On paper, climbing can be a solitary activity. It is possible to go out, buy a guidebook and then go climbing on your own, and to choose good problems. The problems you may try/do might be good ones, you might find the sequence before fatigue sets in and you might therefore, return home happy. There are also a lot of shit problems in the world, and a lot of conditions dependant/esoteric/downright rubbish crags. If time is of the essence, then you can do no better than enlist the help of a local hero. The point of all of this is the reason why I never built a board of my own. I obviously lack imagination and get so much more out of being shown the way. I think I am more motivated towards repeating other peoples problems than establishing ones of my own.
When the Foundry board was first opened I was a bit ambivalent towards it. When Dylan opened his I was mega psyched, and the reason it was different was because there was a big team sessioning it and creating problems. I did have a session on the Foundry board with Leo ages ago, but the disparity between our ability is so great that the projects I was left with I really knew I would never do. In short, I left it looking for a more pleasing experience, i.e. one I came away from feeling good, which means having done some climbing. Its important to climb with people better than you, but I mean people in the same ball park, me climbing with Moger on the Foundry board is like Dave Graham going out with Fiendy pops!
Last night was the first night I've been up to Dylan's for a few weeks and I think we have learnt some important board building lessons. The foundry board is good because of three things, the featured footholds - better than dan and ned's slick abominations but worse than dylan's screw on foot jibs, the rail at the top (means you cant get half way up the board and just launch), and the variety of holds (at dylans the small holds are all quite incut (or so it feels), which means if you tag the hold you will hold it). At Dan and Ned's all three exist, but the base level is higher. And its small. In short we are going to reset Dylan's board apres Xmas.
Dylan had a split tip, so after trying valiantly he sacked it, and so that he could call it quits we went to the Foundry. And there was Scott McLellan. Unfortunately he was there to do rowtes so I didnt get to be startled by the strength, pulverised by the power or terrified of the tension, but we did have a chat and I got his number.
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