Last weekend saw both the final round of the evolv bouldering league at the Climbing Works and R.O.C.Fest 5.0 at Rock Over climbing in Manchester on consecutive days. After arriving at the works feeling fresh I warmed up on the easy boulders and finally cranked my way to doing all but 3 of the problems in relatively few goes including a flash of the mens bonus problem.
After getting home at gone midnight on the Friday I awoke early in the morning for the long drive to arrive at Rock Over for 9.30(ish). After scouting the problems for half an hour, it was sussed that there were 4 or 5 hard climbs and 20 flashable, but droppable problems. Warming up on the systems board made it clear to me that the day before hard taken it out on me both mentally and physically, my skin stung and was red raw and I couldn't get focussed. However I knew getting completely warm was crucial as I had entered this competition twice before and both times, I had been unable to complete the day, pulling out with finger injuries both times.
Moving quickly through some of the easier problems to get fully warm I felt much better. The crowds here we tremendous and therefore getting on problems early was essential, I was basically running between problems. So many people!! Time flew by, it seemed my subconscious had kicked in and I was rattling through the climbs fast. Done, everything tried. Overall I managed to qualify for the finals in 5th place with a score of 212. Happy already.
After watching the slacklining jam, (an incredible scene for those who haven't seen how good some of those guys are) we headed for isolation. After the briefing we headed out for viewing. Some pretty straight forward problems that were easy to read lay ahead of us, however they looked very burly and hard.
The first problem was what can only be considered, my best attempt on a problem. A balancey start to turn round on a volume, followed swiftly by an outward facing dyno, a knee bar to secure a small crimp then a big flick to a slot. The final move was a big yuck from this small slot to the finishing jug. Running out of isolation to cheers from the crowd, this was by far the loudest crowd I had ever heard and the best show of finals I had ever had the pleasure of being in. On my flash attempt I secured the dyno and before I knew it I was at the second to last hold with distant calls from Callum and Cowan of "Come one Joe!!" and "PASSION!" It felt to me like the deepest lock any man had ever. I couldn't reach. I jumped off one foot, missing the jug. It was only when I was standing back on solid ground I realised my mistake. Two feet, is better than one. From here I could not secure the slot again. I was battered. Thinking it was a four minute dead time limit on the finals I quit with 20 seconds to go, only to find out when back in isolation it was 4+. Tits.
From here, it was all down hill. The second and third problems required very tricky jumps both from and to very poor pinches, slapping a bonus was all I could muster. The fourth saw more big moves and a cross through from a terrible hold on a volume to a positive crimp. Unable to hold the crimp I locked in to touch the bottom of the hold in control, jumping off I thought I had been given it, unfortunately not. Damn. I was bumped down from 5th to 6th with Orrin Coley putting in a strong finals performance to take 4th. Solid work on the first problem. However I came away with a cheeky £50 so all was well.
(ROCfest podium and finalsists, congrats guys!)
This weekend saw the arrival of F-BO 2014 at the foundry. Having not attended a comp at the foundry before, I was inquisitive as to how the day would plan out but new above all else, most of the problems would be on the unforgiving, steep and powerful wave. It appeared most of the climbers here were of a different crowd to those at ROCfest, fewer well know comp climbers appeared, but instead it drew in the "outdoor lot". Those who have significant ticklists and crazy hard assents. The legends.
Jumping on the technical problems early my strategy here was different to at ROCfest. I left almost all problems till the end. This was a horrendous mistake. Like, a truly bad decision.From having success on a few of the other hard problems early on I was going well but was becoming drained. 5 problems left all on the steepest part of the wall. I was burned out I had little left. 3 went down, flashes. Two problems that were within my capabilities for a normal climbing session seemed stupidly hard. This was no normal session however, this was a foundry, powerful, wave comp. I needed to flash one to make the finals. Close, but no cigar, after being given "slow" beta by Nathan on my third go of one problem, I managed to see it off on my fourth. The other bloc required an awful drop in from a crimp and a poor undercut. What came next was a big but not super hard move to a pinchy sloper. I reached the very last hold of this with an arm outstretched for the top. The tank was on zero, the reserve tank was on zero. The wave had beaten me. I fell.
Wave 2 - 0 Joe
I finished on a score of 216. Respectable, but I was by no means happy with this.
Nathan Phillips and Diane Merrick made up a team that can be described in 3 words. Team number A. I was carried to a second place by Nathan and Diane with them scoring 244 and 187 respectively. They both did crazy well in the finals with Nathan getting to the top hold of every problem on his flash attempt but seemingly was scared of the top and so achieved one flash, but was inches (literally) from coming first. Diane scored a wicked 4tops in 6 attempts to secure third place. Well done guys, you were sick!!
Cheers Red Goat climbing and Beyond hope, super help!!
