012012

Currently awash in a sea of revision, not much is occuring except bouts of online procrastination, a few sit-ups and a few more house chores than usual, although, over new year I did manage a moist trip to the peak. The first day SteveR and I arrived at a wet Secret Garden, departed and ended up at plan Z:  Minus Ten wall (an everdry base to a short quarried face). The rock was dry enough, but our enthusiasm dampened, it was only after much deliberation that shoes were adorned. It felt like climbing in a cold, damp pyrex cellar. Shoe rubber became moistened with every step on the mat, so friction maintainance became the number one priority for the rest of the sesh. I mostly only managed repeats, but I did get one new 7A tick which felt very satisfying. It does seem that every problem on this wall has superb movement, yet, it could just be that in the absence of any independent problems, natural aesthesis or friction, like an eye to light, my appreciation aperture became dilated beyond usual dimensions.

Day Two: New Year's Eve and the hydrosphere is in giving mode. The plan is, Early session at The Works, and an evening of celebrating another successful orbit. The works is good fun, but a finger niggle keeps me from achieving much. Similarly, the evening was a memorable one, marred by an over zealous swig of absinthe too early in the evening. Beyond this I couldn't face anymore alcohol, and had to sit out on a night of beer/testosterone-fuelled madness.

Day Three: New Year's Day, riding on the crest of a hangover, fending it off with a shitty Weatherspoons burger and a good stint in front of the hypno-box.

Day Four: (Avoiding revision day 1) was the day I discovered that Birchen Edge has nearly as much quality to offer the boulderer as the wire wielding, weekend warrior. We (Me, Laura, Steve, Guy, Jo, James, Billy, Noakesy and Scooby) hit up a great V4-V7 curcuit including, a campussy dyno, a technical scoop, a highball roof and a lowball compression problem. It's well worth a visit if you climb around V6 and fancy a varied set of problems. See GvG's blog for a video and his account of the day:  Guy's Blog.

Day Five: (Avoiding revision day 2) 'MORE WATER!', another session at The Works materialised. This time I was going a lot better, having got used to the styles in play here and managed to get up a lot more things in a lot fewer goes. At half time we enjoyed tea and buscuits. Toodle pip.