Archive for March, 2008

Below the Lighthouse

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

I went out on Sunday (having cunningly done Mothers Day for my wife on Saturday…got out of a visit to her mum on Sunday morning and went over to see my mum later on in the day. Reeeee-sult!!! (Well it would be rude to miss an invitation to climb wouldn’t it?!!).It was an interesting day. We went to an area I hadn’t climbed off Swanage which involved an abseil down (which was great fun!). But to get to the majority of the routes involved “bad steps”…which I wouldn’t normally fuss over but after decking out because of wet shoes the other week I was a bit nervy because the traverses over the gaps were across wet rock!! One in particular involved a wee bit of down climbing and then a big stretch with the foot across a 25′ drop down to the crashing sea!! I hold my hand up…I roped up to go across. Then, just to fully rub it in - the climb we’d chosen to start the day was Double Chockstone - which was a nice greasy chimney in the lower section!!! It was good though. Nothing like meeting the fear head on!! I don’t think I’ve lead a climb where I’ve put so much gear in.Getting out of the chimney involved lifting up and over a big chockstone which was the crux of the route. One of the guys who I was out with and climbing on an adjacent route looked across as he was belaying and said to me afterwards that he couldn’t believe how quickly I’d gone up this bit!!! Apparently most people spend ages trying to place a piece of protection before going over the crux…but I just went for it like a bat out of hell right to the top. Well…no wonder…it was lovely and dry…and fab fun. It was the wet bit lower down I didn’t like because of my fall a couple of weeks ago. Which just goes to prove…this climbing thing…sure it’s about technique and strength - but a good 80% of it is the head game!!!After belaying my rope man up I had a spot of lunch and then seconded a VS5a with the guy I mentioned above. The is the hardest climb i’ve done so far and I think I aquitted myself well (albeit with a bit of a struggle over the crux). It was good going up as a second again to remind myself how someone experienced places gear. The climb was called Spreadeagle and it is because at the crux you are quite literally spreadeaged before lifting your feet into a a narrow sloping groove which lift you just high enough to reach another handhold yo lift you up and over. A good climb!!