King of the fig

It felt every bit of the reported -4 as I shoved my bag down inside my pad. There was plenty of freezing fog about, but I had a good feeling about Saturday, although my worn tips didnt look like I would get too many chances. It was early - about 945 and there were no other teams out climbing, and no cars in the car park. I set off, marvelling at impressive haw frost on the boulders :

Thankfully the holds on the fig were unaffected and although difficult to warm up I managed it eventually. The amazing heat watch reported -2 and 70% humidity, which would explain it feeling pretty good, but not incredible. Dylan arrived, I set about the Fig. The first time I put my left hand on the sloper I can feel a crystal push through the dreadfully thin pad on my index, the shock of which refocusses my mind on whether what I thought would be a dead cert will be at all.

Dan turns up. He and Dylan start working out Submergence. I have always fancied a do on this, and they get pretty close to doing the crux move. I want to get involved, but maintain my single minded dedication to the fig. On several goes I get out to the lip but am sliding around on the holds and drop off. Theres at least a couple where I get there and am eyeballing the crimps but dont do the move. Then Ed and Pip turn up. We have a chat and I step up. The showing off effect is enough and I know pulling on I'm going to do it. I take the sloper perfectly, my right matches on and I have all the subtleties down, I rock over and have the time to settle my left on the pinch and move my feet, which happens without incident, again, my hand movements are unusually precise, I'm locked on and know its going down! I match the lip and have a bit of a moment getting my right foot on, but bam! I'm there! the move to the crimp is complete and I'm rocking over to glory. YYFY!

Dan video'd a previous go where I get to the lip and fall matching, and when I'd finished I filmed Dylan do the top. I'd have done it again for the camera but had a big hole in my left index so didnt. Here is the vid :

Blind Fig from dobbin on Vimeo.

I thought it would be funny to stick it together badly so that the climber changes half way through.

Ed and Pip walk on taking pics, some southerners turn up and Dan, Dylan and I set off somewhere else. Dan and I want to go and do the Sphinx. We bump into JLS and Vic and they reckon it will be covered in ice at the top, and I cant feel my right foot, so we decide to go down to Grindleford to have a look at Mossatrocity. JLS and Vic are terrace bound. Its much warmer down there and totally ice free. Mossatrocity looks amazing. I get out to the lip on the flash and totally wilt. Everything everyone has told me about it is true - you want to do this quickly! its a complete body mangler, and I think I have mild bicep strain as a result.