The Training Plan (Video)

 

Ellis Butler-Barker on a training link-up at Dartrock Climbing Centre. Grades are: ~Font 7c+/V10, F7c, F6b+ (Reverse), F7c, F6b+ (Re...), F8a, F6a+ (Re...).

This was going to be used in Ellis's South West Film Festival Movie but was a bit too long so decided it upload as a throw-away clip.

**No resting in the groove just before the 8a for training purposes**

Big thanks to Jack for the 12 minute belay!

National Colleges Champs Gold!

After the earliest start for a long time, I woke up, got my gear together, missed a few buses and arrived at college just in time to catch the mini bus to the climbing centre where the TNCCA Championships were being held. It soon became clear that being one of the youngest in my school year I was the youngest competitor on the day.

After a long journey we had eventually arrived at the Rock and Rapid Climbing Centre in South Molton. The competition was split into several categories ((Bouldering and Speed Climbing) and (Top-roped routes and Circuit)). As I'm doing training my endurance for a upcoming trip at the moment I decided to do the routes and circuit, I also did the individual lead comp too. It soon became clear that being one of the youngest in my school year I was the youngest competitor, I was competing against people much much older...

I quickly got through the team event and onsighted each route and lapped the 25 move circuit 6 times but then had to stop due to time constraints, luckily the furthest others got was 22 moves which was the middle of hard bouldery section.



Towards the end of the circuit
Photo by: Briony Martin

Then it was time for the lead comp, the first route was graded at F7a and topping this would qualify you for the final route which was F8a. I was first on the route and felt strangely nervous due to some very reachy looking moves which may have been greater than my span! I managed to top it without any trouble in the end. I relaxed for the second route; after about 5 minutes rest I got called up to go first on the second route! Having no time to read the route I set off feeling a little tired but I was soon through half way and with a little bit of screaming and missing three clips along the way (no rule about missing clips) I made it to the top feeling a little pumped! After me several very strong climbers tried the route but none manages to top the route leaving me with 1st place overall.

Qualifying route
Photo by: Briony Martin

After this I had a long journey home, a sleep on the bus and the one arriving home I went for a nice long run. Tomorrow I am going to train at Dartrock for a session on a monster project which I have put together (V9 boulder into 7c, reverse a 6c then a (different) V9 boulder and finish up another 7c)! On Friday and Saturday I will be heading to Anstey's Cove where I am looking forward to possibly trying 'Tuppence' a classic F8b.

Thanks for reading and thanks for everybody involved!

Guy Fawkes UKC Article

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67724

"Font8A in less than 2 years of climbing is massively impressive"- UKC User (Snoop6060)

My Chemical Romance and The Black Parade (Font 8A/V11)

I returned to Portland two days after my ascent of 'Guy Fawkes' (see post below) and had a go on 'My Chemical Romance' and 'The Black Parade' (both Font 8A); I came very close but couldn't quite figure out the last section on this very reach dependant problem. I had also returned to do 'Guy Fawkes' again for some photos.

James got a repeat on 'Guy Fawkes' too.

Latching the crimp after the dyno.
Photo by: James Squire

The Best way to End the Year- 'Guy Fawkes' Font 8a (V11)

After the Brean trip being cancelled on Thursday 27^th, due to the person who I was going with picking up an injury the day before the planned day trip, I was worried that I wasn’t going to get another outdoor session in before the end of the year. On Friday feeling a little worried about not being able to finish the year with a cool route/problem I decided to do some training and went out for a long trial run (with some of the steepest hills I’ve ever ran up). Later that day I received a text about a possible trip to Portland on Sunday due to a short window of good weather on the isle. So obviously I took this opportunity and on 30^th December 2012 I was heading to Dorset for my final session of the year.

After an early start and a journey into Totnes, to meet Dan and Andy, I was feeling very tired but extremely psyched to try and get the most out this session, especially because it was my last session of my first complete year of climbing (I started climbing February/March 2011, so only did 10/11 months in 2011). After a 2.5 hour journey I had finally arrived on the Isle of Portland for my first time climbing in Dorset. I had originally planned to try ‘Fighting Torque’ F8a but when we arrived e decided to just boulder (due to low temperatures and high wind speeds) meaning not too much time would be spent standing around belaying or spectating.

As we headed towards The Cuttings Boulder field I spotted a section that I had previously seen in photos, the classic ‘Stompin’ with Bez’ was. I knew that a problem which I have always wanted to do ever since I started climbing was nearby and maybe worth looking at. This problem is the very highball font 8a (V11)- ‘Guy Fawkes’, originally climbed by Jim Kimber in ’99 but has had big hold broken off since and was reclimbed by John Gaskins and then after a few more repeats was given benchmark 8a (v11) and supposedly the hardest established problem in Dorset. ‘Guy Fawkes’ was the first ‘difficult’ problem that I had heard about as I newbie so has always been a problem which I was quite keen to attempt when I got the chance to go to Portland. So we scrambled over the bank and had a look along that wall where Dan and Andy decided to try ‘Stompin’...’ and I was going to have a few attempts on ‘Guy...’ to see what it what it was like. To be honest my initial impression of the problem was that it looked rather hard and pretty high. I think that my opinion on its difficulty was due to the two awful hand-holds that were in front of my face when I stood next to the problem.

We decided to get warmed up on a nice looking traverse that the guidebook appeared to show as V2 but later we found out it was V8 (so not the most appropriate warm-up).  I had a few attempts on ‘Guy Fawkes’ still feeling a bit cold but thought it felt a bit hard. I decided to have a flash attempt on ‘Stompin’ with Biz’ but didn’t quite manage the flash, straight after my attempt Dan found new easier beta though!

Back to ‘Guy Fawkes’ and after figuring out all the moves but one (which I hadn’t tried) the rain started to pour down on us making some holds on the problem a little wet, I had a long rest while waiting for the rain to stop; eventually it did and I started to try the problem again. I brushed all the holds and thought they were now dry enough to use, this saw me back on the problem trying it from the start where I fell from the move that I hadn’t yet tried (a heinous move from a poor side-pull to a horribly polished crimp with left hand, while on an okay two finger undercut with the left). After around 2 minutes rest I quickly got back on the problem and stuck the move, now all I had to do was two hard moves and I would be on for the race to the finish. I did the first hard move... Then moved out comfortably left for the next hold, as I grabbed the crimp my hand slid straight off and I was now lying on my back on the floor. My screaming after that was compared to Adam Ondra’s when falling off of the La Dura Dura Project (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stQhEZn4RE0).

After 20 minutes rest I went back on and stuck the move I had previously fallen from but as I did the first of the easier moves I popped and again had been spat off this problem. 

Feeling a little annoyed I went for a walk, thought about the problem and went through the sequence over and over again in my head. After 15 minutes I was back and ready to finish this problem! I did a little warm-up in between spotting Dan on an interesting problem that he was trying- ‘Fire starter’ V5. I put on my shoes, applied some Liquid Grip, thought through the sequence one final time and pulled on to the starting holds, into the undercut, side pull, switch feet, big throw over to the crimper, out left to the next crimp then high feet, drop-knee and big throw out to another poor edge. Cutting loose, I managed to hold the swing but didn’t quite catch the hold right and had caught it as a 2 finger half crimp instead of the 4 finger full crimp which I was hoping for but somehow pulled through! All I had to do now was remain calm and composed and climb the V5 section to the top. After a lot of hanging around and worrying I moved up feeling slightly pumped from hanging around on the pinch and crimp hesitating whether to move out to the gaston but I soon went for it and somehow pulled through and matched the soaking wet finish. I had done it, ‘Guy Fawkes’ Font 8a (V11), my last boulder problem of 2012 and a very good one at that!

Feeling very pleased I packed up and heading home. The remaining one day will not be used for climbing (mainly due to a lack of skin) but I’ll use it to train be going for a run and doing some core training. I’m very very excited about what awaits me in 2013 and I hope I and everybody has a great year.

Thank you to strong local climber and photographer Tommy for the photos.

Thanks for reading,

EllisJ

 

Images coming soon...

Busy Weekend; Anstey's and Berry Head DWS

I've had a fantastic few weeks of outdoor climbing and have done loads of training in preperation for the BLCC's early in October. My training has consisted of mainly endurance and lots of core training ready for the overhanging EICA competition wall.

Saturday 15th; it was an early start for a full day at Anstey's Cove in Torquay, the main aim... 'The Cider Soak' (F8a). Getting there just after 9:00, I thought the conditions were fairly good so decided to do a quick warm up and get on the route but soon realised that it was way too warm to have much of a chance, so decided to get on some easier routes and slabs and wait until around 17:00 for the route to become shaded. I happily belayed my friend on some routes on Ferocity Wall  ('Rawhide' (F7a) and 'The Lynch' (F7b+)), then we headed down to Cocytus area where lies some beautiful slabs and some very spaced bolts. I decided to give 'Cocytus' (E2 6a/F7a?) a try and managed onsight the amazing, polished, technical, scary groove in very hot conditions- In my opinion it is the best slab that I have done so far!

After this I went to rest with some strong climbers from London working on 'Just Revenge' (F7c+) on Empire Wall. They also managed to retro flash the crag classic 'Empire of the Sun (Direct)' (F7b+), which looked like a fantastic line; this encouraged me to give the route a try and I look forward to having a flash attempt on the route in the weeks to come. I'm also very keen to try many more routes on this wall which I have always overlooked in previous visits to the crag.

As the time got closer to 17:00, I started to warm up again and was soon back on the route where I fell of around mid way. After 15 minutes rest I was told a new way to do the middle move which was always 50/50 to whether I'd manage to do when attempting the route. This change made a huge difference and I hit the pocket better than ever, I was then approaching the final section of the route and climbed through the part that I'd found most difficult and was ready to take on the final couple of movements which are possibly the easiest 2 moves on the entire route... As I went for the good edge I felt myself fly further away from the hold and realised that I was no longer fighting to top the route. I'd fell 1 move from finishing 'The Cider Soak'! As reality hit me, I realised how close I came to success and how easy it is to blow the last moves on a hard route when your head isn't completly in the right focus zone.

Lots of rest and darkness fell upon us, the day was over and my goal of ticking 'The Cider Soak' was over, only for the remainder of that day.

Sunday 16th; Deep Water Soloing at Berry Head. I'd arranged to meet the people whom I had met at Anstey's for a long day of soling at the DWS mecca; Berry Head. We'd decided to do many routes along the Rainbow Bridge wall and spent 6/7 hours climbing along, up and down the quality rock. After coming very close to falling on several occasions due to no chalk in the chalk bag and I'd managed the 3 star 'Rainbow Bridge' (F7a+), then up another F7a+, down a really scary F6b+ and into another S2/3 F7a along the lip of a roof with a potentially nasty fall with just a slip of the foot or any little mistake would be extremely hazardous.

Then into the spectacular climbing of 'The Cauldron' (F7a+) around the back of the cave onto a scary technical slab and onto the rope bridge. This then led us onto 'The Wave' (F6c) which was definatly the coolest F6 traverse I've ever set eyes on, with amazing jugs and heal hooking sequence all along with a really nice move off of slopers to a jug which forced me to cut loose, it was a really nice line which I'd really love to do again. Then after nearly 6 hours of climbing we went onto 'Gluteas Maximus' (F7a) which is supposed to be done at low tide for very obvious reasons, the water was at knee height and then I took my first DWS fall which was actually quite enjoyable. All but one of us fell of this pitch and this bought the day to a close as daylight diminished.

I would love to give some the tougher of the routes a try now, maybe 'Cutlass' (F8a+) or 'The Barrel Traverse' (F7c). After going in once, I am alot more confident about taking the plunge.

I've had a very enjoyable weekends climbing with nearly 20 hours spent at the crags, thanks to all the people involved: Adam, Stan and everybody from London for the great tour of Berry Head.

Thanks for reading,

Ellis.

8a+ Route

Just a quick post about my recent F8a+ ascent:

At Dartrock on Sunday, I walked in for a training session and was pleasently surprised to find a newly set F8a+. I stood reading the route for a long time before going for an onsight attempt but unfortunatly used a hold wrong on the first and second attempt. I successfully did it clean on my third attempt which I was pleased with as it was my first 8a+.

I have now climbed Font8a and Fr8a+ indoors now and hope to do an Fr8b once one gets set.

Reflections... Part1

A short video with some of my favourite sends over the past two months...