Friday, September 27, 2013

Episode 08: Man vs. Pitch black: 1-0

These last days, I have been feeling stronger and stronger.
On the 18th (Wednesday), we went back to Marion des Roches to finish some projects. Sans Pompe (7A+) was the first one. It had rained on the eve and everything was slippery. I gave it a try and fell on the first move. I got frustrated and very, very cranky but thanks to team spirit and healthy competition (I wasn't letting my friends send it without me), bada boom!

After more than an hour on Mise en Boîte assis and an almost successful last try, the night started settling in, and we went back to Bi-Steack. I was given 30 minutes to send it but wasn't feeling it so I only tried the difficult move. Surprisingly and after only 3 attempts, I got the move right twice in a row! It is now only a matter of time.
Friday: back to Demoiselles for Les Guérilleros. It hadn't rained for more than 36 hours but the rock was wet and, even worse, glue-y. Everything was covered with that same substance. After sending a somewhat easy and expo 6A, Le Casse-Gueule, I walked around in pursuit of unopened boulders. I had been eager to open for a few months but had never had the chance. After some wandering, I found five cool problems and got to work: Hic, Trickery, Grease, Slabby and Ray of light. The videos are available on my channel. You can find the info on my bleau.info profile and on the "Route setting" page of this blog. As it turned out, the first problem had been opened after all but it was worth the effort.

On Saturday and after having spent session after session on the same projects, we wanted to explore a new sector. The Petit Paradis subsector is too expo so we headed towards Oiseaux de Proie. A friend had told me about a feasible 8A (Bicarburation). The problems on that rock are simply beautiful: no crimps, just slopers and 2-finger holds.
First was Fatwoman light en traversée (7A). Nice line but largely overgraded. We downgraded to 6B+.

Then came Fatwoman (7A). Same line but with a different exit. It took us some time to find the beta but then sent it quickly.

À l'Endroit (7A+) was a pure joy. The problem seemed exceedingly easy but the first moves were hard. I had to go all Hulk to send that part. The second part is around 6A+. After figuring the first 10 moves out, I tried to send it and fell on the last move; the rock had not been brushed for some time. I thought I had missed my window of opportunity but ten minutes later and with a "what the hell" attitude, I gave it one last try. This time, I strolled on it, around it, in it, you name it.

Sunday was Marion des Roches again. I started with Les Guérilleros. The rock was, once again, very slippery but it was calling out my name. "Come and get me, a**hole, come and get me!" I gave it one try and was able to finish two thirds of the trav. On my second try, I went all the way up to the next-to-last move and fell while trying to hold onto a sloper. Had the rock not been wet, I would have sent it. I tried another four or five times but kept falling around the end. The good news: I am now very comfortable with every single move and can send the lower part in a matter of seconds. Next time this Siren is mine.
After a day's rest, I went alone to Aprémont Ouest to settle a score. I had tried Crazy Horse (7B) in April and had almost sent it so I was quite confident this time: I am 3 kilos lighter and twice as strong and experienced. I was in for a big surprise... I couldn't send a single move! After more than 15 tries, I sent the exit moves twice but it was ugly as hell.
Concept (7A) is a nice line. The crux is technical and I had to teach my body how to to do it. I was trying to get as close to the rock as possible but that's exactly the opposite of what you are supposed to do in this case. It took me around 45 mins.

L'Arête Dorsale (7A) is a nice trav. The first part is around 6A+ but the end is nasty. As soon as I sent the last moves, I tried to sent it but fell on the crux. I was getting a bit tired and wanted to find something shorter.
Attaque des Aplats (7A) is all about slopers. These slopers are very easy to hold and I thought I could flash it but the beta is really weird. I didn't know what to do with my feet. It took me less than an hour though.

It was getting rather late and I headed back to the parking lot. From there, it would be a 45-minute bike ride through the forest so I needed the day light. But as I was going down the hill, I passed by L'Arête Dorsale and saw three German guys working on Concept (same rock). We started talking about that problem and I got motivated and wanted to give the trav one last chance. I tried the end, I got it right on my second attempt so I thought I could send it. Sitstart, shoe wiping and there I went! Thanks to these guys' encouragement and cheering on, I sent it very (keep telling yourself that, douchebag...) easily.

And this is where my adventure began. While I was giving the German guys some advise on a few sectors, it got quite dark and a few minutes later, I had to use my flashlight. By the time I reached the parking lot, it had gotten pitch black. So there I was, in the middle of the forest, just me, my bike, a flashlight and my map. Given that I didn't know the route, I tried the most direct trajectory. I turned right and started pedaling. But after 50 meters, I saw that the ground was not suitable for biking (and I've got a mountain bike, mind you). I gave it another try and went on for another 300 m but it got even worse. Back to the lot and onto another path. Same thing. The third one was better but I knew it would get bumpy after 2-3 kms so I was very skeptical. By then I couldn't see sh*t and my T-shirt could no longer keep me warm. Had I brought a sweater, I would have spent the night. I kept pedaling but even my 200-lumen flashlight couldn't handle the utter blackness. Reading the signs was very hard so I relied on my instincts and my map-reading skills. After 20 mins of pedaling on tree roots, rocks, cracks and fallen branches, I found a nice, paved path. I was safe! From there, I got to the city in 20-25 minutes.
The next day we went back to Aprémont Ouest. After sending Le Petit Phoque (7A), we looked around for other projects but almost everything was expo.

After that, we got to the Aprémont sector to try Knees (7A). We started with the 7B variant, Knees rallongé. I got the first crux immediately but given the distance of the holds, I couldn't get the next three moves right. After some tweaking, I found the right beta and sent the problem on my first try.

After walking a bit to see another project nearby, I went back to send the 7A variant, Knees. Oh yes, I flashed it! As you can see in the videos, I was very comfortable in the tough parts of the problem so the flash was no surprise.

I wanted to try another project, a mantle, but some light rain started falling and we were done for the day. At least this time I knew how to get back to the train station and I even beat my personal best: 37 minutes!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Episode 07: Bouldering is like gymnastics

Three days off due to constant rain and my slightly sliced index so our need to climb was boiling up.
The usual weather cast for Sunday: rain in the wee hours, light rain during the rest of the day, but we still crossed our fingers and made the trip to Marion des Roches. I started with Pierrot (7B). It took me about 30 minutes to finish all the moves except for the crux. After 15 tries of pulling more than two-thirds of my body weight with a heel hook, I gave it a rest.
La Fissure du Clodo (7A) and Mise en Boîte assis (7A+) were within our reach but the rock was a bit wet. La Fissure de Mise en Boîte assis (7A) was a piece of cake (near flash). The only reason to give it a 7A would be the rather expo ending: you need cojones to do that last hand/foot switch.

Bi-Steack (7A) ruined my palms and fingers. A sitstart with enormous inverse holds and you pull your way out of the roof. If your technique is as shitty as mine was during my first tries, you will pull like an ox without paying attention to your foot position and will peel off your hands. Then you get a shitty, sand-papery three-finger and a pitiful right-hand crimp and dyno to a huge hold (see the video below). I don't particularly appreciate this type of climbing but never shy away from it. I sent the second part on my first try (compression-style!) yet wasn't anywhere near pulling off the dyno. I was using my toe and heel hooks but nothing would work. Then I went full-on and did the move with a straight approach in only four tries. The hold may not seem that far in the video but believe me, it is. Anyway, after more than 20 attempts, my fingers were too stressed.

Speaking of not shying away from boulders I don't like, I have observed two distinct mentalities in climbing:
  1. "You need to work on your weaknesses"
  2. "You need to work on your strengths"
This dichotomy might remind some of you ("some" presupposes that more than one person reads this blog) of a similar paradigm: gymnastics. Some go for the all-around medal and some try to win specific events. I have chosen the first approach but sometimes, it's demoralising thinking I could have already sent an 8A (a trav or a slab) if I had chosen to focus on a single project and discipline. On the other hand, being able to send 7As and 7Bs in most or all styles (vertical, slab, underhang, trav, roofs, dynos, compression, crack) is very rewarding. Yet, that "what if..." thought keeps buzzing around in the back of my mind.
Other than that, the more I delve into bouldering, the more I realise even amateur (but serious) climbers behave a lot like professional athletes. Unlike other sports, it is difficult to work out regularly without getting bitten by the "Citius, Altius, Fortius" bug. This might be because of the grading system. I imagine that in tennis, for instance, you don't get the constant feeling of stagnation because you can't quantify your performances that easily. But in climbing, there's always a harder problem to climb.
We finished the day on Sans Pompe (7A+). We almost flashed it but fell two moves before the end. We gave it another four or five tries but the momentum was gone. We kept our Don Quijote attitude but nothing.
The weather cast for the next day was even worse. Rain in the morning and then again around 6 p.m. The main climbing season being almost over (constant rain will settle in about a month), we don't waste any sessions. So back to Marion des Roches for revenge. I couldn't find a better beta for the crux in Pierrot and the various cracks were very wet so we had to find something better. Bi-Steack wasn't a success but I was able to send Natacha (7A+), rather a 7A. As you can see, all it takes is a good toe hook. Unless you find that perfect toe hook, it becomes a 7B and demands a powerful shoulder locking.

I finished my day in Aurore (6C). This beautiful line is also the first part of Zénith (7C) that I find tempting.

Rain came back again so another 2-3 days of rest...

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Episode 06: I am back!

I am finally back to my old self!
We spent Saturday at Rocher des Demoiselles, a very beautiful sector and my first time there. We started with Le Repos du Sphinx (7A). I put in about 20 tries but it still didn't feel right. I simplified a bit more and then found a resting position. I enjoyed this rock mainly because of two consecutive shoulders locks. These last days my shoulder locking got much, much better. It has been my Achilles heel for some time now but I'm getting confident.

20 m meters away, an easier problem: Crampe Man (7A). The left handhold being out of my reach, I added a shoulder lock by using my thumb. Two attempts later, in the pocket!

Not having worked any difficult slabs for many months, I started salivating when I saw Chorizo (7A). It took me four tries. I admit my exit wasn't very clean...

L'Olive direct (7A+) was tough and none of us sent it. I reached for the last hold horizontally instead of diagonally with a shoulder lock and missed it. I achieved another two shoulder lock positions which motivated me even more for next time.
L'Espoir Naufragé (7A+) was rather easy. I didn't send it because of a heel hook whose position you have to learn by heart; I needed an extra 20 minutes.
Then it was Les Guérilleros (7B), a beautiful left-to-right traverse with serious locking. The first part contains huge holds but you have to go downwards by locking your right arm, using heel hooks and even an inverse toe hook. I finished all parts but needed another hour to send it.
After two days of rest due to rain, I went back to Demoiselles. I didn't have much time because of the weather forecast so I only tried L'Espoir Naufragé. I was completely wrong about the time needed. That blind heel hook... But the real surprise came after that crux: I was unable to bring the left hand without my back touching the rock behind. It happened three times. After a battle to the death, I got it right!

Under the threat of imminent rain, we went back on Wednesday. I wanted to send Les Guérilleros. Unfortunately, I fell in the last moves twice because of tiny mistakes. Then I tried a real slab, La Grosse Bertha (7A). That was the end for my index. Damn it! The good news: I sent two 6C's. Better than nothing!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Episode 05: Slowly back in shape

After 10 days of rest, I decided to head back to Font' on Sunday and give my right index a test drive. For some reason, the skin on my fingers was slippery and I couldn't hold anything. I sent a few easy problems and then tried a 7A+ and a 7A. I spent the rest of the session spotting a friend. My finger was not screaming at me.
Monday, back to Font' for the orange circuit at Mont Ussy. After 10 boulders, I felt my index complain and got worried. I kept climbing but mostly used the other nine fingers. I took photos of the entire circuit; they are now available on bleau.info (see here).
Tuesday: Roche aux Oiseaux. About 20 easy boulders from the red circuit, a six-meter 6A+ (I flashed it to test my nerves) and three or four technically tough boulders in the 6th degree. Summary of the day: I learnt yet another technique for a heelhook (how many are there?); I did a move that I needed to master in order to send Chasseur des Prises (raise a foot very high, sit on it and then switch feet while using very bad handholds) that has resisted me during 3 sessions; I sent a beautiful boulder (around 6A). I need to film the last one: my technique was probably flawless and it made me feel like a dancer.
Wednesday: Rocher de la Reine. After 17 km of biking, three consecutive days of climbing plus my injury, I didn't expect anything more than an easy circuit. That's because I had forgotten the importance of climbing in good company; this was the first time that our team would be getting back together after summer time. We started working on a tough 7A (Napoléon assis). Every single move was physical but I sent them all very quickly except for the crux. I missed this one (a right shoulder lock with a bad, bad handhold) by only 3 or 4 cms and then lost it for good. And then it was prow time: Compression Zip (7A)! Simple but beautiful. I realise that my top three boulders in Font' all "happen" to be prows. After 15-20 tries, I was able to come up with a great beta that allowed me to stroll on the rock. I'm never content unless everything is clean. I had found an ideal beta before that but lacked the 3 extra cms. Yes, I know it sounds like a pattern but it IS true: it is always those 2-3 cms - or lack thereof - that make me work harder. As you can see in the video, my back muscles are hardly tense; that's because I simplified my beta to the maximum.

Then, it was Le Couguar (7A+ but I give it a 7A). The first move is a tough right-shoulder lock, a move that I've never been able to pull off on other boulders. My team members - much taller than me - were able to grasp the left hold with their left arm extended to the max therefore I thought I couldn't do it. I tried to dyno, to go staticly, I was two centimeters away every time. Then, I understood the position I had to put my body into. Next try, I did the move but fell on the next one (a right heel hook). Heel hooks being my specialty, it really got to me that I would allow myself to make such a mistake. For the life of me, I don't understand why, while my technique is getting better and better, I keep making elementary mistakes. Funny enough, Guillaume Glairon-Mondet was writing something similar a few days ago:
In the end, I am fighting from the beginning to the end of the circuit and topped only two problems to finish around the 40th spot. My worst place so far, while I am stronger than I've ever been... Hard to believe!
Next try it went smoothly and I sent it quite easily.
On my way to the train station, my body was drained. I had to take two 2-minute breaks on the ride back. It took everything I had in me to get back home. I opened my door and didn't know what to do first: eat, shower, lie down, watch TV? I was starving, my body was aching and I had sand everywhere, even behind my ears. I ate a bowl of chick peas, 300 g of shredded carrots and two eggs. But my dinner lacked something... I headed to the fridge and while opening the door, I prayed to an nonspecific deity: "please let there be a melon in there!" And the deity answered favourably! I was in heaven!
Thursday was lead climbing again. My left shoulder, neck and calves were aching so I was pessimistic. But after a soft warm-up, I tried a 6c. "Sang pour sang" (eng. Blood for blood), 13 meters, 5 quickdraws. It was all monos, tiny pinches and crimps. I flashed it rather easily despite the painful holds. I am very proud of this one. Then a 5C and a 6B.
Tomorrow is my day off. No matter who calls me, I am saying no... I have to resist, damn it!