A VERTICAL WORLD....: One to go back for

Sunday, 10 April 2011

One to go back for

Although my love for climbing lies in the mountains and the big unknown I have recently been spending lots of time on the boulders at Portland, I'm off to Font at Easter so would like to be strong enough to at least get something from the trip. I made made my way to the cuttings again yesterday with the company of my Friends Sam and Harriet, I only met Harriet today but she is pretty cool. Sam was taking it easy today due to being beat up by is young daughter and a kettle. We done the usual warm ups on some easy V1-V2,s before heading to the Lip boulder, Harriet wanted to try "Cavity Search". a crazy double mono roof with a slap to nothing. I tried the start and managed to hold the two monos but cutting loose to move over the lip with 13 1/2 stone on my two middle fingers doesn't work, i could feel the tendons just about ready to snap as i pulled on through. I then decided to devote my time to ticking off the V2 "Petty Thief - Crouching start and the V4 " Split lip-crouching start that started from the Lip off the roof. both good problems and tough for me has I'm not to good with roofs.
we then moved on round to the bird shit boulders where Sam and Harriet and myself ticked off "Achilles Heel","The scene, revisited" and Hello Sailor.
After a spot of lunch we headed down to the GlitterGulch boulder to try "Neil Armstrong", A V6 with a hard mantle to top out, After about 50 goes each from me and Harriet I was still unable to get the route ticked, All i need to do is get the last hold for the top to stick and I should have the route done, I plan to go back as soon as I get time because I think at the start off the day when I'm not to tired i can get this route done.
Sam Showed us how to climb it, he had done it before but still a great displayed of climbing has he worked his way up the problem... He also maned to get Relativity ticked today after 8 months of trying the route. the route is only graded at V4 but after loosing a crucial hold has been known to be harder than Lightning strikes, the V7 that's next to it.... All in all another great day with great weather and great company.

Quote.......
Sam's words were: You have to climb the route twice to get the tick..... My words were: you try telling me that when I walk off the summit of the eiger after climbing its great North face...