Training and skiing

I have just 2 more weeks of my system training..it's going very well, but I'm looking forward to starting the next period of my training which will involve campus board, fingerboarding and hard boulders. On a skiing front, it hasn't snowed here for a few weeks....but we managed to go on an incredible ski tour. It took around 4 hours of climbing until we were on top of the mountain "High Wasserfall" Oetztaler Alpen. The view was incredible and the ski down was amazing with perfect powder snow. Hope it snows soon.....

Weekend in Cresciano and Chironico

I can't believe I've never been to these two amazing bouldering areas.....there's a crazy amount of stuff to do! We stayed with Gaz, Martin, Liam and Micky in Claro on Saturday night and they talked about so many good problems that I need to climb....I got crazily psyched and couldn't sleep that night because all i could think about was climbing. On Saturday, me and sabby made the 3.5hr trip from Laengenfeld to Cresciano. We warmed up and went up to the "La Pelle" bloc. I climbed the direct method of "La Pelle" V12 within 5 minutes and then spotted Sabby on the 7b+/7c to the right. It went dark pretty fast so i couldn't try anything else in cresciano. We wanted to go to Brione on Sunday but Martin didn't feel too well, so we headed to Chironico instead. I was quite psyched to try and flash "Schule des Lebens" V13. I had a go and got through to the move up to a sloper just before top and my foot popped...after a few more attempts I did it. I then went on "No Mystery" V12 and did it first go. Here is a pic of me climbing "No Mystery":

I spotted sabby on "That Goes Left" V10 and then went to "Miss Swiss" V11 and watched Gaz and Micky dispatch. The problem is really high but climbs amazingly involving big moves on positive crimps. I flashed the problem and didn't look down. Can't wait to go back.

Ski Instructor and Physio

For the last month and a half I have been taking part in a ski instructor course run by SnowSport Tirol. It was pretty intense because the whole thing was in German. Yesterday was the exam and I was pretty nervous. First was the theory section and I'd revised loads so it wasn't too bad and then came the practical part...I was so nervous but managed to ski ok and passed that too....phew. I really do believe that climbing has helped me through some of the hardest things that I have had to overcome in my life, for example in the ski instructing course, the first day I harldy understood anything and I felt like giving up but my inner drive just pushed and I basically learnt all the German around skiing everyday for 4 weeks. Climbing has taught me so much about self-belief and motivation...it really is a fantastic sport. Anyway, so now I'm a ski instructor in Tirol and I have a physio job in Imst starting soon but in the meantime I'll probably do some ski teaching to earn some money.

Belasten V12

We had to abondon a trip to Brione due to bad weather so I headed to Tumpen for a few hours to try my little proj there. The problem involves just 2 moves up a really steep face on the craziest crimps I've ever pulled on...normally i like crimps but these are just too small. Pulling on must be v10 alone and then you have to get into this weird eygptian and make a move up and left to this one finger crimp..when you have this you have to weight it and pop to a goodish hold and keep the tension to hold to the swing. The problem is called 'Belasten' meaning 'to weight it' and I've graded it hard v12.

Training

I have finished the first phase of my training plan last week and I am starting to feel very fit which means my body is ready to start training hard. The second phase will take me up to Christmas and once thats finished I am ready to start specific training for my 2008 goals. I am really looking foward to Jan'08 because I have some trips to Switzerland planned. It's going to be hard to keep disciplined during December because I am so psyched to get over to Brione to try "Vechia", because it is just 3 hours away! Maybe I'll head over for a weekend to give it a go.

Tumpen Bloc

So Ben and Rachel have checked out Tumpen Bloc and the grades and quality have been confirmed. Here is a list of the hardest Tumpen Bloc boulders:
-Die Perfecta Welle v12
-Stick it Extension v11
-Diamonds are Forever v11
-Crocodile v10/11
-Stick it v10
-The new Am Wasser Gebaut v10
and lots more in the v4-9 range.

Here is a list of projects that still to be climbed:
-The 1st proj by the path....prob v14?
-Proj on Steep triangle boulder (pic below)....prob v12/13
and a few more that need to be cleaned.

Going to start work on a topo asap, if you want a copy email me: s.watson@gmx.at

Plans 07/08

Well I've had to forget Mordor now until next year...it's just too cold. I've waited for a warm day for the last 4 weeks but it's just getting colder and the snow is falling! It's kind of cool because now I have a major focus in the winter and I've planned my training so that I will be able to climb it in March next year. To be honest I have no stress with this route and I just enjoy trying it, on my last days trying it I was able to climb the 25m 8c section around 3/4 times in a day so my fitness has improved alot! The other day I sorted my training out with Sabby...it's kind of cool and I've never tried it before but it seems to be what all the good climbers in Tirol seem to do so lets see what happens! Next year I want to be able to establish myself in the 8c route/8b boulder grade and I think with training I should reach this goal. But for now I'm just focusing on my training and climbing some hard bouders on granite. I have been trying a bloc in Zillertal called "Incubator". It was 1st climbed by Markus Schwaiger but was originally Jerry Moffat's project. It's graded 8B and is one of the best boulders i have ever tried. It's on a 45 degree overhanging granite wall with perfect edges and big locks. I went to try it on Sat but couldn't do one move until some cool Austrian Boulderers came and told me the way and now it is on! I'm england now for a week but will go back and try it early next week. I think this week i'll head to Raven Tor and see what looks good. Hooligan sounds good..boulder into 8b!