Ascensions dans Plain des Fosses

#2go

Haha, went for a change of scenery to try this one but hell no, the crux section is just really really footless. No clue whatsoever where to place the feet, the holds are really crimpy. Had to jumar this section, turns what follows is not too easy either. Hell of route, will take better fingers and feet to climb this one, not for tomorrow..

Bit discontinuous, bit chipped, but some beautiful moves, great challenge. Seemed impossible last year, now tabula rasa, put the draws in and figured out moves, then rushed and fucked up my way through, improvising sketchy moves, felt like a second go. Thanks HDW.

The rope fell perfectly to start working this one. Every try some new beta and slowly working my way through the crux. Good technical climbing, an ideal 7a candidate to work on.

Worked my way up solo on the top rope a coupe of times. The heat took the heart out of the last two attempts. Happy to have found beta for the first crux where I got hung up last time, it's funny that it's tall beta all the way, doesn't work for anyone shorter than 1m95 I think... But overall much work to do on conservative movements, balance and planned execution, not wasting energy on unstable positions. All but two or three clips look doable. The end of the route is spicy, I hardly get up to the anchor being tied in! There's this massive flake but it runs dry just short of the anchor, leaving you out of reach, with no obvious feet. I can imagine failing a redpoint attempt there. Also want to consult someone like Pé on the choreography I've come up with; I think it's too reachy and powerful.

Second weekend of working on 'Project Shana'. Put in two days of work; the holds are pretty small in the middle section (and below and above that too) so I get around three ascents done a day, lowering again to redo some sections or sometimes even lowering down to the first crux. I'm a bit afraid that my way through the first crux is off route, I started to put in and take out a draw while climbing,to see if my body position allows clipping and to ease into leading, but the first clip seems a bit weird and off, and I haven't really found a good position, then I move off to the left, about 1.5m, it works, it's hard, but it looks like off route... dunno. Figured out some pretty good new beta and starting feeling the choreogrpahy this weekend, my body leading rather then my mind steering. There's blood all over the middle section now, oops. With this heat and with this mental state it was the right place for me to be, alone, working on something physical.

Went to pick up the thread after a long absence Wednesday after work. The route stays pretty dry in the rain, or at least large parts are sheltered, some cracks show seepage. I worked to find some new beta in the crux section, but now my thoughts are the other way around: does more to the right actually stay better in the line of bolts? Maybe the first beta was okay? I dunno, it's not clear. Tried to work on finding good clipping positions in the second half, the top part went pretty well. I came up with a thought: 5the grade is all about learning the basic vocabulary, in the sixth grade you don't climb up unless you use the right set of more elaborate moves and starting from the seventh grade you really have to do things well enough in order not to be shut down by the pump. Good session!

Yes, I have clear beat now for all the sections. Some parts I do have to choose between different versions that work in order to find the most flowy, energy-efficient one. The crux now comes down to (1) lower crux with a tricky erop-of-erover move (2) Not being to pumped to clip the last three bolts and do the harder moves of the last section.

What a technical tiring joy, this one. Thanks Tim.

2nd Go

Enough secret beta everywhere to gently flow. Great consolation if the 7c+ didn't work yet. Thanks Jan.

Soft

Flowy beauty, yet hard. Thanks Bram.

6b+?

Soft

I think I fell on the crux. After that, there a balsy section where the next bolt if left and up, you risk a big swing, I took a long time before I took the shot and climbed it.

Awesome.

Have I just found my new facourite spot? I think so... PROJECT!! All three of them.

After Shana tried it I cleaned it and got my red point in.

Nice moves, although beginning is a bit crumbly. Climb with care to avoid breaking rocks

Took shanss some attempts to figure out what and where. It's not very clear. Nice climbing though! And many options to be creative.

When it turns to be so hard to find the secret garden and this is all you find... it's kind of funny. Reachy, very uncomfortable start, hard-ish for me and hard for tiny people. We started the day about 1pm and got back down around 5.. What happened? Good fun though with good people.