Wicklow

So we moved to Wicklow and are loving it. Closer to rock, hills, trails - everything we need. Despite the on-going build of Awesome Walls picking up speed I’ve found that our new home is really firing me up to just get out every chance I get. We've had two very cool days out exploring Raven's Glen that left us with about 30 new problems cleaned and climbed. Then there was a group keen on the Scalp. Now I was never the Scalp's biggest fan. I'd only ever been a few times and always ended up climbing on the east side of the valley. Well, inspired by the psyche of the group I headed out Thursday evening to get my bearings on the west side - wow! The following day a gang assembled and began working through all the great lines. LDF, Ahab, Alison Curtis, Casbah, Dark Angle, Primer and started working a simply beautiful arête James was keen on. We couldn’t manage it so plans were hatched to return on Sunday and take advantage of a decent weather window. Sunday morning and J. H. dispatched the arête naming it Eyrie. Classic! He then went on to climb the central line on the left face and James added the obvious and highball left arête.

I suppose all this is only to be expected – I mean through an accumulation of factors I find myself in a psych super-high! Having spent two years starved of bouldering in Spain and the six years prior to that missing the craic and the potential for development in the Irish scene. Now I’m living and breathing climbing. The wall build and the rock in Wicklow have me buzzing.

To add to this for a variety of reasons I’ve neglected my general fitness over the past few months – well, really since the wedding. Now I’m surrounded by the best running I’ve ever had access to. Last night marked a landmark run. Since moving into our new place I’ve been looking up at and wanting to run up Djouce. Until yesterday I was happy to just build up the mileage – keen to claw back some fitness while avoiding being drawn into doing too much too soon and developing an injury or something. Surprisingly the running form has come back pretty quickly and last night I couldn’t resist. Once I ran through the forest I left all signs of others behind. I had the hill to myself on a beautiful evening. Just before the final climb I disturbed a herd of about 30 deer. From the summit I had clear views over Roundwood and all the way out to Howth – magic!