So, this term I'm not climbing outdoors at all, which is the main reason that I've had nothing to post in a while. I have exams in about four weeks which is slightly terrifying considering the amount of work I’ve done for them, and the amount still to do. Of course, a lack of outdoor climbing doesn’t mean a lack of indoor climbing, so that’s what I’ve been focusing on most recently.

I never managed to climb the 7A I was working on last year. When I came back to Oxford (after a Christmas of bouldering in the new Bristol Climbing Academy, which is amazing) I tried it a few more times, but could never get the crux move. The problem was a tiny slopey hold on an overhang that I couldn’t hold my weight on. I could skip it, but that messed up the sequence and I never managed to progress that way.

Anyway, the centre was all rerouted at the beginning of this year so I never did it. Not sure how long it would have taken me, but I think it’s likely that it could have been months or years. The new routes are amazing however. Lots of very cool things to be getting on with. The grading is interesting and probably wrong in some places. One of the routes I’m working on is graded 6B+. I can do all the moves, but haven’t linked it yet. It’s all pinches, and goes over an overhang. Its very draining and by the time I hit the crux moves I’m fairly sapped. The first move in the crux section requires a heel hook around a corner to hold you while you clip. I was trying it yesterday and might have made it if I hadn’t missed getting the position on the hook right and had to search for it while my arms were dying. After this move it’s still a powerful lunge over the overhang to grab the next pinch. Maybe I’ll get it next time with a bottle of Lucozade, a can of Kick and a lot of screaming.

But yeah, that is supposedly 6B+. On my first time trying these routes I on-sighted a 6C and since then I have sent a 7A in three shots (and another 6C in two). I think most of the grading is fine, but I would upgrade the 6B+ to 6C (probably hard in the grade) and downgrade the 7A to 6C (easy in the grade). I definitely don’t consider myself to have climbed a 7A, I’ve climbed many harder climbs then this one, so would be dishonest to say I can climb 7A now. (The supposed 7A was a very fun route though, very worth doing.)

Having said that, I did start work on another 7A yesterday. Took ages to work the first moves and I had to skip one. It’s a pretty cool route. Starts with hard technical moves and then becomes overhanging and powerful. Very much looking forward to putting more work into it.

Also tried a 6C that I’ve been working on, and I’m pretty sure I know how to do it now. After that I tried a 6C+ which was in a corner and was very technical and amazingly cool.
So lots to be getting on with.

I’ve also spotted another 7A that I want to try. I think if I did it would be considerably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I’ve decided not to even attempt it until I’ve done all the things I’m working on at the moment.

So the list is:
6B+, 6C, 6C+ and 7A. Hopefully I’ll be making some posts soon to tick these off...

As well as Brookes, I’ve been climbing a bit more at the Iffley bouldering wall. I might go there this afternoon... There are a lot of cool things there that I didn’t appreciate at first. Have been working on a number of problems and its easy to get enthusiastic about them. There are four I want to do currently, Central Pillar (B0 5b), Analogue (B2 5c+), Judean People’s Front Crack Suicide Squad (B2 5c) and Wedding Bells (B1 5a). The grades are Iffley grades, not British Tech grades, which make a lot of sense to some people but not much to others. The best I’ve done is a problem called Naked which is B2 5c. Hopefully I’ll be able to knock the others off soon. With all but Analogue the problem is one move.

Another problem I want to do is Shelve It (B3 5b+). Its different from the others, in that it only has two holds. The problem is just a mantle shelf onto one hold and then standing up and holding one near the top of the wall. I really want to get it because my ability to mantle is fairly nonexistent and its fairly important for outdoor climbing...

Anyway. Have to see how it goes. I might take my camera there this afternoon, because really you have to see Iffley to understand it. Or not as the case may be.