Tuesday 4 October 2011

A Summer Hiatus

Good thing I remembered this blog before making a new one I suppose. Firstly, it's been ages since my last post since I basically forgot about this blog. Oops. Anyway, I think I'll take it a bit more seriously this time.

I'll start this off by documenting my latest climbing achievement! Achilles Last Stand (E2 5c/6a) at Park Nab was first climbed by Franco Cookson a few years ago and had seen at the most 2 more recorded ascents, not counting any possible top rope ascents or repeats by the same people. Me and Ferrier (Matthew Ferrier, my regular climbing partner) spotted the line on Climbonline and took a look at it at the crag, and I pretty much decided I was going to climb it. I'm pretty sure he thought the same thing. Hard to tell.

Anyway, we rigged up a top rope and after a few attempts at the trick start managed to get it down and we both got multiple clean ascents. Apparently I can climb 5c outdoors. Who knew? However, as any climber knows, top roping's a whole different beast to soloing or leading, and in this case it was going to be a solo to keep it clean.

The route itself's 7 metres up what looks basically like a blank wall. On closer inspection, however, it has a few small crimps that let you get up it, but it's important not to stray into the route next to it. Anyway, back to the story. We put off the solo until the next week, making excuses like 'my fingers hurt'. Well, I did anyway.

The next weekend we come back and have a few more top rope ascents each to check we haven't somehow forgotten the route (fat chance, I'd been thinking about it for the past week). We hadn't, luckily. Matt soloed it  first, and then it was my turn. Cripes. Nerves set in at the start, but as soon as I was on the route it all disappeared and I was at the top before I knew it. So that's what focussing is.

Anyway, since this is getting a bit too rambling, I'll stop it here. More to come at another point I'm sure, hopefully with pictures.

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