I returned from Kranj, Slovenia on Sunday night where I competed in the last round of the EYS for this year. Unfortunately I have been ill the last few days with a flu-type bug and wasn’t feeling 100% when I was competing, and came 14th. I was disappointed with my result (especially as training had been going so well and the week before I had managed to complete my two 8a projects!) but it’s all good experience for next year when I hope to be fully fit and compete in more internationals and go on trips outdoors in Europe.

 I’m off to Paris tomorrow for a short break, so I’m having a week or so off from climbing to recover from my illness! I have been keeping up my Compex sessions though, it’s great that you can do some form of exercise even when you’re ill!

I’ll be back from Paris next Wednesday, then the hard training begins again!

Last Friday I was training at EICA Ratho and managed to complete one of my 8a projects that I’ve been working on! I felt great on the route and my forearms barely felt “pumped” at all! I reckon that using my Compex on the capillarisation and endurance settings is helping my forearm endurance to a large extent, and this gives me great hope for the last European Youth Series Round in Slovenia next week!

Just a quick note about climbing grades such as “8a” etc, see http://www.ukclimbing.com/databases/crags/comptable.html

and the grades that I refer to mostly are the “Sport” grades which are also known as “French” grades. The French system is an internationally recognised system for grading sport climbs and is therefore used on bolted routes within the UK and indoors. Unlike the UK system, this uses a single figure to describe the how hard the route is as a whole.

I have also been doing a lot of coaching over the last two weeks or so, and tonight I am coaching a young boy who has not long started climbing but is showing great potential. I am really enjoying helping the up-and-coming young climbers from the Scotland South region, they are great kids and will be tearing up the competition scene next season I’m sure!

Yesterday was my best training session for a long while. It’s taken me many months to work back up to fitness since my operation and exams and yesterday at EICA Ratho proved that I’m definitely on the right track for the next and final round of the European Youth Series in Kranj, Slovenia in 3 weeks.

I managed to complete a 7c+ route which I have been working on for a few weeks now, plus I’m getting closer and closer to doing two 8a’s which are also projects, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be getting ticked off before I leave for the competition! My power endurance is increasing, and I noticed how much stronger and fresher I felt later on in my session even after having done many hard routes. Normally I’m knackered after 5 hard routes or so!

I think my gains in forearm endurance are coming from my Compex. I have been using the capillarisation setting around level 100-150 which I find more effective than the endurance setting at making my arms feel “pumped” with blood just like they feel after having done a hard climb. I can see the vascularisation in my arms (ie big veins!) and I’ve noticed recently that my recovery on routes and between routes is getting better – I can shake out between moves and the “pump” in my forearms decreases rapidly. I’ve also been trying to regulate my breathing and take slow, deep breaths when climbing, rather than holding my breath which became a habit during hard power moves!

Another aspect of my training that has just started is my bouldering, circuits and core strength session that I’ve been doing once a week with a coach and two to three others at Ratho. These group sessions are great fun and I can really see how much stronger I’m getting on different hold types and powerful moves. Each week I have been progressing and it’s great to be able to train with friends who push you and encourage you to do well!

Off for a gym, Compex and fingerboard session now!

Last week was a very busy week indeed! On Wednesday I filmed my bit for the Gadget Show at the Edinburgh Indoor Climbing Arena (EICA Ratho). It was an action-packed day and was a very tiring but enjoyable experience. I won’t tell you how I got on in the three races, just to keep the suspense! I don’t know when it will be aired as yet, but it will most likely be the end of November. Unfortunately I couldn’t wear my lovely new Currentbody.com leggings (picture coming soon!) due to advertising rights etc but I will be sure to train and compete in them over the next competitions and events.

After the filming I went on a two-day trip to Dunkeld Upper Cave crag, which is a sport climbing venue about one hour away from Edinburgh. I went with three climbing friends and a dog, all of whom were great company and everyone got some good routes ticked (even Jessie the dog!) I flashed a 7b+ called Hamish teddy’s Excellent Adventure and got a 7c called Marlena 2nd attempt! (first attempt I forgot to take my chalkbag up with me!) We were very lucky with the weather, until we had to descend in the dark and rain on the Friday night after two very tiring days! I even used my mi-Sport on the capillarisation setting in the car to warm up on the way to the crag!

On Saturday I watched a dry tooling competition (dry tooling is climbing on rock or indoors with ice axes and big boots!) at EICA Ratho. I was thinking of having a go at it but decided that I was too tired after climbing for four days on the run (plus I don’t trust myself with ice axes!) It was very exciting to watch and I was appointed photographer for the day! (again, pics to follow!)

On Sunday I did some coaching for the Quickdraw Climbing Club with a fellow British Junior Team member and afterwards I had a short but intense training session. Compex was on the agenda for the evening, an explosive strength session on my biceps and forearms.

Tuesday was my third training session with my regional coach Neil McGeachy and two friends from Edinburgh. I can really see the improvement in my strength from using a mixture of the strength, explosive strength and endurance settings each day on my forearms and biceps. I have also been doing core exercises in the gym such as medicine ball sit-ups, leg raises and planks.

I’m now off to Glasgow Climbing Centre for an endurance session!

Photos to come!

” Bearsden climber aims for Euro success in Slovenia “

” SIX times British indoor climbing champion Natalie Berry has her eye on a podium place at next month’s European Youth Series (EYS) in the Slovenian city of Kranj — repeating her win in 2007.

Natalie (17) just missed out on a podium place in the third round of the EYS at The Edinburgh International Climbing Centre at Ratho.

The gravity defying Bearsden climber, who is taking a year out after finishing her advanced highers at Bearsden Academy last term, said: “I have been training at Ratho at least three times a week and building up my strength and endurance. ”

Read the rest of the article here on the Bearsden Herald website…

Sorry for the lack of posts on here recently, I had a very busy weekend at the climbing festival and have been resting after two weeks of hard training.

I have been continuing to use a mixture of the strength and endurance settings on my mi-Sport which is really helping my finger strength and forearm endurance. I am now getting really close to completing my two projects at EICA Ratho,  7c+ and  8a graded routes. I’m hoping that they’ll be done sometime over the next week!

Some more exciting news is that I have been asked to appear on “The Gadget Show” as part of an experiment testing climbing “gadgets”. I will  be racing against one of the presenters who will be using a moving wall to try and give her the edge in the competition. It will be filmed at EICA Ratho next Wednesday, and I am also receiving some new currentbody.com leggings to wear for my TV appearance and for training and competitions!

Off training now at Glasgow wall, feeling strong after a rest!