Font, Spring 2011, quick report

Well, it’s been almost a week since I got back from Fontainbleau. It was, as usual, a magical trip. Were took advantage of the row of bank holidays to get in a nice long spell in the forest without having to take too much time off work.

I’d been training like a fair old bastard in order to get fit for Marie Rose, but in the end a couple of injuries stopped me going near the route, which was a pity. The first injury really dropped by level of confidence and motivation, but a couple of good ticks during the rest of the week, and a read of the ‘art of mastery’ pulled me out of my mini-cycle of depression and got me all rearing to go again.

Firstly, a quick description of the two injuries, on the morning of the second day I suffered a hyper extension injury on my left knee. I could hobble around camp a bit painfully the next morning, and knew the game was somewhat up. I rested and iced it for two days, and then got back to climbing, though a good bit more tentatively than I’d been hoping.

It help up well for the rest of the week, and I’ve just been to see am Osteopath of all people, who had given be a all clear on the injury (will continue to be sore for a little while, but continued icing and moderate exercise should see a rapid and full recovery, yay!).

The second injury was just dumb. It happened on the second day that I was back on climbing after the rest from the knee injury. I was on a pretty precarious top out, though I had a clean landing and loads of spotters and loads of mats I panicked. I slapped really really hard for a flat finishing hold and bruised the shit out of my right index finger. It was really big. I thought I’d rightly buggered it. One of the people spotting me was a Sheffield bloke out in the forest with his wife and family. He got me to tape the finger, wrap it around a cold bottle for a few moments, and try the damn problem again, so I dutifully did, with a bit of doubt in my mind, and this time I pulled over the top with a bit more care. Finger still hurt like fuck though.

By the end of the trip I was a bit of a walking wreck, but it was an amazing tip.

The climbing hi-lights were:

• watching Gioia flow gracefully across a 5c+ that no-one else could do
• doing the entire 53 orange problems at 91.1 with only 7 falls (the jingo wobbly challenge in the bag). The feat mad Conor bow down at my feet.
• getting my first font 6b, and maybe doing a second on the same trip!!

Doing a complete circuit in a day with Mike was magical, and one of the best climbing days of my life. 53 problems, over 250m of ascent. It was a dream.

It’s clear that I need to improve some foot technique, some flexibility and some core strength, so I’m going to start a Yoga class, probably from next week on. I’m pretty strong, fingers could get stronger, to be sure, but core strength and stability at the moment is much more important.

I can’t wait to go back. Some photos.