School Saved

Contrary to my good friend Kershaw's assertions to the contrary, Monday nights are not Gay. Monday nights are for heroes. Since I turned the radiator off outside the room the temperature is vastly better. Clean up efforts over the weekend have made the place look a lot better, and perhaps those results have borne fruit already - someone gave the council the tour of the facility on Monday lunchtime, and from a text Nic sent Paul - it appears we are off the market for another year. Truly fantastic news.

The importance of correct footwear

That was the other thing I was going to say: Keith sent me a mail the other day, where he was on about punters putting too much faith in what shoes they buy and whether they are the best ones for climbing 9a. Whilst there is a lot of boring discussion on "which boots will get me up 8a" on the internet, (probably most of it from people who will never climb 8a), Keith went on to say that whilst I was climbing in Twins it didnt stop me - well actually, it did! When I went to the jura, I tried and tried in Twins but when I redpointed the 8's I did out there, I did so in Buzz' 5.10s! Everything hard I have ever done, I have done in precise well fitting footwear that gave me confidence to succeed.

 

So, whilst Keith is right - footwear isnt everything, and it certainly wont MAKE you climb 8a, it does make a difference. Perhaps up to 40% of the percieved gain may be psychosomatic. If I think I have got great shoes on, I use my feet well. I think I have got rubbish ones on I don't, I make silly mistakes. The point to take from all this rambling is that no piece of equipment alone will enable you to climb 8a unless you were already capable. But the mental boost to be gained from thinking you have an advantage may help you try that little bit harder.

 

Summer back on!

Beautiful weather this morning - not a cloud in the sky. Actually, there is now, but the forecast for the week is good; at least until the latter half. Temps are all over the place, with some days (on http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/today.asp?zipcode=sheffield) reporting up to 21degrees, and others never getting past 15 (Weds) - I'm pretty psyched to get out. I was even thinking of sacking the school this evening in favour of the Tor. But, even if I drove straight there (leaving here at 1500), its unlikely I would get there before 1630 which would be peak temps. I would also have to leave at 1900. Zippy's words echo - 'climbing is not training', and 'I dont climb at all through July/August', but I feel like I have been cooped up for months and relish the chance to get out. Anyway, sounds like the Robinsonator is coming to the board which is good. Well, its good but its bad. When non standard board attendees turn up I have a tendency to climb rather than train. Willpower!

 

Wonder how much it matters? have had a couple of sessions of late where I've been climbing problems on 2 minute intervals. It's been fun and I've felt like I've had a good workout. Got to be careful not to always do the same circuit of problems I have wired, don't want to get good at doing those problems and not better at climbing or stronger. On the other hand, doing these problems requires strength and as long as I'm not lapping the same single problem then there are surely a variety of schemas getting developed. I suppose I am trying to justify going climbing rather than training. It strikes me as Zippy's 10 sets of 5 is effectively what I have been doing with more rest.

 

Gonna be a bit of a funny week in work terms: my night out on the lime is Wednesday, but I have a meeting in halifax until 1630. Fairly obviously I am going to try to get out of it. Thursday should be my Work.From.Home day, but there's a work night out in Leeds in the evening, so I should probably move the WFH day back to Weds, then there's that meeting to contend with. Everything hangs in the balance! Something will have to change, and I am adamant it shouldn't be climbing!

 

So, the weekend. Two friends got married this weekend. Cofe and Ellen on Saturday, and Dylan and Lucy on Sunday. I went to neither do because I am too good looking. Both bridegrooms feared inviting me as I would undoubtedly put them in the shade. But really, Cofe is someone I have seen around for years but never been best mates with and Dylan I have only just re-met (first met when he looked like Francis Rossi in about 1992). Anyway, congratulations to both. Hope the days went well. I will text Follicle to find out what went down. Just touching on that - Foley is back. Feel a bit wierd when your regular climbing buddy goes away for a week, like you've no friends! Anyway, welcome back James. Perhaps we will have a comment on what went down in the Magic of woods?

 

Friday was in Kent until late. Pocket Predator had caught and brought a live mouse into the house. Honey couldnt catch it so I had that to look forward to when I got home. Thankfully, what could have been a six hour mouse stalemate was over in minutes and humanely. Neither cat, mouse (or human) were harmed. Saturday morning was nice and bright and I went back to the tor. It was brilliant! there was a lovely fresh breeze and everything was pretty much dry. Mint. Very quiet until about 1130 and I felt ok, but a bit headachey (cheap red wine on train home). Put in some good links on Staminaband, and have decided its a false economy to rest on the powerband start jugs. Had a couple of goes moving through Staminaband quickly and not stopping, and it feels like I could do it this way. Psyched! Dylan turned up with some friends (where they Australian?) and promised to be back in 15 minutes. 2 hours later there was no sign of him. Smitton and junior Cattell turned up to try Hooligan. Doyle was supposed to be coming down too, but Smitton said he had rung him at 12 and he was still in bed. Finished off the morning with some laps on Ben's roof. Pleased to lap it comfortably the old way and very nearly the new way. Problem with the new way was that I forgot the sequence. Not to worry, its a less important goal than some of the other aspirations.

 

Saturday afternoon we had a mooch around town and did some shopping. Evening did nothing and Sunday went for a walk.

 

Desparate times call for desparate measures

Sick of the clement weather I went out on Wednesday evening, inspite of text wetness warnings from the Bennett and the Mason. First I drove to Raven Tor. The start of Stamina band looked dry, my heart started to beat a little faster - it might actually be worthwhile! Dave Parry had posted that it had been reasonable on Tuesday, so I hoped to be in with a chance. Chance, it would seem, would be a fine thing. Undercuts were fully soaking as was the start of Powerband. In fact the whole of the powerband wall appears to have taken on a minging green hue thanks to all the dampness. Walked on and found the pinches wall completely dry but that was about it. Ben's roof was alarmingly wet and with that I got back in my car and drove to Rubicon.

Yes, rubicon! if the tor is wet rubicon will be too. Well, I thought I hadnt been for a while, and it would be nice for a quick look. Ground is wet but not so much that you have to get soaked to get there, but its pretty muddy under foot. Warmed up on the three traverses and to be honest it didnt feel great to be back there. Rubicon is a nice place if the sun is out, but it was very dark overhead and something about the atmosphere felt oppresive. Went and had a look at Kudos wall and thought it felt reasonable at first, but it was that humid that touching a hold once sent it black with sweat. No amount of drying agent or cheating potion would enable an ascent of anything worthwhile. Did some old favourites and sacked it home early.

Thursday should have been an exciting non climbing day. I had a driving experience booked at Donnington park in Leicestershire. Sadly the torrential rain turned it into a three hour wait in the pits before being told they would rebook it another day. Sulked back to Sheffield and got my hair cut. Day saved somewhat by the Simpsons movie which we watched in the evening. Don't think the honey monster was that keen, but I loved it.

Friday and its another lie in for me, as I have to go to London this afternoon. Got up at 9 and went to the board for a couple of hours. The heating was on in the corridor making the whole building feel baking hot. Tidied up in the room between climbs and found a vice with which I could turn the radiator off. Probably be a bit better up there now. Frustrating the lack of support the save the school campaign seems to be generating. Whilst I suspect only a limited chance of actually saving the building I would have expected more people to come out in support. The english mentality is one of whinging on about how bad things are, but when it comes to actually doing something about it then overwhelming apathy seems to take hold. I would imagine people will be moaning on when it does close. Probably people have got other alternatives and can't see the value in protesting when the chances of success are slim.

I think I am going to make a small board in my cellar. It will probably be based around a systems board rather than a board on which you do problems. The design challenge is going to be getting panels into the cellar through the small trap door in the kitchen. Back from London late tonight, hope to get to the tor tomorrow. Have spied a line which is dry and that i plan to practice on a shunt. (its dianetics).

Protest and survive

I am delighted - we are in the Sheffield Star (what was I saying about Narcissism?), Polly has done a great job, and the best bit of it is that Seb, one of the key protesters and organiser of loads of the campaign has been cropped out of the shot! I think its hilarious. Here it is :
(seb would be on the lhs drainpipe. His arm is just in shot) Nic atop the apex, Tom Briggs in the window on ground floor, Nige on RHS drainpipe and me at halfway. Paul B in foreground with artists. Notice Moby (thanks Nige) has come out in support.

Magic jealousy

Last night as I was getting ready for bed I had this whole thought train about Narcissism, all these thoughts swimming around I thought of an excellent and well reasoned blog post, even wrote down the word Narcissistic as a prompt for when I got to work this morning, but now I'm here I can't actually remember what it was I was going to write. Which is frustrating. I was obviously thinking about someone, but I cant even remember whom it was. Don't know what it is about Narcissistic characters that irks me, and to some extent everyone has a bit of it in them, but I think that climbing (more specifically, its non regulated nature) encourages the trait as noone is going to be able to say 'no you didn't' as there's no requirement for validation.

Ah well. It was raining hard on Saturday morning, and had been all through Friday night. I couldnt bear the thought of driving to the Tor to find it sacked, so I stayed in sheffield and went to the board. Felt hot and I didnt feel on it, but had a reasonable session. Spent some more time on the 30 which was good. JLS has a good circuit which I shall steal. Up Sonic, down jugs, then back up on easy ish problem to the left. I did think I could link into Perfick Pulling problem for the return up leg.

Sun came out on Sunday, and whilst there is rain forecast for this week am quietly hopeful that I will get some dryness on Wednesday night. Texted JF this morning, who is in Magic with Ned, Jim and Lee. He writes : "Ned is an animal!He did octopussy in a few goes! Nearly did part 2in 15mins, but got dark.He's on fire.Lee did some problems!I've done not a lot,made some progress on supernova and should have done the prob next to piranja!Damnit! There's so much here to do. Skin and time are precious commoditys!"

Problem next to Piranja is Goldfisch I think. Might be 7c+ but I really cant remember. Octopussy would be well up Ned's street, and I am not in the least suprised he has done it so quickly. Think (from previous texts) that its quite hot, so perhaps Sofa Surfer is out (theres a conditions dependant slopey rail at the top). As for PT2, I hope he can finish it, but I dropped it right at the top about 1000 times so its not over until its over!

Alain Robert in S2

"Come and support the campaign" they said, "we're gonna climb the drainpipe at the school" they said. I thought well, I haven't got any slings or owt, so I will just go and be on belay duty. But no. Nic zipped up the drainpipe without placing any runners till the very top, and then pressed on to the apex of the roof. Shit! I was quite psyched but a bit nervous. Took Nic off belay and Soloed up to about half height, whilst Seb and Tom did the same on the other side.

I arrived at the cross pipe, and I had the fear. Figured I would stand and chill and get it together and then place my trusty sling. I was getting sweaty palms, which when clinging to a drainpipe is not a great strategy. I larks footed my sling around the 'pipe, but it was not high enough for me to hang from without supporting myself. Had a moment. Unclipped from the sling and replaced it higher and in a far more sensible position. Sat back in my harness with my weight on the sling. Sigh. Now I could admire the view. And what a view. A lovely evening to be scuttling around buildings high above sheffield.

On returning to the ground and packing away our kit, Nic and I got harangued by a local gent who wasn't sympathetic to our cause. He lives with clear view of the building and was sick of kids vandalising it at all hours. I can understand his frustrations, and we explained that although we were mounting a campaign, we didnt hold much hope of success. Our empathy won him over and he refused to let us leave without shaking hands.