Ju Ju Juice

When I first went to Caley, I got the tour from one of the most seasoned locals. I felt scared. I remember tottering to the top of Otley wall thinking - this is really high, I'm not on crimps! I dont like it! Now I do that problem on every visit and love every moment of it. Got there for 15:15 yesterday (I wonder why haven't I made more of this place before? its 15 minutes from work!) and ran back up the road from the car to see if it looked damp. It did, a bit, but i could see someone on New Jerusalem, so it must be ok. Collect all my stuff and head up to the fingerknacker crack. Do that a couple of times and somehow end up climbing rabbit paw wall, and again, its all dry, but its obviously been wet - conditions are far from perfect - as is made clear when I fall off fingerknacker crack!

 

That well spoken Nigel dude from Sheffield turns up. Its not Nigel Smart or Prestidge (does he even climb any more?), but I dont know his sirname, so Nigel will have to do. He's here to try Blockbuster. We agree to meet up at Zoo York, and I'm glad of a spot to be honest. Get up there, and theres another lad on Blockbuster, so I stick my pads under Ju Ju club. It feels desperate! whereas last weds the holds felt grippy, today they feel a bit spoogy - it might be me, but I dont think its great nic. Zip round to the top and clean the holds ready for my attempt, they felt rubbish the last time I was here, and I cant imagine today will be any better, but psychologically, if I think all obstacles have been removed then perhaps I will succeed. Get myself established on the start holds, make a hard move out to the lip which feels nowhere near the velcro stickiness of last week - and if you remember, i think i said it was rubbish then too! Probably that winters green covering needs to be cleaned off. I slap my way to the lip and with a bit more umpf than last weeks end of session attempt I flump over the top to muted glory. I'm quietly pleased, but its not the best problem I've ever done, and the real prize is off to the left. Move my pads over and cover the dodgy landing as best I can. Feel a bit tired - no sense of potentially doing it, but try anyway - putting in some good links from my previous high point. Hmm - get all excited, put in a really good link and think maybe, just maybe - with following winds and everything going just right, it could be on. Feels terrible again on the next go, and I realise its far too tenuous for this session, with an eye up the hill I say my goodbyes and leg it to the 'cliff.

 

I'm suprised to find theres no cars there. There is someone bouldering as it turns out, but he must have walked. Its incredibly windy, stacking two pads acts like a sail, knocking me off my feet several times. I walk up and on top to get round to Jess' roof but the gap funnels the wind even more and its nearly probably quite dangerous. Force on to Jess' roof, and attempt to pad it out. End up strapping my pad to a boulder to hold it in place, and it seems to work well - which is more than can be said for me. I get to the end a couple of times, but am a bit scared I think and dont really even try. Wind drops off a bit and I scuttle back to the car.

 

Drive to the Foundry via a chippy in Garforth. Are there no chippys on the way home?

 

Its great at the Foundry. I see lots of friendly faces, and despite a limited time budget I manage to spend ages gassing and catching up with people who are all delighted with the honey news. Do some problems and a young gent with dubious hair does his level best to burn me off. He swears loudly when he falls off. I find this distasteful. In someone like Andy Earl where clearly all of him is going into an attempt, I can partly understand, but still find it melodramatic and unneccesary. Swearing and shouting at a public climbing wall when there are kids and other non sweary people about isn't cool in my eyes.

 

The Foundry also have 40% off marked price on their down jackets. I got a new £150 Rab active for £90. Bargain.