Eoin Squeezing The Juice Out Of Gorillas Pinches
The fine weather window continued. The lads had and absolutely crackin' battle on a very special dyno called Gorillas 7A. Just a few days before the starting holds of this Albarracin classic had broken off in a huge chunk which hit the ground and broke in to 3 big chalked up pieces, fortunatley the hold left behind was quite similar and the problem still went at about the same grade. It's a magical line, a medium size dyno backwards leads to a skinny ledge that must be pinched as your body goes horizontal to the ground and corkscrews around flailing in the air, you need to squeez the juice out of this thing, and if you're lucky enough to hold the backswing you still have to hold the in-swing which is nearly as violent, it's class to watch and Jamie and Eoin put on a show. They must have tried it a hundred times each, Jamie latched it only once and he saw the top out through, he was delighted and did a little dance at the top. Eoin somehow managed to latch it twice and fluff the 6B top out both times, he was gutted and he never got another chance to finish it as he injured his shoulder the very next day and missed the last 5 days of the trip :( He did very well on it and he vowed to return and crush it soon.
Jamie Trying To Hold The Vicious Swing On Gorillas 7A
The trip was fast approaching it's end and we realised that we had spent most of the time in just 3 areas, so we decided to check out one of the largest sectors, sector Arrastradero. It's a fine big sector with lots of classic problems, slabs, slopey problems, highballs and of course more quintessential Albarracin roofs. Daragh climbed some more 6B's here and was really getting into his stride, he flashed a 6B too. I climbed some beautiful slopey gems here, one was called Spider Pig 6c, lovely powerful slopey slaps and a mini dyno. I had the best day of my trip start here in Arrastradero, I warmed up on some lovley easy problems and climbed the problem next to Spider Pig, a similar powerful slopey line called Tonico Effervesente 6c+, after this I climbed a gorgeous roof problem, Techo Don Menos 6c, it was a body tension problem with a bicycle clamp, a hard match on a crimp and a full on dyno to a juggy lip and top out. I was feeling really warmed up and I asked the guys would they mind walking all the way to Tech Don Pepo so I could give it a go or two, we nearly were not going to go and I said I'd leave it, but Jamie insisted we go over and off we went.
Spider Pig 6C
I knew I only had a go or two left in me. I quickly drank a juice box and ate a kinder chocolate bar, I was having a good day and the weather was fine and I was feeling really chilled out. I ran my sequence through my head, I knew it off back to front. I sat down at the start and the wierdest thing happened, I couldn't do the first easy move, I fell off 4 times trying the first bloody move. I screamed expletives and had a mini strop, I knew I was ready to do the problem and I couldn't do the first easy move on jugs !! Finally I did the first move and got my foot up into the heel toe cam position, I cruised through the whole problem with zero hesitation, did the crux, held the swing and saw through the top-out, it was a great moment for me. I had climbed 3 7A's already on the trip, but they had all felt a bit soft to me, this was a solid 7A and it was also the most majestic piece of rock I ever had the privilege to climb, I let out a roar at the top, sheer release, I had achieved what I trained for 6 months to do and I was delighted. After this day it was like my body shut down and refused to climb for me, my fingers were sore and I spent the last 3 days spotting Jamie. It took a week and a half before my fingers felt good again training in Gravity.
Awesome Crew
The highlights of the last few days were Jamie continuing to run amok in the forest. He climbed another sweet dyno, Ben Zona 7B+, this one relied on finger strenght and speed, a quick pull into the wall from a sit start position and a quick leap off smears to a flatty ledge, the top was wet but easy and he topped it out. It was his favourite of all his dynos, but we didn't have the camera rolling that day to put it in the video. On the last day he climbed another sweet dyno, which was a 6C scary highball in sector La Fuente. All in all it was an awesome trip, the best I've had so far, I couldn't have went with a better crew and I met really nice people over there too. We ate like kings and we climbed like warriors. Heart, soul and sandstone became one in the special forest of the Sierre de Albarracin, happy climbing folks :)
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