PHANTOM ZONE

Finally did it. After a lot of hard work, I finally clipped the chains on Phantom Zone f7b+.

I headed down there on Monday afternoon with Phil Vickers and Ellie Leighfield, with the ensuing bad weather and the shorter nights drawing in I was convinced that this would be my final attempt.

On arriving at the crag we realised that both Phil and Ellie had forgotten their harnesses, I kid you not?! What a joke. Phil popped back to the car (serves him bloody right) and managed to return with a single harness for them to share. I hopped on Interstellar Overdrive to warm up and after sending that for the millionth time this season I swung accross and put the clips in on P.Z.

Phil and then Ellie both had a burn on Interstellar Overdrive which is a particularly hard route to read and is even harder to onsight.

Fully rested and fully psyched my turn came to get on P.Z. The moves firmly entrenched into the forefront of my mind (I have dreamed about it on numerous occassions since trying it for the first time four weeks ago) I tied in, squeaked my shoes and took a final deep breath.

My memory of the climbing is a big blur of power screams and crushing the life out of each horrible hold, pulling through each move up to the last crux sequence.

I can then distinctly remember squeezing the two horrible, crimpy side-pulls, setting up for the last hard move,

... deep breath, left foot on rubbery smear out right, right foot is good, BREATHE, sink down on the holds, look at the hold, I CAN stick it, BREATHE, throw right hand, aim high on the cheese grater tufa, SQUEEZE! ... 

As I realised I'd stuck the hold I could feel the chain above me, beckoning me closer, just three more moves.

I was so psyched,

... I'm going to do this, come on, left foot on the hidden hold, left hand up to the shallow gaston edge, balance, squeeze the hold, balance, BREATHE, come on, fuck the clip, up to the jug, come on, lunge, YES, come on, I'm going to do this, make the clip, up to the final tufa, COME ON this is the last move, clip the chains. YES! ...

And that was it, all over, Phantom Zone, ticked. The smile on my face would have made a Cheshire Cat look miserable. Butterflies in my stomach, I lowered back to the ground. Sitting at the bottom of the route I looked back up at the holds ... I'd done it. It was mine. I was leaving victorious.

I would like to take this oppurtunity to thank Chris Rabone for the initial belays on the route, Sally Wheatley for belaying me for a session on it, Rin Colombi for  belaying me on my first and second lead attempt, Ben, Leo and Chris for psyching me up to just go for it, Jon Freeman for belaying me on my third and fourth lead attempt and finally to Phil for belaying me on the fifth and final redpoint and Ellie for her encouragement. 

Also a big thank you to Amy, for not killing me every time I talked about the route or did the moves in my sleep. I love you.

Now for the next big project...

Phantom Zone

...is going to get sent.

I popped over to Chapel Head again last night with Sally (of the Wheatley variety) and jumped on Interstellar Overdrive to warm up. 

After a good preliminary burn and whilst sorting gear for the route I looked up to see the evening sun dropping slowly in the sky, illuminating the intimidating line of choice in a flood of gold and amber.

What a brute. 

I truly wish I could continue with a romanticized account of how I 'just felt right' and got on the route, sending it first go on my second visit. But let's be honest here ... I didn't. In fact the truth is, I'm not strong enough ... yet.

Anyway, with the last of the daylight hours dwindling I quickly clip-sticked my way to the top and upon threading the anchor I began to recall the moves that I had memorised from my previous session, particularly the crux; A difficult pop from two poor, crimpy side-pulls up to a sharp and not particularly good tufa, all on typically marginal footholds. Lovely.

My first top-rope attempt involved looking at each individual move and then working it to find the best body positions and hold combinations. Throroughly knackered at the anchor I came down for a rest giving Sally the chance to have a go at working her magic on the thing ... she did very-bloody-well, doing pretty much every move AND on her first visit. That girl is too strong for her own good.

A few swigs on my 'generic energy drink', an exchange of banter and a squeeze or two of the warm-up putty and I was feeling ready for a second go. My goal this time was to link up as many moves as possible using the sequence that I had worked out. 

It felt awesome. Awesomely hard, but awesome all the same. 

The moves are right at the top end of my ability on rock at the minute, writing this now I can feel my fingers and elbows aching. It's such a powerful sequence, mostly on poor holds; Fingery pinches, cheese-grater-style tufas, gnarly crimps and a whole host of polished slippiness to keep your feet entertained.

I have no qualms in saying that I let out involuntary power screams on near enough every move.

Second session over, equalling four 'attempts' in total and i've managed to stick every single hold and combine every move with the one above and below it ( ... in theory that means I have worked each part of the sequence correctly, maybe). Now all I need to do is head back down there and get on it again ... and again ... until I can do the sequence in its entirety without my foot slipping off a hold and definitely without having to whimper a feeble "take" when my fingers feel like explosion is imminent as I urge them to hang on for one more second.

Regardless of my shortcomings so far I am extremely positive about Phantom Zone. I genuienly feel like it'll go with just a couple more sessions of practice and a healthy dose of power endurance training on the side.

Leading this route is pretty much the main thing on my mind at the minute and I can't wait to get it clean. 

They say that patience is a virtue ... I don't recollect claiming to be virtuos?

ps. I promise to get some pictures on here soon!

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 ...