Day1

So. Its kinda warm here. The wind when it blows is the temperature of bath water - tepid. I would prefer it a bit cooler to be honest, but you can't have everything. I wonder as we walk in how cold or warm it was for ed and james when they came? Perhaps this week in the year is now too warm? By rights it should be colder now than it was in december, or whenever it was, perhaps its a sign of climate change. Anyway. Woke up well early. Went back to sleep. The next time I woke up there was noise from the other two, and inspite of trying, I was roused from my slumber.

The problem with blogging from my blackberry is that I just can't bear to read it back. Which means it will probably read badly. Sorry.

We got up. I made omelettes, we drank coffee. Was a bit careful on this front as last year I felt close to the edge after far too much caffeine. Anyway, we head out at a reasonable time and drive to chironico. Its deserted, no sign of any other climbers anywhere. Strange. There's lots of snow about, and, walking in its evident why noone else is there. Walking about is epic. The snow is knee deep and within minutes my feet are soaked. We've chosen to start the day at the freak brothers bit of the crag, and after depositing the stuff at tomahawk I quest off after schule des lebens. I spend about 45 minutes slogging thru the snow only to have to admit am massively lost and sack it back to tomahawk. We do a warm up problem called die roboter, and then look at something behind it called holborn something. Its quite a rubbish problem but involves quite a desperate match and rock over on a sharp sloper. I get there but I don't want to commit to something that's not on my agenda so I drop off. Ed does the deed shortly after and dylan sees the light and sacks it too. We return to tomahawk. Remembering the video with nige's beta we try to put it in practice but it all feels wierd, I need to watch it demonstrated. Work it out after a couple of goes and I'm soon teetering up the slab above. It feels quite scary as you end up bouling (thanks adam) the arete and facing down as you scooch a foot onto nowt to get in balance. Dylan and ed both crush it too. Its a great feature, but I don't think its 7b+. We quest on for schule des lebens. This time we find it and I get really excited - it looks allright! The top of no mystery is wet, but there's an alternative hold. I manage to work an alternative sequence and it all looks like its on! However....

I don't know if this is right, but what I think I have to do is start on the crimps, left heel on, left hand up to edge that's far away. Right toe to left heel, left foot on edge, rh reaches through to good edge, left out to pinchy hold, right to sloper, left way out to finishing jug - done. But, I can't do the first move. I keep getting my left hand to the hold but never in enough control to hold it. Very frustrating. I do it from there to the top a couple of times but I have to admit defeat as I start getting a hole in my finger (on the first day! Jerry has taught me nothing). Trek off and find those two and we walk to soucoupe. Dylan wants to do vitruvian man, I show him the beta and ed and I push on to the main area. Rah plats plats is soaked with melt water. Le pilier is dry. I do it from stand. Ed does it from stand, I try from sit, get to half way and can't remember what to do. Remember and get to the top, jump for it but fall short, miss the pad and land on arse. A bit shaken, but fine. Rest up. Have another go and really throw for the top but my confidence is dented and I hadn't got the crimp right so I try, and its good, I'm really close, get my hand over but slip back off it. Admit defeat and after ed does lemon tree we walk back out again. A long day.

Back at the ranch I make tea and we are relaxing to the most ridiculous soft porn channel when the woman who runs the house pops in to check our passports! 'Ah yes' she exclaims, I see! Very very funny. I look good as I'm in the kitchen cooking. Ed tries to turn the telly off without her noticing but it doesn't work. Anyway I'm going. Dylan is electrocuting me with his tens machine. Jesus. Its only on 12 and my arm is fully spazzing out.