With a New Year on the horizon and piddling book launches like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows safely out of the way, the stage is set for the most eagerly anticipated guide book since Simon Panton's North Wales Bouldering Bible. As I write the freshly proofread and edited e-draft of the first volume of the NEW Yorkshire Grit bouldering guide is at the printers awaiting its allotted slot of the 14th January for final binding and then on to all discerning climbing shops, worthy of the name, sometime soon after.
The new guide is being written and produced by a newly setup company operating under the moniker of "Total Climbing". Total are headed up by bouldering stalwart and renowned strongman, Steve Dunning. This will be the company's first production, although having spoken to Steve, following the completion of the 2nd volume of Yorkshire Grit, they have some interesting ideas for their next project - watch this space.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves, what about this first effort? Well, the first volume of the new Yorkshire guide will cover all the usual haunts and hangouts of Yorkshire finest, including a number of areas not included in its now well traveled predecessor, Rockfax: Yorkshire Grit Bouldering. These areas include the now uber classic venue of Slipstones along with the likes of of Scout Crag, White Houses and Mytholm Steeps, which (along with a number of other lesser known areas) have gained ever more popularity through the work of Jon Pearson and his superb Yorkshiregrit.com bouldering website. Inset: The new guide in all its glory and my thoroughly well used, note ridden, and bolstered with subsequent topo's edition of the previous Yorkshire grit bouldering guide.
One of the fine new additions in the guide - No Mercy Fb8a on Earl Crag's Hitching Stone.
The full complement of crags in the First Volume is as follows Almscliff, Brimham, Caley, Clattering Stones, Dove Stones, Chevin, Earl Crag, Gorple, Ilkley, Mytholm Steeps, Scout Hut Crag, Scout Crag, Shipley Glen, Slipstones, Swastika Stones, West Vale, White Houses, Widdop and Woodhouse.
It's certainly not overstating the importance and quality of the Yorkshiregrit.com site in saying that, by setting such a high standard, it has most certainly put the skids on any "Jack the Lad" publishing house cashing in on a nationally important area which, as we've seen with areas such as the Peak and North Wales, must be catered for by a passionate local group or individual, with a keen eye for detail and an anal knowledge of the area's hidden mystique. When the time finally did arrive for Steve and his team to put pen to parchment Yorkshiregrit.com has no doubt aided their task no end through it's vast archive of superb grade debate, route commentary and online area topo's.
Jon has recently added some great new features to the Yorkshiregrit.com site.
There appears to be an interesting omission from both volumes of the new guide. The classic venue of Bridestones appears to have once and for all been wrestled back into the clutches of those most hated of adversary's, the Lancasterians. Consequently the area has been left out of the forthcoming manuscript. In truth I suspect the actual reason for it's omission is that of the ever increasing problem of both rock and soil erosion at the venue. Don't worry to much, if you have a hankering to visit and have access to computer and printer, Yorkshiregrit.com have produced a superb free topo which can be downloaded, perused or printed here - Bridestones PDF Topo.
Sample Page - this an incomplete extract and merely meant to show the layout style of the guide...
Yorkshire Gritstone Bouldering Volume 2: This is due out (according to Total Climbing) in March 2008, giving you just enough time to have ticked the first volume. This next volume will include the following crags - Brandrith, Brown Beck, Crookrise, Deer Gallows, Eastby, Flasby Fell, Fairies Chest, Great Wolf Stones, Great Wolfrey, Goldsbrough Carr, Guiscliff, Hellifield, Lords Seat, Rhylstone, Simon Seat, Sypeland, Snowdon Crags and Thrus Cross.
The benefit of two volumes is obvious, more detail, better photos, less to lug to your alloted crag of the day. Unfortunately, however, the main downside will be having to shell out two lots of cash for each book (although the 2nd edition will be slightly cheaper than the £19.95 price tag of the 1st edition), lets hope they're worth it? That said, I'm sure, many climbers (especially none locals) will be happy just owning the first installment, as it covers all the better known and most easily accessed venues...
Our Opening Times During the Christmas Period Will Be As Follows
As is the case at this time of the year, any Royal Mail orders received between the 17th December and New Year are likely to be caught up in the Christmas rush and could be delayed. As such please add extra working day or two to our usual next day delivery service. We apologies for the inconvenience.
If you have any queries regarding problems with deliveries, returns etc. please be aware that although we will be available via email and phone over the Christmas period (during the times specified above) our carrier services (Royal Mail & Initial City Link) may not be. As such we will endeavor to rectify issues over the Christmas period, where possible, although in some circumstances it may take a little longer than normal, we apologies in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
NOTE: On Christmas Eve (26th December) we will only be using Royal Mail to ship orders, as such items which would normally be sent via Initial City Link will now be sent on Thursday the 27th December.
If you’re a climber at heart then winter is a good time to do a bit of running. The crags are wet and the days are short and you’re getting fatter by the hour. Don’t wait for the New Year to start running, get focused now and use the dead time to build some aerobic fitness which will benefit your climbing once the spring comes around.
In my opinion the best way to get bored with running quickly is to only train on roads. So, this short post will concentrate on off road running shoes. If you can only train at night when it’s dark you can still train off road with a headtorch.
Don’t make running a bind, keep it interesting, and vary your route and distance. Don’t be over ambitious. Forget about logging miles and concentrate on running time. For example: I’m going to run 3 nights a week for 30 mins each. As you get fitter you’ll get more out of those 30 mins. Increase time and frequency as required.
When you’re feeling a bit down and can’t really be bothered to turn out in the wind and rain remember that running releases ‘feel good’ endorphins in the brain so the chances are you're going to be in a better mood when you get back from your run.
Eat food, Drink Beer The ever popular pass-times of eating and drinking become more enjoyable when you’ve had some exercise and of course you will need to do more of both (within reason) to keep your energy levels up now that you’re a regular runner.
Which Shoes Choose some shoes that you can use both off and on road. Such a shoe will effectively be an off road shoe with a less aggressive out-sole and some enhanced cushioning.
Inov8 have a big range of off-road and fell running shoes. Here are a couple of suitable models:
The Flyroc: Light mesh uppers, reasonable cushioning which will handle some road. The outsole has large gaps in the tread to try and reduce clogging up in muddy conditions. If you’re running route will include fields and muddy tracks this shoes would be a good choice.
The Terroc: This is a similar shoe to the Flyroc with the same midsole and last shape. The upper is more durable and the outsole has a denser tread pattern. This makes the shoes more suitable for harder surfaces such as gravel paths and rocky terrain. The Terroc is also more adaptable to a crag approach shoe having a more durable upper and sole. If you are running in a city environment with road sections to reach parks or open land with good path systems, this shoe would be a good choice.
Montrail Phoenix: Now discontinued the Phoenix was an early attempt by Montrail to get their heads around UK fell running. They made the common mistake of building the midsole too thick (and therefore unstable), for serious fell running. Inadvertently they managed to produce a very good all purpose off road shoes that will cope with most conditions. Rock + Run bought what was left of the Phoenix stock from Montrail and we are currently clearing them at £20 while stocks last. Montrail Highlander: The new version of the Phoenix which is still a good shoe but seriously compromised on price while there are stocks of Phoenix at £20. Read a full review of the Phoenix here.
More useful running Links: The Fell Runners Association: Why not enter a fell race? Fell races are not as intimidating as you might think. Most fell races are low key events with friendly competitors who enjoy a pint in the local pub after the race. The British Orienteering Federation: Like fell running Orienteering is a friendly sport. The added dimension of having to read a map takes your mind off the pain of running and if you fancy not running for a bit that’s not a problem because competitors start at 2-3 min intervals on a range of courses so, there is no head to head racing. Orienteering is also a great sport for kids and families and can be adapted to suit any running ability.
Comparing routes at the finish of an orienteering event in Langdale.
Langer Orthotics: If you running regularly you are probably going to suffer from some muscle or joint problems at some point. Most running injuries are biomechanically related which means its probably got something to do with the shape of your foot or the way you walk/run. The good news is that the injury cause can often be cured by improving biomechanical function with the use of orthotics. Orthotics are custom moulded inserts that fit into your shoes. They are fairly expensive to buy initially but last many years and can save you a fortune in Physiotherapy bills
Climbing is a strange sport, it's one of few that I can think of which involves the need for strong fingers especially as you progress up the grades. Fingers are often peoples limiting factor in terms of their potential, they can't be ignored either as those digits ultimately keep you holding on and no matter how strong you are, if you cant hold the holds, you can't pull on them.
The good news - Finger strength can be improved, however it doesn't come quick and easy. There are various methods, using a fingerboard is one of them.
WHY? A pull up bar is often found in a climbers' home. They are great for some basic exercises, but they don't work the fingers. The next step up is a fingerboard which gives you access to more exercises, whilst you can still perform some of the bar work on the larger holds.
A fingerboard takes up relatively little space - good for those who don't want to build a climbing wall in their living room.
Fingerboard sessions can be short - say an hour or an hour and a half, which means you can grab a quick climbing related workout when real climbing is an age away.
For those with the mental stamina to keep a fingerboard training routine going, gains are almost certain.
CHOICES Considering that a fingerboard is in essence quite a simple tool there are loads of choices and variations, all different shapes and sizes. Not to mention every colour under the sun!
The first thing to consider is space, there is no point in buying a behemoth such as the Metolius Simulator if it's not going to fit!
Hold Choice is usually the next criteria - some have lots, some few. What you want is a variety to test your fingers and arms in different ways. The main criteria is on open handed edge, this is the most common type of hold on a fingerboard, they will be different sizes on different boards. You'll probably want a slightly larger hold, either a nice flatty or a jug to help you get warmed up. There are ways to make things easier or harder for a given hold which will be pointed out later.
Pockets can be good, but remember you don't need to have them as you can use 2 or 3 fingers on an edge anyway. Some boards also come with a meaty sloper or two, definitely worth your consideration, especially if your rubbish on the things like me!
The numbers of holds on a board varies, you may only want a few to avoid the kid in the sweet shop scenario, where there is too much choice or you may want to go for the maximum sugar content!
Fingerboards are generally made out of resin which means that there will be a range of textures, however I don't think it should be the crucial factor when considering a purchase. I don't think texture on a finger board is too important compared to climbing holds as you are not really moving on or off them. It's not like slapping up a gritstone skin trasher that's for sure! In general the smoother the texture, the less grippy but more skin friendly.
The smoothest finger boards have to be the Metolius wooden ones. Wood is a very skin friendly material, and is very popular with those who do a lot of training/climbing and constantly have worn fingertips.
You will be glad to know that most current designs are pretty finger friendly, some older boards have issues, as you can see, we pad the jugs on the fingerboard at Rock + Run.
"Why not make your own?" you say! Well I'm not stopping you but bear in mind that fingerboards designs are not quickly knocked up, they have been carefully thought about and tweaked so you don’t tweak yourself. Also these days they are reasonably priced and hassle free.
Whichever you decide to get please make sure that you attach the board carefully and follow the instructions, we don't want you to pull so hard that your house falls down!
Training So you have got your fingerboard, what next? Remember its not just an ornament or a talking piece for when your non climbing mates come over and go “Whats that big lump of pink stuff attached to the wall?”
Okay, so I use a fingerboard regularly but I ain't no pro. I have no revolutionary information to give, no mathematical formulae for the ultimate flexors of steel, but I feel I do have enough experience to guide you towards some of the better websites out there - because banging in “Fingerboard training” into a search engine will only improve your mouse clicking skills (and not much else) as you trawl through the masses of pages.
Ben Moon's site has a whole heap of training articles. As this is a mini article on fingerboards I will stick to that area (but definitely have a look around). Out of all the training articles I have come across, I think that a good job has been done on all, including the fingerboard articles.
What's good about his site is that it tells you what other equipment you might want to enhance your training session and how to add difficulty or ease to your routine. He uses weights and a pulley set up, or bungee cord. There are also descriptions on the the techniques and exercises involved, all explained in an 'easy to understand' manner.
The site also boasts a really good routine to follow - you will probably want to tweak it to match your needs (which is also commented on within their site). Although it is written with a Moon Fingerboard in mind, you can apply it to any holds which are similar on your own board.
Another firm favourite has to be the fingerboard articles produced by Metolius.
This first link has a run down of what fingerboarding is and some information on a cyclic training plan, where you alternate weekly with high intensity and low volume or the other way around. Cyclic routines can be very beneficial in improving your performance if you keep them up. After all, it is hard to keep going at maximum intensity without burning out.
So far this winter I have been spending my time doing something very similar to the “Training Contact Strength with 'Repeaters'” found on the Nicros Site. Nicros is a hold/wall manufacturer. They also have close dealings with Eric Horst who has written a book called "Training For Climbing". The training ideas in the following link are taken from that book.
I like this routine as it fits into a small time slot. My fingers have improved substantially since the summer, this routine may be having something to do with it.
General Tips There are some common themes in pretty much any article, warming up is one of them. This doesn't just mean a couple of pull ups, make sure you put in the effort to warm up and you will have a much more productive fingerboard session.
If fingerboarding is new to you it will take a few sessions just to get used to the activity, after a week or so you should get into the swing of things.
You will probably find that the routines on various sites will not suit you at first but don't be put off, its worth sticking with for a bit as it will take a few sessions just to adapt to this style of training. But remember, no matter what - insert rock god name here - has said is a good routine, it may not do the business for you.
You can vary the difficulty by adding weight or using some form of assistance such as a pulley system or a bungy cord (as explained in the Moon link earlier).
Don’t expect a '1 hit wonder' workout to be the answer to all your gripping problems, it takes some time to reap the rewards of training.
Remember a fingerboard is not a replacement for climbing and is nowhere near as fun, but it has the potential to open up new possibilities outside your front door.
My Moon Fingerboard I went for a Moon Fingerboard a few months ago now and have been using it regularly since then as a supplement to my normal climbing. My decision was swayed by its compactness and the fact that it has “proper crimps” as I end up crimping a lot outside so why not practice them inside.
My opinion of the board is excellent, I personally don’t want millions of holds, and the Moon covers the basic selection I want. The open hand holds all have rounded edges to prevent pressure points on you fingers. The crimps are incut to help stop you popping off. The smallest holds, especially the crimps, are quite tricky which is good as it forces me and my fingers to work hard.
One thing to note about the Moon board is that there are no jugs, the top of the board is flat. This is great as the space it takes up is reduced which means you can also full crimp the top - just a warning for those who may need a more positive grip to get going on.
A Chalk Tip I find that using liquid chalk is great on a finger board 'sesh', you don’t need to chalk up as regularly, and it also creates less mess than loose chalk billowing up all over the place, though you will still want to clean the holds and have a quick hoover up when your done.
Metolius Rock Rings - An alternative to a fingerboard Before I started using the fingerboard I used to use a pair of Metolius Rock Rings a lot. I wasn't able to put up a fingerboard, though so I had a pull up bar which I hung the rings off. Whilst the hold options are limited to four, the edges had a really good profile and are great to use. Also one main benefit I found is that they were much more elbow friendly when doing lock offs and pull ups.
A link to training on Rock Rings can be found here.
Small Amazing Things - Video Clip This is a clip which has been floating around on the net for some time, but if you have not seen it I would recommend watching for the crazy fingerboarding madness. Enjoy.
moniker of "Total Climbing". Total are headed up by bouldering stalwart and renowned strongman, Steve Dunning. This will be the company's first production, although having spoken to Steve, following the completion of the 2nd volume of Yorkshire Grit, they have some interesting ideas for their next project - watch this space.
One of the fine new additions in the guide - No Mercy Fb8a on Earl Crag's Hitching Stone.
