Dialectics

I have another massive grain split in the pad of my right hand index. Cheers skin. This time its not down to foolishly following the advice of a chiselled racist, rather the result of crimping a bit too fiercely at the tor. Things were amiss, the force was out of alignment. Although cool it was actually raining, but thats not what I mean when I say things were wrong in the world. What I mean is that Dylog arrived, put his harness on and DID sardine. Just did it. Putting the clips in - erm, error! Can I have my incompetent friend back please imposter who looks like dylog? perhaps the green tea and chives diet is finally paying off. So he does that, all casual and then does toadside - also on the lead and totally cool as a cucumber. Blummin incredible. Edlog arrives and we scuttle rightwards to shelter - its fully chucking it down.

Edlog does Rattle and Hump but seems to have moved the crux down a move to gaining the pinch. It doesnt stop him and he rattles to glory on his second go of the day. Holds are physically dry, and the bottom footholds are finally getting there, but theres moisture in the air and it doesnt feel good. I put a rope on dialectics. Rae steps in and stems the flow of incompetence with some well placed beta. She can mince the start - does it every go - incredible. I get spat out, slide off and find that 'easy' start bit well hard. I suppose it is the meat of the 8a route. Anyway, the upshot of this is that I have now done the first hard move, and by the time we left I could do it everytime, but it is a press both off, and too a crimp, so I suppose I should be able to do it. Thing is I am getting stuck on the foot move after that. Basically, if you can udge your left foot up onto the jug you've as good as done it. I did from there to the top and it was fine, so it boils down to one and a half moves. Hmm.

Interestingly, I have previously raved about the Sportiva PenguinFeet which I have been wearing of late, and I still think they are good, but they seem to have bagged out a lot and gone a bit shit. Which is frustrating for a million pound shoe. I also think they lack midsole stiffness and that when standing on tiny dinks they dont give you as much push - you cant nail them into stuff, but they are super sensitive and great for the wall (for instance). Oh, and they look like penguin feet.

It turns out that when I claimed to have been on Obscene Gesture last week that we were actually on Obscene Toilet. The boys went back on that, but I was totally convinced I could do Dialectics that I didnt join them. Ed took a fall, I got jealous - the way to combat the fear of falling is in falling. And although I had plenty of falls on Dialectics, Ed's was a proper leader fall. Anyway, tonight I am going to the cave - and I have got a massive split - the full width of a pad. Started off small, but spread under load. Low expectations, high hopes.