Night fever

I was asked 'are night sessions the way forward or just a way to get cold?', and I realise walking up to the crag that so much of the outdoor climbing experience comes from being able to see and enjoy your surroundings. Night sessions are like training in that you go out with an intention in mind and you are focussed on it completely. This might not be too different from a day session, but between goes in the day you can enjoy where you are. Think I'm a little bit adrift at the moment. Having been so focussed on Zeke I'm now enjoying puntering around on the grit, but I'm not directed towards any clear goal.

Dylan has always gone on about how good his Mondo pad is. And indeed, it is thick and deep. But it is also soft and very heavy. I lugged it up to the Plantation on my own last night. I was quite suprised by the amount of snow and ice about, it was treacherous getting about. Started off on the green traverse boulder. Certainly it was very cold, but quite still and the rail felt sort of wet. No visible trace of damp, but definately a bit moist - like there was low cloud or fog or something. Whilst I was puntering about the beams of two head torches started bobbing up through the trees, I felt relieved - even stanage which I know well, is a bit spooky on your own at night. It was Tom Slater and Kevin that looks like a monarch. They were there to crush Zippy's traverse. I moved up to the Joker. It being slightly damp and me being quite afraid of the fall stopped anything like a sensible attempt being made. Simply putting my hand on the right of the two slopers left it black. I gave up and joined Tom and Kevin on Zippys. Night bouldering does not lend itself to highballs or scary falls or problems. Well, not to me at least. Good venues for Night climbing would include lo fi things such as the business boulder. I warm to this theme as I start climbing, I dont like the business boulder normally, but perhaps at night its worthwhile. I set about that traverse thing, and I still cannot do the middle cross through move for love nor money. I think its 8c.

All three of us head up to the Pit. Its got a big streak of wetness but is just about climbable. I am desperate to get it wired so I can be like Adam, and I am getting better on it each time I go. The two schools of thought on the sequence fork right off the starting line. You either reach up with your left or right hand. If you are better technically than you are strong you lead with the left, and if you are strong and 'technically dense' you go with the right. On saturday I thought I was going to be able to unlock the trick secret of the left hand first way, last night it felt desperate, but I was all over the right hand way.

I always want to finish climbing feeling either that I have worked hard, or that I have done something. Certainly, I didnt do anything notable last night, but I do feel achey today which is good.