Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Leisurely climbing at Loudon.
I had a terrible thought recently. I've been getting a few decent local days out, and I suddenly realised that it would be theoretically possible for me to be one of those smug patronising twats who, after a typically abysmal non-summer, whitters on with crap like "What was the problem with the weather? I got out a few times every week, it was fine" as if their myopic and insular repeat visits to the same local crag in between showers did the term "getting out" any form of justice.
So, make no mistake, the weather is fucking appalling. Sure I got out last Thursday evening, and yesterday afternoon in nice fresh dry weather, but Friday was pissing down, Saturday was pissing down, Sunday was constant showers, and today is so pissing down it makes Friday look like the Sahahra. Local cragging is keeping my hand in but it is in no way the sort of proper trips that a summer is for.
Anyway, Loudon. Finally got out with B, whose regular mid-week days off usually coincide with the rain when we've planned to climb, but not yesterday. It was quite fine at Mount Loudon despite a bit of mugginess on the walk-up (and maybe a bit hot and bothered after overshooting the A71 junction and ended up South of Ayr...). B was keen for trad mileage, I was keen for more treading water, and we followed that keeness, conquering Mount Loudon via 7 good routes, culminating in finally laying Epitaph Sodding Variation to rest. This was quite pleasing because last summer I had a right flap on it before reversing off, this time although quite hard it just worked naturally. So I guess I am maintaining a steady level. Hopefully this will set me up for pushing things a bit....at some distant point :S
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4 comments:
I shat it on Epitaph Variation once and jumped off the top receiving impressive rope burns to the arm. Did it a while later, but it's a funny little route.
You've missed out a "u" by the way ;-)
It is! Goes on for one move longer than is really comfortable...
You make me cringe in some (most?) of your blog posts Fiendly, I know most of it is tongue in cheek but you seem angrier and angrier. The weather is the weather, why stress about it? Perhaps those that go local cragging when they can are just making the most of what they've got and not complaining about it... :-) Spend the down time doing a good deed or something, get some karma!
"Fiend in 'ranting online' shocker" ;).
I am making the most of what I've got, both in local cragging, and practising my vitriol...
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