Never did take my camera to Iffley in the end! Was going to be going with someone who cancelled at the last minute. Went on my own anyway and worked at Suicide Squad with no luck. On my penultimate attempt I had my finger tips on the last hold but couldn't quite stick it. Then on my final attempt I pulled a tendon in my finger pulling up in a shallow two finger pocket. Was incredibly painful. For the rest of the week if I tweaked it it would flare up. Was pretty much the worst timing as the Saturday after we had the Varsity climbing competition against Cambridge in Warwick. I rested my hand for the week and then on the day took a bunch of paracetamol and codeine tabs and a couple of ibuprofen tabs and then taped up my finger, which seemed to do the trick.
Varsity was great fun, even though we didn't win. My climbing wasn't particularly good, but I think it showed me where I need to focus if I want to do well in competitions in the future.
Saturday after Varsity was the Iffley bouldering competition. That was also great fun and my first time back in Iffley since pulling my tendon. I competed in the Rookie section and won that (good for a bottle of wine) which was quite cool, although next year I guess I'll have to be in the Veterans section, where the competition is much tougher...
Anyway, all that aside, on Friday morning last week I went to Brookes with Rachel to have a shot at that 7A. I had tried it again the Thursday previously and managed to at least do all the moves. All I had to do on Friday was link it. After warming up on three easier routes (3, 6a, 5+) I took a shot at it and sent it! Felt really easy when I did it, even the dyno to the crimp. The top section was a bit of a struggle, but there was no way I was letting go having reached there without falling. Was incredibly pumped after, but still managed to make a fair attempt at a traversy/overhanging 7A+ which was a very cool route. Felt great to have finally made a 7A, and I'm going back on Tuesday to try this 7A+ again. I think I might be able to do it, which would also be incredible.
As well as the 7A I've also done the 6C from the list I was aiming at. Still haven’t done the 6B+, but was speaking to someone at Brookes who thinks the hard move on it is actually 7A so there we go...
