Bloody rubicon

Bloody Rubicon! Bloody super conditions dependant sharp bastard crag! AAA* super perfect gritstone afternoon - 9 degrees, breeze, totally clear and fully baking down the con. Grrrreat. Me, Dylan and Paul headed down for about 1400 and clipped up our respective projects. It was no shirt weather over at Kudos wall. Paul had no rope, which meant one of either Dylan or I had to do the deed fast to donate the string. It all looked like me - I had been on the route on the Saturday and nearly done it then, and I felt pretty good warming up, so it certainly seemed to be on.

I pulled on the draws to place them all and gave the holds a scrub. Lowered back to the break to wait for a cloud. As soon as the sun was covered conditions got better and I started climbing. Felt shaky on the bottom two pinches, but not shaky enough to fall off. Felt well strong on the snatch up to the dish, held it well, moved through to the undercut and bam - done. I was on the jugs. Clipped, cleaned, lowered back off again. Now, at this point I should explain that people do Zeke with the 4th clipped. The first three are all really easy to clip, and I've climbed up and placed/clipped them from the ground so thats all ok - i.e. you could climb back down from here with no problem. Apparently everyone does it with the 4th clipped, the reason being it is where the old second was and this is seen as acceptable. You dont clip the 5th - its for dogging the moves, so with Morton logic I figured I could do it off the 5th as you'd not be missing a clip. But, this is gay. I forgot to tow down the rope and had to pull it all the way before my next go. But first, Dylan - Caviar.

Previously, he'd all but done it as I remember, but today seemed to have real problems with his feet, and it was a bit epic squirming about in the mud, so he literally had two goes and sacked it as a bad job. The first time he thought he might just have cooled down waiting for me, so he tried again, but it didnt get any better and he stripped it on the next go. Paul was still waiting for a rope.

Helen turned up and worked Kudos. We laughed and talked shit. Back to another redpoint, and this time no clips were in. Clipping up from the ground as I have said makes no difference to clip 3, but I dont really have a strategy for clip 4 and so stopped there. Now this was good because it gave me an opportunity to do the crux and up without clip5 in place. Which I did and was pleased because its ok. Pushed on to the top on this go and its no push over up there which is a bit of a worry. I mean, comparitively the holds are big but I will be tired and I think I could drop it from up there. Took a big lob off the top and came down to rest up.

All other goes ended at the crux move to the dish. I either stuffed my feet up a bit, or missed the fucking thing. I had one go were everything was perfect except I tried to go a bit too quickly and missed again. I need to calm down, slow it down and get it done!

D and P move to HFC. Paul hasnt climbed in over an hour, but plans to warm up on kudos - the hard way! he nearly does it as well. Has a minute and does do it, then continues with a fumble clip to the break. Its looking quite good as he sets up to make the big rock to the first of the edges, but theres cobwebs all over the left foot pocket and he skidadles off. Dylan has a go at the top wall and seems to climb it really easily, but has the boulder problem to do. Paul's last go - all others have failed, its all on him to make it count and he steps up to the challenge. He gets the wrong bit of the flake, has to adjust, comes in with his right, but thats not right either and he has to fight to stay attached, but fight he does and attached he is. He thrutches up in to the undercut by the 2nd bolt and clips - phew! He puts the next clip in and hangs out for a few minutes to get something back. Moving past the break is a move Paul struggles with - presumably because he is a pygmy not because of finger strength. He lunges but misses and thats it - we've all failed!

Or at least, we have on paper, but I'm happy as I have made progress in a couple of areas : 1 ) I have for the first time done the whole of the difficult section in a oner. 2 ) I have done the top of the crux above the bolt a couple of times. And 3) I have a sequence on the top wall. But as I said above, I'm a bit afraid of that. Not cause of the fall, but because its not that easy and I might fluff it!