Stuff

Hello everyone. Sorry, no pictures today.

I've been trying to write a blog entry for a few days now, party because I have so much free time, but also because I can't seem to find the words. Blogging just doesn't do it for me anymore boohoo. But I'm told I won't remember stuff unless I keep a note but I think the time has arrived to invest in a camera. I'd like to express feelings here but I'm struggling so I guess pictures would be better because at the moment it's just words. Anyhoo...

Not much has changed it seems from this time a year ago. I have no job, no car but enough student loan left to tempt me not to bother with either of those things and go to Ceuse.

hmm...

... Anyway since arriving back in Inverness after a 10 day cruise of the med I was concerned that I was weak. This wasn't too much of a problem thanks to the amazing bathroom door frame edge. All the door frames in my house are good first joint edges but the bathroom has tiles which half the width, making it just about holdable but not too painful. Yes!

A few nights ago, I was out with Rich looking at the new "Jamie" Boulder near Farr. I read on Jamie's blog that there was a project that would only be possible if you had the strength of Macleod or Sharma. Big talk, but it got me psyched. The rock of the boulder is really nice, higher quality than Brin or Ruthven and has had a really good cleaning job. The project is pretty good too and still is a project because my foot popped when I was holding the last hold... As if this wasn't upsetting enough, further attempts wore through my tips and they started to bleed.

We then went to Ruthven. I really rate this boulder as one of the best I've been to in Britain. ok, there are lots of places I haven't been, but how many individual boulders are there that have half a dozen or so independent lines at 7a or above, good amount of quality problems below that, perfect landings, good height, really nice setting and reduced risk of midges? The rock itself only gets 6.8/10 because it's so painful... but at least it has holds!

Anyway, we added a new problem on the back wall just left of razors edge. It's another 7a+ to add to the list and is a crimpy wall thing.

Today Murdo and I headed in to the Cairngorms for some mountain trad. I've not done any of this for over a year so was pretty keen to get out, even though the crags would be probably wet.

We walked into Hell's Lum and I quickly got left behind as murdo "don't like walking up hills so just run up them" ... prick. Sure enough the crag was pretty wet but we got up an HVS which had one really good pitch (wet) and 2 vegetated pieces of... but all in the name of Mountain Trad right?

We then walked down to get a good look at the Shelterstone. It looks amazing. No, not the crag, the boulder underneath it. And all it's boulder nieghbours. Unfortunately most the amazing steep ultra classic lines are blank. But it would be an awesome place to boulder and spend a few nights at, maybe even take a trad rack, who knows? In fairness the Shelterstone crag is probably the best mountain crag I've seen and really inspiring and all that, just I seem really up for no faff climbing. At the moment at least.

Walking out, Murdo becomes a distant figure again. By a boulder, I stop for breath. Around me the sound of a roaring stream, full with melted snow. Above me, the huge crags tower, unchanged for thousands of years. hmm...