Now seems a good time to pause and reflect on the last 2.5 months of
effort put in at the mighty bastion of peak crimping, the Tor. As
September gave way to October, I went back into project mode on Hajj,
the left hand extension to Mecca, which I had put on the back burner as a
project while I put in the hard yards on Cry Freedom. Now the latter
route was ticked, I could focus all my efforts on this beast and I was
keen to get stuck in. Having found a good sequence using an improbably
small left foot hold earlier in September that allowed a massive reach
for the left hand to be made off a good, flat hold for the right, I knew
it was on and I had made the crucial link from the Mecca belay to the
top. While evening sessions were no longer possible with it getting dark
at 7, 6:30, and then by the time November rolled around, 4:30, I was
still going out to the crag after work for bouldering sessions, trying
to keep the edge with laps on Bens Roof, attempts at Powerband (I have a
goal at some point to link this into Pump up the Power - the training
linkup 'Pump up the Powerband, which is a meaty 8c) and other boulder
problems such as Kristians direct start to Wild in Me 7b, Powerhumps
7b+, Out of My Tree 7b and various linkups/ circuits on Weedkiller and
Basher's problem. A keen band of lantern session boulderers kept psyche
levels high, after all, what could be better training that busting out
moves on real rock?
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| The Crux move of Hajj (Photo: Jon Clark) |
At weekends, I
followed my routine of Saturdays on the project followed by stamina days
at Malham. In October, I made some good
gains on Mecca, getting up it 3 times in a session for the first time
ever. However, Hajj is a very tricky customer, with a desparate move off
a small, flat undercut for the right hand proving to be stopper on all
of my redpoints. The set up moves into this are hard but manageable and I
got to the point where I never fell off them, even from the ground. As
soon as my fingers bit into the first crimpy undercut for the left hand
and then I slapped into the crux right hand undercut, it was like
hitting a brick wall. When doing these moves from the shake on Mecca
Extension, you seem to have time to stand up into the undercut with the
outside edge of your left foot on a big flat hold (that you have
previously used as a hold for your right hand). However, once
you are a bit pumped, it becomes much harder to stand up into the move.
On almost all of my attempts from the ground, I would end up jumping up
and out from the crag into the inevitable 20 footer down to the Mecca
belay instead of reaching up in control to the tiny left hand crimp
which allows you to match on an intermediate and then slap into the big
right hand gaston that spells the end of the crux sequence. These last
moves are exciting as you are a fair way above the last quickdraw (the
last dogging bolt unclippable off to the right) and would be on for a
fair old whipper! On one of my redpoint attempts, I got partially
stood up into the undercut and within 3 inches of the final left hand
crimp. Alas, although close to the move, I knew I was never going to
make it although it was my best go of the season. Still, this was a
window into doing the route and got my psyched.
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| Just past the crux on Mecca (Photo: Jon Clark) |
Unfortunately,
after this good attempt, on my next go I split a tip on the left hand
rat crimp on my third redpoint of the day. I had been trying the link
into the Whore of Babylon as a consolation prize and had the moves
worked and was in two minds as to whether to go for this of have another
go on Hajj. I decided on the latter and the tiny sharp crimps decided I
had outstayed my welcome. This meant I had to take 10 days off the
route.
Mecca linkups and projects
It was at this point that I started trying to bag the
Whore of Babylon link. This is the red line on the above topo I have
drawn of Mecca links and projects. This is a cool linkup that Steve
McClure had first done but which I think finished up Crucifixion. The
moves from where it leaves Hajj (after the first independent move) are
not too hard and the whole 2 bolt sequence before it joins Proud Whore is probably 7b+. The moves are not trivial but way easier than those
on Hajj. The finish up Proud Whore, although probably 7b+ again, was
steeper and more physical and on my link attempts from the base of the
groove on Mecca, proved to be very pumpy indeed!
As late
November arrived, me and the ever dwindling band of regulars started to
get hit with unreliable conditions as, even though the crag was still
essentially bone dry, as soon as the temperature rose above about 6
degrees, the dreaded condensation came on. On Saturdays in a row, this
happened, which resulted in frustrating enforced rest in the hope of
better conditions the following day. Basically, opportunities for
successful redpoints were dwindling fast. Even when the crag was dry, as
December rolled around, it unsurprisingly became bitterly cold as the
sun now didn't rise above the hill opposite the crag and Mecca got zero
sun. One day when I failed to get up Mecca via my usual method in the
dusk due to a late arrival at the crag, I decided to experiment with the
different ways of gaining the base of the groove, managing to climb it
via the classic right hand to the horn method and then, the following
week by the Egyptian way method. What I was after was an
easier, more reliable method and I hope that I have now found it with
the Egyptian way. After all, if Steve and most other people do it this
way, there must be a good reason!
As the end of the season
approached, I wanted something to show for my efforts and on last
session before the Works party, the Whore of Babylon link went down.
Unfortunately (or fortunately!) I discovered a really good rest in the
Creamteam break before the finish up Proud Whore which took the edge off
it, although at the end of the day, this section still has to be
climbed and is no pushover. The direct version will be even pumpier. So, with the Tor season ended for 2014, I
have been getting stuck back into some plastic training and some much
needed new moves. I'm psyched for what the New Year may bring and will
be back for Hajj, and other projects, in the Spring! For now its off to
Chulila for 15 days of bolt clipping heaven, some onsighting and change
of scene, venga bichos!
A classic 8a route from around Chamonix earlier this summer, can anyone guess which one?
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