Hopefully getting more people climbing via CBBC show

I was given the challenge with Molly of teaching Richard Wisker from CBBC's Friday Download how to climb for his show. Filming at the Westway with him and his team was an amazing experience. Friday Download gets young celebs (Richard was in Tracy Beaker Returns and The Bill) trying new things and Richard hadn't done any climbing at all. He was pretty nervous to start.

We showed him how to tie in and pull on and some basic moves. We got him to make sure he used his feet, which he seemed to be a natural at. We explained how belaying works and how to use all the gear. Richard managed to top rope one of the steeper walls using poor slopers and crimps. He had to do it several times for the cameras, which was a really good effort.

Then Molly and I did some climbing using a helmet camera, which was much harder than expected. They said ‘do some jumps’ so we did some cool dynos. (It's not exactly Hard Grit!) Then we had to film some interviews. It was a long and tiring day, but a load of fun and the CBBC people were cool. I hope to do something like this again.

No idea when it goes out - soon, I think. I will post the date when I know it. Be great if it gets people to try climbing.

If you haven't heard of Richard, here he is http://richardwiskerofficial.co.uk/site/

Me, Richard and Molly

Learning to use a headcam

First 8b, in the amazing Gorge du Loup

Went to the South of France  – the Alpes-Maritimes inland from Nice – with Ben and a crew from the Westway. My last proper sport trips were a year ago, when I did my first 8a redpoints. Got on the team since and been focused on that, and now I really wanted to see if I could make progress on rock. Very excited, but I had been ill for a month so I planned a slow start to see how I was.

So we went to Mesa Verde in the Gorge du Loup thinking I’d have a try at the three-star 8a classic in the Gorge, Arrowhead. After a few easy routes to get into it, I worked all the moves then had a couple of close redpoint goes, but it got dark though I was psyched to come back.

Across the Gorge is Déversé – hardest crag in the area with at least three 9as. We went there next day. I wanted to try Déversé Satanique, a three-star 8a+. I worked out all the moves and after a few redpoints I came painfully close to getting it but a broken hold didn’t help.

The next day was a planned easy day. I got psyched for another try and headed back in the evening. I worked the moves to see if the broken hold would affect my sequence. It was getting dark and wet, so my last go ended when I slipped off a wet hold at the top. After a rest day, I went back and got it first attempt of the day, first 8a+.

Next target was an 8b, SatanX, that starts up the amazing steep line of Déversé Satanique and breaks out onto the blank headwall of an 8c, Hot Chili X. After working the moves comfortably, I knew it was on. Had two redpoints that day, getting to the last draw, where I pumped out clipping a desperate clip.

Returned the next day, decided to miss that clip, and sent the route. First 8b. Then went for my first 7c onsight and got it, Mecanik Destructif. Then went back and did Arrowhead to finish off.

So the tick list was:

Satan X, 8b

Déversé Satanique, 8a+

Arrowhead, 8a

Petit Poucet, 7c+

Mecanik Destructif, 7c onsight

Same Player, Shoot Again, 7c

Thanks to Ben and Peter and everyone else on the trip.

Link to video of the 8a+ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrpqDSaWqDc

Two pics of the 8b

Winning the 2012 Leader Ladder Junior Elite category

Zippy and Tom Randall set some thought-provoking routes at Reading, which is such a friendly wall, for this comp. There were some strong competitors, not least Jim Pope. Got up everything up to 7c first time, but so did Billy and Jim. It was all down to the 8a and 8b.

The 8a had a technical start and ended with powerful climbing on good holds. First two times I got though the start but fell off, once because I had the sequence wrong, next time because I didn’t engage on a fingerlock hard enough. Got it third go.

Next up was the 8b which went up a cool prow into a roof. On my second go I got to the last hard move and collected all three bonus points, and the title. Pope was second, Billy third.

Really well-organised comp, and friendly lot at Reading. New wall, already with a good squad and  a good vibe. Psyched to go back.

Technical start on the 8a

Celebrating with Pope

Reading routes with the legend