills on. Somewhere like this is the US would be nice.......

Savage Climbing from Matt Hanner on Vimeo.

Cranking Like Thatcher

2010-02-09T19:15:00.003Z

Overnights kill me, I've had 4 hours sleep a day for the last 3 days and I am shattered. I managed a half hearted session on Monday, but it felt like I'd had a few before I got down there - I could hardly focus on the wall. My body felt strong, but I'm not quite sure my mind wanted me to be there. It was all over the place. I managed to hold it together to flash a couple of V7s but I was in no place to try anything harder.

Yesterday was a bit better, even though I'd only managed to catch 4 hours sleep again. My mind was closer to be in the moment. I warmed up in better style and got a bit of mileage in on some of the easier problems. This is my final week training and will basically be a week of pure bouldering - to let my fingers recover from all the Beastmaker training and also get me in the mode of climbing problems in the run up to Font. I still didn't feel up to getting on anything particularly hard and instead tried to make sure the flow was there. I pulled a flash of another V7 and hit a V8 second go before winding down with a few V6s and quite a few V5s. With only a week let until I head out to the forest it feels good to be into my bouldering section of my regime. Here is a vid of found of some of the ood moderates in the forest.

font from eduardo pascual on Vimeo.

For anybody who is interested I've now stuck up a few of the Beastmaker and Campus regimes that I have used under the training section.

Break The Cycle

2010-02-09T08:39:00.006Z

British Climbing media is stuck in a pretty deep rut. It is entrenched, there is no doubt about it. Sure we've seen some progress on the film front with a number of good films coming out of the UK and I'm sure we'll see more in the future. But media is more than a few films. It is the sites, the magazines, the videos, the culture. It represents how we see our sport and obviously how the wider world sees it.

A quick look at some of the other similar 'lifestyle' sports out there shows how inspirational sports media can be. Skateboarding and surfing are both leagues ahead of British climbing. Granted they are years ahead of our sport, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be fighting to catch up.

I think the problem is two fold.

Firstly the British Magazines are jack of all trades and not the slightest bit aspirational - how often do you see them full of pictures of people on E1? You don't see skateboard magazines full of pictures of people ollying off curbs do you? I haven't bought a British climbing magazine for years, because their content does not inspire me in the slightest.

Secondly the companies haven't stepped up to the plate and looked after the top end athletes. The sponsorship is terrible. Some of the best athletes in the UK get a pittance or are just given free gear by their 'sponsors'. Some of these companies are turning a substantial profit and sell all over the world, why aren't they doing more? Other than Sharma's Es Pontas shoes, when was the last time you picked up a pro model shoe/mat/clothing in a climbing shop? A share of the profits in the sale of these sponsored items would help our top end athletes financial and subsequently advance the sport. Why is there no Landman/Feehally/Varian bouldering mat, clothing or shoes?

Thirdly as a community we are too happy with our lot. We aren't asking for more, too often the majority are happy to watch videos of stong climbers shot out of focus and from a distance, or look at poor quality magazines. Next time you film yourself on a boulder problem and post the video on the net, think about how you do it, see if you can get that second shot, that better angle. Home made skateboarding and surfing videos are way ahead of climbing and it's because they are aspirational, they want to look the pro vids, be like the pros themselves. As more and more climbing walls tailor to the masses, the are getting away with it because the masses don't know what is out there. They need to be inspired.

Canon 7D Peleng Fisheye 720/60p Skateboarding Footage from RB Umali on Vimeo.

We need to learn off skateboarding and surfing and start stepping up and backing our own sport, through doing that you begin to create a culture. That will be real progression.

UPDATE
Just spotted this video about one skate shop in the US and I think it sums up how far behind our sport is. When did you walk into a climbing shop that back local talent. It doesn't happen.

DWNTWN Skate Supply from TeamJaded on Vimeo.

New Video

2010-02-07T18:48:00.005Z

Due to a compelte lack of sleep from my overnight shift and a slight tweak in my shoulder after our day on slightly damp rock, I took a well earned rest day today. To be honest I was exhausted and training could have only caused my body more damage. This is the first day in months that I've had two days off in a row, it felt strange but it had to be done. To fill my time I decided to do a little edit of a problem which I wasn't going to bother including in the dinal version of The Archives. I thought I would do a little something different with this one, something to suit the chilled out style Ned uses to cuise it. The problem is the Yoghurt Hypnotist at Rowtor Rocks. A really nice steep line, something you don't often get on Gritstone. You can check it out on my video page.

Moist Persistence

2010-02-06T12:43:00.007Z

The training has been hard over the last couple of months, I made substantial gains but have been unable to get out on rock. With the impending Font trip I though it was time to get out and try and get a bit of that 'rock feel' back. Yes strength matters, but being able to use holds in the right way and with just enough force can make the difference between sending and not sending.

So after a good beastmaker session on Wednesday, I headed up Thursday morning to Nottingham to hang out with some good friends with the intention of heading out on rock on Friday. At the start of the week the outlook for the weather had been good, but on opening the curtains on Friday morning we were greeted with a grim scene. Rain and mist.

Not conducive to cranking.

We headed north, hoping that one limestone venue we new of would be dry, otherwise it would be another 300 mile round trip to the Climbing Works for me.

The crag was damp when we arrived, but the mist began to clear as we wandered round. We chilled, gave it some time and things began to dry. With a little bit of help from chalk, brushing and towels we managed to dry out a few of the problems. We were limited but psyche was high and we made the most of what we had. I felt strong and got a V7 3rd go and then a V8 second go, only losing the flash after slipping off a juggy sloper due to the moisture. The Ambassador, the Gorestein and Loz were all psyched for an outrageous eliminate dyno project of the Ambassador's. After about half an hour of attempts it went down with Gorestein stealing the first send from the Ambassador who followed shortly after. The dyno was huge and very height dependent, consensus from the larger members of the group seemed to suggest it was somewhere in the V8+ range.

Loz repeated a one move V9 he had done before and then set about the V10 sit start, coming close but struggling with the damp. I gave the V9 ago, coming close using the same lower foothold as Loz, but being a shortarse really needed something a bit higher. There was one obvious but small sopping wet foothold, so I decided to sack it and come back for it another day in the dry. Thanks to the Ambassador for the pics.

Bright Start

2010-02-02T20:58:00.002Z

A rare work day yesterday, I was on lates so I had to get up and out pretty early to fit a session in. After a campus session the day before and Beastmaker session the day before that, yesterday was my third day on. This did nothing to improve the psyche or slightly stiff feeling in my body as I rolled into the wall a little before 9 am.

Training at this time is hard, pumping the body with caffeine improves your chances, but sometimes it takes a little more. The impending trip to font was enough motivation for me, so I set about warming up. It was bloody freezing, but it's going to be no different out in the forest I thought, so I might as well get used to it. Time was against me, but I wanted to have a few goes at Ty's two move London testpiece. The second move had gone down, but I hadn't done the first.

High poor foot, left hand crimp, right hand sloper, pull on and lock to the pinch. That's it, then I'm in to the stand up. I'm close I can feel it. My fingers tickle the pinch, they've just got to hit it right and I'm in. I pull on again, closer this time but not quite right. Headphones on, I decide to tweak my beta and concentrate on hitting it as a sidepull before latching the thumb catch. Trust the friction I thought.

Close.

This will go, one good go and I'm in. The clock is ticking, one more go before hitting the Beastmaker. This time I catch it, I'm still on, I move my left foot up, but I haven't caught the pinch quite right. In a split second I decide to re-adjust, I manage it but then the grease catches me and I'm off. That's it though, both halves done - it's on.

Locked In The Block

2010-02-01T09:46:00.002Z

The final week of structured training has begun. After a particularly nice rest day on Saturday I kicked things off yesterday with a good bouldering/Beastmaker session. My fingers were feeling strong and I set about dispatching a few new eliminates on the bouldering wall.

It feels good to know that due to structured training I've worked specific weaknesses for a period of time. As a result I've seen significant improvements in strength and ticked training goals in the process. I enjoy this type of training, split into block of times, it's only through this that I see the best most efficient gains. However ultimately it's about getting out and ticking problems outside, enjoying the movement over rock in the process.

Weather permitting by the end of this week I will have two days on grit under my belt. I can't wait to get out and actually climb on rock again, it's been way too long. I'm also looking forward to getting outside, escaping the city and seeing some good friends.

For all those who have asked for the Beastmaker regime I started with, it's now up and on the training section. Hope it makes sense, let me know if doesn't.

Wide Eyed

2010-01-30T02:19:00.003Z

When I wrote about the first night on for over night shifts being the worst, what I forgot to mention was the first night off. It's just as bad. My body wants to sleep, it's shattered from my run of overnight shifts and constant training. My mind has other ideas. Sure it's got used to training hard, it's coped well pushing me onward, but it's also used to being sharp from 1800 to 0630.

There is a battle on and as I write this my mind is winning. I have to accept it and move on, things will return to the status quo soon.

Sixth day on training today. I've pushed it hard this week and have seen some progress everyday. Today was no exception. I bouldered and then had a quick go at ticking a few training goals. Ones I wanted to tick before the trip and ones which have been lifetime goals. They both felt close.

The goal I wanted to tick before the trip was relatively straight forward, one arming the small campus rung. One go and it went down. To my astonishment I even lowered down with ease. Progress.

The lifetime goal, well that was close. Close enough to be called by some with me, but I felt like I didn't quite stick it properly. It'll go down soon, there's no doubt about it. I always thought it would take arms like this guy, perhaps I was wrong.

Elation Inspiration

2010-01-28T22:31:00.010Z

As I stepped on to pavement outside my flat this afternoon, after yet another over night shift, there was something in the air. It was a smell simliar to a change in season, the start of spring perhaps? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, the wind on my face and that distinct smell gave me a vivid image. I could see myself in the forest, miles away from the city, but it wasn't what was around me that mattered. It was the feeling I had, a sense of freedom.

Release.

Release from the pressures of my work life, no worry about rent or money. Release from spending day after day training on my own. Soon this feeling will be for real and it can't come quick enough.

But there is still training to do. One more week of structured training then ten days pure bouldering. Today was my fifth day on and my fourth on the Beastmaker. I've trained an insane amount since getting back on the wagon in late October, an average of five days a week. Including my yoga and running I've probably been clocking four to five hours a day. I've hit it hard, but I've needed some inspiration alongside Between The Trees to keep me going. I thought I'd post some links to beats, blogs and vids that have kept me ticking over:

Beats:
Jakwob - some awesome remixes with some cracking dubstep and bass. I reccomend downloading this mix. Top stuff on the phones for hitting the Beastmaker. Or having a listen to some of his tracks and podcasts at myspace.com/jakwob Anyone who has seen the Watchmen will particularly enjoy Here With Me.

Theophilus London - new school Brooklyn hip hop beast with some serious style, superb. At Fabric on Feb 5th if you live in London. There he'll be alongside, another man who never fails to inspire, A-Trak . Brilliant free mixtape from Theophilus London here.

Beats In Space This will always be in my permanent links check it out here. Coming out of Brooklyn NYC with some of the best beats around. Pure Class

Blogs
Other than those on my permanent links here are a few others which are good
Korni Obleitner
Andy Mann
Isaac Caldiero

Videos
It's not always about watching climbing vids, sometime inspiration to go and put 100% into what you love can come from elsewhere. Check out the following for a little bit of something different.

Street Art Doco you can watch the full film here

There is a story behind this vid which you can check out at The Berrics website. Great vid and even more inspiring when you know the back story of Nick Mullens.

Small World Big Gain

2010-01-27T23:54:00.007Z

Shit my world is small. It didn't used to be like this, things used to be bigger. Old Father Time has changed things there's no doubt about it. I mean, I live in one of the world's best capital cities, there's something for everyone. If you haven't been, you really should. But come loaded, come with cash and be prepared to burn it - like the Nazi's burnt books. My god will it be worth it to see that cash go up in flames. Trust me you'll get loads for your money. I used to go out, I used to enjoy what my home city had to offer.

Not now, not since the crunch.

My world has shrunk so much that most of the time it is a two foot wide piece of sustainable wood. I spend hours in front of that wood, that shrine they call the Beastmaker. I started my pilgrimage to finger strength nearly a year ago. My experience before was limited; finger training,the devils work I thought. How wrong was I? Or perhaps how right - the addiction is too strong now I can't let it go.

It's the pursuit of what seems impossible which drives the addiction. When I first started the small pockets seemed insane, now they harbour sets of completed encores and repeaters on all combinations of digits. Sloping pockets - now that was something else entirely. It took a fair while, but then the middle two went down. Nothing special, just a 3 second max hang, but it was progress. So I stayed off them, content it was possible.

Today I felt it was time to test the water again. After four months worth of four days a week solid finger training; time to see what could be done. Middle two repeaters - failed on the fifth rep, now that's a definite improvement. What about the back two? I've really put the time in there, let's see if it's paid off. Three seconds worth of max hang. Sometimes the lord works in mysterious ways.

My world may be small, I don't get out much, but in that world things are moving forward. Bring on the future.

Milk Then Tea

2010-01-27T06:57:00.005Z

Thats the rules, that's how we do things. It's etiquette, milk first then the tea - don't ask me why, it just is. In our sport there are rules too, there's things you do and things you don't. It's a bit like walking into a mens washroom with three empty urinals, ladies this won't be a problem for you, but for us men there are rules.

You never take middle, never.

You don't want to be the man that forces the next guy to have to stand next to you, unless of course you are George Michael.

Let's go outside.

Forget the urinals, this story is about rules when training. Last night I hit the Beastmaker, I hit it hard. I was mid way through a set of encores on the back two when I felt a presence near by. As the Beastmaker is on the end of the campus board I was sure I new what this meant, I've been here before.

Some guy was about to pull on the big rungs. What the fucks he doing I thought. He's invading my space, that's what. He won't avoid hitting me if he pulls on. He can't, the rungs are at a right angle to me.

"I'll just be a minute" I say, in 90 degree lock, headphones on.

Full lock now, my back two are under serious pressure. He pulls on, kicking me hard in the process and nearly knocking me off.

"Do you mind?" He swings wildly, another kick.

"Get the fuck away from me, I'll just be a second" I say, or at least I think I say. The tunes were loud in my ears, so may have been my voice.

I finish up and go up to him, I politely explain that he could have done my fingers some serious damage. Couldn't he have waited?

"Zis is a problemmm?? I wanted to go on ze campus board" He says. Frenchman.

He clearly doesn't play cricket, he doesn't know rules. This type of man wouldn't think about which one to take, he'll probably pick the middle.

Headphones on, Kyle Hall Fabric Blog Mix in my ears, back to the encores.

Half Full

2010-01-26T02:37:00.007Z

Strength, timing, precision. One pinch, one edge and one move. My fingers feel good on the left hand crimp; they should do, I've trained them hard enough. My right grips the pinch, wide and poor. My index slips into the right place, I raise my left foot to the edge, pull on and move. My body floats, stoping just at the right point, my fingers take the matchstick sized slopey edge and bite down. Fucking come on.

Shame that's only the stand up, still it's progress. One move into it and it'll be done.

I repeat it to make sure it's wired.

Indoors problems come and go, holds change and volumes move. With no fixed board at the wall, there are very few problems with a sense of history. There is no Perky Pinky here. Fortunately a certain Mr Landman left the odd legacy kicking around. They are hidden, know where to look and you'll find them. This one is a particular gem he showed to me earlier in the year, small poor featured holds with 2 precise tension moves. Ticking the stand up left me with that great buzz, the reason we do the sport we love, the reason we train.

My campus session felt slightly dull after, still it's a means to an end.

Getting Through It

2010-01-25T01:52:00.005Z

This blog has never been about names or ego, most people who feature on here come under some sort of nickname and for good reason. Climbing shouldn't be solely about self-promotion. There have been instances recently of kids wanting to get noticed, push their name about, brag about what they've done, stretch the truth. It's not what climbing is about. Yes it's about getting stronger, training hard and crushing, but it's also about the history and being part of a community.

As a communtiy there are times when we have to come together. Whether this be to campaign for access to bouldering venues, get walls like the Westway to sort their act out, or support fellow members when times are tough.

Currently a good friend and training partner of mine Liam Cook is going through a rough time. He's featured on this blog under a few different aliases and I've been fortunate to share his company on a number of trips to distant bouldering venues. I'm sure many of you will have met him on your travels. Liam is currently going through a tough run of treatment for Hodgkins Lymphoma. He's currently blogging on his battle with cancer, so head over to www.happyhodgkins.blogspot.com and check out his thoughts.

If your paths have crossed amongst a jumble of large rocks somewhere then give him a shout. I'm looking forward to getting back out on the road with him when he has made a speedy recovery.

All The Angles

2010-01-22T23:38:00.009Z

The first in a run of overnights is the worst, there's no doubt about it. My head didn't touch the pillow until 7am this morning and by midday I was wide awake. It doesn't matter what I do, the first day the body just doesn't want to stay in bed, the eyes won't close and the dreams won't come. Too many years of watching Neighbours at lunchtime has burned it into my concious that I should be awake and already thinking about what the hell I am going to cook for dinner.

I felt like shit by 1400.

But I would be back at my desk by 1800 and no matter what I would train before I got in the car; heading off for work as everybody else went home for the weekend. Fuck them I thought, they won't know it but by the time they drive smugly past I will have proved to them I can train in this condition. It can be done.

3 cups coffee, 1 red bull.

With that I hit the wall, warming up was hard but I knew I didn't need too much before I could hit the beastmaker. Shit I'm addicted to that thing, but it makes you fucking strong, there is no doubt about it.

Dark chocolate.

That had to be enough caffeine in the system, mixed with the Wu Tang and Nas on the phones I actually felt pretty pumped. The psyche really kicked in when I got to my new favorite training excercise, the encores. I've got totally addicted to them as they give a complete finger and arm work out. Front two, mid two and back two all went down on the small pockets. I even got back on the sloping pockets. Mid two, max hangs, 7 secs sets went down easily.

Fuck no sleep.

That's four days on the beastmaker in a row, screw you, you smug bastards. I told you it could be done.

In the car and off into the night for another overnight shift, Theophilus London and Ghost Poet on the stereo, better to listen to more chilled hip hop and stay off the ganstar rap in prep for my rest day tomorrow.

When your reading this I'll probably be snoozing, sweet dreams. They always get easier from here.

What Breaks The Man Makes The Beast

2010-01-22T03:46:00.002Z

I'm now into a series of overnights and I'm not sure which is worst the first in a run or the last. Training during periods like this can be pretty hard, but I think there is always something that can be done. I normally get to bed at about 0700 and then get up about 1430. I don't have too much time to fit training in as I have to be back in work by 1800.

Yesterday I hit what most likely will become a familiar regime over the next week; I headed to the wall, had a swift warm up and then hit the Beastmaker. Fatigue always sets in during overnights and the Beastmaker is about the only training I can do. To be honest it suits me fine as my fingers are an are I'm working on.

They are feeling stronger by the day and I managed to get through a set of encores on the back two and then the mid two on the small pockets with relative ease. I've only really just started doing encores; I've mainly hit repeaters and max hangs before. I think encores are more than a worthwhile addition to the armoury. As well as the arms they work the fingers in a variety of positions - you aren't always hanging below holds when climbing so why always train like that?

I can't wait to come off this run of overnights, at least I know that when it's over I'll be one week closer to heading to font.

Here is a little problem I would love to get done

le mandarin 8a, fontainebleau from Nicolas Mathieu on Vimeo.

Yoghurt Hypnotist V8

2010-01-21T19:09:00.000Z

Yoghurt Hynotist V8 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

Ned Feehally cruising a steep gritstone classic The Yoghurt Hypnotist V8

Things Done Changed

2010-01-21T11:24:00.003Z

As Biggie would say 'Things Done Changed': the blog is pretty much there now, the last few days have seen some tweaking some changes here and there and now it's settled down. I'm pretty damn happy with the result. I think the look is the kind of simple but yet easy on the eye look I was after and it should also be a bit easier to use.

The two search tabs at the top should take you straight to any training articles or videos I've uploaded and if you find stuff you like there you can always hit up my RSS feed. Everything has now moved to www.increasingthecalibre.com which will eventually, when I get a full time job and some cash become a full site. In the meantime I have to admit that not being a full on techy I had to have a little help from a friend. Bouldering beast and web designer John Reading gave me a fair few pointers and a fair bit of help along the way and for that I'm extremely grateful. John lives a bit of nice existence, 6 months in London and then 6 months in Rocklands working 3 days a week. He is undoubtedly the man I will go to when I get the cash for a full site.

Check out a site I'm guessing he had a hand in www.rocklandsbouldering.com it's a great place to get a little inspiration to go out and crush or grab the next long haul flight to Cape Town.

I'm abaout to hit a stint of overnights, starting tonight it will take me through to the middle of next week. I'm hoping it won't affect my training too much, but it may well give me a little time to stick up the first of my training articles. Keep your eyes peeled for that, any feedback on the new look will always be welcome.

Brad Pit V10

2010-01-21T11:18:00.002Z

Brad Pit V10 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

Tony Musselbrook cruising the classic boulder problem Brad Pit V10 at the Stanage Plantation, Peak District

Voyager V13

2010-01-21T11:17:00.001Z

Voyager V13 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

Stewart Watson sending one of the UK's hardest boulder problems Voyager V13 at Burbage North, Peak District.

A Curious Yellow

2010-01-21T11:15:00.000Z

Curious Yellow V11 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

James Ibbertson and Tom Peckitt ticking the classic Curious Yellow V11 at Ilkley, Yorkshire UK.

Where It's At

2010-01-19T19:27:00.005Z

Ok, so I'm well into my final training cycle before font, about half way in fact. I work on 8 week training cycles and then two weeks pure bouldering. Before each cycle I work out what I'm least strong at and then tailor the next 2 months to getting it stronger. Currently I'm training 5-6 times a week, each session has a particular focus. I'll warm up for an hour each time with a bit of light bouldering and then either Campus Board, Beastmaker, Rings or Circuits. 1 of the sessions is pure bouldering to make sure that I still have the ability to put effort into problems and then execute.

Each time I reassess what I'm least strong at I then tailor the majority of training sessions to that, at the moment 4 of my 6 sessions are Beastmaker as my fingers are the least strong aspect currently. Each session is structured again around the things I'm least strong at within that aspect.

It sounds pretty structured and it is, but it seems to help me see good gains. I think that in climbing it is way too easy to train what you are strongest at. I did this for years and I got better very slowly. When coached as a youngster in other sports, which are professional at the adult level, things were taken much more seriously and all training was structured to aid improvement and it worked. In climbing it is too easy to point at the guys who are naturally talented, often started climbing young and say 'but they don't train they just climb', you would be right. But their bodies are often perfect for climbing and have adapted so that it is a natural thing to do.

For those of us that started late climbing will not come naturally to us, and often it will take a lot too improve. So I believe that once you have a good base level any training of your weaknesses will see a big and quick improvement.

So my final cycle has included one campus session and 4 Beastmaker sessions a week. I hit the Beastmaker yesterday. My session is basically desgined to get me strong at crimping,after warming up on with a set of repeaters on the 35 degs I then do fr 3 crimped repeaters small rungs, 5 x fr 2 crimped small rungs max hangs, 2 sets bk 2 repeaters small pockets, mid 2 encores small pockets, Bk 3 crimped repeaters small rungs. To finish I do 4 sets of 5 pull ups crimped on the small rungs, drink my protein and head home.

If you want a more detailed breakdown of the excercises check out www.beastmaker.co.uk here you can also now order your very own Beastmaker and I'm reliably informed it should be with you in a couple of days!

My training has changed a lot since I first started, I first got into bouldering living in Nottingham and training on the legendary Notts board, yesterday I stumbled across this vid of John Cooke crushing one of the wooden classics

Training Time - Ollie's Grape 8A Nottingham Wall Cellar Board from John Cooke on Vimeo.

Change Is Coming

2010-01-19T08:40:00.002Z

There is a change coming on the blog. As you may well have noticed the format has changed, it was time for a little something new and a bit more coherent. I'm a professional after all (well if you can call working an average of 10 days a month that) and I thought it was time I brought my blog after date with the rest of my life. So the format change is part of that, but it is also part of something a little bigger.

Firstly my blog will soon be moving to www.increasingthecalibre.com a small but important improvement. Don't worry if you still use this address you should, if I haven't screwed it up be directed there. Secondly the tabs at the top, which at the moment won't take you very far, will pretty soon take you to pages containing my videos and also a selection of training articles. My background as a teenager was in structured training for other more main stream sports, I was fortunate to play these sports at a high level and learned a lot from the training process. This approach is something which I have taken to my climbing.

In the first few years I had no direction except enjoying the improvement, however on moving to London 3 years ago I found that I needed to structure my training to fit in with my working life. Making the most out of the time I had available to me. Being unable to get out on rock training became important to make sure I was strong for the odd time I could get away. Since then I have explored a number of different training methods, the majority of which have been detailed on this blog. So I felt it was time to bring this info into a coherent format where it could be easily digested. I was stimulated to do this after being asked by Britain's finest to outline my rings regime for him, I had nothing to write it on and no where to point him to. Hopefully the changes I am making to the blog should rectify this.

Whilst I've been getting a few of these changes together I've also been training hard. Font is now less than a month away. I'll be back with more details on how the training is going later today, after yet another Beastmaker session.

It May Be Small

2010-01-12T07:47:00.003Z

I don't get out on rock much at the moment, anyone who reads this blog will know that. Training is my thing currently, so if you want updates on what I've been doing on the rock come back in 5 weeks time. However if training is your thing then stick with this post.

The last year for me has been all about change, in almost every aspect it has been my mantra. Change is good. When it comes to training your body can become used to what you put it through and therefore not work at it's hardest, it takes things easy and puts the cruise control on. We've all been there, hit that plateau. It's very frustrating, but there are ways round it.

I find the most helpful thing for me is to train in 8 week cycles. This gives enough time to really work specific weaknesses. I then take two weeks of active time off, usually just pure bouldering, before restarting another 8 week cycle. Each time I think it is important to reassess where you are and tailor your training to the areas you want to see the most improvement. These should really be your weaknesses as improving what you are good at will lead to very small advances. It's your weaknesses where you will see the biggest gains.

Think about it for a second, what are you least strong at? Right now work on some excercises that will work that element of your climbing and stick with them for 8 weeks and then reasses again.

I find training goals can also be exceptionally useful. When I came off my last cycle just before Christmas I worked out my new regime and set my goals. Yesterday I crushed one and it felt extremely good.

I've been working on an excercise to improve contact strength. For the first training cycle during my campus session I would jump to a medium rung (the 4th suits me as a short arse I can't jump any higher) catch it with one hand, no thumbs underneath, hang it for 3 seconds and then drop down and immediately jump again leading with the other arm. I do this 4 times on each arm for a set and do 3 sets. Initially 12 weeks ago it felt desperate, I could hardly hang the rung, however I've persisted and seen massive gains.

One of my training goals before I went away was to complete a set on the small rungs. Yesterday whilst showing old school training legend Zippy the excercise ( and getting him very psyched for it in the process) I set about crushing three full sets on the small rungs.

This is progress, it may be small but it stands for a lot.

The Low Percentile

2010-01-10T17:35:00.002Z

I've been training hard over the last week, the second and final phase of my training has kicked off before the trip to font in five weeks time. I'm currently training 5-6 days a week and really feeling the benefits. Last week consisted of 4 Beastmaker sessions, 1 Campus session and 1 bouldering session. I felt good to get back on the campus board again, the snap still felt like it was there, but there is still definitely room for progress.

I've also started to shed a few pounds in order to get down to my fighting weight two weeks before the trip. I'm aiming to hit around 10st 9lbs two weeks before the trip. Tuesday will see a weigh in so we'll see how much I have to lose. The flow is still going well and I can't wait to get out on the sandstone in Font.

Here's one of tthe first videos I ever shot and edited in the magical forest about 4 years ago. The Musselbrook doing his thing on eclipse is the clear higlight.

A New Year A New Start

2010-01-04T12:49:00.003Z

Well kind of. I finished 2009 in pretty fine form, with a double session. I hit the Beastmaker hard in the morning for the first of the second phase of my training, this focusses on pure basic finger power. Worth reading Dan Varian's article in this months Climb magazine if you are interested in a few tips. Basically I've started doing crimped max hangs on the front two fingers on the small rungs of the Beastmaker to work my crimp strength. It was a serious shock to the system, I managed to max hang at an average of 4 seconds and look forward to seeing some serious improvement. The evening and I was back on the wall cranking out a few of the problems. I now got four left in this set and am determined to get them all done. I think this helps with the projecting mentality and the ability to turn on crush mode and exucute when on a project outside.

The sessions continued as we hit 2010 and I feel in good form. As well as changes to my training I've also made a few personal changes. I'm focussing on trying to get out there and get myself a new job, for both my sanity and bank balance. I'm also back editing my footage for the Archives. I am always amazed at how many problems I've got on the hard drive. Here's a couple of new ones, Enjoy

Curious Yellow V11 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

Brad Pit V10 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

The Glutton

2009-12-27T20:51:00.004Z

I was pretty good this Christmas, I watched what I ate, although did still enjoy myself, kept a check of my drinking and drank a substantial amount of Green Tea. The top food cooked by my mum and the rest days seem to have paid dividends. I felt really strong during todays bouldering session. Up until now I've either flashed or done in a couple of goes all of the problems up until V7. I've felt like my climbing has been flowing well, I've been trying to onsight things and flashed a number of V7s. This has been a great improvement for me as it's something I've struggled with in the past.

Today I decided to put some time into the harder problems. I've spent a session trying some of the moves on the two V10s, which both involve wide slopey pinches on the steepest part of the wall. Other than that I've left most of the other problems alone, except for checking the moves when setting. But the process of setting and checking and setting again left me too shattered to have a proper go at them. So today I set my sights on two V8s, both of differing styles.

The first is one of my creations which has a couple of big moves on good holds and then a very big lock off press to finish. My first go this session saw me at the final move although I dropped 1cm short on the press. Next go crush mode was engaged and it was sent. Next it was time to get on a very crimpy V8 with a cruxy deadpoint move, as soon as I pulled on I knew I was feeling strong and sure enough I hit the hold and it was done. Including testing during setting both of these went down within 6 goes,which I was pretty chuffed with as it is a massive improvement for me to get things done so quickly. Normally due to my prevous lack of flexibility and poor route reading I take a while to figure out the best beta for me. This shows how things can change if you put the effort into training your weaknesses.

I finished my session working the two hardest problems, I felt really good and came close on both. It feels like the Christmas break has opened a door for me, things are coming together nicely. The second part to my regime in the run up to font starts on Tuesday, hopefully this will kick me through that open door.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T11:03:00.003Z

A Merry Christmas to all of you! Christmas is always a good time to look back and reflect over the year, mine as many of you will know has been a strange one. But I have learnt a lot about my climbing and improved my training methods and can't wait for 2010.

We did get one little Christmas treat in our household as my other half got a well deserved promotion and pay rise a couple of days ago. This is going to help us out a lot, so thanks Old Nic.

I hope this year has been a good one for you, reflect and get ready to crush in 2010. Oh and watch those pounds don't pile on over Christmas!

Worth having a read of Doylo's Christmas Sermon here if you want a little bit of inspiration, that man has been crushing this year!

We Go On On On

2009-12-22T14:56:00.003Z

Climbing really is an utterly insane sport. We put ludicrous amounts of energy into trying to improve. In the process putting pressure on parts of our bodies that just weren't built for it and more often than not pressure on our personal relationships (we've all been there). Fortunately my lack of work has meant that I can strike quite a good training life balance. Although it does mean I have to often train on my own, which is quite a miserable experience for a social animal like me. On the plus side however working ten days a month means plenty of training time.

Yesterday saw my third day in a row of bouldering, I've come to the end of my 8 week training cycle and am having a week of pure bouldering before hitting the campus board,Beastmaker and rings. I find that despite thinking that your body will feel tired from training so much, it often seem to adapt and really tune in to what you want it to do. Climbing starts to become the norm. I had a really good session, completed a few more of the harder problems and came very close to linking a V10 which has become a little project for me to sink my teeth into. I really enjoy climbing on it because it involves slightly friction dependent pinches and slopers which I didn't use to do well on. However I set my sights on getting to grips with them and it seems to be paying off.

I love training my weaknesses and seeing improvement, I'm amazed that it took 5 years of climbing to realise that is the best way to improve. I've rested today although it wasn't much of a rest, as I spent it in town doing my final bits of Christmas shopping and Oxford Street was as busy as you would imagine it to be.

Tomorrow morning I'm hitting the wall before heading back to my folks and a well earned couple of days rest before my final training cycle before font begins. And to say that I'm looking forward to the trip is an understatement.

Dividends

2009-12-21T07:16:00.002Z

After coming to the end of my first training cycle before Font I'm giving my body a little break from secific training. This is not a let off in intensity, that'll come when I head home for a few days RnR over Christmas. It is however time off campussing, Beastmaking etc. I've bouldered for the last two days and despite a Christmas hangover (my last before the trip) I have felt strong. I have now flashed or done second go all of the problems up to V7, I've had a few goes at some of the V8s + 9s, but many of these were during our setting period when problems were tweaked and changed.

So today I'm going to have a good go at a few of them and then finish my session with some longer problems and link ups. The First part of my training cycle has already paid dividends and my power feels like it is well and truly back up to speed and my fingers feel the strongest they ever have. Much of this is down to hitting the Beastmaker and actually putting time into something which was once a weakness, it's also as a direct result of advice from the Beastmaker boys half of which will be joining me out in Font. I'm sure the crushing form Ned took to the Frankenjura will continue in the forest. Here is a little vid from the boys site of the Nedster pulling down in Germany.

Ned vs schnee from beastmaker.co.uk on Vimeo.

Dreaming Of An Escape

2009-12-18T12:46:00.016Z

Anybody who reads this blog on a regular basis will know that climbing is not my life. Sure it plays it's part, but it is just one of the things which influences the way I spend my time. I'm currently halfway through my training regime for my trip to font and as we close in on the end of 2009, it felt like the right time to sum up where I'm at both in my life and climbing.

The last year has been one full of highs and lows, along with a great many people I lost my job due to the recession at the start of the year. At the time I thought all was lost and it was only a pre booked trip to Albarracin that kept my spirits up. Things went well on the trip, but my mental state was not one that meant I could project anything. I was mentally fragile, so booze was drunk and problems within my range were crushed, I ticked some of the classic problems I had seen such as the brilliant Ineschakra.

I came back to the UK fully refreshed and ready to hit the work all guns blazing with a positive outlook. With a bit of luck I had found myself doing the job I had always wanted but only on a 0 hours contract and on the subs bench for the permanent members of staff. This left me waiting for the call to work, which if it came, came at 0630 in the morning. More often than not though I would get up when my girlfriend did as if I would be working, and wait for the call. Once 0800 came round and I hadn't recieved a call I would most likely not be working that day, although sometimes I got the call as late as 2130. I was averaging about 8 days a month work, just enough to survive on in London but no more.

Some months I would get no work at all.

This had a big impact on me mentally, you panic as to whether you can pay the bills or the rent. I have no savings, only credit cards and overdafts to help me survive so there were some lean times.

This did however leave me plenty of time to train. I went at it all guns blazing. Often hitting double sessions a day. The problem was that I couldn't get out on rock for fear of missing work. After a couple of fruitful months work, I decided I could risk a weekend away and headed to Wales. The training had paid off and I crushed Bus Stop, a problem I had wanted to do for a while within about 10 mins of pulling on. It felt good to be out on rock again, getting the classics ticked. It felt even better to be away with friends, away from the stress of London and direct debits that had to be paid.

Over the summer things got better work wise, I started to be able to get a rainy day fund together incase the work dried up. I wasn't training much though. I couldn't, I needed a break so I looked to the bottle. I always find that there is only so much of anything that I can do. This is the same for bouldering as it is for booze and come October I knew I had to get back into training.

What I needed more than anything was a trip, a long one so that I could do the classics both within my range and at my limit. Fortunately I work for a certain well known international media mogul and as a result can only have an 11 month contract, before taking an unpaid month off, before being hired again. This situation is to stop you ever becoming a permanent employee. Yeah I know it sucks.

What it does mean though is that during that period I don't have to be ready at a moments notice to jump at a work call. They can't call me. So it means it's trip time. I've been training hard since the trip was firmed up and I now feel stronger than ever.

Thanks to the advice I've had from the beastmaker boys and the rest of the house of power I've been training my fingers. My arms have always been my strongest attribute, but now my fingers are very quickly catching up and soon before I head off things will be all square.

With that I'm off to write my letter to Santa.....

Dear Santa,

I feel I've been good this year. I've stuck at it and worked my nuts off both in work and training. As a result I only want two presents: A full time job, and to crush the classics in the magical forest of fontainbleau that I have on my ticklist.

Thanks

Nizza

PS. Might be best to hold of the full time job until I come back from the trip.
PPS. What the f**k happened to that new bike I asked for in my previous letter??

My present to you readers is not a big one, just a few of pics I haven't posted before of my two trips this year. Sorry I can't give you anything better, but times are tight. Thanks for reading and here is to next year!

Enjoy and Merry Christmas

The Smell of Success

2009-12-18T08:18:00.004Z

For a variety of reasons I had a bouldering session like none before yesterday. Knowing that Thursdays are usually busy nights and a bit sick of training on my own during the day I decided to train in the evening. I fancied a little bit of Christmas cheer and a chat or two with friends whilst crushing the latest set.

I got there a little bit early and set about having a long warm up. My aim was to try and do about 30 problems in a session to try and get some mileage in. By the time the wall started to fill up I had done about 20 problems. I felt really good,light and strong. My good friend The Lawyer, who I haven't actually trained with for a while, rocked up and after warming up decided that the wall was a little too busy for his liking. With that he dropped what is possibly the worst guff I have smelt in the last 20 years. This was BAD, the kind of thing that causes a commotion when you are 10 years old and sat on the carpet at primary school.

It stunk.

I smelt it straight away and quickly realised that due to his proximity to me I could easily be blamed. This situation could easily have got out of hand as I was stood just in front of two ladies. My arse was about a metre from their faces - had I taken the blame my reputation would have been in tatters. In tears laughing they got up and left, people started to move towards the door, t-shirts over faces.

This really was a flashback to school moment.

I pointed out that there could only be one culprit, a man with a financial situation that allows him the finer things in life. This was something only a foire gras eating, black velvet drinking Lawyer could achieve, a feat completely unattainable by those of us who only frequent M & S food halls in the false hope that there is a reduced section like in Tesco.

With fewer crowds I set about working the harder problems and got fairly close on most of them. They will go, however 'conditions' might have to be better. Cleaner air might help.

I'm going back to training on my own.

Up and At Em'

2009-12-17T13:35:00.002Z

I'm on a week off the fingerboards and specific training this week and on a run on bouldering. This is aimed at giving my fingers a break from Beastmaker training and time to recover before I hit them again just after Christmas.

Monday and Tuesday saw me setting the bouldering wall with the legend that is the Halsey and a couple of others. Setting testing and tweaking problems is a mamouth excercise and ends in some long sessions. Hanging out at the wall has also left me with a bit of a cold which I'm also trying to shake off, I've also developed a seasonal injury. A gaping wound in the top of my mouth, which I got from eating an extremely hot home made mince pie. Fucking hurts

Still could be worse.

I'm heading down the wall today to try and get done some of the problems I couldn't fully complete when we were testing and looking forward to it.

I'm not looking forward to the weigh in though......

10 Weeks

2009-12-11T10:03:00.008Z

I've just gone through the calendar and planned out my last 10 weeks of training before I head off to Font. The channel tunnel is booked and on February 18th I'll be heading off with Loz for a full month of crushing in the forest. I haven't been back for about three years and can't wait to have a good period of time to get used to the climbing style.

In the meantime though there is still a lot of hard work to put in. My initial training phase is coming to an end and handily will finish just before Christmas. Over the Christmas period I will keep the intensity up, but lay off the Beastmaker to give my fingers time to recover and adapt. Then my second and final phase kicks in as we hit the new year.
The intensity will remain, but I've tweaked a few things. I'm adding a second campus session a week and the rings will come back so that my body strength and power will be back up to speed. The beastmaker will be hit in force with some changes to the excercises I'm doing. I'm aiming to peak just as I hit the forest, so the two weeks before we roll out, sees me scaling back to give my body time to recover and adapt.

The weight has started to really come off these last two weeks and I've noticed the difference. I'm aiming to keep stable around the current weight until three weeks before when I will get down to my fighting weight.

A little taster of a font classic, it wasn't on my ticklist but it sneaked on after I watched this.

Sale Gosse from David Woodman on Vimeo.

Changing The Game

2009-12-03T08:05:00.003Z

I've really changed the type of training I've been doing in an attempt to shock the body and see maximum gains before my trip to Font. I hit up my third campus session of my new regime last week. This involves a number of different excercises as well as the classic laddering. One of the new excercises involves me jumping to a rung, catching it with one hand and then hanging it for 3 seconds. On dropping to the floor I immediately jump again this time leading with the other arm. I'm currently doing this on the medium metolius rungs, but one of my goals is to complete a set on the small rungs before my trip.

I also managed to fit in a four sets of Beastmaker sessions last week and the gains keep coming as I managed to again crank out a set of repeaters on the small pockets on the back 2 and failed on the last rep on the front 2. Fingers are the key to my training at the moment and the area I need to put the most into, looking forward to them being strong come the trip.

I am also keeping up with the circuits, I never thought I'd say that. They are good for the soul I feel.

Inspired by Between The Trees I've got my ticklist together for the trip and can't wait to get out on that sandstone. It's been too long since I was last in the forest.

Rain, Wine & Beastmakin' Breakthroughs

2009-12-02T09:42:00.003Z

Last Thursday I headed up to Nottingham to see the Ambassador and hopefully head out climbing. Well we got as far as warming up on the grit on Friday morning before it pissed it down and we had to sack it to the works. We had a good long 3hr session on the comp wall before hitting the Motherboard. This was probably the wrong way round as the Motherboard is a little 45 degree monster designed by the Beastmaker boys. It's basically a mirror image of holds on left and right so that when you done a problem one way you can do it on your other side. I still managed to do a fair few problems (even if they were warm ups) and felt reasonably strong.

As the weather looked terrible for Saturday we stayed in Shef and hit the vino, was good to catch up with The Masonator The Baron and Ned, especially as I was pleased to find out those boys will be in Font at the same time as me. Let the team psyche flow. Saturday was a right off, but Sunday however saw an old school session at the Notts cellar.

Despite a cold, which was undoubtedly brought on by a combo of the overnights/crap weather out and a hang over from Friday, I felt strong and crushed a few of tthe old school problems.

I think much of this strength gain is down to getting back into training but mainly training the fingers again. Yesterday saw my fifth Beastmaker session in my new regime and a massive breakthrough. I managed to get through a full set of repeaters on my back two on the small pockets, Boom! This is a massive improvement for me from where I was 6 months ago and I know I'll see more gains in the run up to the trip. Fingers are the least strongest aspect of my climbing so it is where I really need to put in the most time.

I'm psyched for Font and have watched Uncle Somebody's film Between the Trees numerous times now, review coming later.

Back 2 It

2009-11-25T08:25:00.002Z

I'm feeling the psyche to train at the moment. My work has settled back into a nice rhythym and the knowledge that I have a trip on the cards is keeping my motivational level high. I've made a few serious tweaks to my training, running once a week, circuits once a week, but most of the old favourites are still there.

Yesterday I hit the Beastmaker for the third session in my latest regime. I'm concerntrating on Back two fingers and front two seperately. I've become absolutely addicted to training the back two and already I'm seeing some gains. Up until now I've been left doing max hangs on the smallest pockets, however yesterday I had a breakthrough and failed on the fith rep of a set of repeaters. I also managed to get through a set of front 3 open handed repeaters on the crimps, which is something I've stuggled with before.

I'm also starting to feel like my body is flowing again and feeling light. I've lost 5 lbs over the last two weeks which has probably got something to do with it. I'm currently a couple of pounds above a decent training weight and a fair few above my fighting weight, but it feels like the weight is shifting.

Weather permitting I'll be hittting the peak this weekend, it'll be great to get back on rock again. Be even better when I'm on my trip again, Font here we come. Looking forward t getting a copy of Uncle Somebody's film to see the Landmanator ripping it up out there.

Teaser 2 from unclesomebody on Vimeo.

First Gear

2009-11-02T09:17:00.002Z

The last couple of months have been really busy for me work wise and last week was no exception. It was a 6 day week for me, which in the last couple of months would lead me to sack off the training and chill at home. However this week the psyche was back, full of the knowledge that I will be heading off on a trip early next year I hit the training. I had a good couple of bouldering sessions, a five mile run and yet another circuits session over the week. I've seen improvement in my power stamina over the two circuit sessions I've done and I'm looking forward to some real improvements over the coming months.

I've currently got the next three days off which is perfect as I'm ready to move the training up a gear. It's time to fully reinstate the Beastmaker, campus and rings sessions back into my regime. I'm going to boulder today and then hit the Beastmaker.

I've got a wedding this weekend coming and am then on a run of nights, but as soon as that it over I should be heavily back into training and ready to head up to the Peak.

Back On The Wagon

2009-10-26T11:59:00.002Z

I'm back in action and training hard. I hit the wall for a campus session on Friday. The campus board was out of action as they were changing the lights. Good to see money being spent where it is needed. So instead I did some footless problems and then hit the rings. The arms felt some serious shock as they hadn't done anything for a while.

Saturday saw me add a new element to my training, somtething I have never done before, I hit the circuits. Inspired by Adrian 'Mr Maximuscle' Baxter I decided a change was needed. It felt hard, but it it was a great feeling to be truly rubbish at something again, safe in the knowledge that I could improve by putting the effort in. It will clearly help my ability to get longer problems done but I also think it will help my style. I never thought I would feel good about doing circuits, but I felt so good that I will be doing one session a week of them.

Sunday I laid out my new regime which I will detail later this week and then went for a 5 mile run. Running is something that I have avoided in recent years, but I've decided to start hitting the pavement.

Tonight I'll be hitting the Beastmaker. I'm on a roll.

Old Father Time

2009-10-20T06:51:00.005+01:00

The last couple of months have been spent dabbling in training. I've really been climbing 1-3 times a week. I'd wanted to train more, but my life didn't allow it. It seems to have paid off giving my body a rest. I hit the Beastmaker yesterday for my first full session back since my training regime began. Immediately I had a Beastmaker breakthrough - 2 sets of repeaters on the 45 deg slopers, without a nestle. Boom. I even managed to crank out a pull up (and lower back down) on them. I felt strong on the pockets and crimps as well. Tonight I'm heading down for a quick bouldering session to warm up followed by my first full campus session.

The knowledge of a trip has got me well and truly psyched. The rock is calling, check out these 2 vids fro the states if you need a little motivation

Mike Penn on Filter(V9) from B Hawkins on Vimeo.

Dan Beall: Bishop - Luminance from Jonathan Deguzman on Vimeo.

Ecstatic

2009-10-16T07:54:00.003+01:00

that I'm back cranking and that Mos Def has come out with a blinding album. Yesterday I got back to cranking for the first time properly in a while. My body was full of vigour and my mind full of psyche, safe in the knowledge that any training I put in over the next four months can be used on a trip. I decided to give my body a bit of a shock to get the muscles firing again. So after a bouldering session I threw a few moves down on the campus board and then the rings.

As this is the start of my first 8 week training cycle, I weighed in. 11st 3lbs, 71kg. I aim to get down to a reasonable training weight of 10 st 11 lbs by December and then 10 st 7 lbs by February.

Tomorrow I'm going to be back on the double sessions. Beastmaker and then campus board. Trip = Psyche = Training.

Here's a vid of 2 amazing looking lines from Swizzy.

Liam 'Leroy' Desroy - Vecchio Leone Font 8B from UKClimbing.com TV on Vimeo.

Deep In The Game

2009-10-15T08:17:00.005+01:00

Things have changed for me over the past couple of weeks, changed for the better. Work has really started to pick up. After a difficult first six months the summer saw me knocking solid 10 day months of work. This was me back from survival and able to live again. Then last month I had a massive breakthrough, I hit a full 18 days of work. I was also being booked in advance rather than just gtting called on the day. This has left me with this month coming another 18 days of work. As a result I'm starting to put some cash away for a rainy day in case the work drys up.

It also means I have been able to save some holiday pay. I'm putting this away as, shock horror, I've got a trip planned. The clauses of my contract mean that I have to take a month of unpaid early next year. I'm planning to head away for a 3 week trip with the monster that is Loz. We intend to cruise to Font in his van and then down to Chironico before heading back to Font again. We are hoping to be met by The Ambassador and The Lawyer at some point along the way.

Due to all the work, a stag do, and my birthday I've failed miserably to train over the last couple of weeks. However tonight things change. I'm hitting the wall for a session with the Lawyer and Huffy. I'll be working on my new regime in the day, it's time to get strong.

Commitment is the key.

Battle for Hearts and Minds Trailer from Danfung Dennis on Vimeo.

Zoo York

2009-10-01T10:03:00.000+01:00

The third video from my archives has just dropped on the Increasing The Calibre Vimeo Channel. It's Tom Peckitt crushing what is in my opinion one of the best lines in the UK, Zoo York V11 at Caley Yorkshire. Check it out.

Zoo York V11 from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

The Archives

2009-09-30T17:20:00.006+01:00

So I've been sitting on a hard drive's worth of gritstone bouldering footage which I shot with Andy 'Hutch' Hutchison a couple of years ago. I've already released a couple of vids of problems on my Vimeo page and will continue to drop more problems over the coming months. However in response to requests for the entire archive on DVD I thought that I might as well cut a full film together and make it available on DVD, underground style, to anybody who wants it.

In order to get the psyche for the hours I am going to have to spend editing I thought I would cut a little trailer of some of the footage which will be coming your way over the coming months. If you are looking for over production, hippies finding themselves, Cody Roth or Nate 'Biggie' Gold banging on about their love for the latest strong man, this is not the vid for you. If you are on the other hand after a bit of inspiration to get out cranking on the grit, without the bullshit, you might just be in the right place. Check it out.

The Archives Trailer from Increasing The Calibre on Vimeo.

The Archives contains footage of the following problems amongst others

Crystal Method V9
Terry V9
Zoo York V11
Guacamole V10/11
Reel Keel Haul V13
Zen V12
Digital Death V10
The Terrace V10
Hurricane V9
Voyager V13
Nothing Safe V9
Banana Republic V11
Brad Pit V10
Raw Deal V10
Red Baron Roof V10
Dead Baron V11
Curious Yellow V11

Hands Down

2009-09-30T13:24:00.002+01:00

Last thursday I headed down the wall for what was to be a final session before heading out on the rock over the weekend. As I warmed up I felt pretty sluggish and really should have quit, but I kept on at it. Big mistake, it was too warm I was too sluggish and and both of these combined caused me to ping off a dirty pocket. I immediately felt a lot of pain in the base of my hand.

Gutted, that killed the weekend.

After hitting the booze and food to make myself feel better, I got back in to editing. I managed to get a fair few problems done and have completed a little trailer which I'll drop on here later today.

Watch this space.

The Horizon

2009-09-24T22:53:00.004+01:00

I've been making a fair bit of progress on the Beastmaker over the past two weeks and am really looking forward to working my least strong areas and seeing some vast improvement over my next training cycle. Whilst on a bit of down time at work today I pondered where I was at with my climbing, where I wanted to be and subsequently how I was going to get there. I know what my long term goals are, problems I want to do and areas I want to get to that I have yet been. But it is the more short term goals, with this coming winter in mind which I was most concerned with.

Living in London obviously has it's drawbacks, the mentality of the wall management, the distance from rock being two of the most obvious. The first you can try and overcome, the second unfortunately you can do nothing about. It really limits what you can get done. As a result I have decided on 10 projects for the whole of the winter. Obviously I will climb other easier problems when I visit areas, but if I want to get things done in the limited number of days I will have, I have to focus. The trhee main areas I will visit will be the Peak, Yorkshire, Wales and eventually I settled on the following bakers dozen.

Yorkshire
Stu's Roof V10
Underhand V8+
Zoo York V11
Blockbuster V8+
Crystal Method V9
Secret Seventh V9
Curious Yellow V11

Peak
Submergence V10 - weird choice I know, but usually in reasonable nick.
The Terrace V9
The Joker - hardly ever in good nick when I'm up but would love to have a crack.

Wales
Lizard King V10
Don't Think Feel V9
Manchester Dogs V11

Hopefully I'm going to be out on rock this weekend so it would be good to get on some of these.

Between The Trees Review

2009-09-24T12:35:00.000+01:00

There is no doubt that the prospect of watching Ty crush out in Font is nothing less than inspiring to anybody who ever wants to push their personal limits in the forest. Watching him on film it is impossible not to admire the fluidity with which he moves on ridiculously hard problems. Keith took up a big challenge in trying to capture and translate to the viewer the difficulty of the problems which Ty makes look effortless. Overall I think it is fair to say he did a good job.

Leaving the magnitude of the ascents aside, the film has a good overall feel and a cracking soundtrack. The post production is good. Thought has been put into the grading, colour and tone as well as simple things such as the text. Winter Sessions this is not, time has gone into the film making process and it shows. You don't come away from a viewing thinking your money has been wasted, the price is fair and anybody who wishes to visit Font will clearly watch it more than once.

However I feel that at times Between The Trees is somewhat Scizophrenic. There are sections such as Ty crushing Karma 8a+ or Gecko 8a+ where the footage makes you understand the difficulty and nature of the climbing, but the footage of a number of other problems is shot from one angle and leaves you wanting another angle or a shot of a hold to gain a better understanding of a problem. If you know the problem then you won't have difficulty visualising the moves, but watching this with people who didn't they became bored quickly during these sections.

The same can be said for the interviews. Some, such as one in a field are shot well, however the film is let down by those that aren't. The use of auto-focus means that in one Ty and the trees behind him swap in and out of focus. The cutaways and the somewhat needless use of meteor graphics in the intial sequence also struggle to come up to scratch with other aspects of the film.

These issues unfortnately detract from what is on the whole a very good bouldering film. It tells the story well of one of the best boulderers of our time tearing up the original bouldering venue and realistically should be a must buy for any boulderer.

Go get it, watch it, go forth and crush!

To buy a copy go to www.unclesomebody.com

Check out the trailer

Teaser 1 from unclesomebody on Vimeo.

The Boys Are Back In Town

2009-09-23T10:52:00.005+01:00

I had a visit from Ned and Mason yesterday, they stopped in on their way to the Frankenjura. To celebrate their visit we headed down the wall for a bit of a session. I was feeling really good, which quite suprised me considering I'd just come off a run of nights.

The vibe was good and we were joined by the Lawyer, who for once didn't have to stay in work until the early hours. There is a reasonable set of problems this month, set by Gaz Parry. The problem is that there just isn't enough hard ones. With no board to train on and push ourselves, once you've had a couple of sessions you've got nothing left to push yourself on. It doesn't help that the managment gave the setters a list with only 2 V9's on. Now it's fine to have loads of problems in the V6-V8 range, but you really need harder stuff.

The management clearly don't get this and it's fucking frustrating. It seems that trying to train in London is starting to become a constant battle.

On the plus side a lot of the problems went down and I felt like I was flowing quite well. I'm hoping to try and get out this weekend, so will see if I can translate this on to rock. Here's a short vid of Ned getting Pie Shop V9 in the pass, a bit of rock I'd love to get to.

Ned Fehally - UK Boulder Champion sends Pie Shop 7c Llanberis Pass, UK from Wild Country on Vimeo.

Back On It

2009-09-22T11:03:00.003+01:00

I worked 3 overnight shifts over the weekend, which kind of put pay to any training as I was just too shattered. However yesterday I got back on the Beastmaker and had noticed some serious improvement in my finger stregth. Now this is probably purely the shock of getting my fingers back to training after giving them so much time off over the summer, but it feels great to know that progress is being made.

Inspired by the fact that I now have an outlet for my videos I have been looking through my archives to see what raw unedited footage I had forgetten about. As a result of finding some great footage of classic problems, I've got back on Final Cut and have started putting some of it together. I'll be steadily releasing these videos in batches of approxmately one to two a week, due to the download limit on Vimeo, so keep your eyes on my Vimeo channel. It's all on grit so will be great inspiration for the coming winter.

I'm getting a visit from Ned and the Masonic one this afternoon and am psyched for a good training session. Bring it on.

Videos

2009-09-19T01:56:00.005+01:00

So after a fair amount of time sitting on a hard drive full of bouldering footage I've taken the step of getting it out there. As of now Increasing The Calibre has it's own Vimeo page. I'll be steadily releasing videos I've shot over the last couple of years, in high quality, for your viewing pleasure. They were originally going to be part of a bouldering film, which had to be put on hold due to my career. However they now perfectly form nuggets of what some might deem bouldering 'porn', perfect for viewing before cranking. Nothing better than a short sharp shock of inspiration to get the psyche up.

I'm kicking things off with a vid I've posted on here before in low quality, one of the Peaks hardest and most inpiring lines, and a second cheeky little vid of one of the Peak's classic lines. check them out here.

Thanks to Andy 'Hutch' Hutchison for help with the camera work and being there to bounce ideas off in the edit. Enjoy.

Back On The Road

2009-09-14T10:08:00.003+01:00

The weekend just gone saw a breakthough in my training, the Beastmaker is finally up at the wall. This means I can get down to business and start working my weaknesses again.

The Ambassador was down over the weekend and after a fair few drinks and some good food on Friday night we awoke feeling light but slightly groggy on Saturday morning and set to work for a monster training session at the wall.

We hit the bouldering wall and set about trying a few problems, before getting involved with the Beastmaker and the rings. I felt pretty strong on the Beastmaker and got some good max hang times on the 45s. But it was on pockets that I noticed my fingers had definitely got stronger. My back two felt strong on the small pockets and I felt good on the sloping pockets on my mid two. I'm pretty certain that you need some down time to let your body adapt to the training that you've put it through.

The Ambassador then showed me a few of the excercises that he has developed on the rings which I'm looking foward to getting stuck into over the coming months.

It's time to get back to normal.

Playing Games

2009-09-09T09:10:00.006+01:00

I was seriously pushed for time yesterday when I got down the wall as I had tickets to an event in the evening. Having a deadline when training always stresses me out slightly as I don't feel like I can relax properly. I hit a few boulder problems and made some good progress on a few projects, but once I was warm I hit the campus board.

The power is definitely back. I made my way through my normal excercises and felt strong throughout. Inspired by seeing Ned campussing on 2 fingers I've added this to my regime on the medium rungs. I'll be interested to see strong I can get on two fingers alone, especially when coupled with training them statically. It should help my contact strength especially on pockets.

I always enjoy trying a new training technique and seeing what difference it can make.
Your body can adapt substantially over a period of time. Mutations in the body can happy to anybody, Lady Gaga seems to be one of the latest examples of celebrity mutation. Best to just check out the before and after in these videos, hopefully now she's stopped drinking Baileys from a shoe.

So she's added a few more beats, changed the lines a bit, but still looks like she's got a Mangina.

Snap to Reality

2009-09-08T09:48:00.003+01:00

I'm going to be hitting the wall for a campus session later on today. I feel like the snap is coming back, and the power is returning. Paul 1-5-9 Huffy has been giving me a few lessons in technique which will hopefully help me crank out the magical 1-5-9. However currently Huffy's middle name is 1-3-5, but I'm sure he'll be back!

Although I'm getting sick of the way that the wall is run, at least they can't fuck up the campus board.... well I hope not. As The Daddy commented on my last post I need to keep the motivation up to train. The Ambassador is down at the weekend for an old school session and a few beers so I need to get a bit of fitness up before then. Thankfully this little vid Jamie Emerson posted yesterday has kept me psyched

Slashface 8B from Jamie Emerson on Vimeo.

Swimming In Punters

2009-09-06T19:00:00.009+01:00

I take it all back, training in London sucks. I used to think it was a pretty good place to train, but over the last year it's become increasingly obvious that if you are serious about your climbing and training then you are swimming in a world of punters. Don't get me wrong, we all have to start somewhere, so when I say punter I don't mean beginners. I mean people who aren't in it because they want to improve or even climb outside. The problem is that some of the walls seem to ooze this mentality,all that matters is that you can teach indoors and then you have made it.

These people have no idea of the history. Sure they may know who Moon is because they buy his clothing with their staff discount. But they haven't got a fucking clue who Malc is, why Stoney is important, the origins of the campus board, or even why it's so amazing that Stuart Cameron is now quite fat, considering what he could do before. But do they care? Do they fuck. They are a different breed. These people need to go to places where they are in the minority, they need to understand what climbing is.

One of these types who is a duty manager at the wall refferred to some of the training equipment that I use, campus board rings, finger boards as a 'novelty'. 'This is a climbing wall' he scoffed 'what's the point in those'.

And what did they say when offered a Beastmaker, we even offered to pay for it in desperation

'The thing is everytime a new better training tool comes out people ask us to buy it. If we did that we would have to keep buying things'

Errrr what the fuck!!! . We pay you nearly £50 a month of course you are. God forbid we may even get better if you actually bought some decent gear. We don't come here just for fun, we come to improve so that we can get outside and get the projects done that we couldn't do. Unlike you, our projects don't get taken down every month.

Now fuck off watch One Summer and the Real Thing, and see if you can understand why we want to train.

I on the other hand am going to cheer myself up and celebrate Youtube allowing music videos again, by watching Goldie in the latest Dizzee vid off his tits. Best from about 2min 50secs, old man throwing shapes, sheer genius.

Sixteen In The Clip

2009-09-04T09:54:00.004+01:00

I had another days work yesterday, that takes me up to 10 this month so far and there is still 7 days to go before I have to hand my timesheet in. Even if I get no more work in the next week this will be my second 10 day month in a row and I've already been booked for 6 days next month so things are starting to look up.

I'm off today and am looking forward to a double training session with the Lawyer. I'm hoping to hit the Beastmaker this morning, if the Westway have decided whether it can go up or not. Getting a great training tool put up should not be this hard. However it did take an uproar on UKB following my blog post to get the ridiculous mat situation changed, so god knows what it will take. If it's still not up I'll boulder and then hit the rings this afternoon.

I'm psyched now that the work is starting to flow in and hopefully soon I'll be able to get out and hit the rock. But for the meantime vids like this will have to do for inspiration.

ROCKLANDS: Black Diamond Climber Nalle Hukkataival visits South Africa's famed boulders from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Now though I've got Warren G and Nate Dogg on my earphones and I'm off to crank, the next stop sadly is not the East Side Motel but the Westway. If they haven't put the Beastmaker up then I'm going to have to get all Warren on their ass and Regulate.

In And Out

2009-09-02T21:53:00.002+01:00

I hit the first session of new regime tonight. After my final weekend of partying at Carnival I've decided to get back into training. I hit campus board this evening and I was feeling a bit rusty and needed to shake off the alcohol. Things went pretty well and I'm quite looking forward to seeing progress over the next 8 weeks of my cycle. I realised that if I'm going to get strong again somethings have got to be put in place and some need to go.

What's In
Training Diary I've lost the one that I've been using over the last year and without it I feel like I lack direction. So I've cracked out a new one.
Running Bring it.
Green Tea Plenty of it to go with...
Diet I've got to put something in place to get rid of a bit of the weight I'm carrying - which means .....

What's Out
Crisps I love them, but they've got to go.
Beer It's wine from now on, beer gives you boobs. Not good for cranking, or your worth as a man.
Cheese Another personal favorite of mine. Out.

I'm really looking forward to seeing some improvement over the next couple of months, hopefully in time for a trip.

Back On The Ups

2009-08-27T22:05:00.005+01:00

I had a great session last night at the wall. The wall that I've been training on outside was in superb nick as the temps had dropped somewhat. I was joined by Huffy who was eager to taste the board (concrete wall) that I have talked so much about. The wall was bathed in a fantastic glow from the floodlights above us and we set about cranking.

Projects were seiged, moves were done, , as we set about crushing on the concrete. As much as I would like to climb on a decent board, this is the best we've got at the moment and it gives you a good working over.

Pumped that I had come close to a few problems I felt that in prep for beginning my ring training sessions which will start next week I should do a few muscle ups on the now in situ rings at the wall.

After teaching a few people the correct grip I managed 7 in my first set, which is a PB. Things went slightly down hill as I hit 6 in the second and 3 in the third. I was chuffed to have hit a PB after a couple of months off them and am really looking forward to getting back involved with training next week.

Be good to get back out on some rock at some point in September, something like this would be good - The Ambassador cranking at Anston

Bullit from Stu Lacey on Vimeo.

Down But Still Not Out

2009-08-25T14:23:00.007+01:00

I headed to the wall this afternoon full of caffeine, but still slightly sluggish of mind. Last night we were joined for dinner by some of my oldest friends. There was no major reason for organising our little soiree, but it happened to coincide with 6 months since I lost my job. The fact that I have managed to survive 6 months of one of the worst economic crisis that our country has seen, was cause enough for celebration. Although as anybody who knows me well will tell you, I don't need much excuse for a celebration. If it's wet drink it.

We talked and drank long into the night and mulled over the difficulties of the situation I am currently in. Don't get me wrong, there are many great aspects to my life, but the last six months have been pretty tough. For the first 4 1/2 months I used climbing as an escape and the training really paid off. The last six weeks have been slightly different, various things such as our move have thrown me off track. As a result I've been enjoying food and drink, particularly the latter, way too much.

So I've made a decision, I have one major party weekend coming up and then I'm off the booze until my birthday in October. I'm also getting back into my training diet and am going to try and get down to a decent fighting weight. After my training session today I weighed in at 11st 3lbs and I'm hoping to get back down to 10st 10lbs before I start hitting the rock when the winter comes.

Let the games begin

2009-08-25T13:59:00.003+01:00

and the over indulgence end. I've made a decision that this is my last major week of drinking and over eating, before I get ready for the coming months and hopefully a few good trips. My training is well under way after I began it earlier in the week, but I have to work out exactly where I am at. So later on today I'm going to draw up my 8 week training schedule and weigh in. I need to get fit so that I can get back out on rock and get some stuff done.

It feels like grit season can't be too far away

Kevin Jorgeson, Matt Segal and Alex Honnold send big on British grit from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

Although there's no fucking chance I'm going to be doing any routes.

Driven out

2009-08-22T12:40:00.005+01:00

I'm back.

It's time to say it out loud, I've been away for a while due to a variety of reasons. Last week I was working nights, this seriously disrupted any chance I had of getting some decent training done. Still despite feeling knackered I managed to make my way down to the wall for a couple of easyish sessions. The fact that I managed some training made me realise that the psyche is well and truly back.

After a reasonable campus session yesterday, I headed back down today to hit some of my projects on the old school outside wall. I've got some awesome problems out there and it's great being outside, however I do feel somewhat forced out. A great many of us have been complaining for a while that the management at the Westway don't really care about those who want to train hard. Most of the innovations that have occurred to the wall have been down to guys who train there doing it themselves. They built a whole new wall, which is fanastic, but requests for a training board or even a full roof for the comp boys to train on they have fallen on deaf ears.

So now a bunch of us are training on a wall that my Dad climbed on back in the day. How ridiculous is that?

I can't complain about the wall itself, now that we've added plenty of new holds amongst the jugs there is plenty of scope for projects. Tonight after getting on well with my projects on the plastic holds I set about one of the long standing test pieces put up by the Landmantor. It's the over hanging arete of the wall, with a number of powerfull pulls between small holds. He reckons it was about V10. It's the closest I can get to pulling on real rock at the moment. A boulder like this I can currently only dream of......

Gluteus Maximus from Marko Kauko on Vimeo.

One Down....

2009-08-11T21:30:00.003+01:00

I had a great second session of my new regime today. I've sacked off climbing indoors at the wall as it is too hot and have migrated to the wall outside. I've been using the bottom of a steep leading wall, about 35 degrees and made out of concrete in an old school style. The Landmanator got me on to it a while ago, and I've now got completely hooked. It has tiny rubbish edgy features for feet and plenty of bolt ons, to make up plenty of problems. You have to fight to keep your feet on and this makes a big change from climbing inside where you are usually putting your feet on goodish holds.

I've already got myself some good projects to work through on this wall and am pumped for my next session on it. During my session I also managed to tick one of my training goals for this regime. It's not a massive achievement, but it marks the road back to form. I managed to one arm the medium rung on the campus board on both arms. On to the small ones next....

As I return to form, some people are obviously just losing the plot. What the fuck is Dragon and down right filthy rich guy Peter Jones doing this advert for??? Surely he can't be that much of a greedy bastard that his wealth isn't enough and he has to make more, telling peasants like me that he is 'in' and using moneysupermarket.com. As if, Wanker.

A Stuttering Start

2009-08-11T08:42:00.004+01:00

I've been training on and off for the past two weeks now. Although it feels like I've made some progress, I've not hit my full stride yet. Over the past couple of weeks in no way could I have said that a regime is underway, that is until this morning. I campussed last night and it felt like things are beginning to get back up to full speed again. I felt strong on the board. Working through most of my excercises I felt like I had progressed from the first session I had a few weeks ago. This is it I thought, game time.

The Beastmaker is going to go up at the weekend and then my training regime will truly begin. I still don't have any idea when I will next be on a trip and I think this is why I've lacked the psyche. However in the next couple of weeks I'm going to get out on rock again and the thought of this is the kick start I need. I'm also going to put some plans in place for a big trip at some point next year. This will be the motivation I need to get back training properly again. I'd love to get back out to Spain with a good team of mates. Here's a line the Ambassador liked the look of but never got round to trying last time we were in Albarracin. I think next time he'll get back on it.

El Varano, 8A - Albarracin from Bione Happyclimb on Vimeo.