What happened in the woods this winter pt. 1
No more bouldering for this year. Time to get back on a rope. But what a winter of great bouldering. Helechal is a socialable space to boulder and met people from all over Spain. First up were some powerful people from Madrid. They’re leading 8c so they had a bit of power and stamina but were apparently a bit new to bouldering. I took them around a few of my dream projects. The lines I’m going to do when I get stronger 😉 Here’s the vid of them crushing or a least getting ready to crush some of my dreams….. But one thing these guys showed me was the heal. They were putting in heal hooks everywhere. I’ve been trying to do the same ever since.
Day’s of Power – how to have them and how to avoid an injury!
I had a day of power yesterday. I felt light and every hold felt large and positive. I felt I could climb anything. Projects were dispatched with ease and I felt a huge reservoir of power.
The last time I felt this excess of strength I did two 7A boulder problems and a 7B problem which had been eluding me for months and it felt easy. But I injured myself in the process and strained a tendon in my left index finger and my right pinkie. I was so pumped up that I didn’t really notice until the next day. The lesson I learnt is that muscles have a Day of Power, but tendons don’t. Tendons (for the thousandth time) take much longer to get strong than muscles. But when I was pulling on a two finger half pad pocket on the 7B and felt light. I had forgotten that.
But yesterday I remembered it. So I didn’t charge down to my projects and start ripping myself apart. I had a great day felt like a god but kept it mortal for the sake of the tendons, which have only just recovered 🙂
However for those who wish to ignore my warning regarding Day’s of Power here are the secret tricks. But you have been warned. My Day’s of Power always come after a couple of months of intense climbing where I can feel that I am over-climbing a bit and starting to ache. I then take a five days off and do one good day of climbing. But not exhausting. Then another five days without climbing. I don’t drink for a few days before and sleep really well. I didn’t do any other exercise apart from some yoga and antagonistic exercises like push ups etc. Then you will be ready. Basically exercise the opposite of your climbing muscles but leave the climbing guns alone for a few days.
Oh and eat plenty the night before and on the day itself never get hungry. Keep snacking so that body is full of the good stuff. Oh and a bit of protein at lunch seemed to help if you are climbing in the afternoon.
That’s what works for me:)
Tangerine 6C+
I tried this line for about five months over last Summer. Maybe longer. It’s really really thin with micro edges and small lumps for the feet. It’s not much better for the hands. It starts with a jump up to a slopper and then trends upwards and right along a line of small crimps and slopping holds to the end where you find a “medio bueno” (spanish for half ok) hold on the lip. Then to finish you have to do a really hard heal hook rockover for a great hold much further back.
The line might be harder than 6C+ but I haven’t done enough boulders at this difficulty to say. I think shorter climbers will find it harder reaching between the holds and footholds. But awesome moves all the same and really required a step up in my technique on both body position and feet to send it.
More Alcaidesa action.
This is another vid we made last year in Alcaidesa. It’s quite an easy problem but the move over the lip is harder than it looks as you feel quite bunched up and off-balance. The feet don’t go where you’d like so it’s hard to make it look elegant;)
We all agreed that it was probably a soft 6A.
Thanks to James who showed us the problem and cleared the vegetation around the base.