Monday, November 24, 2014

More pictures!!! Part two.


Moving on from the big stuff, my next stop was South Africa. Six weeks of hardcore bouldering at the world famous destination known as Rocklands. Psyched!!!!

.... South Africa baby!!! Photo: Wiz Fineron
So much rock! So much climbing! Can you spot the famous boulder? Photo: Wiz Fineron
Campusing around at night on what was meant to be a rest day. Rest days are so hard to have when amongst so much quality rock. Photo: Bjørn Helge Rønning
One of my favorite problems of all time. Shosholoza 8a/+ (ish) When I managed to climb this bloc I was so psyched, so I re-climbed it about five minutes later for the camera! Two perfect moves. Photo: Caroline Wagner
And the next move. Perfect. Another great photo by Caroline Wagner
Steve Bradshaw attempting the 18m long highline above the camping. Photo: Wiz Fineron
Wiz sending the highline. Managed to walk back and forth on this rig 3 times. I first tried a highline back in 2012 at Mt Arapiles, Australia and have wanted to try again ever since. Psyched to have sent it! Photo: Steve Bradshaw

Working on the project of the trip. The Vice (8b) proved to be right at my limit for the trip spitting me off the last move to the jug too many times to count. Photo: Caroline Wagner
Sneaky... Photo: Wiz Fineron
Hold on Simon!!! Oh wait, too late.... Photo: Wiz Fineron
Eat your greens! Power food. Photo: Wiz Fineron
Another big move to a small crimp. Catching the crux move on Green Mamba 8a+ Photo: Caroline Wagner
Some very impressive rock art. Photo: Wiz Fineron

After six weeks of thrashing our selves on one amazing problem after the next the power had gone and so had the skin.  Having managed to climb more than twenty 8a or harder problems I was happy with how the trip went and with my body feeling completely beaten, when the time came to leave I felt satisfied and ready to move on.

Lesson learnt... Dynos are not good for the skin! This happened on the second to last day luckily. Only one solution really... Tape up and keep climbing. Photo: Wiz Fineron
Check out the video I made with some of the problems I caught on film:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnilDAw4bLw

From South Africa, I continued my travels returning to North Wales for about a week of organizing (mostly climbing) and also had the chance to compete in the Deep Water Solo comp held in Exeter.

Photo: Wiz Fineron
Deep water soloing in Exeter... Who would have thought. Photo: Wiz Fineron
I never seem to hang around in the UK for too long, so by this time it was time to get moving again. I heard the weather was pretty good in Ceuse so the tickets were booked and off I went!
Hard life really...

The perfect place. This was my second time in Ceuse and it has become one of (if not) my favorite places in the world to climb. Photo: Wiz Fineron
First day back in Ceuse on Dolce Vita 8a+. Photo: Melanie Jackson
Living like kings this year in Ceuse! Oh yes. Photo: Melanie Jackson
The main project of the trip. Mr Hyde 8c+ on the Biography wall. Photo: Alice Thompson
In the past I havnt been very good at projecting, especially in areas where there is so much climbing to be done, so that was the plan for this trip. Having already climbed a lot of the classics up to about 8b last year I told my self that this time I was going to try something hard. No excuses.
Being there in September and October was perfect as the season was coming to an end and the school holidays had finished. This meant for majority of the time we had the luxury of having the whole of Ceuse shared between about ten of us. Amazing.

Amazing climbing and amazing skies. Perfect. Photo: Wiz Fineron
Another classic shot from Ceuse! Photo: Melanie Jackson
The project state of mind was going well so after sending Mr Hyde, the psyche was high and I moved on to the next one. Next up was La Part Du Diable 8c. Another great line on the Biography wall.
Psyched to have climbed another great line on the Biography wall after a few days of work! Photo: Melanie Jackson
Too much fun! Photo: Angus Kille
The crew. Good scenes in Ceuse!
My favorite wall!! So many great climbs. Photo: Luke Clarke
On top of Ceuse! Beautiful. Photo: Melanie Jackson
The last project of the trip Chronique De La Haine Ordinaire 8c. The days were getting pretty short by this time resulting in the odd try at night. Hard bouldery sequences can be pretty tricky in the dark...

 After finally getting through the bouldery sequence at the start I held it together and climbed to the top. Clipping the chains I felt exhausted both physically and mentally. Its amazing how much mental strength it takes to project a climb over and over so with this one out of the way I was finished. My time in Ceuse this year had come to an end and it was time to move on again.

:P .... Photo: Melanie Jackson
 Now for round two in Spain!!! So psyched.