Das rotpunkt ja?

As part of the general sport-climbing-as-training-for-greater-ranges plan this summer, I've started trying to redpoint the occasional route. Just like Steve Mclure, I've got some places where I'm running out of things to onsight, or there's nothing I can onsight, so I have to resort to redpointing to get some climbing done. I'm a sort of VS Steve Mac, yeah...

So, yeah, I've never done redpointing before, never been bothered. Flashing is infinitely more pleasurable and of course trad infinitely more pleasurable still. But in these times of need, it can fit the bill nicely. The other week was a prime example, in the last week of that grim muggy sweatathon heatwave, before of course all the summer rain came in. Far too hot to try anything remotely inspiring and worthwhile, so as The Eagles and I mused, there is nowhere better to be than dangling on the end of a rope, working something.

Of course, that working something then leads me to see potential, and get a bit into the idea, and wonder if I could actually redpoint something a bit challenging, as well as getting a little bit stronger and a little bit fitter (and a little bit tweakier in the elbow, so I'm going to have to be careful). So I've dabbled a bit more in recent weeks, the weather has encouraged this too by forcing me onto perma-dry and thus steep and hard crags. It's been kinda vaguely fun and something a bit different *shrug*.

Anyway today I did my first proper redpoint, Another Choadside Attraction at Raven Tor. Woo. Hoo.