Climbing - Return to Duty

Just before the break

As some of you may or may not know I broke my scaphoid a few months ago whilst doing a slalom race taking part in a charity ski to raise money for Dementia Friends. Making it almost impossible to climb. After numerous xrays, a cast that was forever causing my thumb to go numb and physiotherapy I’m back in business.

 Me and the Electronic Mountain Leader took a small group of cadets from the Air Training Corps Squadron (235 Squadron) that we volunteer at out to the Roaches, with the aim of getting some group experience towards my SPA with my training dates quickly approaching.

It was a really enjoyable day with a good group of lads. We did various climbs ranging from Diff – Severe 4a. I really enjoy personal climbing, but it’s a completely different type of enjoyment that I get out of climbing with groups. To be able to see people who have little climbing experience develop to the standard of being able to tie themselves into a top rope system, and be competent climbing these grades within the space of a day is amazing. This also relates to my previous article “children at the crag –ethics in climbing”. I know the lads that came out with us were high school age so they can barely be classed as children, but anything that we can be doing to encourage the younger generation to get out of the house, off their games consoles and outside surely should be done.

The group

I couldn’t just stand back and watch, obviously I ended up leading a few routes. After a while though my wrist started to get sore so I just joined in going up the top ropes and belaying the others. This gave me the confidence to carry on as if my wrist decided that it had had enough it was preventing me from taking a potentially nasty lead fall. 

Taking it slow in my walking boots

For a while me and Chris have been talking about developing an ATC Rock Climbing Proficiency scheme, well it was Chris’s idea and then I jumped onto the boat. After this climbing session it was confirmed as an attainable target and it has now gone live within our squadron. Once we have developed it within our squadron and ironed out any beginning glitches we will roll it out to the whole wing (Staffs wing) and then hopefully one day the whole Air Training Corps. The purpose of this scheme is to get cadets used to filling in log books of climbs and hill days, so that when they’re old enough, if they want to they can easily transfer these dates into any other logbooks for awards such as SPA or ML. For now I’ll keep you all updated and let you know how it goes.

First Lead Climb

Back in January I set out to Birchen Edge with Chris (ElectronicMountainLeader) and Atko with the intention of doing my first lead climb on a smaller crag. We’d sat down the night before and decided my first lead was going to be on a climb called Stoker’s Wall graded Diff, to break me in gently. Upon arrival I spent a few minutes with them both practising gear placements, and waiting for some remote control car people who decided to carry out repairs right at the bottom of the crag to move.

 First gear placement

20 minutes later and off I went. I spent a few minutes at the bottom of the climb faffing with my first gear placement, not because I wasn’t happy with it, I was just trying to calm my nerves. Without realising, after the first move, I strayed left of the climb and straight onto Stoked which is graded at Severe 4a, which is the level I need to be climbing at for my SPA assessment.  I climbed pretty well up until the crux at the top of the climb; I just couldn’t get any grip with my right foot and was struggling to find a handhold to help me push up. At this point I was getting really frustrated with myself as I thought I was still on Stoker’s wall, and I didn’t like the idea of being defeated by a Diff as I knew id climbed much harder grades on Top Rope before. If I was struggling to finish a Diff how was I ever going to be able to complete my SPA? I didn’t really have much choice other than to top out or fall. I managed it, in the end I just had to trust my foot placement and maul my way over the top.

The crux

At the top of the climb

At the top I didn’t really feel a sense of pride, I just wanted to get away from the crag, as I was stood shivering and was starting to question my ability. The main problem I have with climbing is that I have poor circulation in my hands and feet which makes it really hard to grip sometimes, especially in the cold and windy weather. It was only on the way back in the car when we realised I’d actually climbed across onto Stoked that I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, and felt happy that I’d successfully completed my first lead climb. 

Packing up with numb hands

Video of my first lead climb

A Skier Boarding

Wednesday 4^th February and I was sat on a coach on the way to Chill Factore, with all good intentions of getting a solid 2 hours of skiing in. Then it dawned on me, although I love skiing it really wasn’t the challenge I was looking for, the slope isn’t that steep and it is quite flat and powdery, so I couldn’t work on improving my technique; I would just develop sloppy habits. These factors resulted in my decision to learn how to snowboard. I didn’t want to be going up and down the same slope for 2 hours; I wanted a new challenge, I love learning new skills so this was the perfect opportunity.  

12 months previous I had 3 x 1 hour lessons on my local dry slope. I picked it up relatively quick however, when it came to going parallel down the slope in the process of learning how to link turns I just couldn’t do it so I stopped having lessons. It just felt wrong leaning down the slope going sideways. Whether this was my skiing instincts coming through or because I didn’t have enough confidence in my back foot to bring it round to slow down, I still don’t know to this day. There was something different about this trip; I knew that I could do it. I sat on the coach going through what I needed to do, the memory of falling in Tignes still fresh in my head. I asked myself what is the worst that could happen; the answer being a bruised soggy bum and/or knees. Resulting in a new found sense of confidence. I probably wasn’t up to the level of what I should have been for recreational boarding, but I knew the only way of me doing it was throwing myself in the deep end and learning it in my own time.

Queuing up for boots and a board I had butterflies in my stomach and also a sense of worry and doubt. The first thing I noticed was that snowboarding boots are heaven to walk in compared to ski boots, making it so much easier to get to the bottom of the slope next to the lift. I had good intentions of going to the top of the lift and doing the ‘falling leaf’ all the way down and then cracking on with learning to link turns. Half way up my first ascent I fell off the lift, not because I tripped over, but because the lift slipped out from between my legs and I didn’t want to get pulled along hanging on for dear life with my arms. A lot of people stared at me, but I didn’t care, I slid along on my bum strapped my bindings up and got on with my original plan, but from half way up the slope. I was rusty at first then getting straight back into the swing of things. From then on every ascent was successful, and by the end of the session I’d progressed onto the ‘fast lift’. I then worked on making my dismount as graceful as possible, rather than getting my legs tangled at the top and faffing.

For the first few runs trying to link turns proved impossible as I had found before, but then the boarding lads from Tignes noticed where I was going wrong and taking it upon themselves to help me for the rest of the session. In the end I successfully managed to link turns, finding it easier turning out from going backwards to forwards (strange I know, you’d think this would be harder as you can’t see where you are turning to). And on the last run I managed to do 3 consecutive 360’s. So overall I’d like to think the trip to Chill Factore was a success.

5 top tips for skiers wanting to learn how to board:

1. ·         Hook button lifts under your front leg, squeeze this between both legs and hold on for dear life
2. ·         Wear waterproof trousers and also bum and knee protection if you own it
3. ·         Be confident in your legs ability
4. ·         Put your weight over the first foot into the turn and point your body to where you want to go, the board will follow
5. ·         Enjoy yourself but push yourself, you will learn more and go further, you understand how snow works so already have a step up on beginners

I’d like to say a massive thanks to Jake who helped me for the whole 2 hours, I get to teach him how to ski in return later, so I’ll let you know how that goes. Luke and Kai who helped me with tips on leaning and balance. Also Justine WE DID IT!!! #ProudFriend

If any of you are skiers who have tried to board, or who would like to try boarding I’d love to know your thoughts/experiences too, so please get in touch :)