Switzerland

Well hello there! I am back again! And almost back from Switzerland! Yes, I have spent the summer on Swiss summer camp, as an Activity Leader, running rock climbing sessions, MTB, Glacier trips, Ghy

L Scrambling and the such for children aged, 7-17. This summer has been full of your cliche moments and stunning views, but it has also been one of significant change. Not only have I learned how to teach children in adventure sports, but have learned social lessons, and of course a whole new range of climbing skills and mind sets. I have been lucky to of worked with Ian Johnson, who is MIA, mountain Rescue and Ex Firefighter. Who has made it his job to increase our climbing skills, and rope work. I have been lucky to climb in Servos, Doranaz and the mighty Chamonix. All under the eye of Ian. Since being here, I have discovered the wonder that is pristine sport climbing, with those glinting bolts leading the way up many routes. I have also been taking advantage of the SPA trained fellow team mates, who have us around Switzerland for some amazing days on the crag. Rope work, has been a pinnacle point of change in my climbing, since being here, I have well and truly learnt what is needed for my SPA. Getting one day a week off, does not give enough time to head out on large climbing adventures, and the weather has been past dismal, bordering on Scottish, and the amount of quality days on the rock has been sadly limited, yet I have taken the opportunity to learn some alpine rope work, and techniques. Such as stomp belays, T belays, Cravasse rescues and basic assisted hoists, and problem solving on the crag and hill. Grade wise, there has not been a significant improvement, but there has been some, with the climbing differing massively to that of U.K trad climbing. I will report more when I return to the U.K, until then here are a few photos from my travels to Chamonix.

Nearing Summer!

Blog Update!

Been a bit of time between the last blog, I have been living the typical university life, lack of food, lots of drinking and constant life questions every day. I now have a job working in a cafe, which will help my money saving (hopefully) I also have a lot of uni work to do, assignments and the like. But what about the climbing? Well, I have been trying to get as many outdoor days in as possible, with the weather improving and the rock drying out, I have recently been to Lower Scout and Helm Crag, and climbed one the best routes I have climbed to date! The climb was an MVS, it was very exposed climbing yet it wasn’t extremely technical, the run outs were massive, yet only occasionally did I seem out of my depth. In fact the trip to Helm crag was full of reasons why I love climbing. Just a short bike ride out of Ambleside (4 miles) and we were scrambling to the foot of the crag. The crag has a distinctly blocky look, and some parts simply look like someone has placed block on block. We had just finished uni for the day and it was very warm weather, we had roughly 3-4 hours of sunlight left, and the routes although slightly damp in the cracks, were in perfect condition. Looking back on the day, there was a E1 that I would really like to give a go. One of my mates Ben Roe, climbed it and described it as easy climbing yet ‘simply dangerous’. Watching him there were very long run outs and in fact only three pieces of gear on the whole route, yet the style of climbing looked well and truly within my reach. Until next time! I will hopefully of done the classic routes on upper scout by the time I reblog! Photos to come!

(Just bought the Western Switzerland and classic climbs in the Dolomites guide books, more of that plan coming)

Joss

Big Walls, Big Job

Haven't written for a very..long time and I am not going to lie, I have been lazy. Well lazy pretty much sums up my planning preps at the moment. But I had a sudden boost of motivation today. I am off tomorrow to my Camp Suisse selection day, and if I pass I will have a job over summer, next to some of the most stunning climbs in the world! My main aims for the money saved up from the summer job is to (obviously) see about buying big wall gear and save for the money needed for flights, food etc. I am hopefully undertaking my SPA (Single Pitch Award) training this may and then after that heading to North Wales to complete a two day course in big wall climbing, if I can get the money together of course (got to love being a student). Of course I have a hell of a lot of course work to be getting on with, but if I keep chipping away it should be just fine. I have been climbing at Stanage Edge (Peak District U.K) and got a few solid classic routes in, Flying Butteress being one of them. I have been trying to go to the wall, both in Ambleside and Kendal, to keep me in shape, with Andy and I trying a strange Multi Pitch route at Kendal wall, more of that to come. Keep you posted more often now, I promise!

Joss

Ambleside Wall

There has recently been a 7b put up at the wall, which I tried at the end of a hard session yesterday, I surprised myself, but yet still have a long way to go, I managed the first two moves and the next is somewhat of a guess at this time but if I had to say, I would think it would be a three finger crimp with little else to gain any kind of hold that my body will allow at the moment, but I plan to go tonight and try again afresh, our training starts on Monday with everything fully in position and planned for the rest of the term. The new Geshidos are perfect! managing pockets that I would only dream of in my last pair! More photos and Training routines to come! Keep blogging!

Joss

Back At Uni, Back To The Wall

Hello there! Long time no blogging, Will and I are back at university with a hard-core training plan laid out for ourselves, with the intention of climbing 7b+ in 6 months continually, a huge amount of cardio and strength and conditioning is in order! Spain and a few competitions being our motivation to work hard! Had a go on the wall today for the first time since leaving and I did better than I expected myself to do! Dogged my first few routes and finally finished on a high with a 6b under my belt. Was quite a shock to see how far I am going to push myself over the next few months but hopefully with the motivation and the determination we should be able to do it without to many qualms. Also found out that Ambleside wall are hosting a comp on the 24th of Feb which should be a  good place to gauge my performance when I am pushing myself, I am a bit nervous about the competition world, I like to be able to really focus on the climb at hand but I know myself and the pressure and excitement of a competition could really put me off, but you never know until you try! Also getting some new climbing boots tomorrow, the Geshido Evolv's which I tried on today and I have never felt better in a pair of rock boots before. Anyway over and out and hope to be in better climbing shape soon!! Keep blogging.

Joss 

Resolutions and Training!

 

Training at home is underway, with the haul bag training program pumping my body, and the Christmas Boulder giving me some grief. I have managed to figure out the second move on the climb, after trying for hours I managed to get my, fingers to hold in two very tight crimps, I am now at the point where I will need my bouldering mat, only one day to wait for that. I have been looking up some places in Spain for Will and I to travel to (Spain was Wills idea) and Cataluña looks to be the most travelled destination for climbers going to that region, although not a multi pitch infested place, but with 143 sport climbs from 6a to 9b it looks like something we should try out! Will is soon to be joining me on this rock starved Christmas and we are to be writing down are training plan and our goals for 2014. Keep you updated!

Joss

The Mind Game

(Not A picture of me)

The Mind, well you’ve heard it all your life, is a powerful thing. It can do almost anything, it controls you, it is you and you know no better of it. To think is to use it, to breathe is to use it, it is in a constant state of running emotion. I believe this to be the reason I, like others, look to literally ‘feel’ our mind. I suppose you could say the ‘rush’, but it is more than that. I feel this in a moment of complete exposure. I  don’t have a ,choice, my mind can’t take me that way, I have no happy, sad or angry emotion, my mind can’t take me that way, in fact the only two thoughts coursing through my mind is filling the space under my feet. Up. And how far down? Combine these two thoughts and you have the feeling that we all search for, the moment we hate and love at the same time. That balance. Its the fine line, the uncertainty of the balanced moment that makes it. You can’t explain it, and if you can you haven’t found it yet.




http://static-dev-climbing.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Yellow-Ridge-Gunks.jpg