Climbing back on the wagon

So since last years font trip i've been to shipley, visited ali in spain and that was about it up until april. I then had no climbing going on up until a quick after work trip to almscliff a few weeks ago with neil from work.

It was pretty humbling - i didn't have the uummff to get up left edge - and when i tried my party piece crucifix traverse although my beta stood me in good stead i had no core strength so my belly collapsed in and i slumped to the ground... Depressing stuff.

But i loved been out and playing on the rock.. i've missed it.

I shouldn't complain but things got in the way for the next 2 weeks ( a school trip to japan being one of the things). But today i motivated to go out. I was supposed to meet Tim at Stanage for some solo/ boulder action but i decided against as my confidence is low having not climbed so soloing is sort of out for the moment and bouldering i thought would be depressing there. I went to woodhouse scar..

howls of laughter!


I went because although i have done lots of routes there i hadn't bouldered much. the conditions weer mint, crisp, dry and a nice refreshing day.

I learnt from the day a few things. How much i have relied on strength to get me up stuff. I was lacking this.  By the end of the session some normality returned and i managed a rather good V3 6a called radium arete - i climbed it 3 times trying to video it and loved every single send. Most of the other stuff i did were in the V1 and V2 5c region.

I have learnt from today that my core strength wasn't as bad as i thought previously because now its none existent.. note to self sort it out!
crimp strength does deteriorate  but thank god it doesn't disappear!

So what next. Well i plan to get my fingerboard up in a month when i get it to the new pad. I am going to try and get out once a week from now on as i think this will will start to get the blood flowing to those fingers and the muscle growing on the gut.

By the end of the winter i'd like to repeat the following

Mansons wall
Red baron
crucifix traverse
Demon wall roof.
si's arete

to get there i need to do
otley wall
dolphin belly slap
pebble wall
mansons wall
maybe virgin traverse
 oh and i  need the confidence to solo lots to get the mileage in
i'll keep adding to this list as i remember crags and problems.