Chapel Head

...the bird ban is still off and the crag is still dry. Hallelujah!

Tonight I'll be making another trip down to Chapel Head, in fact my fourth in the last 6 days.

It's bloody fantastic down there. There's a wealth of routes to suit many ... not all (hell ... what do you want me to do...lie?!).

I don't have any pictures just yet but all being well I'll get some tonight when I have me second session on my project ... Phantom Zone. Beautifully crafted, short and hard...Paul Ingham created a beauty when he sent this in 1986.

I'm going to leave it there for now...not being one to bore you with all the details...but if you do manage to get down there then be sure to check out:

Tufa King Hard, Interstellar Overdrive, Shades of Mediocrity, Electric Warrior and most of all Wargames (Super - uber classic of the crag). 

Let's be honest ... It's all a whole lot prettier if there are photo's involved.

Happy climbing ...

GEAR TEST: HT HORNET HPi

So...Tom Hull and I recently returned from a climbing trip to the world famous El Chorro gorge, Andalucia, Spain.

Whilst we were there solely (pardon the pun) to climb as many routes in two weeks as we could. I had been given a sneaky side mission by the kind fellows from Hi-Tec Sports UK to write a review for a pair of their "Hornet HPi" shoes. After the two weeks of pounding they got whilst we were out there, I can tell you now that they were really put through their paces (quite literally).

THE SHOE.

I'm not going to give you a long list of all the features for the shoe, you can look at the Hi-Tec website for that (Click here to see the full spec...) I simply want to tell about my personal experience with the shoe; What I thought was good and bad, what works and what doesn't and why YOU might consider getting hold of a pair for yourself.

WHY THE HORNET HPi?

When I was talking with Hi-Tec about a shoe to take to El Chorro I gave them a rough idea of what we were expecting in terms of conditions; dry and warm, with potential for long, dusty and rocky walk-ins. 

I was looking for a trainer/approach shoe rather than a boot. I wanted a versatile shoe that would be light enough for throwing on to nip into the village to pick up essentials, yet provide support and comfort on long walk-ins carrying climbing gear. I required traction and grip on many terrains from tarmac to rock, scree and loose paths. The Hornet HPi with it's array of features ticking all the required boxes, was the shoe of choice.

On the train to El Chorro we were met with large thunder clouds and a lot of rain instead of bright sunshine. Not what we were expecting to say the least. We later found out that El Chorro has been experienced possibly one of THE WETTEST winters ever seen there, with a constant 9 weeks of rain previous to our arrival. As you may have guessed ... the conditions were NOT what we were expecting.

The formally dusty paths had turned to mud and clay with a VERY loose and slippery surface coating, the roads were well on their way to full scale erosion and the ground was at times very unstable. The amount of subsidence that had taken place over such a short time span was astonishing. On our first day out as we passed other teams of climbers kitted out with walking boots, I began to wonder how the Hornet HPi would fair up. 

I was not disappointed.

THE REVIEW.

When I recieved the shoe I was immediately taken aback by the colour. I opted for the grey/green model rather than the black/orange one. It was bright. There was one thing for sure, I wasn't going to lose them.

I had a quick look over the shoe and everything looked great. The finishing was, as is usual with Hi-Tec footwear, top notch. The 'heat seal overlays' (the birght green bits) looked especially good with no stitching or any evidence of glueing. The sole unit looked substantial, an aggressive lug pattern that utilises the 'Vibram Supertrek' rubber compound. The midsole looked hefty but felt squashy so I knew that was going to make for a comfier ride. Top all that off with protective toe rand, good lateral support and a decent lacing pattern (with anti-rust hardware) and I knew that if they felt as good as they looked they were going to be great.

Next came actually using them. I was concerned, wondering how they would perform on this unexpected terrain. They did not let me down.

They held solid in the thick, wet mud providing perfect traction and support both up and down hill, carrying a full pack that weighed between 5-10kg depending how much gear we were required on a day to day basis. The aggresive Multi-Directional Traction pattern performed as well as any boot I have ever worn fell walking on similar if ground in the Lakes back home in the UK. The compound of the rubber worked brilliantly on the rocky areas at the bottom of crags even when it was wet (any shoe that grips wet limestone boulders deserves an award if you ask me!). The heat sealed overlay (yes...those bright green bits) weren't the gimmick that I had been suspicions about, working in conjunction with the lacing system they succeeded in pulling the whole shoe from the upper right down to the sole tight around the foot reducing any movement.

After being constantly impressed about how the Hornet HPi were performing on soft, loose ground, I was eagerly anticipating putting them to their paces on hard surfaces to see how the construction worked at providing cushioning and support when under high impact.

A full night of torrential downpours and continued rain the next day meant there was very little climbing to be had, which presented the perfect oppurtunity for me to take them out on the road.

Now these shoes are most certainly not designed for road running, and Hi-Tec don't sell them for that purpose, but the steep tarmac slopes in and out of El Chorro are as good a testing ground as any and again, the Hornet HPi performed fantastically well. The midsole and Comfort-tec custom sockliner provided ample cushioning and support for the ankles and knees, the lateral support of the shoe and the heel support served well also and again, the heat sealed overlays kept the foot in place. I'm not saying by any means, that the Hornet HPi is the perfect road running shoe, their weight and construction style are not designed for it, but for infrequent, one-off use on the road, they really are great.

The final box that I wanted to tick for the review was all weather dependant, I wanted to know how the shoes would perform under the conditions that I'd originally chosen them for; warm, dry and rock strewn. The weather dried up for a few days, the sun shone with all it's glory and in true Spanish form, everything dried out incredibly fast. The Hornet HPi, again was a winner.
Being "ultra-breathable" due to the synthetic upper and Ion-Mask hydrophobic technology they were comfortable in the heat with a thin 'Coolmax' liner sock. They were also equally comfortable without a sock for throwing on and moving quickly between sectors and for sitting at belays. They gripped the dusty limestone slabs superbly when scrambling between routes and areas and they again provided all the support needed when carrying gear. The performance of the Hornet HPi again had managed to exceed my expectations.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.
I have only one thing to say about the Hornet HPi in terms of criticism, and that is that they are designed to be hydrophobic and not fully waterproof. When I recieved them I knew what I was getting, but it just seems that with the weather I experienced out there, which wasn't too far from a traditional Great British summer that making  them waterproof would have offered that little bit extra, especially for sale to a British market. Also, with the amount of plastic and rubber that is already on the shoe, the toe protection, the heat sealed overlay and the casing round the heel, it wouldn't be compromising breathability too much more to have an eVENT membrane included. Nonetheless I was still mightily impressed my there superb construction and impeccable performance. Plus HI-TEC do manufatcture fully waterproof shoe in the same 'Adventure Sport' category.

FINAL WORD.
If you are looking for a top end adventure trainer at an amazing price (they retail between £40-£60 depending where you buy them...BARGAIN!) then the  HT HORNET HPi is the shoe for you. More than adequate for long trails carrying a pack when the weight of your footwear is an issue, superb for walking or running over precarious terrain when you need your footwear to be giving 100% all the time and comfortable enough to wear all day, everyday whether you're on the fell, at the crag or even down the pub, the Hornet HPi is up there with the best of them.

THUMBS UP FOR THE HORNET HPi FROM ME!

Finally, I would like to thank all the people at HI-TEC Sports UK for allowing me to review their shoes, especially Luke Schnacke and also a huge thanks to Tom Hull for agreeing to take so many photo's and for putting up with me for two weeks.

Blog fans: Report of the trip to El Chorro with photo's following very soon...watch this space.

Taking heed.

When I was writing my blog yesterday I was thinking of all the different pieces of advice that I have been given by so many people so far on this epic of journey to hit 8a.

During yesterdays session a certain Mr. Rob Knight, Mr. Tom Hull and I had the following exchange after a discussion on redpoint tactics:

ME: "Tom, on belay if you hold me at the rest I'm trying the roof section backwards. Rob said I should try it that way and he's a legend."
ROB: "I'm not a legend, i've just been around longer than you have."

Seemingly a pretty boring exchange but on reflection it aroused several different thoughts...

Rob Knight IS NOT a legend (in a climbing sense anyway). HE IS bloody strong. HE HAS been around longer than I have and HE HAS a lot of experience indoors and outdoors and with this experience he holds a plethora of tips and good advice.

The same can be said for many of my peers on the 'climbing scene'.

Tips I have recieved range from simple, broad suggestions like 'You should take a rest week.' (F. WOOD, T. HULL, B. SCRAGGS ... in fact, probably 90% of the people I chat/climb with recommended this, so thanks) to the miniscule details like, 'Liam, twist your toe in on that heel hook at the top' (thanks T. HULL) ... which led to my first successful f7a+ redpoint lead.

I've always watched in awe as much stronger climbers powered up routes that I could only dream of getting on (routes which I am now trying) ... I'm still watching, but instead of just gawping and being amazed, i'm observing. Absorbing every bit of information that I can. I want to know how they're doing it, what they're doing different, each intricate movement and detail. I'm listening to those little nuggets of information and utilising them every time I touch a hold.

With each and every bit of encouragement, each tiny prescription and act of advocacy I am learning to focus and channel it, harnessing what other people are offering and learning to use it in my own productive way.

When I finish writing this I'm going to be heading out to do some bouldering and putting it all to good use.

Before I go,

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone that has helped so far, you may not even know that you have helped if I have just been stood watching you while you were crushing a route. THANKS.

I also want to put it out there that we should not take the advice and information that we get from those stronger or more experienced than us for granted. Take what you can get and use it well.

Take heed.

Liam.

TRAINING...

...is going well.

Thank god. I don't know what i'd do if it was going shit.
Just had my first proper session (i'll say first because the one I had last week was SO BAD that it's not worth considering) back after taking 5 days out of climbing.

FIVE DAYS!

It was bloody hard...to anybody who is a none climber that may be reading this, it's a bloody tough thing to do. From training 4 or 5 night's a week to stopping altogether was hard work mentally and physically. My body felt funny, like I needed to "pull on stuff", however I'd been assured that NOT "pulling on stuff" would help in the long run. Muscles need time to recover, as do tendons, ligaments ... blah blah blah. My head was going climb crazy ... to the point where I was sussing out a line through the ceiling of the Tog24 Bowness shop that I was working in last Friday. (I kid thee not...it was going to be a beauty and I reckon it would go at ... pfft at least V16 because really, THERE ARE NO HOLDS, it's a shop.

During my week of respite, relaxation and recovery I didn't stop altogether. Obviously I had to work (hence a little stint at Bowness plus the usual in Kendal) and also keep active.

I didn't want to halt all physical activity. This would have been B.A.D.

Well intentioned, I continued my early morning runs with Mr. Hull. First morning of the rest ... pushing hard...strained (quite badly) something inside my left shoulder blade whilst doing tricep dips on a bench waiting for Tom to catch up. I was angry, and injured. In retrospect, it was probably the best time to acquire said niggle and probably a little blessing in disguise. It meant that I was VERY careful with my back for the whole week. I paid extra attention to it when stretching it out after any excersise, and I didn't push myself too hard during my period of rest. My plan for another three further runs was altered, and changed to one jog and two long brisk walks...good. On top of all that, yoga (utilising my lovely new mat and the very helpful Esther Ekhardt - see yogatic.com) every day.

Yoga has really helped me so far, in terms of my flexibility I feel i've made a big improvement, my posture is better, my core is stronger and I feel more relaxed and centered generally. More of this please!

Anyway, as you will have gathered, I was keen to get back on it, and after one session, that can only be described as APPALING, it was time to get back on it and re-commence the training.

Tonight was my first session back, I was keen to get warm and then jump straight back onto a f7c that I'd been trying before my little break. I'd only had two sessions on it, which equated to probably 5 good attempts. I was conscious that my redpoint tactics weren't great but still...I've got a week before the route is changed and have been uber keen to get it done.
I hadn't done the bottom section clean, and I'd done most of the top roof section apart from the last two moves (which, it has to be said are THE HARDEST moves on the route and my god, they are hard).

SO...reasonably warmed up and very fresh (with a large portion of keen served on the side) I donned the power vest and jumped on it. Trusty Matt Harris was at the ready giving the belay of his life...off I went.

FUCK ME...the time off must have helped. The first section went clean, which I was VERY chuffed with. Especially the lower crux which is a reasonably long pop up from an average fingery hold onto a not very good one. I pushed through all of the moves up until the good hold (which is supposed to be a rest), a positive "jug" (of sorts) which I managed to slip off...and take the fall. Damn. I was pleased though. PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE.

I decided to miss the bottom section out for the rest of the session and get to working the roof (thanks for the nudge Rob). I managed to do the penultimate moves... after working out the way that suits me best I'm confident that on my next session I'm going to have the roof dialed. Then it's time for the redpoint attempt...

I'm writing this post session, feeling knackered, achey and sleepy to name but a few things... (Still got chalk under the finger nails ... and wedged into the callouses, joy.)

Up early to go swimming with Mr. Hull, and then we'll see what the day brings. Definitley some yoga, probably some bouldering.

Got to get stronger. Got to keep pushing my grade.

Got to finish that route. 7c, watch out.


Liam.

Worse for wear...

October 31st was upon us ... that could mean only one thing. The age old tradition ... from times of old ... all hallows eve, more commonly known as HALLOWEEN.

Before I continue ... you may or may not have realised this is a lesser climbing themed blog. We have to take a little break sometime eh???

In true Halloween spirit (which we know is all just a load of commercial crap) we spent lots of money on costumes (conforming to the whole ethic of the commercial crap) and hit the town ... (spending more hard earned cash on even more commercial crap). Fun, fun, fun.

My costume consisted of very cheap black boots (which i destroyed prior to wearing), a very cheap black shirt (which I also destroyed prior to wearing) and a pair of lovely cheap black combats (also destroyed...wait for it...prior to wearing. Aniticpation is great eh?!) Amongst all the very cheap black stuff, there was a shed load of fake blood, an equal amount of crap face paint, a whole load of fake barbed wire, some expensive latex false wounds and a proper good, reet expensive latex mask.

The product of which surmounted to this...



And this... (without the mask & with a certain Mr. S. Joyce)





...and the fake gashes on my nipple and arm...
















Overall...a good night all round. Filled with with lots of people screaming (in surprise and/or fear and/or disgust), lots of people staring (for all of the above) and lots of being VERY BLOODY HOT under a full latex head mask. The taxi drivers, general public, paramedics AND police ALL seemed to have a giggle and a scream at my expense?! Surprising ... I think not.


Back on it again tomorrow, training like a demon for one more week before a full week of NO CLIMBING (a concept i'm still struggling to come to terms with!) due to a break in my training regime...apparently it's going to make me stronger. It better bloody had.

Liam.