And now??

Time for another general state of play update (after the above short dog interlude ;))...

In a nutshell: Leg fitness bad, climbing fitness fine, strength fine, trad leading okay but not so smooth, confidence okay but still needs more training, climbing partner situation still lacking but slowly improving. Slight shoulder niggle and slight finger niggle but manageable. Syke present and correct!

Really I'm doing okay at the moment. Training and sport climbing trips have paid off, and sporadic trad outings are really not bad for this time of year and how little trad I've been able to do.

So I'm wondering where to go next. I'm working up for proper cragging in spring and summer, and there's so much cool stuff out there to go at. What should I do to be as ready as possible for this?? I think pretty much more of the same:

• Keep climbing trad whenever possible.


• Aim to get trad leading / gear placing as smooth as possible.


• Keep in touch with good climbing contacts - important!


• Boulder outside for strength and technique.


• Build up confidence on sport climbs.


• Do more falling practice down the wall - important!


• Train stamina down the wall.


• Train fitness - important!

Seems pretty sensible to me. Trad is a great all round challenge, with many and varied aspects to work on, all of which will be beneficial in their own way. I don't think I need to be too rigid with this, just keep putting the effort in and keep enjoying doing so (well apart from the leg fitness thing....a necessary evil).

Edit: Blogspot seems to turn my list dots into little flowers. Oh well!