FF HH...Lets be Creative

Today I took Charlie and Gina bouldering. They seemed to have an awesome time. I yet again was glued to the grey route. When I say it's a project, I mean it. If I could climb more frequently maybe the progression would be faster but for now its all good. I did decide to try a few others though. I could do a couple. Some I couldn't before. Some I could. There was a blue route opposite the grey and I'd looked at trying before. So while Charlie and Gina were trying to hang upside down and make their own routes and tried and completed it. It felt good because it had been difficult the first time I'd tried. Progression. It's all about that progression. I think in a way that's why I love that I don't know what grades the routes I'm sending are. Because I'm not reaching for a level or a grade. I'm reaching for that reward of completion and joy.

After a while we made our way downstairs. You can boulder up to the red line downstairs so I was trying the start of some routes. Mainly 5's and 5+s. I also decided to mix it up a little and use the features on the wall and holds, or both on holds/features. It was fun and testing. I also was getting use to the difference in the gradient of the wall on this side. The back wall mimics natural rock more which is great and the routes tend to be more challenging or more technical. I love it either way and it was a great way to spend a morning with friends. Charlie and Gina were doing some too as well as looking at the different routes top rope has to offer. Need to bring them both to top rope. Better get signed off as Supervising Climber.

Project Grey

I think Gina likes to hang...

There was quite a substantial gap between climbing, mainly funds and being busy with work. But I'd managed to see if Gina wanted to start coming. Which she did. It's great to go on your own, It's peaceful most of the time when I go during the day on my days off. The wall is small compared to most too which means when it gets busy, it's crowded. The bouldering room is small so you may end up waiting around a lot so I tend to go in the day when i can.

Heel Hook it out...then fall...

The session today mainly was composed of me attacking the grey route, falling, attacking it again, falling and getting a little further. As I do it though I can often feel things getting easier. Maybe its increased strength, maybe its improved technique, maybe its both. Whatever the case the reward and enjoyment is still there. With Gina there it was pretty awesome. It pushes you when you have company. Because you want to show them what you can do. Help them do their thing too. Gina was tackling the intro routes and making her own up. It was great fun. We also did a little top rope.

Let's Climb

 Today was the first run of my La Sportivas. So after work I was on the train then walking the familiar 15 minute walk to St Marys Gym. 

I met Pareecha and we climbed. It was deserted. Just the two of us at the wall. I belayed and top roped. We traded for a while. I sent my first 5+ (French Numerical Grades) and we ventured up into the Bouldering room. Everything was bliss in my La Sportivas. It was so much easier to do anything and everything with them. 

I found I could stand on the smallest features, climb with so much more ease. Up into the bouldering room I tried a couple routes. A lot were way above my level so i decided to pick one and make it my project. It would be a grey route that had a traverse along the roof of the cave. I fell. A lot. But It was going to be my challenge. The holds were big with easy grip, they were spaced quite far apart in places, but I liked it.

LA SPORTIVAS

I got my hands on my first pair of Climbing shoes; La Sportiva Cliff, 2008 model.

Now to me these were like Cinderella and her Glass Slipper. Cliffs are quite rigid and lace up all the way down to the toe for extra grip and concentration at the top. They have a rubber rand running along the side of the shoe and around the front, encapsulating the heel. Their shape also means that they mold quite nicely to someone with wider feet like myself.

Individual Climber

Today's session was the final of the 3 weeks. And I passed fine. It was a great feeling to know that I could confidently tie in, Belay and climb with safety. Over the past three weeks I'd been attempting a 5, my converses were gradually fraying at the side and I had little to no friction against the wall. So I was smearing because I couldn't get enough grip on the features on the wall due to the sides of my shoes falling apart.

Introduction into Climbing

Today was the start of me learning new skills. New lifestyle.

The course was to teach novice climbers the basics:

• Tie-in to a climbing rope
• Belaying and rope control
• Safety in a climbing wall 

It would be for 1.5 hours a week for 3 weeks, and would mean that I'd be taught how to be a competent and safe climber. Plus once I've completed the course I'd be signed off as an Individual climber and could climb on my own or with friends at Southampton Climbing Wall or any other climbing wall in the UK (subject to an assessment by the wall).

I left feeling amazing after my first session. We were taught how to tie in using a figure 8 retrace and stopper,(something I knew from camp) and we were climbing by the end. It was superb. 

The Unexpected Decision

The day was spent with Amelia and Anna at the University of Marylands climbing wall (where Anna works). We climbed a couple times at it felt great. I guess that's what got the ball rolling. It was a feeling that I'd never really experienced. It was a feeling of satisfaction, reward and adrenaline all at once.

That evening we went to DC. Grabbed some awesome food and went and sat on The Mall. We chatted and I looked up walls locally to me. After a push of support by Amelia and Anna, I found there was the Southampton Climbing wall with great prices and good facilities and courses. Maybe this would be a thing after all.