March

Since last month, things have progressed a little. Le Tour de Technique now has a sit start thanks to Malc Smith, Le Saboteur - very good! I talked about liking the consolidated wall and I put together a colour coded topo earlier... just a bit of fun really.



It makes a change from the warm-up wall, which is quite nice...


Did the top out to Sabotage which it pretty classic on its own I reckon. Managed the cut loose section and am quite psyched... My temptation is to drop everything and get it done which I'm trying to resist with final exams coming right up!

Headed to Dumbuck where I got back on So Be It. I made it up to last year's highpoint. Limiting factors seem to be dodgy heel-hooking technique to get past the crux, power fad during crux set up and a lack of confidence, which is better than it being soaking wet. My plan is to try some of the other routes there for a bit, to try and avoid complete tunnel vision.

More Recently, Cath and I headed to Glen Lednock. I probably deserve a bit of a slagging because I spent most of my time brushing up an unclimbed wall instead of doing the classics. I just got my brush out and started cleaning, which made a good warm up. I think I started suffering from a mild case of obsessive compulsive disorder and couldn't stop cleaning and trying it - the landing was not safe! I tried to patio out the blocks underneath but they were pretty big. I could've crushed my hand if one of the blocks slipped, like that guy who had to cut his own arm off in some Utah canyon. There was this sheep that kept going BAA!! as if saying "Don't do that!". Shut up sheep. I gave up on the patio and padded the blocks as best I could.

I had one sore fall on/off the pads and rolled down the slope over a pointy rock and through a pile of sheep poo. I reckoned with myself that I was ok, and body reluctantly agreed. Eventually, I made it too the top and silently said "woo!" to myself. Then I realised there was no one around for miles, and there was a great big dam to my left. I shouted "Woo!" and got a good echo from the dam in reply. I don't usually talk to dams, however, having just spoken to my sore back and a sheep, it seemed appropriate and very pleasing. It's called "Afraid of the wave" and I don't know how hard it is.

I tried to do some other problems but made a mess of most of them: I think I topped out too soon for the tick on Breaking Wave, 7a, Tried to do a V4 dyno barefoot but had to put my shoes on, couldn't get off the ground on Reiver's Logic and Manic Stupor was a bit wet and had too much of a 'hole in the ground' feel (but would be good if it was dry). My climbing was a bit clumsy that day...

Oh yes, and I entered a doubles badminton tournament! I teamed up with this guy called Ivor who was from China. We made a good team, narrowly missing progression from the group stages by one point! That point is going to haunt me for a while yet... flip.

Uni courses are over, just 9 exams to look forward to in a months time... ug.

... flip.

February

The Start of the month was pretty good if I remember. I went through a rare psyched patch at dumby and got that lip traverse, Le Tour de Technique (must've thought I was in France). By psyched, I mean psyched for something specific, which is what was rare... Anyway, had a few sessions on somethings... I like the consolidated wall quite a lot now. I picked up litter at Dumby and found 2 umbrellas. Leaving Dumby clean as a whistle was pretty good, but the very next day there had been a party in Firestarter cave meaning more litter. That day, I tried to climb stuff but found my ankle got sore. Since then I've been playing badminton with Dan and Ping Pong with Nic, but most of all I was working at uni.

Sometimes I get really psyched to do something at dumby, like Le tour de technique, and at these times I've dropped lectures and stuff to get it done. But most of the time at Dumby I'm happy doing not much, eating scotch eggs, climbing whatever. I've no motivation to get a project because I know I won't get up it. I'm a very motivation dependant person and really struggle to force myself to do things, especially at dumby where I find it easy to take stuff for granted. But the trade off for that is when I am motivated for something it seems to go quite well. Shrug. I hope I don't regret not trying when I grow up, but hopefully I wont forget who I was just now. Message for me when I'm older: "hello, sorry I didn't really try, but I couldn't be arsed!"