I feel like a rich man when I get to go climbing after work. Weds night especially so as I actually acheived something. Out for 8hours yesterday. Paul ran to the cornice but it was wet so we stayed at Rubicon. Which felt intermittently brilliant. When the sun went in and the breeze came out, conditions were good, but when the sun was out it was pointless. Rubicon was busy. There were people on rubicon, people sat in the sun, people on Too Old to be Bold and people bimbling around bouldering. I dont know whether Jon's reequipping work is responsible for Rubicon's return to fashion, we sort of saw the Tor getting busy last summer too, so perhaps theres just more people embracing the lime.
I was there to do Hot Fun Closing. Stick clipped the first bold and set off. Shook through the bottom section feeling jittery and uncertain. Got a bit back in the break, then set off to push to the top. Locked up to the edge, matched, sorted feet, left hand to sloper, rock rock and errr not enough... fade and I'm off. Bugger. Finger tips less than a cm from the jug. Dammit. Next go.... Paul mooches, Mina does 2Old and has an epic getting down, Dylan ponders and I wait. Dave Hesleden steps in and refines his sequence. I get another go. If the last one was so close, this one is closer! I climb the bottom bit well. It feels solid. I rock rock and this time try to push out to the jug but fall short once more. Dave suggests I adopt his sequence for the top wall, and I give it a go - its the same to the two edges, but rather than using the sloping dish straight up, he rocks his right hand out to a wee edge, bumps his left to the better hold, and pops right again to the jug, I have a go, its easier than my way which, although I've never fallen off in isolation is proving to be a redpoint crux. The cycle of people trying revolves around once more and finally I am at the top, rocking over. Dave's way feels a good measure easier and with a minimum of fuss I reach the jug and mantle to the belay. Thank goodness. The usual wave of elation is muted knowing that I should really have done this two days ago. First day on the route I was foiled by rain, second day I only had two goes before the full sun got on the wall, and this day well, I should've been up it first go. Never mind, feels great to have done something after a funny few weeks of not doing, and a Mountaineering wad belay tick.
Dylan keeps trying Caviar. He has the top wired and looks good when he gets there, but the start still holds problems. Perhaps it would be wise to do it above a pad a number of times or something. Lu is on Too old to be bold, which looks good, and I wonder about trying to beta flash? Paul gets on HFC and when his pessimism has been shelved he gets really close and it honestly looks like its on, but skin runs out before muscle and we pop to the Red Lion for a pint to celebrate.
Keith's film is out at last. You can download a copy from his blog : www.unclesomebody.com/blog. Its filmed in HD, which is lovely, and whilst it looks amazing you do need fairly serious hardware to render it.
This weekend I'm on the hunt for people to climb with. Saturday morning club is going to be Saturday afternoon club instead. I'd love to get on Dangerous Brothers if I can find a belayer - and perhaps to try to flash too old to be bold, but again - that depends on the availability of belay slaves. Failing that, I might go to the tor and try to do Staminaband.
I was there to do Hot Fun Closing. Stick clipped the first bold and set off. Shook through the bottom section feeling jittery and uncertain. Got a bit back in the break, then set off to push to the top. Locked up to the edge, matched, sorted feet, left hand to sloper, rock rock and errr not enough... fade and I'm off. Bugger. Finger tips less than a cm from the jug. Dammit. Next go.... Paul mooches, Mina does 2Old and has an epic getting down, Dylan ponders and I wait. Dave Hesleden steps in and refines his sequence. I get another go. If the last one was so close, this one is closer! I climb the bottom bit well. It feels solid. I rock rock and this time try to push out to the jug but fall short once more. Dave suggests I adopt his sequence for the top wall, and I give it a go - its the same to the two edges, but rather than using the sloping dish straight up, he rocks his right hand out to a wee edge, bumps his left to the better hold, and pops right again to the jug, I have a go, its easier than my way which, although I've never fallen off in isolation is proving to be a redpoint crux. The cycle of people trying revolves around once more and finally I am at the top, rocking over. Dave's way feels a good measure easier and with a minimum of fuss I reach the jug and mantle to the belay. Thank goodness. The usual wave of elation is muted knowing that I should really have done this two days ago. First day on the route I was foiled by rain, second day I only had two goes before the full sun got on the wall, and this day well, I should've been up it first go. Never mind, feels great to have done something after a funny few weeks of not doing, and a Mountaineering wad belay tick.
Dylan keeps trying Caviar. He has the top wired and looks good when he gets there, but the start still holds problems. Perhaps it would be wise to do it above a pad a number of times or something. Lu is on Too old to be bold, which looks good, and I wonder about trying to beta flash? Paul gets on HFC and when his pessimism has been shelved he gets really close and it honestly looks like its on, but skin runs out before muscle and we pop to the Red Lion for a pint to celebrate.
Keith's film is out at last. You can download a copy from his blog : www.unclesomebody.com/blog. Its filmed in HD, which is lovely, and whilst it looks amazing you do need fairly serious hardware to render it.
This weekend I'm on the hunt for people to climb with. Saturday morning club is going to be Saturday afternoon club instead. I'd love to get on Dangerous Brothers if I can find a belayer - and perhaps to try to flash too old to be bold, but again - that depends on the availability of belay slaves. Failing that, I might go to the tor and try to do Staminaband.
1 comment:
I'm fairly sure Ted will be at Rubicon on sat aft to do Caviar. I dare say he'll give you a belay and the beta for DB
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