Tuesday 12 February 2008

Dusty Ropes

Well as i mentioned yesterday while posting random clips of climbing - i was going to a crag yesterday. Not for real climbing, more just to give some friends their first taste of climbing on rock. A Friend from work and her boyfriend. He had just been and bought himself some rock shoes and a harness and was hooked on climbing ever since he took a trip to the local climbing wall last week. It's wierd going climbing with total beginners after so long just climbing with Caroline or the lads from home - you kinda forget just how excited you were to be at the bottom of a seemingly sheer rock-face for the first time. You could taste the excitement! It was a perfect day, blue skies, dry rock, warm and calm. I think everyone enjoyed the couple of hours and i enjoyed just dusting off the trad rack and harness after so long and getting out into the sunshine. I think my last trad lead was Sharkbait in the burren way back in August! The climbing at Pothole quarry has never really challenged me but i think the recent focus on training and sports climbing had totally shifted my "sence of hard". We did a couple of routes, all the classics, and although i had racked up i ended up soloing most (just as well as Nath had never even seen leading before never mind belaying!). Even the E2's felt like less than a warm up and over before they began. After a slap up feed of Bacon Butties, thanks to Mez, we moved crag to the nearby Maeshafn quarry to finish up for the day. Now i like this place. Very quiet and home to some much nicer routes (including 2 very worthwhile E6's). I hadn't been back here since i sent the harder lines, probably a year and a half ago at this stage, but felt a nice familiarity walking in all the same. We just did two of the more popular vs's and called it a day - I hope they enjoyed their taste of climbing coz it was fun for me - they're repaying the favour today by taking me sailing - Gulp! or should i type Glug!? I'm not afraid of watersports but it's just not rock now is it? lets be honnest :)
It's 7:50 am right now and i've been for a run, had a shower, breckfast, Caroline has gone to work, I've tones of marking to do, a couple of Bio's to write as a favour and i'm going Sailing at 10 - Whats that i hear you thinking through the misty haze of time and distance? Go climbing? What? Where? Panytmwyn? What and work those roofs? Surley not! Alright! OK! I'll do it! Quit pressuring me! (Thanks folks - i really needed that :)) - Adios!

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