Thursday 16 December 2010

Santa's Grotto

Thick snow blanketed all of our crags, but just as quickly as it arrived (possibly quicker) it was gone. The difference between snow levels on Thursday and Friday of last week was astronomical. On saturday you would have had to persuade that it had snowed at all. Made it out on Sunday. It was never going to be a high octane sending session. I'd driven up to Hooks Carr on Saturday night just to see if Ringinglow road was open, which it was, but there was fog around and no wind. Wasnt bothered really, just wanted to end my spell of fantastic plastic by touching rocks. I suspect this was a common theme as the mood at the Plantation was one of light hearted sociability. Pottered around, tried Help the young sitter a bit. My celebrity Belayer becomes celebrity Beta database when its bouldering season, and with his help I think its possible. I get off home to roast things and drink red wine.

With everything else being wet again, and having an afternoon off there was only one option. Thankfully plenty of other people share my longings to scuttle around in the back of a cave on the Orme, so I wasnt alone. The cave is brilliant. I dont care what you think, I love it. The moves are brilliant, the potential persuading and the scene scintillating. It was really nice to see Ben P again, who has been avoiding me since switzerland because of the pounding he was subjected to. Three teams - two young lads I have seen about but dont know names of, Team Dylog - Dylog, Joel and Bendy and Team Dobolog - me and Jim.

Of course we made the obligatory detour to 'dudno Asda. I bought a healthy options chicken fajita and waited for Jim. I thought he was taking a long time, then I saw why, the sight before me left me speechless - Jim waddled out of the sliding doors with armfuls of rotisserie barbecue chicken! How the honest people of Llandudno reconciled a metric tonne of flat cap wearing Hillyard I will never know. I suspect the samaritans are busy this morning.

Like a true caveman Jim tears into a haunch of barbecue chicken, watching the spider like form of Joel wisping effortlessly up Trigger Cut. Good effort! Dylog does Louie. Boy band member also does it. Jim and I get shown some of the lip problems which we have never done before. I start working left wall high, which is suprisingly good.

Wednesday 8 December 2010

iMeddler

I have decided. An iPhone is an excellent all the things a phone isnt. Its like having a small tablet PC in your pocket. The browsing experience really is brilliant. If you want to go on the internet then look no further (unless you wanted flash), its amazing. Occasional internet use - throw the laptop away. Actually stops me opening the browser at work, which can only be a good thing.

If you are on your own at the climbing wall then its brilliant. This is where it beats any other phone hands down - on a normal phone, you text all your mates and then put it away. Nothing to see here. The iPhone is the friend of the meddler, its something to fanny with between circuits, laps or whatever you are doing.

But, there are many things I took for granted with my beloved BlackBerry that I miss. And when I say I have decided, what I mean is that the BlackBerry is without doubt a better telephone. Its thought out around being a telephone (that does email) and it does this brilliantly. Things like being able to click on the person in a text and it rings them. Being able to attach multiple images to an email, cut and paste works better, the flashing red light, better battery life and better signal, UMA.

It all depends on what you'll do with it. But like when you buy a faster car you drive faster, if you have the interweb then you use it and wonder how you did without. What I'm saying is that it changes how you use your phone and what you expect from it.

Would I buy one again? maybe. Would I recommend you buy one? well that depends on you.

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Final swiss roundup

Well, fritag was hurty as predicted. Everyone felt broken, and it would have been too much to ask for us to do anything noteworthy to be honest. Started with Bendy doing Vol au Vent which is the worlds hardest 7a+ , then we moved round to Franks, which I read Mina has just done - which is another great effort - she really is climbing brilliantly at the moment. Better than us too, as we couldnt do it - noone held the match without a supportive spot, or winch in place. Its a great problem though, and I would really like to do it. .Made progress from previous years I suppose, in that I used to take the pinch and basically fall off. Now I was taking the pinch, walking my feet through and getting back to the heel, but it felt shit - I wasnt getting anything off it and attempts at matching resulted  in headfirst plummets. I think perhaps its one to do a bit earlier in the trip next time.

We walked on to Il Partner. Mina and I had been chatting about which was prettier, cresc or chironico. She said cresc, i said Chironico. I almost texted her after we had walked through Cresicano, because suddenly i got it, I was reminded of how lovely it is at Cresciano, its just the mountains you can see more clearly from chironico. So, I dont actually know which I like more, just nice to be away isnt it? Anyway, Bernd Zangerl turned up at Il Partner. We spoke to him - its scary up there. Noone did it. On to La Boule to finish off again. Still couldnt do the move rightwards on la boule itself, but managed to drag self up La Boulette. Felt pooped. Went and looked at La Proue. I think if ever there was an 8b I could do, that this might be it! another trip maybe.

Get home, flights and everything are all fine, but its actually colder here than it was there I think! And theres more shitty death snow!

Bendy has an iPhone4, and I became jealous in the week away. So I bought one. Its very good, but has some draw backs. I have to learn to use the on screen keyboard, although it is pretty good, and i am already getting faster. The Notifications thing is annoying. It pings up in the middle of what you are doing and if you are typing quickly then you get all gobbledegooked. Signal is definately weaker than on a blackberry. Havent had the grip of death thing yet though. I dont like that you cant completely control it, but when a jailbreak exists, i might go this route. On the plus side, its beautifully made, and the screen is possibly the ninth wonder of the world.