Ups and downs

Me on (possible 2nd asscent?) Under Pressure at Devis Gorge/Pantymwyn.

CJD on Poppys move, his unrepeted 8a+/8b at Craig Pont Y Pant. Pull on...

Slap...

Nearly.

Been continuing in the quest of bolt clipping, highpoints include Bad boy (got to be one of the best things I have climbed) and finally going to find the Magic Flute/Hole of Creation after years of wanting to. Low points include various bad days of sulkiing at the bottom of crags because my ego is taking a bashing. Been out bouldering a couple of times too, went to Poppys Move with CJD, I got spanked he was suprisingly close. I got my own back by crushing him on Mules Under Pressure at Pantymwyn/Devis Gorge. I thought this was an excelent problem, although not much to look at the moves were awesome. Initally I was made up as I thought I was going to session it, but after dropping the last move a couple of times it was a sure thing for the next session. Or so I thought I then managed to jump past the jug to the right or left of the jug or just below the jug for 8 attempts, in the end it went first go of my third session. Still not bad considering I have only bouldered 4 times since early June.

Boulderers go clipping

Mainly been out and about at Llandulas this week, keeping on with the routing. It's definitely a much better plan for me then trailing round doing the same boulder problems every summer getting midged and being frustrated by grease. Plus its awesome to be a total punter, every time I go out I am learning a little bit more and getting ticks. I have tried Doylo's Proj with him, awesome fun, looking forward to another go soon. Here is a photo of Mudjekeewis courtesy of Si.


In Ojibwe mythology, Mudjekeewis (from the Anishinaabe language majiikiwis "first-born son") is a spirit, and figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creation. In their Aadizookaanan (traditional stories), Majiikiwis is the first-born son of the E-bangishimog, the West Wind, and is cast as the guardian of tradition and ceremonies, symbolized by the bear. Of the medicinal plants, white cedar is associated with Majiikiwis. He is the eldest brother to Nanabozo.
However, in The Song of Hiawatha based on the aadizookaanan, Mudjekeewis is portrayed instead as E-bangishimog himself, ravishing Wenohna and fathering Hiawatha. However, even in The Song of Hiawatha, Mudjekeewis is strongly associated with bears as demonstrated in the passage

"He had stolen the Belt of Wampum
From the neck of Mishe-Mokwa,
From the Great Bear of the mountains,
From the terror of the nations,
As he lay asleep and cumbrous
On the summit of the mountains,
Like a rock with mosses on it,
Spotted brown and gray with mosses."


Put in a session on Greenheart last night, was good reminded myself of all the beta and foot moves, hopefully this time when I get to the Beaver Cleaver jug, I will be recovering as opposed to getting tireder. Jack made a comedy move last night, he forgot to take the draws with him on Breck Road, not quite as bad as my forgetting to tie in at Kilnsey, but really quite high levels of punterdom.

Photos

The Orme

Parry Bros on Utopia

Whoever you are your a Twat

There's a fly in my beer

Nice V6, The Ramp at Coed Y Doctor

so tired

I'm so tired, I haven't slept a wink
I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink
I wonder should I get up and fix myself a drink
No,no,no.

I'm so tired I don't know what to do
I'm so tired my mind is set on you
I wonder should I call you but I know what you would do



Except for the fact that Paxi style training is what is making me tired that sums it up nicely. I had a rest day last week. So that I would be fresh(er) for Pools apart from that its been a while. One bottle of wine to celebrate and I was slaugtered, what the fuck? Guess I haven't been drinking much. It feels good though, going home broken and battered, I like it. Makes me feel like I am trying hard. Yep, still some way off 2500 moves a day but its only the first week of endurance training. My masterplan is to get it together for August as the Diamond looks very pretty, and not falling for the normal, its too hot lets go to the pub summer should:

a- save me a fortune
b- mean I don't have to start from so low, again in Autum

So that's seven weeks not very long for a scheme, but I want September to top up power ready for Autumn projects then probably back to the mill for the rainy bit that will come some time in Dec-Feb before a sending spree in spring. I was supposed to start a few weeks ago, but getting on Pools and suddenly realising it was going to let me in set back the plan. Still being adaptable is an important part of the game I suppose.

Pool of Bethesda

Its just 19 days short of a full 9 years since I did Jerry's Roof for the first time, this was one of my first hard problems in Wales. The first time I went out climbing we did Noah's Warning on the Cromlech and seeing the chalk on this roof, I asked what went on, but basically we didn't know. I remember driving up to work on Jerry's but seeing Jerry himself there trying Pools so running away. Higg did the first ascent of Pools in January 2001 so I must have been trying it for a while (some things never change when ambition outstrips ability). A bit later Malc came and crushed it and added his own start. I remember being blown away by the fact that he could turn up and dispatch it so quickly, guess I had a lot to learn about what being strong actually meant.


The following year I did Bus Stop, then 3 years after that I linked the 2 together in my longest (and most punterish) siege ever, to make the 2nd ascent (1st after loss of crucial foothold) of Mr Fantastic. I remember being under there just after a fairly massive relationship fail. Full of boiling hatred for the world. That was the first time my mother was diagnosed with cancer. The things bits of rock can help you deal with. Apres the successful ascent Hock and I went into Bangor for a celebration, got twatted and broke into the Union through a series of windows and back doors before popping out behind the bar, and entering the worst kind of student night ever. The following morning I was supposed to meet Al Hughes up there so he could film it, think he was used to a higher degree of professionalism than someone turning up hammered and stinking just about able to do the moves.


Later spotting Ug on it, he flew through the move to the porthole, before being unable to sort the next bit out, using the Higg sequence. If we had found the sequence that Pete used to get his foot up, I think he would probably have done it, and it could have been his first 8a and +. Although at the time he assured me it couldn't be harder than 7c+ if he could do it.

So now its my turn, I have finished off one of my main bouldering aims, and climbed one of the best hard problems in Wales. Its been a long decade of trying, lots of things have changed, people coming and going, but always I go back to that leaning block to see whats happening. The cancer is back, so there you go. There is a lot more to bouldering than ticking, sometimes you just need somewhere to hide.

Cheers to CJD who has spotted me on all these problems and has a firm belief that we are dead good at bouldering which helps. When I find the bloody lead that attatches the camera to computer ther are some photos.

The unthinkable

I once watched Ug on Pools of Bethesda, he was catching the porthole numerous times and failing to get his right foot up due to fucked hips. I felt so sorry for him, as as far as I was concerned it was over at that point. Fast forward a few years and finally I am getting close to the move, its going to go. Forward to a Saturday night later in the week, finish work at 7.30 its cold so i sprint up to the Pass from the wall, jump on Jerrys and Bus Stop for a warm up, clean the spuff of a thousand people of the holds. J rat drives past on the way home for Kilnsey he stops to give me a spot, close again reckon on 2 or 3 more sessions get very excited. Forward another week and I do the move and have a little jig around the dusty floor whooping. Then the unthinkable I fall off after the porthole move 6 times. No way. She will go, cool as, just need some better weather, at this point not really fussed about not doing it as its been so long to do the move that this feels better than most top outs I have ever done. The end point doesn't matter to me for today. Next week again with CJD I throw and throw catch the porthole another 6-8 times fail higher up he says its hotter I think its cooler, who knows. It reminds me of sitting there playing games with myself trying to redpoint Mr Fantastic with a thermometer having a go when it cools down. A bit frustrated that day I just wanted to do it forgot about the fun, but there you go. Wales eh, if its not too hot its too wet or maybe as always these excuses, if I was stronger it wouldn't matter. Apart from the fact that I know the roof always has a good spell later in the summer, when the wind comes down the Pass and the only problem with conditions is stopping the mats taking out cars as they blow into the road I would be disturbed. Wonder how long it will be? Trying to be positive but kind of want to get fit as I have been out with a rope and that seems to be quite a lot of fun too. Terrified that I will stop being strong enough and the conditions will improve. Plus this all feels a bit fluky, hey ho, there we go. I keep thinking I should head up there in the morning before work but know from past attempts on stuff this is nearly pointless, I climb like a retard till I have been awake for a few hours, the only good morning sessions have been when I haven't been to sleep, is this the answer become nocturnal?. Ah Pools, come to me, heal the sick and the lame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pool_of_Bethesda

back once again

Well after a good start to the year ticking projects off my never ending list I was tiered of trying hard and concentrating on being good and healthy so I sacked it off and got good and drunk for a bit. While I was doing this it seemed like a good plan to go and do some routes, its nice to go out and get to the top most of the times you pull on, slightly less enjoyable to be terrified on routes that I have soloed in the past. Still all in all its a good but slow process that I am looking forward to carrying on during the scorching summer that is sure to be coming our way. Even CJD has been forced to join in albeit after a few drinks, steaming his way up Mental Lentils for his first lead in about 15 years.

CJD on Mental Lentils

Confused on the Medium

Utopia Traverse on a sunny day

I also visited the cave this week, only climbed in there a couple of times in the last year, it was nice to be back and I had a reasonable degree of psyche for some of the problems again. I really would like to finish off Clyde this year as it taught me more then just about any problem I have ever tried. Managed to do the moves the other day, had to fight the memory of hundreds of failed goes pretty much instantly so kept the session on it relatively short.

Been on Pools of Bethesda twice last week, a new level of closeness to holding the pocket has appeared, I am hoping to get it done before the heat arrives, we will see Ive been fooled into thinking I was close before.

Also been looking through http://www.rockarchivist.co.uk/ at some of the write ups of what have become classics here are some of them, quite funny how things have changed.

Started training again for Autum, not going on trips has really focused me on the things I want to climb in Wales. So lots of Mill and Indy to take it up a level.