The Competition Season Kicks Off

Pinnacle Lead Competition final, Photo: Richard Potter

Since being out in Austria my training has taken a turn towards peak performance. The trip marked the start of a short meso cycle in the run up to the first European Youth Cup and it has been pretty full on!

The week after Austria I was up at Ratho for a weekends onsight practice, with 2 8a+ flashes and an 8b on the 3^rd attempt I was feeling chuffed, if not slightly dubious about the grades.

The next week passed quickly and before long it was the Leading Ladder “Grand” Final, in Cardiff. I was less than motivated by the “Grand” wall but things turned up as the setters Steve McClure and Rob Napier had done a great job considering and was psyched to flash the 8a and fell 2 moves from the top of the 8b earning me the Grand Champion title, it was all good practice.

An onsight session with the GB team in the week and a Panicle Climbing centre leading competition at the weekend helped build my confidence as I took another title.

An international route setting course at the Foundry Climbing Centre provided perfect prep for the EYC the next weekend and at the GB training held there I fought my way onsight up an 8a+, marking a personal best.

It was now time for the European Cup and I was feeling good and well prepared. A short haircut lost me 1/3 of a kg which was going to make all the difference. The luck of the draw had me climbing second on the first qualifier. I was not too fazed as my best performance in competition was out first. However Z clipping the clip before the crux did faze me and the particularly bouldery move had me off just halfway up the route. 7 others were thrown off here and I was in joint 13^th this was frustrating as I knew only a top performance on qualifier 2 would see me through to the final.

I pulled it back slightly on the second route coming 11^th but this wasn’t enough and my final position was 14^th. For the first competition of the year in the oldest age group I am pleased, however with so much prep and with the home ground advantage I would have liked to do better. I guess mistakes happen to everyone, I will be careful never to Z clip again!

The "new" Luke fighting up the second qualifyer