Gypsy Blood

Gypsy Blood,
is the new route I have just finished bolting and cleaning today in Santa Linya!
Wow, the work that goes into bolting these routes is beasting, thank god I´ve finished it, so now I can spend rest days actually resting instead of fighting with a 50 degree, 30 metre overhanging wall.
Obviously the name is about Lynne and myself, lifestyle choices and a bit of family history in there too!
Although, It should be known that I haven´t had to turn to collecting scrap metal to fund my climbing passion, YET!

I haven´t tried the moves on the sharp end but obviously felt the holds and stuff whilst hanging on the static rope, it´s so hard to say how hard it will be and i´m really psyched to jump on it and check out how hard it actually is. The cool thing about the route is that there is virtually no resting point so will be super resistant, continuous climbing. Just how I like it.

Well we´ll see, ill get a photo tommorrow.

Psyched ;)

Turning point

Well, I´ve been trying my project, as usual. This project seems different to the others I´ve had before, after coming agonisingly close to doing it in the spring ( falling at the top 6 times) I thought that with cooler temps and a focused run at it I would be able to polish it off quickly. However, so far I haven´t managed it. Even though strangely all the sections feel better than ever the damn thing still holds out against me.

The main crux of the route is a slap to a mono, this move is just so fricking hard to get right! I t´s not just about strength it´s about timing, about commiting everything and not giving in to the natural "oh my god I´m slapping to a mono and my finger´s going to rip off" fears.

The annoying thing is I´ve been through this move before and also I´ve done from one move before the mono to the chains three times! Redpointing- it´s mental!

It is SUCH a learning process and is definately the hardest thing I have ever tried. After getting close but not doing it I now realise that I need to up my game to get this route done. With this route in mind and Tudor bompa´s periodisation manual in my hand I have reached what I think is a turning point in my climbing. Climbing over the last 2 and a half years has been going to the crag and me throwing myself at the hardest routes I could get on, well i´ve enjoyed it and I´ve learnt lots on the way, but I think it´s time for a bout of training aswell.

Yesterday I started: boulder warm up, 2 x 8a laps, then 2 go´s on my project , then up fabela 8c+ then back to the casa where I did sets of ten and 20 pull ups on a small edge on the fingerboard ( 100 in total) then went to work, finished at ten got home ad then did a fingerboard session.

Still psyched today even though I can´t lift my arms above my head;)

Oh yeh and today as it was pissing it down I have been bolting a new line in Santa linya cave! It´s incredible the amount of work that goes into bolting these routes and I have a new found respect for all the guys out here who bolt routes (out of their own pocket). So far it seems really hard, you never know though until you start trying the moves, but I woudn´t be suprised if the cave had another 9th grade route notched on its scoreboard.

No pics at the mo because my camera battery charger is capput! :(

The Monkey King- Indian Ondra

I first saw this video some time ago, it was shown to me by good friend Alan Cassidy , not quite sure how he found it but what an amazing find!

WARNING

This video contains moves that even Ondra can´t pull off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPN3gLVDsOY

Someone give the guy some climbing shoes, just imagine what he could do!!haha

Desplomat- 2011 Les Avellanes

Pablito, busting out a backflip.

Dyno!!!!

Xavi, swimming in climbing shoes.

Sunday was spent chilling out in the sunshine flying off the wall into the pool!

What more could you want?

The final of the boulder comp on Saturday night was really good fun, amazing problems, with a late finish even by Spanish standards we finished at 3:30 am! The party went on to the 9 the next morning.

Diego Marsella having a think about the moves on one of the problems in the final.

Alex taking down one of the final problems.

Chris mantelling out the volume on prob 5.

Me catching the swinging balls, awesome problem.

Great atmosphere for the final.

The one and only Andoni Perez, comentator extrordinaire.

Mid comp refreshments.

Lynne crushing the blocs.

Desplomat at the weekend was a great success. Loads of people turned up for the boulder comp, which had a really great and friendly atmosphere. The problems were super interesting and well set, it definately felt a bit unusual for me and was great training (battering) doing dynos and loads of funky moves that you don´t normally do when your tied onto the end of a rope.

The Desplomat event was all about raising awareness about the climbing areas around Santa Linya to show how important it is to local climbers and from the rest of the world. As you may know the climbing situation in Santa Linya has been a bit difficult in the recent past. I think that this event will have helped hugely in showing the local government and other people just how important the climbing in this area really is and help to keep areas like Santa Linya open.

Congratualtions to all the guys from Les Avellanes for putting together such a great event and also a big thankyou to Victor Fernandez, the ringleader of the whole thing.

Last but by no means least I´d like to say a massive thankyou to my new Sponsor : freshstartliving.com

They are a super innovative company that truly appreciate the dedication and sacrifices that have to be made by top level climbers.
With their support I feel a new confidence and motivation that I can achieve my climbing ambitions.

Proj mode

Me, being a pikey!!! Foam mats for the board I want to build.....

Sweating at the casa

The new chicken coop, first free range egg was layed yesterday!

Vicious guard dog attacking the obviously dangerous orange squeeky ball.

Back at the casa, got all the School/work shite organised and now to think and engage myself into Project mode, Catxasa is awaiting my attention.......

Desplomat bouldering event is also going to be really cool, they have errected an awesome wall over the swimming pool in Santa linya and there are loads of steep funky looking bouldering walls too. Cant wait it´s going to be a really great event.

The last couple of days out here have actually been a bit cooler and it has sent my psyche levels soaring.

Jumping back into project mode on Catxasa 9a+, I had to remind myself of a few subtle foot and hand movements but all in all it went well. That was until my foot popped which saw me helicopter spinning sideways, my leg getting caught by the rope and me flipping upside down. All very dramatic indeed but actually nothing happened, I had a brief moment of turding myself and letting out a scream like a 6 year old girl only too have the softest of soft falls and lower to the ground feeling a bit stupid. Oh well atleast there was only Lynne there laughing at me and not a packed crag!

Oh what fun are the mind games of redpointing!

Bielsa, oil leaks and back to work.

Bielsa,

Lynne and I had heard loads about this place over the last couple of years but never made the effort to go and check it out, the problem being that you have to pass Rodellar to get there.

Crag on the way to Bielsa,

Well, last week we went and found out that it is definately worth the effort, Imaculate rock covered in snaking tufas, Its basically like terradets mark 2. Well on the first day at the crag I had an amazing day, warming up on a 7a and then doing Joes Bar Team (possibly the best 7c in spain) I managed to onsight Highway 52 8b. This route is incredible, amazing quality and has a bit of everything just the way I like it.

The second day saw us back up for more, instead of climbing onsight I decided to have a go on an unclimbed project at the crag that the locals reckon will be 9a, the route is really amazing. Its impressive to watch french climber Manu Lopez throwing redpoints on the route in proper amuerte style. Definately looks like there is room for new routes. So with this new project potential in mind we headed back down to the nearest city to get some supplies to stay there for a week, when unfortunately we realised that the van had started leaking oil!!!

With only a week left before starting work and temperatures hitting 37 degrees we were reluctantly forced to return to the casa, to take the van to the garage and get stuff sorted out.

Well anyway I have another crag that I am super psyched to return to. Maybe next weekend if the van is alright!

BACK to work.........

So we are back and its a baking 32 degrees, I know I sound totally spoilt. How can you complain about sunny blue sky weather? Well I never thought I´d say it but you can. We actually went and climbed on plastic today, its the first time in a loooooonnnnng time and i´m battered.

With the temps set too stay like this I think I´m going to have to be a weekend warrior escaping to cooler spots and doing a bit of training during the week.

DESPLOMAT event is this weekend, should be a good laugh, deep water soloing over the swimming pool, boulder comp and big Fiesta!!!!

3 8cs in 6 days

Dani lopez aka biceps guy on Karma 8b at Lezaia.

Lynne swinging around on the awesome 7b at Lezaia.

Wei trying hard on Beldurra 8b.

Wei at the base of Lezaia, another mega locals crag.

Me on the tufatastic Gaua 8c.

Harrrry!! New haircut!!

Dani Lopez, crushing agur 8b at oñate.

Me on the mega tufa classic Honky Tonky 8c.

Great cross through moves on the mid section of Honky Tonky 8c.

The sun tickling the base of the wall and my feet.

Dani (de vitoria) sending txipolini 8b Apellaniz.

Ellie keeping herself amused with a little snack.

Me on Justolini 8c. First ascent (link up).

Another shot of me on Justolini, a cool short and steep buttress.




So, it´s been a pretty busy week, retreating from the crags in Asturias as I couldn´t get harry to the best crags as he couldn´t climb the via ferrata approaches. Oh well, back to the Basque country and Navarra where there is a real abundance of small locals crags that are really great and Harry friendly.

First on the list was Apellaniz, where we met up with Dani Lopez, a really strong climber from Leon, the guy is like a walking encyclopedia of spanish climbing with a book thick collection of hand drawn topos. Here I did a link up of Txipolini 8b into Justuri 8c (3rd go) , I tried the link up because the 8c is no longer possible due to a broken hold that has left a blank section of wall. Its great climbing combining steep power pulling to a crimpy headwall, Dani tried it with me too he thinks it´s 8c.

After a rest day retrieving the rope from a tree in Apellaniz we went on to Oñate, the original training ground of many Basque beasts including Patxi Usobiaga and Josune Bereziartu. There is an awesome photo of Josune in the old Basque guide crushing Honky Mix 8c+, the most ripped women that ever existed and the first to climb 9a!!!!

This crag has awesome tufa lines, what I found out is that this crag is a true locals crag with sand bags a gogo for warming up. Its meant to be a summer crag but the locals climb here in spring and autumn, the jungle conditions left me wimpering at the state of my hands!!! Really psyched to get Honky Tonky done, uber classic!! The following day we went back but the rain and humidity stopped play, so semi rest day.

On the road again we followed Dani to Lezaia a crag set in Navarra, it´s a super steep cave style crag where power endurance is the key. First day at the crag I jumped on a great 7b to get going and then got stuck into the 8c Gaua, It features kneebar intensive tufa squeezing to a powerful headwall. After two tries working out the trickery I did it 3rd go, some would call that first redpoint however I think thats absolute turd, a go is a go! Awesome route definately psyched to try more at this crag.

Today we are off to explore another local Navarra crag with routes upto 8c+, thanks to Wei for the info. However looking at the weather the temps are set to sore, might just have to whip out the speedos and get to the Playa!

All the photos by Lynne except the one of her of course.