[Bonjoy]

It's now reached that point where it's no longer practical for most peeps to get out in a routing way after work. This for me pretty much marks the end of the summer routing season, although this year I am going to soldier on for a few more weeks to keep up stamina for a trip to Rodellar, before switching over to full on bouldering mode?
 So how was your summer? Things go well? Stuff get done? Did you do, or even try any of the things you thought you really wanted to?
 For my part, this is what I said at the start:

Mecca - Finish what i've started, if the undercut ever dries
Gordale - Get stuck into some big stuff, maybe the Caveroutes and Supercool
Breach of the Peace - Massive exposure at Malham, footless moves on a roof at the top of a 200 foot overhang wall (it doesn't climb the whole height of this BTW)
Urgent Action or the Thumb - More big classic sport routing at Kilnsey
Positron or other of the classic E5s - Finally get round to doing some classics on main wall at Gogarth
Grinah - Get up to some of the fabled Bleaklow bouldering areas
London Wall - Has been on the list for several years now but never seem to get round to it.
Right Wall - Again another super-classic thats burning a hole in my ticklist

 Ended up doing pretty much only sport climbing, apart from a week in Pembroke and the odd peak foray. Did loads of classic sport stuff though, so I ain't complaining.
 Got very waylaid in the last couple of months with Thor's cave action, which has been brilliant, but have forgotten what everywhere else looks like and ended up shelving lots of other projects. Mind you I'm looking forward to carrying on the development next year if we get a dry one.
 Never got to Grinah.
 Still haven't been on London Wall. Perhaps the week after Rodellar for this one.

[AndyR]

My wife and I (mostly my wife, I admit)  produced a baby daughter in March - I can't remember what climbing is.

[Bonjoy]

My wife and I (mostly my wife, I admit)  produced a baby daughter in March - I can't remember what climbing is.

 Let me fill you in. It's a game played with four dice and three players. You hold the stick with the hoop on the end and I run at you waving a boilled ham. It's sort of a bit like figure skating, but without the flares. Ok?

[AndyR]

My wife and I (mostly my wife, I admit)  produced a baby daughter in March - I can't remember what climbing is.

 Let me fill you in. It's a game played with four dice and three players. You hold the stick with the hoop on the end and I run at you waving a boilled ham. It's sort of a bit like figure skating, but without the flares. Ok?

Ah yes, it's all coming back to me...

[Stubbs]

Trad: First E2 (on a rope) my first proper E3 (Charm at Wimberry on a very hot day - awesome!) another E3, ground up solo above pads (I'll bet she does or and she does at Simon's Seat, the arete one, but i guess it's not E3 cos of the pads!). Good days out at holyhead mountain and rhoscolyn, but didn't (haven't yet) get on the slate, which was a major aim. Aim for the remainde of the summer is to bag Grand Illusion at the cliff before it gets a bit too cold for fun trad.

Sports: Had a few ok days at Malham, did sycophants, which was reet good. This was followed by an awful day at Kilnsey when i didn't get up anything and decided sport climbing was rubbish. Maybe next year...

Bouldering: I would be lying if i said i haven't spent most of my summer bouldering: trips to N Wales have been highlights, but so have enjoying some surprisingly good evening conditions at the cliff.

ps excellent work on the cave Bonjoy, saw the pics in the mags this weekend - now all i need to do is get strong enough to try some of the routes!

[squeek]

Went trad climbing once and it wasn't very successful.    

Went sports climbing a few more times, but I've been busy a lot of weekends so it was limited to after work, which is a bit of a trek, and to be worthwhile we could only go when it goes dark after 9pm.  Still I did Coronary Rose and Smooth Torquer that were my first 7s, so was pretty pleased.  I've mostly been bouldering still, although I don't seem to have done anything new on that front either.  Sacked the sports climbing trip off, for a trip to Font instead as I've no more stamina than at the beginning of the season.

Maybe next year...

(but probably not   )

[dobbin]

Had a cracking start, doing Out of my tree, and rattle and hump (again) at the tor, moved over to rubbercon and got up Salar, back to the tor to do Chimes then I got walloped by a go karting boiled ham.

On return to normality, managed braciation dance at WCJ cornice and then went to Frankenjura - brilliant, brilliant brilliant. I'm fancying weedkiller/chimes, caviar and putp (and want to look at boot boys) before I hang up me ropes.

Quite looking forwards to the boulderoulders too. Change in style.

[dave]

ben's roof
a short sport 8a
banana peel, an 8 pitch granite slab 5.8 at squamish
some classic squamish problems
cosmic wheels
the thing (now we are really getting fanciful - anyone got ni beta?)
but really any shady non-sweaty climbing will do.

OK, nearly did bens roof early summer then didn't really get back on it properly when it got hot and wet, then got bored of doing the limestone drive now its got cooler. will piss it next year....

didn't do a sport 8a, but did however overachive on my previous best of like a single F7a+ by doing a 7b, 7b+, 2 7cs and a 7c+, so I'm extatic with that. Could have gone back on salar but frankly i wanted a challenge......(get HER!!):wink:

Did banana peel at squamish with me fiance - amazing.

did some proper bo squamish classics, like easy chair, superfly, viper, mindbender etc.

Didn't even get up to mallory boulder.

Don't think i pulled on the thing after making that original post.

Did loads of quality shady stuff though, really enjoyed going to the tor, beginners wall and the cornice. even did a couple of ace trad stuff like white slab on cloggy. did powerband which i didn't even think i really had any chance on at the start of the summer.

Probably my most productive summer ever - super smashing lovely great. now looking forward to retreating to the cellar for 6 months.....

[Bubba]

Had nervous breakdown (for want of better description) type thingy.

Rode bikes a lot.

Not touched rock since last winter.

But almost keen again now we've had a few cool days. Luckily my job will (some weeks) allow me to get out in the days and work evenings so should be able to do lotsa bouldering this winter.

[Jim]

led my first ever route (ie with rope and metal stuff, no soloing counted) then did another and now harness is back rotting in the back of the wardrobe again. got pretty psyched to do basic training direct but never really bothered. 2 routes are enough for any man in a lifetime.
Boulder 4 life init!

[Yossarian]

this year i have turned a wreck of a house into a supercool bachelor crib, grown a lot of vegetables, eaten and drunk too much, and failed to give up smoking.  i have been climbing twice i think, with not a great deal of success.

however, my woodie (which unfortunately dropped down the list of priorities) is now nearly finished, my training plan is fully drawn up, my road bike is now reinstalled on the turbo trainer and i am ready to get medieval.

[AndyR]

....and i am ready to get medieval.

You want to drink mead, burn down monasteries and develop a touch of the black death?

[Fiend]

So how was your summer? Things go well? Stuff get done? Did you do, or even try any of the things you thought you really wanted to?

   :cry:  :x  :evil:  :?
  :?    :cry:  :x  :evil:
 :evil:  :?    :cry:  :x
 :x  :evil:  :?    :cry:
 :cry:  :x  :evil:  :?  

No fucking climbing whatsoever. On the plus side, I painted some pretty cool lead figures.

It's a game played with four dice and three players. You hold the stick with the hoop on the end and I run at you waving a boilled ham. It's sort of a bit like figure skating, but without the flares. Ok?

Sounds like Calvinball to me.

P.S. Bubba good luck getting back into climbing this winter!

[Yossarian]

nope - i want to wear metal trousers and shag a lot of french princesses...

[andy_e]

backed off E1. top roped it. failed and had my ethical arse kicked.
on the blundering side, i had a shit-hot summer (for me, anyway) too much lancashire quarries left me with fingers that could drill and i went and did a few hard (for me) things in scoootland. before that was the South Lakes Road Trip... not much of a success but some greta climbng. get up there.

[Fiend]

backed off E1. top roped it. failed and had my ethical arse kicked.

Good. About time after the "headpointing stanage E1 and claiming it was E3" fiasco.

[andy_e]

 i'm just not a routes (or ethics, when it comes to it) kind of guy

[AndyR]

nope - i want to wear metal trousers and shag a lot of french princesses...

Sounds good - don't think it's going to help your climbing much though.

[moose]

Only had one spell of trad; 4 days touring North Yorks and "the County".  Had a great time though - doing lots of local classics I'd long hankered after.  Also became acquainted with the concept of "endurance", specifically my lack of it... although my "tiredness" may have been related to Durham Beer Festival attendance!  

Highlights: Z-climb eliminate and Great Western at Almscliff; Crystal at Crag Lough; Frensis Direct and Rough Wall at Brimham (though all the 3* VS's there are really nice); Rothley Crack; and Great Wall at Great Wanney (probably my favourite - fantastic series of cruxes).  

Now resigning myself to the winter bouldering season... a series of 180 mile round-trips to look at some damp rock before doing back to to my local wall looms.      Could be definite motivation problems if I don't find some inspiring new projects...

[Bubba]

P.S. Bubba good luck getting back into climbing this winter!

Cheers bro

[Falling Down]

I've had my best years climbing since the early nineties.. almost to this day last year I decided to re-commit myself to climbing after dicking around with it for a few years.

Dropped a stone in weight since Christmas & did a training programme over winter and into the spring.
Redpointed Daylight Robbery (my first 7b)
Onsighted/flashed a few 7a's and repointed some 7a+'s down Cheedale
Not done a great deal of trad but ticked a load of classic Peak Limestone E2/3/4's and plan to do some grit routes before it gets too cold.

Looking forward to an Autumn and Winter bouldering and hopefully break into the Font 7b grade on the grit whilst keeping fit at the wall ready for a trip somewhere warm early in the New Year.

[Teaboy]

This for me pretty much marks the end of the summer routing season

Eh? What? I was just about to get started!

On the surface this looks like it could have been a vintage year for me, trips to Seynes, Ceuse, Cloggy, Dow, Gogarth and the Pass (as well as the usual venuses) but scratch away at this veneer and you expose another year of profound disappointments, classic bumbling and a realisation that I'm not going to get better by accident!

Still I'm nicely rested for the winter and approaching it with some enthusiasm for once.

[webbo]

well,well,well.
it looks like i was the only one to keep the faith over the summer.the only time i tied a knot in a rope was to fasten my chalk bag on.

[Ru]

Got some fitness back after my exams and spent a nice summer ticking classic sport routes. The highlight was Thorman's Moth (thanks Bonjoy). Working hard now, so I'm just hoping I get enough time to put the fitness to some good use now it's getting cooler again. Also did new thing at the Tor linking first two thirds of Evolution into the top wall of Chimes via a rising traverse.

[squeek]

The highlight was Thorman's Moth (thanks Bonjoy).

It's had a lot of ascents this summer, 10+ ?  Everyone seems to say it's amazing, wish I was good enough,  next year I'll do some routes and get some fitness..