Odd bits

I cleared out some odds and ends from some HD cards that had been building up since late last year - nothing of great quality but not worth throwing out all the same... The First problem "One for the Road" is a line Ricky cleaned and let myself, Michelle and Gaz play on. I ended up lanking it first before Gaz swooped in for the second ascent. Nice we problem and a good addition to the Scalp. The second problem is fast becoming the most popular problem in the Scalp, Michael Duffy's "Space Machine" - people often overlook the time spent cleaning and building landings for what soon become classic problems - Space Machine's landing is a constant reminder of the hard work that goes into developing new blocs - The problem gets 10 cool points for the climbing and an additional 5 just for the platform. The final problem shows James Gernon's awesome Arete, "Maniacal Laugh". This thing is a beauty! Big, proud and great climbing - I switched the camera on after the start sequence that begins in the middle of the face to the left. Once on the slab an airy traverse to the arête and then some sweet moves to the top. Rarely tried but a fantastic addition by James - one of my favourites in the area!

Lemon Sole

While driving to work last Wednesday morning I was admiring the sunshine and blue skies over Dublin from the M50. I had pads and climbing gear in the van and next thing I new I had driven straight past the Finglas exit and onto Portrane - low tide, choppy sea and a chilly breeze. I wanted to get back on Lemon Sole - this had never really appealed to me before last November when I had a play on it with Gaz during a lunch break. I fell off trying to match the highest undercut during my first session and I've been keen to get back on it ever since. Well Wednesday morning was my second session on it and after a bigger battle than I had thought I was in for I managed to match the finishing flake. Ricky's left foot beta helped with the move into the undercut but I still managed to drop matching it a few times before realising there was a positive edge right at the back of the hold! Game changer. (note: I also broke the left foothold before the send but there is still a smaller and slightly lower edge for the left foot, which I used). Great problem and worth stars I think - not too many positive, physical style mid 7's around like it that I know of. As for the grade? Probably easier for the tall - felt harder than Computer World Left (7A+), and Robots (7B). No where near as hard as Space Machine (7C). Good 7B+? Chuffed finger and shoulder are playing ball too...

Some new problems

A few weeks ago I spent a damp morning cleaning ivy, moss and dirt off a load of roadside blocks in the Scalp. Brian turned up and gave a hand and Tom swung by to talk with some cyclists. Later that week I grabbed a few hours out on the problems and they had cleaned up nicely - still a few more to do but they all require better landings or multiple spotters.

Whackbat – Start on obvious jug under roof, use two big breaks to top
Kristofferson – Start with foot jam under roof and undercut. Climb steep flakes to tricky rockover onto slab
Boggis – centre of the proud slab...
Flynnstone – The arête beside a tree
Ceramic Unicorn – centre of the face to a tricky topout in a v-groove
Maximus – the big arête on big holds (dodgey landing)
Lee of the stone – the smaller arête on smaller holds (careful up there!)
NIMH – start undercutting the block, clamp the fin to top
Nicodemus – start RH undercut, LH crimp crack. Climb the crack to flake and span to nose of prow
Tigerlilly – stand start, LH sidepull. The Sit would be a cool move
James’ Crack – the beautiful crack to prickly topout. FA James Gernon back in the day
Mr. Ages – start on hanging flake with feet in the roof. Nice holds, nice moves

 

The grades might be a bit out but the problems were quality - best ones would be Whackbat, Kristofferson, Ceramic Unicorn and Mr. Ages



New Blog

I finally got to thinking "why blog?"

The answer was fairly straight forward... Two reasons:

1 The only thing that gets me to write anything is climbing and I only really read (or am interested in)  blogs/articles about climbing - specific routes, areas, climbers etc...
2 My blog acts as a kind of climbing journal for me, which I like

So a revamp - bin the running and motivation shite and be honest with myself by bloging only when I feel I have some climbing to record

Simple!