Mixed Fortunes

Gambled with the weather forecast and went to Bowden last night. I settled down at the sheep pen boulder, sipped a beer and watched a film on my ipod. So far so good. Woke up at 5ish to the sound of light rain on my sleeping bag. When swearing didn't make it stop, I packed up and moved along the crag to the cave. I tried to get back to sleep but failed; so at 6am I was warming up on some easy problems I'd overlooked in the past. The rain had stopped and it hadn't been heavy enough to affect the rock. These were nice problems, the pick being The Crescent Flake 6a. I moved on and climbed some old favorites including Scoop Wall 6b and Lightbulb 6a. I had my eye on a slab problem called Parisenne Walkways 6c but it obviously doesn't see much traffic sitting, as it does, next to Childs Play. It was a bit dirty and the sandy nature of the rock didn't inspire the highball head required. I moved on to the more solid rock of the main crag. Stopping at His Eminence 6b, I sent this problem third go. I was pretty pleased as I failed on this last year. I went to try Cave Left Hand 6b but decided to crawl back inside my sleeping bag for a wee bit, falling asleep quickly and waking at 10ish. Once awake, I needed to warm up again so I walked to the chuffing end and climbed Guards Exit Direct 6a and Eliminate 1 6a. I tried and failed at Y-Fronts and went find a project. I settled for Captain Haddock 7a+. It was desperate but I spent a bit of time on it all the same. By this time the sky had bruised and rain was coming. I was broken but more from lack of sleep than anything else. I was back at the car for 1230. Weird to feel so broken so early! A bit devastated to only walk away with three new 6as and one new 6b. I really thought I would have a good go on the 6c slab. 

Looks like rain for the weekend so the Hells Lum chuffing mission may be cancelled. I wonder where I'll go instead!

A Seminal Moment

After a night on the beers, today was never likely to go down too well. Picked up Peter and headed to Craigmore. The midges were harsh and the bumblies were rife. Struggling with both, we sacked it off after Hebson climbed Wide Eyed (V4). 

Dumby again. After climbing the Sea Boulder circuit we tried 2HB (V3) . It's highball and none of us had our hearts in it. Hebson declared it game over so we went to Toto to try the sit start again. Peter had looked strong on this the day before and after a couple of goes today, was stood up in the crack. He fell off as soon as it became unstable. 

I had to step in with some harsh chat about crimpchimp. As harsh as it was it got him pretty riled. He soon showed us his new philosophy of trying hard and sent it the very next go, fighting when it got hard and manning up through the stand up. He was psyched. We were all psyched. There were high fives all round and a grin like I've never seen. 

So Peter has won the race to 7a. There was never really any doubt. I can't say I'm not gutted for myself but I'm so pleased for Pete. He has worked hard for this form and he deserves to go on from here and take Totality. I'm inspired to train for the same and I was pleased to make good progress on Toto Sit Start today. There has been a lot of harsh chat recently and I only take it heart because it's devestating to follow my two best friends round the country's crags two grades behind. However, they inspire me to better things and surely thats what mates are all about. 

Steve McClure, on the other hand, inspired only head shaking from the assebled locals after whipping us up into a frenzy by feigning a lead of Rhapsody and then escaping off left. We thought we were going to see something special but Steve just turned around and spunked in our faces. We left feeling dirty and used. 

Andy's Arrival

The long awaited arrival in Scotland of Bouldering Hebson was greeted without the media frenzy of Sonnie Trotter's recent visit; Hebson preferring to make his impact quietly, letting the rest of the community discover his achievements through word of mouth or the elusive V7 blog. The Hebsonic Boom had travelled up to test himself against the hard, black  heart of Scottish Bouldering, the mighty volcanic plug of Dumbarton Rock. There was much speculation amongst the locals about what projects were going to get sent; Mugsy, Pongo, Gorilla were all muted in hushed tones. Simply contemplating such ascents was unimaginable falling as they do in the V4-V6  range, top end grades at the playground of Scotland's finest. 

After the usual warm up of 10 laps of Friars Mantle (Classic V0), Team Woodwell made swift work of both Home Rule (V3) and Mestizio (V3). Things were looking good, feeling at home at such an imposing classic venue. Form is an elusive master, at times present with a hand on your shoulder, others negligently absent. Almost as fast as these test-pieces were crushed, disaster struck. 

Mugsy, at "only" V5/6, wouldn't budge. Young Gaskins threw himself at it but to no avail. Local sender Peter "10 V5s" Phillips looked strong on the opening moves, the only man to move statically to the sloper. However, with a spliff in his mouth and a can of red bull in his hand, Rosco held the swing and came really close. Although gutted it was time to move on to another national classic. 

Toto (Font 6b) went first go today. I used some better beta on the top of this probelm and cruised it for the watching masses. I was psyched! everyone had a go at the sit-start, Rosco making it look like a path and duly completing Totality (Font 7b+). A friction free masterclass if ever there was one. Again, Peter "3 V5s" Phillips looked really strong and it was sensed that this problem would fall soon. 

Next up on the menu was Pongo. It spanked us!

We moved on to Gorilla. It spanked us!

We went to the pub. It spanked us!

160 miles for a split tip and three V3s. Not bad but as we all knew, there are no giveaways at Dumbarton.

The Great Grade Debate

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose but at the end of the day a climber knows in his heart what his achievements really mean. Bouldering is an elusive game at the best of times and the generally poor application of the V and Font grading systems (both developed in specific places with those only places in mind) serves only to make ranking your achivements more difficult. 

Back at the beginning of March I reported that I'd climbed a wall problem which I had been trying for over three years. There is no decent bouldering guide for the area but the route guide gives it E2 6a. I was super psyched to climb this problem and gave it V4. I assumed that I wasn't likely to be capable of climbing more than V4 so it fitted. 

However, the new Guide to Pebble Mountaineering in Northumberland came out this week and I had a flick though it. To my surprise the problem, which is called Dog Eat Dog, gets Font 7a. I was pretty psyched to read that but I knew in my heart that I can't call myself a 7a climber - it just doesn't feel right. Didn't prevent me from noising Pete up about it! Dangerous Dave Kerr says he thinks its a classic at V5 , a bit more reasonable. 

I rely heavily on grades to monitor progress and keep moving forward. I have so much admiration for those who go out and write guidebooks, the John Watsons and Greg Chapmans of this world but the grades they put in their books could be out by two grades in either direction. The only reliable source is the incredible yorkshiregrit.com, a grade geeks wet dream. Groups of real climbers with experience of the rock type voting for grades (probably best to knock out the two extreme votes before averaging) online - magic. Anything else is purely speculation. 

When I do climb a 'proper 7a' I'll be really pleased but I will have to know it in my heart. Saying that I'd climbed 7a because I climbed Dog Eat Dog would be as bad as claiming a problem with a foot dab or a power spot - I would feel like a fraud. 

With all this in mind, I think that I can claim (as Peter would describe it) a "Sully 6c".  I have now climbed 4 6cs (Dog Eat Dog, Wide Eyed, Scoop Arete and The Snatch). Some would call these soft touches and they would probably be right but I think the are amongst the hardest things I've climbed. So I'm taking them and I dont feel like I'm cheating myself!!

CANOE believe it?

The amazing start to the Scottish summer continued this weekend and saw Team Bumble on Boats take on Loch Sunnart near Ardnamurchan. It was perhaps the perfect highland day; 25km of sunny paddling with views of seals, porpoise, golden eagle and pine marten. All topped off with a BBQ and a fire on the beach. The cottage was amazing again, thats my fourth time there and never has it disappointed. I'm struggling a bit at the moment for climbing psyche. the hour drive home from work is sapping my motivation. Think I may need to touch the grit again soon. I have also spotted a new venue which contains a decent boulder field and Rob Roy's Putting Stone an 8m giant. Think I will take a brush and a mat and take the walk after work soon.