Rise of the Crooks

Yesterday I ventured up to Crookrise with G-unit and Bammers. The weather was looking less than fantastic but the alternative was spending the day with the mother-in-law so I just asked myself "what would Les Dawson do?". Up the hill we went. I was keen to look at Jasons Roof and G was after Barry Kingsize and The Fly.
We got there and I had a blast on The Fly but discovered that the higher pocket was wet which pretty much stopped progress dead. On to Barry Kingsize, getting to the top move seemed easy but the final move to the top felt like a long way and weirdly committing. The landing is pretty good with a mat or two but there is an awkward block just back from the landing zone, you'd never hit it coming off but even so it weighs on the mind (or it weighed on my mind). Anyway several goes later and I latched the top and got stuck into the sitter. The moves on the sitter went in a few goes but the top move still felt hard. G was struggling with the top move also. It may well have been a bit damp which probably didn't help, there were short showers every couple of minutes and even though the wind was drying things quickly I guess moisture would still be present. Anyway enough excuses.

Then there was a bit of a better spell so rather than carry on with Barry Kingsize Sitter (which was rapidly eating my hands) we moved on to The Fly. Now a few years ago this would have been my thing but this visit led toa realisation. I have been entirely focussed on steep stuff of late, which has been brilliant but...
Slab technique has definitely suffered, previously I would have done this by just standing up on my feet but today I was trying to pull myself up. It didn't work, I think with a bit more time and dry, crisp conditions it would go down but it was interesting to have such a clear demonstration of how my slab technique has waned. I'm not surprised by this, or even especially upset by it, after all I'm sure with a bit of training it would come back pretty quickly. However it has been a practical confirmation of one of my theoretical musings.
Both me a G got to similar points on the Fly, neither of which were the top, onwards.

Then tried the groove left of The Fly, I don't think I'll say any more than that about this.

We trudged off to find a problem called Karjala which had been recommended to us. Managed to flash this, G seemed to have lost all SYKE at this point and despite my encouragement didn't really get his balls out for a proper go. I'd hope he'd go back and crush when the SYKE returns.

Whilst doing Karjala the weather took a serious turn for the worse, it looked set for solid rain and feeling tired we considered heading back to the car but after walking up the hill it was felt that the day should be fully milked. So we head down through the trees to Jasons Roof. I had a play on the moves as the heavens opened. I think I got most of the moves and a semi-workable sequence. It seems pretty hard to me but I think it might favour a slightly taller fellow. Keen to get back to this though as it is a quality line, it would have to be to get me back up that hill.

Finally we dropped in to Eastby to look at a Purchon dyno that G wanted to check out. It was huge, 230cm, with a poor sloper to catch at the top. We had a couple of throws each in the rain but didn't get terribly near, very timing specific I think. Looks mega though, I think it will be to far for me but I'd throw myself at it again.

Cringlebarrow

Another visit to Cringlebarrow on Tuesday. The weather was awful as I drove past Blackburn, but then it always is. Is Blackburn the wetest most depressing place in the world? However the rain was still beating down at Preston, but I kept the faith, fortune favours the hopelessly optimistic. Still raining at Lancaster, hmmm this really isn't looking good. Oh well too far gone to turn back now. As I came off the motorway there were one or two dry-ish looking spots on the road, maybe the gamble had paid off? However as I parked up and trudged up the footpath the ground was very wet, optimism was replaced with resignation to the fact that I had nothing better to do than walk up to a wet piece of rock, then walk back.
However upon arrival things didn't look that bad. The start of Curtain Call (the problem I wanted to do) was soaked but everything further right was pretty dry. So first off I worked on linking the end of Curtain Call into White Venom which is possible but quite hard and will be desperate after having done Curtain Call. The I ground upped White Venom (a three bolt sport route) which is a nice highball. Apart from the soaking wet pulling on dead tree roots top-out, yikes! So the link up of Curtain Call into White Venom is definitely on, I'm not sure if it's been done before (Greg?) but his Godskins probably did it as a training exercise at some point, then he probably did it there and back. Anyway Curtain Call is given font 8A, I think the link from Curtain Call into White Venom is probably font 7C-ish and then White Venom is Fr7b+. So in combination that would give? I dunno, a Font 8A+/B?? Or maybe a route grade would be more appropriate, but I have even less idea about them, 8b+?? Anyway I'm SYKED to try this link.
The I did Ichabod Spooklemous (sharp and painful), Discohesion SDS (soft but desperate top-out due to extreme wetness) and Revenant (hard). All good. So just a few of the routes to do here and then that will only leave the hard stuff to tick. Nice little venue, I likes it.

Cheery-bye.

Cream Tea Day (with a tiny bit of climbing)

Went to G-units this morn. We debated with great indifference about potential venues and in the end entrusted our fate to the flip fo a coin. The two venues of choice were Langdale or Silverdale and the mighty tuppence of fate chose the Dale of Lang. Onward rock warriors...
Anyway several miles up the motorway the sky was looking somewhat leaden and the cows in the adjacent fields were doing something that may or may not have indicated that rain was or wasn't either happening or about to happen, or something. Given the dampness potential we unveiled our secret stash of wisdom and bailed of the motorway early for Silverdale.
First port of call was Cringlesport. I had unfinished business here in the form of Brane Damage. On a previous session it should have gone down but fear of success (coupled with an excess of letting go) had yielded nowt but failure. After a warm up and an attempt at high altitude G-unit-icide I got my crush on. ICED LIKE PAPPA SMURF. Shamone. Then I had a play on a Gaskins special and a top secret pro-jay shhhhh. I think I've got a workable sequnce for the Gaskins but will need tres good conditions. As for the other thing, it's gonna be hard but I think do-able with plenty muchos burlificating.
Then on to Trowbarrow, where the nemesis of the crag was the poxy traverse of Red Wall. Previously the G-unit and I have both failed on this but today gravity was our friend, twas a double-doody-first-attempt-win-win-crushty-fest.
Reward CREAM TEA.
Then home, a good day.
G has footage of Brane Damage so should he upload it I'll do a likkle-linky-loo...

Ta-dah...

Brane Damage from GCW on Vimeo.

Aimless wanderings of an old fool

To climb without focus,motivation and drive is for me (in terms of getting anything done) a pretty wasteful exercise.
Went to Kilnsey on Thursday and didn't feel the SYKE. Met up with the Guru, Waffles, G-unit and J-Kay. I had half-baked plans before getting there and had failed to develop any solid aims so in the end I failed to do WYSIWYG as a warm up for failing on everything else.
Grooved Arete felt horrible conditions to me, though nobody else seemed to be struggling. Comedy felt like a goer but attempts were curtailed by a dog chasing Bammers down onto the road - not happy (me or Bammers). Hmmm, I think I have too many unfinished pieces of business at Kilnsey and I need to get focussed. But what to choose?
Comedy - I can probably do this quickly but that would be the only reason for choosing it
Metal Mickey - is very bouldery so suits me but could take a long time to link it.
Grooved Arete - isa bit too long and sustained for me, but is very good and would be good training for further route based aspirations.
Hmmmm, I think I'll probably back-burner Comedy, or have it as the reserve option should the other two be unavailable. But which of the two left should I focus on? I think I'll have a ponder...

One for all and all for one, Muskerhounds are always ready.

8:00 a.m. Thursday morning, the boss is still in bed and lard and I am eating toast watching the Muskerhounds, old-skool-eighties classics ROOL.
Yet again it's been a while. I can't remember exactly what and when has gone down but here's a brief rundown.
I've been to Kilnsey a bit, Grooved Arete is still on the list and Metal Mickey has joined it. As have a couple of other things but they're top secret so shhhhh....
Also been to Silverdale, went to Cringlesport and did a route called Discohesion (boulder problem wearing a rope really) and then failed to do Brane Damage, next time. Quite a nice bit of rock. Also went to Hutton Roof which is another nice bit of rock, did several problems/solos here including a flash of The Cause.
Heading off to Kilnsey today.
I'm really getting into this sport climbing, I'm finding it enjoyable even though I haven't really cliimbed anything yet. I'm still not tempted by any of these thirty metre stamina beasts but the extended bouldering sort of stuff is fun. I am however awful at clipping, to the extent that I am practising clipping on the board at home (how sad is that?). Another thing is the time involved in doing sport climbing, it really is a full day event to get a good session going, whereas bouldering can be done in just an hour or so. Sadly I seldom have full days free for climbing so I tend to leave the crag feeling like I should have done more. Hey-ho.
Anyway Dogtanian is about to get on board a ghost ship, sounds exciting. Until next time....