A summer of personal bests - Flo Tilley

My long summer after my GCSE’s has nearly ended but when it seemed like I had months still to go, back in July, we had a family trip to Arco, Italy, climbing on some stunning rock, swimming in the lake and relaxing; followed directly by the Open Youth Bouldering and Lead comp in London. Just a few weeks after we were climbing at the Grandparents local crag, Kilnsey, where I climbed my hardest route to date and finally finished a project.

Deep water soloing on Lake Garda

  
















The Kilnsey trip crew; Naomi Tilley, Orrin Coley, Alex Norton and my self, stayed in the Grandparents ‘Bothy’, with Sarah Pashely and Billy Ridal joining us later.

 I finally managed 50 for 5, 7b+, a climb I first got on around a year ago but because of winter and the seepage, I only really worked it this summer. As many who have climbed it will agree the last two, three moves are the crux, with the rest of climbing getting increasingly harder on the way up.

A few weeks before this trip I got on Pantomime 7b+ and got no where, this week however I got back on, worked it and did it in a day. I was psyched after that to get on something harder.  

Pantomime 7b+

So after watching Billy onsight it, and Orrin do it third go, I got on Biological Need, 7c. To start with I was thinking no way do I have the fitness for this. But  I spent another day working it and on our last evening I pulled on, I was climbing it well, I passed the last crux, I was so close, but I stopped thinking and didn’t move my foot and fell reaching for the jug. A massive jug. What a heart sink. It was slightly frustrating to say the least.

The next morning we had a couple hours before we left so we headed up to the crag for one final attempt. To start with I kept falling off on the slabby, cruxy start, my foot kept slipping and time was ticking. I started to feel negative and doubted whether I could actually do it again, but with positive talk and me chanting as I was climbing ‘I do believe in fairy’s’ I got myself up, this time catching the jug. 

So the trip finished on a high, with me red pointing my first 7c, Billy doing is first 8b, Ecstasy and Naomi also achieving her personal best. We went home buzzing.  

Just before the holiday comes to a close I’m back down to Exeter for the Deep Water Solo comp at the Quay Climbing Centre, all I can say is I’m glad I got a practice at some DWS on Lake Garda in Arco, wish me luck!

Deep water soloing on Lake Garda