Dangerous Brothers

Saturday morning club is a win win for everyone. In the Honey monster's eyes it gets climbing out of the way, in my eyes, I get the better conditions when its cooler in the morning, and arriving home at 1300, we have a normal afternoon together too. The downside is that 8am feels very early on a saturday. The car reckoned 18degrees on the way out, and the air was hazy and felt balmy. Stu and Jules were camped out beneath the sissy, Andy Hutchinson and team on the Kudos wall. As Thursday, the Sissy to Rubicon area was disgustipating. Surface moisture on footholds, generally slippy. Kudos wall was ok, and left again on Caviar looked pretty good too.

 

Presuming Ed would be late, I arranged to go on Dangerous bros with Andy. Then Ed turned up. Conditions were so 'averse', he suffered a bout of indecision about whether to return his ticket for a refund, or whether to make the best of inideal conditions. He ended up staying. Andy put the clips in Dangerous Brothers. He looked to struggle, getting all the moves, but being some way off a redpoint. I step up, and cannot even do the first move! I try and try and it feels totally desperate - at least 8c. I eventually scuffle up to the undercut with a lot of huffing and puffing but again, I bail from there, theres no way I can do these moves!

 

Between us we work a sequence, and I end the days attempts (for me at least) by climbing from the ground to the crimp. This is a good route - the climbing is fab. A smeary reach to a pocket leads to a rockover on a good foothold to gain a right hand pocket, change feet and left up in to a widdly undercut, RF smears on glassy foothold and RH comes in to a sidepull and then again to a better crimp sidepull above. Now LF outside edge and RF to pocket, egypt and roll over with LH to crimp - this next bit is crucial - left foot flag and sit on rf, cheek against the rock... RH to sidepull undercut thing, then slightly stand up on leg and rh again to good edge! its over. I manage to climb from the move up to the crimp to the top. Its on! I'm already late though and have to sack it there. I leave Andy in the same position, two overlapping sections, just teh link to do. I fully expect Andy to complete it on his next redpoint, and to recieve a victory text at some point in the day.

 

I leave, with Stu on Beluga and Ed and Jules on the Sissy. I later hear that Ed does the Sissy and that Stu pops a finger on the start of Caviar. Urgh! possibly a contender for the most injured climber I have ever met, get well soon beast. I also hear from Andy that he didnt finish Dangerous Brothers, but got another text from him on the sunday to say he did! so, well done to you beast. I can't wait to get back there. To be honest, conditions were pretty poor, and i still managed two sections, so, with anything less than 100% humidity, I should have an ok job to close the deal.

 

The evening was the climbing wedding of the century. Sam Whittaker made an honest woman of Lucinda Hughes at the Norfolk Arms on Ringinglow road. They had 150 people in the day, and a further 130 in the evening - which is a lot of people. It was good to catch up and see friends such as Jim, Lee, Char, Jon and Fiona, JLS, Vic, Andy and Shiv, Andy and Emma Banks, Adam and so on. Plenty of heroes, luminaries and society notables too - Ben Moon, Tyler, Tim Emmett and Leo, Bransbubble, Andy Cave, etc etc. Was a good do, and they both looked radiant. There was a mystery american with Tyler. Recognised the face, but didnt get a positive ID match from my stalkers database?

 

Felt mercifully un hung over on sunday, so we went for a walk down cheedale, however, as we reached the railway tunnel just above the embankment the rain changed from spitting to chucking it down. Walked back out and went to the Calver crossroads cafe. The rain was just behind us, so as we finished our chip butty it started. Loafed the rest of the day away.

 

I presume Ed Robinson is back from Australia around about now? I'm climbing tonight, hopefully at Dylan's board, then Wednesday back at Rubicon unless its flooded, Friday again, dont know when or where, but we are camping at Gordale next weekend - assuming its anything other than filthy weather.