Torpid nonsense

I made a lot of fuss on Saturday morning, although to be fair, it was one of those 'very hard to get going' mornings. If you're on it, drizzle makes no difference, the tor is entertainment in itself and you can push on regardless. Its not that it was actually wet on the rocks or anything - conditions were reasonable to be honest. I was weak.

 

A risk of climbing problems you have wired is you reference yourself on them. If you climb them well your spirits are lifted. If you struggle, you can write off the session thinking their no point. I used to do this to myself at the school, I'd start a session, drop something I would usually be able to do, and then climb like a donkey for the rest of the time. Can't help but partly blame the weather. Damp miserable days lead to damp miserable psyche.

 

You can pull yourself out of the doldrums if you are in the right headspace (I obviously wasn't). The malaise did seem to be fairly set in amongst most people at the tor. Nice to chat and hang out a bit though. Stone conspicuous by his absence. SuperTed arrived later on (perils of having a job), Joe and Vic (in a fab black vest looking super lean - Joe I mean), Joe Brown and man I know but whose name I always forget and some folks from Leeds wall. Kristian back on Make it Funky, and belaying that other chap I know but dont know - Simon I think, and he was on Weedkiller Chimes (which I have always fancied).

 

Made Paul drive me to the Climbing Works to meet Ed Robinson and James Foley, and at this point the session recovered a lot. I didn't mind trying at the wall. It wasn't too busy and I felt like bothering (probably showing off). Had a good catch up with James Foley, and discovered that what the works does really well - better than the Foundry even, is provide an indoor cragging/social experience. We often lament that its not the world's best training venue, and I stand by that - it isn't. What it does do is mimic a day out with friends sessioning problems. The atmosphere is of a social event, wheras the Foundry feels more like a board - you go there to bear down rather than to mill around chatting, which is certainly what I needed. Anything else would have resulted in lots of sitting on the mats and sighing. The style of climbing and the angles presented that make this the case. The climbing at the foundry is brutal, basic and a factor of strength, whereas the works problems almost all have some hidden trickery that must be unlocked in order to succeed. Limestone climbing seems to be more of a factor of strength than it is technical (clearly, there will be exceptions), and I dont feel its poor technique thats stopping me - its fitness.

 

So, this week I am officially excited because team Kilnsey has been reformed and the Wednesday afternoon raid arranged. Tonight I will be at the Foundry, Wednesday Kilnsey. Thursday something, but I dont know what, Friday off, Saturday morning club again!