More of the same

Went out to the Pass on Thursday dragged Jack into the new found easy trad psyche. We decided that it was amazing to go climbing without failing. That's five days out and constant success, amazing in five days of hard bouldering I would be lucky to get to the top once. Its nice to be chilling on belays and stuff. Unfortunately I was talked into a Bus Stop session on Sunday, after a mega session to mark the end of the summer any physical activity was very foolish, followed Ollie up Fools gold which seems to be turning into a polished hand jamming crack I am sure it was a fingertip crimpy thing before. Oh well the whole place is a pile and whoever spent time energy and money on those bolted routes behind fools gold needs a lobotomy.

Then the rain came...

Just been outside having a smoke, its raining and looks grim, after 12 days of dry its amazing to see how quickly you take it for granted. Now I can see endless days of grey and hanging round in a damp cave or a dripping mill. Welcome to the winter.

Big Smile

Finnally managed to link up The Big Smile on Wednesday, it was preety cool in the wind so conditions were OK. Managed to do it 2nd try after doing the moves as a warm up. This was good as in the past 3 years I have probably had 6 visits at least, I think on the 2nd session I fell close to the end. Since then its rain, snow, seepage and ice that conspired against me. After this went to the roadside and had a slow session watching Caff on Diesel Power, and trying there and back on the Scoop traverse. My wrist was sore so ended up going to Tremadog the following day, did Grim Wall direct which was very nice, think I may have done it before but can't remember. In fact hanging around in the sun placing gear was so enjoyable that the following day I went down the Pass to the Grochan. First off was Brant Direct then seconded up Stroll On. We then proceded to get a strool on and keep going through till Monday morning. We paid a breif visit to the RAC boulders and played trying to palm out holds on the slab and push yourself upwards, various running jumps etc. All in all really good days off producing many big smiles...

Gutted

Well, just like Dyer said would happen Beatitudes Kiss got a repeat using a dirty razor edge just above the pinch. Boo hiss I say, ignore the best hold in Wales for some dirt, bah. Never mind though. Good effort to Jordan for going up and doing all the problems in a day, apart from the sitter to Cruiser Weight; reachy? No just dead hard guv, honest! And well done for putting up with our drunken directions on friday night without hanging up.

Out and About

Been out and about a bit the last few weeks, went to the new bloc in Beddgelert woods a few times. This is an example of Pantons brave new world of link ups. This time we have all be instructed how the naming system works and are in the process of filling it up with as many variations as possible. Did the first ascent of a couple of good up lines and have been all over the traverses in an attempt to get a bit fitter. The best thing I have done is the stand start to the left of the arete, which became Water. This is highly morpho but very cool, pulling on with a foot at waist level and wide apart pinchy undercuts before rocking into the bulge and standing up to the top. Si did attempt to tell me I couldn't start there as it was too dependent on reaching that high with a foot. I did it anyway, I don't really see any reason to start artificially lower in order to make it the same for others, after all its not like I am using holds out of reach for my hands just a high foothold. Besides there is still the sitter to be linked in although i think this will probably change the whole sequence and the cool rockover will be defunct.

Here is a link to the pages, with some photos of Water.
http://www.northwalesbouldering.com/newsitem.asp?nsid=420


I have left the Cromlech alone at the moment as a summer of changeable weather seems to have meant most of my sessions have been up there. I fell of the end of the Scoop traverse there and back, and Sub Society over the last few weeks. Think this is a good sign for the coming winter as Sub Society is one of those problems I never expect to ever do as it is too crimpy, so i don't try it, this of course is the quickest way to make sure you don't do something!


Here is some footage of Scoop Traverse and The Sting.

Pondering

So I have had a few weeks off, now what? Well its 10 weeks till holiday time so I had better do something about trying to get better at climbing rocks.

First step to anything is motivation, where is that going to come from? In my questioning of psyche I came across the theory of Manipulation drive. This is the theory that animals including lower species indulge in certain actions mearly for the reward of manipulating a complex and novel object. I quite like that its simple and straightforward, I like playing on rocks, cos i like playing with rocks. Although it sounds like an amazing cop out, we don't know why, so it must be cos you like the feeling! So how does it make you feel?

At best boulders are the perfect something, giving life to memories and good times. Local boulders will always be special for this reason, spots like Fachwen are so tied in with that first summer of this new life. At worst, they chew me up, bring out my bad sides, bitchy, competitive and insecure, a dark stormy come down from the previous high. The feeling that things will never be so good again. Beating away at the unachievable, no more fast gains, same places, same problems, the same moves again and again just for a two week trip to put yourself in an emotional blender of your own expectation and ambition.

So why? After many days of searching I have no answer, fortunately I suffer from something easily defined as natural enthusiasm, so my quest for motivation is relatively straight forward. My reasons are vast and varied, for years I have been a regular scribbler about days spent climbing, and things I would like to climb. Some of these make me feel horrible when I am down, a list from 8 years ago covered in problems most of them undone, a lot I don't even remember wanting to try! How can that be worthwhile? However in these times, I can also remember a dark bar in Austria, meeting a fucked up, mind blown guy calling himself the Nose. Describing to a complete stranger the beauty of the pinch and toe hook rippling the right hand side of my body, swap stories of why we are there, tell him you did a good link today, (he doesn't care or understand but he is very good at pretending) then meet an arms dealer and a guy who plays scrap metal for a living. After being escorted to the late bar 2 miles out of town, feed vast quantities of warm rum and brown sugar, the bar has a whip round for the pissed Welsh guy with no coat to get a taxi. I guess the point is climbing gives you a lot more than just doing the moves.

A selection of interesting people out there, look at the trousers on the guy.

After re-reading that I think I should go climbing, this free time fucks with your head...

Time out

After recent success of developing new areas and trying projects, I have been drinking and sweating on dance floors. Until a couple of years ago I climbed pretty much every day and spent most of my time wondering why improvement was so slow. Now I have learnt that backing off is good, my desire to climb is nearly always there, what changes though is the desire to succeed. To actually do what is required in order to complete a challenge. So in brief its raining, been to the wall a bit, but mainly I am indulging in mental training.