ok kiddywinks, it's been almost a month and I haven't posted, couple of reasons, not a great deal to report and anyways no-one much reads this save me so it's kinda just a way to record my thoughts climbing-wise....

so was down on portland on the weekend, spent a hour on Saturday morning huddled under the bouldering tarp, weird weather, walked down in bright sunshine and just as we where turning off to go down to the tank boulder (just got Christopher Columbus to do - done the reverse, don't know why I tried them that way round...) and it absolutely pissed it down... so just sat it out and then headed back to doze 'til it all dried....

afternoon was fine, went down and flashed flowers on the razor wire (6c) after some effort and a nice long rest at the final break.. then went over to work tipping the scales (7a) and got very close but split a tip.... Sian worked phat traverse (V2) for a good long while, sorted the start before I did too, and managed every move but couldn't link it.... Sunday morning was fine so went down again to try and redpoint tipping the scales but the tip opened up on my first try, got to the crux but it was too painful, hadn't warmed up my fingers properly either so a bit of a waste of time really.... went and flashed space manoeuvres (V4), well flashedish... the top just exploded out in my hand on the flash attempt and a bit more came off with me 2nd go so I think it was third time lucky.. screwed my right sacroiliac joint a bit falling, need to watch what high balling I do in future and make sure I'm able to reverse atleast a few moves if it's a jumper...

and I read all of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yesterday....

another reason for posting was I was started thinking by one of Dom's Rock On ad's which finished with the question "who has inspired you and why?"

Inspired - to inspire - verb, fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially do something creative. Firstly it brings up the very good point that climbing is a creative experience - just think about the brain racking that goes on when you're trying to dream up a sequence, and not just any sequence - a sequence that works for you, with your strengths and weaknesses - equally when you're trying to help a friend with sequence and having to adapt it to theirs.... but that's off the point, inspired, who... well lets get rid of the obvious watching the modern "heroes" of the sport doesn't fit the bill, sometimes I'm in awe of what the do and how they do it but it doesn't inspire me, I don't have that talent, I'm never gonna get a V12 in twenty minutes like Ty or climb a 9a DWS like Sharma or do any of the amazing things the stick called Dave Graham can do... sure I'll watch them amazed (and often do when it's time for a rest but I still need a fix.. actually more often when I'm injured!) but it's not in the spirit of how I define inspired.... actually maybe it should be who (and/or what) has inspired you blah etc.... the what is easy to think of and hard to put into words, for me it's a line of obvious natural beauty, example I remember the first time I ever saw not to be taken away in the flesh (or stone I guess), saw it from the road and it struck me, saw it up close and I had to do it... couldn't... way too hard for me back then but it was in the back of my mind for ages, then finally go on it and was at the top in three goes.... couldn't climb again for at least an hour the buzz of the realisation was that much... same with pete's rib at the neddyfields, saw it the first time down there and couldn't touch it but a few months later with more understanding and a couple of sessions under the belt it went... so back to the who, easy really it's people I've actually climbed with... not just seen climbing either on DVD or even in the flesh... not people I've climbed in the same places as but people I've climbed with, people who've had my back when I've need a spot, people who've got a problem before me and my ego's forced me to get back on for one last go so as not to be out done, people who haven't got a problem before I have which spurs me on to get it first, people who've given me beta, people I've given beta to, people I've belayed and who've belayed me... you get the picture the people who've really inspired me to climb are the same people who I like to think of as my friends and if that sounds soppy to you I don't give a flying monkey's whatsit because that's just the way it is.... (one last thing there is an inspiration I have in common with Dom....I had the oppertunity a while back to climb with Sam Whittaker for a day and he is without doubt the man... sponsored hero maybe but such a down to earth and enthusiastic bloke as you'd ever meet so not a friend but a guy I've climbed with and certainly a force of nature.....)

oh and 'cause I found it on the hard-drive this is a very cool picture taken by a mate of mine when he worked out in Saudi....

I'm back baby....

more with a wimper than a bang but nevermind slowly slowly

back at craggy this afternoon with the kids from school, new set of problems courtesy of the man Croxall et al (big up to Mark for his 13th place in the world cup in Italy on the weekend). Good problems pretty powerful and longer than I really like but good for working.

Finger held up ok but the core was a tad lacking, still only way to get better is train, the stuff I've been doing down on Portland are pretty balancy straight ups or two move wonders so viva la difference.........

New Portland vid is made and should be up on the interweb within the next week or so...

here comes the summer holiday.... yay for me.....

hi-de ho
not been blogging much cause not been climbing much, we'll shouldn't have been climbing much, got a jersey pull on my left ring finger... Boo.... :-( tried to go an climb sensibly within my limit indoors, no bouldering etc, ended up campusing with Justin's new 10k weight vest, looked like the bloody unibomber
anyways about a quarter of the way into a self enforced fortnight off, doing some weights and swimming but mostly just trying to get through to the end of term in one piece
might get round to putting together another portland movie next weekend.... watch this space
for now, peace out

hey ho readers... if anyone other than me bothers with this.... nevermind eh acts as a diary type thing... so wales was shelved due to the reinstatement of usual bank holiday weather, the nice people at dol peris seemed very cool about us cancelling, seems they're not surprised that the weather screws up peoples plans....
so went to portland instead with Sian (obviously) and Eve (who is actually shorter than my dear wife!). Now really I should know better than to try anything tricky, read anything above about V3 after a full days work and a two and half plus hour drive but what can I say, I'm a very slow learner... so we went to the neddyfields and whilst screwing up indian summer (got it a couple of times, it's real powerful to start, like a harder version of strawberries at curbar) managed to put a bloody (literally) hole in the tip of my right index, and re-pulled my dodgy left tricep for good measure.... cue all of the toys being throw out of the pram, man I can act like a class prat at times... (hangs head in shame)... on the bright side did colossus pretty much static... yay
Saturday morning didn't start much better for me either, half a dozen tries before sending Nu-Breed then three or four more before repeating it... then africa, found the foot placements this time but just couldn't hold the slap, dodgy tendon and tricep conspiring, big sulk again... still Sian got her boulderfield project (Rocky and Diesel V2) 2nd go, and Eve got it third go so all good there... kinda calmed down after that and went pottering on some 3's and 4's and actually had real fun, worked some of the moves on lightning strike too, can do the moves to the lip and can do the arete from standing, just the hard bit to do then... think a hold might have come off by the lip, big fresh looking scar... must ask gav next time I see him.. speaking of loosing holds the side pull on relativity seems to be on it's last legs which'll be a real shame if it dies, great problem... tried to repeat secret handshake but was just too powerful on a dodgy left arm, shame class problem that one...
Slept most of the afternoon then back to the neddyfields... mostly balancy rather than pully type problems and stayed away from the sharp stuff... good decision making that, repeated fontanel (V7 and probably worthy of the grade too, sticking your thumb under pebble size underclings seems to be a theme on the balancy stuff at neddy's) and the groove for the camera and ran a few laps on ripples, I take it all back it is a class problem, just don't even bother if it's hot!!!!
Sunday the heavens opened and basically after driving home I lounged on the sofa all afternoon trying to shift the nagging cold some delightful little urchin at school gave me just in time for half term... charming....
so what for the week, just pottering, some DIY type stuff in the kitchen, maybe an IKEA trip tomorrow (dread), some training and a trip to craggy to play on croxall's new probelms... then see if portland is dry again by the end of the week.....
peace out

Hey ho english summer rain...
looks like wales is gonna be a no go....
so portland this weekend with the sort-arse Eve!!!
guess we'll go for some boulderfield action and ultra complicated dwarf sequences...
in other news booked up to see Stef in Font in August - BIG PSYCHE
yeah yeah it'll be too hot but there's always the real shady bits
Petit Bois is number one on the hit list... La Baleine.... Big Jim.....
and as for next week in the rain, well Croxall's reseting craggy so....
been putting a few problems up on bouldr.net could end up being a really good resource

ok been a week or so.
lots going on at work, trip to north wales coming up, oh an pulled a tendon and a tricep on my weak left side so been kinda taking it easy on the bouldering front... Had a shed session last sunday which went pretty well once we got warmed up.... Sian's getting to grips with the more overhanging stuff but it's buggering her shoulders a bit so a little at a time to build up the muscle.... as for me-didn't do anything new just repeated a load of my favourite problems for about three hours which is enough...
been down craggy a bit, managed to do most of the current crop of problems, bit pissed that I did my left side in 'cause I'd have probably cleared up all the "hard problems" otherwise, oh well shit happens... did some leading on the comp' wall for a change, feels a long way so god knows what I'd be like if I went to the westway or the castle with their massive lead walls...
so this week is enforced rest, one gentle session on wednesday when I take the kids down from school, but that'll be it.... talking about school looks like I'm gonna be incharge of the climbing club from next year so hopefully I'll manage to inject a bit more umpf into it, and who knows where it'll go... a wall on school grounds??? a development squad???
So why the rest... as I said north wales next week... llanberis pass and all that, got a couple of recommendations.. croxall has sent me in the direction of the minimum on the barrel and everyone seems to rate the king of drunks.. will post a tick list before I go and we'll see how I do.... should get enough footage for another flick, gonna a hook up with alan and eve so you might see some other folks in the flick (hopefully sian if she'll let me get a camera on her again!)
gotta go, taking parents out for their birthday lunch, there's definitely been some sort shift in the balance of power, I mean.... I'm paying....

ten o'clock sunday morning and it's absolutely weeing it down outside... had half thought about going out onto the soft stuff but canned that one on friday after seeing the forecast...

just for shits and giggles here's a photo of me from a couple of weeks ago working magnetic 7a+/b at high rocks a few weekends ago.... pretty much got all the moves bar the dyno which is about half an inch off, need to get the dink so that I don't just land it, need to move off the bugger...... another project....
down craggy again friday and the problems are growing on me, think it's that featured wall that gets me, so hard to set good flowing problems on it, the array of footholds, and big ones at that, kinda makes the problems feel really unnatural, be so much better if they pulled it down and replaced it with flat panel step roofs and and undercut slap on the side... hmm might talk to Dani about that one when she gets back from bouldering in the south seas - all right for some... again the session benifitted from a good group Eve was down again and both she and Sian got their V2 project, not bad when you consider they're both v small and indoor setting doesn't account much for lack of height.... climbed a bit with Dan Gibson who is another quiet centre of positive energy (and a local hero to boot - onsighted E5 the other day which for a mere mortal is pretty damn fine achievement) and he psyched me up a couple more of the "hard" problems .... I 'm getting to think that I need an enthused positive but quiet type to climb with, it dampens the urge to throw Earl style wobblers....

what else... got an email from an ex-student the other day (which I must respond to!).. it's a real buzz to hear how the good ones are doing, kinda balances out the crap you get from day to day in a job like mine... not that there's much, it's a great thing to do-teach in a good school-but like anything....

so back to today, looks like a shed session this afternoon with the doors open and the rain coming down outside, at least the friction'll be good and maybe some friends might pop by and play who knows.....