Positive Progress

Dry days- 50
Days of rain- 40

It rained yesterday, but today it dawned misty and dried up later. I had arranged to meet the Ginnster at Cadshaw- he was keen on a Brian Jacques and I was keen to revisit Rivers of Blood low start.

The Red Wall was a little greasy, but it's such a weird place for conditions. Everything felt hard today at first, both of us performing badly. The Ginnster was trying Brian Jacques via the R-Man sequence. I had a look at this and suggested he try my dynamic method. I managed to demonstrate the move after a few goes, although I had my left foot further left than before. The Lord of the Pastry-Coated-Meat-Feasts was getting close, I think he'll be in with a good chance with this one.

I had a go at Brian Jacques from the sitter and was pleased to nail it first try- the move to the edge is one of those that is impossible until you get the knack. I played on the sitter to RoB, failing miserably trying to get the RH edge. I then tried it going up to the RH crimpy sloper first, rather than taking the LH edge first. This felt nails until my LF happened upon a tiny dink, and then I managed the move a couple of times.

I'm really psyched for this problem, it feels solid 7b and maybe harder. But it's so conditionsy it's hard to tell. It's also pretty morpho. I think it'll take some working. PastyKid is keen for a Brian Jacques rematch too, so I may end up back here a bit in the near future. Bring it on.

Negative Progress

Dry days- 49
Days of rain- 37

Today I went out with the BeardyBeast and Lard. We bumbled off to Woodwell, where there was only the three of us quite surprisingly. The edge on BOBN is very wobbly, I suspect it's not far from coming off. I had a look at Screaming Slave, which is on my list for the year. Last year I finally managed to nail the move to the lip, so I was confident that today was the tick day. But no! It felt hard, the left heel wasn't working and I never held the lip. Arse.

BeardyBeast did it with consummate ease once he worked out where to put his foot and dropped his knee enough. Git. He then got very close to doing AOSD, fingers on the jug using the jump method. You need to MTFU next time.....

We had a look at the middle section, me failing to do any moves on a damp Not Bad Dave and BeardyBeast child herding. I then failed on the last move of Whistler Direct, weird problem that it is. The it was Cream Tea time.

After refreshments (I didn't get given butter with my scone/jam/cream combo, so had to have sugar in my tea as a means of recompense) we went to Hyning Wood. We were both tired and my skin was sore, so I failed to do all the moves on the first half of Transgenics, BeardyBeast didn't seem happy on the full link either.

So there we go, the first proper Lime day of 2011. Shite. But it's the first day, so there's time yet. And the clocks have leaped forwards, so I hope to get out in the evenings.

As an aside, BeardyBeast is going to be doing private climbing tutorage so if you're as shit as me an The Ginnster then I'm sure you could pay him to make you into a rock God. Or at least give you tips on beard trimming.

Cadshaw Rematch

Dry days- 45
Days of rain- 37

I was on my way to teaching this morning but I was made very late by the M6 being busy, so ended up sacking it off as a bad plan. As nobody else was free I headed to Cadshaw for a look at one of my remaining projects. It was hot, and sunny. When I got to the Red Wall I found it was dry, but still with that greasiness that the red rock has.

I tried my sit start to the jump to the jug on the right arete, which I did from standing last year. I wasn't making much progress really. Then it struck me to try the wall directly. Brian Jacques start seated then uses the left arete to finish right again. I'd always dismissed the direct as the 2 edges are pretty rubbish and I've never managed to pull on them before. Today I managed to pull on, and the idea was there to be made reality. It took a while to get near the LH higher edge, but eventually I latched it- my feet cut loose at that point and I wasn't able to hold the edge. After a few more goes, I latched it again and then manaaged to slap my way up the rest of it. Rivers of Blood was done, I reckon 7a although it's so conditions dependant it could be a bit inaccurate. I then worked the sitter, one move stopped me but I think this will go, felt in the 7b/+ ballpark.

After this my skin was a bit ragged so I wandered off to Brownstones, which turned out to be scorching in the sun. LifeLine sitter was in poor condition and felt hard, I couldn't even pull onto Groundhog SDS so I headed to Ridiculous Dyno, which I stikll don't have on HD film. I always seem to try this on super hot days, although today I held the finish for a few seconds on my 4th try. Then I spent another half hour failing to do it. Arse. Once it made holes in my skin I gave it up and wandered home.

So I still have my original Cadshaw project to do, although it's not as pure a line as the potential sitter to RoB. I will grow some skin and head back pover sometime.

Rivers of Blood 7a, Cadshaw FA from GCW on Vimeo.

Poorly timed Precipitation

Dry days- 42
Days of rain- 37

It's been superb weather all week, but I've had stuff to do. However, today I was free and keen as mustard to get out. Speaking to Yon Bearded One last night, he suggested a meet at the Kebs which I readily agreed to. The time was set for 10:30 so I went to bed in childish expectation.

I awoke this morning to drizzle. Bastard shitting drizzle. After a conflab with BB over the medium of UKB (the GayPhone is still U/S and awaiting the insurance people to sort stuff out) I ended up heading to Wet Pooh, whilst the Beardy Beast had family duties.

I spent a pleasant 2 hours of failure, although I did the Tan V5 that I failed on in the last couple of sessions. I felt a little better today, despite the frustration with atmospheric conditions. I felt pretty battered by the end of the session, which can only be good.

After a shower and a change of clothes back home, the Doc and I headed out to look for family friendly vehicles. Basically we ended up by getting her a Volvo XC90, by part ex-ing her pride and joy soft top. I haven't broken the news to her that I can fit a lot of mats in the boot.....

After this we had a walk up to Stronstrey. David Vetter is getting pretty green again, a line lost to nature. In a way I quite like that in a way. I spent all that time creating it out of the slime, and now it returns back to the slime. What did precipitate hypertension was some fucking arse has been dry tooling there- the wall right of Cackhanded Compliment where the Tony Bland problems are is scratched to fuck. Whoever you are, don't ever let me catch you doing it again.

And breathe.....

I hope next week I can get out in the evening, I'll have to see what the Ginnster and the BeardyBeast are up to. Bring on the year of crush.

Aaaaaarrrrrggggghhhh.

Dry days- 39
Days of rain- 36

An hour spare. Wilton. Failure.

The long version is that I went to Wilton One, straight to the Snakey B wall. The place was full of fog/ mist and conditions weren't ideal. I did Baby Fae and Snakey B LH for the camera. I think the former is more font 6a+ and the latter is much easier than it used to be before holds broke- 6c maybe. I had a look at doing Snakey B Original but failed to get into the undercut due to repeatedly greasing out of it.

I tried Thulsa Doom again, finding the firsdt half OK now. Today I kept slipping out of the undercut move, it wasn't to be. I wandered to look at the Hacker etc but it was all wet so I gave it up and headed off.

Project Seige it would seem.

Tit. Field.

Dry days- 36
Days of rain- 36

Today dawned drizzly, although the MetOffice said it would dry up later. The Doc and her Boys were keen to get out so we risked a trip to Brimham, always child friendly. It drizzled a bit on the way over but the sun came out over Summerbridge.

We had a wander about, the Boys clambering everywhere. The Black Chipper Arete SDS was dry (ish), although Titfield was wet. I wandered back to the car and picked up some kit. After warming up on, erm Black Chipper Arete SDS, I managed the slap move for the first time. Progress. The next move, RH guppy on the Arete, eluded me. Then I realised I just had to push harder with the right toe. And then I did the move. I spent a while slapping away at the next move, until I rememebered I had to swap feet. And then that move was done.

So, all the moves done. I set up the HV20 for the crush. The first move, LH slap, was a formality. The next move to get the RH guppy eluded me. Close, very close in fact, but no cigar. Repeat this process for an hour, you get the idea.

Titfield Thunderbolt. After developing holes in all my LH tips, I moved to Titfield. Now, I can reach the good LH sidepull from the ground. Is that cheating? I've asked on UKB to check. ANyway, I can pull on and then muck about. I managed to get the high "crimp" a few times, but fell off swapping feet about. i think this will go (assuming the start is legit).

I'm quite psyched to get out and do stuff now.

Chalkstorms

Dry days- 33
Days of rain- 32

A run of dry weather marked a return to Wilton One this morning. I was amazed to find that now the entire graveyard overhang AND graveyard slab were coated in chalk. FFS people, there is no need!

Basically I spent an hour failing to hold the sloper on The Move, although I was even closer than last time. This is by far the most sessions on a meagre 7a, utterly nails. After that I had a look at Thulsa Doom. I managed to link into the crux of Snakey B original and was surprised that I managed the move up into the undercuts. I had the next left hand hold, then got the finishing jug.... and fell off. I swore like a trooper. It had felt OK, I had it in the bag. Failure snatched from the jaws of success. Aaaaarse. Subsequent efforts failed at the move into the undercut.

Bit of a mixed day really. Progress of sorts, but a good deal of frustration. The finger was still sore but better, so I hope when that heals I'll nail these two Wilton seiges. A long way to go for the aims for 2011. 7c? I ain't holding my breath.

Wilton One

Dry days- 29
Days of rain- 32

It was sunny this afternoon when I was off so I took myself to Wilton for a rematch. Chunks of fingertape to the injured finger seemed to do the trick, although it hurt like hell. When I arrived I was appalled by the amount of chalk caked all over the graveyard buttress, along with tick marks and fingertape on the floor. I tidied up as best as I could then moved to Snakey B wall.

I jumped on Thulsa Doom as a warm up, not the best plan as it was cold and I had forgotten the sequence. After a few goes I remembered how to do the first half, then surprised myself by getting into position for the crux move on Snakey B Original. This was a gutbuster move to pull the greasy undercut from chest level to hip level. One move better than ever, but I kept popping off the left hand undercut. Over and over. In the end I gave up on it and moved back to the graveyard.

The Move. Is this really 7a? It's a single move that is nails. Today I was closer than ever, and on a few occasions semi held the finishing hold until my foot popped. Frustrating. I even tried a left heel/ right toe combo to try to squeeze the rib, but it was super committing and also felt harder. In the end I sacked it and did some of the eliminates on the Graveyard Slab then went home.

Please don't use loads of chalk all over the place on the Graveyard area, a lot of it doesn't get soaked by the rain so it doesn't wash off so well. Let's not get into the habit of it.