[tomtom]

well done TT - do you feel like the big block of training you did through lockdown made the difference?

Thanks all 👍 @Duma & @teestub - training: hard to say. I nearly did the problem before lockdown... though I’m certainly no worse post training. On the ‘send’ today it was pretty scrappy - but I held it together on a couple of moves - that can be a sign of having a bit in reserve. Previous attempts have been along the lines of having to get every move perfect etc...

On Starship there’s one move where learning to push/drill properly off the tip of my toe has come from board climbing.

In general my shoulders/arms feel just more capable - in terms of locking down a dead point I’ve just caught - or holding position when rocking over holding a crimp etc.. that’s from the one arm work (I also notice that on the woody - I can catch a hold and keep it when feet come flying off with arms/shoulders locked etc..)

Not yet ventured back to my lime projects - which will probably be a good benchmark of how I’m climbing... waiting for all the easing of lockdown excitement to pass before heading back to the white stuff.

[dunnyg]

Down several pay grades from TTs crushing number-wise, but I left the house for the first time since the 21st of March today, not only that but I GOT TO GO FUCKING CLIMBING

Got to crag for 7.30, stayed for a couple of hours, didn't do anything hard, feel out of practice, my skin is like wet tissue paper (it turns out a beastmaker is no good for keeping the skin hard) BUT I GOT TO GO CLIMBING

All new problems for me too. Ace!

[tomtom]

Superb!!! Brilliant day then!

[slab_happy]

Two consecutive pull-ups, for the first time since I fucked up my neck last year! Left shoulder and arm are still distinctly weaker, but I am getting it back.

[Oldmanmatt]

So, you might have gathered that I’ve been having a wobble, after starting lockdown really quite positively, life suddenly all got a bit FUBAR.
One of the things that happen, was the death of my Grandmother (the last of my grandparents and 93 years young (so not a bad run)).

Yes, I know which thread I’m posting in.

“Dot” was not a wealthy woman and almost a decade in a home had dented what she had, but she’d put away something for each of her grandchildren (8 of us) and her three offspring too.

Early last week, a little money appeared in my account. We’re hardly on our uppers, but luxuries are not on the menu right now.

I suppose we could have fed it into the housekeeping, or something equally sensible and level headed.

Way too fucking boring.

So I got all my dive gear down from the loft. It’s been laid up since Lili died. She had been my main buddy and, frankly, I lost that mojo, if you get what I mean.
Kids were too young, etc, anyway.

Blew the lot on getting my stuff serviced, replacing the dead/missing bits and enough kit to get the kids in the water. Not easy with four of the sods.

Spent a couple of hours underwater this afternoon at Fairy Cove.

Stoked.

[Fiend]

Damn cool, nice one OMM.

[tomtom]

Excellent OMM

[SA Chris]

Great place to be! Hopefully be snorkelling locally soon, need another flat calm sunny spell.
I've got some good underwater wildlife footage with a go-pro on a selfie stick, you can get the camera up really close to the fish.

[dunnyg]

That sounds boss! I miss the sea!

[nik at work]

Brilliant Matt. Enjoy 😁

[SA Chris]

Another sea based YYFY. It's been foggy all weekend here, but forecast of waves was mildly promising, even though you couldn't actually see anything on webcams, so went down to Aberdeen with a mate. Was cold (especially with freshly clipped coronacut hair), drizzly and a bit onshore, but good for longboarding and easy to paddle into ideal as I've not been in the water since last autumn. Better surfers on shorter boards would have been disappointed, but I had a great session, a socially distanced conversation with a few folk I know, and got out the water very happy.

[AMorris]

Bit of a YYFY from west Wales today. I have just received a formal offer for a Research Associate role at Cardiff Uni! I was actually offered the position informally last week,  but obviously in these times, anything can happen between the informal and formal offers, so I kept it to myself with some difficulty.

I could not be more excited to take the next step in my career, especially in such a nice city. So if anyone lives round that way and fancies a spot of climbing when things get back to normal, let me know!

[SA Chris]

Nice one, place to be boyo. Good climbing about, as above get a surfboard too, Porthcawl and Ogmore are on your doorstep and good for a bit of surfing and bouldering.

[Oldmanmatt]

 
Bravo Zulu all round.

[andy popp]

Nice one AJM.

For me, 8am swim in a choppy grey/green Baltic. Does not get much better.

[Oldmanmatt]

A bit of an odd one.
This is my youngest, Lily, on her first lead, two years ago (9yrs):



Nearly lost her today.

We’d had a lazy morning, then it became clear that we weren’t going to have a day of rain, as had been forecast.

So we grabbed our MTBs and headed up to Haldon.

She’d not even made it out of the car park at Haldon. The quick release on her front wheel, must have been knocked loose. She pulled a wheely, forks came up, the wheel went it’s own way, the forks came down...

Stop.

At least the bike stopped, Lily carried on, up and over the handlebars.

 She landed square on the top of her head, no arms first. At this point, the bike decides to leap into the air and land on top of her. I arrived just in time to see a crumpled heap of Lilybiketarmac and Alex chasing a wheel down the path...

She should have been in hospital right now.

That fall should have damn near killed her.

Helmet.

That’s all I can think of.

How she wasn’t badly hurt is beyond me. It can only have been the helmet.

Strained groin, bruised, scratched, but not really hurt beyond her pride.

Apparently, a half hour in the hot tub was needed, for recovery purposes, she said:



(That’s where the last of my inheritance from Grandma Dot went, after we’d got all the dive gear we needed).



So, generally much happier than a couple weeks ago.

Career (or lack of it) and Covid can do one.

We’re going off wild camping on Dartmoor as soon as possible. A few days off grid and some bush craft/ fishing will mend what ails.

[andy popp]

Scary! Glad to hear Lily is all good. I spent most of childhood (and young adulthood) hurting myself ... and still glad my parents let me have lots of mini-adventures, just as you are with yours. I owe them a lot, as yours will you.

[SA Chris]

Kids bounce! Thank god for helmets. I'm sure you know this, but many modern bike helmets are designed to only withstand one major impact. Thank it and retire it.

Diving looks good, kids are desperate for a go, having watched every episode of Blue Planet and 7 Worlds.... while at home, as part of their home "education".

[seankenny]

On Friday I went out climbing for the first time since Dad died - down to Portland with Duncan of this parish. I was half expecting to find myself hanging on the fourth bolt having some kind of emotional meltdown, but basically it felt just like... going out climbing. It was great! We did ten easy routes, drank a lot of tea, enjoyed the seaside after months being stuck in the big city. Thanks to DC for the relaxed intro and doing all the driving.

[Paul B]

Massive YYFY in that we've just completed on a house (not far from Widdop / Earl).

The process has been an utter PITA with the vendor playing games from fairly early on and I thought it was all going to go wrong last week and several instances before  .

[nik at work]

Ace 😁

[tomtom]

Great news Paul. Bet thats a huuuuuge relief.

[teestub]

Massive YYFY in that we've just completed on a house (not far from Widdop / Earl).

Nice man, I’m guessing you’ve not quite made it into Yorkshire but at least you’re heading in the right direction 😂

[peewee]

Massive YYFY in that we've just completed on a house (not far from Widdop / Earl).

Nice man, I’m guessing you’ve not quite made it into Yorkshire but at least you’re heading in the right direction 😂

Gets a nice unobstructed view of Yorkshire though!

[SA Chris]

Like Mufasa on Pride Rock.