next years tick list!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag_Q7tFm2QsidHc4cGY4Tnl0bEhfSnZveFRweEhlN0E#gid=0

Best in the world?

Please please please...

There is some twitching on the interweb about winter climbing although I have no interest whatsoever in that the last couple of years while the red faced tired looking people gather in V12 for their apres session coffee, I tended to be midway between a project and a mill session or vice versa.  I am hoping the same will happen this year and as the clouds lifted from a ill advised day off booked on the spur of the moment because I spent too long talking to that man Davies.  "But I want it to be dry it will be dry" repeat ad infinity it might come true but no.  At 10 am I was reassuring him mission one was out, he seemed to think the Ogwen would be dry, watching the rain fall in Beris I was sure it wasn't.  Eventually after some questioning he claimed it was dry down the coast, surprisingly when I got there an hour later it was wet and it turned out i was only an hour ahead of the worst of the weather.  Was it wet all along, I wonder?  This is the man who once told me it was mint in Yorkshire for me to drive there, when I arrived we visited Almscliffe, Ilkley and Earl had a pint and drove home in convoy without pulling on.  When I questioned Katz later he laughed and said it was raining at 8am when he left for work.  

there be snow in them hills...

Anyway what I am hoping for is that all the wet in the world will be absorbed by icicles and snow leaving me in a wonderful white world where everything is dry and cold.   Snow is after all better than rain isn't it?

Dodging the rain

Went down to jerrysthis morning and managed a new locals linkup. Starting on Huffys before moving into Wurzel Gunnage Stand Start, grade wise about 7c+ or 8a.  At the moment I have gone for 8a as I think both halfs suit me as opposed to them being easy, time will tell I guess. Then it started to rain again, whoppee back to the mill.

Wad

 
http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/63775.html

Questing

Been around and about mostly to places that I am not going to tell you about.  After 13 years wanting to be able to pull off the ground on a certain bit of rock I managed to pull on and slap yesterday, couldn't hang the holds on the next 2 moves but guess its a slow kind of progress.  Also been back up to last years in-vogue crag Crafnant, it was nice to go back after the summer of training, things that seemed far off last year are a few inches closer this year.


Me trying CJD's Private Idaho.

I 

I have played aroung for a handful of goes while Chris was working it, and yesterday waiting for Jack to clean up on Cruela it seemed a good idea to try.  I managed to contrive a way of getting the sidepull by my face in my right hand but this left me with my feet far to low, guessing the crimp is the only thing to go for.


It was surprisingly good fun hurling myself up and out at ever increasing speeds best of the lot I was a few inches off the crimp but would really need to hammer the fingers for a few more mouths before I would have a real chance.  Or maybe I just need another perfect day that I heard so much about from Joe and Chris...

New Video from Boreal...

Rings & Slings Part 1 from Boreal Video on Vimeo.

Since the return I have been out and tried a couple of projects which required me to clear the memory card on my camera again. So here is some footage from the last few months.  What I am now realising is that pressing record is a habit, unfortunately its a habit which leaves you with a lot of crap on your computer.  Its worthwhile as we all know about proof and the lack thereof so forgive me for filling up YouTube with this shit but I like going out bouldering alone, and it seems the easiest thing to do is to record some of it.  So far as its practical I try to only use uncut footage but occasionally batteries run out etc.  A case in point would be Storm before the Calm in this collection, now this is completely insignificant to the wider world but to me its the 100th 7c I have done. I still recall the jump between V8 and V9 being very hard, so I like that I made it to this milestone. The rest includes Lou ferrino chip less, I am unsure of the grade for this I always thought it would be easier, in the end it took a lot of droping the last move so I left it alone at 8a+.   This made sense to me and my body, perhaps its wrong, time will tell.  Anyway back to the real deal, Christmas is coming and the Dave is light right now, the real welsh boulders, the ones in the hills are calling me back for another round.

Home

So back in the hood, we got rained off. 


After the pretty bad start we got one day of good conditions, it was windy and dry and this brought about a little bit of magic and I am so deeply grateful to whoever or whatever gave us that.  The easier moves started to form into links, and I was able to move on the first move.

So the moves

First move 2 days of failing to pull on a bit of coldness and I was getting full hand scrape on the back hand pinch.

This is the position once you catch it, think I needed to get the position more sorted so i can get higher on my shoulder to hold the swing out.

The Thumb Snag, beautiful and OK

I was reaching up into a lower side pull to allow my right hand to be on the backhand, as I found the jump off the crimps horrific.

Set up for the jump

The jump as you can see by the blur I was going far to fast, the height wasn't the issue it was landing it in some degree of control, this is my definite crux.

The ridiculous cross over method that I thought might help, foolish very very foolish.

Catch and match, the match was far harder than i thought it was going to be.

Heel up

Cross under

Heel back

One day...

So the upshot is move one nearly, two, three, four and five done and linked.  Six not really tried much but am clearly going to find it nails. Seven, eight nine done and linked.  If we had of had perfect weather for the 12 days we were supposed to be there, I think I would defiantly have been on red point, I think I would have been failing on the swing off the jump, if is a big word though so what actually happened is what I could do.

Reality bites

So the cool cross over super style move...  Its really hard.  The getting off the floor...  Its still nails.  So what to do?


Well I think with 7 climbing days left I have to accept the fact that I am not going to climb emotional in the next week, this was always a possibility/probability.  The first problem is weather the conditions are good but not cheating good, the second is the first move, I have been totally and completely closed down on it, in a making excuses way it doesn't fit etc in reality I am not strong enough on the left hand hold.  Its a bit disappointing to have done as well on it in 30 mins at the end of our last visit here 2 years ago, as I have in 3 days of trying this year.

So Plan B...

Big Air

 I went over to another problem called Big Air last night after we had sessioned, even though its only a grade easier, the difference was phenomenal, instead of struggling to move it seemed possible to do it straight off.  So I think I will try to do this for a start, last time we came a lot of the problems were covered in ice, so it is nice to be able to try them.  

Pursuit of happiness

Well after 6 months of wood and conditioning to crush we have made it to the grand objective.  Back in Maltatal after a 2 year wait, the grand master plan was to be fuck strong so that I could crush Emotional Landscapes.  This was/is very optimistic, but as they say in Twin Town ambition is critical.  So far I have sorted all the easier bits and got some links going.  5 out of 8 moves are done leaving the big throw and getting off the ground to do.  The big throw I am struggling with the small crimps, (no surprise there) so have resorted to my normal abnormal sequencing, at present I have turned the jump into a cross over as they are my favorite moves, if I can land this in the next day or so, there will be enough time to spend some days trying the start and it could all work out beautifully.  If i cant then I might need to rethink it, it is however a great move to be trying involving a left hand pinch right hand crimp, swing right foot up and out before pouncing up and over 4 foot to a sloper with right hand, its a wild move but I can deadhang the slope 1 handed with no feet so I just need to find a couple of inches of power from somewhere.

So far its been warm and greasy, not at all conductive to levitation, however last night it pissed it down and this morning there is snow on the ground just 100 meters above us.  Its first rest day today it is 5-10 degrees colder Friday and Saturday.  Here's hoping that helps.

Val Masino

I went for a nice week in Italy with my better half, after some sightseeing and stuff we went to Val Masino for a boulder.  I could tell you about the man flu or the 30 degree sunshine, or the fact that we only had one mat and no matter how lovely as she is she ain't going to catch me.  Anyway ended up doing some lovely blocs in the sunshine.

Tarzan 7b

Not much wakes me up in the morning I can now add baby donkeys to the list

Ultimate ragi 7a

Andrea si epeno directe 7b and lovely

Jerry's Roof

First of all I went down here last week and it was fucking horrible, the amount of tick marks and chalk rivalled the cave.  Please try to keep these lovely places at least a little bit looked after.  The majority of the ticks are pointless as you can see in the photos. Top Tip: the massive polished bits are where you put your feet, your hand goes to the next big white bit. I had gone down for a look at Worzel Gunnage  http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=518 but the mess depressed me, so I settled for brushing it and going to the mill.

Yesterday we went back out, CJD was keen for a look, after messing around to warm up by doing three point turns finding a parking space we started chucking ourselves at this after a hour or so we stopped trying to hold the swing on the first move and started to move feet up,  He was using the same method as Rich Ames, I opted to keep my left hand low and only use the pinch in my right,  anyway I then got to the top, and had a blast linking it in from the start of Jerry's.  Then it rained so we went home.  It is worthwhile with very cool moves, but it is also a total eliminate there are at least 4 holds within reach that would all make it easier.    Grades wise we both thought 7c+ was fair, it seemed to me to be tricky to get everything right as opposed to butal pulling.  Doylo turned up after we left and did the first move which I thought was the crux.  He's shit so it cant be harder than 7a+.  I guess the locals will all descend once they finish tying on for the year and decide soon enough.

Some footage of the stand.

T minus 2 mounths

I know I should be consolidating, I know this is where I can make a real difference,  but truth be told I am bored.  I got good and steaming drunk Friday night, Saturday I feel a hundred years old, my elbows and back are sore.  I feel sick, I have consumed vast amounts of empty calories in booze and sugary shit, I have fallen into the resting habit.  Then I watched the World cup being streamed, all I can now think is that Dmitry wouldn't eat that, he wouldn't drink this or smoke that, and that's why he climbs like a machine.  And he did, it was really fucking impressive.


So its T minus 2 months now, technically only 6 weeks to the original finish point but to make up for the 4th month when my tweaks and aches sent me outside I have added on the 2 weeks.  So what have I got left to give?  Well that's obvious really isn't it , fags and booze!  An average night will see me sink several hundred calories in alcohol, and an average day will see me through 12.5 grams of Virginia's finest.  Neither of which will help me in any way, plus they are very expensive habits these days.  Now the drink I like, but think with a bit of effort I can knock that on the head,  the smoking well I have no doubt that will prove to be a little more tricky.  Still one thing at a time so for now I am aiming for T Total.  


I have a few things that I want to check out outside over the next 4 days off if the weather plays ball.  If it rains then its back to the boards with a vengeance.  The cold water treatment has been really helpful for my fingers, seems to have almost been magic!  I had a mill session before a quick visit to the cave to meet Katz for a session, I would guess I am 5% down on my best at that point, I had trained a lot of days on though, so hopefully this few days off will have got it all back into shape, although I am under no illusions 4 days rest where you re pissed/eating lots will not help.


Today I session in the Indy, I can now confirm that I have lost a fair bit, according to Mr Bompa
"for the inactive athlete, the rate of strength loss per day can be roughly 3-4 % for the first week"
Fuck that seems pretty quick isn't it?  Adding 2% for being a pig and drinking loads I make that between 14%  and 18% strength loss...  So you need rest days to recover and supercompansate but every rest day costs so much!  Now I am just so confused I guess this really is a game of two steps forward one and three quarters back.  And another case of a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 

This last bit should be taken tongue in cheek, I realise there are far more variables involved.  The main point of this post is that I have to believe in what I have done.  It was easy 2 months ago, now we are reaching towards the end, panic and fear that it will not work creep into my psyche.  In the conversion phase before the main competitive season is where most people get injured, probably through pushing on too hard trying to make up the short comings of their training.  When in reality you must stick to the plan, whatever will be will be.

Variety is the spice of life...

So last night I decided to clean out the little 45 degree woody at the Indy.  After my morning core session CJD turned up so I could kill him in the weights session, then he returned the favour on the wood.  This little board is where most of our training was a few years ago before the MOD kindley funded our boulder, so I have fond memories of it.  I am pleased though, he wasn't too far ahead and he had 4 rest days while today was my 13th day on.  My body is having a mini rebellion at present, think I am just getting paranoid as my neck shoulders and fingers are all switching round with various degrees of pain from day to day.



The Indy 45 a lovely little thing sadly normally buried behind a pile of holds.

 I had my first mill session for a while a few days back, I had lost a fair amount of finger strength and raw power with all the pesky outdoor plodding, but all in all it was not as bad as I thought it would be.  Its been quite a while since all this summer of the Mill started, its been fun and I have certainly learnt a lot of stuff that I will do differently next time.  Hopefully I will make it through these last 2 months without a catastrophe, and the winter sun will play ball.  I remember reading a Rich Simpson thing somewhere where he reckoned it didn't matter if he failed as he knew he had put all the effort in he could.  At the time it seemed ridiculous to me, failure was... well it was failure and it could only be my fault.  Now I think I am starting to get the point. 

"failure is not fatal, success is not final, it is the courage to continue that counts"

Fuck me, I have gone too far I think Winston Churchill was talking about the mill.

If knowledge is power

Then I am getting stronger. Thanks to one of the Indy regulars I know know lots more words about training and diffrent ways to stick all the shit together to end up stronger fitter and just generally better. Now to put it into practice.



Other than reading loads of training books, I have continued in the rehabiltation of the finger.  This has involved going outside as I know I will lose all pretence of self control if I go to the mill.  After a good start this week has brought home to me all that is shit about climbing outside in the summer in the UK.  Grease midges and rain.  As he says in Good morning Vietnam its hot and wet, this is not a good combo.  As I had made plans ages ago with Chris to go the to South Lakes for a couple of days, we did our best  to ignore reason and went anyway.  We arrived and went to trowbarrow as it had the best chance of being dry, the shelter stone was wet on top and so red wall saved us, fortunatly I had forgotten the guide in the car otherwise I suspect I may have chucked my toys out of the pram within 2 problems, as it was I got to give them my own grade for the time being, generally +2.  All was not lost though as we both did Shallow Grave which was awesome, by this time the shelter stone had dried out and so we tried Vitruvian man, never have I adjusted so many times on the holds of a problem, no amount of chalk, megajiz or brushing would improve the buttery texture of the holds.    And then it was raining again, the spot pad was used as an umbrella to keep the top holds dry, 10 minutes later I linked it all first try, trying hard to keep the faith we went to Woodwell which had condensed, fairy steps which was foul, and then to the pub.  At this point home was my preferred option but Chris doesn't get that many away days so he was far keener, off to spend the night at Raven Tor. 

In the morning it all seemed pretty good so off we went to Stoney for a warm up, I was shit Chris was terrible.  After an hour on Pinch 2 I was getting better and given grease and sunshine and the fact I was bouldering before midday had given me enough excuses to feel OK.  Next stop was to go to try Andronicus up the road.  I went to check we were in the right place, pronounced it a bit seepy but OK.  An hour latter I fell of the 7c arete thing going for the last move with piss wet feet and hands  from the start which was soaking wet not a bit seepy.  At this point home was the place to be and off we went.  What a fucking shit trip, £40 to drive 400 miles look at wet rock do a couple of problems taking 20 times as long as on a cold day and sleep rough.  Honestly with a combined age of 71 you would think we might know better.    I guess there is no fool like an old fool.

The following day I decided to go to the cave to continue the fun, I was shit in there as well.  All in all I will be glad to go back inside.    

An ascent...

In the last month or so since I posted Ive been up and down,  I had some dental problems so for a couple of weeks I had been taking a lot of pain pills, lots and lots of pain pills.  When I had the offending teeth ripped out I thought thank fuck for that I can get back to unrestricted beautiful pulling in the mill, 24 hours later my middle two fingers on my right hand were swollen and sore.  FUCK FUCK triple FUCK.  Over the years I have been very lucky with finger injury's only having one minor thing about 5 years ago, but having seen plenty of other people lose months to them I was gripped to say the least.  Fortunately after 3 weeks of minimal climbing icing and squashy balls, with tape I felt I could climb OK as long as it was open handed.


Yesterday CJD was going to the cave, with nothing better to do I phoned James and we went down the coast for a social.  At this point I was planning on Stella in the sun and taking the piss out of Chris and James.  Warming up on left wall I remembered I do enjoy climbing with James as everything is suddenly very very funny.

The three of us climbed there a lot the year Chris did East Coker and I failed to do Clyde so it was nice to be out and about.  James decided to do Lou Ferrino having previously fallen off matching the finishing slot, I decided it would be a good idea to see if I could deal with that before trying anything else.  Getting to the 2 finger pocket feeling good I decided to turn right and head along Greenheart, through the undercuts and feeling fine I missed the jug at the start of Beaver Cleaver, a rest another go confused I fail leaving Lou Ferrino with a foot pop on the shiny slimestone.  Another rest I start to feel nervous, I can clearly do this, it was the first V12 I ever did all the moves on, for about 10 years its been something that could go, for 6 years its been something that should go, for 2 years its something that I dropped the last move on.  So third go up and over straight through bish bosh it was piss, all those circuits in the past and turns out I just need to do 5 move problems in the mill on a 30 board, or maybe its the weights or perhaps the pull ups or could be the running or core.  I guess training really does work and sometimes it all comes together with good skin and decent conditions, or maybe because I had no intention of trying it I couldn't sabotage my attempt.   Regardless first time in the Cave in 7 months and a tick, somethings working.

Some deliciously shit footholds I made for the mill, ah dear mill I will return in a few short weeks.                

Good and bad shit - In the Mill

Good shit

A campus board breakthrough, they dont come along very often do they!  I reckon it would be 6 or 7 years since i did my first 1-4-7 on a standardised campus board.  So it was very gratifying to my summer of power to do 1-5-8 the other day.  Unfortunately Leroy and I built the board under the influence a few years ago so the spacings do vary between 225 mm and 215mm so its not quite perfect but it will do me for the time being.  Lots of people say that campus boards are bull and dont transfer to the rock very well being about a trick to the movement etc etc.  Well it makes me feel like I am improving, and that feeling helps me to keep going to the mill on dry and dusty days, or wet and rainy mornings. 



4 of the 5 Swallows that hatched in the rafters have left the nest and made it out without the rats or cats getting them.  The other judging by some feathers was less fortunate.  I will miss having them to watch while I am resting, the parents trying to push them off the beams to make them fly was cool.

More tricks that mean nothing but maybe work something, the one arm campus lunge.  Basically as with the one arm pull up this is something that I have always seen people like Higg and CJD doing so wanted to  do it myself.  So far progress is slow, but I have got the trick bit sorted so can do one on the juggy fingerboard, now to apply it to the proper campus rungs.  I can hit it but not catch it, therefore it must be working my contact strength. 

Bad Shit

The mill toilet, some fool thought it was a good idea to shit in it, clearly they had no idea it stopped flushing about a year ago.  I take my mill guardianship quite seriously at present but there is no way I am dealing with this one. 

Post session Vino, almost certainly not a good athletic plan but a tasty one.                                    

  

No Pain No Spain Video from Boreal

No Pain No Spain from Boreal Video on Vimeo.

I must be one of the few who were glad to see the rain, every time i saw anyone in the sunny weather they ask that same question you been out at all? I was training in the Mill and the Indy so that when cold weather comes back I will pull the rock down around me crushing it to tiny slivers of diamonds, but that's not really an answer is it. I started to get used to slightly pitying looks as though i have missed the point. The point is sweating sliding and being eaten by insects does not make for a good time as far as I am concerned. Instead I have been hanging around in a very quiet dusty old mill falling off. Its quiet in there at the moment no electricity, so no lights and no radio, but gains are coming slowly, and this is good. Most of April I was working on the system problems on the 30 degree board now I have moved over to the newly systems 50 degree

board. Its tricky at the moment as I don't really know the problems yet so have little concept of a good or bad session. Fortunately I have made good gains on the campus and finger boards, so i take this as meaning I am moving in the right direction. Occasionally I go too the centre of the 50 board to try some normal problems, progress is being made towards my Mill 7c goal, I think the first one to go will be Danny's Foetal Recall, unfortunately this is 7b+/7c so wont do at all.





I did go for a short play outside to make sure I remembered what rock feels like, the one session at Jerry's was funny as all the holds felt weired and bumpy not like smooth wood at all. This time I went to check out Dyers Barotrauma. I can only say that I think it may be a bit morpho...

Anyway that's all, and all there is likely to be for a while as I cant be arsed to write about how I pulled on cunt and em, reached to liquid and jumped to beauty before trying to slap brute and drop into Brutus and jump for 9 bar (possible mill 7c/+) anymore than you can be arsed to read about it.

When I returened from a mercy trip to the shop (tobbacco for me chocolate for fatty), Doylo had been playing with my camera, not sure why but he would appear to think I want a picture of his pubes so I thought I would share that with you all.

Finally

In the end i managed to get the footage sorted, or at least as sorted as it is going to get. For some reason I had to split it into 2 to save it, my technophobia strikes again.

Malcs start

Went out to Jerrys Roof after being to Font, I figured that I would be strong and light and climbing well so Malcs was bound to go, setting off with a limit of 5 goes, I went up and hit the pocket on go 1, or go 61 depending which way you look at it, a good start. Four goes later I had my best attempt so far. I hit the porthole square and swung out back in and a flashbulb in my head went fuckfuckwowwow, then my right hand slipped off the starting hold on Pools all this took no time at all but I was happy, obviously I had a few more goes but to no avail my window of opportunitty had opened and closed before I could get through.


Yesterday I treated myself to a nice day out as I am resting from the mill for 10 days between training 1 and training 2. The original plan had been to just go running and do core stuff but it was far too dull so I went out, problem this time seems that

A) The mill footholds are too big, outside felt very strange.
B) The 4 days of hammering my core meant my lower back was fucked.

So the upshot was I took a little step backwards and the weather is not going to give that many days of nice temps before the summer monsoon season comes to Wales. Ultimatley this is fine I have no real intention of punishing myself outside in the heat with the midges this year, so its back to the Mill with a saw to make some new small slippy wooden footholds.

Its a beautiful thing

Getting stronger that is. Been enclosed in the mill and the Indy for the last little while, went outside for only the 3rd time since i was in font yesterday. All the holds felt massive, a mounth of training has certainlly paid dividends. Six more mounths to go and i might have made real progress or maybee I wont, but at least I will know the truth about me and my relationship with rocks.

Bye bye lovely Jetta!

Well its time for me to say goodbye to my one time pride and joy, my chronic lack of mechanical knowledge and lack of cash means the jetta must go. So if anyone out there wants a project I am sure this is an ideal place to start... After all it features in the Parisellas Guide and makes a (very) fleeting apperance in Pierre Bolingers Vid from Raven Tor.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220770650682&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:GB:1123

Bye bye...

Fontainberry

Well it was great even better than I remembered to be honest. The conditions were good and it stayed dry for the whole trip till the last couple of days. Jack hurt his arm, Joe split his tip and I tweaked my shoulder all on day one. I discovered soluble ibuprofen, its like a constant drip to keep the aches at bay. Shockingly I didn't get drunk all trip, apart from on the journey in each direction obviously. Anyway it was top.


This was my first attempt too write about the trip when we got back and as you can see its shit, this is mainly because the return to real life hurts. I dream of having time in places like font to explore and touch all the holds I have read about and seen on videos over the years. The problem is you can be time rich or cash rich its difficult to be both. Anyway one thing I don't want to be is a whining bastard, too much of that in the world already, and I am a little prone...


Take 2

Day one, after driving through the night we arrived at Rocher Casspot at 7 am the conditions are mint and with nothing better to do we head to the boulders. None of us do anything, I tweak my shoulder on ---------- and demand we head into town for some water and food before we do anymore damage. Later the same day we head to isatis and do EL pousah, at least me and Joe do, Jack pulls his bicep and then Joe tears a whole the size of a 5p piece in his index finger. Good start.

.

Day two, we decide to go to Rocher Cannon, we set about 36.15 power, using a variety of bad sequences until I do it with a heel on. At the time this seems totally logical but now thinking back it is almost certainly illegal, ah well 36.15 powwow it is. Do a nice prow Le Mare Droight 7a+ and fail to try hard on Chanon Maniquet because a few years ago i sprained my ankle on day one of a week in font and the tree routes under it are wigging me out. Getting better.

Day three, Went to Apremont envers to try Apparoment 8a, First go I was on the slope just below the top, on my third go I hit the boulder behind it falling off and basically failed to try hard again. As a consolation I flashed a nice 7b called Paul's Boutique. Later we went back to Rocher Cannon so Joe could do 36.15 powwow. He crushed it 2nd go of the day, and I did Le channon Maniquet, We ran into Kook as he was on his way to try Le Baline. As the day closed in I had a couple of goes on that and decided it would go with a bit more juice. Good but not good enough.


Day four, Le autre toit. Yes a big roof ye haw etc



I was pretty confident of doing Oil de Sybile, having dropped it on the finishing holds in damp and very tired state last time I was in Font. Turns out I was better at climbing roofs a few years ago, in the end I did it from the pocket in the roof but failed totally to link it. As a consolation prize got Le Nouvelle Vauge done, this kind of felt easyish, I am guessing we were lucky with the condition of the rock that day. After this i had a go at Le Maxx, all I can say is I wish I had spent the effort I put in on Sybile there instead. Pretty shit.

Day five, Rocher de osiex, Basically spent the morning mincing trying to walk my feet about on le Mandarin before getting fucked off, deciding I wasn't going to do it, then pulling really hard and doing it in 2 goes. Yes, a good day.

Day six, Bas cuvier. I love Bas Cuvier. Did Apothese and La Balance in the morning, two problems that I always wanted to do. And they were easy in the end. Had a mini session on Hypothese, shocking myself by being able to pull on the ming crimp, caught the sloper once and cursed everyone who has told me its easy from there, I failed. Finished it of by doing Aero Dynamite on the way back to the car as it went dark. Fuckin ace.

Day seven, rain in the morning, Le Angle Ben's in the evening, one of my favorite problems.

Day eight, Rocher Cannon. Went back to try La Balanine as I was too tired to try anything new. Bit of a tussle but go it done. We then shoot off to Bas Cuvier so Joe could do Aero Dynamite which he did just as it started to rain. Back to Isatis to so he could do Angle Ben's, it rained stopping his full house of things for the trip. Home time.