Sunday 14 December 2008

NOT DEAD YET!


Moved to Llangollen - nearest 8b sports route is 5 mins from my flat, i can hear the river, see the hills and the castle and smell the rock from my room!


Been climbing indoors regularly for the first time in 5 years? Feels good!


Had my first day out on Grit - toproped Kaluza Klein, E7 6c at Robin Hood's Stride and End of the Affair E8 6c at Curbar - both in the Peak District, both Dawes routes and both from Hard Grit - and both were surprisingly easy to figure out and work - managed around 6 clean, slack topropes on both routes before the meager winter daylight faded and we had to leave - Now they've been in my mind a few days i'm ready for the leads... With all the media hype about E8's and 9's being ground-up'ed lately it's easy to forget the seriousness of these routes and the difficulty! That day on grit was eye opening for me and also inspirational - i know i would have never been able to even hold the holds a few months ago - never mind consider leading these routes! I'm mega psyched!!!! For training, bouldering, hard trad headpoints.... the lot! Respect to Eddie B. and Ricky B. for their leads of End of the Affair b.t.w! Legends! hope mine goes as smoothly :)


Got a fingerboard


Sculpted my first ever climbing hold that is gonna be moulded and made in north wales the other day while off work sick... sweet sloper action!


Neal is off in Thai land - about to start his send fest no doubt - Good - it'll keep me psyched throught the winter :)


Will post more and more regularly again - promise :)

3 comments:

Stephen Mc Gowan said...

Good to hear some news from ya again. I was wondering what had happened to you.

Good to hear that you're back looking at a bit of trad...some awesome looking routes too. Good luck with ticking them off...then what about a trip over here for a look at Ricky's new crazy dyno route.....your love of dynos is infamous after all :P

Have you seem consumed? A funny ascent of Kaluza Klien, in the rain, in that one...when the climber almost slips as he's going for the last wet hold one of his friends filming shouts over "You're mad, I'm never going climbing with you again!"

Unknown said...

Haa! Nope, not seen consumed yet... It's a good one alright. my last trad lead was Yukon II a few months back so need to get my head right before getting on sharp end - saying that Kaluza is first on the list now - I'll wait for a dry day though :)
Am bullin to get up to the head and maybe the mournes... Hmmmm

Wasatch Girl said...

Welcome back, Dave! I am psyched about the hold you just molded. Are you going to post up pics online?