Training, Bouldering & The Brin Rock Fan Club

TCA Glasgow has opened its doors and my new lifestyle as the Assistant Manager of an immense bouldering centre is starting to sink in. After nearly 3 manic months of late nights and last minute  preparations it is a relief to finally be able to start to focus back in on my own climbing as I find myself with some spare time and weekends once again.

I have embarked upon a phase of training focussed in on being on form for a 1 week trip to southern Spain over the New Year.  It is nice to have a clear goal to work towards.  I have always wanted to be able to follow a truly structured training schedule but never had the time, will power or training resource there to fully explore what working to a plan can do.  Well TCA has everything I need and so there are now no excuses.

TCA Glasgow - My own training Mecca (Paul Twomey)

The first phase of training has been to learn to boulder again.  It has been a while since I have actually focussed on pulling hard over a short number of moves and it has never been something I have excelled at.  Short on weeks to dedicate to this strength phase of training, improvements are hard to measure but the holds on Gary Vincent's white circuit seem less far a part than they did at the start of the the 3 weeks I have dedicated to purely bouldering.

Scotland has been blessed by 2 weeks of settled Autumnal weather and this has allowed for a couple of opportunities to try out the bouldering strength on a few real rocks.  Whilst nothing to write home about for your average boulderer, I was pleased to squeeze in a couple of 7Cs in two idyllic locations, in between an engagement party (mine) and a family birthday.

The superlative Put My New Shoes On, 7C, in the last light of a perfect Autumnal day at Brin Rock (Helen Black)

It would be great to think that these conditions will last all winter but I somewhat doubt that.  But if they do I will be keen to return to both Glen Nevis and Brin Rock, the scene of these two most recent sends to try and bag some of the hard test pieces that they have to offer. And there is always Dumby.

Brin, the poor man's Magic Wood.  Gneiss boulders, moss and a beautiful setting make for a top class venue (Helen Black)

The training phase has now changed and so commences 6 weeks of power endurance focussed training.  I was in the shape of my life for last Christmas' trip and I would love to be in the position to replicate those ascents this time round.

More proof Brin is where it's at (Helen Black)

So for now its circuits, circuits, circuits and fingers crossed for dry weekends bouldering.