It's that time again

The Foundry are starting their indoor dry tooling routes tonight. They've set 8 routes this year - so I'll report back whats the score. In the mean time here is a vid of me on the first set of routes they put up 2 years ago.

Ian Parnell Dry Tooling at the Foundry Climbing Centre (M7+) from Foundry Climbing Centre on Vimeo.

Building Up Motivation Again

I'd kind of written off the remainder of the season as I had a pretty packed diary of work and family but I got a good kick up the derriere recently. Rich Simpson, of Action Direct, sub 4 minute mile and 100 one arm pullups on each arm fame, got in contact to see if I fancied a spot of dry tool training at the Foundry. It was great to be dragged out after a couple of weeks of inactivity. A few possibilities have also surfaced in the diary for a return to Scotland with some big plans afoot. So with a reason to get fit again, and inspired by Rich I'm trying to make more of an effort. Running yesterday, the start of circuits with the Alp Kit Fig Fours at the works today and hopefully a run round part of the Edale Skyline tomorrow. Piecing together a training loop on the Works circuit board with the Fig Fours.

A few more winter work outs

I've been using the Fig Fours again, this time trying to climb the main comp wall at the Foundry. I'm still adjusting to what they can do but I really do think they are a great convenient training aid for winter climbers.

It can take a little while to find exactly how slopey a hold you can get away with using, and so particularly when you're onsighting a route it can feel quite realistic to the scatching around you have to do outdoors to fingd the best hook. There's no doubt the pump you get is very different to a traditional summer rock type ache and one much more akin to ice and mixed climbing. Alpkit are bringing out production models within a week or two. More info here http://www.alpkit.com/dryice/

Talking of training I've been down the Foundry for another session on their dry tool routes. This time though I tried the routes with big mountain boots which definitely upped the training effort a fair bit. These dry tool routes have been open for a few days and there has been a fair bit of interest, often from quarters you wouldn't normally associate with winter climbing. I was amused to read Stu Littlefair's self deprecating blog about his session (For those who don't know Stu he's an astro physicist who climbed 8c and pretty much defines the word Beast!) http://thesphericalcow.blogspot.com/2010/01/littlefair-you-tool.html?showComment=1263898544813_AIe9_BFr6tGfqljvYkPcHxzwaXCpEKbgu2EO1T1okdqtvUOz141tqmxbotz7rEockffdhQFWToSCL7C2idwrkLrfu0pyCurmV5fv-5bCf3v1ifCDP5dTZsAFMEaa1Vev48qhv-rYC1g7QqNMsWXDqCMHzzo783xqLJzSKGMySJTYzYbx4gMJH5VjHZz9H5KqLZXgCVPp6zTGvy1fOqdJAWUHv8-pGC2wM2Awy9zVG4BJ0c2eL-Op4gc#c2874574762746045794

Note: you can tell Stu's an astro-physicist by the length of his links!

So why all this fuss about training. Well its mild and thawing and I can't get out. But more importantly I want to do routes like The Crack in Wales, perhaps the most fearsome inspiring single pitch route I've seen. This saw it's second ascent recently from Andy Turner, who is no stranger to the occasional lock off, read his account here http://andyturnerclimbing.blogspot.com/

A good coach

Finally the thaw came. Which is a necessary thing, if its quickly followed by the re-freeze then it'll be an excellent thing. Of course its just as likely to go the other way and get even warmer. The knife edge between an amazing and a typical 21st century season.

While its been a rubbish week for climbing for me its been a good one for training.

First The Foundry Centre put up their dry tooling routes (see my previous blog). Theres a couple of films here http://foundryclimbing.blogspot.com/ which whilst not the most riveting clips they do give a better idea of what in store.

Secondly I received a pair of the Alpkit Figfours, the "rubber-bandy-dry-tool-training-axes". I'll post more when I've had more of a chance to train with them.

Thirdly Ive been getting back properly into my running. My friend Matt has been dragging me out (for an hour fifty today!). I think running may well do my climbing more good than any climbing training as it works away at my biggest weakness - my belly!

Finally I tried out a new variation on the 30 minute pull-up challenge. The inspiration came from a chat with Neil Gresham. Neil has that ability that properly good coaches have of being able see through to the heart of an issue without being deflected by seductive options which don't do the job fully. The key thing that Neil pointed out is that you don't fall off winter routes by failing to do a pull up. You almost always lob off because you can't hold onto your axes anymore.
So the new variation for the 30 minute workout which I tried tonight involves much longer sets. Instead of the 10 seconds of pullups and then 50 second rest, I tried 3 minutes on 3 minutes off. During that 3 minutes I concentrated on getting a big pump on but still holding on to my axes. To do this I have to use alot of assistance - all very high-tech - a chair to prop my foot on. Trying to avoid another of the pitfalls of the original pull-up regime with its pure repetition which risks over-use injuries, I put in a variety of exercises. For instance 10 seconds of free hanging pullups, then 20 seconds of alternating one handed deadhangs (foot on chair), then pull up and lock off followed by leg raises, then followed by more pullups but assisted (foot on chair). At the end of three minutes of this routine I was very grateful for my three minute break.

Of course stronger folk than me would need less assistance, and could hang on for longer stints, the key thing is by the end of your 30minutes you should be barely able to hang on anymore. I'm sure others do similar types of training but I think in honour of my perseptive coach I'm going to call this the Gresham!

Sheffield winter training facility

This afternoon I managed to check out the new "dry-tooling" routes that have been set at the Foundry Climbing Wall. At the moment there are five routes with many variations possible. While that doesn't sound like a lot it was enough to get hefty pump pretty quickly. The three in the Furnace area have a more "Scottish" feel to them as they are only just overhanging, with grades perhaps ranging from M4 to M6+. Then there are two through the roofs at the side of the comp wall. Here's some pics of me on one which felt M7/M7+

The plan is for these routes to be available Friday to Monday (you have to book in advance at specific times) with the cost £10 for a session. Considering its almost £7 for normal climbing and the Foundry is including all gear hire in the price, it seems pretty reasonable to me. It's certainly felt about time that climbing walls began to cater for us winter climbers. Great to see the Foundry taking the bit between their teeth on this I'd recommend anyone in the area wanting to get their winter guns tuned up to go check it out. Depending on the up take there are plans for more routes, including one up the 15m prow of the main comp wall, now that would be spectacular. More info here http//:foundryclimbing.blogspot.com

A little push

The work front has been exceptionally busy of late. With several imminent lectures; Kendal, London, Sheffield and Abergavenny, plus big writing pieces for Climb, Alpinist and the Taxman! my vague training efforts have got even more lax. I've found myself on a few nights looking up from the computer, realising the evening has sailed by and sacking off any grand plans of getting fitter.

But I got a good kick up the posterior yesterday. Andy Kirkpatrick mentioned that some of the Inverness boys had noticed my pull up post and had been training hard. Andy reckoned that Pete MacPherson was doing 270 in half an hour. Which would match Guy but in half the time. Now numbers aren't Andy's strength it could easily be 27 or 2700 but exactly how many isn't that important. What was important was to know that there were others training hard with the hope of big things this winter. I'd also seen in some of Dave MacLeod's recent blog posts http://www.davemacleod.blogspot.com/ that he'd been having to get his training in at around midnight after 12 hours of writing his book.

So last night I had no excuse and was down in my cellar at 10pm. It was incredibly hard work to be honest and I struggled to get through, sometimes yawning, sometimes feeling faint. But with the extra motivation I managed 100 ice axe pullups. For me it's not a competition thing really but more a desire to be part of this wave of enthusiasm. If we actually get any conditions this could be a pretty impressive season. Last year I think about 5 people climbed grade IX (Dave was too busy attempting grade XIIs!), but this season there are at least 20 folk with the potential to get up that grade.

Winter training part 2

Check these out, they're called Figfours. Designed by Pete Dollman, they're in prototype stage at the moment but Alpkit are doing a series of demos at UK climbing walls see here http://www.alpkit.com/dryice/ I've been lucky enough to have a couple of sessions with them at The Edge in Sheffield and I think they are going to transform my winter training. They manage to hit the parts (particularly your hands and forearms) that standard climbing misses. It's also surprising what relatively marginal holds you can use them on. Ive sticking with top roping with them as you need lanyards for public safety reasons and any falls are likely to leave you dangling by these tools and risk damaging the rubber band. Nevertheless Ive made it up all of the steepest walls at the Edge, so it might be time to get a weight belt out.

The Secrets of Winter Success

Some one asked me recently what I did as training for winter climbing. Well I can reveal my top secret high tech underground facility. In fact I did my first set of ice axe pull ups for this season last night. It's easy to forget with the run of great weather we're having that first winter snows are probably only 4 or 5 weeks away. The other training tool I've been using is a pair of Mizuno Wave Harrier Fell running shoes but as they are an embarrassing bright yellow we'll skip a photo of them.

Training for winter is relatively simple, you need plenty of puff for the walk in (hence the running), bags of stamina as your average lead of a hard pitch will take 2 or more hours, controlled strength such as lock offs (hence the axe pullups), a wide range of "traditional" techniques (luckily I'm a born thrutcher) and know how to use yer loaf (both in terms of problem solving and keeping going when things are less than perfect). Perhaps I'll do a proper post on mental training at another time.