Bad Day Turned Good

A difficult weekend to get some problems done, damp sandstone is a definite no go zone. so dropping onto the Jurassic plateau just as the black cloud of doom passed over, ruined all the good work the morning sun had done, this put an even damper mood on everyone. Mike swiftly executed a back up plan and went to the Duck boulders, bagging a 7c, It's always a good idea to have a back up plan or two or maybe even five? beats sitting in a cafe sulking, It's like having a game of poker with mother nature, A challenge to find good rock in the middle of a bad forecast, to come out triumphantly climbing at the same time forgetting the earlier stress, against all the odds adding to the buzz of the days ascents.

Big thanks to Jason and Scott Wood this was one of those days, cheers

Scott on a Classic 

Sorts the head out

Steve on one of Scott's problems

Two really good problems 

Fighting Dinosaurs

Thirty problems and rising on the Plateau we have named Jurassic Park. It's a lost world of boulders and crag aretes, blissful climbing on the east coast. This will be the venue for the next meet to be held in March-April time, to showcase the amazing rock the coast has to offer. Also by then it should be well developed with problems into the upper 7s with harder projects in the 8s. Watch this space....

Jurassic Boulder Park - The Lost World from James Rennardson on Vimeo.

Mesozoic 6c, on the freshly christened 'Smith's Buttress'. A failed attempt, using the left foot was easier. 

James on a project

Magic Wood

This has been one incredible weekend, I only hope everyone else has made the most of the conditions. After a long anticipated return visit to a couple of venues, I was again blown away, some of the problems we cleaned were in mint condition, yet climbing them was very typical of the Moors, hard to work out and even harder to climb, some very hard training is needed this year, which I am very prepared to do (cue a rocky montage) 

Saturday saw nine new problems done on the coast, with various projects started, I feel now the east coast has enough bouldering to be a worthy holiday destination, something for everyone, with lots of projects.

 Also today I got my head around the 'Magic Wood', with the bonus that Steven Phelps took me to some new blocks and gave me one of the best lines I have ever done in the Moors on a 6 metre high block, thanks Steve.

Just the standing start

Broken tree, with it's own fix, like a calcification on a broken bone.

Roots like flowing lava. Trees are the lungs of the earth and their will to live is even stronger

Jurassic Blocs

It was so good to get back on the Moor today, well coast actually, the first time this year, I was nearly ready to explode, I have walked so much and seen so many blocks the lust to return to some venues blazes inside me, this was one of those places, We have named this place Jurassic Park, due to it being a isolated plateau with a rope drop into a lost world, with deer tracks and weird things nailed to trees, like spoons, brooches and old digital watches? sorry for not giving away the location, I just want to bivi there first and watch the sunrise then climb a bit more, selfish maybe? but you only live once.

James on a good highball 

Steve shows the way on the double mono finish, the landing was terrible!

Not good place to fall, should have put my armbands on

Another Christmas and as usual my pants are tight at the waist

I stuffed myself senseless over Christmas on Lanzarote, time to chill, still managed to look at some nice volcanic rock and also visited the perfect home for any boulderer, it looks like something out of a 'Bond film' built on top and underneath of a lava flow and was designed by Cesar Manrique, incredible bloke, that left an amazing legacy both culturally and ecoligically. Check out these pics (Click here to view google image link) 

Also got the first touch of rock for 2012, The conditions were unbelievable, Mike had gathered a group for a very social get together, The best way to kick off the new year, I felt like a Yorkshire Pudding but still had a good day.

First some classic Roche Abbey problems

Onto a crag in development 

Owen trying to fuel up

Making a day of it