Posted by Matt Cox | Filed under Climbing, Photography, Sport Climbing
One to return for soon
17 Thursday Jan 2013
17 Thursday Jan 2013
Posted by Matt Cox | Filed under Climbing, Photography, Sport Climbing
06 Thursday Dec 2012
Posted Climbing, Sport Climbing
inIt would seem I have over done it slightly in the last few months. Two weeks in Spain followed by excessive work including a fair amount of setting both on the ropes and bouldering.
I have caused an over use injury to my drill arm, I’ve decided to call it ‘Setters Bicep’ a combination of a tear in the lower part of my bicep and the well-known Tennis Elbow.
Tennis Elbow Image – Red spot on left showing point of irritation / pain.
I originally noticed the pain roughly 5 weeks ago, I obviously ignored it to start with thinking it would go away. Well it didn’t, a few weeks later I went to Brean for a photo shoot, one thing lead to another and I found myself pulling back onto ‘Brean Topping’ 8a+/b.
This obviously didn’t help the arm and I ended up seeing a Osteo 2 days later for treatment.
Prognosis being 10 days complete rest from climbing, massage, ice and stretching and all should be good again before christmas.
27 Tuesday Nov 2012
Posted Bouldering, Climbing, Photography
inThis image was taken whilst setting for the recent UCR Festival
20 Tuesday Nov 2012
Posted Climbing, Photography
inA few weeks ago a small team of us went to check out Coppett Hill for the day, a predominantly soft sandstone crag with many pebbles, a lot of which fall out as soon as you touch them. With the nature of the rock being very unpredictable we settled for a day of short easy solo’s and top roping.
The crag was quite hard to find and as a result of that we only saw about half of it, but all the more reason for a return visit one day. The most impressive line we saw was that of ‘White Deer Arete’ E6 6b, at 9 meters tall we decided to drop a rope down it for a little ‘Timmy’ top rope. Even the sun came out for Tom’s top rope flash ascent.
31 Wednesday Oct 2012
Posted Climbing, Photography, Sport Climbing, Travel
inFor the sake of keeping my blog going (which proves difficult sometimes) I wanted to write a little about our recent trip to Spain… then relised I didn’t have much to write, so I’ve put together a short photo collection instead. They say photo’s speak a thousand words, which is ideal for me and more interesting for you!
It wasn’t the smashing hard routes trip I was hoping for. Due to a set back with my back at the end of August, I never got back up to fitness.
That said it was real nice to get away, soak up some rays and climb on pockets for the first time!
Steve and I started at Siurana, with no car, we got a lot of walking under our belts. It was way to hot to climb in the sun, so mainly morning and evening sessions were the order of the trip. Jason joined us 4 days later and we continued to do battle with the sun and walk ins.
After a very sweaty week Ben, Heather and Al joined us. With new team members, knowledge and it being too hot in Siurana, we moved onto Margalef which offers a larger choice of shaded crags. I’ve never climbed at a pocket filled destination before, so this was a great change of scene.
So back from Spain and straight into the winter comp season! Time to get strong.
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24 Friday Aug 2012
Posted Climbing, Photography, Sport Climbing, Travel
inThe summer has been rather busy this year, among, work, SPA Assessment, extra work, building wall alterations and attempting to get out climbing, there hasn’t been much time for rest and recuperation.
A quick round-up of the crags visited and routes I have done in the last 2 months.
A weekend trip to Shropshire. Saturday we visited the large LLanmynech Quarry, most routes being around 30m, the highlight being ‘Humpty Dumpty’ F6c+ ***. Sunday was spent at the short power endurance crag of Dinbren, a really nice natural limestone crag on top of a hill. Here I managed to flash the classic ‘The Bandits’ F7b+*** and RP ‘Elite Syncopations’ F8a ***, a great end to the weekend.
A flash trip back to Bristol for a days work and Ben and I were back on the road to North Wales. We had 4 days in the Llandudno area, conditions were not great for LPT so we ended up checking out a few of the A55 crags too. Llanddulas Cave being the best of the lot, we also visited Waterfall Crag… Surprise surprise it was wet!
We did get a couple of visits down to LPT over the 4 day trip, where I redpointed ‘I’ve Been a Bad, Bad Boy’ F7c+ *** (for the short) and on our last day somehow just about slapped my way up ‘Mussel Beach’ F8a ***.
A week of back pain followed, not surprising really! And then we were in with a weeks wall building at UCR. We made a few alterations to the bouldering room and a couple of volumes.
The Ingleton Waterfall Trail walk
Apparently it’s good luck in Yorkshire to hammer coins into dead, fallen tree’s!
3 days later Prajak + family, Aimee and I headed up to Yorkshire for a weeks camping in the rain! Having not climbed at all since North Wales I was pretty weak and tyered and we didn’t manage to do much climbing all week. Our last evening staying at Malham campsite Jak and I went for a quick evening session on a few short F7a/F7b’s and back to camp for a Thai curry dinner.
The most impressive waterfall of the walk
So not the most productive 2 months where climbing’s concerned and now we’re 5 weeks away from our Sirurana trip. I was hoping to be in really good shape right now and to keep the fitness up. Unfortunatly that is not the case… so… time to work my normal hours again, attempt to get back injury free and get fit again, without over doing it. Hmm… how would one go about that I wonder!?
18 Monday Jun 2012
Posted Climbing, Trad Climbing
inAfter all this rain we’ve had, we headed out on sunday not really expecting anything to be dry. We decided to check out a place we hadn’t been to before, because at least if it was wet, we could say we went somewhere new!
Spion Kop is situated in the Forest of Dean and is a well hidden gem, a 30m, sandstone wall, in a very quiet and beautifully overgrown hole in the ground.
The line that really stood out for me was ‘Labour of Love’ an E6 6b of Martin Crocker’s and after a quick absail (check if the route’s dry) inspection I had a go.
Unfortunately, I got totally pumped out through the crux section and came off just above, whilst trying to clip a wire.
This route has it all, little edges, smears, slopey breaks, side pulls, undercuts and even a mantle to finish you off at the top.
Approaching the mantle top out.
After some food and a rest I managed to get it done 1st redpoint. A very surprising turn out for the day considering.
Tom seconding ‘Labour of Love’
Steve redpointing ‘Love Story’ E4 6a
05 Tuesday Jun 2012
Posted Climbing, Photography, Sport Climbing
in15 Tuesday May 2012
Posted Climbing, Sport Climbing
inSo we finally got a break in the weather and decided our best hope of dry rock was going to be Costa Del Brean Down, Somerset. Saturday I had a training day, repeating routes I have done before and enjoying the sunshine with Steve Winslow. Steve (having been away doing a ski season) was just getting back into the swing of climbing again and had a good few goes on ‘The Root of Iniquity’ f7a+, but returned empty-handed having fallen off the top many times.
Steve and I comparing tans. Guess who’s been to Kalymnos recently! Continue reading
07 Monday May 2012
Posted Climbing, General, Sport Climbing
inIn the last few weeks I’ve mainly been working or sat on the sofa watching the rain, but going back in time to the easter week, I got a few days out on rock. The first being a day trip to Brean Down with Gary and Jak, having heard that ‘Casino Royale’ 7b+ had been re-bolted I was keen to get down there and check it out. This turned out a little disappointing due to the rather dangerous hollow sounding flake just above half height. The head wall was good though, gained by a huge lunge through the bulge.
Jak on ‘Chullia’ 7b+. Continue reading