Yes Yes Fucking Yes

As seen in the revious post myself, Wig, and Little Tom headed up to the cave on thursday to show it some love. After a bit of a delay my motorway virginity was swiftly taken from me as we headed towards shiny llandudno, conditions were looking o.k (motorway driving is boring).

On arriving for the first time ever every single hold in the cave was dry (not sticky, but you can't have everything!). Tommy had a looksie at pilgrim, and the v12 start to rockatrocity, Danny was reacquainting himself with trigger cut, and the resulting hole it makes in his knee. I warmed up a little and pulled onto Lou Ferrino, which wasn't feeling grippy, but wasn't wet at all! It felt similar to last time, falling off at the same point, I took a quick breather, to have a look at Tom working the bridge move of pilgrim (yeesh), and give Danny a spot on the ever so horizontal crux of TC. Post rest I had another go at Lou, getting the furthest I've ever got, being the first pocket, but my fingers, which are a pretty tight fit due to their sausageness anyway just weren't right. Given that this is the furthest I've ever got I decided to take a big old rest, have a bit of chocolate and give it another go in a while, and watched/spotted t'others for a bit again, getting a couple of snaps of Tom.

Next go Lou Ferrino went! Best problem I've ever done, and my first V10, I think the hours I've been putting in on the board have made a difference, as did actually resting, bloody chuffed with it I sat around with a grin like a gimp for about an hour, and then jumped on the ever so swingy 'We've a beaver' which to my great surprise I managed to send.

At this point cave legends dave Noden and Chris Davies had turned up, giving Danny some wicked beta on TC, which helped him all but send the bastard, if he hadn't been trying it for so long already I reckon it would've gone. God knows what disgusting stuff they were trying, but they both looked pretty strong, and being thoroughly nice guys chatted to us for ages about magic wood, giving us a load of helpful tipbits. Tommy meanwhile was looking pretty solid on the low low rockatrocity start, and having showed me just how easy rockatrocity can look I don't doubt he'll be dispatching the problem some time in the next couple of trips.

All in all a cracking trip, first V10, good times and good company, win all round! That's it for now, I've managed to get 6hours of ever so needed work at the pool I worked at the last couple of summers, going away next week also, possibly to get some grit done :O.

Over and out.

Training Hard + Jobless

Well, if the legends of old are to be believed then I should be a beast in no time, I'm beginning to become one of the oldest climbing clichés, just without the skills to boot! I was meant to be getting a call for an interview at a nicely located local place, but to no avail, so I began training for switzerland in earnest, having arrived at the realisation that if I do get a job, and they only offer me something full time I'm not going to be able to do things entirely according to my own chosen routine. I am going to make the most of this!

The board is looking pretty beautiful at the moment, Bob has purchased a set of the bleaustone 30degree pockets, and a system set for it, no issues with them whatsoever, in fact they're bloody amazing, I've always found that a lot of thought's gone in to everything bleaustone make, and these're no exception. I'm trying to track down some of the pinches (harder than you'd think). We've also put some good ol' broom handle on the top, meaning we could take down a few jugs to make room, and there's more home made woodies than ever, I'll get a pic up soon.

Since I last updated not much real climbing has been done considering; I've been away to visit some very rickety grandparents with the family, but managed to get a little trip to the ever-dependable cave done avec the solid that is JK, meeting Northern Ben there late one evening, where we lit up the cave with headlights, and james made a supersexy ascent of left wall, in the best frictioned conditions I've ever seen in the cave, just a shame the shadows made it impossible for him to see footholds close to ground level!

(as is traditional James made the ascent in boxers, this however didn't work for me on Lou Ferrino)

A fair few problems went down over the course of the trip some of which I'll probably have forgotten- Ben Dispatched dust kick low, I did Parisellas Roof and Lipped out (high!), James did right wall reverse into Bust Lip and Beaver Right Hand, also putting in some time whilst far from fresh on left wall high, which he and Danny both looked pretty strong on.

Heading to the cave again today with Little Tom, Danny, and Gav, not climbed with any of them in ages and looking forward to it. No idea how conditions are going to be, but it'll be good to get outdoors! I am going to take the camera, and even remember the tripod, so hopefully I'll be able to get a couple of good photos, Danny's been getting closer on trigger cut, which looks stiff as can be, so some high up horizontal gurning will be on the cards for sure :)