Water Cum Jolly Cornice is apparently more impressive than Cheedale Cornice. I think I have only ever walked past Cheedale Cornice once, and even then, I was probably stoned and didn't pay attention. As you stand beneath it and look up to the top of the roof where the routes finish, it must only be about 8-10 metres. Brilliant. It occured to me last night that the routes I have ever done in my star spangled routing career (Patxi must be terrified) have all played to my strengths. They've been short, had a hard bouldery crux followed by some absolute rumbling to get to the belay. Anne Murray used to call it bouldering with bolts. I like that, it makes me feel like I am good at doing routes, which clearly I'm not.
Paul and I went to WCJ Cornice last night. We got soaked on the way in, but the crag was totally dry. Loads better than the other week. Brachiation Dance is such a rubbish warm up. Its just a bit too pumpy to ease you in to the session. Felt pretty good climbing it, stuck me head around the roof at the top and got a face full of water. Patted the jug and jumped off - went miles. Not sure that Paul's theory is working (that I should take a lob first to get into it).
Why oh why am I such a shithouse? I dont want to go climbing E9 or owt, but climbing on bolts is feeling scary at the moment. Its not always like this. Sometimes I dont worry about it, sometimes I do.
Got on Free Monster, got the willies again and after a bit of sequence reminding cruised past the crux three times, only to wimp out of the clip and utter the timeless shaky voiced cry of 'take...' before grabbing the draw. Took the ride with slack out once and even that didnt assuage my nerves. Some times, on some days you just get it on you and dont shake it off, but some other times you feel completely at ease. If I could find the button which disengages my danger sensor I think I might be quite good at climbing routes. I mean, i felt really comfortable with the moves on FM, wasnt really having to try that hard, just over gripping and getting the fear. If I could have suspended the fear I think I probably would have done it. Which brings the question that if I could be totally climbing with no fear what could I actually do? I certainly think a choice 8b would be comfortably within range - I mean, if I found a bouldery one, fitting the aforementioned description then it should be feasible, and possibly even 8b+, were the route specific enough.
This means nothing, as theres no off switch for doubt. You can't claim to be capable of anything until you've done the deed. Its like that youth stating he was going to do Revelations - you might have bouldered 7c+ but that doesnt mean you'll lap up 8a+ route - and its not that the grade mapping is incorrect, its that routes introduce all sorts of other factors. Bravery, getting into the boulder problem just right as though you've just stepped off the ground, your boots will be dusty and the chalk on your fingers may have worn off. It just doesnt compare, and so grade tables suggesting otherwise should be disregarded.
The walk out is blessed by a beautiful evening light which makes the Peak look amazing. As my adopted home I've come to view the park as my back garden - although not as rugged as Wales or the Lakes, I think its a wonderful place to live and I'm very fond of it. Had a quick look at Dangerous Brothers and Hot fun, which you will know have been re bolted. A high quality job has been done on HFC, but the first bolt is well well high! not that I think it matters. It will be climbed with that one pre clipped, and I think the other one would have gotten in the way, so its been done well and with thought. Bolt two is in a great place, making the top wall an altogether different proposition. It looks a long way to reach from the break, but apparently with a wide stance and a finger lock its ok. Good work Jon and Paul.
I actually wanted to go on it as it completely fits the Morton route template, but Paul wouldnt let me ;-)
3 comments:
Is it the clip in the high break you are bottling? I do it with a high left heelhook (in same break as hands). It takes a lot of weight off your hands, making the clip a lot more relaxing and less fall-offable. I've seen Stone fall off with slack out trying to clip this bolt (not using heel beta I might add). It was a fair sized lob but still well short of the ground.
Crazy though it may sound as it is already dumbfounding that you are struggling on soft touch 8as, maybe you should get a bit more mileage in on some 7c/7c+s? You've identified that you're not relaxed, nor climbing particularly efficiently so a good short-term solution might be a mileage day or two and a couple of quick redpoints? Two Tier would be an ideal venue. Lightweight should be a quick and enjoyable tick. And Why Me? right up your bouldering street.
The jury is still out on the first bolt on HFC. Once these big resins are in they are in for good, so I left the bottom one out as I wasn't sure about it. I couldn't see a way to clip it (anywhere near the position of the original bolt) other than with a stick. Which then begs the question - if you have stick clipped a bolt to make two (very well protected)moves to a juggy flake and easy clip, why not just stick clip the bolt at the flake? Which begs a second question - why have the first bolt in at all?
If you were to boulder out the start (as per moony on FA who didn't clip that bolt anyway) it would be very hard to clip the old low bolt, the position is very strenuous and only two moves from the juggy flake anyway. Might as well do the whole two moves extra of the bouldery bit then clip.
This is all rather theoretical as I haven't tried the route properly yet. I may change my mind when I do. Maybe I'll figure a way to clip a low bolt. Might get on it tonight or next week failling that.
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