The Bunnet Stane

Wooden Nickles, about 7B

Thanks to Jamie for these pics

These pics were taken on a really warm day at duntelchaig last week.

Since then I've been to Ruthven and repeated the Dude direct which is maybe 7B+ for taller people. Also linked "Mike's problem" from the same sit start as the big lobowski, which is worthwhile to do because it's quite a hard link to make but probably still 7a+ I think? Decided that it deserves a proper name, White Russian. If you've not seen the film The big Lobowski, then rent it from Blockbuster. It should provide entertainment as well as insight to some of the problem names... After that I tried to repeat every other problem at ruthven in the rest of the session. I was thwarted by Ged's Traverse/Crystal Maze whatever it's called and also by not knowing where Pinch Punch goes (didn't have guide). Doing this was a fun challenge for me as I had to get really psyched to do problems first go even if they were hard, or I couldn't remember them, or both. It was pretty dark before I gave up on Ged's Traverse and the midge were being a pain.

I was upset to see that the flake on the underside of the ruthven project is really creaky now and a jammed block has fallen out has the flake flexs. This leaves a good incut but I'm too scared to pull on incase it falls off. Not too sure what to do about it really.

Road Trip

Since last entry I've actually had a job. It only lasted 8 days but this is a good effort for me nonetheless, speaking to some other people, everyone found it hard to get a job this summer. Thinking about it, 8 days of work a year doesn't sound like much, but at the time it was a nightmare. I don't know how people stick at it. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that I was leaving at the end of the week...

Well, the week before the Ordeal started, I was psyched to go climbing so push-biked it out to Farr. Those who have been following the blog since it began might recall I cycled out to Brin last year... A year to recover is just about long enough. It takes that long to forget how soul destroying a journey it is. With a boulder pad, in the sun, sweat, sore ass, swear. Add to that an embarrassing number of funny looks - what? what? you're acting like you've never seen a boulder mat before? Or is it the lego hair?? - well, I suppose it was worth it, I did the project at the farr boulder, it's really cool; if anyone's reading this blog any more, you should get on it! Also, a big thanks to Jamie for doing a brilliant brush up.

Betts collection

If you look really closely at the pic you might just see a rather good effort at patching up my trousers. There was a big rip in bottom so I asked to my gran to show the ways of the needle and thread and stitched the left pocket over the torn area. My mum still wants me to throw them out.

I can't really remember what else I've been doing... I do remember doing le tour de dunty with Rich. By local standards there's some good bouldering to be had for sure, I liked The Untrained Ear, 7a, and Trenchmark, 6c, both good problems, and the possibly possible Impossible Wall. We also went to knife wound wall and got wet feet as well as humbled by the sharp, small holds.

Untrained Ear, Betts col.

Last week I spent my unemployed days on a road trip with my friends Murdo and Danny. It involved trad climbing and some sport climbing. On the first first day I met a psyched murdo and danny under a big blue sky in car park. Quickly, we made our way out to the West coast and to Tollie crags. This is where the road trip '07 began, but that's the only time I've been there. So had a lot to do as did Danny, but Murdo knew all the beta, all the gear placements, had ticked all the routes and left me wondering if he'd prefer somewhere else... But he seemed keen for Dan and I to get on Water Lily and Buena Vista, the two classics of the crag. Compared to other Trad climbs of that crag, I only found them slightly boring. Rain threatened... Murdo managed to find an E3 he hadn't climbed and Danny ditched the ropes to solo E3, he said it was brilliant fun. I took his word for it.

Murdo then took us to try an E4, Macdonald, but for him it looked difficult and he backed off. For it it looked bouldery. I went for it and did the initial boulder wall quickly enough but spent ages on the rest of the wall, trying to recover and places gear. What a fight. Staying motivated to fiddle in a wire, to rest, to find holds etc is a hard for me anyway, but I wouldn't trad climb any other way. If I want to climb hard I can go bouldering or sport climbing, it's the onsight factor that makes trad challenging and interesting. You just don't know what lies ahead.

Next day we went sport climbing. After two sessions I managed to do one move. Result! Murdo climbed ???. It rained.

Next day Danny and I were kindly dropped off at Tollie by Murdo who had some guiding to do. The weather was looking shit but soon brightened into some superb midge-less sunshine. We tried to get psyched for some trad but our routes were wet so we had a soloing trip. Soloing makes E1 much less boring, you're free to enjoy and appreciate the moves, placing gear - what that all about? This freedom was prehaps short lived, I got psyched to try an E5 called dangerous legions, a route directly up the middle of a really cool wall. I surmised I'd better rack up but tried to retain the soloing mindset. I think I'd describe it as confident, curious and worried.

It wasn't to be, I think the worry overcame me and I down climbed to some shoddy gear that held my weight as I lowered off, pumped from trying to rest and place shit mircowires on crimps. I abbed down to get the gear and, yeh, if I'd know I was 2m away from a jug, the top out and a bomber size 2 nut I maybe should've gone for it. That doesn't bother me too much, E5 onsight is something I'd love to do, but from this experience I think I've learnt you need to be absolutely confident. Placing better gear might help too...

Congrats to Danny for crushing his first E4 onsight, you looked steady all the way.

Another E1 and it was time to lazy about in the sun with an excellent apricot cake and meet back up with Murdo and back home.

Friday, I got in touch with Jamie who told me my blog has been a loss to his psyche levels recently and we headed back to knife wound wall. It was hot, shirt off psyche. Thankfully, the wall caught the shade and we had a good short session before our skin wore out. I repeated my problem from last year, had attempts at richie's new 7A, magic streets, another betts tall man sandbag. Also managed to do a obvious sit start to a problem starting at a good quartz hold which basically involving pulling really hard on a small crimp side pull for a long time until the quartz hold is in reach. I thought it was about 7B, and pushed it all the way to a highball-ish topout. I think I'll call it Wooden Nickles on account of the Eels are gooood.

So that takes us up to this weekend and although I've not done any climbing, I've had a really good time with my girlfriend. Plans for the next few weeks are few and far between, maybe get another job if I'm erm... lucky?

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...

Mull

Cartwheels

DWS on Erraid - amazing!!

Bouldering at Fidden beach - I've not been to portlethen though imagine it to be something like this...

Cool basalt wall near Loch Buie: holds? maybe...

Barefoot climbing at Fionnphort.

Went with on a road trip/holiday with cath to Mull. It was a really relaxing time which was good after exams. Had a couple of days at fidden campsite and and 2 nights at loch buie. Did some really cool bouldering though midgeys ate me some of the time though not too bad. DWS at erraid was really cool. The wall doesn't look too intimidating from the beach but as soon as I went over to the top of the crag it seemed a lot bigger. so was pretty nervous about falling in, it's a long way to the beach... Went for Brine Shine which was amazing really but I made a desperate bit for safety at the top and wriggled into the horizontal crack you can see in the pic and unfortunatley got stuck. Some 10mins of squirming later and I was very glad to top out. However I was not glad to have scratches all over so did not want to rub salt in my wounds (cringe) and the next line!

So pretty good trip just looking forward to summer now. dunno exactly what im doing though hopefully involve DWS and mountain trad (roadtrip!!!!)

Magic Wood

Danny on a 7a traverse

Hohendrausch - a great problem

Alpine conditions

Ben on his project - Jacks broken heart

Chris on a 7a

Swimming here was not a good idea

Melted snow/poor substitute for a shower

Nice hair - project denied

c-c-cold....

Supernova - amazing
Warmth of a fire... greatly appreciated!

Photos thanks very much to Stew and Ben

Just got back from Magic Wood a couple of days ago. It's such an amazing place, really beautiful and everything from trying so hard on a project to simply chilling out by the river seems easy, you can do whatever inspires you. The main feature of the trip was lots of snow, and freezing temps. Waking up with shoes frozen solid seemed funny at first but the novelty quickly wore out as they thawed and another pair of socks were soaked. But the cold also meant mint friction, the snow meant getting around was a something of a winter mountaineering experience, so what worked best was to get stuck into some projects for the week. For me, I was keen to do Supernova, which is a slopey ramp/roof feature. I think throwing for slopers/heel hooks/roofs are a my weaknesses on account of there is nothing like that at the Inverness Wall where I learnt to climb. I really struggled with the boulder and it became a mental test more than anything towards the end but managed to keep cool and climb it on my last day.

Another project was Piranja. This was much more my bag, slightly overhanging crimp fest! You gotta love it... Welll - I did, and got my first 7C+.

Octapussy is an 8A that ben did last year, I tried that for a few days but upsidedown heelhooking slaps again proved tough but this time too tough - one to come back for.

Other amazing climbs that really inspired me were Blown Away which is beautiful rising ramp feature on a 50 degree boulder the size of a house... Hohenrausch, a perfect face with a highball feel and an amazing crimpy sequence.

The bouldering there seems to just get better and better the harder you're climbing which is just so inspiring - the stuff around 7B is incredible anyway...

New Shoes?

"Put your new shoes on" - V9

Ruthven thing

I'm back up the road in Inverness for the weekend and this means trying to... sort of settle the score with some climbs that have been nagging me at Brin and Ruthven. Being in Glasgow most the time I end up getting really motivated for the stuff up here not just because there's some excellent problems up here but also because I don't get much chance to try them. When I do, it feels like a real privilege and I get very psyched... It's good fun haha..

Well murdo is recovering from his back injury, luckily he can still drive and was kind enough to give me a lift. I don't like taking advantage of cripples normally but he said he gets fed up at home and was up for spending a day at the crag.

We went to brin and Murdo seemed impressed with some of the problems. I was very keen to do Ben's problem from last year, New Shoes, so just headed straight to that after showing Murdo around a bit. After maybe an hour I eventually managed to keep my heel on, cut loose, and enjoy the very funky finishing moves. Tried Richie's new problem the Scientist but its desperate... definate tall mans problem.

Went to Ruthven to try a problem that I've been trying for ages but, after splitting 2 tips, gave up... It's hard.

The Inspiring words of "Stone Play"

The flat was generously given a copy of Stone Country's "Stone Play" and, as I was heading to Dumby solo once again, I decided to read it in the train.

I wasn't sure what I'd think of it... I think John said once that it was "more waffle" but I really liked it. over the past year I think bouldering has become my main focus in climbing so its interesting to read a book like this and see written down things that I had picked up on but not had the wisdom or vocabuary to write like that. So... pretty cool.

Inspired by such creative writing and really nice pictures I joined Michael on Silverback. 7C's are finally becoming more straight forward but I'd been trying this problem for ages and a definate barrier to overcome. To be honest, when I did it, it felt kinda easy and left me wondering what I'd been doing wrong... Pretty good to get it - chuffed.

Then I saw the 1990 trav was well chalked up so went for the flash but fell off. So spent couple of tries getting the moves and got through the hard climbing first go after that... but I didn't know where to finish so shouted down to danny who had his guide at the Sea Boulder and he said that it finished up 2HB, a problem which I hadn't done since my first day at D-bart (to keep in the nu skool hip lingo) but luckily topped it in belly flop stylee.

Anyway, another good day but this blog... I duno if I can be arsed anymore. It's not as fun really... But achh... I don't seem to care much for it...