[comPiler]

To Do List - Quit Job
16 June 2011, 10:37 pm

·        Quit job

Well that was easy, one brief email and one triumphant post on Facebook and I’m free (apart from the whole working the notice period thing but that will give me time to do the rest of the list)

·        Make celebratory brownies

Made and eaten

·        Buy vanHmmm... more tricky, gumtree and ebay aren’t showing anything amazing (by amazing I mean cheap - and preferably with all its wheels). Quick check in the post office window doesn’t come up with much either, lots of kittens for sale though... could get one of those, cheaper to run/feed and definitely more cute, won’t get me from A to B though... unless it’s more people pick up hitchhikers who are holding kittens, surveys should be done.

·         Find dry rock

Impossible. I managed to get about three feet from the car before it started raining. Maybe it’s not actually impossible, I’m fairly sure that Gully Wall or Pixies Hole will be dry but sometimes I find it hard to get inspired for dingy, polished limestone circuits. Call me picky.

I saw a thread on UKC  http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=463027&v=1 suggesting there might be an access issue at Chudleigh, I drove past earlier but couldn’t see the sign, maybe the trolls are out. I’m not sure I could live without Chudleigh... maybe I should get out more.

·         Tidy my stuff up

Never gonna happen, don’t know why I bothered to write it down.

·         Get strong

Well if I can’t climb I might as well get strong instead and the fingerboard is calling to me (maybe that’s a bit strong, more like heckling me). Do you think Tim Emmett would mind if I made miniature clones of him:

To the fingerboard...



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

To Do List - Pancakes
20 June 2011, 1:12 am



 ·         Plan adventures

It’s all coming together, albeit slowly. At the moment I’m trying to match up people, places and crags like a giant game of snap. But I can plan safely in the knowledge that wherever I decide to go it’ll rain.

No van as yet, but there are a few local candidates to check out during the week.

·         Pancakes

The perfect breakfast food! I’m not very good at breakfast; mornings are far too early for eating, apart from chocolate obviously. I can eat chocolate at any time of the day or night, it’s like a superpower.

The only solution to the breakfast conundrum is pancakes... or nutella... or both. Sorted!

·         Climb...

It’s not raining, I have a belayer, life is good. Anstey’s is the crag of choice today and Devonshire Cream is the route; 16m of exquisite climbing with the first bolt at 8m, just after the 6a crux. It’s considered to be bolted by a manic or genius depending on your outlook on life.

·         Warm up

A lap or two of the traverse to get the blood flowing...

·         Reacquaint myself with the moves

Forgot the clipstick but remembered the boyfriend so got the first bolt clipped. I had a feeling I was going to find the crux hard... I try it and it feels easy... I try it again thinking it will be easy... it’s hard. I strip the clips (‘effics’) and sit down for a long hard think.

My thought process goes along the lines of:

“I quite like my legs, don’t really want to break them”

“Easy solution to that, don’t fall off”

“But what happens if I freak out? Agh I’m scared!”

“Man up! Anyway you can downclimb from right before

the crux and once you’ve done the crux it’s all over”

“Umm... I still don’t want to do this but I’ve run out of arguments”

“Perfect, let’s do it!”

·         Crunch time

The tricky part is always the decision making; after that it’s just the follow-through...

It goes without a hitch, no broken legs, no emergency bails into the thorn bush, no panicking, no gibbering. And the best bit...? Knowing I never have to do it again...

...until Sole Fusion

...and Cream Topping

...bugger.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

To Do List - Lemmings
24 June 2011, 2:22 am



·         Get up

A bit of a challenge, my aches and pains from a couple of days of climbing have united to create an overall sense of tiredness and a general feeling that it’s best to stay in bed today.

        ·         Eat

Ugh it’s breakfast time again, that meal comes around with a startling regularity. Maybe I should mix it up a bit, start the day with a roast dinner or a good chocolate pudding?

      ·         Buy sparkly shoes

Ha! I am a girl!

      ·         Climb

Back to Anstey’s again today, like a homing pigeon with a masochistic nature. It’s a lovely scenic crag, overhanging limestone looking over a quiet bay, with just the tweeting of the birds and the blood-curdling screams of coasteers throwing themselves into the sea (strange race the coasteer, must be related to the lemming).

Looks like the pocket on Cider Soak has dried out; good news as I can spend the day falling off a route I might be able to climb one day instead of falling off routes I have no hope of doing or falling off routes I have already done.

Climbing today is a bit of a challenge, it’s one of those days where every time you look down there’s a spare leg hanging in space doing nothing, you can put it on the rock but next time you glance down another leg is floating about. It’s an endless battle to keep the majority of limbs attached to the rock and it’s one that I inevitably lose. Despite this I manage to link a few moves and almost clip the third bolt before wimping off and going for the shiny quickdraw shaped hold. I could climb past the bolt to a good hold but I’m sure it’s easier to get stronger than to get braver.

I think I’ll leave the red-point for another day or preferably another person... Why can’t it work the same way as football? I could be an Adam Ondra supporter and every time he onsights another 8c I get to spend the afternoon in the pub celebrating my team’s success, starting fights with Sharma supporters and growing a beer belly... I think it might catch on.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Update
5 July 2011, 9:11 am



In the last week and a bit I have:

       ·         Bought a van

I don’t know much about vans but this one has wheels (4), goes along at a reasonable speed and plays nice music at me in the mean time.

       ·         Quit a job  

The last day was celebrated as all important times in life should be – with cake and beer.

      ·         Converted said van

As the old saying goes: “Give a man a power-tool and he’s happy for hours”. Thanks to Justin, the van now has a bed, somewhere to put stuff and locks that work!

      ·         Climbed

6 days on, feeling a bit tired now.

      ·         Planned trips

I don’t really do planning, but I have found people to travel with, places to see and routes to climb. Good times!



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

3 days, 5 crags
22 July 2011, 1:05 pm



Life as a climbing bum is going well: long days climbing with good friends, getting heckled onto routes, falling of projects and embarking on sea cliff trad adventures.

      ·         Tuesday:

Lowman – the windiest place on the planet – a nice trip up Aviation and then run away to...

Chudleigh – An escape from the wind and drizzle and an important stop on a tour of the best crags Devon has to offer for a visiting Northerner in the group.

Jerome’s attempts to persuade me to lead Interrogation had failed, as well as Interrogation SuperDirect, Blood Lust and a number of other Lowman horrors, but I gave in when he switched tack to Black Death. Black Death may not be the most inspiring name but it's an awesome route and, upon completion, you gain free admission to the Black Death Climbing Club. What more could you ask for?!

      ·         Wednesday:

Anstey’s Cove - The drizzle (or mizzle?) was forecast for the morning, so Anstey’s seemed the obvious choice, after all it’s always dry at the cove, right? Wrong! But lessons were learnt:

        ·         Cocytus is really hard in the rain,

        ·         It’s nearly impossible to get psyched for working a project route when you’re cold and wet and the damp’s seeping through the rock,

        ·         Empire of the Sun is the perfect route for getting more and more tired – I’m told this is called ‘training’?!

        ·         Just when you’ve taken all the quickdraws out of every route the sun will come out.

An enjoyable scramble along The Long Traverse to have a look at Sanctuary Wall rounded off the day perfectly.

      ·         Thursday:

Lower Sharpnose – With the sun shining and agreeable tides Sharpnose is an awesome and inspiring place, 3 fins of rock 25 to 30m high and about 2m wide jutting out into the Atlantic. Long routes, big holds (in places), good gear (in places) and rusty pegs. We abbed in and started up The Smile; holds and gear abound but it just keeps going.

My turn to lead next and Wraith was suggested, “an excellent wall climb” not overly reliant on two fairly rusty pegs. It was excellent, the gear and good(ish) holds give you no excuse to stop and ponder and with the crux at the top it’s an all or nothing effort. I sat in the sun at the top belaying with a grin on my face, good times indeed.

Unfortunately it was 3pm I was late for an evening climbing appointment the other end of the county. I left my mates contemplating scary E5 propositions on the middle fin and jogged back to my trusty van.

Sanctuary Wall - 2 hours later back at Anstey’s Cove I met John taking an evening out from his busy schedule to contemplate Madness, a route name that tells you all you need to know! Madness is a traverse of Sanctuary Wall, a loose, intimidating and absurdly steep sea cliff. The first pitch consisted of alternately hand traversing and teetering along a sloping ledge, with the odd bit of gear or rusty peg for protection. At the hanging belay we tried to think up excuses for not doing the last two pitches, we settled for a combination of potential rain, darkness and fear and escaped up the final groove of Call of the Wild.

It was a good end to three awesome days’ climbing, sitting at the top in the evening sunlight, surrounded by gear and a palpable sense of relief, tired and hungry but truly content.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Sun, Sea and Swimming
3 August 2011, 3:45 pm



Today I did what any self-respecting Devon climber should do on the first sunny day in August – I went Deep Water Soloing. I’m very much a beginner at the whole DWS thing, I’ve only been twice and haven’t even fallen off...until today. But John suggested Rainbow Bridge (one of the finest DWS traverses in the world?) and I had no excuses: the sun was out, the tide was high and the bird bans were but a distant memory.

We made the obligatory phone call to the Coastguard to say we were deep water soloing as onlookers have the tendency to phone in. I would have thought the difference between someone having fun by the sea and someone in danger are quite obvious, for example when deep water soloing I climb, fall off and swim to the next bit of rock whereas if I was in dire need of rescue I would scream, wave my arms or just look dead.  But who can tell what goes through the mind of non-climbers!

Rainbow Bridge

We set out from the Great Cave with the sun behind us, glinting off the quartz crystals in the rock. Route finding is pretty easy, keep the sea below you (this is important!) and head sideways, if you’re lucky follow the path of chalked holds. The traverse leads through some awesome terrain from wild overhanging sections on jugs to intricate technical sections on tiny crimps, we got as far as the crux before we greased off the slopers into the sea SPLASH!

I can’t remember the last time I swam but luckily I remembered how to and crawled back onto the rock a bit further along. Well that was the easy bit over with, now we had wet shoes, dripping clothes and no chalk... onwards. It wasn’t long until I was back in the sea SPLASH!

I swam to the ledges at the end of Rainbow Bridge and tried to recover some strength, I was amazed at how tiring I found the traverse being unaccustomed to continuous climbing for over an hour (possibly the last two days of training and plugging away at Cider Soak didn’t help).

Oz Wall Traverse

We carried on with the next part, Oz Wall Traverse, before escaping up the hillside with aching arms. At the top we met a woman who had seen us climbing and was going to call the coastguard... WHY?!

Back at the bags we relaxed in the sun before John suggested Magical Mystery Tour and we were off again.

Magical Mystery Tour

This traverse heads the other way from The Great Cave and is a few grades easier but with tired and aching arms it didn’t feel it. Much wild swinging on good holds followed together with a quick swim across the Green Grotto just when I had dried out again. Towards the end of the traverse is a move that involves falling across a gap to good holds on the other side. I stood and looked at it, composed myself, looked at the gap again, took a deep breath, poised myself to fall across the gap and... bailed out in mid air SPLASH!

At the end of the traverse we scrambled up the hill to relax at the top in the sun having completed around 750m of climbing/swimming, not bad for a mornings work.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Ken Palmer on his Barrel Traverse (F7C)

© Kafoozalem (UKC)[/td][/tr]

[/table]I’ll definitely be back to complete the parts that I swam past but I think it will be a while before I consider Wizard of Oz an epic link up of all the traverses completed by Ken Palmer last summer (excellent write up of the route here).  

For now I can relax and enjoy one of the many reasons I got into climbing; the feeling of a tired body and battered arms after a good day’s climbing.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Cider Soak
6 September 2011, 9:40 am



Afterapproximately 25 sessions at Anstey’s Cove in the last 4 months, about 100hours of climbing, resting or belaying, a variety of conditions from blazingsunshine to horizontal drizzle and one too many fumbled clips I redpointedCider Soak 8a***

It’s been aregular fixture on my climbing week over the summer: turn up at Anstey’s, warmup on the traverse, put the clips in Cider Soak, work some moves, do some linksor try a redpoint, fall off, eat dried apricots, try again... all in all a veryenjoyable experience.

It doesn’t godown without a fight though: first redpoint attempt of the day and I clip thethird clip with relative ease (the technical crux), don’t get too excited atthe break (the psychological crux) and fight my way through the top sequence tothe finishing jug (the physical crux). I pull up some slack to clip the finaldraw... and fumble the clip, my fingers start to peel off the jug and I grab thedraw in desperation. Bugger. So close but yet so far.

Second go Idon’t make it past the pocket, third go I smack my elbow into a bolt on the wayup then fall off reaching for the break. I consider stripping the route andcalling it a day... one more go.

This time I’mat the finishing jug before I know it and I clip the draw like a model climberon Gresham’s Masterclass DVDs. It’s the perfect end to a fantastic summer’s climbingin the South West with a great bunch of friends.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Project On!
21 September 2011, 10:03 am



The summerof being-a-climbing-bum has given way to the autumn of having-to-work-like-a-normal-person.I’m working at The Quay, the new climbing wall in Exeter, which means that Inow spend 99% of my life surrounded by climbers. This is all well and gooduntil I have to make conversation with non-climbers...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]The Arch at The Quay[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Conversationwith a climber:

Climber: Youbeen up to much recently?

Me: Yeah man!Been getting on the trad’s, cos trad’s totally where it’s at, you know? I goton this route up at Wintour’s at the weekend, mainly jug pulling with like goodgear but then there’s this fierce crux. You gotta get this slopey sidepull likethis and yard up to this crimp, and I was pumped out of my skull man!

Climber: Narlydude!

Me: Yeah andthere’s this, like, fierce mantle at the top and your only gear’s this dodgy RPand I brought my mate up and he was all like “Send it!”...

Conversationwith a non-climber:

Non-climber:You been up to much recently?

Me: Yeah I’vebeen climbing a fair bit...

Non-climber:Cool, was it good?

Me: Yeah.

Non-climber:Great... (long awkward pause)

With fourdays off work and a poor forecast Anstey’s seemed the place to be. I thought itwas about time to find a new project (in much the same way that an alcoholic thinksit’s about time for another drink) and Tuppence seemed to be the most popularsuggestion.

The sessionwent well in my opinion, I got about halfway up and there were only a couple ofmoves I couldn’t do. I’m going to bask in some unfounded optimism safe in theknowledge that the pessimism will kick in 3 months down the line when I stillcan’t do the same two moves. Project On!



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Devonshire Trad
30 September 2011, 9:19 am



At the beginningof the summer I created a list of local trad routes that I wanted to try. I wrote the list to encourage me to get on routes I had been puttingoff for a while, to eliminate my standard excuse of “I’m not mentally preparedfor leading this route today” and because I quite like making lists.

Daddyhole:

Zuma E4 6a

Suicide Blonde E6 6b

Meadfoot:

Clotted cream E4 6a

Clotted Cream at Meadfoot

Telegraph Hole:

Crinoid E1 5b/E2 5c

Anstey’s:

Lumpy Universe E2 5c/E3 5c

Sanctuary Wall:

Sacrosanct HVS 5a/E1 5a

Incubus E1 5b

Call to Arms E4 5c

Long Quarry Point:

Black Ice E3 5c

Chudleigh:

Tendonitis E4 6a

Black Death E4 6a

Dripdry E4 6b

Major Tom E3 6a

Lowman:

Aviation E1 5b

Interrogation E36a

After asummer of free-time, good(ish) weather and an abundance of climbing partners my list now looks likethis:

Daddyhole:

Zuma E4 6a

Suicide Blonde E66b – Seconded.

Meadfoot:

Clotted cream E46a

Telegraph Hole:

Crinoid E1 5b/E25c

Anstey’s:

Lumpy Universe E2 5c/E35c – Trad at Anstey’s?! You have to be joking.

Sanctuary Wall:

Sacrosanct HVS 5a/E1 5a

Incubus E1 5b

Call to Arms E4 5c– Agh, scary!

Long Quarry Point:

Black Ice E3 5c– Slabs, ugh!

Chudleigh:

Tendonitis E4 6a

Black Death E4 6a

Dripdry E4 6b– Tried, failed, ran away.

Major Tom E3 6a

Lowman:

Aviation E1 5b  

                        Interrogation E36a – Shocking, it's a classic, get on it.

The lastroute to cross off my list was Zuma at Daddyhole, a perfect cool crag for awarm afternoon. It felt good to get stuck into the route after thinking aboutit for some time; there were handholds and gear and even a rusty peg forcompany.... then the pump kicked in. My control and poise disappeared in adesperate sprint for the rest, too pumped to place gear or even contemplate thelargeish fall that would see me landing on my belayer’s head. Luckily I made itand relaxed on the ledge placing gear to my heart’s content.

An easy bit of climbing followed, enough to temptme to believe that it was all over and the final stretch would be a jug-pullingromp to top with more gear than I could shake a stick at. It wasn’t. I managedto get wrong handed and increasingly pumped above a move I couldn’t reversewith only the stubborn determination not to fall off now keeping me on. SomehowI made it to the top and collapsed on the grass vowing to work on my enduranceso that next time I won’t have to make the choice between placing gear and holding on.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Swanage Silliness
8 October 2011, 7:21 pm



Sometimes Ithink it’s important to remember that climbing isn’t all about redpoints andhard trad onsights; yesterday was definitely a good reminder.

The coldnorth wind at the beginning of the week (and the incessant call of a projectroute) drove me and my climbing partner to Anstey’s for a couple of warm,sheltered days of steep sport, where I spent most of the time falling off thesame few moves on Tuppence and wishing my left hand was better at crimping.

Suitablytired after two days of this silliness and with a full day free for climbing weheaded to Swanage for some of that trad nonsense. We ended up at Fisherman’sLedge and warmed up with a very pleasant deep water solo of Troubled Waters –the perfect kind of climb where you have no intention of falling in and none ofthat faffing around with ropes.

Next on thelist was The Ritz – an absurdly steep route through a number of impressive andimprobable looking roofs. I gallantly offered to belay and thus delayed theinevitable part of actually climbing it. After a while my turn came to second it and I swung out under some roofs and thrutched up past some others to anice ledge where I sat for a while with my back to the rock wondering whatwould happen if I just stayed there. I persuaded myself to carry on and soon Iwas sitting dejectedly on the rope under the lip of a roof with all the exposureI could ever want below my feet. I attempted the move over the lip approximately400 times; I tried heel-hooking, campusing, using technique, using notechnique, just man-ing up, getting-the-hell-on-with-it and shutting-my-eyes-and-hoping-it-would-go-awayall to no avail.

Eventually Imade it to the top with the help of my trusty friends, the prusiks. The goodnews was I could now relax and eat my homemade chocolate fruit slice in the sun;the bad news was that I now had something else to add to my list of 'Things I MustTry To Get Better At'.

We abbed into the next route as the tide, which had stayed in the same place for the last4 hours, had now decided to come in quite fast (the tides do strange thingsaround these parts, I’m told the Isle of Wight is to blame). Limited Edition wasthe route of choice and it was my turn to lead but due to battered arms and anall-encompassing tiredness caused by the aforementioned roof I declined theoffer.

Instead Ibasked in the sun, watched the sea raging below my feet and paid out the ropein an encouraging sort of way. The view of the waves crashing against the rocksending clouds of spray into the air made me wish I could paint and somehowcapture forever not just the power of the ocean and the millions of tinydroplets of water frozen for a millisecond in mid-air but also the feel of thesun on my face, the ache in my arms and the feeling of truly being alive andfree. However as I have the artistic skills of a five year old child this was alittle over-optimistic.

All in allit was a wonderful day spent achieving very little apart from reminding myselfthat climbing isn’t all about a ticks in a guidebook and that roofs are reallyhard.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Polaris
16 October 2011, 7:35 pm

This week’s tripto Swanage was my 4^th trip in as many weeks and I now know the A35like the back of my hand, though thankfully the back of my hand has fewerroundabouts. Alexis and I headed down, as we had for the last couple of times,with the aim of getting on Polaris at Blacker’s Hole.

Our first attemptat the route had ended with a quick abseil down and a long prussic back upafter finding a metre or two of water on the ledge at the base of the climb. Thenext time we didn’t even get that far thanks to a cunning plan of checking thestate of the ledge before startingthe ab. Much consulting of incredibly complicated tide tables followed and wereached the conclusion that the combination of a proper low tide and enoughhours of daylight to climb the route wouldn’t happen until:

 a.)   April when, conveniently, the bird ban kicks in.

       b.)   Someone moves the Isle of Wight.

This left uswith a few options including:

         ·        Bivvying on the route

         ·        Swimming up the first few metres

         ·         Highly trained dolphins

Or moresensibly

         ·        A hanging belay a few metres above the sea

Polaris Area of Blacker's Hole, Swanage

Pitch 1: lead

A pleasanttraverse along a sandy break with some comedy gear involving a knotted piece ofrope wedged in a crack which could have been there since the first ascent in1978.

Pitch 2: second

This iswhere the fun began, I swung around the arête glad of the rope above me and nothaving to hang around and place any gear. A steep few moves up a crack led to a“wild hand traverse” (the guidebook’s words) across a steep wall with verylittle for your feet. The traverse ended in a graceful step, or in my case adesperate thrutch, onto a hanging slab and a wonderfully exposed belay abovethe sea.

Theguidebook also uses the words “very exposed” and “highly committing” todescribe the route as escape from this point would involve:

         ·        a free-hanging abseiling into the sea followedby a long swim to safety

         ·        reversing the first two pitches and climbing an HVS or prusiking out

         ·        Aiding the final pitch

Or

         ·        Deciding to man up and climb out.

Pitch 3: lead

Perfectlywarmed up (pumped!) from the last pitch I set out up the initial steep section onreasonable gear and rusty pegs past a few hard moves to a “thank god” perch.From there the route continues up an overhanging corner that looked like itcould be climbed in a relaxed and comfortable manner if you had the nerve tobridge out across the void. I didn’t and climbed instead like a small mammal tryingto escape from great peril (which was basically the case here). I made it andscampered up the final slab attempting not to dislodge too much rock in thegeneral direction of my belayer. All that remained was a fight through a small blackthornhedge to the abseil stakes leaving my legs looking like they had endured somenew beauty treatment involving enraged porcupines.

We had climbed Polaris; not only had we made it tothe route but we had also made it out again. No falls, no abseiling into thesea just an awesome, adventurous route with breathtaking exposure.



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Brizzle Trad
24 October 2011, 7:45 pm



The lastthree days contained of all the necessary components for a good climbingtrip:

Ahimsa on Acid Rock, Cheddar Gorge

          ·        Three star routes at awe-inspiring crags

           ·        Dry weather

           ·        Good friends

           ·        Real ale

Day 1: Avon Gorge

I rolled outof my van feeling bored and lethargic after the tedium of the M5 but it justtook a few metres of typical Avon weirdness on Yellow Edge to restore my spirits.It was one of those days when you really feel that you can climb, you feel fitand strong, your head’s in the right place and the gear goes in first time. Atthe belay I brought up John and Justin and we sat on the ledge and faffed withropes and gear until one of us thought we had better continue and set off up thenext pitch.

I haven’tclimbed multi-pitch routes in a group of three for a while and it was a nicechange to sit on the belay and talk nonsense instead of just sitting on thebelay, thinking nonsense. We covered the topics of religion, literature andwhether a fight to the death on the belay ledge would be a good idea. Moreclimbing, faffing and chatting followed and we finished up the final wild pitchof Captain Swing.

Back in thevan and on to the campsite in Tintern where we convinced John that pitching atent is more fun in the dark and after a couple of pints. He took our sageadvice and we wandered down the road to the pub for food, ale and the making ofill-advised plans for the next two days.

Day 2: Wintour’s Leap

After ahearty fried breakfast (the diet of athletes!) and the arrival of a fourthclimber to the group we set of to Wintour’s for adventures on GO Wall. Hyena Cage was the route I had decided to do in the pub the night before and allplans made in pubs should be followed through to their logical conclusions (inthis case fear and exhaustion). Alexis lead up the start and I followedtrying to psyche myself up for the 50m second pitch. It started well with balancymoves up the headwall leading to the start of the roofs then a steep few moveson good holds to a rest on Kangaroo Wall. I managed to resist the temptation tocarry on up Kangaroo Wall and set off again traversing right over awesomeexposure to a technical groove that took all of my willpower and the last of myquick-draws – the trouble was I still had 20m of the pitch left. After a briefforay to see if the last section was an easy romp to the top (it wasn’t), Iscuttled off and belayed in Kangaroo Wall.

The sight of the Wye meandering through the Wye Valley from halfway up GO Wall is one of my favourite views in the world (possibly becauseI only see it after fighting my way up the crag and when normally when I’mattached to the safety of a belay). With the commentary from the horse racingat Chepstow for company I sat and belayed and watched the sun creep roundtowards me. Alexis arrived and we sorted the gear, he set off up the secondhalf of the pitch and I stretched my toes out into the sunlight like a baskinglizard.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Wintour's Leap

© flash of light Flickr[/td][/tr]

[/table]

The call toclimb came and I started up the pitch immediately glad I hadn’t been foolishenough to continue on lead. The rock was not above suspicion and swallowed mostof a full rack of gear in the fear that you and/or the holds could fall off atany time. The final pitch above the terrace proved too much of a challenge andI escaped, via some rosebushes to the top. A few hours later and we were allback in the pub for more food, ale and recounting of epic tales.

Day 3: Cheddar Gorge

You know thosedays when you really feel that you can climb... this wasn’t one of those.Justin and I set out for Ahimsa on Acid Rock, the walk-in proved problematic, theclimbing more so. I seconded the first pitch feeling weak and uncoordinated andstarted leading the second feeling much the same. Halfway up I ran out ofpsyche and decided to run away... at the only speed you can on a cragwhere you wouldn’t trust the fixed gear to hang your coat on... very slowly.

It was greatto spend three full days attempting awesome routes at three very differentcrags, each has itsown character amd all of them have an abundance of quality routes in wild and exposed locations. But now the rain has set in and I need a rest day...



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Rainy Season
2 November 2011, 10:24 am



Well therainy season is here and finding a dry place to climb is now a major challenge;apart from the dank and dingy Pixies Hole at Chudleigh, Anstey’s cove is one ofthe few local crags that tend to stay dry in the rain. Unfortunately most ofthe routes leak like a sieve after a few days of wet weather – Tuppence beingalmost the only exception.

I’ve been working Tuppence for just over a month now andprogress is now slow to non-existent, mainly involving me falling off in thesame few places:

The bottom crux: Abit of a jump from two poor holds. I try this move approximately 20 times persession with a gain of about 5mm. In a couple of years it’ll be in the bag!

The middle crux: Amove off a painfully small left-hand crimp. I’ve heard that both Adrian Baxterand Gav Symonds had to train specifically for this move ... time to get strongI think.

The top crux: Amassive jump. I can’t get anywhere near the hold I’m leaping to but in my dreamlast night I could do it easily so I’m not too worried.



All that said, the process of working a route with such funkymoves is great fun, it has become a very enjoyable feature of my climbing week.I find it useful to have one route to focus on and to train for... I can goaway and hang off left hand crimps for a couple of days, take a rest and get backon Tuppence ... only to find that this time I can hold on slightly longer beforefalling off as usual!

Time to head back down there for another session of jumping,crimping and falling...



Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

The Tricky Part
9 November 2011, 7:03 pm



In summer I find the best way to improve is to go climbingeveryday that I can, get on the routes I’ve been putting off and keep on tryingthe ones I’m falling off. As a general rule this tends to work quite well andthe best part is that it’s exactly what I want to do. However it isn’t summer nowand ‘just going climbing’ is no longer the answer... it’s time for the trickypart... training. This way if the routes I want to get on ever dry out I mightstand a greater chance of getting to the top.

That said for the last three days I ignored my own adviceand used the dry days for bimbling on easy routes and the wet days for hangingaround at wet crags feeling sorry for myself:

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Cheddar Gorge[/td][/tr]

[/table]Sunday: CheddarSunday was dry but colder than my fingers can cope with (thisisn’t saying much as my fingers and toes tend to freeze and the merest mentionof chilly weather). Of course the sensible thing to do would have been to climbon the north side of the gorge in the sunshine; instead we opted for a freezing‘warm up’ climb and then wandered up to the start of the spectacular Space Tourist. I can’t help but enjoy multi-pitch sport climbing; it feels like a bitof guilty pleasure to climb without the usual trad-induced fear but it’s greatfun nevertheless. We reached the top of Sunset Buttress as the sun set behindus and abbed back down to warm socks and a fish-and-chip-based dinner.

Monday: DaddyholeAnother dry day and I had promised to take my visitingbrothers, all three of them, out climbing. I wanted to choose a crag and aroute that summed up what’s so great about rock-climbing and Gates of Eden at Daddyholeseemed to tick most of the boxes:        ·        Adventurous setting        ·        Abseil descent        ·        Sea cliff        ·        Exposed location        ·        Multi-pitch trad.

It turns out that a four person stacked abseil does work quitewell and they all reached the ground laughing and not shaking too much. Ishowed them the route, explained how it all works (emergency exits are situatedhere, here and here... if someone shouts “below” don’t look up...) and set offup the first pitch. At the belay I brought two of them up together with onetrailing a rope for the third brother, only the stopper 5a/b move seemed tocause any problems. Much faffing with gear, ropes and the belay followed and Iset off to the top. They followed using a combination of technique, brute forceand desperation borne of an innate distrust in the whole system. A good day washad by all.

Tuesday: Anstey’sA rainy drizzly day. It had been at least 5 days since I hadbeen to Anstey’s and the desperation to return ate away at my gut like a particularlyunpleasant virus. It was also our only hope of dry rock, a hope that wascruelly dashed upon arriving. For once The Cove was almost entirely unclimbableapart from the first few bolts on Tuppence and A Fisherman’s Tale. As these arethe routes Alexis and I are working we spent the afternoon, hanging around inthe rain, falling off

Time to get inspired: The Dartmoor Webcam

damp holds and eating malt loaf.

Today, Wednesay: TrainingRain, rain and more rain. Time to engage the winter trainingplan I think: train on wet days, climb on dry days. I hope the sun doesn’tshine too much during the next four days at work or I feel my work-life balancemay undergo some irreversible restructuring!

Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Bad Days
17 November 2011, 10:21 am



The week started well with a trip to Avon for some boldbalancy climbing on Krapp's Last Tape and an ab off the nearby ‘Abseil Station’ –which definitely doesn’t merit the title ‘Station’ consisting as it does of oldbolts, old rusty snap-gates and some faded tape – but it didn’t fail so I can’tcomplain!

Down to Anstey’s on Tuesday, the rock was nearly all dry anda cold easterly was blowing bringing with it strong waves, heaps of seaweed andcold fingers to anyone who stood still. The warm up traverse is tucked awayfrom the wind and I did laps on it until I could feel the blood pumping aroundmy body. Feeling suitably warmed up I got on Tuppence, limiting myself to 5 goeson the inital crux before moving on, this allowed me to try the rest of theroute with some strength left and not to waste the whole day repeatedly fallingoff the same move with no noticeable improvement. The middle section felt goodand I managed to link the hardest move through to the jug, progress! I playedaround on the top section trying to figure out a way to do the move before headingback to the ground for a rest.

The next go went well, I found out a way to eyeball the holdabove the top crux though I couldn't seem to be able to move any limbs to holdonto it, the route felt a step closer nevertheless.

Third go of the day, just one more crack at the bottomsection after this then home. I start off with 5 attempts at the bottom cruxthen up to the middle crux which I can’t do at this stage of the day as my lefthand’s getting tired. The top section still looks like it should work; a fewmore tries pulling off a small left hand undercut crimp and jumping with myright and I might figure it out.

I pull on, push through my feet and reach out with my righthand when I hear a pop from my left and a line of pain shoots through my hand.For a split-second time stands still and I can see two futures stretching outahead of me: One of my normal life, climbing every day that I can, getting onTuppence once a week, trad epics and adventures. The other of injury, pain,weeks or months of rest, rehab, getting weak and frustrated. I slump onto therope clutching my hand and look up, only one future remains.

The pain is in the ring finger of my overtired left hand,too many weeks of crimping and trying to get stronger have taken its toll. Ibelay Alexis on Fisherman’s and again on Tuppence where he kindly takes myquickdraws out for me, he doesn’t even claim them as crag swag!

Slacklining - a great rest day activity

I drive home trying to change gear with my thumb and thedepression sets in. It may sound clichéd but climbing is everything to me: it’sthe reason why I get out of bed in the morning, the reason why I go to work,the reason why I eat breakfast when it’s far too early to eat anything that isn’tchocolate.

Time passes and the shock fades, I see a doctor who knowslittle about tendon injuries and a climbing physio friend who knows a lot more,I vow to rest properly and let it heal. I make a list of things I have been meaningto do but never get round to because I’m always climbing and a list of easyslabs to try out some one-handed trad climbing. Life goes on.

Source: Climb Stuff

[shark]

Bad Days

I pull on, push through my feet and reach out with my righthand when I hear a pop from my left and a line of pain shoots through my hand.For a split-second time stands still and I can see two futures stretching outahead of me: One of my normal life, climbing every day that I can, getting onTuppence once a week, trad epics and adventures. The other of injury, pain,weeks or months of rest, rehab, getting weak and frustrated. I slump onto therope clutching my hand and look up, only one future remains.

Great writing. Good luck for a speedy recovery.

[SA Chris]

Ice ice baby.

[comPiler]

Kernow
25 November 2011, 12:13 pm



The planned three weeks of rest shortened into one weekafter the pain in my finger disappeared and the psyche returned. However, during my week of rest, in proper injured climber style, I turned up atthe local crag where my friends were climbing to heckle, belay and dead-hang off the otherarm. When all your mates are climbers what else is there to do?!

With no work for a few days it was time to head down to Cornwallin The Van (yes, the capitals are required) to see how the injured finger wouldcope with trad. The weather forecast looked good but a big swell was predicted – surely not a problem for Cornish sea cliffs!Tuesday – SennenHeading down to Cornwall at midday gave us just enough timeto get a route in before sunset; we walked down to Sennen with the idea ofchecking out hard stuff but were put off by clouds of spray thrown up by themassive waves. After seeing a wave crash over the rocks we had just walked on wedecided to run away up Monday Face. I topped out with my finger stillpain free and we sorted gear as the sun set from a clear blue sky whilst thewaves crashed on the rocks below – a beautiful place to be and a long way from the bustle of everyday life.Wednesday – BosigranBosi, being as far from the sea as West Cornwall crags get, seemed like the perfect place togo to escape the waves. Alexis got on Saddle Tramp, a rarely climbed route in the Raven Wall Area, which I seconded falling off only when Irealised I was trying a hard move from a very similar set of hold to the ones Ihad injured myself on only this time with numb fingers and feet on lichen-ysmears.

Following on in the spirit of climbing underrated two starlines we got on Dominator which did involve climbing up a small stream butfinished in ape-like fashion swinging from massive holds on steep rock. Anotherday of pain free climbing and another beautiful sunset... time for anotherdinner and pint in the pub.Thursday – Carn BarraThe day started by tramping over heathery moorland, lookingdown fenced-off mine shafts, staring in turn at massive waves and inspiring route-linesand fighting the urge to quit work, move to Cornwall and climb quality routes all day every day.

The guidedtour of Penwith complete, we ended up at Carn Barra, a sheltered choice for a windy daybut a very wavey one when there’s a big swell. We abbed down to the NorthernPlatform and looked at a couple of damp E2s until a particularly large wavesent us scurrying up a V Diff like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]The view from the belay ledge[/td][/tr]

[/table]Not content to find somewhere sensible to climb we abbed into Central Wall where the cliff and ledge below the belay prevented us fromgetting soaked... most of the time. I led first, turning occasionally to see acurtain of water at eye level and an excited-looking belayer cowering from thespray. The view from the top was awesome, massive waves crashing against therock on all sides and in the middle of it all a seal bobbing around without acare in the world (at least I assume that was a carefree expression, I've neverbeen very good at reading seal body language).

We abbed back in for another route, Dialectic, and I belayed on the ledge watchingthe waves send plumes of spray higher and higher as the tide came in, feeling glad I was still attached to the ab rope but certain that there was nowherein the world I’d rather be. I seconded the route trying not to barn-door off, unableto feel my fingers or drag my eyes away from the sea. One final VS, Axis, to tick offand it was my lead again. Chalk by this point was only of psychological use andthe gear was dripping with condensation but the granite provided enoughfriction and big holds to prevent any problems.

Soon we were tramping back over the heather towards the vanthinking of hard routes and inspiring lines to get on next time... my name isCherry and I’m addicted to Cornish Trad.

Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Rehab
3 December 2011, 4:41 pm



My finger’s getting better but it’s still not quite right,rehab at the moment seems to consist of sessions at Anstey’s Cove where I manage to not get on Tuppence (as just about every left hand hold is a crimp) and instead I look at other, less crimpy lines on the wall.

The Lynch was Wednesday’s choice, a route that I’ve been on once before and hated it due to its painful, brutal and generally thuggy style of climbing. I felt sure this would change after getting on it again...but I still hated it, not only was it painful and thuggy but also damp; citing my injured finger, and a general hatred for the route, as excuses I backed off and ranaway.

Thursday’s trip tothe cove was a brief one as just about everything was wet (apart from Tuppence...grr).Instead the day was spent drinking tea and pulling on steep hard boulder problemsin a garage or steep juggy routes at The Quay.

Back to the cove on Friday and, with The Lynch being wet(and horrible), the next route to try was Postman Pat; a fine route that traverses left to right with a couple of killer moves involving a pencil thin tufa before finishing up the wild top section of A Fisherman’s Tale.  It was great to get stuck in to a route even though the killer move is properly hard and I’m not sure I can reach the span on the Fisherman’s move; but these are just excuses, it’s great to be climbing again.

My recent excursions at the cove have given me feeling a zen-like understanding of the place and its routes and have led to the following diagram of Ferocity Wall in all its splendour:





Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Winter
14 December 2011, 9:13 pm

It seems to be winter. I don’t know why I’m surprised as it comes around with a startling regularity but it takes some getting used to all the same. Finding somewhere to climb, and actually climbing, over the last fewdays has involved tea, down and an unwavering belief that there will be some dryrock somewhere.

MondayAnstey’s Cove was Monday’s choice as it never rains at Anstey’s, true to form the rock was dry(ish) and the weather warm(ish). Having spent a couple of weeks of staring forlornly at Tuppence like a puppy denied a treat I took the decision and declared my finger well enough to get back on the route. Much pulling on, falling off and checking my finger was still attached followed.

Luckily my hand survived the experience and I was reminded of the fun in trying funky moves on pristine limestone overlooking the ocean unfortunately the route hadn’t got any easier or I any stronger and the rain was moving in...

TuesdayWith the forecast for the day looking bad, Alexis and I did what proper Devon climbers should do: we went to Chudleigh to boulder in the steep, wonderful and only slightly squalid Pixies’ Hole. Had we had bottles of meths instead of bouldering mats we would have looked like hobos instead we probably just looked like crazy people. Pixies’ never disappoints; with endless problems to create on slightly polished crimps, pinches and slopers it’s every climbers dream (as long as your dreams feature cold damp caves in Chudleigh... mine don’t).We bouldered until our arms were sore, our feet were frozen and darkness had returned.

Wednesday20 hours later and I was back at Chudleigh staring up at the wall of Combat and Tendonitis psyched for some hard-core top-roping. The warm upconsisted of Oesophagus followed by Combat, a wonderful route which I hadn’t climbed since leading it a year and a half ago; needless to say it feels like a very different proposition when top-roping. Winter tactics came into play by climbing a few routes in succession and then belaying for a few to prevent constant numb fingers. Three laps up Tendonitis later and I could definitely feel my fingers... and my pumped forearms. Next go I had a play on Obstreperous which looks like an awesome route, a pumpy start pulling up on crimps and peg scar pockets to a bit of a rest then a big move before the route merges with the top of Oesophagus; with enough gear all the way it’s one for the ever expanding list of routes to lead.

Three days of dodging showers, dancing around in a down jacketand belaying with climbing shoes down my top to keep them warm. Three days ofhard moves, dry limestone and increasingly tired arms... the rat is fed, it’s time for a rest day

Local hero Dave Henderson at the groove of Combat. © Chris J

Dom on Tendonitis in sunnier times. © Chris J . Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Escape!
1 January 2012, 10:59 am



Christmas passed in a blur of food, drink and wrapping paper.A good time was had by all but after four days of not climbing I was startingto get withdrawal symptoms and desperately needed to spend some time in thecompany of people who knew , for example, the importance of the onsight and the relativemerits of single vs twin ropes in a trad climbing environment.

Justin and John

The promise of a days’ climbing at Portland shone like the light at the end of the festive tunnel and when the day arrived, with good weather forecast, we were waiting for it with rucksacks packed and down jackets on. John came to pick us up and bounced out of his car like an overexcited puppy; this man is the embodiment of psyche, a couple of hours talking about routes with him and you’ll be itching to quit your job, sell your cat and CLIMB!

Soon we were on the road and it felt good to be heading off to Dorset after being stuck in Devon for the last couple of weeks dodging showers and Christmas obligations. I have a mixed relationship with climbing atPortland: I love the idea of attempting to onsight endless sport routes in thesun in beautiful Dorset however when I go there I remember that I find the routes hard to read, dusty and weird and that Portland isn’t Dorset’s answer to Kalymnos but a windswept spit of land with a prison and some moorland on it.

Trying to figure out the crux of Julie Ocean

Nevertheless, it was a good day. The warm up route, Wonderlust, was excellent, big moves on big holds to a thin cruxy section at the top and with only one loose block which when tapped made a noise that made me want to run and hide in a very safe place. The second route, Julie Ocean, was one of two halves, the first was a gentle romp on good holds while the second half consisted of a wonderful sequence of improbable moves which would be very satisfying to onsight... I imagine.

Next we headed up the coast to Drowning on Dry Land, a route on a cliff that bears a striking resemblance to the piles of rubble you have to walk over toget there. The route itself was surprisingly solid with a beautiful flowstone section that made a pleasant change from the sharp limestone crimps of the restof the climb and was long enough to allow my fingers to go from numb to sweating with only a modicum of hot-aches related pain.

The scary looking Cheyne Cliff. See what I mean?!

On up the coast to Road Rage - a 3 star classic of Portland anda route we all wanted to get on. John set off for the onsight and I watched trying to memorise his sequence with the desperation of a prisoner trying to memorise an escape plan. However the conditions got the better of us with an icy wind freezing our fingers and sea-grease making the middle section unpleasant and insecure. Excuses aside it was a great route with hard moves, small holds and an unrelenting angle, definitely one to get on next time.

Darkness was creeping up on us and it was time to head back.The journey home was filled with talk of dream routes, trips to plans andadventures to be had in the New Year. Bring on 2012!

Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Dawn Missions
9 January 2012, 6:04 pm



It’s 6:30am and my alarm wakes me up with an unnecessarily cheery tune. For a second complete confusion reigns, I have no idea what day it is or what I’m supposed to be doing, no daylight creeps through the curtains convincing me that it’s still night. The word ‘climbing’ permeates through the fog in my brain encouraging me to get out of bed and get dressed, in the cold dark I layer on clothes to make up for the warmth of the duvet.

Breakfast eaten and tea drunk and I’m on the road, headlights cutting a swathe through the winter morning darkness. The roads are quiet and the dance tunes on the radio help to wake me up. The reason for this early morning activity is simple; I work four days in a row but don’t start work ‘til midday and I don’t want to go without climbing for four days. The answer –dawn missions; if I arrive at the crag at first light I can get a decent session in before work and finding a partner for such an ungodly hour is no trouble as Alexis is just as keen/stupid. We meet at the car park at 7:30,shoulder our packs and walk to the crag in the half-light. Our destination (as ever) is Anstey’s Cove where even a short session is bound to be exhausting.

The crag is quiet and still, a beautiful place to be at anytime but all the more so this morning. In the cold air my duvet jacket reminds me too much of its namesake and I’m loathed to take it off, instead I warm-up wearing it feeling like the Michelin Man with about as much co-ordination. The sun sits like a ball of gold above the sea turning the wispy clouds pink, it brings comfort but no actual warmth at this time in the morning. We’ve been here on early-morning missions in the summer when it’s too hot to climb by 9am and in the autumn when drizzle and rain makes the whole idea of climbing a challenge. Today however, on this cold crisp morning it feels perfect: a sunrise in a bright blue sky, a wood pigeon cooing and the sound of the waves drifting up from far below on the gentle breeze.

The moves on Tuppence feel as hard as ever but I’m climbing and I can’t bring myself to care. My fingers slowly warm up and my muscles wake up, I link moves that I’ve linked before and fall off moves that I’ve fallen off before. As I sit on the rope, my back slowly being warmed by the sun, I can see clouds moving in to cover its brightness but for now it’s just perfect.

Source: Climb Stuff

[Duma]

Quality stuff Cherry, inspiring!

[comPiler]

España
5 February 2012, 7:41 pm



I’ve just returned from two weeks in El Chorro climbing sunnysport climbs, absorbing a much needed dose of Vitamin D and accidentally believing that summer had come and winter was over for the year. My return to England and its rain, snow and sub-zero temperatures quickly disabused me ofthat notion.

We stayed in the Olive Branch, the perfect hang-out for any climbing bum, and our time there fell into a regular pattern; days spent at a local crag either baking of freezing depending on its aspect, evenings spent in the strange improvised dance that happens when half a dozen people attempt to cook in the same kitchen.

Makinodromo The highlights of the trip were: ·  Bouldering in Malaga Airport with John Mcshea, we found a traverse around a pillar which involved wide spans and then matching on sloping side pulls. We got a few strange looks from the other tourists but it was worth it for our first bit of Spanish climbing.  ·  Climbing in Poema de Roca, a massive cave in the side of an immense expanse of rock that puts any cliff in England to shame. We went there on our first day as, much to our disgust, it was raining (and there’s me thinking that the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains). The routes inthe cave vary from wall climbs to tufa-laden endurance routes to horizontal,and frankly ridiculous, roof climbs. I had a go on Swimming Through a Shark Attackpartly because it looked crazy and like nothing I’d ever climbed before and partly because it had the draws in as I didn’t fancy the logistics of stripping a nearly horizontal route on petzl bolts. The route consisted of swinging between stalactite blobs, finding knee-bars and leg-locks and trying not to become disorientated in a world that is 90degrees away from the norm. I had a few goes on the route but didn’t get further than halfway, I’ll save the route for another day when I have learnt how to roof climb and have the endurance ofa chimp. Redpointing La Villa Strangiato in the Poema de Roca cave. Climbing high above the cloud inversion at Desplomilandia Justin figuring out the crux of Arabesque at Escalera Arabe ·  Visiting Desplomilandia, a shady, north-facing venue perfect for any sweltering climber unsuited to the temperatures of the Spanish Winter. We spent most of our time on the El Triangulo crag, the angle was just what I am used to (cheating really) but some of the routes were 25m long, approximately 10m longer than my stomping-ground Ferocity Wall (and to be honest I spend most of my time there sitting on the rope or possibly linking 2 or 3 moves). Good days were spent there trying the moves of the marvellous Mar de Ortigas which consists of 25m of pocket and tufa climbing – exactly the sort of route I came to Spain for. John on Mar de Ortigas at Desplomilandia Amongst all this bolt-clipping I did have a yearning for some trad climbing, a yearning which was at least partially sated by our ‘rest-day’climb Africa. Just the approach to the climb was an exciting and nerve-wracking affair; after walking to the start of the gorge you embark on El Camino del Rey, a dodgy concrete and metal structure that traverses the entire gorge madesomewhat safer by the via ferrata set-up that accompanies it, although the locals bimble along the walkway with the nonchalance of a French Guide we edged ourway tentatively expecting it to collapse at anytime. The base of the climb is then reached by crawling through a tunnel and abseiling 50m down the side ofthe gorge to a committing position where escape is either up the cliff or an abseil into the river below. The route is partially bolted and gets 6b+ in the guide which makes it easy to forget that you’re embarking on a 4 pitch E3/E4. The route was great though our route-finding towards the top wasn’t and as rest-days go it wasn’t particularly restful leading me to take another rest-day just to get over the first one. Source: Climb Stuff

[comPiler]

Early-Morning Blues
8 February 2012, 10:29 am

I wish I was still inbed...

My thoughts are slow and sluggish but it’s 7.45am, I’m at the cove and it’s one of those days when everything feels like hard work. I try and wake up by getting on the traverse but after yesterday’s dawn session at Chudleigh my skin feels like it’s on fire. I move round to the sloper traverse in the hope that it won’t hurt as much and that I’ll warm up, which I do, slowly.

... my skin hurts...

Though it's gloomy over Anstey's the view out to sea takes my breath away; a container ship sits out in the bay silhouetted against the early morning sunshine that breaks through the layer of cloud in rays covering the scene in a soft orange glow. ... it’s beautiful here...

Under Ferocity Wall the cold easterly wind whips along the base of the cliff stealing the last of my psyche and body heat but we set up anyway as there’s not a lot else to do. I put the clips in Tuppence trying to link sections of the route but the moves feel hard today, especially compared to my last session. On Sunday, back on the project after 3 weeks away I felt fit and strong, possibly the strongest I’ve ever felt on the route; today, however, every move is a challenge.... but so cold...

After a stint of belaying I’m climbing again, trying to ignore the pain but each hold bites into my skin like a piranha, if my fingers pop off a hold the pain increases leaving me hanging on the rope cursing quietly but the move at the bottom of the route is the worst. The big slap to a razor sharp hold requires all-or-nothing commitment, I settle for neither and my fingers catch but don’t quite hold the edge......*&@%!...

Thought it feels unusually hard and painful today, somehow it’s still worth it; every move I try and make with tired arms and worn-out skin will feel easier next time, at least I hope it will! Despite it all it feels great to sneak in a climb before a full day’s work, like I’ve manage to cheat the system just a little.... I wouldn’t miss this for the world.

Source: Climb Stuff