The future is unwritten...

So 2011 is out and having reflected upon the good and bad of the last year, I think I now need to start setting achievable goals for 2012, whilst also outlining things I can do to achieve them. Having read Mason and Morse's blogs it seems to be a good idea to look back and analyse the past year and use that to set next year's goals and area's for improvement.

In preparation, I have been doing a bit of research and trying to work out key areas to train that may give me the edge when I get onto the rock next year. I have begun a love-affair with sustained, sometimes bold routes up vertical walls, and so I obviously need to be fit, but there are a few subtle things that I can train that require (a) less effort and (b) could make a bigger difference whilst saving the effects of training for when I am in dire need of a plateau-breaker. 

The first of my sneaky tricks is to get good frog flexibility! Being able to get my CoG (and my semi) as close to the rock as possible will likely make a bigger difference than extra fitness, especially when pumped! 

The second is to do some drills (sounds boring as feck eh? But it seems a lot of other sports and the military use them to good effect). This is to focus on the fact that once you (I) get pumped, quite often technique, sequence deciphering, gear placement, and aggressive mindsets go out the window quicker than you can say "Take!". By drilling myself good movement skills in a normal situation and then build it into stressful situations, I will hopefully reinforce smooth movement, efficient sequence deciphering, and the ability to place good gear, allowing better focus, that's the theory anyway...

Thirdly, climb with Al Mason more, because despite him being hairy and smelly, I have done all my E4 on-sights with him either belaying or at the crag, and most of my hard boulders with him... I can learn a lot from him and he pushes me. Maybe I just fancy him...

2012 GOALS:

 Climbing Goals

• Onsight some classic, solid E4s. E.g. Ressurection, Moon Walk, Sugar Cane Country, Great Wall (Both!), Star Wars, Bloody Sunday, True Grip, Roc-Nest Monster, Break On Through, etc.
• Ground-up an E5 that inspires me. E.g. Rimsky Korsakov/Mur y meirwon/Pembroke E5?
• Redpoint 7b. E.g. Red Meat, Ceuse 7b, Bloodsports?
• Onsight more 7a's and some 7a+'s. E.g. Axle Attack, Calimero, Ceuse 7a/+'s.
• Send powerful V6 and technical V7. E.g. Chummer's Wall, Lipstick, Perrin's Crack SDS.
• Get more comfortable yet again on sustained, pumpy ground, especially with a trad rack and/or runouts. This will basically be a case of putting in effort whilst training, but more importantly getting on bigger sport numbers and simply getting on pumpy trad routes!
• Have a good day at the Cromlech! Have a day doing classics, then get on Foil and try it onsight/ground-up. It's not a route I'm super bothered about so it should breakdown the 'Cromlech barrier'. Just do Memory Lane. Then start getting on the harder routes.
• Remain motivated and injury-free.
• Go on some sweeeet trips. Got a fair bit lined up once I'm free from uni; Pabbay or Ceuse in June, Pembroke or Lakes in July, maybe Les Alpes in August?
• Get some winter climbing done! 

Life Goals

• Pass my degree!!! - Pretty important this one, don't want to waste all that money!
• Enjoy the last 6 months of Uni life.
• Get a job that I can save loads of money with for Autumn/Winter 2012/13.
• Try and be the nicest, happiest, most positive person I can.
• Learn to drive, pass my test and get some wheels.
• Save as much of my last loans as possible!
• BE HAPPY

So is there any vague plan I hear you ask! Yes! Trip-wise, I won't be going anywhere sunny at Easter as I have revision for finals to do. However, I am hoping to go to places like Kilnsey and Malham for short hits in the spring. Then, June will be exciting with either a trad expedition to Pabbay in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. OR a sun-tastic sport trip to Ceuse in Spain. Hopefully, and almost certainly if I go to Ceuse, I'd like to go to Pembroke for 2-3 weeks in July, really get my teeth into the climbing there and do some inspiring routes! Then, dependant on money, I will either head to the Alps with Bubbles, or continue to crag in the UK whilst finding a bleeding job for the winter! Preferably in North Wales so I can live with Jess...

Three hundred and sixty five, maaan...

Soon, another year will be submitted to time immemorial and, for better or worse, richer or poorer, every single one of the 6.9 billion people alive in the world today have grown, changed, breathed in and experienced the world we live in and live to continue to do so... 

For me and my climbing it has been a year full of learning, highs, lows and realisation (Not the 9a+ super route at Ceuse, next year maybe?) . At times I have looked back at the year and thought "I've done barely anything to be proud of this year" which felt quite depressing, wondering if I had stagnated or worse, regressed as a climber and as a person. Luckily, once the cold, hard figures and the warm, fuzzy logics are analysed properly, it has been another good year, and actually probably better than the last! 

So lets get some real number crunching done:

On the face of the cold hard facts alone, I have bettered or matched 2010's grades in every discipline and done more climbing despite injury, Hooray! However, I can hear you saying, "But you've done loads more climbing this year Dunc, surely you should have smashed your previous bests!?" Well yep, maybe but 2011 has been about creating a stable base upon which to progress, rather than shakily trying to stack blocks ever higher in 2010's areas of success, I have broadened my choice of routes, and begun moving towards the style I aspire to: steeper, more sustained routes. 

On top of the above figures I have; onsighted more E3's than last year, but unlike last year they weren't all slabs; I climbed overhung walls, aretes, corners, slabs, all sorts! The only E3/E4 I did, actually felt harder than the E4s I did last year, as it was a lot more dangerous, but it was also SO much better! I have also had some good failures both physically and mentally; 

• Stroll On E3 6a - didn't quite have the guns, or the commitment level to stick the laybacks, lesson learnt.
• The Big Groove E3 5c - reachy crux above a nasty ledge, good call backing off as I barely made it on second!
• Cream E4 6a - Missed the crux hold, wrong size cam in the crack didn't help the chattering in the back of my head! What a route though, WOW!
• Poisoned Arrow - End of a hard day, got absolutely boxed putting good kit in, and just couldn't rest it out! 

Sport climbing was however an area of good improvement, the trip to El Chorro at Easter was a real boost to my fitness and my confidence at tackling steep, pumpy ground, on-sight. RP-ed my first 7a then on-sighted my second, yeeeha! This came about through accepting failure as a possibilty but turning it into a success as I tried to learn something from the failure and relish the fact that it simply got my mind and body more used to the higher difficulty.

In bouldering, I have not yet upped my RP grade, though have flashed a couple of problems around the V6 mark, and have been working hard to crack the V8 (Fr7c+) Left Wall Traverse, which features a powerful V6 into a longer, sustained V6. I'm getting there, but there is a lot of uncertainty still.

I also learnt some new climbing techniques during what turned out to be a wet month in North Wales; I flew off to Squamish, Canada and learnt the dark art of hand and finger jamming, something I felt to be a major weakness of mine. I now try to find jams wherever possible and am certain this will have a positive effect on my climbing in pumpy situations as I'll be able to rest effectively if there is a good crack going!

Mastering the art of good heel use feels like a sneaky bonus and one I felt pride in when I used it to flash Parisella's Original, and one night bouldering at the Barn, getting good heel positioning on a Font 6c+ crimpy rail, allowing an effortless crossover. I'm keen to use this to good effect also!

Personally, I have felt that I have become a more negative and slightly less tolerant person for some of this year, this realisation coming in Autumn time for me, these are two Character traits I wish to have nothing to do with. Luckily I saw this, and have made an effort to be more tolerant and nicer once again, lets hope its working :-). As my graduation draws ever closer, excitement and dread grow in equal measure, I know the sort of lifestyle I want to lead, but it will require bold actions to achieve, and a thick skin to ignore the nay-sayers. I have also discovered another semi-passion, running in the mountains, a great way to keep fit and just be outside on days you wouldn't like to be climbing!

Climbing highlights of this year include:

• Capital Punishment - A brilliant day, Suicide Wall Route 1, Al's new(ish) route, then this, my ascent of the year.
• Glass Arete - After my Squamish month I felt doubtful at whether I could still ride the pump, some brilliant sustained moves stretched a grin upon my face.
• La Novia - Perfect mixture of control, focus and aggression, and physically my hardest on-sight.
• E3's - Geireagle, Colossus, Astoroth, Stimulator...
• Pembroke trip in March - an E1 in the rain, The Butcher, and just nice weather and good routes.
• Squamish trip - Angel's Crest, Squamish Buttress, Seasoned in the Sun, Exasperator, Dirt-bagging!
• Failures - Cream, Poisoned Arrow, Stroll On, Hand-Jive...
• Boulder - Flashing Parisella's Original was brilliant! Chaos Emerald Crack and my Birthday boulder bash were good too.

Overall, I have felt that I have pushed myself a lot this year, failing on some hard routes, but mainly I have broadened my skill set and become a more rounded climber, from which I can push onto the next level knowing I am a fairly solid E3 leader, and have become more confident at two climbing styles I would have been very uncomfortable with in 2010. Injury has also reared its ugly head, but luckily I had found my positivity, and the 'rest' has allowed me to come out feeling just as good as before! 

I have realised that I'm a pretty good all-rounder; I'm good technically, getting fitter, and can occasionally crank out some hard moves. Yet I still feel I have plenty of improvement left, both physically and mentally, and I'm psyched to push into new ground on my newly acquired stable base.

In other news a few notable mentions;

• Chris Carroll flashing 7a+... BEAST! 
• Owain crushing his first E3's and Axle Attack in December!
• Mason doing what he thought was a new E6 on Suicide Walls and flashing 7c.
• Mikey doing a new E6 at tremadog, and still ticking Fr8a DWS and Font 8a after breaking his ankle!
• Bubbles actually getting up a new route in Peru, Alpine stylee.
• Morsey crushing Fay, Pacemaker and Break On Through in 2 days...
• Pezza soloing Oh man I gotta have a wildebeest, at E1... NICE!

Nice one guys!

2011: It's a thumbs up from me!

Stay tuned for my hopes, dreams and goals for 2012...

Out of the woods??

The woods of injury were dark and scary; wondering how long I would be out for, whether I would tweak my finger again, how much I had set myself back if I want to improve and reach new (so far unset) targets? On top of this, everyone was keen to get out but I either couldn't as they wanted to climb hard or just plain and simply didn't want to! This time of year always sees a slight drop in trad climbing psyche, the dropping temperatures and rain meaning you have to pick your crag carefully and risk getting wet halfway through a route. I absolutely love trad climbing, but once autumn sets in, I begin to feel the psyche for bouldering grow, warm and fuzzy inside me.

However, the woods weren't all dark, scary and depressing; they gave me another view into my mountainous world through fell-running. I doubt fell-running will ever be as strong a passion as rock climbing is for me, but nevertheless it is always good to keep cardiovascular fitness up, and it allows you to go into the mountains when injured or its wet and keep in touch, maybe even check out new crags you've never been to before but normally wouldn't risk wasting a good, dry day on... Plus its just good, plain fun pelting it down hills and staggering back up the other side! By no means am I the best rock climber in the world, but with fell-running I am probably far worse! Still, maybe one day I will do the Paddy Buckley Round in the beautiful Northern Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park... A tough round, with roughly 100km of distance to run, and 8,500m of ascent taking in a lot of summits along the way, all in 24 hours if you can!

Check out the stats here: http://www.gofar.eclipse.co.uk/paddybuckleyround.html

The PBR makes up the Welsh contingent of the UK's big 3: The Lake district offering the Bob Graham Round, and The Scottish Highlands offering the Charley Ramsay Round. All of a similar distance and ascent. Some nutter called Mike Hartley did all 3 back to back in 3 days, 14 hours and 20 mins... RESPECT!

However, I have been doing some climbing recently, and some of it I'm even quite chuffed with! The last weekend of October I spent most of my time working, but on the Sunday after planning a wall session it brightened up beautifully over in Ogwen Valley so housemate Ollie, Rich "McLovin" Kemble and I went for a quick session at the Milestone buttress boulders. Not much actually ticked but I tried a few things, getting close on an unnamed V6 that Kemble crushed with an almost unavoidable 'dab' on the pad. I did manage Jez's Arete a highball yet shortlived crimpy V4, which got a bit gripping on the topout! Tried a few other bits but a nice afternoon out nonetheless.

Once the week ended the weather brightened up and I headed off to the Orme with Mason, Drew and Owain. We were destined for Pill-Box Wall, a short overhanging wall on the Northern edge of the headland. However, on arrival we were greeted by shade and a very cold wind, still we warmed up and started trying Pill-Box original, V6. Drew showed us the beta, Mason managed a quick repeat, whilst Owain and I had a slightly tougher time. After Mason and Owain valiantly tried Mr Olympia, whilst me and Drew played on Pillbox Original, we decided to head down to Parisella's due to some fabled warmth...

After running down to warm up, we set up our pads below Parisella's Original, a V6 first put up by Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon back in the day. I had wanted to try this problem for a while, so suddenly got keen, especially with the amount of pads on offer! Mason stepped up and having done it before, despatched it first go, effortlessly revealing the moves for me. As nobody else had their shoes on, I thought I would have a go, expecting it to be a lot harder than Al made it look I grabbed the starting jug with both hands and jumped my feet into position. Moving my hands the way Mason had, involving a tricky crossover, I placed my right heel perfectly and stretched for the next hold... everything felt totally rubbish, but luckily I was directed into the good hold before I committed to one of the poorer ones. A hard cut-loose and a few more goey moves later, I was eye-balling the finishing jug, but could feel my strength dropping... I lunged and grabbed it, hanging there for a second to make sure I had actually finished and dropped off. Flashed! My first proper tick in the Cave and its a bloody flash! Apparently it's V6/7 but I don't believe that for a second, V5/6 more like, the holds are all good, and if you get the heel right and know where your hand is going it doesn't have many hard moves. Mason sent a V8 and a few of us had a play on the start to Left Wall Traverse, which is proper hard!

Sunday dawned bright once again, and Ollie Burrows, an Ogwen Cottage CA picked me up for a Roscolyn hit. As niether of us had been there before, it took a while to find it, but when we did it was totally sheltered from the wind and bathed in sunlight! To start we did Icarus a 2 pitch HVS, I led the easy first and Ollie the steeper 2nd pitch. We then went back in and I led Wild Rover, a brilliant little E1 5a slabby wall climb. The start was a bit bold, but the climbing was positive and open and soon enough the gear got good, and I began enjoying it. I dropped the ropes and walked back round to belay Ollie on it. Soon enough it was my turn to climb it again, it was just as good second time round! Despite racking up for Savage Sunbird, I totally wussed out and we pottered up a wet VS topping out as the sun set, so maybe lucky we didn't do the E2.

It looks like I am nearly out of the woods of injury, though looking back on it, it has given me another interesting and healthy aspect to my life, given me some rest from climbing and allowed me to crack on with some of my 3rd year work...

Then there was the BUMS Peak trip! First thing Saturday morning, Rich K picked me and Jess up from Glossop and we headed to Stanage Plantation. Rich and I then spent the rest of the day looking for dry rock, heading to Curbar, then "Burbage South" (Millstone). A few good easy problems were done but Trackside and Gorrilla Warfare were both damp/totally wet. So we headed off to somewhere new...

"Excuse me, nice lady, which bit of Burbage are we at?"

"You aren't at Burbage, you are above Millstone at Owler Tor..."

"Oh, right, woops! Thanks"

So yeah... but it all worked out good because we ended up at the Mother Cap, where Rich got on better with the Font 7b than Conan the Librarian, a tricky V4 (What the flip!?!). I got super inspired by Conan, getting pretty close to ticking it but alas it wasn't to be... I just couldn't quite latch the sloper after the small slopey crimp rail! Rich then put in a mint effort on a V6 sitter at Mother's pet but couldn't quite do the top out! We left the crag super psyched to return the next day, send our problems and then head on to Curbar for some trad...

Unfortunately after having a tame night out, we awoke to thick fog in Sheffield, so headed to the Climbing Works and bouldered our little hearts out. Not the perfect trip but not a bad one either, always good to get a good spanking!

So here endeth the lesson:

Don't rush through the woods of injury, but take the time to stop and admire the flowers and those cute little squirrels and rabbits along the way, just be careful not to rush out, as you may find yourself in deeper, darker woods... Sometimes you burn all the brighter in the sun having strolled through the woods a while...

Runaway...

Not much extreme rock to report since Rub A Dub-Dub, I'm afraid...

I had an enforced week off of climbing to let the inflammation go down, me and Bubbles went on another fell run, intending to run the Nantlle ridge, but got totally lost in Beddgelert forest. We eventually found our way to the bottom of the ridge, but niether of us could be bothered to go up into the wind and cloud, so we decided to find the most direct route back to the car for a future run.

Spent one weekend at home, in which Bubbles and I did the uber-classic HVS adventure route, Moonraker at Berry Head, Brixham. Situated in The Old Redoubt Sea-cave, the traverse through the dark depths of the cave makes the approach to Gogarth's Main Cliff look like the walk in to Stanage. Unfortunately we arrived after low-tide due to England losing the Rugby, but instead of abbing in we thought we'd chance the traverse. With the water not high enough for the higher traverse but just over the low one, we waded across. I got totally soaked by some swell, which wasn't cool. 

Traversing through the back of the Cave at an inconveniant tide!
(c) Tom Ripley

Anyway, we eventually got to the belay, and after some obligatory faffing, Tom set off up the steep, juggy 1st pitch. After much gear placing, he was at the belay, and I squelched my way up, looking along the traverse of the classic E3, Dreadnought as I passed. Next up was my 4c pitch, a bit of a corner crack followed by some traversing along the guano covered bands of rock before reaching the belay ledge I had reached on my first sea cliff route, Goddess of Gloom in September 2009. Sitting down on the palatial belay, Bubbles followed me up and got stuck into the last pitch, a steep, cornery affair, but at least the rock got less pooey the higher he got. A brilliant route, slightly marred for me by my moistness, but definitely good for the finger. I think until I feel my finger is back to health, I'll try and get the odd adventure route in every week, allowing me my fix but also to do some classics that I would normally dismiss as too easy, or esoteric.

Seconding pitch one, Dreadnought traverses out to my right.
(c) Tom Ripley

AT THE TOP! (c) Tom Ripley

For the rest of the week I spent a lot of time trying to write about a massive subject in just 600 words, eventually cutting the subject matter down, and therefore finishing the essay!

Due to a good forecast for the weekend but people wanting to climb hard; not good for finger, I went for a run in the mountains; not good for legs! I was dropped off at around 10:15 at Pen-y-Pass by Bubbles and Nikki on their way to Tremadog, and was soon dodging the hordes on the track up to Crib Goch, eventually the angle got too much for me to handle along with the rocky track, so I slowed to a quick walk, passing as many walkers as my legs would allow. Soon I was on Crib Goch's ridge for the first time, lots of people up there were looking quite gripped, so I tried to hide my haste and only pass at appropriate points, though many let me pass of their own accord, thanks to them. Lots of tomfoolery occurred, with a group using slings on spikes to allow 'spotting' (!?!?!) and a rescue by the RAF Sea King. I carried on over Crib y Ddysgl and up to the summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) for a quick sit-down and an energy gel. I also finished my water and re-filled in the Cafe, though didn't need to steal any sugar this time! The time was 11:58 exactly when I stopped, but after my break I set off down the Snowdon Ranger's Path which goes over the top of Clogwyn D'ur Arddu. I was now reversing the first run I did with Bubbles, so I went up Moel Cyngorhion, after a snickers break, back up over Foel Goch, Foel Goen and then extended it up and over Moel Eilio. Going down Moel Eilio's ridge my legs were really feeling it, and it turned out to be far steeper and difficult to run than it looks from Llanberis. I almost slipped ass over tit a few times due to my trainers being pretty well worn and it being exceedingly boggy! I eventually found my way into Llanberis and onto the high street at 14:18, so it took me around 4 hours to complete the 9.7 mile circuit.

Although not great, I haven't done much fell-running or any running really! Especially after feeling pretty ill for about a week and a half. Depressingly, I just worked out that to do the Paddy Buckley Round, a 61 mile, 24 hour fell-run around Snowdonia, I would have to slightly improve my speed as at my pace I would have completed it in around 25 hours! I need to seriously step up my hill-fitness, though I think it may be a pacing thing and complacency as I was alone. Especially if I want to do the Paddy Buckley at some point, which I think I do. However, I'm sure I can show rapid improvements if I can drag my arse out for runs around Bangor...

On Monday, after expecting a huge mass of rain to hit North Wales, I awoke to a lot of missed calls from Bubbles about going to Gogarth. I grabbed my stuff and Bubbles, Pete Graham, Matt (??) and I headed to the Holy Island in search of good times! On arrival, the wind was absolutely blasting in from the South West, rocking the car and preventing any of us from wanting to leave. All I could think was; 'I gave up a warm bed and sex for this!?'. Despite this we decided that Main Cliff might be worth a look so we shouldered bags and headed off, propelled by the winds! On arrival at the racking up spot, we looked down to see massive waves pounding into the bottom of the crag, with spray probably hitting at least 5 or 6 metres up the first pitches. With the wind still hitting the crag, the options were simple; go inside the Upper Tier on Bloody Chimney, HVS 4c, or traverse over the wildness on Cordon Bleu, HVS 5b. A wild card was introduced by Bubbles also; "Well, we could go do 'Dream' it would be wild!". As we were at the crag we decided a team ascent of Bloody Chimney would be fine sport for the day, and so racked up and headed off. Matt and I were to follow Pete and Bubbles' ascent as Bubs had done the route before. I led the first pitch which started off with jug-hauling but soon I was offwidth-ing up to the chimney entrance before "going in", which luckily offered a calmer environment than outside. A short cruxy squirm through a hole and I was with Bubbles at the belay. Matt scootled up and set off up the chimney above, whereby short crux sections led to huge chockstone ledges. Soon enough he emerged back into the wind, and I thrutched towards the light...

"Cooooeeee!" Making the final crux squirm to the belay of pitch 1.
(c) Tom Ripley

Pete chimneying towards the light...
(c) Tom Ripley

Upon resurfacing one thing became clear to me; there was a massive rain-cloud approaching over South Stack... quickly sorting the rack, I set off hoping to beat the rain. With the biggest bit of gear placed in the smallest bit of crack, the rain struck, hard and wet. Unfortunately this pitch seemed devoid of holds and so after placing a wire behind a loose flake, I committed to some thrutching, soon enough my inadequacies in this technique were shown up by the sopping rock, and I slid down to the semi-rest. I began to feel the fear rising in me as I realised I wouldn't be getting any more gear in until easier ground tantalisingly close... Luckily the rain stopped enough for the rock to not get any wetter, allowing me to evaluate my situation and utilise a different sequence and I was up! After boshing another piece of gear in, I raced to the top and bought a cold, wet Matt up. We raced to the top and back down to the racking up spot, almost being blown over, many times. Brilliant, although a warm bed and sex would have been nice, Bloody Chimney was a brilliant adventure and I'm sure we were the only people at Gogarth to do a route that day... NICE!

Returning home via Indy, I felt decidedly weak and crap, nothing new there then! The rest of the week went by with another Indy session, where I felt less shit, and trying to start new essays...

But by Thursday, a plan was hatched for Bubbles, Tom Livingstone and me to go for another fell-run. After faffing about where to run we settled on the Carneddau, and what a run it was...

One little man "running" over the Carneddau.
(c) Tom Livingstone

First we went up on to Pen yr Olen, across to Carnedd Dafydd, carried on up to Carnedd Dafydd, (which was dusted in snow!!!) and back down to Ogwen valley, via Pen y Helgi Du and a whole lot of bog! A good run of about 8.5 miles and it took us just under 3 hours thanks to Tom's pace setting, the boy is fit and has long legs!

Bubbles himself, atop Carnedd Dafydd.
(c) Tom Livingstone

Another cool thing about the run apart from the snow was getting an up-close look at the Black Ladders, one of North Wales' primo winter crags, from what I saw yesterday it would be a horrible summer crag!

The Trumphant Three!
(c) Tom Livingstone

The weather looks pretty bad for the next few days so I will be making headway into various essays...

** Cheers to Tom Ripley for the Moonraker and Bloody Chimney photos, and to Tom Livingstone for the Fell-running photos, HEROES. **

Ups, Downs and Silver-Linings.

So I am now back in Bangor, in a new house, with 2 different housemates, and apparently 300 hours of work to do for just one module...

I have been out climbing a bit though... Before Florence upped and left us for the bright lights of Chamonix, we avoided the hurricane-force winds and did a bit of  evening slate climbing; I led Plastic Soldier, a brilliant, long 6a with plastic soldiers hidden a long the way...

The next day we did A Dream of White Horses, HVS 5a... Brilliant, although being distracted when tying in, and then finding you aren't properly tied in on the rope all your gear is clipped to, isn't the best start to a route. However, the 4th pitch is absolutely sensational, big hand and foot holds, good gear and super position!

After Florence left the weather got bad for a bit and a bit of drinking was done, but it eventually dried out and I went back to Gogarth with Owain. The original plan of Aardvark into Achilles was binned for a go at The Big Groove, E3 5c. A coin toss for the crux and I win! We scramble across the base of the crag just above a wild sea, into a nice little belay position above the wild sea... Owain set's off and the sea immediately seems to start rising, and becomes more rough! Luckily I have a bit of a barrier, until a massive wave comes crashing in soaking the whole of my right leg!!! Trying to dry my right boot before the crux, I hang both boots to the belay and stand back, willing Owain to the belay... Eventually I am up with him and off onto the next pitch. Tricky moves onto a ledge above the belay see me trying to reach a big slopey hold, the only way I can reach I can't do anything with it as I'm in totally the wrong position and just above a ledge... I hand over to Owain feeling stupid. Owain gets to the belay, and I am called back to the world of the vertical and away from mesmerisation by the waves crashing into the bottom of Main Cliff. I just about do the crux moves I struggled with before, and blast up the next groove throwing a few jams in to rest on. Next up a lovely sustained 5b groove pitch, I try and climb as quickly as possible, revelling in the position... Once Owain tops out he scrambles up to the top and we coil the ropes and race up and along the top of the crag whilst being battered by the wind... Arriving back at the car as the sun sets, we headed back to bangor.

The next day, me and Mason headed to the little Orme, and more specifically, The Diamond. This is one of the best sport crags in the UK, apparently rivalling Kilnsey, Malham, Raven Tor and LPT. Me and Mase had headed down this time last year but climbed diddly squat due to rain and greasiness on the overhanging rock. This time the weather looked fair and we were surprised to find we were the first ones down there!

First off Mason onsighted Rub a Dub-Dub F7a, but took surprisingly long to work out the crux sequence! On his way down he beta-d me up for the flash, and chalked the moist holds for me. I headed up in flash mode, managing to remember the sequence quite well, which is an achievement for me! I felt a bit 'fish out of water. however, I got into it and was soon at the crux, remembering Mason's 'crossover on the slopey crimp rail' I went for it but was too pumped to get into it! I pulled back up and had a few goes but it wasn't working for me and I was fed up of flailing in front of all the Wads who had turned up so I lowered off. Up went Emma Twyford who sorted some new beta for the crux, it was also pathed by DMM reps Alex and Rob, and some other dude. However there were wads all over the shop, Caff, Gus Hudgins, Callum Muskett Jim McCormack, Pete Harrison and Tommy Channings, who was a total legend and was super sound to me, introducing himself and not making me feel like a total punter which was nice. Mase was being indecisive so he did RADD again to re-warm up and I had a Top-rope burn and managed to get the crux with the new beta. We then went to try 'Wall of the Evening Light' F7b+ but after ripping 2 holds off and it still being a total greasefest, Mase sacked it in. I got back on RADD and managed to just stay on through the crux, and rode the pump up the technically sustained wall above to a gripping clip of the chains! Wooopeee! We monkeyed up and out of the crag along the fixed lines and headed off on a night out!

Unfortunately on waking I had real bad pain in my finger and swelling in the knuckle! So definately no climbing for a week at least! :-( So instead I went to all my lectures in my first week, I have been set a lot of work this semester! After a semi-mental Rubix Cube, I headed out on a fell-run with my good mate Bubbles. Fearing absolute humiliation I was worried, but in actual fact I really enjoyed the 13 odd km run, up onto Foel Goen, across to Foel Goch and Moel Cynghorian, down and then up the ridge above Cloggy to Snowdon's summit and then down. Unfortunately, taking 20 Jelly babies isn't really enough food and so we both hit a big brick wall. With no money or food we resorted to stealing water from the disabled toilets and packets of sugar for the run down to Llanberis. We planned on going further but had absolutely no energy left. However, I'm mega keen on the fell-running especially through my injury and as a bad weather activity, definitely a silver lining to my injury cloud!! Its a good way to enjoy the mountains in a different perspective! I'm pretty psyched!

That's all Folks, keep psyched!! DC

Tears and tantrums...

Not much has been going on in my life since I left Pembroke a few weeks ago, due to my fingers feeling a bit tweeky, starting work, revision for my re-sit and feeling like a rest would do me good, I didn't climb for over a week... but instead of sitting around doing nothing I did some CV exercise interested to see what it did for my climbing. I mainly went swimming as my Dad kept going and offered to pay me in...DEAL! Now then swimming isn't my bag, in fact I feel really out of place in the water, first time in I was coughing and spluttering and only just maintaining the right to swim in the middle lane. But the next few swims, I began to feel a lot more comfortable, and even dare I say it quicker than a few others in the pool, despite my awful technique!

I also hung out with a few old friends, had a couple of BBQ's got drunk, and spent a chilled day in Exeter trying to feel less hungover... This was in fact brilliant and exactly what I wanted to do on coming home, in the past year or so, whenever I come home climbing takes a back seat for me and I focus on other things instead. Partly due to less people who are psyched to get out, also I have less time, and usually because it is either freezing cold, I'm about to go on a climbing trip, or I have just spent a load of time on a climbing bonanza.

Once a week was over I managed to convince my original partner in climb, Mr Rob Steer to accompany me to our original crag, Torbryan Quarry. On arriving, we found a party already there with quickdraws in the two routes I wanted to do! Woopee! Last year I came here and managed to flash Boogie on Down, F6c but floundered on Barney Rubble, F7a+. This year was very similar, though slightly better, I retroflashed Boogie despite being very pumped at the top, phew!

Next go up I was back on Barney, I sorted the moves with a few rests in-between and then went for the send. I felt a bit jittery but got through to the final move on the lower crux but didn't catch the hold right! Damn! But got further than last year, managed to also mess the sequence up around the penultimate bolt! Back on and I got up to the top and past the last tricky sequence! One to come back to, I feel fairly confident that a warm-up on Boogie in which I focused on getting warm not to the top, and then another go at this and it should be in the bag!

Next on the exercise agenda was a run, with my dad who runs all the time and me, who has run maybe twice in the last year? He wanted to test a 9 miler as he was 'leading' his running club on a monday evening run... "Right, ok, nine miles you say?" When he explained where we were going it didn't sound too bad and actually ran us close to home 3/4 of the way round so I could always slink off home if I wanted. The laps of Decoy Park depressed me, but despite being pitifully low on the mileage and high on the feeling of death upon entering the park, once we left I felt better and we had racked up a lot of mileage. Unfortunately a mile or so later I hit a wall, the worse thing is I couldn't see the damn thing... it was at this point my legs started screaming "STOP YOU MENTAL B*STARD!!! GO INFLICT PAIN ON YOUR FOREARMS YOU DID ENOUGH TO US ON TEN TORS PISS OFF!!!!". Fortunately dad pushed me on and I collapsed into the car, proud I had (just) kept up with my dad in his own sport, but a broken man. After 3 days of walking the 4 miles there and back to work and standing up all day my legs finally stopped screaming at me, so upon the arrival of the August Monsoon I went to the wall...

"£6.00 for bouldering entry? You are bloody kidding me!" I thought as I handed over the dollar to the wall I hate the most in a quiet little village in South Devon. (Not naming names) The poor setting and limited size meant I neglected my normal slow and steady warm-up, after a couple of hours we left dissapointed as I always am after going to that wall. In the morning I woke up to my greatest fear, pain in my fingers. I desperately searched the internet so I could self diagnose. After a good bit of reading, I reckoned on a torn pulley... it didn't seem too bad so I rested it the rest of the day, while I revised. Then the next day began icing it followed immediately by the hottest water i could stand twice a day. This was secretly a blessing in disguise as I had revision to be doing for my exam which loomed ever closer...

Exam taken, I taped up and hit the Indy as I had been told that light climbing will stimulate recovery... with nothing harder than V3 climbed and all those V3s being slopey or juggy I woke up the next day to no pain! PHEEEW!! This stimulated me to try  and begin training again on my fingerboard, endurance work so just hanging in there on different holds without touching down. Then discovered the Metolius workouts.

Another day off for my partner in climb, Rob led us on an iffy day to Meadfoot Quarry, Rob crushed the 'jugs on a slab' Diamond Rib, HS 4a. Then I got on Median Lucky a low in the grade E1 5b. Quite bold up to the crux but a reasonable peg protects the short 5b sequence. Not wishing to push my finger too hard and with Rob losing interest, we headed off for an afternoon of slack-lining, I am definately getting better, I think...

I have also kept up the running regime, though mediated it to just over 6 miles by basically losing the laps of the park... I have got my time to dead on an hour, and look forward to carrying it on in North Wales, though swimming I won't be, going round in circles is so dumb...

I ventured outside with Henry up to Dartmoor where, without a pad, we decided a session back on the 'Hidden Traverse' at Saddle Tor* would be good. At V4, I should be capable of flashing this or at least getting it in a session, but I have never done it. Perhaps when I was more in tune with Dartmoor granite I wasn't fit enough and now I am my hands get cut to pieces. Anyway the first bit isn't too hard about V2 but pumpy, all on your arms, slopers with a couple of heel-hooks. Then comes the crux, its a hard couple of moves in its own right V3(??) then a few easy moves to the end. I worked the crux a few times noting exact foot positions (often something I neglect on Redpoint), and went for the send. Got to the crux pumped rested it out for a bit but touched the hold that marks the middle of the crux. But couldn't stick it! Henry had a go and almost got the hold but couldn't quite reach! I had a few more goes arriving at the crux fairly fresh on one but couldn't quite stick it without a foot popping off! With rain and darkness closing in, we bailed. On arriving home my forearms were cooked, good training then!

Now I'm back in North Wales and a fairly hard session at the Indy and my finger still feels good, lets see what  happens... however we are currently being hit by gail force winds, it would be pretty epic on the crags of North Wales right now!

* I recently found out this is where my old Ten Tors trainer, Ivor died of a heart attack, he was a real nice guy and its a tragedy he died, RIP Ivor you are sorely missed.

Roll-up! Roll-up!

Got a few things for sale in an attempt to de-clutter...

Montane Tee gone pending payment.

5.10 Anasazi Velcro's UK 5 1/2 potentially sold.

Lowe Alpine Wicking Baselayers. Size Small, one red, one blue. Worn a bit but not much, good condition£7.50 posted each.

Blue Lowe Alpine Wicking Tee. Small. £7.50 posted

Red Lowe Alpine Wicking Tee. Small £7.50 posted.

The North Face 'Never Stop Exploring' Cotton Tee. £6 posted. Never worn. Size Small but seems more like a Medium.

TNF 'Never Stop Exploring' Tee. £6 posted. Small/Medium.

Detail on TNF Tee.

The North Face Expedition Hat. Worn a few times a few years ago... good condition and sun protection. £8. posted.

TNF Expedition Hat. £8 posted

Petzl Elios, White. Size 2. Been used but not much, some cosmetic scratches and marks, still in very good condition. Good beginner/winter Helmet. £30 posted.

Petzl Elios. Size 2. £30 posted.

Petzl Elios. Size 2. £30 posted.

That's all for now folks!