Here we go

I went back to Three Degrees of Levitation the other day to give it a belay. It now shares a belay with the project to the left that i bolted last year and tried a few times. The climbing involves long reaches on very small holds - too small for me! I might have to enlist a North Wales slatehead to do this one. I bet it turns out to be 7c+! Anyway the crag is nearing completion but i have two more lines to check out. Then we jumped ship to the latest find. Tony abbed a line and placed a bolt at the top. I had a top rope, my first climb since early November. Two months off climbing may not be unusual for a lot of people but it is a long time for me. It was nice being back on the stone, top of the route was a really nice wallclimb. At the top i transferred to the ab rope and came down checking one of the meaty lines. It was really hard to see if it would go from the ground, i placed a bolt and found a sequence that should work. Really cool route, need to bolt it all now. Crag development is hard work. Cleaning, chopping your way through vegetation and bolting all take it out of you. This day reminded me how much i like hanging out at the crag with pals. A climbing day isn't just about moving on rock. I like getting home feeling worked after being out all day.
Today i went to the Indy for my first proper climbing session. For those who don't know the Indy is a climbing wall on a military base on Anglesey and has the best indoor bouldering in North Wales. Perfect for getting back into it. It wasn't long before my feet, skin, tendons and forearms were aching! I managed a few V2s so hadn't dropped that much. I might start having a couple of months off every year to rest the body and mind. Its certainly been beneficial in getting my mojo back recently.

A World of Opportunity!

After saying in my last post that i wanted to knuckle down and tick something hard i'm not so sure now. I had been thinking about some new routes that i wanted to try and today i've been on a mission with Tony all over the shop looking at untouched white limestone. One of the reasons i like North Wales is that it isn't completely climbed out like most the English sport crags and there are still whole crags with nothing on them. Found this cool Frankenjura style bouldering cave with a handful of problems:

Theres also a meaty crag nearby with some big roofs so keen to check that out too. Then we headed down another valley full of crags and found some good stuff including some very hard looking sport climbs.

All i need now is for some expansion bolt company to sponsor me!
At least i've got plenty of reasons to start again.

I Tried to Go Climbing

I've thought about going climbing a few times recently. Almost met up with Nodder in the cave once or twice. The place has been a gopfest though and the you can't drive on the marine drive as the gate is shut. They must have shut it when the snow was here but i think its a bit cheeky keeping it shut considering people pay money for a season ticket. The cave will probably be too hard anyway.
Was thinking about what to try and do this year. I guess i'd really like to push my sport grade a little higher. I did Melanchollie (note correct spelling) in 2004 and haven't managed to do anything harder since. You can't beat progress! Unfortunately though there are not many 8b+'s to choose from in North Wales. LPT has The Walking Mussel and Wild Youth. The Walking Mussel is the most appealing option. I had a brief go on it in 2009. Its is basically a hard boulder sequence in the middle of the crag. Very nice crux involving a bony pinch and some undercuts. The route then finishes up the crack of Over the Moon. Now for anyone else trying TWM this probably wouldn't be an issue but i got totally shut down on the crack last year. I saw Smit do it with a different sequence though so should try that. So its a big IF! Got to get strong enough to crack the crux then work out the crack then link it all. I think its fair to say the odds are against me getting to this level but you might as well aim high! Its a good route thats the main thing and its usually pretty easy finding people to climb with at LPT.

Your Christmas Sermon

This is the 3rd Christmas sermon on this blog, doesn't time fly! The Sunday Sermon's were fun but they seem like ages ago now. The blogs had a quiet few months. This is because its a climbing blog and i haven't been climbing. I haven't climbed since mid November actually and no i'm not injured. I've been in a weird place motivation wise probably since September, i had been trying to get in the best shape i could for the Diamond season. After maybe 5 sessions i was going well on the route, better than last year although still getting to the same move. I had one session where i was even feeling fairly fresh up there getting there 3 times in a session. Despite this something just wasn't quite right. I felt like i was just going through the motions in order to get it done. I found myself in a strange predicament as although all i needed to do was keep going i was struggling to maintain the tunnel vision approach that was needed. The Diamond is not your standard sport crag. You're lucky to get six weeks a year there and your lucky to get good conditions more than one in three days. To do this route at this crag i needed to invest all my time and focus. I had no money, i was the poorest i'd ever been in my life. Things were just getting back on track with the missus so i needed to put some effort into that. On my return after a two week break i knew the game was up. I had lost the edge physically and this resulted in me losing the physchological battle. I was soon falling off everywhere,it was getting cold too. I resigned myself to defeat. It was bouldering season now and i knew i was weak as i'd hardly bouldered since June, it would be a hard old slog getting back into the Cave. The upshot was the desire wasn't there. I knew then i probably wouldn't climb again for a while. You need to be psyched out of your mind to climb when its so cold and i couldn't be bothered.
There has been a definite shift in my motivation in the 2nd part of this year. Like everyone i get peaks and troughs in motivation but this time it felt like a more permanent shift. I remember when i was younger i was motivated to climb on any piece of shit. I was totally obsessed and up for anything, totally mad for it. These days i can't get excited by sitting down in the mud pulling on and jumping for the top. I wish i had the same motivation as when i was younger but it is completely organic for me and can't be forced. One of the reasons that climbing has been such a big part of my life is that it has really made me feel inspired which is a completely infectious feeling. Of course i enjoy moving on rock like everyone but its the kind of drive that can stop you eating properly for a few months or make you run round the orme even though you really can't be arsed that i really crave. When the inspiration dried up i just felt a bit lost. I've been going at it for so long at the detriment of most other things i guess it was always possible that i'd end up running on fumes. I met Zippy down the Cheedale Cornice this summer, he didn't seem his normal self. He said something about things not going too well. I said "well at least you've been enjoying yourself for years". He replied something like "i've been enjoying myself too much thats the problem". And i guess this brought to the front another pressing issue. The climbing life Vs career/posessions/house/pension etc... Lots of people manage to do both obviously but we all know that to get the most out of your potential it sure does help not having a proper job. There is no right or wrong way, it is up to the individual to decide what they want from life. This is a conflict that most obsessed climbers will have to face at some point. I felt this was my time. As much as it would be nice to try and climb Liquid Ambar and travel the world i knew i didn't want to end up living in a allotment shed with nothing to my name.
I don't know when i'll start climbing again. I'm kind of dreading it as i know my base level is about font 6b so it'll be a tough old slog to get any kind of strength back. I'm looking forward to hanging out at the crag again with familiar faces. It may sound sad but climbing has felt like its given me a place in the world. I may not be finding cures for cancer etc.. but promoting the Orme is surely a worthwhile pursuit and someones got to do it! Merry Xcrement.

nutters

Fat Twat Pulls Out Wobbly Block

After years of wobbling under the bodyweight of many boulderers the wobbly block under Rockatrocity has finally fallen out. This hold gave many a disconcerting moment mid move as it used to shift position constantly. The hold is essential for In Hell, In Life, Pit of hell, Cave Life, In Heaven, The Highlife etc... Fat sport climber Bob Hickish was the man who pulled it out. I was shopping in Manchester when i got a worried text from Richie Crouch who had heard the news from Leeds. Then i heard first hand from Bob. Today i popped in to pick it up to ensure that no kid throws it over the wall. All that was left in its place was a shallow hole, it was hard to see how it had stayed in there so long. I will try and sort it out with Nodder this week. It should be ok!

Orme artefacts, original bolt from Liquid Ambar, the wobbly block, and Neil Carsons blue tat from Big Bang.

The Bearman Roams Free