Roca Verde

Las mejores guías de Escalada Deportiva de la Cordillera Cantábrica. Sport climbing guides to north-west Spain: Asturias, Leon, Cantabria. Me contacten / Contact me: richie@rocaverdeclimbing.com

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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Old Dogs New Tricks – The 8b+ Challenge

Old Dogs New Tricks – The 8b+ Challenge

January 25, 2016 by Roca Verde Climbing 5 Comments

Sometimes you have to put yourself out there and accept that meandering along isn’t enough. So, turning 49, I have decided to give myself a challenge to go from my current grade, around 7b+, to do an 8b+ before I turn 50.  One year…

49th birthday presents - inspiration, application and recuperation..
49th birthday presents – inspiration, application and recuperation..

There are many reasons for this: the stark and sharp reminder of mortality of my mum passing away last year; the second (partly brought on by this) was the nagging feeling that first time round I never actually sent what I could have; and the third was a fascination to see whether new training methodology could help me to achieve my goals.

I am a climbing lifer, 38 years and counting, and during the 90’s was pretty good for a spell: I climbed E8 on grit, 8a+ in limestone (close to 8b+) and bouldered 8a.  Yet just I was setting myself for some harder stuff in 2001 I managed to tear my shoulder and spent 2.5 years out with injury and two operations. A spell away from climbing followed as the spectre of another injury (and a totally screwed arm as the doctor warned) and I moved to Spain to try surfing instead.

Old school training mode...
When we were strong…old school training more at the original School

Yet working in climbing I never escaped the scene and over the last 5 or 6 years am happy to call myself a true climber once again. Yet at the same time it’s clicked that my ‘golden-age’ is well behind me (my hardest grit route was 20 years ago) and I’ve realised that dining out on ‘once was’ after all these years makes me a has-been!!

Hence the challenge…

There are also lots of inspirations for me setting off on this and chief amongst these was working with the UK Para-Team during my last year at Wild Country. The dedication of people like Sianagh Gallagher, Dave Bowes, John Churcher and the rest of the team in dealing with the hand they’d been dealt made me look in the mirror…and not massive stoked on the ‘middle aged man who’d been cruising for a while’ that looked back I decided to get off the couch.

Fat 1
You too can have a body like mine…’looked in the mirror and saw a fat middle aged man looking back at me…’

Obviously there are others who have also made me look up; Ben Moon kicking ass again at only 3 months older than me, my old mate Dave Stainthorpe doing his hardest route at 64, Steve MacClure at 45 still pushing limits, Karin Magog quietly getting on and sending 8b, Tom Randall, Pete Whittaker and Jairo for their never-ending psyche, Caroline Ciavaldini’s determination and watching Shauna crush (obviously)…

I have a feeling this won’t be easy; and judging by the reactions of quite a few mates it seems other people don’t either. But if it were easy everyone would do it…goes the famous phrase.

6 kilos to go from there...
6 kilos to go from there…

Luckily, (through blackmail and more) I have access to some of the best climbers in the world to help me to do this and so over the next year I am going to follow their advice. Chief among these will be Tom Randall and I am hoping that with his direction and working efficiently will cut through the chaff and I can stay the course. I am very interested to see if structure and science to make up for a 49 year old injury prone body – whether structure can provide ‘shortcuts’.

Shit or bust...bust!!
Old, injury prone and fat…can training properly help…?

Because however well I climbed in the past, and though I trained really hard, my training was haphazard, had no structure, no method and certainly no ‘goals’. However, I was having fun (which GimmeKraft stick on top of their list) and there was a pleasure in cranking at the School in my heyday which I have possibly never bettered: but the question remains what could I have done if I had followed a plan?

Finally, to spice things up I am going to add a financial penalty – if I don’t make it I will pay £250 to the Para Climbing Team…and I wish to extend this possibility to everyone out there please sponsor me for a sum that you’ll pay to the Para Climbing Team if I make it…!!! (as safe a bet as you’ve ever made)…

The GB Para Team
The GB Para Team – as inspirational a bunch as you are likely to meet…

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Mark Isaacson says

    January 27, 2016 at 8:15 am

    Awesome and the best of luck in realizing your goals. Is there a homepage or feed where we can watch and follow your progress?

    Reply
    • Roca Verde Climbing says

      February 3, 2016 at 3:31 pm

      Mark,
      very sorry for slow reply…I may set up a separate Blog but up until then I´ll be sharing on here and on my Facebook…Thanks for your kind words, I´ll the support I think!!!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Happy, surprised and and psyched: Old Dogs New Tricks Day 5 #2 – The Results | Roca Verde Climbing says:
    January 31, 2016 at 10:29 pm

    […] See more here […]

    Reply
  2. Old Dogs New Tricks – Day 27 – The Training #1- Slow and steady… | Roca Verde Climbing says:
    February 21, 2016 at 9:41 am

    […] had made my challenge: to climb 8b+ before I turned 50 (giving me a year) and Tom Randall (maybe out of pity) had agreed to help. So I dutifully turned up […]

    Reply
  3. Old Dogs New Tricks – Day 141 – Re-test – Back on the horse… | Roca Verde Climbing says:
    June 15, 2016 at 8:31 am

    […] Ok so in truth I’m 5 months in and probably not near where I wanted to be. (see the challenge here) […]

    Reply

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Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 1052022 Felices Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 1052022 Felices fiestas. Muy buen día en Teverga y casi no hay nadie. Soleado pero con un viento fuerte entonces dentro de la sombra hace frío. Va secando todo pero después de la lluvia hace 5 días hay bastantes tramos mojados, sobre todo las chorreras.
Stunning day but although it's sunny there's a strong wind so it's cold in the shade. Everything is drying off after the rain last week  but still quite a few wet patches, especially the tufas.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing @grupoagujasobia #asturias #rocaverde #meteo #weather #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar #escaladadeportiva #Spain @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias
♥️♥️♥️♥️. @climbatcenters ♥️♥️♥️♥️. @climbatcenters
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 24042021 Despué Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 24042021 Después de la lluvia ayer ha empezado genial hoy, casi sin nubes ni viento. Obviamente habrá muchos sectores que quedan mojadas pero creo que se puede escalar en varios sectores que secan rápido como Entecampos, Placas del Sol, Muro Techo y tal...
After yesterday's rain its started off with blue sky and plenty of sun. Obviously lots of stuff will be wet but there should be a bunch of the quick drying routes in condition.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing @grupoagujasobia #asturias #rocaverde #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar #escaladadeportiva #asturias #meteo #weather @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias
Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 15042022 Una sem Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 15042022 Una semana Santa perfecta. Casi todo seco y listo para unos días de escalada buenísimos. Ya hace calor entonces igual una tarde dentro de la sombra puede ser la mejor opción.
Stunning Easter so far and gonna be a great weekend for climbing.
#meteo #weather #asturias #rocaverde #paraisonatural #escalada #escaladaenroca #climbingrocks #climbinglife #sportclimbing #escaladadeportiva @casa_quiros #climbinglife #sportclimbing @grupoagujasobia #klettern #desnivel #escalar #cordilleracantabrica
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Really nice day and good drying conditions after quite a bit of rain last night.
#rockclimbing #teverga #climbing #escalada #escaladaenroca #paraisonatural #escaladadeportiva #asturias #rocaverde #weather #meteo @grupoagujasobia @teverga_paraiso @turismoasturias #cordilleracantabrica #climbing_is_my_passion #klettern #desnivel #escalar @casa_quiros
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Stunning day and like yesterday I reckon it'll perfect for climbing in the sun this afternoon.
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He llevado los gatos de @tenayaclimbing para mucho He llevado los gatos de @tenayaclimbing para muchos años (son fantásticos) pero cada vez cuando tengo unos nuevos y abro la caja es como la primera vez: con mucha illusion probarlos. Porque para mi no hay un sentido mejor que gatos nuevos aplastando los pies. Escaladores y sus gatos, es un amor muy profundo 😍😍😂😂
I've been wearing Tenaya shoes for years now but everytime I get a new pair and open the box for the first time the feelings  just like that first time a giddy excitement to try them on. Because for me there's no better feeling than brand new shoes squeezing the life out of my feet. Climbers and their shoes, it's a deep, strange live. 
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Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 05042022 Totalme Meteo / Weather Teverga y Quirós 05042022 Totalmente despejado pero con la resulta que hizo mucho frío anoche y habia una helado bastante fuerte y unas temperaturas muy bajos. Ahora mismo el termómetro dice 0°. Pero hay sitios secos como Entecampos, Entecampos arriba, El rincón, Placas del Sol, Muro Techo y creo que dentro del sol hará bastante calor para permitir la escalada. Y como siempre en Quirós las placas secan y calientan rápidamente. 
Totally clear but very cold. Down to minus 5 last night but I reckon this afternoon in the sun it should be OK for a climb.
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