RAMON'S BLOG: My first 8a

Hardly a month goes by before hearing that some super-wad has climbed yet another 9a+ route. Young guns nowadays have it quite hard to make a name for themselves, the bar has raised significantly in the last 5 years and ticking 8c is seldom newsworthy. But climbing is a broad sport, it harnesses all sorts of individuals, and our dear sport means very different things to all of us. There are quite a few climbing folk out there that don't really care about hard grades or sport climbing for that matter, because their own personal challenge might be to get up an HVS or a Wi4. And yet sometimes, the journey of the average climber is far more interesting than yet another 8c+ onsight by Adam Ondra.

My last half a year has been quite a journey for myself. From being a pretty settled husband and about to get mortgaged, to be single and living in a flatshare. I never been afraid of changes, I thrive on them, so I just saw in such dramatic change as an opportunity. I decided that I was going to set a goal related to climbing, now that I had more time for myself, I could really try and push it. A few years back I found that I had quite a good hand at ice and mixed climbing, and I spent a lot of time training for it and I have sacrificed a lot of my family and climbing time to do well in that discipline. This time I wanted to try and do well on rock, something I have always sort of left in the back burner. I set myself to climb 8a. Not a major grade by any means of today's standard, but a challenge big enough for a old punter like me.

As soon as I got settled in my new life, I got to work on my goal. Without going too much into detail, it started in spring going outdoors pretty much every weekend and falling in love with rock again. Motivation is everything in this world, and getting psyched for real rock gives you the drive to go back indoors and train hard for it. So that's been the story of my summer, train hard at the wall and do redpoint sessions on rock at the weekend. Some trips abroad to inspiring crags like Margalef and Mallorca were mandatory to remind me how magic this sport is. By the end of the spring I decided I was going to have a long break, to have fun and mainly go climbing. I booked 3 months off, and made my second home (a cheap tent…) in Rodellar, Spain. I recruited a whole lot of people so I didn't run out of partners in the month and a half I was going to be there. I got myself to work as soon as I got there. I picked the best 7c and 7c+'s that would get me strong and fit. I also arranged for a months trip to Kalymnos, where I am now, with some young strong climbers. I used my time in Rodellar as a training camp to try and climb my hardest ever on rock on Kalymnos. I know this island has reputation for soft grades, but in the last 6 years year most routes have been subject to constant downgrading.

The time here in Kalymnos has been very rewarding. I've been following my friend's Seweryn's advice of "rest more, climb more", now that I have the fitness from Rodellar I wouldn't have to worry about volume of routes, just the quality. So I started the trip targeting iconic routes in the high 7's. Now with a score of four 7c's and five 7c+, I felt ready to tackle the big challenge. After questioning all my friends about a suitable candidate, I decided to go for Super-Lolita, a 45mts stamina fest in one of the most inspiring rock venues in the world, the Sikati Cave. I have never been one for monster sport routes, I always found them overwhelming and a lot of hard work, specially if you fall near the top, it can be very taxing on your body and mind. It's a lot easier to work shorter routes, hence "daniboy" and "angelica" are always line-up with people. But with my new-found endurance from my training and Rodellar, I felt fit for such a vertical expedition.

"Super-Lolita" was bolted for the Petzl rock trip that took place in 2005, and it is the extension of a 7a called "Lolita". I figured that the french team that bolt it graded the route with the consensus of all the international participants in the trip, so therefore should be fairly accurate. On my first attempt I onsighted past the first pitch belay and got to the crux. I sorted all the extended quickdraws up until there as rope drag can be a major issue. Andre had a go at the route as his warm up, and to his surprise, he onsighted the whole thing in a great display of raw strength. I had one more attempt that day, and fell on the crux. I worked the moves through the crux and left it there feeling utterly exhausted having climbed roughly over 100mts of hard climbing. I took two days off to make sure I was totally fresh on my next go.

We made our way back to the cave, this time with loads more people in it. I warm up with two laps of the 7a, and by the time I was done the queue for the route was six people long. Luckily I belayed Andre on his 8b, and by the time we were done the queue had shortened. Soon I was tied off and fully psyched for a redpoint attempt. With such big routes you have to set goal-posts along the way. Bearing the whole route at once can be overwhelming, so break it down in section helps a lot. The goal for that attempt was to get through the crux and inspect the upper part, that I still hadn't seen. I got to the rest below the crux, got totally psyched just focusing on the few moves of the crux. To my surprise I dispatched it effortlessly. Then suddenly, it hit me like a train, I was in for a chance of sending it. Instantly I became a nervous wreck! I got past the next hard section onsighting along the way, and got to the next rest. I couldn't bring my heart-rate down, I thought I was going to trow-up rig there. I closed my eyes for what it seemed and age, but must have been ten minutes. Feeling a bit better now, I went for the upper part of the route, which is about 7b climbing into a headwall section with a crimp finale, not my strong point. But being there, so close, I wasn't going to let go now. I got through the 7b roof, on to the crimp section, battling with rope drag. I managed to pull enough slack up to my mouth and pull the rest up with my teeth. Managed to clip the draw and carry on in search for the next desperate crimp. I found it, and as Andre warned me, it wasn't very good. I pulled on it, got my feet higher, and to my surprise I was still on the rock and looking at a good hold and the chains within sight. I took a generous amount of time to climb the next few moves on big holds, just making dead sure I wasn't going to blow it now. Clipped the chains. My first 8a.

Masouri village. Past is the glory days of beach tourists... bring on the rock tourists!

Another shot for the sunset collection.

We have the best views from our apartments

Dave high up in Morgan & Adam 7c+/8a

A pleased man

Andre Hedger, the poster boy! I wish he brought his camera, so I'd have more pictures of me ;)

33 quickdraws needed for the womens ultimate route in the Peztl Rock trip. Andre onsighted the 8a first pitch.

I love this island

Sikati cave, a massive crater in the side of a mountain

The real paradise!

The best way to finish your day

Clear waters to clean all those cuts & scraps

The man-made stalagmites

The scale of it is overwhelming

The routes in Sikati are vasts to say the least. People keep going on about soft grades in Kalymnos. It's all fitness dependant, if you are fit you will find it easy. If you are climbing at Raven Tor, you will find it desperate.