Backtrack two days and Skippy was keen to do some stuff on a bit of string at The Edge. I say keen but the truth of the matter was he simply mentioned it and then let my over excitable brain provide the necessary SYKE to do the rest really. Anyway enough about my random psychology and onto tales of power and pulling hard on big lumps of brightly coloured plastic. What-ho!
It has been ages since I have climbed indoors and while it was OK in a pulling hard on big lumps of brightly coloured plastic sort of way there is also something just a little bit masochistic about it all as well. You are crammed into an area that is too small and which contains too many people whose primary aims would appear to be getting in the way and occasionally climbing. Add to that, when you are climbing, there is often little in the way of route finding to do - all too often it is just a matter of briefly studying the next bright piece of plastic and then making the move, clip and repeat. Oh and it's too bloody hot and while this is offset to a degree by the eye candy it really doesn't outweigh the negatives. Jeez, I seem to have become a grumpy old man overnight - maybe I should get one of these bad boys!
Anyway enough grizzling - routes wise I didn't exactly push the boat out but I felt that I climbed OK - my clipping was a bit woeful but other than that I felt smooth and no real wobbles to speak of so that was pleasing. Also it seems like the required stamina is there or thereabouts again though the real test will come with progression onto a few harder routes which will highlight any weaknesses a bit more. As it was I ticked off something like a 5 to warm up (on top rope) and then did a 5, 5+, 5+ and a 6a+ all clean on lead. The 6a+ was a pretty good route actually as it had a series of tufas to negotiate and made you really work your feet and while I wouldn't have argued with 6a for it I quite happily took (soft) 6a+ for the quick ego boost.
Ego sufficiently boosted I then got on another 6a+ which proved to be a little bit more tricky - this one proved interest by the bucket load as it featured the arête and holds on both sides - really technical and a complete bitch of a crux that I failed to negotiate. I hung in for a while trying to figure out a workable sequence to get past the hard section but nothing really seemed to work so, in lieu of that, I debated about throwing a lot of power at it. That seemed even less likely to work so with the pump in my arms building rapidly, I slumped onto the rope reasoning I would much rather have some sort of crux sequence where falling off was less of a likelihood - gaylord! Eventually I cobbled something together that got me through it but I feel pretty sure that I am missing something as it felt all wrong compared to the rest of the route - something to go back to next Wednesday then. Finished off with a 5 on the 18 degree board and that was the end of that - the SYKE had been extinguished.
Popped into the Sheaf on the way back for a well deserved pint of carbs in a glass and found lots of Police milling about looking at this. Oops!
It has been ages since I have climbed indoors and while it was OK in a pulling hard on big lumps of brightly coloured plastic sort of way there is also something just a little bit masochistic about it all as well. You are crammed into an area that is too small and which contains too many people whose primary aims would appear to be getting in the way and occasionally climbing. Add to that, when you are climbing, there is often little in the way of route finding to do - all too often it is just a matter of briefly studying the next bright piece of plastic and then making the move, clip and repeat. Oh and it's too bloody hot and while this is offset to a degree by the eye candy it really doesn't outweigh the negatives. Jeez, I seem to have become a grumpy old man overnight - maybe I should get one of these bad boys!
Anyway enough grizzling - routes wise I didn't exactly push the boat out but I felt that I climbed OK - my clipping was a bit woeful but other than that I felt smooth and no real wobbles to speak of so that was pleasing. Also it seems like the required stamina is there or thereabouts again though the real test will come with progression onto a few harder routes which will highlight any weaknesses a bit more. As it was I ticked off something like a 5 to warm up (on top rope) and then did a 5, 5+, 5+ and a 6a+ all clean on lead. The 6a+ was a pretty good route actually as it had a series of tufas to negotiate and made you really work your feet and while I wouldn't have argued with 6a for it I quite happily took (soft) 6a+ for the quick ego boost.
Ego sufficiently boosted I then got on another 6a+ which proved to be a little bit more tricky - this one proved interest by the bucket load as it featured the arête and holds on both sides - really technical and a complete bitch of a crux that I failed to negotiate. I hung in for a while trying to figure out a workable sequence to get past the hard section but nothing really seemed to work so, in lieu of that, I debated about throwing a lot of power at it. That seemed even less likely to work so with the pump in my arms building rapidly, I slumped onto the rope reasoning I would much rather have some sort of crux sequence where falling off was less of a likelihood - gaylord! Eventually I cobbled something together that got me through it but I feel pretty sure that I am missing something as it felt all wrong compared to the rest of the route - something to go back to next Wednesday then. Finished off with a 5 on the 18 degree board and that was the end of that - the SYKE had been extinguished.
Popped into the Sheaf on the way back for a well deserved pint of carbs in a glass and found lots of Police milling about looking at this. Oops!
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