Winter, Working, Wedding etc...

Not too much been going on at this end, although the talk by Mick Fowler last Tuesday was pretty inspiring, but I’m not sure I’ll be rushing out for a set of Crampons and ice axes just yet, from recollection the exposure is pretty intimidating in Winter climbing, although it was an entertaining evening.

Working away has continued to be the theme recently, and I found myself in Sheffield last week. A visit to the works seemed far too good an opportunity to pass up, so after finishing the job I headed straight there, eager to start reducing the winter beer insulation jacket that I’ve started to develop…
This being only my second visit I wanted to give it a really good session, so after warming up I attacked mainly the brown and black circuits. I was pleasantly surprised to flash a couple of font 6bs and tick a few of the 6as. The problem I seem to be finding though is that I can’t seem to last for much more than an hour and a half without my strength really dropping off after which there is little point in carrying on.
I guess this will come the more I keep plugging away, but like a lot of people, I think I’m quite impatient to see immediate progress.
Still, it was a really good session. Now I’m starting to feel I’m getting stronger, I should start thinking about adding some structure to my week…

The BMC meeting was in Frodsham, and as I was driving from Worksop it was just as easy to go to that before heading home. Most of the usual faces were there, and a few new ones from the Cheshire massive. The main topic of the day was re-equipping frogsmouth quarry to give around 30 newly bolted sport routes. It could make the place a nice venue, hopefully, and the proposal was unanimously agreed by the meeting.
Another item on the agenda was placing some lower-off bolts on some of the routes at the right hand end of Craig Y Longridge. This was agreed, as the top metre or so is shaly rubbish, and a sling over the edge would probably be necessary anyway. It does however seem a bit strange to climb a problem with a rope tied on at what is primarily a bouldering crag, but there you are, it is very high in that part of the quarry and there was no real objection. It was good to see Les as I’ve not spoken to him for a while, and he confirmed, as I was thinking, that the guide is unlikely to be out before September next year – unfortunate really as this is the 40th year of guidebook production, but there you are…

The last week has also been pretty busy revolving generally around my sisters wedding – me and the wife were in Wellingborough since Thursday, and made our way to Witney on the Friday. The groom held it together pretty well if truth be told, and everything went very well. I love weddings, if nothing else it’s a great excuse to let it all hang out, usually with total impunity. The ushering went well, with no notable problems and the hotel was fantastic. I don’t think I’ve stayed in a room with it’s own sitting room and a four poster bed before! it seems booking the suite was a good idea after all…

Unfortunately there is payback for these sorts of shenanigans, so I felt pretty cack all day on Sunday. This had to be remedied by going to Westview on Monday. Normally I’d start with a climbing session then go swimming, but as there was some sort of gala on at 7, I had to go swimming first. The good thing about this was I managed to swim a breast-stroke mile in about 40 minutes which for me is pretty good. The down side is that I was trashed for bouldering – I managed a few of the V4s and did little else – it’s good to see that the problems in the cave have all been re-set though, a definite improvement I think as they’ve been individually graded now. My hands are now doomed from having been softened by the swimming and then brutalised by the bouldering…definitely the wrong way round.

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