Cold Fusion Blog

Friday 1st - Saturday 2nd June. My old pal Owen Davis (now resident in Newcastle) was in Scotland this week with his girlfriend Ruth, traveling around visiting folks and doing some climbing. I planned to meet them in the in the North West to show them some of the areas best trad, sport and bouldering.

Looking west down Glen Torridon towards Ben Eighe.

On Friday I meet up with Owen and Ruth in Torridon after another manic Haribo and caffeine fueled drive up from Edinburgh. Here we planned to indulging in Seana Mheallan’s Torridon Sandstone. I last visited this crag nearly ten years ago with the ever eager Chris Hill only to get rained off with only a single route ticked. This time the weather held long enough for us to complete a couple of routes. Sadly the crag classic The Torridonian which I came for was soaking.

Middle of the Road and Rock of Ages at Seanna Mheallan.

Of the remaining dry routes I decide to try Middle of The Road E3 5c. I managed this with some minor problems. It took me nearly 20 minutes to make to the committing and awkward crux move over the roof. After this things got worse when I initially couldn’t get any decent gear in and found the cracks were still wet. My persistence eventually paid and I found some lob-stoppers and the correct line. Owen tried Rock of Ages E2 5c. He shuffled up this gradually gaining a good pump for the grade. Although the crag doesn’t have a massive number of routes, they more than make up for it in sheer quality. The grit like sandstone is quite deceptive, the shadowed holds above being equally likely to be sinker pockets as evil sloppers. To finish our day in Torridon we had a short session on the Ship Boulder. Here we tried unsuccessfully to do Squelch V4, being beaten by the evil technical slopeiness (and the excessive humidity from the bog). As the midges descended we retreated to the Gairloch Campsite for some dinner and a beer.

On Saturday we headed up to Grinuard bay for some sport climbing. My prayers the night before were answered as I woke up to a cool windy overcast day, perfect summer sport climbing conditions. Firstly I had a score to settle on Am Fasgadh after I had been spat of the last move of Tog Balla back in March.

Exiting the crux of Tog Balla and starting up Mactalla, Griunard (Owen Davies)..

After a quick dog to refresh the hideously technical moves in the middle section I was starting to feel quite sore from the previous day. I decided not to mess around and went for the redpoint. I grunted through the crux a little easier this time, but was sure I was much more pumped on the final rail. Hanging in there I though that my arms and skin were going to be too sore for another go and that I definitely didn’t want to blow it again. With elbows out I managed to pull through to the chain, the crimps feeling nice and sticky in comparison to my last attempt on a warm March evening. Owen also tried the route but struggled commenting that he thought it was harder than Chiseling the Dragon at Malham. Wall climbings is not my strong point, highlighted by my continued argument about the downgrading of Sufferance etc at Dumbie. I’m sure both the Am Fasgadh routes I’ve warrant an extra grade. To finish off we went back to goat crag to try the excellent Mactalla F7b. Being unsure about my fitness I was happy to bolt to bolt the route first. When I redpointed the route first go I was surprised not to pump off, the holds were all big enough to get something back on right to the chain. Knackered we decided to head home, stopping off at Dunkeld of the way home for well earned burger and chips, yum.

Saturday 7th and Monday 9th April. Given the choice of a couple of days off work I wasn’t going to say no. With Monday booked off I took the chance to live like a full timer and get two visits to the west coast.

My optimism was high after a particularly good training session from Thursday night. Interestingly the magic numbers 1-4-7 have seriously slipped by me since late January. Despite persistent efforts I quickly went down hill and was unable to repeat the feat. That is until now. Wednesday nights training session wasn’t happening due to work stresses, leading to a 13 hour sleep to recover. Revitalised Thursday night was on. Warming up I felt very strong and suspected 1-4-7 could well happen. However, it was still pretty special to latch rung 7 again feeling a lot more skippy than I have in the past few months. Somewhat confused, I’m still trying to attribute this improvement to one of the following factors:

• Better diet - eating healthier for a week,
• Finger boarding - all two sessions, and,
• More sleep - all thirteen blissful hours.

Its quite likely that all three were beneficial.

Niall ‘Monkey’ McNair Bat hanging at Dumbuck, a man in full control of his feet.

On Saturday I headed back to Dumbie to try Sabotage again. My warm-ups did feel better than the previous week and my shoulder’s held up to the punishment. Again, I was getting irate when I couldn’t do the final move. After 30 minutes of trying I had to stop and ask myself the question“What the hell I’m I doing wrong”. Luckily, Tom Charles Edwards “Renowned Scottish climbing technical head doctor, was on hand to give me some advice. After a quick chat we figured out that my body position was too tight in and I was pushing my own feet off the foot holds. Once I tried hanging my body in a slacker position on the move I managed to do it again. Suddenly a bout of deja-vu struck – I’d had this problem last year too. Its amazing just how technical steep hard climbing can be. Reunited with the gen I ran out 4-5 reps from the start to the crux which was feeling much harder. With that I was knackered and headed home.

On Sunday I headed back to the Anvil with Dave Macleod. The weather this time was back to the west coast average. Pedaling out on the bikes through the drizzle was quite cold and mucky. We arrived at the crag to find our routes dry but damp from the wet air. The boulders underneath we’re also treacherously slippery. Dave Managed to fight of his aches to climb a new route, The Atlantic Strikes Back graded Anvil 7c. I was surprised to see him come off first go from a blast of drizzle to the face, he must be going soft from all those sunny routes abroad! I got going on my project and was surprised to be doing last weeks link 80% of the time, hitting the edge, lifting feet then slapping for the better hold. After a few goes I started to drag it, but the swing was still too violent to hold. After a quick dog, I figured out a smaller but more positive foothold to use. Confident this would work I managed to hold the swing second go!

Its strange that when all the moves are completed on a project how overall perception of difficulty can be lowered. Next session on trying a lower link, plus two easy-ish moves, I was eating my own words. The route felt desperate. Once I’ve completed the project, I’ll be keen to compare it with Dave’s route Body Blow. Despite the crap weather it was worth it to feel some improvement. I really hope I can continue this and complete the route as only six weeks of spring remain.

Its been a hard couple of weeks. My exhaustion of late has not been helped by losing the car. Somewhere in the middle of thousands of lines of code at work and clouds of dust a home I’ve been struggling to find time for climbing. After yet another winter cold broke late week I decided it was time to get back on Sabotage at Dumbie.
I tried this boulder problem for nearly four months last spring. The sad thing is I’ve found no log of it my old climbing diary even though I have such a vivid recollection of the experience of trying such a difficult problem. Last year I made steady progress taking a couple of weeks to make all the moves. By April I could slap the crux from sit down 6-7 times before feeling completely knackered. Finally I had to give up in late April as cold conditions deteriorated making the crux move feel impossible.
Having not been outside in nearly six weeks I was hyped to be going back to Dumbie on such a clear perfect day. The early spring high pressure returned as predicted despite the consistently shit weather we have been having over the last 8 months. Warming up on the cold basalt I felt achy but there was some comfort to be had of getting back into the old system. Tea is drank, limbs are weighted, warmed and twisted repeatedly until supple. Jackets, gloves and hat go back on and the ground is slowly pounded to keep limbs warm. Starring out over the Clyde coerces deep reflection. Waves move like life’s abrasion against the tide of time, both moving in unison.
As a further warm up Slap Happy, the Railings, Mestiso SS and Mugsy are dispached in nervous labored pulls, fearful of failure and regression. This is after all what the training is directed at. Before I know it I’m back under Sabotage after an 8 month break. I once again mark out the hand holds with chalk across the angled black an orange rock.

A final go on Sabotage at Dumbarton April 2005.

Trying the final moves I’m surprised to hold the crux first go. I’m quickly deposited back on the mat as the mind struggles unsuccessfully to unearth deep routed engrams of movement. I top out after a few more goes finding the correct foot holds and body position, things feeling different but familiar in the typical contradiction that time delivers. The roof moves lower down feel hard and I fight cramp against the chilly wind to complete the link. As I try the sit down start biceps finally buckle and its time to leave. The day has passed again in a blaze of cold psyche dispersed by warming rests. The total for the day was three links on the problem and finding that my power endurance needs vast improvement to complete the problem. More importantly I discovered where to find my peace and discipline again. I’ll be back for more of that for sure.