Ned's big day out

Once again I am ill. I have the immune system of a hamster. Saturday was a lovely day. A perfect gritstone day probably. Car reckoned 3.5 degrees, and I was the second car in the plantation car park. Yomped up to the boulders and wished I had gloves. Felt like a bit of morning dew was still about at first, but by 10 it was mint. Ned, Dave and Tony turn up and join me dicking around on the Green Traverse. Ned and Tony go to do Ron's slab and Dave and I go over to Brass Monkeys. These guys all want to go up to Shine on, and I think - yeah! why not. About 7a they reckon, and its E7 - would be a good tick, they're not that high these routes, and the top bit is supposed to be easy. Yeah. Lets go for it...

When I previously tried Brass Monkeys I was on my own and its a bit scary. Not the top, but the crazy swinging bit. Anyway, I was also totally doing it wrong. Dave pulls on, nails the crimp, flicks his toe round and bump bump up - he's done it! nice work. I try his method but I dont get on with this flimsy toe hook/scum thing and find a more basic way. Ned and Tony turn up and I dispatch. Ned has just done Ron's slab and adds Brass monkeys to his list of ticks. Tony is technically a pygmy (albeit a strong one) and whilst he does the moves he doesnt do the problem. We move to Shine on.

I take one look at it and walk back to the boulders. It looks piss until you are high enough to do some damage, then it looks tricky but fucking scary. Ned adds this to the notches on his bedpost whilst I open my account on the Joker.

The deliverance boulder is now crowded. Jim and Foley have arrived shortly followed by Bob Smith and Ed Robinson. On display up at the Joker Ben Pritchard is repeatedly getting his hand over the top, Lee is trying and Paul and Nat are also in situ. Its quite hard, as you would expect from a one move 8a. I barely manage to move at all and when an excuse to go somewhere else comes up I jump at the chance.

Stanage plantation is a lovely place but on a saturday morning on a nice day it is not going to be a calming quiet experience. I chat to Adam down at Careless Torque before finding Rachel and Tom Briggs in the Pit. Its a pity to barge in, but when there are more people/teams than rocks what alternative? Sorry Tom and Rach. Haven't been back in the Pit since I did it and it feels a bit slippy the right hand first way, and I would like to learn the 'easy' left hand way. Never ever been able to get my hand up this way, until today, and it feels allright, but I'm all uncertain and dont complete it. Perhaps lacking motivation? Ed and James and Jim and Worm and others all try and I run out of time and go home.

Later on I learn that Ned has also done Careless Torque and Silk. A good day out all round then!