The week started by a second climbing day in Margalef, then back home for work and two days of training and then a weekend of climbing. In total, 3 days on rock and 2 days of plastic. This week was the first that I felt that I started to recover between training sessions. Very good feeling! Getting into climbing training, more sleeping, better food and less other traning probably helped. Also weighed in at 86,7 kg, about 1 kg less than when I started 5 weeks ago (after reaching 88,8 kg two weeks ago). This weekend I have two groups visiting (non-climbing clients for my company Active Spain) so we’ll see how much climbing there is time for.
Monday – struggling all day but finally got the draws up on a 7a, worked out the moves and sent it. Not. But despite being very tired I rested another 10 minutes and fought my way up to the anchor, clipping it from a two-finger pocket just as I was about to fall. Big effort, big fun! Would probably have done the route easy if rested. Part of the training process. The route was a little more vertical and had some really small and slopy crimpers.
Wednesday – back indoors. 3x3x7m/B1/2/3 (3 times, 3 boulder problems of 7 moves, 2 minutes rest between attempts, 3 minutes rest between boulder problems). Felt strong on bouldering, could do the hardest boulder problem from last time with no problem. Then 4/45rL/12, that is 4 times a 45 move route with 12 minutes rest between. 45 moves on 35 and 30 degree overhanging means that I take the biggest holds… Fell first and last try, second and third I “sent” my route. Fun session but it’s hard to remember 45 moves indoors.
Friday – 150 moves warm-up then 2x3x12mB1/3/5 (2 times, 3 boulder problems of 12 moves, 2 minutes rest between attempts, 3 minutes rest between boulder problems). Found two good boulder-problems and felt strong, maybe they could have been a little harder? Then 5x24rC/9 (5 times a 24 move route with 9 minutes rest). Really hard to create longer routes. Finally invented one more or less OK. Sent it 2 out of 5 times. Skin hurting bad. Very tired at the end.
Saturday – friends from Sweden visiting! Showed them a good first visit-sector in Montserrat. No hard routes there so I repeated the 6 hardest of the sector for more of an endurance-session. 6a, 6b, 6c, 6a+, 6b+, 6b. Went well, felt good. First day I even could think about climbing after a training session. Great! Will try to put in a lot of Montserrat-meters once in a while to keep the technique of climbing here, it is so freakin’ technical.
Sunday – my visiting friends wanted to climb so despite of a night with torrential rain we tried to find a dry sector. Finally we choose to go to Cova dels Bombers, a cave just south of Barcelona in the area of Garraf. Super cool sector with lots of tufas! Unfortunately the rain had been strong and the cave and the tufas where not seeping, they where dripping. Except for one route, the amazing Cetaci 7a+. Despite the tufas not dripping on Cetaci doesn’t mean it was dry and my friend Johan put in a strong effort and made it to the anchor. My plan was to rest but I just had to try a little on this steep route and must say I enjoyed it a lot. It is now on my project list for sure! I found a video of two guys climbing the route. It is steeeeeep!
PS. Another positive note – finally I payed up for a pair of CU belay glasses. HOW could I have survived without them!? I broke my back 3½ years ago and I’m in pain every single day. This will improve my life!
