V9!

Progress is being made all round on the bouldering front in Inverness, by the time the new season comes round there is the potential for some hard repeats and new lines all round. Back up at Ruthven within 20 hours of the last session so was very conscious of how long my skin would last. The realisation that Lorraine came minus her shoes could have ended the day right there but she managed to put up with a pair of mine for the evening and climbed extremely well considering!

Agonisingly close early on

After a couple of warm up routes got back on Dude Direct V9 after first trying it yesterday, with a few hours rest it seemed more manageable but still hard. Was distraught 15 minutes later after catching the hold and holding the swing all the way to the point where i came back into the wall and sure enough fell off!! A quick lie down in disbelief sorted my head out and next go held it even longer before coming off. Ben and I had the conversation yesterday of the point you reach in your mind that is like a light coming on and you know you will do it next go. I struggle to see how this happens and I suppose nobody really knows why or how it happens or if it really happens at all. You may or may not know what im talking about or you may think im talking rubbish but its a strong force in my eyes. Sure enough next time I held the swing and it felt suprisingly positive as did all the holds to the top, I was still very conscious not to blow it on the top mantle but got there! A happy boy after my first V9 and really pleased to get the second repeat especially after Ben getting the first repeat in the day before.

Crux Dyno(Big thank you to Lorraine for the perfectly timed photo)

Once i came back down i had to prove a point to myself that it wasnt a fluke so after a two minute rest to get rid of the pump got back on it and did it again first go and it felt even better and smoother the second time!!! Awsome day and now psyche is at an all time high, its time to find a project get strong and get even more psyched!!

Boulderers in the mist.

Spent most of yesterday looking at the sky trying to work out which direction to go after the boys finished work, in the end we took the "safe" option and stayed close and went up to Ruthven so I could show them a new roof i had found. True to form it was lashing down as we arrived but we were already there so it was worth a look, long story short it was rubbish and we had spent just over an hour walkin too and from it. Atleast the weather had got better though!

Jeds Traverse

Ruthven is really good as the way its sits it always has something dry after showers which allows you to climb and thankfully yesterday the temperature was quite low aswell which helped with the small holds. Ben had pointed out the "mythical" Jeds traverse V7 last time i was up which looked good, proved to be better than it looked and went 4th go! I did however get so pumped i tried to fall off the top out which is probably only V1 on jugs! Rich also finished it off a few minutes later with alot less pump and flapping about.

Back on Dude direct V9 and it didnt take too long for it to get its 1st repeat(as far as we know) from Ben who looked comfortable all the way.Rich was also agonisingly close to getting it so it looks like it will get done again very soon. Just watching elements to see what its like and then back off up to get on it again as for a split second I thought id held the swing yesterday. Ben on Dude Direct

Update Dude...

Alot has happened in the last month and a half but i havnt been botherd to put anything on.

I totally lost my head for trad after falling and ran scared off a vs, paul climbed his first E4, lorraine her first Vs and Stewart his first HVS, i also learned how to super glur flappers.... the right way, got my head back and found a new project to go at and yet i still have the imprint of whatever it was that was forced into my arse when i hit that ledge. Had 2 weeks off climbing and felt weak from it but got it back, we all got melted in a 33'C tent/sauna at 6 in the morning and thats about all... Now its time for climbing with 2 trips 2 Northumberland in the pipe line as well as a visit to grit to see what all the hype is about. And i cant be botherd keeping an E log either that went out the window a long time ago.

With the Scottish weather the way it is im tending to sway back towards bouldering as roofs dont get wet as fast! Stewart Ben and i headed up to Ruthven the other night since it was dry, and proved to be a really good night I did Dude and Ben came so close to Dude direct within half an hour and also progressed on the project.

Off out west in the morning to do some sport for a change of pace but i think its time to get back in the gym and try and build some muscle as its probably nealy bouldering season again already. lets be honest the summer isnt exactly scorchio...

On a final note this picture is up for the benefit of Ben and all the Glasgow boys. I codnt do the heel hook on dude in my shoes so ben suggested something small and sure enough first go it stuck... so i owe the credit of this V7 to evolve and bens tiny sized feet, time to change shoes im about to order something 2 sizes smaller for bouldering, maybe solutions?? anybody got any views?

Super glue advice

Deep flapper in the middle of my middle finger pad from yesterday at ruthven, so after hearing that all you boys super glue split tips thaught id try... cleaned it lifted up the flap and put super glue underneath it and tried to shut it, it felt like my finger was on fire! Surely you cant do that all the time?? If you do im impressed! Do u hold the flap down then glue over the top of it or how do u do it?

The glue said irritant do not get on skin but im pretty certain all super glue says that. Anyone got any advice on how to do it let me know?

Farr away boulder

Had a great day of sunning ourselves, eating, dishing out abuse, finger shredding and a slight bit of climbing thrown in for good messure. One new route to report which is a good one and we worked hard on the other 2(prob both about V6/Font 7a) but neither went as fingers and pads started to fall apart, Lorraines in impressive style. So the left and right sides of the hard face are still up for grabs and if your a complete beast you may manage a line up the centre(warn u though does not look very dooable unless your name is sharma or macleod). If your beastly enough to manage that there is another line to the right side of Breathless. Trudged along to check out the other boulders but nothing as good as this one, there is a smaller one that i will clean on a off day that will probably give a few dynamic looking problems.

11.Flapper? V3 (J. Murray) 14/05/08 very right edge of roadside face direct

Right side project, now shiny clean

Directions... Drive through farr traveling in the Brin direction. Half a mile or so out of Farr take a left, signposted Garbole. Drive up this road for roughly half a mile on the right hand side forrestry commision has just felled a huge area 10 minutes into this from the road is the boulder.

It now has 11 problems on it with potential for maybe 4 more hard ones, great for an evening session as it gets the sun but will definetly entertain for a few hours whatever time of the day. Jamie

Routes Update

Spent a few more hours cleaning this afternoon then came home for a rest before getting back up there for an evening session with lorraine! Blue skys fresh air and massive clouds of bugs but perfect friction. We spent the first hour repeating a few lines before moving on to some new ones! I climbed the strenuous crack on the far side of the boulder whilst Lorraine claimed her first new route which starts on the roadside face and takes a long interesting line to top out.

Lorrain on Edge of Envy

9.Twinkle Toes V2 (L. Matheson) 13/05/08 S/S and move up to the bloc pulling over awkwardly round onto the slab above, with a balancy rising traverse to the far side, cool route.

10. Breathless V4 (J. Murray) 13/05/08 Blank slab to awkward crack. Strenuous.

Wolfcrag Pictures