I wrote a large post at the start of this year reviewing my climbing goals over previous years, and laying out my goals for 2014. A key modification for me in 2014 is changing to a strategy where I set goals quarterly, rather than yearly. Let’s review Q1. Goals for q1 2014 try at least 12 routes of 6c or harder I managed to try exactly 12 routes of 6c in the last 12 weeks, and my last try yielded success. ... (more)

For the last couple of years I have done an end of year review of my climbing over the previous year, and set myself some goals for the coming year. Rather than doing exactly the same thing this time, I thought it would be good to look back at several of these reviews over the past couple of years, look at the data on my climbing, and see if I could discover any insights. ... (more)

I was bouldering yesterday. At my local block - a lump of granite embedded in the middle of shore ditch park. I’ve been climbing on this block pretty much since the week it was put in place. Yesterday I saw that a hold I’d never noticed had been chalked up. It’s a great hold, at about shoulder height. It fits that pads of two and a half fingers, and in spite of being quite small, it feels pretty positive. ... (more)

212 climbing review. OK, time to review the year. I wrote out some goals at the start of last year. Goals for 2012 were remain injury free (not done) significantly reduce the amount of alcohol that I consume (done) fall off at least 10 routes of 6c or harder/month (not done) redpoint 7a, but don’t stop trying harder things (not done) get three campus board sessions or power hand sessions into my training per month (done) My training diary from 2011 looked like: ... (more)

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. ... (more)

I’m about to head to Fontainbleau for another short climbing trip. I’ve been going there since 2003, this will be my 10th anniversary of going to font. The first time I went there I brought a lot of expectations with me. I was climbing pretty well and I fully expected that I should be able to run up problems of about font 6a. I think I fell off of that first 3a 6 times before I got it. ... (more)

I’s a beautiful morning in New York, the sun is shining, and the snow blankets central park. Yeserday the rain and mist made it feel like a bit of a shit-house, but today it’s a fantastic day. I brought my climbing boots on this trip just in case I might find a few hours to squeeze in an attempt on the polish traverse on rat rock, and this morning I had my chance to get up and see what state the rock was in. ... (more)

Looking back at my goals for 2009, I've not done very well, however my current level of fitness is pretty good, so I think 2010 is going to be a good year. The main factors in holding back my climbing in 2009 were taking a few months off to get married and not being able to rent a car. Getting married was absolutely worth it, and the level of organisation and stability I have in my life now due to being married will only help in the long run. ... (more)