The Top

Well had a rest day before trying Stark this week and got to the top, which was nice. This is the first 8a route I have done so that was good. Spent the rest of the session cleaning, heading back next week at some point for a lesson in bolting with PH. Once I get to grips with that there are a couple of things that I would quite like to put bolts in finance permitting. Its also cooling down nicely time for a bit of bouldering in a few weeks I think. Time toget ready for the winter projects.

The Balance

Its tricky this climbing business. At present I am caught up in the idea of trying to get fitter. This means I have been doing lots and lots of circuits hundreads of moves, this is fun, I like being tired and feeling like I am putting the effort in. I am quite lucky to work in a climbing wall where my boss is not a cock, so if its empty I can climb. Then I have my four days off, this is where it gets tricky see. My ego wants me to rest so i will climb better when I go outside. Last week I really wanted to red point Stark, chatting to Doylo he recommended a rest day, then crushing would follow. I could see his point but thought wouldn't it be better if I could train and still crush. Cocky see. Anyway I wasn't sure to find anyone to hold the string, the weather was dubious, it may be seeping, blah blah so resting wasn't part of the plan. In the end I found Joe and he was keen, I halved my training day as a compromise. Arriving at Pigeons it was half dry if optimism is your thing, mostly damp if you like reality. Dogging up to get the draws in and check the holds reality set in the top section was shit and slimy and one hold was just plain unusable, I came up with another sequence so I could do it without that hold and set about the link. Five times up to the last throw but no joy, at best I had the boss in my hand but too low so I got a handfull of slime for my troubles. Leaving I was dissapointed, my over convidence had convinced me that basicly I would be able to overcome the adverse conditions by being stronger than I needed to be, in reality I wasn't. I might have been but not on the seventh day on a few thousand moves down. Hey ho, the pre Diamond goal wasn't going to be done, but at least I stuck to the plan.

Drying

I have spent the last month trying this line at Pigeons cave, its really pretty, a short wall into a curving line of undercuts just to the right of Stark. Only problem is its right in the middle of the seepage line straight down from the road. For PLAN A: I dogged up and pulled mud and moss off it, still wet but you could see the holds now, PLAN B: was to ab in and clear the lip of the roof from moss and grass, thus making it quicker to dry. This took two attempts the first ending with a scary pendulum across the cave when it turned out i was stood on not solid rock but dangling turf. Since then I have had 3 more visits and got precisely nowhere. Don't think it dries ever so its on to PLAN C: give up. So if anyone happens to be down there and its dry, I thoroughly recommend it the moves are awesome.


Got a few days off and the weather looks good, so think i will try to get out a few more times before sacking routes off for the winter and trying to get strong. The routeing experiment has worked well, I am so keen to go bouldering now. Normally by this point i am mega pissed off with bad conditions so have retreated to party mode. This year I have only been out properly 4 or 5 times since Christmas, mind you pretty keen on a blow out too...

Stuff

Went down to have another play on Stark with James and Doylo yesterday, first go I got to the little backhand before the crux move, I then tried the top a bit before getting to the same place a few more times. Doylo smiled because of Jacks new beta making a hard move into an easy move, he got half a move further than me so I must try harder.


Before we went down there we had a dog up Simon Says in the split infinty caves, this is quite good and very handy due to the restrictions elsewhere on the Orme. Got the crux section sorted and did it from the first roof to the last roof in one, James and Doylo were not that keen though so I stripped it to go back another time.

CJD back on Under Pressure, no ticky for you... I tried to link the Full Traverse and fumbled a bit falling on the last hard section before jugs a few times. Neither of us were particularly keen so we ran of for a drink.

Went down to Cheedale with CJD and Jack, we cunningly decided to warm up by doing the Lockless Monster as there was no one else in the Nook, and it looked piss. I did it then Jack spent the day tickling the jug. To pass the time CJD and I started working Theoria I spent the rest of the afternoon taking my boots off and saying I wasnt going to try it anymore, then putting them back on and scrabling in the dirt a bit more. After a while I started taking awesome pictures from in the tree. I then managed to get it all wrong and delete 2 years worth a pictures off my camera. Fool.