Traversing the Trossachs, and training

...and no bloody routes, yet. Winter returned with a minor vengence - a possibly routes day with B last Sunday turned into scrounging "easy" problems at Glen Croe in between horizontal blizzards (with the usually beastly B confirming that The Nose is hardly the V2 warm-up the grade implies. Solid V4 and a solid classic). Good fun but hardly getting me ready for a season of trad awesomeness. So it's back to the blocs for a bit:

Crimpy Crystal Classics

I trotted into Loch Lomond East and did The Bottler, a bit disappointing not to flash this as I prepared pretty well and only muffed one hand sequence at the top. Cool climbing despite the obligatory step-off finish. I also went back to St Bride's wall and got a clip of White Matter, this is a powerful and accessible classic that's well worth showing (and doing!). Still pretty fierce too. Pimp With A Limp was done last autumn but it fits the theme of showing what's out in those hills.

LDV only legitimate sequence.

I also returned to Cambusbarron on a whim to try to arete project I found in 2010. Another couple of hours playing on it confirmed it was absolutely fucking nails and someone really needs to do it but that won't be me. The same applies to the Monkey Bloc slab, so I consoled myself by doing LDV the proper way, it's a brilliant easy problem too, better than anything on the grit ;).

Other than that I have started training for routes - indoor routes and falling practise and stamina circuits at TCA when my fingers can handle the pain of the crimps. I feel on pretty good form at the moment with all my tweaks fading and condensing solely into a left shoulder impingment which is far more aggravated by sleeping on it badly than by any climbing, and having a reasonable strength on the boulders that could be built on for route climbing.

The main issue is my appalling fitness and weight as I am stupidly fucking fat and heavy - now up to 12 fucking stone 2 fucking pounds, so over a stone overweight. Fucking infuriating as it is so hard to burn off.....yeah I survived another 10 minute run last night without passing out but really that does fuck all. Train heavy and then get light only makes sense when it's physically possibly to get light, and motivation is so hard when almost any form of CV is so hard....but I did get more inspired by the gym recently so maybe there is hope.