So after several work sessions on grand theft, im back again, its sunrise again and im keen again. Ive been falling of the same move everytime, some way across the traverse> moving my heal across > but the other day, the move just clicked and it was game on again. So after a brief warm up i get stright back to work on it, On my first go i fall off ont he boss move - 2 moves from the end> a few goes later, and i bag it. im well chuffed and i think it deserves a grade more like 7c+, as its taken me alot longer than any other similar 7c probelm.

So i head down to the tetris block as dom and seb are there> seb wants to get this problem this winter. I jump on and fall from the final arete on the flash go, im not gutted as this probelm is my type of style and i know i can get there again. A couple brews and a few minutes later i get back on, this time i dont fall and bag my second? 7c+ of the day., Sadly Dom and Seb dont manage it, but they will soon. Not long after i get onto tetris - prob the most famous 7c at the roaches and i flash it. Sweet.

So after dumping a couple pads at the car we head to the inertia reel area. Dom wants to try mushin and me and seb want to get on turbo - another 7c+ Andy Banks and Rob Smith come up to us as they r working on the inertis traverse - a rarely repeated 8a+ traverse line. Theres some seepage, but he seems to think its the day. Dom is not having muh luck on mushin as its abit damp and its starting to seep loads. Me and seb jump on turbo. Seb flashes the 7b stand, then i get straight on the sit and i also flash this. After seb and andy play on turbo and the traverse abit longer, we decide its time to head back upstairs. We head back to the grand theft block and start to work on the final"hard" unclimbed line on the right side of the block, starting in a porthole under the roof> its a crunched start for the tall, but higher up the tall have the advantage, so its equally matched. Were on it for about 2 hours, then seb makes the first ascent. Now we have a name and possible grade "lip service - 7c", dom quickly pulls out a second ascent out of no where, then i try to get the third, but somehow bust my thump reaching over the lip, so it looked like game over for me. Andy banks then comes back up to us to check out the beta for grand theft, and tells us he managed to do the inertia traverse and rob fells of the last moves. They are super strong lads.

So another fine grit day and with dave telling me the film were making is coming together in the final edit, its looking like were gonna have some local psyche to watchy to...........

well not a great deal has happened recently> training still continues, but the bad weather is still stopping play> my week of went really fast, trying to pick a nice day through the crap ones. Went on the upper tier with dom in the half term week and most of the rock was damp, however grand theft wasent, we both want to do this boulder problem. Gets 7c now, so should be within my capabilities. We pieced the problem together bit by bit, but it is really really hard. Its gonna come down to a lucky, superb technique attempt. Ive been to it 4 or 5 times now, having desperate 45 minutes session after work, as its going dark or really early mornign sessions. Its the same everytime, a few good goes leads to seepey fingers, then game over. Its still a waiting game, and its fast becoming  my tciklist priority.

Working so much sometimes can be a blessing, i appreciate getting out on the weekend, my body enjoys the rest it get, (despite the training) and although sometimes the weather dosent play ball and scuffers the plans, equally we get good days. Sat 27th proved to be one of these days. We'd been out the evening previous and new that the conditions were to be good the next day. We randomly decide to stick a rope up on judge jules and that was it.

Me and seb met up with kyle and dave came to join not long after. it was late morning, the air swas still cold, but the sun was warm. We made the long sweaty walk up to the top of the hill. It was sheltered from the wind, but warm in the sun. We laughed at the conditions as the previous day saw arctic winds and a the first flakes of snow of the season. Netherless i stuck with the judge plan and stuck a rope up.

I had a work session on this route last year with dom, i thought it was bullet, particuarly the last big move (bounce for me from a mono foot pocket to a half pad crimp), Dom connected it pretty well but he didnt go for it that day. He said it was my fault, but i think he was just been abit gay. Sadly he didnt get chance to go back.

with last years memories rolling round my head, i just aimed to project it, thinking it will take a good few sessions. So i had the rope up and joined seb and ky for a warm up. A couple easy VS solo, fuck knows what their called, bit green in the cracks, but ill do them again to get the blood flowing. Lets get on Crystal Voyager, old school e4 7a, highball 7b in new money, i get on it and flash it, it felt good, i feel good. seb almost does it and ky throws hiself in the deep end, fair play, he's keen - just wat you want to see for a group psyche.

Ok so we get on Judge, i go first. I warn ky who's belaying ill be taking alot of falls. I get to the last big  foot ledge of judge dread and pillar of judgement and set of on the virtually impossible to see smears, which i had to dab with chalk, or they'll be no chance. i do the first couple moves and slip. Well its expected. Back tot he rail, the crimp for the right hand is cack, you just have to bear and grim it, but my theory is - its a slab, its not a gift to climb them, its just using your feet and having the balls - anyones game. Off i go again, im still going, i pop for the rail and stick it. No way second go and ive connected it together. Back down i go , again and again i do it, not a fluke, the last bounce is feeling easier and easier. Ok back to the floor and do the whole thing from the ground. Twice i try, twice success.

Now me heart is going, i know this feeling all to well, something thats only had 2 previous ascents and rumered to be the hardest line in the guide, i within my grasp TODAY, i know deep down theres no excuse not to try it, today is the day. Ive quickly gone from working it to coming to terms with leading it. I jump of the rope and Ky gets on, he does well to get to the upper smears, but struggles the last couple moves, he checks out the gear on the way down and tells me the best bit is in a mono!!!

Dave gets on next. I have respect for Dave on slabs, i has emence potenial to do some  epic stuff. he regularly flashes boba fett (hardest slab boulder prob in peaks), when its warm, so this should be ok for him. He gets on and he does good, just the last move is defeating him.

At this point psycho Kyle decides he's gonna get on Ageing adolescent . An adjacent E6 6c route next door. He climb half way up and jumps into the tree on the left, what the hell is he doing!! He sticks a sling round the decaying Ash tree, and sets of again. Going for a couple moves up he takes a couple emence looking pendulam falls and hits the ground. Ky is a good person to have for motivation. Sadly he dosent complete the route.

Its my turn to get back on judge, i have a couple more successful ascents and decide im going to do it. Everyone is psyched for me to get on it, Dave sets the rope up to film me and i prepare my gear in the correct order ill be picking it. I warn Kyle, that hasent seen me on a serious lead before, that i tend to talk to me self alot. I prepare mentally, tell myself what a fun time im  about to have and set of, gear goes in bomber and before i know it im at the last foot ledge aka the point of no return after this there are only 2 options, success or painful back breaking failure. I know the score, its about being positive, but this is wat pushing the grades is all about, i lay my feet on the first smears and convince myself it feels easy, this is my tactic to doing a route, saying its easy, for some reason it works. At the last bounce i get the crimp, but only just and have to slightly rearrange. Cause i only just got it, i was thrown of slightly and over  crimp on the last couple moves. I carry on and reach the last pocket, and i know ive done it> a few moves and i top out. E8 7a, third ascent...... Done

Ok. so ive said before that i would normally put problems on me ticklist which are just out of my reach, Another Nadin Traverse at Doxey pool is one such problem. This is year 2 now its been on the list. Previous to this ive looked at it and have always thought, 'where the fuck r the holds', but as time ticks on and i improve, i still dont know if its doable, but know the grade is within my capabilities. The traverse has a sequence to it, a long tiring one and when you take a break from it, you  have to figure it out all again and you loose the feel of the problem, also skin gets thin fast. Last year i started projecting it, returning  over and over. You see with a long hard sequency traverse like ANT, there is no luck in doing it first time, you just have to be extremely talented, i say talented, but even at this point, its not had a single repeat, since the great man mr nadin did it many years back.

Last year when i kept on making the long wet walk up to the pool, carrying 2 mats strapped together, a bag and dog seat cover for the floor, i would work on the traverse in different sections. The sit start bit (old school 7b probelm alone - 7a now), coming out of the arete onto the slab, going across, getting a foot onto the big start ledge of drowning pool, and going up bit. Basicly theres loads to it. Bit by bit making progress. Fianlly towards the end of the season, i had planned to go up at a certain point of the day, just before it was set to rain. I get up there and the rain is clearly on its way. Its not raining yet, but you can feel it in the air. I warm up  as usual, doing most the problems on the crag, but being careful to retain skin and have a few work goes at it. Today was different, i  feel good and after a few goes im connecting the whole thing all the way to where you throw a foot onto the start ledge of drowning pool. Game on!!! this is my crux, its a big chuck, im convinving myself you have to be tall to do it. Again i have another go, same place again. Damn i think, i get to this point everytime, but am knackered for the crux, then the rain arrives. Game over.... being late march, the sun is starting to get warm in its midst, so this was also to be the last session of the season on this.

Its September, ive got a full time job and only have 1 hour slots after work free, its been a wet summer and its a cool day, ive made my tick list a few days prior and decide another trip to ANT, same old process, same old warm up. When working projects i like to work alone, unless its on rope. I dont like being rushed or be put under pressure. I chalk up and say to myself, 'time to remember the sequence', my first go i get to the foot chuck and come of, im instantly psyched, ive made a vast imrovement over the spring and summer. Although i fell of at the crux again, i wasent tired, so i figure a sequence for my feet, which works for me, i project this bit for ages and come to the conclusion, that its luck if i get it. Home time. Ill return tomoz then at the weekend when its forecast cooler weather. Ive researched the problem in the week as im really psyched> its got a long history, seeing of the areas finist suitors, and it looks like someone did it not long ago, but it turned out to be bullshit, basicly its not had a second ascent, sounds up my street. Story of my life.

Its saturday and its warm. im gutted, as i need cold conditions, but i stick with the plan. I head up and warm up. but its still warm, its Sept so its bound to cool down later, but its only mid afternoon, i cant sit here for 3 hours waiting. 45 mins goes by, ive looked up and down the traverse, waiting it to cool, as the slab was still warm and i figure out a new foot placement and decide ill use it when i have a go. Its still warm. Ive had several brews at this point. Drastic times calls for drastic measures. I figure that if the slab isant gonna cool, my hands must. 

I stick my hand in a cold pool of water for a few minutes, trying to cheat the conditions and i get on it. All the way accross i get to the foot chuck, i stick it, just going up now. fuck it feels hard. i do it!!! This is what i wrote in me book not long after to recored the whole event:

"3rd day of working on it, warmish slab, but a cool breeze> After nearly waiting an hour, uming and Aring, i decide the slab isant going to cool, so i put my hands in a cold puddle of peaty water for a few mins to get them cooled> It paid off, i flashed the bastard. First time. Nearly messed up the top, but i knew it was mine. SWEET!!! 7c+ for sure"

Well there we have it. Sticking with a plan and project really does pay of, its taken me a while, but sometimes you have to be a little selfish if it means success.

Keen climbers know all to well about tick lists, weather its written down or a mental note taken, the importance of a tick list is very high> for me it keeps me 'ticking', more to the point, i have to have a physical list to give me the psyche. Saying im going to get on something verbally is good enough, but the cherry on the cake is the name of the climb or problem written down, i know then that im commited to doing it. Im always making lists, and at this time of year when the conditions r coming in, i usually put some bits on that r only just out of reach for me to do, beyond my limit or a repeat of something else ive already done, just to test if ive improved. sometimes its something thats been on previous lists but not got round to do. usually my lists are far to big. Last year was good,  i was getting through me list very well, my most noticable ascent was doing columns on the clouds several times and i ended up doing who needs ready brek? for the first time. both of these are 7c/+ problems. I then hit a brick wall when i got to doxey pool............

Either way i have now made a new list for this autumn / winter season, sure ive done a couple decent repeats, ready brek and turbo flashes both 7c+'s, but i do like to test my self on the routes to, its just about getting round to them. usually when im working on a list, i choose a problem and i will keep going back until ive done it. Also this way the beta and the general feel of the climb/problem is fresh in my head, so what was my first proper tick for the season?????............

No im not talking about dave. This is a big day for me, lots of planning, lots of practice. The Staffordshire Nose, 31 climbs in a day all first done by Don Whillans and Jo brown. Its basicly a crack climbing masterclass in a day.

My preparation is complete a few days prior, ive got lots of tape, ive bought loads of crap energy food and ive stopped climbing and training so im fresh, now its  all down to the weather. 2 days before lift off, me and Andi are texting back and forth debating which day the weather is best, it's the worst case scenerio, there is no best day, just a day it is less likely to rain....bumber

But the show must go on, it just means we have to tweak the plan. We originally wanted to start at the Roaches, then Hen cloud and finally Ramshaw, we worked out that we save precious minutes and psychologically the end is closer.

Sadly this didnt happen, its the morning of the challenge, its damp. We know what the score is, The Roaches needs time to dry, we must start at Ram. 8am we plan to start. It's half ten when we do, we need to work fast. Andi leading first, and again on the next route, now its my turn, browns crack, this is one hard e1, i do it without a fall, but the upper section has screwed me over, i feel like ive had a full days workout and we've only just started, neterless we complete the remaining ramshaw climbs and head to the roaches. We start on the upper tier, Aqua we said. Disaster its green and wet,  we need some breeze on Aqua so we can solo it. Sauls crack first then Aqua. Andis lead, done 4 mins easy, ok aqua now, we have to lead it. 3 times as long this way, but its done now. ok my lead now - the sloth, easy done. Downstairs now, climb by climb,  cursing the wet conditions on each. We hit the crux climb of the, crack of gloom. The names in the experience, but were both ready for it and both do it without a fall, ok now its game on. You see we have a time to beat, set by the wide boyz Tom and Pete. 9 hours 31 mins. Its a 50/50 chance at time moment, as we've had everything against us so far, but lets crack on. 

One by one we complete each climb in good style. We reach the end of the roaches, now we know its just the hen to go. 9 climbs i think left.

We head over, and its my lead, but the problem is very apparent, we've hit a psychological brick wall, basicly were knackered, and what should take 3 mins is taking 10. this isant good. we've got four hours to do the climb. it should be plenty, andi's climb next... done, but the wear and tear is showing.Andi 's turn again on delstree. He makes it to the top, but again it took a long time and even worse andi is clearly suffering with arm pains. we just need an excuse to call it a day. Ok my lead, reunion crack, wat a joke. i approached this relatively easy VS  as if it were an e5, it took me ages.  ok to the other side, slimeline. Andi is up again. He gets to the top and tells me its game over, deep down i agree but we just havent had the excuse to quit, ok im up next,  seconds retreat -  andthere it is - the excuse, its wet, its over grown and its clearly getting dark. We know it, Were done. the time now is 10 hours, 4 climbs from the end we call it a day.

All the way down, we tell each other, next time, next time, next time. We'll be more prepared, conditions will be better.....

well lets see hey

So here it is, time to join  the crowds. Abit like a smart phone, sooner or later ull end up with a blog. Ive been in this position before, lots of things to say and i ended up writing a book, this time ill make it easier on me self and use a blog. I like to keep things simple and update every couple weeks, so i dont get bored, but ill like to get stuff off my chest.

First of all i may as well advertise my products, the buzz i make and the book i sell. Dont get me wrong it isant really a business, just a hobby, yet 2 of the little life ambitions i have and as the title of this article says, its life by the clock. Im busy... all the time... the list is never ending. As well as juggling a full time job, young family, wife ..and lifes ambitions, i can never get away from the fact that i love to climb, i love to train to climb, i love to think about where i can climb, what i can climb, and all this really does make me a 24/7 active person.

But as i say i dont like to go on abit to much, so ill start in August, when things in my life started to change, and where a big day was waiting...

check out the next chapter