Crushing at Cambusbarron.

Just managed to do the hardest boulder problem I've ever done, Monkey Spanking:



11 hours
6 days
7 worn down fingertips
3 bleeding flappers
1 strained hamstring
1 brass brush destroyed
1 bag of super chalk
4 camera batteries

...and I did it.

I started working it in the deep freeze in January, as it stayed completely dry - definitely a good use of Scottish winter conditions ;). I thought it was a new problem as I'd asked about it online and no-one knew anything about it, despite it being an brilliant and blatant line. After 4 days effort I found out (through the obtuse and impenetrable Scottish bouldering scene) that it had been done already - the pressure was off but I'd put in too much effort to give up. After a few longer rest periods I did it today.

Quite a strange experience, at first it took a while to even get off the ground, so making incremental progress was interesting, but at times I dreaded getting back on it due to how hard it felt. I still didn't fully understand the body positions involved, the holds are quite clear - there aren't any - but how I was positioned in space to use them was still a bit of a mystery.

To celebrate I also did the right side of the arete, the original Spanking The Monkey which is a better problem and great fun and I had a smile on my face when I slid down from near the top a few times:



P.S. I must confess the real reason I managed to do Monkey Spanking today was an inspirational spotter in the form of a passing Julian Lines' dog, who was so determined to remain a spotter rather than traipse around the quarry scouting out new lines that Jules had to pick him up and carry him away: