Cold December......Bonus

So, I guess this is the sequel to my previous post. The reason being, once I had completed Search & Destroy I wanted to climb Moonshadow. A route that links the crux of Levitation(29) into S&D via a long (juggy) traverse. What an unreal piece of climbing! I thought I was being slightly optimistic in my approach  to sending this route, but I guess it's not a bad way to be. Before I tried the route I decided I would replace a dodgy looking crux bolt on Levitation(potentially a back breaker) and as it turns out that was probably a wise decision. I wont go into details, but the bolting was shyte!

Levitation RAD!!!

Search & Destroy Wall......sorry! snapped this after I took the draws off!

Cool, so Rockclimbing is awesome!

Anyway over the past couple of weeks I have had a lot of trouble with my skin:-( and it sucks! I think it is just reacting to the liquid chalk that I have been using, which is a real bummer because I think liquid chalk serves it's purpose really well, but maybe a little too well. Even climb on was having trouble healing these cuts. far out life is tough:-P. So imagine two thick paper cuts running across your index and middle finger........sounds like I'm being a winger, but when your trying to crank on a pocket with two fingers taped it's farked! This caused a few issues in the house.......... but anyway I should be thankful I am not badly injured or starving!
Back to my story, the crux move on Moonshadow involves cranking on a 2 finger pocket(about 1 and a quarter digits) and then a drive by huck to an edge. The feet are quite bad as you enter the sequence. Unfortunately there was no way I could hold the pocket with tape on both fingers, I had to give the route a rest until my skin healed. It ended up working out quite well, I needed to tie up some loose ends and fetch some draws I had left hanging at Bardens. My house mate Allie was keen on a day out climbing, so off to Bardens we went....i was psyched but had no real intention of actually climbing, I was on a draw retrieval mission! Back in early October I tried a route called Brain Haemorrhage in the cave, purely only tried it because it was dumping down with rain and there was nowhere else to climb. Anyway, did the moves but found the final sequence quite hard, even after another days work. I thought the route was kinda cool but it is pretty heavily manufactured and there are a lot of better routes to be climbed. So yeah, I totally forgot about the route for probably 6 or 7 weeks until I ripped through my cupboard looking for quick draws before finally realising, I had left them on that route:-( back to ole el Bardens it was.
I thought I would have a few warm-up laps on the way of all flesh to see where I was at, because I had been just bouldering for a month prior. I felt as pumped as a parrot on my first lap. But then the next couple felt good. Radness, time to get some draws back......well I was going to have to get to the top anyway so I might as well harden up and give it a crack!
Anyway, I won't bore you with the details, but, long story short I ticked Brain Haemorrhage and was reunited with my beloved Quickdraws.....a good meat pie went down well after. As for the grade, well 31 or maybe even hard 30 I reckon. The route did not feel at all like 32, I think if you tried to clip the quickdraw in the roof(desperate), than it very well maybe. But I skipped it, so it probably made the crux sequence a lot more straight forward.

Random shot of the BBC, best gym in the country:-)

A few days later my skin had healed enough to start trying Moonshadow again, I still had to tape up, but on a redpoint attempt I could remove the tape with my teeth before I got to the crux. It was really awesome to spend a few days trying this route with some awesome friends. And I think laughing at the crag is almost as enjoyable as climbing routes. It was pretty cool to work this route with Ben, I haven't really worked a climb with anyone before, so it was a different experience. But far out, I think it is the most effective way to send a project! I spent a few days trying the route and at the end of the second day Ben sent the route packing. On that day I fell off after the crux section, which I was pretty annoyed about. So, skinless and a bit bummed I gave it 2 rest days and chilled for a while.
I forgot to mention that Wiz Kid Fineron is back in town, we both decided we would head to the Glen...actually I decided we would head to the Glen, sorry wiz but unfinished business had to be attended to. Arrived at the crag with some pretty shit house conditions, that is until the 3pm breeze hit the crag and then the down jackets were on. Sweet as, all I needed was a couple of hours of decent conditions. My first attempt was bad, hitting close to a low point. I pulled onto the route again thinking I would cruise to the top....nope fell exiting the crux move. Man, conditions weren't the best but I should be able to climb the route with one sit at least. Anyway i came down off the route pretty demoralised and thought this would be the beginning of an epic journey.
Wiz jumped on Tsunami and gave it a good bash on Wave Wall for an hour or so, and then we headed back to the route..... I noticed that the draws on the route were swaying in the wind, which was a pretty rare sight. I tied in, put my shoes on and before I knew it, i was latching the crux hold of the route. Making noises that i am not at all proud of, I wrapped my bumbly thumbs over my fingers and made sure I didn't make the same mistake again. Sweet, in the bag!
As for the difficulty of this climb, I have spent a lot of time thinking about it. When a route is at your limit it is difficult to make a clear judgement especially when I have not climbed grade 33 before. I can only make a comparison to the other routes of that level which I have tried briefly. Yes, it is the hardest route I have climbed but I think it is pretty borderline. maybe I will re access my decision when I have climbed 33s all around the world. For the moment following a consensus 33 is a good option. Anyhow it was a pretty nice way to finish an unreal year:-)

I got down to the glen briefly today and climbed a route called Inertia(30) 2nd shot. I am quite psyched on trying Alpha leather but the conditions were really bad today, I think I have been lucky enough with the weather in December so I am not complaining. Time to train! Can't wait for next year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thankyou for reading my blog.  Climb Safe:-)