20 Apr 2014

Magic Time

The first thing I'll say is that I'm pretty selfish, just one of many faults, but I suppose if you know your faults it can make you a better person? well sometimes.
 Lucky for me Lisa understands this selfish obsession, allowing three days of climbing bliss, getting lost in a big moorland landscape, no guides, solitude, venturing into a rediscovered unknown. 
The first stop was the edge of East Bilsdale, a place I call 'Apple Tree Rocks' you can see them from the road as you drive through the valley, a long awaited fix on some rewarding blocks with a mixed bag of features and angles. Watching the stars with hardly any light pollution on our revolving planet takes some beating.

Day two we crossed the valley to another high moorland edge with scattered anomalies, The best fluffer (A selfless spotter or cleaner of problems) in The moors. got to work cleaning some highball projects, some inspiring aretes, with a serious landings, f**k the ground up ethics here, top rope first, blimey routes, not done any for a while, inspired, it's going to happen, cheers Steve.

We made the most of the blocks below, why not, I've dug out the harness, now where are my Daddy pants.
James cranking every angle at Apple Tree Rocks
Finger cracking good
The legend gets to work
Chilling making the most of the blocks
60 minutes of working out some unusual moves,finally breeched the short but very involving roof, the left hand is not on an undercut, horrible move, yet totally satisfying.

13 Apr 2014

Inspiring

So I'm inspired, the reason why we climb is inspired by others.
It was suggested in jest that I should be surfing at my age? 45 years young soon this year. but f**k that. I'm nowhere close to the the climber that introduced me to bouldering many years ago in Kyloe woods. with his baggy shorts traversing across the crag. giving me advice on what I thought would be a ridiculous move.
So no way am I retiring, what a time we live in. a time of gobbling up such a massive resource we have.

History is is makes us what we are, to be inspired by the past without ego and enjoying the self fulfilment within a forgotten landscape.

Climb, Take the piss, have a laugh, eat a local delicacy, go somewhere new

Live to explore.