summer | Tales Of A Drunken Giraffe

Independent life has truly begun, I’ve left home and I’ve headed south for the coming winter and the next three years. The melodrama of moving away is now behind me, suitably numbed by the nine nights of drinking throughout fresher’s and the discovery that I can in fact use a washing machine when all you need to do is feed it some money, make sure the tablets are in and press the button labelled “Colours 40 degrees”. Although I was forced to sing “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” in order to bring a tear to my mothers eye on my departure and fulfil my duty as a son, moving out was far easier than I expected. Back on the rails and having found my feet with the style of climbing at the local wall, I’m hoping to start getting out climbing soon and hopefully put another good winter of training under my belt in order to get stronger. So with no exiting tales from Plymouth to tell yet it’s probably about time I rounded up my summer adventures from “up north” as it is referred to in these southern lands –

Following mine and Craig’s successful but cold, hungry and tiring, almost week living under Cornice, I didn’t expect to feel up for much climbing in the following days. However pizza, a few beers and a good nights sleep and the psyche was as high as ever. The following Sunday I found myself in Dan’s trusty (but now no longer with us) Ford on my way to The Roaches to do some trad and some bouldering. My new found confidence in trad gear and with the ~~stupidity~~ fearlessness of youth on my side I decided to go for an onsight of Wings Of Unreason (E4 6a). I made it through the boulder problem start pretty easily and to the crucial cam placement. The next move was a tricky mantle for the tall where you hav to get your foot into the pocket where your hand and cam were. Eventually my fear of committing to the move was overcome by my fear of blowing the onsight and I entered the mythical trad bubble and made the move. All that followed was a pop for the top, after checking I couldn’t just lank it out in my usual fashion I took a deep breath and with a lack of fear, made the double handed pop. Luckily I didn’t notice I had half kicked the cam out when I made the mantle, but hey it probably would of still held…maybe?

Committing To The Mantle On Wings Of Unreason

Transformed by my successful onsight of Wings from dumb into dumber, I decided to try and onsight San Melas (E3 5c). If you wanted to find a route more unsuited to my style San Melas is it and it’s was hardly surprising that with the gear below my feet and my feet unable to smear I quickly found myself acting out a Wiley Coyote scene as I attempted to find something for my hands. Fortunately Dan’s years of trad belaying meant the rope caught me and I didn’t end up in a bush. Lesson learnt though I decided it best to save any future lead attempts until after I’ve learnt to smear and have tried the moves on the safety of a top rope.

Dan Onsighting San Melas

Me Falling Off San Melas

Mirf’s Peugeot has also sadly left us and the final weeks of summer were spent in his new Ford Estate (I’m hoping the Metro survives the winter). Although both me and Mirf had projects up at Dinbren the sudden and un-British return of the summer heat meant eventually we lost hope of success in such harsh conditions and went bouldering in the peak instead. I was pretty psyched to get A Lack Of Colour (7B) done in a day after been inspired to try it after watching the film Escaping Norfolk and I managed to get mine and Mirfs ascents on film as well (https://vimeo.com/105877424). I also managed to drag my parents out bouldering for a day at the Churnet before I left and despite been a little hungover after an impromptu night out and dad trying his best to upset me by blasting “Money For Nothing” as loud as he could when I had to help him out that morning, I had a surprisingly successful day. I flashed High Speed Imp Act (7A) and The Nose (6C) and then sent Martins Mono Problem (7A+) and got it all on film (https://vimeo.com/106103687). It would of been a pleasant end to the summer, but I had to go and ruin it by getting spanked trying Kudos (7B) and The Press (7B+) at Rubicon before I left and getting close to both, but succeeding on neither. Oh well I’m sure they’ll both be just as polished when I get back on them anyway.

And that sums up summer, there was another weekend in Yorkshire where I led a nice VS and fell off trying lots at Malham trying to onsight 7a’s and I think that was it. Anyway here are some more photo’s that got taken throughout the summer. I’ll keep you updated on my life down south when I start getting out climbing.