CityBloc Blog

Saturday 12pm, Bloc Party

2013-08-07T07:56:00.001-07:00

That is the start time for Bloc Party 13 this Saturday 10th August. You can of course turn-up later but will still only have until 3pm to attempt the 40 problems.

The climbs will range from easy (pink climbs) to very hard (our notorious salmon climbs). You will have 3 attempts on each climb, 1st try secures full 10 points, 7 for second and 4 for 3rd attempt.

The top 5 men and women will then progress to our final which will start around 4.30pm. Prize giving will follow the final for seniors and juniors (under 16).

More info is available in our news section.

Summer Time

2013-05-16T08:17:00.004-07:00

Its been a while since our last blog so we should start with a bit of a catch up.

The first and most obvious change is our new reception. Im sure you will agree its much smarter and a more pleasant welcome upon stepping through the door.

Next on the reburb list is the matting. The competition side will be receiving a complete overhaul with new foam and swanky green carpet top to keep your shoes clean. When the old matting comes up we are going to use this opportunity to repaint the wall. This will all be happening in the last week of June, keep your eyes peeled on our social media sites closer to the date.

Back for its 5th year is Bloc Party. It will be slightly later this year due to the renovation of the matting, the 10th August to be precise. Expect the usual standard of high quality problems from Ben and Martin plus 'MC Smithers' on the mic;)

Finally, I hope you have all been supporting Team GB in their efforts in the Bouldering World Cup. Simply login to http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/ to watch live coverage. The next round is tomorrow from Innsbruck.

Competitions & Reset

2012-12-04T09:16:00.000-08:00

So the last couple of weeks has seen more new problems than we know what to do with, which can only be a good thing for you.

First up was Round 2 of the Northern Universities Bouldering League which had 30 new orange problems of all grades.

Im afraid quite a few of these problems have already been taken down but have been replaced by new problems so its all good.

Round 2 of Boulder Leeds was last Friday. 25 new problems were set of all grades from very easy to very hard. A big thank you to everyone who came along, if you didn't make it don't worry as you can still try all the problems plus the new ones myself and Ben set over the weekend.

A big thank you to Mammut for supplying us with the prizes. There will be a break for December and the Christmas period so the next round will be January 25th.

Competition Time

2012-11-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

The winter indoor bouldering competitions are well underway. Boulder Leeds is back again with round 1 already complete at the Leeds Wall. Round 2 will be here at City Bloc on Friday 30th November.

Before that though there is still quite a bit of setting going on. Tomorrow half the small bay will be set with problems of all grades from pink to green. The week after all the bright orange problems will come down and will be set Tuesday ready for the NUBS, Northern Universities Bouldering Series, on Wednesday 21st November. PLEASE NOTE: The competition starts at 3pm and runs til 6pm, the wall will be very busy during this time.

The problems for the NUBS will only be up for about a week before they are taken down ready for the following week and round 2 of Boulder Leeds. So, plenty to keep you occupied for the next few weeks.

Bloc Party 2012

2012-06-21T07:58:00.003-07:00

On June 9^th City Bloc hosted its 4^th Bloc party competition.

The competition has been growing over the last few years, not only in reputation but also in the number of strong competitors and this year was no exception.

With 40 qualifying problems of all different levels the competitors had plenty of fun challenging climbs to play on. The problems set by Ben Meeks and Martin Smith were catching people out left, right and centre with a good mix of styles making it tricky enough to keep some of the strong guys and girls from succeeding. With that being said many good results came out of the qualification round with a very impressive 387 out of a maximum of 400 from Dave Barrans which took him into the finals in first place in the adult male category. Qualifying in first place in the adult female category was a very strong looking Leah Crane with a great score of 328. For the Junior Male and Female title this year we had Tim Wrigglesworth and Natasha Smile who had very respectable scores and both showed they wouldn’t have been out of place mixed in with the adults.

Dianne Merrick concentrating hard in the final.

Once qualifying was complete the top 5 male and female scores went through to a final to really test the climber’s skills. Both sexes had 3 problems to try with each one having a different style to the last. The first problems style was thuggish and powerful or American as we like to call it. The second style was technical including lots of volumes and trickery and the third style was dynamic involving lots of leaping around. This mix of styles showed that female winner Leah Crane has a great set of skills as she only fell off once in the finals and took victory over British Team Member Dianne Merrick who was narrowly behind, with up and coming youngster Hannah Wilson taking third place. In the male competition it was quite a close call with all of the competitors having a moment of brilliance making it look like they could win, but in the end Dave Barrans took the title again for 3 out of the 4 years Bloc Party has been running. Tom Newman wasn’t far behind for 2nd place and our very own Louis Parkinson was an excellent 3^rd place.

Thanks and congratulations must be given to all the competitors who made it a great atmosphere and a great event. Thanks also go to Metolius , Rock Technologies, Scarpa and Core for sponsoring the event and giving us some great prizes.

Full results can be found in the news section on our web page.

Bloc Party FAQ

2012-06-05T05:29:00.002-07:00

With Bloc Party about to hit us like a truck i thought i would hit you with a bit more detail in the form of some FAQ's

What time does it start? 12pm

How much is it? £10

How many problems are there? 40. You will have 3 attempts to complete a bloc, 10 points for first try, 7 for second and 4 for third attempt

How long do I have? 4 hours

I cant get there until 1pm, can I still enter? yes but you will still have only until 4pm to finish

Are the problems all really hard? no, there will be something for everyone from easy pink climbs at around font 4c right the way through to salmons at 7cish

Is there a final? yep, it starts around 5pm.

How many people in the final? top 5 men and ladies

Im rubbish i never win anything, why should i do it? Spot prizes will be thrown out during the day and to anyone who we feel deserves a prize for trying really hard. Also, you will get to see some of the countries top competitors battle it out in the world cup style final

Who is setting the problems? the usual duo of Ben and Martin who are especially excited about setting with brand new holds from Core.

So there you go. If you have any other questions give us a call or email us at info@citybloc.co.uk

Comp Wall Reset

2012-02-22T05:53:00.003-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came to the final round of Boulder Leeds on Friday, full results to follow. If you missed the comp don't worry, all the problems are still up and lots and lots of new blocs set yesterday from red to green.

Our resident Dave Grohl lookalike Leon in comp mode focus

If you like to have a dabble in friendly competitions, then keep a look out for info on our Bloc Party coming up in June.

2012

2012-01-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone. Hope you all had a successful 2011 and are looking forward to 2012.

So whats coming up in 2012 for City Bloc. Well first up some of you may have noticed the steep looking board upstairs in the gallery, this is our new training board.

If you look closely at the pic you will see that the board is symmetrical. The idea being once you complete a problem you then complete the symmetrical version thus ironing out any weakness in your armour. Brilliant! The holds have been supplied by the beastie boys aka www.Beastmaker.co.uk. Now these guys love their wood and have crafted some beauties for us. For those not in the know wood is absolutely great to train on as its super kind on your skin so no trashed tips before heading to the crag. The fact that its quite smooth also means you grip just that bit harder so strength gains are inevitable;)

For those who enjoy nothing more than just lazying around dangling from their fingertips the fingerboard has also been moved upstairs to the gallery. Keep your eyes open on this area in the near future for further developments.

Competitions:

The 3rd round of NIBL (Northern Indoor Bouldering League) is at City Bloc on Saturday 14th January. Registration is at 11am with the comp starting at 12pm. 25 problems for men and women ranging from 6b to 7b+.

Then on 17th February round 4 of Boulder Leeds. Again 25 problems from around 4a to 7b+, head to the bottom of the news page for more info

Bloc Party will also be making a return for its 4th year but more details will be available later.

Finally, the City Bloc team would just like to say thank you to everyone who came down over 2011 and look forward to a crushing 2012;)

Autumn

2011-09-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

You can feel it already, the leaves have started to change colour and the evenings are drawing in quicker and quicker. Not to worry though as there is plenty to look forward to over the next few months.

First up is the return of Boulder Leeds for its 3rd successive year with the first round kicking off on the 21st October. Keep your eyes on the news page for more details coming soon.

Also returning after probably more than a ten year hiatus is the Northern Indoor Bouldering League, or NIBL. This is sure to be a great event with the best bouldering walls in the north coming together to find out who is the best boulderer in the north. Again, more details coming soon on the news page.

As ever myself and Ben are constantly resetting City Bloc every few weeks. We will be starting the comp wall again on Monday so if you have any projects left you best get to it.

The link below might help..........or not;)

http://youtu.be/pEgmBnd4B7c

Comp Wall June 11'

2011-06-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

First, apologies for not blogging more often but it is due to being quite busy.

Anyone who has been to the Bloc recently will have noticed a few changes. We had Andy Chapman return to make a few adjustments to angles on the wall. The biggest change is to the roof on the comp wall, instead of a vertical wall there is now a steep prow for you to tackle after turning the lip of the roof. You can see the prow at the back of the picture below

The other angle changes are only minor but make for much improved problem setting.

Finally, the other obvious change is the lick of paint the comp wall has had. The smaller bay is to follow in a few weeks.

All the changes were in time for the third edition of Bloc Party which took place on the 11th June. Keep an eye on the news section for a full report and pictures.

And last but not least here is the latest beta video for some of the current problems on the new comp wall.

World Cup & British Team links

2011-04-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

The summer of world cup competitions is upon us with the first round of the Bouldering World Cup this past weekend in Milan. If you want to follow the international competitions, many of them streamed live on the net, then go to http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/

As some of you may already know the four founding members of City Bloc are all former members of the British Bouldering Team.

We used our years of competition experience to design our wall similar to that of a bouldering world cup competition wall. Subtle designs which at first are not obvious prove vital for setting top notch problems for complete beginners to the best in the country. There are only a few walls in the country that can boast this.

If you are interested in keeping upto date with the British Team then you can follow their activities on http://www.gbclimbingteam.co.uk/ .

Finally, here is the latest vid for some of the current comp wall problems

British Weather

2011-03-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought it was time to start going outside with the lighter evenings the good old British weather gave us a slap of reality. Oh well, luckily myself and Ben have reset the competition wall this week so there are no excuses for slacking;)

Incase you need some beta here is the new vid for the small bay plus a further look into Martin's training secrets;)

http://www.youtube.com/user/cityblocleeds#p/a/u/0/TSFxXT6Vi2E

Comp pics & resetting

2011-03-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, first sorry for not posting some pics earlier but finally here are some from Round 5 of Boulder Leeds which took place at City Bloc on Friday 25th February. Full results can be found in the news section of the website.

Dan takes flight

Blue steel Gary

Ben shows signs of fatigue after a long couple of days

Leon squeezing

Dave crushes......again

a couple of competitors tackle the big wave

Next reset starts tomorrow with the small bay. Half will be done tomorrow then the other half on Monday, as usual every colour will be changed.

Finally, here is the latest vid for beta on the large bay problems

http://www.youtube.com/user/cityblocleeds#p/a/u/0/j2Zb0OGET7s

Team Training & Boulder Leeds

2011-02-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday at the Bloc saw the British Bouldering Team enjoying a training session. Myself and Ben set five new problems each for the male & female teams. These problems are still up but only until Thursday when all the problems will make way for the next round of Boulder Leeds.

Shauna Coxsey attacking the roof

Jons Partridge pouncing like a jaguar

Ned Feehally flapping like a seal

Friday 25th is round 5 of Boulder Leeds so you have one week to polish off any projects on the comp wall before myself & Ben create more mayhem.

Finally, here is the latest beta video for some of the small bay problems.

British Team, Reset and Birthday Celebrations!!!

2011-02-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

If you have been in this weekend you will have noticed the small bay has been completely reset. A few finishing touches have since been made today and there's a bit of something to test everyone. A video of the new problems will be coming shortly, so keep an eye on this blog.

This coming Saturday (12th Feb) the British Bouldering Team will be training here at City Bloc. It's worth coming down to check out just how good these guys and girls are and get some tips on the harder climbs. Come and get inspired!

Also, today we have grown to a ripe old age of 2 years! In celebrating our 2nd Birthday we have teamed up with Evolv to offer you some discounted boots. FOR THIS WEEK ONLY we are selling the Evolv Defy for £55 (retail £72) and the Optimus Prime for £70 (retail £95)! A sincere THANK YOU to all our customers for your continued support over the last 2 years.

Next couple of weeks

2011-01-30T04:22:00.000-08:00

Ok a few things to add to your diary for the next 2 weeks.

First up, this coming Thursday there is a boot demo courtesy of Evolv rock shoes. On the night you will be able to try a selection of the latest Evolv has to offer and then maybe even pick-up a bargain at the end of the night.

In order to get the best out of your climbing shoes Evolv sponsored climber Ben Bransby will be on hand to deliver a masterclass. This will start at 8.30pm, sign up is on the night. If your not aware of who Ben is and what he has achieved a quick google search will reveal numerous links to stories of 8B boulders, multi-pitch routes in Yosemite and E9 flashes, bit of a hero in other words.

Next up on the 12th February the British Bouldering Team will be at City Bloc for a training session. Feel free to watch the team train and maybe pick-up some tips.

Finally, here is the vid for the latest comp wall problems with guest appearance from Rup 'hot stepper' Cowie

New Year at the Bloc

2011-01-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

First up I guess we should say Happy New Year to everyone. Thank you to everyone who came to City Bloc over 2010.

The competition wall will be reset this week starting from Tuesday. Please note that the competition wall will be closed on Wednesday afternoon from 12pm til 4.30pm, this is due to the 4th round of the TRI Service Bouldering League taking place. The wall will be open as usual in the evening so you can try your hand at the competition problems.

Speaking of competitions dont forget that the second half of Boulder Leeds is about to begin. Back at Leeds Wall on the 21st January then here at City Bloc 25th February.

There will be plenty of other things going on so keep yours eyes peeled.

Until then here is the latest vid for the small bay

Boulder Leeds & more

2010-12-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Just like to say another big thanks to everyone who attended the Boulder Leeds comp last Friday. You can find the results in our news section.

Since the comp more problems have gone up this week in every grade.

Finally, incase you missed the comp here are a few highlights

Open as usual

2010-12-02T04:29:00.000-08:00

We have both made it in today so the Bloc will be open til 10pm.

Thanks
Martin & Ben

Boulder Leeds this Friday

2010-11-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

Thats right, Round 2 of Boulder Leeds is this Friday at City Bloc.

Me and Ben have already devised some crazy ideas for the 25 problems that will be exclusively on the comp wall.

As usual the comp kicks off at 6.30 and runs until 9.30pm. Whether your an experienced competitor or you have just started climbing there will be problems for everybody so dont be afraid to give it a go. For pics from last years comps check out the Boulder Leeds Facebook page.

If you have any projects left on the comp wall at the moment you need to get them done before Friday. Here is a bit of beta with our usual vid plus some extras from the small bay.

Walk the line

2010-09-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

as Johnny Cash would say. Here at City Bloc we prefer to climb the line.......sorry;)

Check out our latest vid for beta on the reset of the small bay and our tribute to Mr Cash

Comps and comp wall

2010-09-15T04:59:00.000-07:00

You can feel it cant you, thats right winter is on its way.

Nights are drawing in and the weather has turned a bit grim to say the least. Not to worry though as there is lots to be keeping you occupied through the winter with the return of the Leeds Winter Bouldering Series.

Finally, here is a vid for the current comp wall:

Setting and then some

2010-09-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

The small bay has had a full reset in the past couple of weeks. This week me and Ben are back resetting the comp wall, its never ending but we love it.

Here is a vid for a bit of beta incase your struggling with problems in the small bay:

August Comp Wall

2010-08-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

For those who have been down in the past week or so you will have probably tried some of the new blocs. If not check out what your missing

Hints and tips

2010-07-09T06:57:00.001-07:00

A bit of help incase your struggling with some of the new problems;)