This report is to report that there is nothing to report.

Can't remember exaclty when my last blog was and how it fits in with my ongoing assault on Peak lime. It's a bit academic really as Ihaven't actually done anything since my last missive. A brief run-down of activities would be:
- Tried Caviar, found a couple of moves tricky but I think it's possible for me to do this. It does climb nicely but felt harder and more sustained than I was hoping. On a slightly seperate note Rubicon shut me down in general, I'm hoping this is just "first few visits" issues and once I've got my head round the crag and style things will flow a bit more, but for now it all feels a bit awkward and out of balance. Oh well time will tell...
- Tried Chimes, I'm fairly confident this will go down. The conditions were horrible when I tried it really hot a humid so the soler/pinch thing for the left below the lip felt horrendous. Better conditions, we'll see...
- Been out to Peel beach on the Isle of Man a couple of times with Spud. Didn't realy climb much as humidity and awkward tide times coupled with extreme heat were demotivating. But I did get a bunch of crag shots which (at some point in the next ten years) I may well turn into a topo.

Anyway now I'm stuck on the Isle of Man for a week with really tricky tidetimes making climbing pretty much impossible. So time to try some new things. Yesterday was jetskiing which was a very fun way of getting wet but I can see how its participants could be unpopular. It was interesting talking to the guy who took me out as he was also very understanding of the fact that jetskiers were widely regarded as arses. I guess the trouble is some (lots?) of them are tits, out razzing about the bay at popular beaches in the middle of summer (showing off?) rather than trying to find a quiet spot. Curiously the guy I was with and his mates are the people who go out and help boats/yachts/people/whatever that get in trouble at sea, and they use their hated jetskis to go to the aid of the haters. I guess it's like many other activities where the mass perception is skewed by a few idiots. At the end of the day most of these "extreme" (god I wish I could think of a better all encompassing term) activities could (and frequently are) quite easily enjoyed by the participants without negatively impinging non-participants. It's not so much what you do, rather whether or not you're a twat while you do it. This is applicable to climbing as much as anything else. Go forth climb and have fun, but be aware your actions affect the publics general perception of climbers as a group not just its perception of you. God save us from twats.

Anyway tonight I'm having a blast on a mountain bike. Second time and I really enjoyed it last time so should be good.

More Peak lime time.

Tuesday evening went to that Tor. Wanted to try Chimes but belay lack meant back to Staminaband, yawn. This is hard. Managed to get a link to halkway through Powerband but was as boxed as a boxed thing put in a box. Then pottered around for a bit, then tried Pump Up The Power. I've tried it once before briefly but this time it seemed to work better, I'm keen to get on this again. but maybe as a route. As a final flurry I tried Weedkiller Traverse Footless and dropped it at the end when instead of slapping for a hold I slapped for the bit of rock next to the hold, tiddley-pom...
This evening went to Rubicon and got shut down. It's all fiddly little fingery biddly-boddley nib nobs there. And painful, grrrr. Anyway Katherine was trying Caviar (and looking mighty smooth on it) and I got really SYKED to try it, but I didn't want to disrupt her Feng Shui as she seemed to be in the zone so instead made a mental note: TRY THIS ROUTE NEXT TIME. Instead I trundled round to Salar which is, as everyone says, a one move wonder. I didn't do the move, but I'm not mega SYKED for this route anyway. It was just something to try. So did nothing at Rubber-con. In an effort to ease my shame at such failure I called in to thr Tor (at 10:20PM) and t'was deserted. How novel. Anyway a quick bish bash bosh and it became apparent that whilst my fingers were feeling the Rubicon pain my arms still had the ummph to drag a weary carcass across Weedkiller Footless, so not a total waste of a session.
The heavens surely did open as I drove Macc-wards. I hope the glorious Peak lime survives this precipitation for I have but two evenings of crush remaining. Monday and Tuesday eve will see me venturing forth through Buxton again for a final onslaught. I don't think I've yet found a route that has really grabbed me, there a things I'd like to get back on and give a whirl and all that but I am a monster that feeds on passion for a problem or route. It being nice or classic or soft or whatever often isn't enough. I've got to really want to do it to do it. Maybe Caviar will be this thing.

The Tor again, surely not...

Went to the Tor Thursday evening. Planned to try Chimes but it was busy busy busy so tried Rattle and Hump instead. Didn't go well, I was trying to save myself for a Chimes attampt (that never materialised). Then messed about, then managed to do the start of Staminaband into Powerband (first time I've done this) so that was quite good. But general impression was not a lot achieved. Back on Monday then may try Rubicon on Thursday, woot woot.

Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor Tor

Went to the Tor again on Monday evening. In the absence of a chum my only option was bouldering. So got stuck into Staminaband. I think I'm making some progress but it is very slow going, I'm finding it very hard. I think the start bit (i.e. the bit that isn't Powerband) is harder than Powerband, and by a pretty significant margin. And Powerband isn't easy at the grade IMHO. The link is looking pretty tough. Having said that I think if I can get through the start (something I haven't managed yet) I will be able to link it. I'm not saying I'll do it straight away or anything just that I feel I'll be able to make progress through the second part rather than just hitting a wall beyond which I cannot progress. I still expect that last move to be a heart breaker (should I ever get there). Hey-ho.

Back there tomorrow evening with buddies this time so I'll be mostly dangling off Chimes and renewing my dislike of sport climbing. Or maybe I'll enjoy myself...

How to make friends and influence people.

On Thursday evening I ventured forth to the Tor. I'd commited to going out with a friend who rarely climbs and I knew that the Tor was pretty much the worst place in the world to take a non-obsessive climber but hey I'm a selfish twat so fuck him. Actually I was willing to go elsewhere (though undeniably keenest for the Tor) but he wasn't arsed and was happy just to get out for some fresh air, eat some biscuits and watch the world go by. So Tor it is, yay!

We were meeting Sam there but we arrived before him (he was busy waiting in traffic for an Oasis concert) so bouldering was going to be the first course of the evening. I had a notion to try Staminaband as Powerband had gone down quickly and pretty easily. I don't whether I was tired, it was bad conditions or Staminaband is brutal but I got pretty well shut down. Hummph. I think conditions were less than classic as several people appeared to be struggling but enough with the excuses already. Anyway I managed to do all the moves in isolation. Hardly cause for mass celebration though as the idea of linking them all is a waaaaaaay off. Ho-hum. Also whilst Powerband got crushed I think the last move shimmy-shankered my left hand somewhat. It's not espcially painful but feels a bit weird and weak in the palm area. Maybe Staminaband should be back burnered for now.

So by now Sam has arrived and after he has a bash at this and that we toy with the prospect of getting out ropes and harnesses. I had a vague notion of getting back on Rattle and Hump but lack of beastliness means that I am more prone to aimless wandering and pondering. Sam suggests Chimes, I laugh and inform him that it is far too long, he mentions that lowering from the lip is permitted at 8a. What? Tell me more? This is interesting. So we get on Chimes, Sam does all the moves, I do all the moves apart from a long move above the lip. I'm hoping that I'm just powered out and a fresh attempt on a new day will see the move bested. The rest of it feels pretty steady I think so maybe this will be it, my great sport objective realised. Time will tell...

Then went home and had a massive takeaway pizza and watched a shit vampire film, can life get any better than this?

Back to the Tor again this week, see you out there kids...

Busy doing nothing...

Went to Widdop on Sunday with family and the G-unit. Spud did a couple of slabs and failed to top out on Red Edge again, next time. G wandered about trundling up various bobs and bits. I didn't put my shoes on. The only thing I want to do there is Fight On Black and it was too hot (or more accurately I was too lazy to even find out if it was too hot). Then went home and had a cream tea a barbeque and cheesecake. I imagine I'm pushing twenty stone and a coronary now...

Tuesday evening I met G-bob and Chattery Sam at Longridge. It was hot, sweaty and greasy. I felt deeply uninspired. Ended up not doing any real climbing, just messing about trying to find hands-off rests and footlessing. All very entertaining and pointless I' sure. Longridge is a bit of a wierd crag. The holds are all generally good (in that they are mostly positive and/or large) but the conditions are critical. I've been a couple of times with reasonable conditions and felt SYKED to try stuff but this time it felt grim and I just lost interest. Mind you got a couple of decent looking lines to go back and try when the grease disipates.

Thursday possibly at the Tor. Debating between Staminaband and Rattle and Hump, choices schmoices....