Well Hi all you at the HRFC, Why do we do it, why do we put ourselves through the pain and suffering we call climbing, probably because we like it so much .
As some of you know the old fingers have been playing up this year, so I thought I would take a rest from climbing for a while, well that was what I thought anyway, but Nick, my climbing partner obviously had other ideas. He left me alone for a week and he rang me for trips out, how could I refuse? First of all it was Masson Lees, then Turning stone edge and this week it was the crag I love to hate CURBUR!!!
He reminded me that we hadn’t been there for a long time (I know because I hate the place) and it was about time we paid it another visit, I agreed of course, so off we went for a jolly!
After the winds we have had recently, it was nice to have a still day with a little sunshine. Now bearing in mind we went on a Sunday it was extremely quiet, I don’t think we saw anyone as we walked in. “Oh look” said Nick “there’s Peapod haven’t done that for a long time,”” keep walking” I said to myself as the last time I did that climb was with Mr Beswick a number of tears ago and we both had a mares on it. (Remember that Kevin??)
“I fancy having a go” he said so that’s where we started, no gentle warm up, straight into the hard stuff.
Off Nick went smoothly to start with them as he climbed the Pod the “old mare” took hold, it was a battle, but after several attempts he popped out of the pod and climbed the crack to the top.
B****y Hell it was my turn now, that dam pod, did well to get to the top of it before I made the same mistake I’d made years before, I came out too early and boy was it a struggle to reach the safety of a ledge. By the time I completed the climb I was knackered and my poor fingers burnt with pain. The problem was that climb had set the standard for the rest of the day.
On to the next one an E1 5B called, L’Horla, which has an overhang that our guide book says “one can pose on it before completing the move”, pose on it just getting up to it would be nice. Off Nick went getting to the overhang in god time, then it all stopped, he didn’t have the right gear, a 3.5 friend was needed and guess what neither of us had one, plenty of 4’s and 3’s but not a 3.5’s. It just so happened that two other climbers walked by at that point, looked up and offered Nick the right sized friend, dam that means I’ll have to follow him up. Yes the move was posy but there was no time to pose, it was a hard pull to safety. My turn again, up to the overhang and all stop very pumpy, but after several attempts I made the pull over the overhang and to safety, Christ I must be getting old as I found that hard, but quite exhilarating. Nick is climbing well.
Time for coffee and a rest, oh no that will never do, a gentle HVS followed, called, Maupassant HVS 5A, (same lump of rock in the above photo) which I must admit was really nice and somewhat easier than the first two epics.
Just as we finished the rain came, thank god a rest break, but it didn’t last long and ten minutes and a coffee later we were off again.
Last climb of the day and Nick choose The Toy E1 5C ( no pic I?m afraid) the most finger crunching crack I’ve seen for a long time, the only problem was it was wet. Undaunted Nick set off and then came down again, then up again and down again, the wet crack was causing him problems, bur slowly he edged up this thin crack putting gear in every couple feet or so. This was an impressive climb, yes he came off a few times and hung on the gear but he did it, brilliant. “Are you having a go Tony”, he shouted, “To b****y right I am.” came the reply. Yes it was fingery and wet, but what a nice climb, came off a few times but made it to the top, with swollen and sore fingers.
That’s it no more, with the gear sorted out and another coffee drunk we made our way back to car just as the heavens opened.
Another good days climbing, quality not quantity, but will have to do better next time.
The moral to the story, Climbers never retire, they just slow up and hurt a little more.
Tony R