Should have gone out...

I'm psyched for christmas. I love it. (talking of which, I wonder what the film Psyche was like last night...)

 

Ed did Zoo York! amazing! I felt a mild sense of 'why haven't I done Tsunami' when I got the news, but that lasted for all of about 10 seconds and left in its path a burning desire to go to Caley. This is a dream that might get realised on Wednesday - actually, I don't know what the weather is doing this week, so it may yet be a moot point. I have a works do in Leeds on weds night, which means I shall go straight there from work, so I will be in work later than normal, and can thus afford a longer lunch break.

 

I have been thinking about some sort of karma voting applet for this blog, based on Adam's comment yesterday - which I have to say, I think is deserved. I don't know why I thought it would be better to go to the school. Actually, I do - the whole point of going there was that I had limited time and wanted to make the best use of it. I should have gone to the plantation and done the storm. Spent all of the rest of the weekend slightly kicking myself that I had misused my ticket. I do definately have/struggle with this mentality that training is of more value than climbing when I have limited time. I think my success criteria for a climbing session is that I should be physically tired, and driving and walking in for 45 minutes with an hour and a half of climbing does not match 2hrs training on the board. In fact, this is something I struggle with a lot throughout the winter grit season. I love the climbing on gritstone - find it really enjoyable, but in my minds eye I think of pleasing climbing as being a steep face with small holds. Which is probably why I so love switzerland - Granite lends itself to my style of climbing. As I get older and slightly less obsessive (!) I think I am starting to see the value in going out enjoying myself even if this reduces how much time I get to actually climb. The point is that the satisfaction from climbing a problem outside is greater than success on something inside. I propose a 2 grade satisfaction offset between inside and outside. I.e. climbing a 7a outside is the same as climbing a 7b inside. Actually, it might be more like three grades. Actually, thats bollocks - it depends on how nice the climbing is. But I still think I would rather do a rubbish 7a outside than a 7b inside. So clearly, its all personal and you should discount the grading satisfaction offset above.

 

The car conditions indicator (patent pending) suggests conditions at the school may well be better than on Saturday (its 2.5 degrees). Plus, it will be later in the day and therefore likely warmer. I hope.

 

Last week at the board cheekbones mason warned me off buying a Pod pad based on an assumption that production has been shifted to china (since pod sold co.) and that quality has gone down. I went to Outside and they still had stock of the old made in Sheffield ones, so thats what I have bought - plus - it goes in the car perfectly! Ok, I have to go for now as I need a poo and its breakfast time.