VIDEOS: Magnet Finger = Busted Finger!

After a great trip to Petrohrad in the Czech Republic, which is a beautiful granite bouldering area, I had a couple of days off then headed to the Pfalz in Germany.

Check my UKC Article on Petrohrad.

The Pfalz is a really cool sandstone place in the west of Germany, close to the border of France. I had my eye on a classic UIAA 9+ called Magnet Finger. It used to be a F7c, but the holds have deteriorated and it is now considered to be F7c+.

After a couple of warm ups on some easier stuff, it was my turn to put the draws in Magnet Finger and give it a go. The draws went in fine, (I’d been told it was dangerous – erm – there’s bolts every 1.5 metres!) and I thought I’d have it first redpoint.

Went for it, got to the crux and heard a loud crack as my finger pulley snapped. BUMMER!

The route is a really stunning steep arete and actually climbs like an arete too – very gritstone-esque. It’s pretty bouldery, with only really 5 hard moves in the middle. It was first climbed as an aid line, mainly on the ring bolts, before big Wolfgang came and freed it in the 1980′s.

It is a total classic and would suit any British visitors, being short and technical.

Check this video of James Pearson and Gaz Parry doing it on their trip round Europe:

So it is another season of injury recovery for me.

I’m off to France next week for a photographic trip in the south, to take pictures for a forth coming guidebook. I won’t be doing any climbing as the finger hurts too much.

I am following Dave MacLeod’s excellent advice at the moment:

Finger Injury Treatment Videocast

And after this I think I’ll be sticking to the running and easy trad routes for a while – just like last year.

Last year I managed to improve both my mental climbing and my crack technique due to having a finger injury.

This year I will concentrate on my flexibility and cardio fitness. There is always something to train!