Mega weekend

Every year, at some point in February, there is a two week weather window when its like it has just been this weekend. The only thing keeping people off the crags is skin. I dont think this is the start of the weather window, as its supposed to crap out later on today, but looking outside now i honestly cant see it... Anyway, Saturday was mint. Cold cold cold, but totally clear. Everything had the air of dryness about it, the roads, the walls the leaves even. To say I was frothing would be an understatement. Lets just recall the last time i managed to go outside which was the 28th december. Yes, i had been to the cave since, but you know how well that went.

Saturday am we were over in Manchester looking at a house up on saddleworth moor. A barn conversion attached to a working hill sheep farm and less than a mile from Running hill pits, the setting was stunning. Really really stunning. From the south facing back garden, there was a little retaining wall but then nowt. Fields and streams and niceness. I was in love. However, sadly my affections were limited pretty much to the view. The layout of rooms was odd, it needed quite a bit of love, and we still wouldnt be able to have people round (problem now is that our house is tiny). We love our house now, but we would like to be more rural. We would like fields. And fields in the mayfield valley cost a fortune. So, we were just putting our toe in the water more than definately planning to move. Theres more choice over there.

It got to 12 and I was champing at the bit. She could see as much so put an end to my suffering and released me to run wild. Angrily I tailgated my way through Todmorden and navigated to the pub by the Bridestones. I couldnt get my pads out of the car fast enough. A familiar face turned up in a golf, then their mates in a van. I recognised them but didnt know them, so stacked my pads on my back and yomped off across the moor. First stop, the objective of the day - Jerry's arete. Warmed up on the Whillans jam which you dont jam at all. Then squirmed up the cleft between that and Jerrys, then climbed the prow right. Not feeling completely on it, and it being very cold, decided to get stuck in and have a ranging go. Consulted all the pics in the guidebook and set off. Your starting holds are good, and you stretch up to a palm pinch on the arete. I fumbled around trying to find a good bit before deciding enough was enough and to attempt movement from where I was. It all felt ungainly and inelegant and that attempt didnt last long.

A few more ranging goes later, and I had worked out that the palm pinch seemed better if you take it lower down the arete than it appears you should go for. I sink my hips rightwards so as to hang straight from the pinch, and palm in by my face, this is enough to scooch my left foot up onto a chest height smear, then its a question of pressing back left - so as to rock over onto my pasted left foot. Everything feels connected, I am still attached. I rock rock rock, moving higher and have a pat at the boule hold for the left. As I fall I know had I tried I could have had it then. I start to get a bit jittery excited, as I have wanted to do this problem for ages. I should really have done it but was a bit scared, a bit testing the water.

I man up. You know sometimes when you set off on something you sort of know you are going to do it? well thats not how this was. I felt skittish setting off, pasted my foot slightly wrongly, but then when I rocked left it came more into balance. I had the height, I was in control - lets see what this boule is like then - its a jug, blimey! I guppy, hips move right, and I guppy the rounded ball above. Now au cheval on the arete I am scared. Theres noone about, I dont really know what I am doing, and the mats look miles away. I scooch my left foot super high beneath me and again, clamp rock onto it. I blindly feel out left and thank god, theres a ripple! its not great though and I still feel high. Not out of the woods yet, and dont I know it. I try turning my right hand but it feels worse, so I opt for the K Bradbury school of top outs and beach myself for a moments respite. Only then my damn jumper starts slipping! i reengage my hands and manage to get a palm down and mantle out to glory. By now some people are watching and they shout congrats. I am jibbering. Half relieved, half psyched. Pheww.

When I get down a Sheffield team arrive with nice chap John (Its either John or Kevin, I got it wrong once, but now its stuck in my head as the wrong one). And they set about jerrys too. In the context of 'showing them how to do it' (showing off more like), I set off again. Rinse it out and manage to do it much easier. Brilliant. 1000.dave and Pete Chadwick arrive. Showboating now, I do it once more and then toddle off to the small sharp wall.

The car park team are established, so I do the Villain, then Charlotte Rampling, then some easy thing on the slab beyond. Finally, before moving off, I have a few goes on a problem called pointless. I keep getting to the top, and Chris (of the car park team) is shouting for me to jump, but it feels like if i can smear on something I would be able to do it in control. I fail. repeatedly. Ultimately quitting because a sharp pebble is tearing a hole. Good problem. I do a fun arete just right of that, before questing off to have a look at the bridestone itself, and then trying an overhanging wall called Cheeseblock. Really good fun problem, dont do it - starting to get really tired, and the sun is setting. Very aware I havent done horror arete yet I head off leaving it undone.

Pass some good looking problems on the way, but dont stop. Horror arete looks high. And dark. I set up my pads and look at the holds. I can see what to do, and I think I can do it. But feel a bit of trepidation creeping in. I set off, moving tentatively up to a big left hand pocket. From there I bump bump bump my right hand up the arete till I reach a really good sort of bulb. I can see where I am supposed to put my foot, but it feels committing, I weigh it up for a second, Put my foot in, start the move, back off, start to feel a bit pumped. Jump off to see what its like. Its fine of course. I wait a few minutes and eat a bit of flapjack. Feel exhausted. Its been a good session, and I want it to end well. I have another go where it all goes a bit wrong and I dont do it again. Again, I wait. I have words with myself. This time I decide to go for it, but when I get there I feel nervous. I start the move, testing the water, only I move a bit more into it - the top looks so close, tantalisingly so, and it is. I pat it, its great - I am such a gay! match up, mantle it out and finish the day having done the two things I wanted to do. It appears that to get down you have to jump across to the other block. I commit before I have time to think too much about it. The end. Brilliant day.

Weather looked mint again yesterday. And indeed it still is today. Usually of a morning I would get up and make her a cup of tea, then go back to bed for an hour. Not this morning. Aware of the weather reports that its going to rain later, I headed out at 0645. It was a beautiful morning in the burbage valley. Amazing. Twilight as I arrived. Not a soul around. V.v.v.beautiful. Bimbled down to Remergence and found a big frozen snow drift beneath. Hmm. Sounds ok, but is hard and slippy. The point of it being just behind where you land from the fig, so as impossible to pad, you step off, slip over and hit rocks at bottom. Hmm. Warmed up. Couple of goes on the fig - amazing on the sloper - felt noticeably easier than when I did it. Only had an hour climbing time, so hotfooted it down to the sphinx and had a couple of flailing goes at Voyager. The holds are sharp and it is hard. I did nothing more than fettle the holds to be honest. Back to the terrace to finish off. Those solutions are amazing. Kept hitting the top shot hole wrong and then sacked it home. Very very pretty sunrise over higgar. Have a look on my faceache for pictures.