Hard Week

Phew, i had another hard week out on the crags. Wednesday was spent bolting a 20 metre line. It took me 4 hours straight to clean and bolt it. I spent hours smashing any suspicious looking bits of rock with the peg hammer until they fell off. It is a nice crag but needs a fair bit of cleaning. The next day i almost came to a sticky end trying to get to the top of a mini crag i found. I tried to get established in a easy looking gully but it was too wet and slippy so i ended up yarding up a steeper wall aping between tree branches. I ended up staring at the top with a committing move about 8 metres up. I was about to stand up on the wet footholds when i had a reality check and realised i was about to kill myself just to get to the top of a little craglet and it probably wasn't worth it. I awkwardly got my harness on and abbed off a tree, idiot! Then i took my harness off and walked to the top round the other side, idiot! Then i went to meet Norm at Three Degrees crag. I hadn't been here since that day with Robins and was keen to tick the rib project now that my skin was better. I put two bolts in my 6b+ Ivan the Responsible as it was a bit run-out then got on my route. First RP i cocked it up then i got it next go. The name is Jumbo Loving (cos we all like a bit of Jumbo Loving!) and its probably 7c. I really this route despite it not really being my style. I was pleased as i was a bit stronger than 2 weeks ago so some small progress. Just got to get the route to the right now in a month or two and all the bolted lines will be complete. Finished off with Clitoris Allsorts 7a+ which is defo a mini classic. I have continued to train at night, did a night of pull ups and two sessions on Gorgy's board which i'm really into. I haven't had any real love for overhanging bits of wood for years and it would be very handy if i got some sustained love now as this is the best way to get really strong. And if you're enjoying yourself and into the climbing it doesn't even feel like a hard slog that you have to force yourself to do. Being psyched for board climbing is basically cheating! I spose its good now because i've got so much more improvement to come to get back to normal. Motivation might be a bit harder to come by when i eventually plateau at den 7b like usual. Today i was out with Tony at my little craglet i found. Despite being fairly small i have a soft spot for this place as it is my first crag discovery. I spent hours knocking off a lot of loose blocks of the top of the crag, as i get clearing them more were revealed underneath. They weren't on the routes but you have to get the top of the crag as free of loose rock as possible to ensure the safety of others. I eyed up 3 nice little routes and Tony bolted a couple. My unspectacular little crag:


I've bolted 12 lines this year already. For those of you wondering why i've bolted so many and only climbed 5 of them well the answer is that a few of them are slightly wet (it is February after all); a few are a little to hard for my current abilties and also i want to get as much bolted as i can before the next bout of work so i don't have to spend my weekends drilling when i want to be climbing. Right time for a weekend of culture and relaxation. I've started having dreams about drilling rock so will be good to do something else!