Mended?

As I sat at my desk in Leeds looking out the window, I tried to guage what condition the tor would be in. The trees weren't moving and the sun was out - no wind and hot. Chances were it wouldn't be that good. As JB commented on a previous post, if you are tor or rubicon bound, a bit of rain is not necessarily a bad thing, the crag is steep enough that the rocks stay dry and the rain takes the heat out of the air. The tor is a very unforgiving place to climb if you're not on it, and I certainly havent been, hence I've stayed away. And, to be honest, its been kinda hot.

 

You'll probably not remember, as details of my various ailments are doubtless immeadiately discarded, but ages ago I complained of having pins and needles in my left hand. This has intermittently persisted ever since. Its not been so bad as to pack me off to a medical professional, but it has been there, and, now I think about it - every time I latch a hold with my left, where normally I would bunch up and crimp the shit out of it, this summer my hand has just wilted and my fingers opened. Clearly, for someone who prides themself in their finger strength, this is not good. To give you some anecdotal evidence in support of my claims, before being stricken with this virus in June I cruised along Staminaband in total control. Wobbled off the end but really thought it was going to be on this year, then since I haven't been able to do Powerband even, and now I think about it, its a left hand move near the start I couldnt do. The left hand has felt weak and numb for months. People have said 'Oh dont worry, its been too hot and you've been doing routes', but I've known its more than that - this is weaker than I have ever been. I read a bit about it on the interweb, and discovered that numbness in the bottom three suggests Ulnar nerve being trapped. Said nerve runs down from your head down your arm inside your elbow and then into the hand. Who else do you turn to in such times of doubt other than Sheffield's second best Jerry Moffatt lookalike and friendly neighbourhood physio - Joe Le Sage. Joe explained that nerves are like hoses, and that when the hose is trapped or pinched, the flow is impeded and function affected. The swollen elbow is probably the cause of the nerve wierdness and that needs a GP, so, I'm booked back in for after our week off.

 

The reason for telling you all about that is that as I mention, I havent been able to do powerband. Now, I find that last move desperate, so I don't mean the whole thing, but I haven't fallen off in the middle of it for years - not until this year anyway. Last night Dylan and I went back to the tor, and delightfully I managed to get to the end. I think in part this is due to getting a sports massage (which was rough, and no, no extras) which I think might have loosened the nerve off. Certainly, I was very knotty.

 

Dylan was tired from being up at 7 making volumes. He smelt of fibreglass. Its a sweet, initially pleasant smell that soon becomes oppressive. His mood was subdued. We drove to the tor to meet ed brown, to try chimes, revelations and possibly just train on sardine. There was noone there, and conditions were good - it was jacket on weather between redpoints. We warmed up and I suggested he could try and flash SHIBB and Wild in Me. I climbed SHIBB to get the clips in for him, and to show the way. He crushes nonchalantly - his first Tor tick!

 

We move to Wild in me and I suprise myself by comfortably climbing through the boulder problem. This is what starts me thinking that massage has helped, as I feel my old self just around the corner. I get to the second clip, rumble up to the last move and feel a bit flash pumped. Like a gaylord I climb back a few moves and slump onto the rope. I brush up and clip the belay for Dylan and return to the ground. He struggles to employ my sequence on the lower part, as I can reach where he cant. We rest, take stock and he finds a way, battling valiently past the boulder problem to the fingery technical headwall, makes a move out left but misses and takes the ride. Ah well, never mind. I do it for completeness sake, and then its him again. This time really was his time, everything went well, where before he struggled, this time he climbs positively and it looks in the bag, except that as he goes to move off the top crimp I see one of his fingers pop off, its split and his movement arc is interrupted. Once more he misses, takes the ride and is back on the ground.

 

Cubbitt and another dude I recognise turn up and everyone chats nicely. I put a rope on Chimes, with a view to trying weedkiller chimes for training purposes. I fully cannot remember how to get to the slopers and end up stripping it after a couple of abortive attempts. I think I'm tired. We go for a pint in the red lion in Litton, and there are loads of people in eating. It smells gorgeous. Menu looks good, I think I might suggest taking the monster soon. Talking of which, I get back and go to collect her, who 'wont be drinking', but is drunk!

 

I'm on half rations climbing wise at the moment. All doctor medical types seem to be suggesting that whilst I am recovering from whatever mystery ailment I shouldnt be training at normal intensity, so I'm off today, probably go the works on Friday, then I hope to be out on Sunday - to be honest, if it remains a bit cooler, I would love to go and get Entree done.