Just wanted to share... been bouncing off the walls all morning with excitement... just have to type it down to try and settle down.
I've been nagging my climbing palls to venture outside all winter, and (not surprisingly) with the rain, snow and cold we've had, they've thus far refused. However, finally, after months of indoor wall and bouldering work, i managed to convince them the time was right!
I'd planted the seeds all week, as the long term forecast showed sunday as being perfect for an outdoor trip... so all week, i was sending my office working colleagues messages about how nice it was outside and how warm the sun was. By Saturday evening, they wanted to throttle me. One last check of the forecast on Saturday night confirmed it... Sunday - forecast perfection! Clear blue skies, chilly with ground frost at start burning off by midday with an estimated high of 14°C. I sent them all one last text, saying that if they didnt venture outdoors the next day, they werent worthy of calling themselves true climbers - and instead were to be referred to as indoor wall whores.
Sunday morning came, and at 7pm, a look out the window confirmed the previous days forecast... PERFECT!
I rang around the possie... at first, people were reluctant, it was cold out, the ground was frozen and a slight mist hung in the air... they didnt beleive the forecasters had gotten it right. It took 3 hours to finally persuade them that it was right, and that today was THE day... that it had to happen, that just DAMNED - GET YO' ARSES OUTSIDE!!!
Finally, 11am, they agreed. And it was with that which at 1300hrs 5 of us (complete with two outdoor virgins) converged from 3 corners of Yorkshire into a very VERY busy carpark at Brimham rocks.
By 1330, the first topper was set up, and we were off. It was blissful - to finally be outdoors again... on real rock.. real gritstone... it felt so good. The forecasters were right... it was just like summer! Tshirts were definately the order of the day at it's peak.
It seemed the entire climbing fraternity of Yorkshire had the same idea, and the place was thriving with climbers and boulderers of all grades making the most of it.
3 toppers each later, various boulder problems and some tuition on the great outdoors for the 2 newbies... i found myself on the last climb of the day. I topped out a nice scrambley VHS near Lovers Leap. Standing there, at the summit overlooking the dales, with a few other climbers and belayers... the sun set over the horizon. We just stood, in silence and watched. Oranges, reds, yellows, purples, pinks and blues.... it was spectacular!
Now, it sounds like a cliche, but i've had a pretty bad time lately, and it aint over yet.... yesterday was probably the last time i'll climb this year due to circumstances beyond my control... but standing there, with the others, on the top watching that most beautiful sunset, the words of The Beatles came to me... Let It Be... i never sung them, but they were in my mind. And at that point, i just knew that no matter what, everything's gonna be just fine. So long as i got my health, my gear, and someone to climb with.... i don't need more in this life.
It's been ages since i was outdoors, due to gear and transport issues... but now i'm back (albeit only temporarily for the time being), yesterday was certainly the day i needed. It was certainly the most amazing start to the 2008 season...
During the walk back to the car park, everyone thanked me for sticking at it and persuading them to come outdoors - they'd loved it, the 2 newbies are converts.... and can now call themselves true climbers... not Indoor Wall Whores.
Hope you all had similarly great days...!
