An Argentinian Touch

Our new pal from the southern-western country of argentena has been on the boulder setting business of late. He's been in the cave and has designed some righteous new problems on the v-board! There are two new yellow problems and a red and orange. The grades look to be as follows:

1) yellow (right) = v6
2) yellow (left) = v2
3) orange = v4
4) red = v5

these are just guesses right now so have a go on them and tell us what u think?

I have also been on the v-board setting. My new problems are the blue and green. Blue goes at around v1/2 and the green should get a nice and healthy v5/6.
And right this second I just finished setting what I think will be the cave project hopefully... The new pink... Grade??? Could be v6 or even v9? We will see, it needs to see some action people, don't dissaooint...

Also, I've been seeing some neat variations going on in the cave too... For those that are interested, why not try the start of the pink on the mantel shelf into the yellow mantel shelf problem and instead of making the move static to the lip, do a double dyno!!! Also, try doing the yellow mantel without traversing and just go direct, FA goes to Lisandro, a sweet problem.

Anyway, tell us what you think, if you are enjoying the route setting telll us, same goes if you are not impressed, tell us what you think we need more of and we will see what we can do ; p

rob out

My Plans!!!

The Route setting at Ratho has got a bit lax these days... We plan to change that for good! It has been really difficult to get the time to set routes and boulders so don't get upset at us when there has been no new climbing in a while (we try our best). But hopefully now, that is all gonna change!!! Mhairi and I have been given hours every week to set now so there's gonna be a lot of turnover hopefully. My plan is to strip 1/5 of the bouldering every week so we get a good turnover of boulder problems lasting around 5 weeks for every problem. 1/5 of the bouldering will run as so:

Week 1: Barell Boulder
Week 2: Slab Boulder
Week 3: 45 Boulder
Week 4: 1/2 of the Boulder cave
Week 5: 1/2 of the Boulder cave

What do you think boulderers?

And 2 days a week we will strip route lines and set new fantastic routes of every grade!!!! At the moment we are working on the Justice Wall but we are moving further right. We are hoping to strip the slab wall very soon too and with that we will open up a variety of new fantastically shaped entreprise holds which in my opinion are being wasted on 3's and 4's with no obvious movement to them (they are just a line of holds basically).

Today I spent every spare minute I had stripping the back wall of the Boulder cave and setting on it. There still needs to be a few more easier problems within the V1-V5 range set but there are a bunch of classics set on it for rour enjoyment right now.

1) White (R) = V1
2) White (L) = V5
3) Pink = V3
4) Blue = V7/8
5) Green = V6/E6
6) Grey = V4

And the problems on the Mantel shelf board side are:

1) Yellow (mantel) = V3
2) Pink = V2
3) White (mantel) = V6
4) White = V0
5) Red = V5
6) Purple = V4
7) Green = V6
8) Grey = V5
9) Blue = V2

ENJOY!!!

A New Age!!!

The Age of Setting has begun anew...

A new day, a new set of problems! Today Mhairi had 3 hours of routesetting time, so she got on the boulder caves case! She stripped the whole Mantel shelf board section of wall and set a bunch of new problems too! I set some on my break (Green, Pink, Blue) and Mhairi set the 2 x whites, Purple and Red...

This is me on my new Blue boulder on the Pillar in the Boulder cave. A little bit different, it requires... lets just say... that je ne se quoi they call DYNAMIC POWER!!!

They all look totally awesome! Heres a video taken today of Callum Forsyth (Our youngest Ratho Instructor at 16 years of age! He's also one bad ass climber setting the standard at 7c Redpoint and 7b onsight!!!) climbing my new blue V1. Watch out for the sneaky footholds out right to stay in balance... ; P



Here's Callum again making short work of the new Pink I set today as well (V3ish???)

So today, Buz was on the Spider setting new routes! We have a brand new 6a+ White on the new comp wall (which is pretty amazing considering its all mega overhanging (Davy and Alan got up it so it can't be that hard ;P ). We have a brand new Red 7b on the Justice Wall (main Wall where the pantarai sign is). This route is awesomely crimpy but has some good jugs on it too for rest positions. Nice and pumpy... just what you want on that wall! I also did my Yellow on the same wall today which in my honest opinion was more like 7b+, all the moves are really cool, theres lots of variety in the movement, holds and angle which i reckon makes a damn good route! I also made the FA of my new 8a (Flash... if you can call it that after you set it?). I'm gonna name it "Crmpy Crimperson"... because of all the slopers of course (Joke). It really was a cool route, I think its maybe 7c+/8a but its really nice regardless. All the holds are really positive and all it requires in good endurance on small positive crimps and the ability to recover well on small open handed slopers (the best rest points are on smallish sloping holds). You should all get on it, I reckon 7b until the half way chain...
I also set two new problems in the Cave the other day, probably both about V5? They are both situated on the Pillar and have some seriously sick moves on them. The Blue has an amazing double dyno to two positve pinches and the white has an wicked double toe hook which you have to match your hands on as well to gain the final move....

SICK!!!

ROBZ OUT

BETA VID'S

So the new yellow has been certified as 7b+. The new Green has been certified as 7c+/8a by myself and Miss Berry (natalie) and I quote "It was really cool" : P

Here's a picture of the finale crux's of the two new routes!



But right now, for your viewing pleasure, I have some beta tips from the one and only Paul "Where did my armspan go?" Williamson (British Junior Team Member). Young Paul here,



is 15, sponsored by 5.10, he is wearing 5.10 Dragons and is beasting up these classic Ratho boulder problems set by our quality routesetting team!!! In this video we watch Paul sending the classic white roof boulder (V5ish). Watch his crazy roof technique through the crux, that sequence was shown to me by one of Ratho's young talents (Eleanor "could probably hang an atom" Hopkins, British Junior Team Aspirant).




In this next video, we see Paul showing us how to send the Grey V5 on the 45 Feature boulder. Watch his good use of feet through the crux and the final moves, this is essential for the send!!!



And finally, the evr elusive Yellow V6!!! This has seen many a victim with its thrutchy moves and body tension needed start, but there is always a sequence that works, and paul seems to have found his own... Will it work for you?



More Beta vids on there way!!!

ROBZ OUT

New Routes

Hey guys!

I got some time (first time in ages!!!) for some route setting on Friday! I stripped the main wall (where the Pantarai sign is, also known as the "Justice wall") and set a new yellow 7b (with some well cool moves on it) and a new Green 7c+/8a.

The yellow 7b makes good use of the featured panel to the start (watch for featured feet and hands at this point) as well as the overhang feature to the left of the Justice wall! It gradually gets harder towards the final moves where it thins out slightly and finishes with subtle movements on balancy ground with small features on either side for good foot placements! Make sure you have enough left to clip the chain!!!

The Green is currently not officially graded yet. It may be 8a but i'm not 100%. It has been set to hopefully replace the old terracotta that went up the same line. I set the route as a personal challenge. You will notice that the route has very small crimpy holds on it, and seems to be very endurancy without much rest. This is not my fortay and I usually prefer to set with bigger holds and more interesting technical moves that flow from side to side but setting this was going to be a challenge so I went for it! the route is straight up and nearly every hold is incut (but only slightly). It will be very difficult to get any form of rest on the entire route without crimping and apart from one foothold at the top, every hold you will use for your feet will also be used for your hands so make sure you look for those features and work on your highstepping because you'll need it. This will be the ultimate endurance workout for those working in the 7c and up region and I advice even those working in the grades below that to try the first half which will no doubt give your fingers a good test and may even work out a good 7b tick...

Happy Crankin' everyone!!!

ROBZ

New Blog!!!

Hey guys!!!

Check out my new blog I just started!!!

www.robbiesboardofbeasts.blogspot.com

This blog is my official blog and the official blog of "The Board" i.e. my board at my house where I train when i'm not at Ratho...

New Training Programme!!!

Hey Everyone...

Just thought i would show you guys if your interested, my new training programme. I've been following it for the past few weeks now and its going well. I am in love with the Beastmaker fingerboard (www.beastmaker.co.uk).



This fingerboard is the epitemy of training utilities. I would say that even without a board, using this training tool would make you into a real beast. Now remember everyone, fingerboards are an amzing training tool but they are also very dangerous for those unexperienced with them (actually, they are more dangerous for people who are experienced with them). The idea of a fingerboard is to develop finger and tendon strength by performing various exercises hanging on your fingertips.



My favourite exercise at the moment are called Repeaters. I learned these from ned Feehally and Dan Varians website (www.beastmaker.co.uk) and Eric Horst (world famous climbing coach) site (www.nicros.com/training.cfm).

Repeaters involve doing 7 repetitions of 7 second hangs on a hold, where in between each individual hang you rest for between 2 and 5 seconds. I rest for 2 out of prefernce as I want as little rest as possible, but the rest is essential as it allows blood to flow back into your forearms to create a more realistic sense of climbing movement. One set for me would be:

1)Hang 7 secs
2)rest 2 secs
3)Hang 7 secs
4)Rest 2 secs
5)Hang 7 secs
6)Rest 2 secs
7)Hang 7 secs
8)Rest 2 secs
9)Hang 7 secs
10)Rest 2 secs
11)Hang 7 secs
12)Rest 2 secs
13)Hang 7 secs
14)Rest 2 minutes
15) Next set

This set although not seeming very much actually leaves you with a really good feeling of a power-endurance based forearm pump, similar to what you would feel doing a long sustained boulder problem or short sustained route.



This is a very basic representation of my weekly training schedule:

Monday (Power-Endurance)
Tuesday (BM)
Wednesday (Power)
Thursday (Stamina)
Friday (Rest)
Saturday (Power-Endurance)
Sunday (BM)

Power Endurance

• 3 x sets of Circuits (3 x reps per circuit)
• Beastmaker (Max Strength Hangs + One Arm Pull Ups)

Power

• 1 x hour of Bouldering (Maximum Intensity)
• Beastmaker (Repeaters + One Arm Pull Ups)

Stamina

• 3 x sets of Laps (3 x routes per set) (1 x set can be swapped for 2 or 3 x max on-sights or red-points)
• Beastmaker (Max Strength Hangs + One Arm Pull Ups)





Beastmaker (Maximum Strength Hangs)

• 5 x 45° Slopers
• 5 x 2 Fngr Dish (Mid 2)
• 5 x Shallow Pocket (Front 2)
• 5 x Mono (Mid 1)

Beastmaker (Repeaters)

• Mini-rungs/F3 (2 sets)
• Mini-rungs/B3 (2 sets)
• Mini-rungs/½ Crimp (2 sets)

• Shallow Pockets/M2 (2 sets)
• Deep Pockets/F2 (2 sets)
• Very Deep Pockets/B2 (2 sets)

Beastmaker (One Arm Pull Ups)

• Middle Large-rung (2 sets)(-4kg)
• Middle Large-rung (1 set)(-2kg)
• Middle Large-rung (1 set)


If you have any questions regarding this training, you can contact me on:

meteora_9115@hotmail.com

I will be posting up more training article soon enough, next issue will be on Power-endurance training on a bouldering wall (circuits and problem reps)

ROBZ OUT

PICTURES FROM SPAIN!!!

Crazy Jungle Tufa Madness!!!

No-hands rests are very common on steep spanish limestone sport routes (Rodellar is famous for them, be sure to work on that core strength...)

Tufa technique is very tricky, especially if your used to pulling on plastic at the gym. In my opinion, its a little like crack climbing... it requires the same awkward and diverse techniques yet its geological structure is the complete opposite???
The best part of climbing trips... Meeting new friends...

Rodellar (Robbie's Trip)

Hey Everyone!!!

Had an awesome time in Spain. I was climbing in an amzing crag called Rodellar where there are massive caves of up to 100m in height. The first few days where amazing, the temperatures where a bit hot but i was still managing to crush all the 8 grade routes into the ground. I tried an 8b called Gladiator which i did every move on my first go and linked it in two parts. On my third attempt i fell after the crux and was sure it would go next attempt. unfortunately the weather got really hot very quickly and it was impossible to climb anything really hard, a real bummer as me and Stefan (My dutch friend i was climbing with) where feeling really strong. We still managed to have a god time though. There was an excellent scene at the refugio and the surrounding campsites and we made lots of new friends from all over the world, from as far as Australia and Israel to Germany and the States. I got to climb with loads of cool people and discovered yet more about my climbing than i've ever done before. I have found out over the past years that trips are the perfect way to identify weaknesses in you climbing and then when you return to normality and the gym, you can iron them out with more hard training so you'll be ready for crushing on your next trip. I discovered that my endurance is pretty damn good yet my power endurance and finger strength could definitely be improved. From talking to lots of different people, you can identify areas in your climbing which need to be improved. Try talking to climbers who are much better than you and who have much more experience and maybe you will discover something new to improve on. Remember that training has to be technical as well as physical. If you improve technically too then you can only get better. I am going to work on improving my speed and efficiency on the wall and to do that i will start moving faster when i'm training and working on my reaction time while onsightin hard routes.

Anyway, hope you liked the post...

C u all at ratho

ROBZ

P.s. Pictures are to come very soon... : P