god it was hot today....or maybe it wasn't just that hot (it was) - it just felt SO hot after a month of nigh on constant rain and cold temperatures. Sarah, a friend of Claire's from her uni days was here and they had a great day on High Street yesterday whilst I went out for a spin on Arjuna. I only did about 45 mins and one decent hill but felt tired at the end of the ride - with hindsight I should have seen the portent....at least riding Arjuna was not as painful as it was when I last rode him - a minor saddle adjustment seems to have sorted out the problem (touch wood).
So; we move onto today when Luke and I went climbing outside. It had been well over a month since I had last touched rock of any sort - so we rocked up at Shepherds Crag (our second choice destination but it was impossible to get parked anywhere near Black Crag..maybe the traffic Nazi's in Keswick should get their arses down the valley and look at the way that some people park their cars...Stevie Wonder after 6 pints could not have done worse). Ardus was our first choice of route - a MVS that we had both done a few times before. Luke started up the first pitch - which is a slab with not a lot of protection - although Luke managed to find more than I ever remember placing! Seconding I first got the feeling that I was not going well...this is a pitch I can usually run up - I am a good slab climber; with only the oft lack of gear being a problem, but today it seemed so much more polished than usual and I was not as sure of my foot placements as I should have been - rust perhaps?
The second pitch (mine) went up a steep corner. This is also polished - although not as horrendously so as the first pitch. I went ok on it - although slowly - the perfect gear making even me trust it (more of which anon...). I belayed in the corner; leant off my gear, felt totally secure and waited for Luke to do the crux traverse. If this kind of thing is my cup of tea I don't think it's Luke's (more of which also anon)...however he wobbled (a bit!!) across the traverse before dispensing with the crack to the top - which has quite an arkward last move with small, polished footholds...I find the traverse easy and the crack awkward - always have and probably always will....
Having read the above - one might wonder why (after a cup of tea/coffee at the cafe) I elected to try a VS crack line called CDM. This is admittedly, a route I had done a few times in my previous climbing life - and I remember finding it ok; steep but all being there. My memory is correct - it is steep, and it's all there...there is gear as well....regrettably the main thing that was not all there was me - at least mentally.
I had SO many wobbles on the route - placing gear that I didn't trust (wrongly for the most part) and making a total pig's ear of the moves...the heat was a factor as I was having to chalk up every single move - however that doesn't excuse the total shambles that occurred. Having downclimbed the route (considerably harder than climbing up it!!) convinced that the gear would rip if I loaded it (it didn't when I had to load it later but there we are.....) I committed to the moves above the last nut. Pulling over a bulge with one move separating me from being in balance and more gear I totally freaked out...all the up and down climbing and arsing around had drained my hands and I became nearly cragfast. I quickly through in an ok hex and (convinced it would pop; my gear would rip and I would crater from 40ft) tried to down climb the last two moves....this proved impossible and I had to lower off....heart very much in mouth.
No doubt totally psyched out by that total shambles - Luke couldn't get up it either so I had to abseil for the gear...those who know me will know that abseiling is not my favourite activity at the best of times (legacy of some 'interesting' abseils in the Dols)..but that was accomplished and soon a very chastened Simon was back at the bottom of the route..
To ask what went wrong would take a book......I am going to go climbing on Wed (hopefully outside) and will decide then whether I want to carry on climbing....much as though I love doing long classic easy routes - I also want to get back to climbing hard. All these grand designs mean absolutely nothing if I can't trust my gear and start to panic and worry like that...yes the climb is a full VS but that is a grade I should be pretty ok to without much practice...especially on a route that is ostensibly safe....food for thought I think...Bouldering is a sport I enjoy but I have far too much leg muscle and am far too fat to be any good at...and to go back to the mountains and do the routes I want to do I have to be able to run up Severe pitches without a lot of gear....something I am clearly not capable of doing yet with the summer hols 3 weeks away......
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