Getting shut down

I like to think that everyone has a nemesis problem or two that they just can not do or have done and can not get close to doing again - it makes me feel that little bit better about my own particular nemeses.

I have done Wafery Flake at Owler Tor (Font 6a+ at a guess) in the dim and distant past but since then it has repelled me repeatedly and while I really should console myself with the fact that I did it once and therefore have no reason to do so again it just doesn't work. Sheer bloodymindedness means that I keep going back and trying it again and again and again.

So far this year I have spent two sessions on it - the first was with Northern Dave and Brokeback Beagle where both just displayed how tall they were by reaching past the "rubbish" sloper and to the good break above - bastards! I had a few goes but because the problem sits in the sun (or because it is my nemesis and is therefore fucking with my head) the "rubbish" sloper feels just that - rubbish. Hit it and then grease off - repeat till everyone else gets bored and drags me off to try Conan the Librarian instead.

Went back again on Saturday with the plan being to warm up at Owler Tor and then head off down to Secret Garden to try First Bulge - a Font 6b that I was close to sending in a session the previous time but failed on due to a tweaky bicep and some rather interesting wrist separation issues. Somewhat predictably the plan went out of the window and a siege of Wafery Flake ensued instead as the conditions are feeling better and (so the theory goes at least) the problem is there for the sending. Conditions were better it has to be said - the sloper was only mildly rubbish and I was feeling pretty good on it but still couldn't get past the move off the sloper ending up inches then millimetres then microns short of the sinker pocket. Another day without the send and therefore another trip back to try it yet again. Next time I will pack the Whites - maybe a bit of mid-sole stiffness will make the difference or maybe it won't but it can't hurt.

Broken Horse on Kicking Hill

Went to Owler Tor yesterday (or is it Over Owler Tor) for a bimble about and to try a couple of the easier lines that I haven't done yet. Upon arriving I was most surprised to find that I wasn't the only one there but instead had to share the crag with someone. Was nice seeing someone else up there - chatted for a while and gave a bit of beta for a couple of the problems with the usual caveat that I am crap and tend to make easy things hard. The crimp on Wafery Flake felt pretty bad but even had conditions been better I think I would have struggled - I have noticed lately that I am not getting any power through my legs and this is one of those problems that require it as well as the ability to pull on a poor crimp. Throw in a recurrence of a slight shoulder problem that I have had for the last month as an additional excuse and it really wasn't going down.

Having failed so miserably it would have been prudent to just bugger off home and sack off the day but instead I decided to bail to Apparent North to try and another one of my projects - the Lower Cube Traverse. Looking back it was a pretty dumb idea - here I am nursing a tweaky shoulder and trying a problem that is pretty shoulder intensive. Had a couple of goes - realised that it was not doing me any favours whatsoever and then decided to do a few old faves and then sacked it off.

Felt pretty dispirited about it all when I left - I didn't climb badly but then I wouldn't go as far as saying I climbed well either - I just felt that I hadn't achieved what I wanted to. Still the one good thing to come out of it is that I am off to see John to get the problem looked at tonight - it has been coming and going for the best part of a month now and it is time to get it resolved.