Thursday 30 December 2010

Johnny Dawes Coaching & Route Setting in Scotland with Reach


Dawes on Sad Amongst Friends, E6 7a.
Photo by Neil Foster, courtesy ofjohnnydawes.co.uk.

 Johnny has joined in with Reach Climbing Coach and is now available to coach and route set in the Scottish Region.


For rates and availability in Scotland please contact reachclimbingcoach@gmail.com 


Photo by Simon Nadin, courtesy ofjohnnydawes.co.uk.

Friday 10 December 2010

GCC Winter Bouldering Competition

Winter Bouldering Competition


The results for the Winter Bouldering Comp are in!




Open
Male
Rob Sutton 154
Will Atkinson 154
Alan Cassidy 117


Female
Natalie Feather 10


Intermediate
Male
Will McKenzie 112
Mark McGowan 109
Nic Bailly 103




Female
Holly Rees 97
Ivana B 61
Lesley Taylor 40


Beginner
Male
Stewart Cable 139
Sean Gallagher 133
Chris Duddy 132


Female
Joanne Herg 126
Jacqui Sergeant 121
Dawn Thomson 111


Junior
Male
Andy Barr 134
Willis Morris 129
Fraser Wiseman 119


Female
Eilidh Fergusen 44






http://www.glasgowclimbingcentre.com/competitions/winter_bouldering_competition.php 

Sunday 5 December 2010

'Above Goal' route projecting during a 'power phase'



Comp wall EICA (Photo: Fraser Harle)
 Above Goal  training is key for me for introducing my body and mind to new levels of difficulty or intensity and has proven to be a great tool when used within the correct phase of my Strength>Power>PE cycle


I have found that getting on a route which is at your maximum bouldering capacity during say the end of a strength or beginning of a power phase of a training block really tunes your muscles and can deliver a high intensity session. I went on a tough 8b+ at the EICA main competition wall to test my current finger and upper body strength on the moves of a route which is way above my current red point standard.


The moves that I did felt like hard font 7a+ or V6/7 (up to the 8th bolt) with lots of power being required to take allot of body weight on big moves between small holds. I love getting on hard routes for the experience of trying to understand what I will need to be capable of to complete my goal of on-sighting an 8a.


So why go on an 8b+? For me, I am convinced that I will need that kind of power endurance, capable of red pointing an 8b or even 8b+ to succeed on an 8a on-sight. Red pointing an 8a is obviously allot easier than on sighting one and the physical effort required to manage and compensate for on-sight route reading errors, tensions, pressing etc, is in my view the same as red pointing a much harder route.


And it is easy to say these things but another thing to actually put yourself up there and try way above your goal...


But the aim of this is to increase physical capability of climbing hard on a route as opposed just trying to simulate it through other tactics like bouldering. Getting on the 8b+ is for me a BIG step forward in educating myself on what needs to happen...FACT!

" I was never more certain of how far away I was from my goal than when I was standing right beside it...." (cant remember who said this - but I like it!)

Gurning the moves on 8b+ (Photo: Fraser Harle)

(Photo: Fraser Harle)
EICA Session score card

Referrals from clients:



"...This training season I decided to get all the help I can to speed up my improvement. I needed guidance to work towards my goals in long term. I also needed more vision and opinions about my exercises and weak links. I am glad I can share my training with Mark..." (Ville Mustonen, Finland)


" I met Mark in Glen Nevis on his return to climbing to check out some lines he had in mind for me, I wasn't really training at this point but after a day or two talking and training with him I had a much more structured idea of what to do to improve and I did" (Kev Shields)