Sunday 24 March 2013
Monday 18 March 2013
The Fat Lady Sings!
Over the last month I've been climbing outside regularly, albeit in between snow showers, but I've been really enjoying it and making progress on some new grit projects. I hope the weather plays ball over the next couple of weeks and I can finish a few things off.
We ventured over to the Bowderstone last weekend for a bit of a change and some early Spring steel sharpening...although it was a bit damp the team took a few scalps and I managed a second ascent of the Ladder Face 'classic' Fat Lady 8b (although an 'eliminate', it climbs really rather well and it don't feel like it), put up by Dan Varian in September last year. I seemed to unlock her charms fairly quickly but needless to say it nearly turned epic in the end!
After much deliberating we have had to bin our trip to Rocklands this summer, what with jobs, DIY projects and various other problems it didn't seem like a good plan...hopefully Bishop at Christmas for a couple of weeks though...keen.
Must finish with a pat on the back for Alex Barrows after his second ascent of 'Pilgrimage' aka 'The Big Link' in Parisella's Cave. Brilliant. Having watched a video of Alex's successful redpoint and having the experience of my own rather mediocre dabblings, it seems obvious that route style links with sport grades and the use of knee pads (and endless core endurance!) will be the future 'norm' in the Cave and this seems like a totally positive way to go. I think we should be a little quicker to give whole hearted plaudits in future...great effort.
We ventured over to the Bowderstone last weekend for a bit of a change and some early Spring steel sharpening...although it was a bit damp the team took a few scalps and I managed a second ascent of the Ladder Face 'classic' Fat Lady 8b (although an 'eliminate', it climbs really rather well and it don't feel like it), put up by Dan Varian in September last year. I seemed to unlock her charms fairly quickly but needless to say it nearly turned epic in the end!
After much deliberating we have had to bin our trip to Rocklands this summer, what with jobs, DIY projects and various other problems it didn't seem like a good plan...hopefully Bishop at Christmas for a couple of weeks though...keen.
Must finish with a pat on the back for Alex Barrows after his second ascent of 'Pilgrimage' aka 'The Big Link' in Parisella's Cave. Brilliant. Having watched a video of Alex's successful redpoint and having the experience of my own rather mediocre dabblings, it seems obvious that route style links with sport grades and the use of knee pads (and endless core endurance!) will be the future 'norm' in the Cave and this seems like a totally positive way to go. I think we should be a little quicker to give whole hearted plaudits in future...great effort.
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