Extreme Gardening and TV

It's been another busy stint again with working on arranging the DT Comp, training and more cleaning at Wave. Steve and I were both busy there last weekend cleaning new routes and also cleaning heather, muck and sludge from Teenoso (VS) and from Ziggy (HS), rarely climbed but now looks like a really nice route, may take a bit of rain/wind to finish the clean. The base of the crag was also becoming boggy as the last rocks put in place by whoever and whenever were sinking so we dragged some more over and have placed them there.

Steve cleaning heather away to make a safer top out

Also this week EpicTV posted a short interview I did with them last week and the response has been fantastic, none more so than this piss take picture from Steves fiancee Jane :) The vid is here....

This cracked me up!! Pic from Inside The Lens

Stupid Hand

Last Thursday Joe and myself headed to Newtyle to get on Fast And Furious once again with the intention of Joe getting his first ascent of it and for me to improve my style on it. Fergus came along to film and Simon Yearsley  and Susan Jensen also rocked up to work on a new line.

Joe and me in matching Rab breeks chatting about the route- Pic Fergus Faulds

I got on the route and climbed it easily in my original style using multiple Fig 4 moves but I really wanted to cut down on using them so treated this as a warm up. Joe was up next and went for it but got stopped only a few moves short of topping out. I tried to sort out climbing it in better style but without being able to switch or high axe there were more than a few stopper moves and I lowered off frustrated. Joe also had a frustrating battle getting to the same point close to the lower off multiple times.

Getting the rage with disability-Pic Fergus Faulds

After that we were both fired up to train, I've been beasting myself and eating salads since :) Wee montage of the day from Fergus here... 

Sometimes my disability really gets to me, especially when its something that really means something. That can range from days like this when the physical aspect of it hurts then there is the mental aspect like when I see people look at my hand then make eye contact and I feel like I should be in circus freak show. There is also the frustrating question that I cant help asking myself what I'd be capable of with two hands, it'd certainly be a lot easier to carry multiple pints!!!

Also to help with motivation we have our annual comp coming up so get your entries in folks, all in aid of Glencoe MRT this year.....

Nevis Days and Video

I've been spending an increasing amount of time on the Ben this past fortnight, some good, some not. It started the other weekend with another clean up but this time we approached from the CMD direction with some local students, good to see some of them getting involved to help out. The stuff we collected on the summit would've gave most people the boak but it has to be done unfortunately.

Some of the delights we shifted from Ben Nevis

Today I was up with Dave to try get Castle Ridge done before the forecast winds kicked in. It was great to get back here as the last time I was here I was concussed after a fal and am short of the memory. Cracking morning.

Dave on Castle Ridge

Me with the ridge behind

Lunchtime selfie before crappy/interesting scree descent

After that it was time to go check another potential new rock route before the rains arrive. It looks to be technical, little to no gear and scary, ah well once more into the breach :)

Also here is some footage from the first ascent of Smackaroonies last week.....