Soloing, Comps, and Illness - Interesting few weeks

 So the day after we went to Roche Rock in Cornwall, we were able to go down to Dodman Point for a few hours on the way back home. There was one route that I was keen to do which I had first seen a few years earlier. It was a 14 metre HVS 5a, a really interesting style too, it was easy face climbing up to a slanting finger crack, this was then followed to another parallel slanting finger crack a couple of feet higher and then a move to a ledge and the finish. It was a really cool little route and my hardest solo to date! I'm psyched to get back to Dodman as there are two little micro routes slightly further down the gully that I really want to try!

Last weekend was my first competition of this season and it was the La Sportiva Party over at the Castle in London. It was a really awesome set with a mixture of delicate slopey slab problems, burly overhanging stuff and technical crimpy things. One thing I did find though was the volume of slabby problems with mantels on them; this is the style of climbing that I am worst at so I didn't do too well on these. I finished with 163 points out of a possible 200, and there was only one problem that I couldn't do as I simply didn't have the required flexibility to get my leg up and rock over. In all I finished second which I was very pleased with, my first ever podium too which was sick!! I also won the La Sportiva bouldering bag because of this, however, as I already have a bouldering bucket, I'm gonna use this as a little bag to carry my climbing stuff in.

More recently (last 4 days) I have been ill at home, which is shit. However, I am so psyched for Saturday and the second round of Blocfest at the Castle!! This should be a sick comp and I'm really looking forward to it!

Thanks for reading