Broken Rock Solution

The rest of the world has been on Ondra watch - chasing up to Malham and Kilnsey to see Captain Beakface rinsing some of our hardest routes, and whilst no doubt impressive, I dont like busy crags at the best of times, and being unnaturally scared of climbing above a bolt - the combination of being a shithouse, and being publically exposed for being one didnt appeal. Plans were fluid up until the morning of Saturday. It all depended on the monster, and whether or not she was going to Manchester. If she went then I was taking her, and to then drive back up to Yorkshire made for a long day. I could have shared with Folog but that would have constrained him to my plans, and blah blah blah - boring. So, I went to the cave. Doyle and I had been on the text, and I knew he would be there plus it was a beautiful day with high promise of not only being able to climb, but with accounts to close down the planets were in alignment, the signs were good and all systems were go. Actually, briefly - I've missed a bit. Friday we had off - had a lovely day, went to see Ironman 2. Its ok - it is what it is, quite puerile but fun. Anyway....

Its all about irons in fires. I have had Trigger Cut, and Broken Heart on my list, but this time I went straight to Broken Heart. Although only short, Trigger cut takes the edge off, and I always do this, and I never go home with any ticks. So, straight to Broken Heart. Warm ups went well, reference problems (danger!) completed comfortably, then on to the Broken Heart. First go is a slip off, second I make a mistake, then on the third go things hook up well. The foot placements feel a bit more concise, the moves feel hard but are executed with a little in the tank - you know when the signs are good, and all you can do is try not to listen to the voices going 'this is the one! you did that move well, this could be it' and then when you get past the hard bit and find yourself shaking out on the 'easy but droppable' bit then the voice changes to be saying 'dont fluff it now, you know you did before...' and again, the voice gets a pillow on its face, and you push on. I felt more tired as I did the final moves than i have before, I felt wild, like I wasnt climbing well but somehow fought on regardless and then bosh! i was on the jug, swinging around at the top having finished the problem. The crowd didnt go wild, there was no roar of satisfaction but finally it was done. A warm glow of success spread slowly through my limbs in the minutes afterwards. Brilliant.

I realised that it was quite early on in the session and that I should try to finish Rock Attrocity. This is another problem that suffers from being not at the top of my list - that and my not fitting the final moves. I remember flashing to the jug pocket right at the end but never having finished the deal, and this is a situation which has continued ever since. Pretty much I put this down to having always tried it after stuff again - and being too stupid to see the wisdom in working the end in isolation. So, I got on with that on saturday. But I didnt do it. Rab Carrington (legend) turned up and we discussed the post climatic stress disorder condition that exists in climbers throughout the world. You do something you wanted to do and may as well write off the rest of the session. Thats not what I did, but nothing else went down. Well, nothing hard.

The Cave went from being pleasant to being busy. This goon I met at queens with Constance turned up, and to make it worse, he is now strong. Goons who are shit I can just about bear, but goons who burn me off I cannot be coping with. I dont know if he didnt recognise me but I managed to avoid engagement. Doyle, Matt and I go to the box. Such a lovely aspect. By contrast with the cave its quite tranquil. I do a problem called Jack the drunk. (i think)

Went out for dinner that evening, had a lovely time - felt shonky in the morning. Sunday we were shambolic all day. Monday we scrubbed the house (amazing how dirty it gets so quickly).

Yesterday I managed to corral a team into returning to the cave, in spite of the current fascination with Yorkshire limestone. Dylog and Dan Constant Variable were my in car entertainment, and a cerebral conversation about sustainability and the environment provided the distraction from the delights of the a55 on the way in (and back). The Peak looked gloomy but ok, but from Chester west the weather deteriorated. I spoke to Doyle - he couldnt even see the Orme from his house. We contemplated turning back but I was talked out of it. My flexed afternoon off suddenly seemed like folly. I hate wasting time. Thoughts of a dry tor receding into the distance behind me played in my thoughts but continue we did. It was condensing when we arrived, but with lots of thwacking and towelling some holds came not into condition,but started to feel ok. Rock attrocity felt terrifying - like lurching around in a roof on slimy wetness. But, things got better with traffic, and for a while the sea fog lifted. I had tape on my left index, which felt extra slippy. The game I played was whether to redpoint without it and risk a split or whether to push on with and have the problem feel hard.

Dan pretty much flashes Lou Ferrino - campusing through the end of the rail. Impressive stuff, but at least he had the decency to grunt and puff. I remove the tape as the now temporarily satiated Variable fluffs the holds on logattrocity (the hardest 7c in the world). I've suprised myself by how easy the start moves feel - it used to feel so tweaky, but those drilled pockets are pretty good really. I rumble through to the flakey thing and set up for the move to the pinch. The holds have been held perfectly, they feel ok, I dont think I've got much left, but as I take the pinch and slap my heel round the ramp I dont feel ruined either. I find this last bit so hard. Sink onto the foot hold and take my left hand off, lurching wildly I grab the damp pinch beneath the finishing hold and quickly, as rehearsed slap again and hold the hold. All that remains is to cam a heel in against the ramp and match. Feels so awkward but I make it work and step off having ended an old nemesis. Feel that this one is one I should really have done before.

Dylog makes progress on Lou Ferrino. He looks to be so cash but then something slips and he's off. Which is pretty much how his day continues. He must climb through the ramp section 5 or 6 times (perhaps more) always looking like its on, but then something slips off and he never seals the deal. That said, it should be a formality the next time. Dan and I have turned our attention to Trigger Cut. He wants to do it with the knee bar, with a view to halfway and ultimately directors cut. He has an ingenious canibalised old anasazi strapped to the knee and manages to make it work. I make progress on TC and am back to the shothole but no further. Dan however does Trigger, then halfway, then starts trying from moves back. His best attempts see him from climbing from halfway down the louie ramp to the end of trigger cut. It basically looks like he could do directors. I'd meant to try the wire (lou ferrino into broken heart) but end up on louie. Manage to do it again with a slightly dubious finishing match - i.e. I slump off it as I match. We go to the chippy and drive home in mega time.

Lessons learnt - never give up, fight to the death and ignore the signs. This is what Sharples calls 'Tenacity'. Examples - me thinking i wasnt going to do any problems and actually doing two. Constant Variable keeping going with man grunts when he looked like he was off, and Doyle - shaking like a shitting dog but still doing trigger cut. Dragons are a superior shoe to Solutions. The lack of midsole in the solution makes them a bit too flexi. I find a more supportive shoe an advantage - especially on Trigger cut. On Louie, where flexibility is an advantage, then the solutions felt great again. Ok, so not necessarily superior, but the solution isnt the everything to all men i supposed it might be.

Better go and do some work...