HIgh zoo

I always thought caley needed a couple of preceding days of dryness to be worth visiting. So when Thursday started damp I didnt have high expectations. Through the morning I kept making excuses to leave my desk and walk past a window, and suprisingly things looked bone dry. Lunchtime came and off I scuttled to Caley, which had obviously been wet, but felt ok. There was more of a wind than last week, and I thought it felt a bit warmer at first. The wind soon put paid to that, as although the air might have been warmer, it soon stripped you of any body heat. It was hard to warm up, and harder to keep warm. Have come to the conclusion that although in great condition, it may actually have been too cold.

First goes went badly. It hurt to have to bone those little sharp holds. Went off and did some crimping. When I came back, did the top again. Then did it from the undercut move - felt good. Just three moves to put on the start and that was it then...

Got chatting to lad called Si from Middlesborough trying Ben's Groove sitter. This looks ace. very different to Zoo log. Managed to get my interweb scoop filled and we watched the vid of it which is on pootube. THe man who does it there must be both very good and very tall. Anyway, I have a couple of goes where I fall off taking the swing from the cut loose. I'm struggling to make the first toe hook work. I stop the process and take the time to work it out properly - marking the notch so that I can see it when on the problem. Also someone has put chalk marks in the wrong place on the undercut, so i brush these off and put new ones where I use it. More goes take place and I feel like a bit of a warmed up too fast pump, and I decide to pop back to the car for some food and to get a brush.

When I come back up 15 minutes has passed and I am again cold. The next go is rubbish. Wait 4 and back on it. This is the one which should have been. The toe snags behind the undercut perfectly, I am able to drop into the edge perfectly, my fingers arranged in the optimum position - i feel good, the thought dances through my mind that this is the one. I step out and onto the nubbin, bang - up goes my left hand to the tape box edge - got it on three! its ok though, feels like a crimp jug for some reason, I bone it and ninja my right foot into the next toe hook, my left pastes around the arete and I move my hips into balance, this time perfectly finding the point of balance and casually reaching into the high sidepull (at least, thats how it felt!). As I take the hold i have time to settle my fingers perfectly on the hold and I feel attached, dare I say, actually quite good!

Engaging my core I release the toe, and some how I manage to kill the swing, scuffing my right up the wall and placing the heel on the pound coin - is it ok? is it on? dunno, but I dont stop to worry about - go for the move and hit the top left flake - its not quite right, but I have enough - i think, I fight to get it back in control, moving to try and try and mitigate the position and whilst its not perfect, my left is splayed across the hold. I can't bump it or change, but perhaps its enough? I lurch for the right hand intemediate and take it badly, my right foot scuds off the toe hook, with my dying gasp I slap at the top jug and miss! oh Shit! That should have been the one!

back on the mats I am kicking myself. I think thats it basically, I have as good as done it. Surely go down next time wont it? I rest properly, but make mistakes. Goes come and goes go - I look like I am going to do it, and I get worse. Never does everything line up perfectly and I never make it back to this new high point. The tipping point between thrashing myself and making progress passes and I am still deluding myself that I'm in with a chance and its well past the point of sensible stopping when I eventually admit defeat.

On the plus side, when I next get chance I know I can do it, but it would have been nice to have actually got it done. Oh well.