It Begins

I've been trying a route at the Quadrocks for around 3 years now and went back this week hoping to make progress on it after all the improvement I've seen in my training recently, unfortunately my climbing doesn't always work like this and my last project at this great little crag will need to be climbed by someone else. Dot came down the following day and it was summer conditions and we worked our way through the best of my new routes down there and I picked up a nice sunburn! A lot of people slag the Quadrocks but its great climbing and there aren't many crags afford such a stunning panorama, from Ailsa Craig in the South , over to Arran etc and North to the Arrochar Alps! Dot took some pics, in fact she took all the pics in this post!

Looking to Wee Cumbrae and Hunterson from the Quadrocks

Yesterday it was back up the Glen to get some stuff done before the rain arrived, a good team gathered at an ongoing project of Johanns (new route). He linked it yesterday for the first time and with all the right ingredients for an attempt coming together he decided in a gutsy move to go for it! It's potentially E7 6b with no gear on tiny edges and smears. He went for it and made good progress before it went a bit iffy at the crux and made the wise decision to jump for the mats a few metres below rather than likely falling uncontrollably from further up. It was a stand out attempt in both the gutsy and technical standards, in my opinion anyway!! Continuing the momentum Gee led his first E5, the solo Where The Mood Takes Me was my first E5 and is a cracking wee climb!

Johann on the route

Johann off the route

The team, L-R-Gee, Alex, myself, Dave, Johann

We then headed up to Blacks Buttress where I got on Centrepiece on top rope but it started raining so time to call it a day and return soon!!Thanks to Dot for the photos!!

Trying Centrepiece

Paying The Price

I've spent the last three days recovering from a monster hangover by training down the Ice Factor. The reason for my drinking binge was getting the news from the foot specialist that they have to fuse my ankle which will have a fairly major impact on all aspects of my life. I always knew there would be a cost for the things I've gotten from climbing and gotten away with. I just figured the price I had paid in giving up financial security and walking away from those I cared for was enough.

The Doctors told me a while back that life wouldn't be the same for me again, the pain would get extremely bad with arthritis and I wouldn't climb at the same level again. I reckon they are wrong though, I may have to accept that I'll be limited in volume of climbing, hill days etc but if can work it right there's no reason I cant climb harder than I did before, I just need to train harder and get out on good quality days , simple...............

This picture typifies what it is like inside my head most days at the moment

I simply need to get through the next year or two between operations, recovery etc and squeeze as much life as I can out of the time that I have on my feet. It's almost a good thing to feel on such limited time as I'm really pushing my training and hoping to reap the benefits soon.............

Training etc

Recently it's became very apparent that everytime I get on the hill my ankle is getting worse so I've been trying to limit myself to good weather days to get on winter lines and to still leave enough to hopefully get up the Mournes a few times before the foot totally packs in. I've never been one for training for rock climbing but now I'm looking at trying my first E8 that has all changed, I've started to get really into my training at the Ice Factor and really enjoying seeing progress.

Bouldering at my wall.......Pic- Suzy Devey

I Have an appointment in Glasgow this Thursday with an ankle specialist who will hopefully let me know what's happening, patience is growing a bit thin after 13 months! Other news is that Mammut have given me support for my clothing for the time being, I've already received some kit and I'm well pleased with it................

Ochils MC Talk

For anyone in the area I'm doing a talk for the Ochils Mountaineering Club on Feb 10th. It's free entry ,details below............... I'll be talking about life since moving up to Fort William, soloing E7 and a bit about Fast & Furious, my fall and some other stuff!!

http://www.ochils.com/

Motivated for Winter (again)

Yesterday Johann and I had a lazy start up to Aonach Mor with the plan to climb Stirling Bridge, a Steve Kennedy route I've been keen to try for a long time. When we walked in the weather was crap but slowly it cleared while I was climbing and it turned out to be a stunning day. As it turned out the conditions for getting gear wasn't perfect and I never judged the kit I would need very well so we lowered off a few battered wires, next time though. I was expecting to be pissed of but wasn't at all, was enjoyable climbing, good laugh and a great view...............

On Stirling Bridge VI/VII

Johann heading to the cornice at the top of Easy Gully

New Year, Old Lessons

A new year and it's time for a new start. I've been struggling a bit with my depression again recently, thankfully I've learned to cope with it better than I did when I first got it with the epilepsy. Also the ankle injury getting worse by the day aint helping much so I've been trying to find a way to refine my approach to life which of course basically ,for me, means my climbing. Up till recently the lessons I took from Mark Twight have stood me in good stead but the solid foundation I built using his ruthless approach to climbing (and life) has begun to crumble a bit under the weight of certain aspects of my life so I needed to find something to reinforce them. In my search I've tried reading all sorts of sport psychology stuff and realised it's all bollocks, it took me back to when seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist after becoming epileptic and after months of trying they told me I was beyond help?? This I took as a good thing though as it meant I knew it was only me who could help myself and I wasn't dependent on anyone else, thankfully.My search for new inspiration found me reading a lot of philosophy etc and some of it was good but nothing stood out that made the difference that Kiss or Kill did. My search for a new approach was upped a gear recently after failing on the Cathedral once again and watching Andy Turner making it look piss easy!

Packing up, dejected after my 7th defeat on the Cathedral, Pic-Steve Gordon

I found what I was looking for completely by chance a few weeks ago. My Dad had a book about decisive days in history, one of which contained a section about Japanese warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu. I had tried to avoid reading much Eastern philosophy etc as it felt a bit clichéd but reading this chapter has helped me immensely!! This guy had a theory that basically ran on the premise of " There are 7 emotions, Joy, Anger, Anxiety, Adoration, Grief, Fear and Hate, if a man doesn't give way to these he can be called patient, I am not as strong as I should be but I have long known and practised patience". Ever since reading this I have tried to put it into practise at every opportunity, anytime I have felt any of the above emotions I have attempted to control them on a deeper level than I have ever done before, hopefully with a bit of training I'll become more adept at applying this philosophy to my everyday life. I know I wont stop having these feelings but having better control over them should help me, I hope............

Tolerance , Round 3 pics

Here are some pics from the 3rd attempt at Tolerance . All pics by Suzy Devey...............................

Dot and I chatting and getting a brew between snow showers

Trying to melt ice with my palm while trying to regain a smidgen of feeling in my left hand, a battle I rapidly lost!!

Trying again to get a bit of sensitivity in my hand before launching into trying the hard moves!!

That's solid ice on the sole of my rock shoes, not ideal....................