Friday, 17 August 2012

State of play.


2/3 of the way through the main trad season and my route list is looking as follows:

...

Lewis: - not got to yet!
Dalbeg:
Tweetie Pie Slalom  E5 6a ***
Limpet Crack  E3 5c ***
Neptune  E2 5c ***
Blessed Are The Weak  E5 6a ***
Various routes

Mangestra:
The Prozac Link  E4 5c ***
Various routes

Skye:
Neist:
Supercharger  E3 5c ** - unrefined but a good adventure
Wish You Were Here  E2 5b *** - quite stiff and rather good
Have A Nice Day  E3 6a ** - saw detatched holds from WYWH, decided no.
Golden Shower  E4 5c ***
American Vampire  E4 6a *** - exhilerating and exhausting jamming
Fight Club  E3 6a ***

Rubha Hunish:
Whispering Crack E3 5c *** - fantastic mega-pitch, loved it.
Northern Exposure E2 5b *** - no time and put off by rock.

Elgol:
Digitalis E3 5c *** - brilliant, perfect crux.
Mother's Pride E4 5c *** - brilliant, quite steady, amazing second pitch.

Staffin Slip:
Various routes. - did several, good value good mileage.

Caithness:
Sarclet:
Occam's Razor E4 6a *** - great, quite steady, good position.
A Paddler's Tale E3/4 5c *** - great, sustained cruxes, not sure how I made it in greasy conditions.

Reiff: - more to go back for!
Headstrong E4 5c ** - steady but rather cool, good moves.
Wyatt Earp E3 6a ***
Crack Of Desire E3 6a ***
Various routes - did Headlong E4 5c ***, excellent wall climb.     

Ardmair: - added to list because it's awesome
Neart Nan Gaidheal E5 6a ***
Twisting Twitcher E3 6a **
Burning Desire E5 6b ***

Wester Ross: - not really got there in the right weather
Tollie Crags:
Each Uisge Direct  E4 6a ***
Murray's Arete  E3/4 5c *
The Shimmer  E4 6a **

Loch Tollaidh Crags:
Flag Iris  E4 5c **
Various routes.

Stone Valley Crags:
Demon Razor  E3 5c *
Flashing Blade  E3 6a **

Gruinard Crags:
How The West Was Won  E3 5c ** - cool, was a bit unsure about parts but a rewarding pitch.
Stand And Deliver  E4 6a **

Diabeg:
Edgewood Whimper  E4 5c **
Porpoise Pun  E3 5c ** - good bold wall climbing.
Wall Of Flame  E4 6a ***
Instant Muscle  E4 6a **
Rough Justice  E2 5c * - more like ***, great pitch.

Glen Nevis: - been going further North instead but need to get to soon!
Aquarian Rebels E4 6a ***
Quality Street E3 6a ***
On Some Beach  E5 6a ***
Freddie Across The Mersey  E5 6a **
Crackattack  E3 5c *** - pretty cool, worked out the easy way.
Mutant  E4 5c **
Triode  E5 6a **
Risque Grapefruit  E4 5c **
Fingertip Finale  E4 5c * - backed off as too scared of horizontal swing onto skyhooks.
Precious Cargo  E5 6a *

Creag Dubh: - been going further North instead but need to get to soon!
Colder Than A Hooker's Heart  E5 5c **
Harder Than Your Husband  E5 6a **
The Final Solution  E5 6a **
Acapulco  E4 5c ***
Bratach Uaine  E4 6a ***
Case Dismissed  E3 6a ***
Ayatollah  E4 6a ***

North East: - been going further West instead but need to get to soon!
Moray Coast:
The Prow  E5 6a **
The Essential  E3 5c ***
Senakot Rose  E4 6a **
Old Fashioned Waltz  E3 5c *

Aberdeen Coast:
Red Army Blues  E4 6a **
Downies' Syndrome E4 6a **
Sair Fecht  E3 6a **
The Pugilist  E4 6a ***
Johnsheugh routes
Various other routes

Pass Of Ballater:
Peel's Wall  E4 6a ***
Smith's Arete  E5 6a ***

Central Highlands: - been going further North instead.
Glen Lednock:
No Place For A Wendy  E2 5b ***
Pole-Axed  E4 6a ** - horrible rock and approach.
Gabrielle  E4 6a *- horrible rock and approach.
Diamond Cutter  E3 6a ***

Glen Croe:
Edge Of Insanity  E4 5c **
Short Sharp Shock  E4 6a **

...

Which means:
1. I've done a great job of getting to Skye and a decent job of getting to the North West. Finally getting to grips with Skye sea-cliffs is a big tick off my list.
2. I've eventually managed to work up to doing some more challenging climbs and hopefully this can continue to the rest of the season.
3. I've still not managed to get to Lewis and will make that a priority next time weather and partners coincide.
4. I've generally ignored the closer / Easterly / more weather-sure options in favour of heading North West, but there are still plenty of things that inspire me in those areas so I will need to get more focused on those venues too.
5. There's still plenty of routes to do including the North West, but many of them are at cool-weather-friendly crags so hopefully will be in condition later into Autumn.
6. There's probably some more training I can keep doing to top up my climbing to tackle some harder routes, so far I can think of: 

  • Falling practise
  • Stamina
  • Steep route practise in general (always useful in Scotland)
  • Lock offs and reaches (based on experience)
  • Toe / calf training (based on experience)
  • More falling practise... 

Unfortunately I've still got punterflu which is driving me mad as I'm still syked and want to train and climb and not just rest up like a fat gelatinous lump of mucus!! It should be over soon...

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