Circuits? What are those?

Hey guys!

More news from the routesetting front. Soon to be stripped and set is the "45" board in the cave. A long awaited change is coming to fruition and soon we will have a brand new set of problem laps and circuits for your power-endurance pleasure. What is that you say? Power-Endurance? Power-Endurance is one of the most misunderstood form of climbing training. It is (in a very basic explanation) the transition between power and enurance and is an essential key to improving your overall performance on the rock. Primarily it is more essential for route climbers than boulderers although for those seeking longer and more sustained problems, theres no harm in training it. The best way to train it (personally) is by climbing circuits or doing problem reps (laps). The "45" board in the cave is the best wall for this at ratho and this is why we tailor all the problems on it to suit this specific type of training. Every problem on the board has a twin next to it. They are not always identical but they range around the same difficulty. As well as that there are also a few easier jug lines to allow easier downclimbing if necessary. The board is also fitted with loads of screw-ons if you wish to make it harder for yourself (use them for your feet). The problems vary in length from between 8 and 12 moves, coupled with downclimbing you can make a full up and down rep into a healthy 18 moves on average. I usually (if training on "45" board) will rep (up and down) on one colour and the move on to the next e.g.

1) Up Purple V6
2) Down Purple (Twin) V6
3) Up Tan V5
4) Down Tan (Twin) V5

That is a good set! And you should want to make your tailored to yuor specific needs my allowing it to be hard enough to make the final moves but not always complete it. Until you can safely complete every set every time, you should not increase the difficulty too much. Power endurance is very personal and it must be specific to you. I would class this training as circuits. You can also make your own circuits up using any holds (that is sometimes better). Problem Reps involve choosing a problem that you can finish (between 8 and 12 moves) and repping it 4 times max. On the final 2 reps you should be falling at the top. As soon as you can rep it seuccesfully every time you can change it. Why not simply tweak one of the holds in it to make it only a little harder? Each rep should include a one minute rest (it is essential to use a stopwatch otherwise the results become to scattered and varied.

When it comes to Power-Endurance, it is essential that you don't climb to total failure. Sessions should be short and sweet. At home (www.robbiesboardofbeasts.blogspot.com) my sessions last between an hour and two hours. Not long at all really and the sessions are always the same...

1) Warm up
2) 1st circuit (3 x sets)
3) 2nd circuit (3 x sets)
4) 3rd circuit (3 x sets)
5) Finish (maybe a beastmaker session depending on how i feel)

So why not try this for a while and see where it takes you? There is plenty of literature online about this and once you get stuck into it, its really quite fun.

Apart from all that training talk, I have also set two new routes on the main wall. There is a new giant pink jug fest (6a-6bish) and a new 7b/+ (blue) which is really wuite technical and sequncy on small holds and foot holds!

Go for it!!!

ROBZ OUT

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...