We could see the campsite from the top of Birchen. We could even see our mess tent from the top of Birchen. In fact, it looked as though some sort of alien spacecraft had landed and was in the process of devouring the Eric Byrne. Yes, it’s quite a big tent. ::o)

Quite a good meet, really. Discovered a bit of Birchen I hadn’t been to before, gently prodded someone up her first lead, fell off Trapeze Direct (Froggat) yet again, watched one of our more mature members prove that at the age of 71 he isn’t quite dead yet by cleanly seconding various VSs at Stanage, and had a very relaxed chill-out session in the big tent^h^h^h alien.

Which is now drying in my (very very small) flat. I think it has eaten my bed.

(Score so far:
Winter Routes (survived): 3
Sport Routes (seconded): 5
Trad Routes (seconded): 31.5)
Trad Routes (led): 7.5)

“Oliver, which target were you aiming at?”

“Which one are you supposed to be aiming at?”

“Shall we try that again? On the right target this time.”

Yes, the school* having been more creative than usual with the dates (ie made them up at the last minute), I had one of my voluntary sports coaching sessions on the Saturday morning of the bank holiday weekend. Which left me somewhat out-of-synch with potential climbing partners.

So I went geocaching instead. 43 in one day round the Middlewood circular, a new personal best and ended up very, very knackered. And grinning from ear to ear. As you do.

(*Before anyone asks, no, I’m not a teacher. It’s my old school and as part of a very long tradition of the Old Boys association helping out with things I do a little bit of sports coaching for them.)