Hill Strolling

Dry days- 126
Days of rain- 114

I had big plans for this weekend- the Doc was in New York, so I had 4 days to play. I had made an itinery for these 4 days which would tick 15 Munros, sleeping in the back of the Big Car and drinking beer.

Yesterday I dropped the Doc and friends at Manc Aerodrome at 6am, them popped back to pack stuff before heading North. I arrived at Glen Shee before 2pm. Buoyed up by a Tesco Cheese and Onion pasty thing (Sorry Rick) I stomped up The Cairnwell, then Carn a'Gheoidh and finally Carn Aosda. The weather was nice, I felt good and I was back at the car in 2 hours and 40 minutes. I drove towards Braemar until I spotted a nice layby, and stopped. I read 20 pages of Anna Karenina, drank 4 cans of Stella and ate a bowl of chilli I made yesterday. After this I bedded down in the boot having set the alarm for 5am.

5am came to the sound of rain. I looked out the window and decided to get another hour's sleep.

6am arrived- it was drying up, still some drizzle and mist but better. I ate some Weetabix then drove round to Inverey. After putting the Stella casns in the recycling I got going at 7am on the 8km cycle up Glen Ey. Now, I am no cyclist and my ass aches as I type. There was another guy and his dog that set off before me, although he seemed pretty quick.

It was pretty clear initially, and it took me an hour to get to the Altanour ruin. I dumped the bike and started walking. I was planning to follow the McNeish route, but as thunder was forecast later on I decided to reverse the route, so if I had to bail the remaining hills were accessible without repeating the cycle.

The stomp up Carn Bhac was hard- shin deep heather, bog and midges. I also ended up going over the summit of Cam Creagach, which needlessly added 300m of ascent. It took 90 minutes to get to Carn Bhac from the ruin, but it all looked calm at this point.

Next up was a bog march. Very tiring, sucking bog for 5km. And then it started to rain- gently at first so I put on my waterproof jacket. I took a direct line (read: miserable slog) straight up to the Beinn Iutharn Mhor ridge. At the point the heavens opened and with 60 seconds my trousers were soaked. I sprinted to the cairn where I took some shelter and put my waterproof trousers on then ate some lunch.

The guy I had seen leaving Inverey appeared at this point, going clockwise. It transpired he does mountain marathons, explains a lot. I headed down to traverse around to Carn an Righ but as I got to Mam nan Carn the torrential rain turned to hail, then rain, then hail. This I wasn't too bothered about despite being like a drowned rat. What was more of an issue was the repeated bolts of lightning hitting Cam Creagach summit. Rolls of thunder were all around and I turned tail and headed down. It was 6km back to the bike, then an ass murdering 8km back to the Big Car and the rain didn't let up for a second. The cycle back was through standing water, biut I was so wet by then it didn't matter. The cycle back was much easier than the approach, and the whole trip had taken 6 1/4 hours.

At the car I dismantled the bike and shoved it in the car, then stripped and changed. MWIS said that there would be high gales for tomorrow with difficulty walking on the hills. As it was still early, I decided to bail. I managed to get home on the remaining diesel, getting 500 miles from one tank.

So here I am drinking Stella and about to cook up the last of the chilli- may have chips this time. Then it's shower and bed.

Banking

Dry days- 124
Days of rain- 113

Today I had planned a Birthday trip to Woodwell, and I was pretty psyched to get back on Screaming Slave. Unfortunately, it was not to be as I had a phone call from ther ex this morning which resulted in me spending the day running around the banks.

I've now got a vague plan sussed for the weekend, consisting of all the Cairnwell tops plus the Macdui 3 and then Braeriach to Devil's Point. Big days, I hope my legs can deliver!!

Bumbling

Dry days- 123
Days of rain- 113

After a weekend near Matlock with The Doc and kids, we headed to Cratcliffe for an hour. The first thing I did was get stung on my arm by a wasp. I hate them.

I was feeling low on energy, everything felt hard. And it was perfect grit weather- hot, sunny and humid. I did Razor Roof second try, dropping the top on the first try. I did most of the other problems here, apart from Razor Arete. Then we had a bumble at the Clifftop Boulders and I did a few of the easier problems.

And then it was time to head back. I'm off to the Cairngorms this coming weekend, big days on the hills planned if the weather allows. Fingers crossed.

Dry days- 121
Days of rain- 113

I've finished War and Peace!!

Back Again

Dry days- 120
Days of rain- 113

I headed back to Wilton One this morning for another scout. I initially went to the Pit, failing miserably to pull onto The Postman's Daughter sitter, I can't even get my arse off the floor!! Then the midges ate me so I ran away to the Prow where there was a breeze.

I did the easier stuff again, then lost skin on Yoga For Climbers before trying it as a dyno from the first hold. This will go, tough move though as you start on small flatties with high feet- feels like you'll blast off backwards.

Once my skin was dead, I headed back to the car- but on the way I noticed a dirty arete right of Remembrance Corner and thought I'd try it. It took ages to clean but eventually it was in a condition to try. I had a go from a standing start, and latched the last move 5th go, unfortunately re-opening my flapper from the other day. Felt about font 6c, but it may be easier when properly clean. There is a sitter which I didn't try due to bleeding, so I may head back at some point. It'll go on its left too I expect.

EDIT: R-man and Binks did that arete previously. It must get dirty prettyu fast!!

Wilton from GCW on Vimeo.

Rained off

Dry days- 119
Days of rain- 113

Went to Wilton One with mr Pasty. It rained. We did Clamp and the 6b Fly variant, then it rained more so we retreated to the Snakey B wall. I did SB left Hand and Baby Fae. Then it it rained more so we left.

Bloody weather!!!!!

Ridiculous Video

Ridiculous Dyno from GCW on Vimeo.

Flappers

Dry days- 119
Days of rain- 112

I had dropped in at Brownstones on Saturday, but not a lot was dry so I ended up doing a few eliminatea on the Nexus Wall.

Today I headed back for a short session. I started off with Ridiculous Dyno, something I did ages ago but have never managed to repeat for the HD camera. It took a good while to nail it today, but the time I did it I got a good sized flapper on my little finger. I had a few goes at The Unjust Dyno, but it was too hot for any serious tries.

I had a 2 goes at Hank's Wall which now feels a lot harder due to hold loss. I couldn't even get the RH razor edge, so I'm not sure I'll be able to do this in future.

After this I dropped into Wilton One, failed on The Move and had a brief visual inspection of R-Meister's new stuff. It was a bit wet today, but looks worthy of another visit when dry.

Dyno video to follow.......

Wet Pooh Again

Dry days- 118
Days of rain- 107

R-man has returned from the antipodes, and has not hung about- he's cleaned and climbed some cool looking lines in Wilton One. I had planned to get out today but the ongoing drizzle put pay to that. Plan B was Wet Poo, and after liaising with R-man I went there for 3pm. R couldn't make it until 5, and in the end our paths didn't cross.

It was hot at the wall. Really hot. After warming up I was sweating buckets. In the end I manages to flash another V6, and got all the moves on another three of them. I did most if thebother V5s I hadn't dine already. After two hours I had to give up due to heatstroke. Not too bad a session.

The Power of Flapjack

Dry days- 117
Days of rain- 104

I met up with the Pasty King at West View after work. I got there a bit early, and as i hadn't had tea I bought and scoffed a flapjack.

When the Ginnster arrived we went about the Crush, warming uop by flashing some V0-V2 problems. Mental. Then I managed to flash 4x V5s and a V5/6, stupidly dropping a blue V6 on the flash and doing it second go.

It was all downhill from there, we did most of the stuff up to V4 and we were then pretty done in. We were inspired by 2 kids leading, must have been 8 and 12 or something, but they were zipping up 6b+ routes with no fear. Superb to see!!

CyL

Dry days- 117
Days of rain- 102

Rain today. I was going to head to Wet Poo with Doc Jnr 1, but when we arrived at 19:05 we found the wall now shuts at 19:00. Perfect. We went for a look at Longridge, which was mostly dry. Doc Jnr 1 did some stuff at the left end. I did all the moves on Kiss The Razor's Edge, one to head back for. I had one go at Bog Marine and it didn't feel far off getting the RH pocket. Then it was time for home.

May have to go back for some more failure..............

PS I'm gutted that it seems Fairy Steps access is getting a bit awkward. I had plans to nail Aeon, assholes!!!!!!!!!

W.O.F.T.

Dry days- 116
Days of rain- 101

This morning I drove to Preston and did battle with LaSCA, although to be fair they seemed OK with my completion of their 38 page form and have now told me I am allowed to work. This news was a bit double edged, as I had quite looked forward to a month of enforced workshyness, and thus more bouldering. Needless to say the Doc was pleased. As I was in Preston, and done by 11:30, I thought I'd pop to West View.

The lady on the desk cheerfully took my 6 pounds, without mention that the freestanding boards were all being reset. I've said it before but the lack of a sign and being charged full price when only a small part is available is annoying. Cracked record, I be, yes.

Aaaanyway, I did most of the problems in the cave, which was hot and crowded. After an hour I'd had enough, and had done any problems I was likely to do, so I bailed. I popped into Tesco to get some stuff for tea, I'd planned to do lamb kidneys in red wine- and got asked for ID for the bottle of red wine I was trying to buy. I was quite taken aback, as was the checkout girl when she realised I'm 34. I'll assume it must be my youthful good looks.

After this I decided to go for a run, but it was so humid and hot I opted for the shortest local route, 4.66km in 25:45 (the usual 10.9kmh average). Now I have cooled down and showered, I'm sat with a beer and about to read War and Peace, up to page 1058 now.

Skinless Wonder

Dry days- 114
Days of rain- 100

Another hot weekend. The Family Doc and I headed to Brimham yesterday. I had a look at The Lost World. I wasn't sure if the flatty out right was in, so avoided it. I was getting the lip OK with a low left smear and a right toe hook, but couldn't pull enough to then match the lip. Looking at the pics on YG, Big Frank uses a heel which wasn't possible starting the way I was. Basically I tried it RH to lip then a blind dyno to the hole, which I nearly held a few times- nearly meaning I ended up with holes in a couple of tips and subsequently filed it in the "another day" folder.

I did a fair few easy problems around the Pommel, but it was scorching so eventually we just went for a wander and a coffee.

Raining today, which means my skin has a little rest. As of Wednesday I should have some free time to get out. Also planning a weekend in Scotland to try to up the Munro numbers before starting work in September.

Oh, and there's also a dodgy pic from the Cross Bay challenge now online, credits to Boswell Photography.