Road trip

Working the Underdog Traverse V12 on the Scarpa team meet. All photos: Claire MacLeod. Click on them for a bigger image.

Claire and I are heading back northwards for Scotland after a wee work and climbing tour of the UK. Only a temporary stop with our folks in Glasvegas though before I head back to Cornwall for coaching and then back up for more of the same. Thankfully soon things are calming down for a bit and I can get more focused on things at home.

First off on our trip was the Scarpa team meet at Mountain Boot and then Bowden. I got to meet many of the stars of the team, some I’d met before like Dave Birkett and Mark and others I hadn’t like Lucy, Leah, Tom and many others. I was psyched to see John Dunne looking about half the size he was the last time I saw him and also looking strong on the rock – a comeback? Good on him. Chris did a good job of filming everyone and everything and getting it straight on you tube. The vids are here. I spent an hour working out moves on Underdog traverse (V12) which I’m keen to go back and finish off next time I’m county bound. It was the first time I’d bouldered since the end of April, and my shoulders hurt the next day.

Good footwork is always the solution, Leah shows the way on Transformer LH (V9)

Lucy Creamer on Transformer LH (V9)

After some work we had two days in Wales. One spent pounding the keyboard in Pete’s eats while putting away much tea and watching the rain fall. On the other I did a famous wee problem called Mr Fantastic (V12). I’d wanted to do it ever since I saw the excellent scene in Stick It of Mark Katz eyeballing his way across the roof (my favourite scene was Gaskins head veins and death stare on Isla de Encanta). I still felt in quite good endurance shape on Mr Fantastic. Why I’m not sure since I’ve not been getting sport climbing that much. But it bodes well for the autumn…

The weather crapped out again so it was north and some playing on moves in the lakes for two days. Hmm a return visit must be planned shortly…